Washed and Winning: Warehouse Leadership, Quarterbacks, And War

Power without competence looks the same on a warehouse floor as it does on an NFL sideline. We open with everyday leadership—those “leads in training” who get the title but not the respect—and use it to frame a bigger sports question: when do names, roles, and reputations actually translate to trust? From there, we dive into a full Falcons reset: the Cousins contract autopsy, what “bad” really means when a bet fails, and the live decision facing Atlanta—double down on Michael Penix Jr. or press the gas with a proven starter like Kyler, Tua, or even Flacco. We challenge the sacred cow that the quarterback must be the franchise’s north star, and unpack how accountability, body language, and scheme fit matter more than slogans.

Culture threads through everything. Cleveland’s low player grade for Kevin Stefanski sparks a wider look at how much is coach, how much is ownership, and why free agency choices will tell the truth. Then it’s over to the NBA, where the Hawks’ uneven year, injuries, and roster churn set the stage for Jonathan Kuminga’s immediate impact. Talent didn’t appear out of nowhere; the fit did. That leads us straight into the MVP cage match: best player versus most valuable player. We weigh Jokic’s historic dominance, SGA’s steadying force, and Cade’s irreplaceability case while pushing back on stat-chasing and media-led narratives. Awards need evidence tied to winning, context, and who keeps a team’s floor from collapsing.

The final turn is personal. News of strikes near Bahrain isn’t a headline for us; it’s a map of places we lived, ate, and walked. That proximity shifts how we talk about war, service, and who bears the cost when powerful people make imperfect decisions. Sports can feel like an escape, but the same truths apply: strong systems beat loud speeches, clear roles beat big titles, and real leadership shows up when pressure is highest. If you’re here for honest football talk, sharp NBA takes, and a human lens on what headlines miss, you’re in the right place.

If this hit home or challenged your thinking, follow the show, share it with a friend, and drop a review telling us what “leadership” means to you.

Transcript

Power, Politics, And Rich McKay Jokes

SPEAKER_03 0:34

Oh, Rich McKay.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Head of the competition committee to you.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

Well, glad that's your only job.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Not as I say, not not the Falcons GM or president of football. Or Czar. You know, I I deal with hockey and then I deal with NFL rules.

SPEAKER_03 0:59

Would you like to compare Rich McKay to the president? You know, it just doesn't really matter. He's just gonna do what he wants.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Well, I compare Rich McKay to a guy that you know brings nothing but destruction to um anything that stands in his path, which uh you know some people would say that that's the president.

SPEAKER_03 1:21

But or you know what? Honestly, Arthur Blank might be the president, and Rich McKay could be like the foreign leader of another nation. You don't think he's Cash Mattel? No, no, I I think he's uh you know B in.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:56

The leader of the GDs.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

So he's a gangster's disciple?

SPEAKER_03 2:04

Oh, definitely. He's a gangster, and he has a lot of disciples.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Yeah. More than twenty. You know, I love that although I'm having technical difficulties over here, I love the idea that Rich McKay is this photo. I'm gonna have this. No, I was gonna say this pretty much summarizes, you know, everybody's mood when it comes to things. It's I'm in charge. This is how we're doing things, and there's nothing you can do about it.

SPEAKER_03 2:41

I mean, yeah, that's how it is at the warehouse I work at.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Yeah, and I'm sure that you deal with quite a few folks that'll um be there. And do you have are you are you a lead? No. Okay. Are are there are there people that are leads that come over and try to tell you how to do something and then they're the ones actually doing it wrong, but they try to make it seem as if they're the ones that know what they're doing when in reality they don't?

Warehouse Leaders, Respect, And Flirt Lines

SPEAKER_03 3:15

So I have good leads, but we have these other things that are like leads in training, but they don't get they get paid the same thing as the rest of us. So, you know, the hard Rs don't want to do it because they're not doing more work for the same amount of money, right? And but also like nobody really respects them unless you just respect them off the strength, you know what I mean? Nobody respects the position, yeah. So there's some of those who maybe shouldn't have you know more responsibility.

SPEAKER_00 3:54

Okay, that's fair.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

Nah, shit. Actually, uh, there was the manager trying to show somebody how to use one of these machines and had no idea how to use it, and I ended up having to teach it.

SPEAKER_00 4:09

Teaching the manager or teaching the people that the manager was trying to show how to use, or everybody for that matter.

SPEAKER_03 4:16

Teaching the person that the manager was trying to choose, was trying to show to. Yeah. Because, like, I went in there, we were going in the truck, and uh it was just machine, and she was trying to show them how to use, and then she couldn't. She was like, All right, you got it. I'm like, oh man, I thought you were gonna go in there and throw the boxes for me. You know, you gotta get your little flirt off with the uh with with the people at work, you know, not the treatment flirt, like the flirting that they receive is flirting, you know, not the sexual harassment. There's a difference. Yeah. And it's up to her to to to to set that difference. Read the room, Bucko. Hey, you know what? Speaking of which, I'm having a conversation with some broads at the uh at the old warehouse today. We were we were down there working, uh uh working together. It's me and three broads, you know. Actually, at this point, it's just being two broads.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Is it sexist to call women broads? Uh, I think that many people would look at that as derogatory, yes. I don't know if it's sexist, but it certainly is uh derogatory, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:33

Like I'm being serious right now. Yeah, it's really derogatory, yeah. Okay, so like me and you talking to each other, is it derogatory or is it liberal derogatory?

SPEAKER_00 5:46

It's liberal derogatory for us, it's just slang.

SPEAKER_03 5:50

Okay, okay, okay. So, okay. So I'm talking to these two broads at work, and um, and they're talking about like when guys uh you know when they reject guys or like they'll give out their number or their Instagram just because they are concerned about how the guy will act when rejected. And I was like, wow, I heard these stories. But that's real. Like I'd seen it when I was younger. But there aren't many places where I see guys curse girls out or go crazy when they're rejected.

unknown 6:34

Right.

SPEAKER_04 6:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:40

You know, it's just uh it was just an interesting thing because you know, it's not anything that we think about because you know, we're men.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

Yeah. We we have something that dangles between our legs.

SPEAKER_03 6:56

Well, that's not what makes you a man. It's in your head. Whatever you believe in your head and your heart, that's what you are.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

That that's what makes me a man, huh?

SPEAKER_03 7:10

Absolutely. It's what you identify as.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

I think I've told you the story, and I'm sure you've probably seen it, but you know, um I driving like an F-150, F-250, something like that. Maybe a Chevy Silver, I don't even remember the car, but or truck rather. But their bumper sticker basically said, I identify as a Prius. And you know, it's obviously meant to just be a joke and kind of show that, like, well, this is how people sound when they say these things.

SPEAKER_03 7:45

Well, I I I think that's kind of cruel and disregarding what these people are experiencing and going through.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Mm-hmm. And and and why do you feel that way, Lee?

SPEAKER_03 7:59

Uh, because taking someone's lifestyle, uh, especially a lifestyle that's not widely accepted, and turning that into a joke, that's just mean.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

So it's dickhead type energy. Is that what we're getting at here?

SPEAKER_03 8:17

Yeah, I mean, it's somebody trying to push their politics everywhere that they go. Hey, look at me. I'm gonna make fun of an already downtrodden community. I probably am a Dave Chappelle fan.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

Okay. So so so a little asshole behavior.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

I mean, yeah, probably little dick energy too, honestly.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Yeah.

Rejection, Gender Language, And Identity Jabs

SPEAKER_03 8:44

LDE, you know.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

Yeah. Little hands too, huh?

SPEAKER_03 8:50

Yeah, probably with a size seven, eight men's.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 8:55

Hey, what shoe size does it not become feminine in toxic masculinity?

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Um shoe size.

SPEAKER_03 9:07

Double digits is is acceptable for a man, right? But like when you were a size nine, it's like yeah, I I would say.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

Um, you know, it's funny though, I I would have to imagine the average shoe size for a man is probably like a 10.

SPEAKER_03 9:24

It's somewhere in that 10 or 11 range because those are the hardest sizes to get uh Jordan's in.

SPEAKER_00 9:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:33

I wear an 11, by the way.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Size 12 myself.

SPEAKER_03 9:38

Yeah, I've been in uh 11 since like eighth grade.

SPEAKER_04 9:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:47

You know, that's a rough time in life when you're hitting that gross skirt and stuff, and your body hasn't veiled out, and you got these long ass feet, but your body hadn't grown.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

It's it's certainly the awkward period in time, because it's what normally about middle school, first year, high school type era. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 10:09

And don't come from a family where your where your parents buy your shoe a little big so you can grow into it, but then you never grow into it. So you're just walking around with these big ass boats on your feet. Yeah, you lived experience.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

Well, for you know, uh it certainly is a time in everybody's life where um you've got these humongous feet. You probably you might have braces or something. Um, I never really got acne, crazy enough. No back acne? Uh slightly, but but I never really it just I never truly got acne, honestly. Okay, you know, everybody has pimples there and there. Hell, you still get a pimple today, but like never any um just acne. So no backnee. Not bad, no. No back means back acne. No, I know, but I'm saying not bad at back. I'm saying it was it if I had it, but it wasn't like bad. It wasn't like bad acne.

SPEAKER_03 11:26

You ever have any uh crotch acne?

SPEAKER_00 11:31

No. That that that sounds like something you should go get checked out.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

Yeah, I think those are called warts. Yeah. Hey, you know, thank God I don't work in medicine, and thank God um I don't dumpster dive, you know. I treat my body like the temple that it is. But imagine like waking up in the morning after a nice little night with with the with the general ports, like the ones they show you in sex ed, like not like probably the real ones that you know it's like one or two little lumps down there. I'll talk about the sex ed ones, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:13

The nasty shit.

SPEAKER_03 12:15

Yeah, where your shit just looks like oh pizza face over here, but you're fucking pizza cock.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

Yeah, that's definitely not how you get the pussy. I mean, there's no doubt about that.

SPEAKER_03 12:27

Um insert ad right here.

SPEAKER_00 12:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Oh man, hey Polly Pete, man, how you doing?

SPEAKER_00 12:38

We are rolling. Um keep rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling. We got this stuff getting started in Savannah. I'm really, really excited about it. Um, obviously, as you know, as we spoke about, I've been going to one of the warehouses that uh we've crazy enough, I guess we've been staffing for them since 2017, but this was my first go-round of actually going in there and working. And it has been an experience.

SPEAKER_01 13:06

33, 32, 30.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

Well, I so I've worked in the warehouse before. Like, you know, I was a lot younger.

SPEAKER_03 13:16

Passing out paychecks, yeah, that's working.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

No, I I'm talking about real men work, you know, um tires, for that matter. You know, these are just this is this is this is easy ass work. Fucking slinging boxes, that shit's easy, you know. Um honestly, and the first thing I said was I don't understand how anyone could get fired from this job. You know, outside of the obvious, oh, he's late every day, or uh, this guy was smoking weed during break and he comes in smelling like a pound. Um, you know, those are gonna be the obvious reason to get fired. But in terms of like performance, it's hard. I mean, you gotta just not be paying attention. I mean, you gotta not give a fuck.

SPEAKER_03 13:58

Let me tell you what, the two things you just said happen at my work.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

People showing up late and people smoke smelling like a pound. Yeah. And nobody says anything.

SPEAKER_03 14:14

People show up late every day and people smell like pounds every day.

Awkward Growth Spurts And Body Talk

SPEAKER_00 14:20

They might have trouble keeping people though. Because you you start to get more lenient when when you're allowing that type of behavior, especially if it's an which I know that Jeff he follows all rules and regulations. Uh, that should be a drug-free workplace.

SPEAKER_03 14:36

Uh, it is.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:39

But they're uh they're a marijuana-friendly organization.

SPEAKER_00 14:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:45

But you can get fired or written up for coming in and smelling like that. As you should. Well. No, I mean you it that's that's the way it should be. We're talking bottom up. You're cleaning that bad boy out if they ever if they ever may guys line up and put piss in a bottle.

SPEAKER_04 15:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:12

Uh you know. Anyways, um, yeah, I'm doing well too, since you asked.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

Uh well, I didn't get a chance to. We we were we were speaking about it. How the hell are you, Lee?

SPEAKER_03 15:28

Man, I'm great. Great. Um, I was able to get outside this weekend, touch our Black History Parade and uh Business Expo. Downtown Cartersville. It's a great time. Uh through a party uh Saturday night after. I had a good crowd out there looking forward to see what we can do in the future. Uh definitely got a lot of interest uh from the locals. Uh heard about it. Like, dang, if I would have known, you know, y'all was parting with the old folks, yeah. I would have showed up. So, you know, you know.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

So it was a classy event. Is it is that what we're getting at here?

SPEAKER_03 16:06

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:07

Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. Is it is it something that Rich McCain would have shown up to? No, no, no. Maybe Coach Rod, but I don't know about been showing his his his ankles, or would he have had on something a little bit better than that?

SPEAKER_03 16:26

Ross showed his ankles on game day, so I'll expect nothing less from him.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Right, because that's him in a professional setting.

SPEAKER_03 16:37

No, he is, right? Just kick the man while he's down by the show.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

No, no, I mean, I'm not just I wouldn't say I'm kicking him. Uh you know, Rock kicks himself every day. Whether that be not knowing how to manage a clock or you know, looking up at the jumbotron, that's that's him, you know, that's him kicking himself. I I I can't kick him while he's down. He he put himself down there, you know. And he's not tying his shoes either. He's just down there. Well, hopefully he's not doing something else. Rock could get in on TV. A guy like Ra, if they added Ra to the nightcap, you know, not not as a consistent, but just as a contributor, right? During the football season, he could be like Gruden De Barstool or something. You mean like like like with Ocho? Or how Bruce Arians is to McAfee, like some that type of role. I think Tony Dungey would be better for Nightcap, honestly. Well, he's certainly gonna be looking for work because I'm sure that you saw that he got fired, right?

SPEAKER_03 17:46

I didn't see that, but I'm happy he did because not happy that he did, but as far as somebody who watches that network, I think that they could go in a better direction.

SPEAKER_00 17:55

Well, I think that some believe that this has to do with Belichick.

SPEAKER_03 18:00

I'm sure that that um powerful people make phone calls.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

After they found out which way he voted, right? I hey look here.

SPEAKER_03 18:13

I'm not accusing anybody of anything.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:18

Um but I mean Tony Dungey was bad on TV. They should get Jason Garrett out of there next. Um Jason Garrett, Jason Garrett might be one of the worst people on TV. Like he has a good job. Yeah, Jason. How pissed off are you when NBC has two games in a week and you know Garrett's calling well?

SPEAKER_00 18:47

I I mean, I'm definitely not a fan of it. Um, you know, it's it's it's it I it's it's it's about the same as ESBN whenever Lewis Rennick and Dano are calling the game, you know, with Reese Davis, and it's just like, ah, man, I don't really want to hear this second Monday night telecast. It's like this is the perfect time to have, which I know that Peyton and Eli would never do it, but this is the time to really have them as the the cast, right? Like just let them do the game.

SPEAKER_03 19:18

Don't have Peyton and Eli compete against Troy and Joe. Yeah, no, no, no. Put Dano, Lewis Rick, all ENP in the portes. Yeah. Put him on the portes.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

You know, so yeah, but yeah, I I don't know if Tony, I he doesn't fit the the over-the-topness of a Chad Johnson and you know Shannon, he's just he's just Oprah, right?

SPEAKER_03 19:59

I mean, I'm joking, I was a joke, it's a joke.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

Right.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

Tony Dungey, he's a network.

Savannah Warehouse Work And Standards

SPEAKER_00 20:07

Tony Dungey is a man of faith. And there's nothing wrong with that either. Yeah, he's a man of faith.

SPEAKER_03 20:18

Oh god, okay. Didn't know his name was John.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

You know, it's nothing wrong with that either. If anything, it's a it's a really good call, actually, you know.

SPEAKER_03 20:32

Yeah, no, I think John's great. Yeah. You know what? I really hate you today because you don't have uh video. So you say you hate me because of it? Yeah, because I can't see your face. But but I have an idea of the facial expressions you make.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

They're very much on par with what they normally are. I I think that's the best way to put it.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

Alright, man. You want to just go ahead and get in the Falcons first, since we should probably do a topic at some point.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

Absolutely. Hit the music. I can't that that I that I Rich McKay came up with.

SPEAKER_03 21:14

I I can the uh the the the sound board inside.

SPEAKER_00 21:23

Oh, okay. So that would explain kind of what was going on here earlier. What? No, no, no, no, when you were behind the computer.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

Oh, yeah, yeah. I got some wireless mics now.

unknown 21:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 21:42

Like the good kind, not like the four shows. Yeah. No, you go ahead. I was about to start talking.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Well, let's just bring it in the way that we would normally bring it in. We are Here to do what falcons do.

SPEAKER_03 22:07

Rise up.

SPEAKER_04 22:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:09

There we go. You know what would be funny? If we like shot a parody uh rise up video like they do in the s in the arena. And then play that the intro into Falcons first.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

I mean you definitely got the noodle thinking.

SPEAKER_03 22:35

Well. Yeah, I think that'd be that'd be dope. But yeah, Falcons first. Where do you want to start? You want to talk about the grade that Kevin Savansky received in that whole poll that wasn't supposed to uh be public, but uh you know, we we we we got the information. Uh you want to talk about possibly having Tua or Flacco on the roster? Uh up been opening the trade and Kyle Pitts trying to get a first round pick. Uh where's Kirk contract, Kirk Cousins contract uh stand in the history of shit contracts, you know?

SPEAKER_00 23:18

I tell you what, we can start there, but I know we're gonna hit everything that you you just kind of brought up. Is that the worst? I don't think it's the worst contract. I think that like the results are up there because of what we got, but and I guess that that is what makes it one of the worst, but it's like hindsight's 2020. I are we upset that they did pay him? Not really. I was pumped when we got him.

Weed At Work, Policies, And Leniency

SPEAKER_03 23:47

I think that football is covered. Football's covered wrong by a lot of people. You know, for one, a lot of the people that you hear talk about it don't watch all of the football. Uh and oftentimes teams are criticized for doing things that would work in a perfect world, but you know, very there are a lot of variables, and each team's set of variables are different, each staff set of variables are very different. So, yeah, it was it was bad because it didn't work, and because you ended up uh procuring two quarterbacks in one offseason, and you may walk away three seasons later with zero, you know. Yeah, but but when you're Terry Font, though, and you know your job is on the line, and you're Rahim Morris, and you know your head coaching career is tied to you having a a a quarterback.

SPEAKER_02 24:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:51

You gotta do what you gotta do. And if you want the vet, the vet who is who who who is gonna get every dollar, he can. You gotta pay the cost. You know what I mean? It's a cost of invention. Yeah. It can't work if you don't try. So it is a bad contract in a vacuum, yeah. But if you but if you understand the situation fully, and this is not me being a Falcons fan taking up for it, because I uh while I understand it because it didn't work, you know, the building changed. And I think the building changed. But no, man. Bad contract, but hey, at least we took a chance, we tried. You know, I we get so caught up on winning and it's very important. But we see it in the NBA where teams are just actively tanking and not trying to win. That summer I knew the Falcons were trying to win.

SPEAKER_04 25:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:50

Now last season I didn't think that. But going in coach Rod's first year, go get uh uh uh uh uh uh Kirk Cousins and Mike Appenics, you know, the year after guaranteeing the job to Desmond Ritter.

SPEAKER_00 26:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:09

Hey, thanks, Rich. Thanks for joining.

SPEAKER_00 26:13

It's a bad idea.

SPEAKER_03 26:16

Well, that's why Arthur Smith is didn't he get fired from Pittsburgh too?

SPEAKER_00 26:22

Yeah. Uh yeah, yeah. Well, I'm guessing that maybe because it's a new staff, he did he really get fired, or was it just kind of like, well, the whole staff kind of just dissolved? I don't know. Like, I'm sure he was under contract for more than a year, but do you think he was coming back though?

SPEAKER_03 26:40

Uh no. Okay, thank you. So Whickirk's contract, you know, that's the first big move um that we kind of made in the offseason, and there's been whispers about us going after possibly two or Joe Flacco. Uh, where do you stand with that?

SPEAKER_00 27:01

So I'm not, I I'm I'm cool with Flacco. I my opinion on it is this I think that Flacco and to a lesser, lesser extent, much lesser extent, but I would honestly be okay with that. I guess it just depends on how cooked you think he is. I would prefer Flacco, but I'm more of in the vein of I want to get a Flacco or a Russell Wilson in here because it's crazy to just kind of give up on um I I can't give up on Penix yet. Like, and it it seems like that is what everybody's doing. They're giving up on Penix. And so I don't I don't agree with that, and I don't think that that's the route that they should go. Um Penix to me still has the potential to be the guy, and I don't like the idea of bringing in a Tua or uh a Kyler because that to me signals that he's not the guy, and you have given up on him, and I just I don't want to do that just yet. I don't think that that that is the route that we should take with him.

SPEAKER_03 28:09

What if it's not giving up on the guy? What if it's setting your team up for success and you have an actual quarterback competition? Like, what has Michael Pennyx done to deserve a to to keep a job?

SPEAKER_00 28:25

Nothing. Nothing. Um, he hasn't done anything that would say he deserved like this is you know his to lose.

Local Parade, Parties, And TV Coaches

SPEAKER_03 28:32

I I can agree with that, but we've got to stop coddling quarterbacks. You know, Roddy White is still a good receiver when we uh drafted Leo Jones. Sure. So why not bring have two good quarterbacks in the building? And you know, if you have a Kyler who's made it to the playoffs, uh you you have uh uh Tua who's led the league and passing, you know. Why not get a young guy in the building that may could be your guy or not? They're already paid, so you get them on the year for the cheap.

SPEAKER_04 29:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:10

And you cut bait. Even if you don't get them on the cheap, it's a one-year deal.

SPEAKER_00 29:18

Yeah, I I'm okay with it because of that, and I think that that's winning football, that's a winning football move, right? Them saying we want somebody that can come in and win games for us immediately. We don't want to have a stock gap or you know, an insurance policy. We want to win. We want the best possible player to be playing the position. And so I'm okay with it to that extent. And I just I just I don't and I get it, it would be pushing Penix if you bring in somebody that truly is a starting quarterback in the league, as opposed to a guy on his way out that would be more so mentor and that can win you games and that you do trust in an offense that he's already ran, i.e. Joe Flacco, but um I'm also not sold on either of those guys as leaders of teams. Like to me, Kyler Murray is not a leader. Tua is not a leader. Have you been around them? No, but I've I've seen enough, and I've seen how their teams perform, and I see how it appears at least the way that you know Tua's out here talking about whether I throw four touchdowns or four interceptions. Um, and when I get home, my daughter's gonna love me, and that's all that matters. Well, it's like, well, no shit. Tua in the grand scheme of life, you've already won because you're paid. Um, but that's not exactly what I want to hear out of my starting quarterback coming off of a loss, right? So that doesn't sound like a leader to me.

SPEAKER_03 30:49

Um, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. And I'm not saying these guys aren't good leaders. I don't know. And that's because I'm not in the locker room. Also, they're young. Like, yeah, this setback could be the thing that allows them to step into that appropriate leadership role because learning how to be a leader and lead a large group of people is difficult. And finding your style and being comfortable in your style, it takes it takes time. So let's not throw them out for that, but also I think we're giving quarterbacks too much credit for their impact, like their leadership impact on other people, because everybody out there is playing for a contract. Every piece of film is evaluated, you know? So that's one thing that's going to have you playing your best or have you put forth an appropriate level of effort. But also there are coaches, there's schematics, there's injuries, there's 22 moving pieces uh at all times during a football game, unless you're the Falcons and you have 10 minutes on the field in a crucial uh part of the game. But there's all these moving parts, and I think we're just placing too much of that on the quarterback. I don't think the quarterback leads to defense. No, his performance helps the defense, impacts the defense, but I don't think like the quarterbacks being what he says in the meetings and all of that stuff really affects the defense because they're not the same meeting rooms.

SPEAKER_00 32:45

Well, sure, but he he's still the CEO on the field and offense.

SPEAKER_03 32:52

Not of the defense, he's on the sideline with defense on the field, right?

Falcons Reset: Contracts, Cousins, And Front Office

SPEAKER_00 32:56

And and I look, I get where you're coming from. Ray Lewis, a guy like a Ray Lewis, right? He's he's not just the leader of the defense, he was the leader of the Baltimore Raiders. He was the captain. Um not all quarterbacks have to necessarily be captains. I don't think Sam Darnold was necessarily the captain of the Seahawks, right? But like at the same time, there was this leadership quality, I still think that that you you could see coming from a guy like that. These other two guys, they don't really appear to have that. Like, and I'm not saying that that's the end-all be-all. I want my quarterback to throw for a ton of yards, hit guys open, make throws when he needs to make them and win football games. I mean, that's what I want. But at the same time, you're you've got this new leadership that is coming in, you know, from uh the the executives down to coaching, and now you're gonna have a new quarterback potentially. You got new uniform, you got all this, there's no more me, no more Rich McKay. It's it's it's it's uh it's like you you you kind of hit somewhat of a hard reset, but not not hard enough, of course, because we've still got B J. You still got all these guys from last year, but in these key positions, you're kind of hitting a reset. And so it's like I would just like to have somebody that I can that I know is gonna not only hold the guys accountable, but that's gonna hold himself accountable. And I just don't get that from those two because of what's happened in their prior stents in Miami and Arizona. And again, somebody like Kyler, you can look at his 2021 season and say, that's what we want, right? A dynamic runner that can not only just move around the pocket, but can make the throws. You want that. You want the 2022 Tua when he led the NFL in passing yards. You want that. But you know, that's 2000, that's 2021, and then that's 2022. I mean, we're talking four years ago, four and five years ago.

SPEAKER_03 34:56

Penix has never done it.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

He hasn't really had a chance to.

SPEAKER_03 35:01

Yeah, because he he he was on the shelf.

SPEAKER_00 35:06

Yeah, before he went on the shelf. Well, I like the idea of what what potentially what this quarterback class that's coming up next after this class looks like. And I just think that you bring in Flacco and we see what we have in Phoenix.

SPEAKER_03 35:23

Why do you like that quarterback class? Because you liked this quarterback class uh before last football season for you.

SPEAKER_00 35:30

Uh well, I don't know if I liked it per se. I didn't think Fernando Mendoza would be the projected best quarterback coming out. I was a big guy, I was big on Garrett Nussmeyer for sure. He was somebody I did think that could sling it. Um but no, there's just a lot more guys, I think, in this upcoming class that it seems like have a little bit more pop. And it's not just the whole Arch Manning thing. It's just more of like I'm a huge fan of Minsa, the kid out of Duke. I think that he can play his ass off. That is the type of nigga that I would like here in Atlanta. I I like him.

SPEAKER_03 36:06

So, so to put a ball on this one, here's what I think, here's what I challenge you to do. Don't let media narrogance around positions drive your analysis up. Like, the whole quarterback, CEO, all of this stuff. Yes, he is. Sometimes. But like, do you think Jalen Hurts first year starting was running that franchise? No, Jason Kelsey ran that offense. Like, positions and captions aren't always reflective of true leadership. Yeah, some players may be vocal leaders, but they're not actually doing the work, and they don't have the buy-in of the players, you know. Or some guys may be great leaders, but they're leading players in the wrong direction. And also these are grown-ass men who have jobs, and like Belichick says, do your job, execute, do what you're supposed to do, follow your assignments. I I'm willing to bet it's a lot more of that than the quarterback doing whatever it is. Yeah, Tom Brady was a great leader, but he was also a great player. He was really good. So, yes, Tom's gonna inspire you because he's out there swinging the pill.

SPEAKER_00 37:36

Yeah, and I'll quote uh Julius from Remember the Titans attitude reflects leadership, Captain. Um I again But you don't know these guys, you don't know these guys' attitude. But I don't have to. You can see it, you can see it when you watch these teams. I bet on these guys enough, and there's a lot of not give a fuck I've seen personally.

SPEAKER_03 37:58

Well, the teams aren't good.

SPEAKER_00 38:00

They work good with Jonathan Gannon. I I don't, I don't, I well look, yeah, with Jonathan Gannon, maybe they weren't good, but like look, Kyler Murray is somebody that again, he's five fucking nine. I don't want that shit in here.

SPEAKER_02 38:17

I don't think you have leadership.

SPEAKER_00 38:21

No, but it but it but it's a it is a leadership thing too.

SPEAKER_03 38:24

Again, this is a guy has nothing to do with leadership.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

Yeah, well, that's I'm adding on to it. It's not the only thing. I I just added that on because that's that's a it's a fact and it's true. I don't I don't he's five nine. I don't want him.

SPEAKER_03 38:37

Like I don't want him on him here, but you can't introduce new evidence during closing arguments.

SPEAKER_00 38:44

Well, I could sit up for days and talk about everything, but uh leadership was just one of the things I want to see out of a quarterback, and to me, neither of those guys have but but but you will never see it because you're not at the facility, you're not there. I tell you what, I see it in the team. You know, you know what, you know what, Matt Rhyme.

SPEAKER_03 39:05

You don't see it in the team.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

I see it, I see it in the performance of the team. The quarterback is supposed to be this, and neither of these guys possess what it is that I want on the Falcons.

Penix Versus Vets: Kyler, Tua, Or Flacco

SPEAKER_03 39:18

You are told that the quarterback is supposed to possess that, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the quarterback possesses it, or that's how teams actually function.

SPEAKER_00 39:32

Did the quarterback that you played with in high school, did he have any type of leadership whatsoever?

SPEAKER_03 39:38

Not really.

SPEAKER_00 39:40

Not yes or no.

SPEAKER_03 39:43

I mean he had positional leadership because he was a quarterback.

SPEAKER_00 39:48

And he's calling the plays, right?

SPEAKER_03 39:50

I mean, he's calling the play that the coach tells him to call you.

SPEAKER_00 39:53

Yeah, he's called but he's calling out the plays, right?

SPEAKER_03 39:55

Hey, but like if he ever tried to do like a a a pep talk or like rally the troops, we're gonna tell him to shut the fuck up.

SPEAKER_00 40:04

Yeah, and not not everybody has to be Drew Brees in the huddle, win, win, or Jameis Winston eating W. Like, you don't have that's not leadership to me necessarily.

SPEAKER_03 40:13

But but but what I'm saying is, and if you're talking about the good quarterback that I played with, he was a good player, everybody respected him as a good player, but nobody viewed him as a leader on the team. Okay, like maybe some of the younger guys who didn't know, they just looked up to him because he was so good, but he wasn't a leader. And granted, he left he left before he was an upperclassman, but even like in middle school, he wasn't a leader, he was a captain because he was the best player on the team, and the coach are like, yeah, but he wasn't like just because you're in a position, even if the coaches say you're a leader, or if you're a captain, that doesn't mean you're a leader of the team. And these leadership, these this leadership stuff that you're asking for, you can't actually evaluate because you don't you're not close enough. And when you start thinking about the way teams play and the way the team uh like the stuff that you see on the field, well, it starts with ownership like the Browns are a shit show of an organization because they have shitty ownership. The Jets have been a shit show of an organization because they have shitty ownership. The Bengals, they've been lifted to some degree by Joe Burrow, but they've been a terrible franchise for good portions of our life because of terrible ownership. Yeah, you but most players can't overcome being in a being on a terrible team, a terrible roster, a terrible front office, a terrible coaching staff, a terrible owner. Like there's no level of leadership that the player has that can do that. There's no level of leadership that anyone has that can inspire somebody to do something that they don't want to do. So I'm just saying you you're putting too much on something that you can't even actually evaluate. And why does it have to be the quarterback? Why can't it be the same? I think the Eagles run a great franchise. Their leadership is top down. It starts with the owner, Jeffrey Lurdy, and then from Hallie Roseman, it it it it it kind of stays. You know what I mean? Sure. Carson Witch wasn't a leader. He's about to go to TV.

SPEAKER_00 42:34

Yeah, again, and uh just because you know I have to Google it. I mean, it's not again, yes, I am not there. So of course I do not know. And you can take things that are said with a grain of salt, but for instance, I'll just bring up the Kyler Murray aspect of it. Uh this is Patrick Peterson, who I would argue has been the best player on the Cardinals, or was the best player on the Cardinals during his time, and he played with Kyler, and he pointed out himself that he's got negative body language and a lack of on-field encouragement is detrimental to team morale. And so this is why it's important because he's the quarterback. So that's all I'm saying. Like, and and he's 5'9 to go with it.

SPEAKER_03 43:17

And it's just But it doesn't it doesn't have to be the quarterback who boosts morale. Yes, you'd like for your quarterback to have better body language, but if you're running an organization and you see you have a talented person and they're lacking something, then you should support your entire organization with what that one person is lacking.

SPEAKER_00 43:36

Tell you what, here, hold on. We didn't, I didn't get I didn't get your take. So then do you want Kyler Murray or two to be here?

SPEAKER_03 43:43

I'd pref, I prefer them over Flacco. I know Flacco's not the answer.

unknown 43:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 43:50

I don't think Michael Penix deserves. I don't think Michael Penix has done anything to deserve a bridge quarterback who can keep the offensive play. until he comes back from injury. And Stefanski didn't draft him. Matt Ryan didn't draft him. Nobody in the building who's a decision maker brought this guy in. And now he's also hurt. So yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna look up. I'm gonna look to um to bring in the best players I can to compete at that position. I'm not here to save Michael Michael Pennyx's ego. I'm here to get the best quarterback for the Falcons. I'm not evaluated. If Michael Penix doesn't work, it's not on me. I draft. Not my guy. So unfortunate for Michael Penix, but I'm not rooting for Michael Penix. I'm looking for the Falcons. That's fair. And we've seen when Kevin's the fan he doesn't like the quarterback. It's weird.

What Leadership Means In An NFL Locker Room

Culture, Coaches, And Cleveland’s Grade

Pivot To NBA: Hawks, Kuminga, And Kerr

SPEAKER_00 45:02

Well he probably yeah certainly for the guys that he wanted to draft right you know if it's a guy that he didn't want to draft and it was an owner pick you know yeah Savansky is the guy he he has more he has more sway in the building than than Michael Penix so even if Penix is a better option and Savansky doesn't want him I don't I don't know what my coach wants even if I don't agree with him until my coach is on the hot seat then I don't care he had he had to coach the game for the palette this guy might be still renting right now you know yeah you know well and speaking of uh that could be renting you know we had a coach that's already been fired right so um nobody's safe especially in Ann Arthur That's a smear campaign it could be but then again if these are also real text messages and Snapchat messages it's it's pretty fucking degree I mean it's it's low it's did you notice that there were did you notice that there were responses missing um could be certainly there I you can't you can't count that you can't say that it did that there that it was or wasn't but yeah it certainly could have been yeah so so now you lack context yeah and and and maybe in his case there were dirty responses from her as well and certainly he'll have his day in court and he'll be able to prove that but um what what if your dirty talk got leaked and and and uh certain parts were redacted could you be could you be made to look out like a creep uh well but if it's redacted we're gonna know that it was something there one way or another so but yeah certainly from the court of public opinion from somebody that's just viewing just that yeah but so uh from what I I what I from what I read it it it appears that certain things have been redacted and that's typically how those text leaks go in these types of cases well we can't say the same necessarily for the Snapchat stuff but um because you would see that deleted messages or screenshots or whatever all that stuff will pop up on there but um it's 2026 we we we we can clean stuff up let's let's not be not here sure sure i i just you know i look at it this way the falcons did the right thing by getting that guy out of here well yeah yeah yeah i don't disagree with them fire you know i i didn't even think that was relevant i was trying to talk about the coach whose name we know yeah yeah you know not not the one that was calling himself god right you know i brushed through that stuff i didn't care about him uh it was i mean it was pretty fucking graphic uh how do you feel about Kevin Savansky receiving uh a low grade from Cleveland do you think it's a result of him or just that entire season and what and what that franchise is I I put more stock into what the franchise is because it's just always been that way like you said earlier they've been bad since we've been watching football and um you know it's it's certainly he may he may be a problem as well like I I don't I don't take that and and not say that that doesn't say something but at the same time it's a losing ass organization so naturally they're gonna look at the coach the coach that it appeared at least from the outside looking in has done more for that franchise than anyone since they came back to the NFL um it's it's hard to believe that he's the worst coach from a player standpoint because that just doesn't seem true. But then again are players supposed to like their coach or are they just supposed to win games uh you would like for the players to like their coach because the assumption is that um uh things are flowing well because you know DQ I mean I love DQ I think that kind of like Ra he's um he was a guy that everybody could get behind that the players loved but then they seemed to just not play for him when it mattered the most and so um well but they didn't play for him or they weren't prepared to play yeah yeah you know maybe the coaches just aren't doing a good enough job and that's why they they get fired. Yeah that's typically you know how that works it's you know it's I I don't think players quit on coached as much as uh we we say they do it's not cop out yeah everybody still has a job um that they've got to do and certainly you can't just take plays off because that's gonna show up on film and that affects your paycheck right like um you know it it affects your paycheck and so um and one thing that we do know is that everybody needs and for the most part likes money yeah um but I'll say though my only concern is creating a new culture like that's the only thing about the grading thing that bothered me because players can be better uh sometimes you don't like what you need uh this guy got the Browns to the playoffs twice we we know he can coach football absolutely and maybe it's a a wake up call for him to uh adjust his approach going into this job that and I think that the telltale sign will be once free agency opens how many Browns players end up coming here right because that will I mean it's it it's not it's not the end all be all and it doesn't necessarily just answer every question but at the same time if guys come here he couldn't have been that fucking bad if you want to play for him again well there was I know that there are other factors like money and just position fit and stuff like that that can and they weren't good yeah they weren't good and and but why weren't they good? Was it because of him? No I don't think so no it's because of the players so I don't want the players that they don't want to keep what well that or they can't afford them or maybe they just want out you know there's there's a lot of different factors it's hard to trust NFL free agencies not the NBA thank god it isn't either speaking of let's talk some NBA um I'm not gonna lie to you brother it's getting late yeah yeah here I mean look I get it hey we're we're both working men right yeah where where do you want to go with the NBA because I'm finally starting to to lock in when I can find the channels when the game with the game draw um well we can start with the home team Jonathan Kamenga and how we gave them a bag of barbecue Fritos and yeah this guy can fucking play right like a lot about Steve Kerr say do you think it says more about Kerr than it does him because I mean granted it's it's a hot start right like I mean that's the way we can truly look at this it was a hot start it's been a hot start for him um I don't expect him to keep this up like for the remainder of the season I don't think that he's gonna be averaging you know 228 and four i don't I don't foresee that happening but certainly he looks like he's a good fit and again we gave them pennies on the dollar to get him uh and he's still locked in for team control for another year because he signed a two-year deal in Golden State I don't believe it was a player option I think it was a team I don't remember but it was like a two year like 24 million or something he didn't get he didn't really get paid and so um in his third year he averaged 16 in his fourth year he averaged 15 and he played with Steph Curry uh he's a 20 point per game guy yeah you know put him in there with um Jalen Johnson because Jalen Johnson they really technically only played one game together out of the three that he's played but um I was just kind of getting back to my point of blaming it like like this is not on Steve Kerr because like this guy was averaging teens and points with a step you know what I'm saying and other players he wasn't a a primary uh option they weren't calling plays for him and he was in a doghouse and he's that good uh I think as a coach you need to figure out how to utilize that talent and not bury him on the bench and playing people like pods well pods is their guy and they're not a good team yeah pods is the man it's time for Steve Crow to pack it up you think it's run his course yeah he's just going through the motions well he knows it's all over well you don't let somebody as good as Jonathan Camina just walk out the door the bucket yeah you don't you don't nickel and die and play for pods big fan of the bucket hey man uh he's a hawk so you should be yeah he's um he's a good he is a good addition though seriously to the team and I think that you you don't see the hawks still they just to me they lack i and and i i don't want anyone to think that i hate quen snyder because i don't know or think that he's necessarily the issue but like i don't know man i look at the fucking roster they just trade away tray young for a bag of bag of chips like yeah like when have they been healthy or had a decent roster to be good i thought that this year coming into the year nobody's i'm not expecting them to put up you know be the pistons be um boston or something like that yeah i don't i'm not that's not my expectation but my expectation is to not constantly be in the playoff right like Troy Young got hurt then they traded him yeah and for and for good reason get that nigga off my team no sure but but like you're creating expectations you're creating like unachievable expectations you're saying get out the play in but your star player got hurt and as your your butting player is coming into his own they have to like build that chemistry and that butting player got hurt last year yeah they missed that time and then now trade valve and trade comes back and then he's traded so like the Hawk hadn had an opportunity to really be good yeah and it's it's it's I I know you don't care they they can roll out a high school team if they have a Hawks jerseys they need to win uh 48 games yeah which again that's and especially because of how good Jalen Johnson had came on and and I understand that they played better without Trey on the floor anyways but and and again getting Kaminga I feel like maybe that is something that's helping fill that void slightly although it's you know they're apples and oranges they're not the same kind of player but it's yeah and and and then you're guaranteed 10 assists with the other guy too right and so um yeah I I I just think that the Hawks they could they could they could be a little bit better than what they've been and every year it just seems like they kicked the can down and I get it we got this pick. If it meant giving up the pick to get Giannis I would have done it just to fucking shake shit up and I get it maybe the Bucks weren't going to trade Giannis and that's what's going to be revisited this summer but if that was what it was going to take I would have done it I I don't think that pick and trade was enough to get Giannis you think there were better offers out there yeah and I also don't think Giannis is pressed to come to Atlanta nor the NBA and Cinnabon Atlanta yeah that's fair what else is going on in the NBA that that you you care about oh you had bogus take last week on K's MVP that shit was terrible what was terrible about it you calling it like a bubble MVP uh yeah if if all these guys are disqualified for for injury because they don't meet the threshold of games played yeah I do that that is that's exactly what I meant well I what makes those guys MVP above him besides the betting odds well it's not just the betting odds it's it's the idea that Jokic for instance who I was specifically talking about he's having another historic season and although Cade is playing well Cade's actually statistically they've won more but he's regressed himself statistically he's his field goal percentage is down he is averaging like one less point and look it this is you know you know I'm I'm I'm kind of bullshitting with it but in reality his numbers are actually down even from last year um I don't think that Kids since when did that matter LeBron's numbers were down uh in its Miami MVPs versus Cleveland MVPs sure and like I said I think that because you know now we're lacking context here I I like I said with Jokic right I compared it to LeBron. It's one of those things where it's voter fatigue when it comes to a guy like Jokic now.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:39

But it's not voter fatigue that doesn't make him the MVP it the the the what makes him the MVP is value.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:46

We're not talking about the best player in the league we're not talking about the best stats in the league we're talking about what player provides the most value and if you take Cade off of his team they're not good we've seen we've seen the Nuggets play without Jokic over an extended stretch they were able to bail water they were fine they were fine they're still in they're still in contention for a top speed in the West K's got the second best record in the league and he's the only dynamic scorer that they have on their roster he is the lifeblood of that team and he plays defense real defense yeah I get it I I get it you know Simmons and Steve tell you it's supposed to be Jokic because he's having his historical stats season even though they all regret voting for Russell Westbrook when he had his historical stats season you know I the media narrative I get it yeah I don't think Russell Westbrook's ever been the best player in the NBA um I think Jokic is the best player in the NBA so there's that too but um he leads the NBA and rebounds and assists in his top three in scoring I don't I mean I don't think it's comparable to to Russell Westbrook's MVP. They gave it to Russell Westbrook because he was averaging a triple double but yeah you're you're only fighting stats you're not even tying the stats to winning or how the team plays you're only talking about the stats Jokic missed four weeks and his team is still in the top three in the West so I don't so that that's it the best is it the best record no because the team that's got the best record in the West was a team that started like 27 and two you know and so with him missing with him missing that we with him missing four weeks and then still having a a such a great record that should tell you that he's less valuable to his team well we won't know how many games the Pistons would win without K.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:44

We can we can project and we can say that we know but we don't know um we know how well they know how poorly they play when he doesn't play well I think that's a great yeah um I I'm I'm I'm looking at this yeah they're it's all but it's all stats you're just doing stat shit we give out stat awards yeah I I again and that's why I'm not comparing I don't think it's just a stat thing I think Jokic is the best player in the NBA um but you're not addressing value you you you've done nothing to talk about that yeah you're saying it because they they they won some basketball games this year without him being on the floor well yeah you're valuable your team shouldn't be as good or shouldn't be really good when you're on the floor when you're not on the floor.

Trae, Injuries, And Atlanta’s Roster Math

SPEAKER_00 1:03:41

So that's the same reason that SGA he doesn't deserve it either right because the Nuggets I mean uh the Thunder continue to win games without him so he's not yes even even though even though nobody would pick them to win a title without him but because they can win some meaningless regular season basketball games where teams are already tanking prior to the all-star break and I'm sure that both of those teams played teams that were already tanking but um that's the reason why Cade deserves it I am I am making a claim that's why he it's valid it's not bubble like I don't think it's valid because again if these guys get disqualified for it because of injury it is kind of bad no because they didn't qualify based on the NBA's rules they didn't play enough games yeah and this is something they put in place you know obviously because of people like Joe Ellen Bede and Kawhi Leonard but should you be an MVP if you're not playing the bulk of the games well 60 what is it it's 65 games right yeah I don't if a guy plays 60 games I don't think it makes any difference from 60 and 66 right and that's about because Jokic can only miss one more game let's say that Jokic does miss that game and then he misses like three or four more for the rest of the year he's gonna have played over 60 games and I don't think that that should dictate whether or not he gets MVP or not. I think voters should just be smart enough to to follow contextualize it. To follow the stats yeah you know contextualize that and so no but but no you you you you have to create you have to create parameters so if if you're gonna say 60 is 65 is 66 well then now you're moving it to 60 then what somebody else says well it's I was just using that as an example because that is if Jokic for instance does get disqualified that's about where he's gonna be at and I'm just saying that 60 to 66 it's not really a big difference there to me. Now if he played forty two games this year, sure, yeah absolutely he can't win MVP but you said six games doesn't make a difference

SPEAKER_03 1:06:00

but six games is six games changes seating dramatically.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:08

Six games dramatically that's the end of it. Six games. Yeah but that yeah but we're we're talking about the MVP. We're not talking about playoff seeding.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:20

Yes, but I'm speaking to the significance of six games.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:25

Well at that point 82 to 66 is that that's huge too then. I mean so but what 56 is what 65 games is hold on I I don't think it matters when you play the Utah Jazz four times. You know I well you should the rest the the the the the teams you play up set 65 is 80 is roughly 80% of the games yeah 80 yeah if you if you play with it's 80 to about 70 something percent 79 79.2 so 80% yeah no I'm saying but I'm saying in in the in the MVP conversation yeah if you don't if you don't play 80% of the games you shouldn't be the MVP. Show up to fucking work or if you got hurt that's unfortunate you can't be the MVP there has to be a line somewhere I and I again I get it I don't I'm not invalidating Cade Cunningham as an MVP candidate. I invalidating him winning it if injuries are what gets him the MVP that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:40

I know I I'm not saying that he's not a candidate he is he have and he should but wait but wait but the it's the reason that you would invalidate him winning the MVP is the invalid reason because your reason fall your reason there are qualifications in order to be an MVP and those guys didn't meet the qualifications and because you don't like the qualifications you're gonna put a stain on somebody that's unfair you have to go by the rules that the NBA has in how you evaluate the stuff right because if you try to like if you try to draw your own context or draw your own set of criteria then every season things change you have to have set criteria and you we have to evaluate based off the criteria that the evaluators are using not our own not our own criteria that's that's unfair right so calling it a bubble no they they shouldn't they should they should have had better luck or they shouldn't have set out those games that they could have played he's not gonna win it anyways but um you know well no well he might he's not going to Shay's not gonna miss any more games and he hell Shea was the favorite over Jokic anyways too so Shay's not going to miss seven more games do you ever think that with the gambling houses and the league all being in bed with each other and the and the media companies that uh these awards are are are are you know people are pushed in a certain direction yeah narrative not just narrative but like things are pushed like if we believe that there are invisible hands in almost every other walk of life why don't we think there are invisible hands in sports even when it comes to sports awards yeah we can see how how what what was it Adam Snilber is clamping down on on Tanking because of the gambling houses not because it's devaluing his product yeah we know who runs the NBA so I'm just saying if we know who runs the NBA wouldn't that lead you to believe that the awards are are the same way so the information that they are the guys who they are pushing may not necessarily be the MVPs and and and to like strip away their narratives and then kind of build your MVP case from there using the MVP criteria that was dense I know I understand if somebody paid to push a narrative that sways people a certain way why would I use the same points that they use to drive off to drive home my point because you know I don't know but again stats that's easy that's that's the easy thing to look at a paper and see you know the nerds they love their stats well stats and again I think certainly we've had MVPs that didn't have home court in the first round of the playoffs that's happened before but that's not going to be the case with a team like the Nuggets or the Thunder which the two leading to me without injury those are still the two best players in the league. The best player in the league is an MVP. Yeah he's already won you know but see that's the thing like you you haven't used valuable in any of your argument you just keep saying best and stats you don't say value.

MVP Value Debate: Jokic, SGA, And Cade

SPEAKER_00 1:11:21

Yeah you know Luka Donich is first in the NBA in turnovers and Cade Cunningham is second. And who knows maybe that's a usage rate thing but then they we'd be getting him the stats I mean I you know I think stats self-support an argument but I don't think stats should should should should drive it you know I'm not gonna use stats in my thesis statement I'm gonna use the stats to support my thesis statement but sure that's what that's what happens when when you put nerds like you know the the computer punch nerds that never write anything in charge of stuff they have no substance numbers yeah they just you brought up Luka Dodge and I think Luka Dodge is some of the best PR in NBA history yeah I I think that uh he certainly has he's got he's got an animal uh this beast behind him there's no doubt about that um yes he made it to the finals James Harden didn't leave Houston to the finals but Luca doesn't catch near as much flack as James Harden but Luca's heart to watch he's great but he dribbles the fuck out of the ball he cries he doesn't try on defense and that and that thing with JJ Redick I understand the frustration and and walking off and not want to talk to your coach and all but dog you have too many glaring deficiencies and that just feeds more into it you know what I'm saying like yeah and and I just hey Luca you act how you act on the court but it's more so about the media and how y'all cover this stuff because imagine James Harden having a shitty attitude on court yeah in back like James Harden rarely had a shitty attitude in basketball situations well that fat look that fat suit's gotten him places you know look here that damn left hand gotten him a lot of places actually that left hand the left hand gets to get to check something hey so which which is more ridiculous uh him putting on a fat suit to force his way out or him going to China to tell people that Daryl Moore is a liar and that he'll never play for him which one was more ridiculous to you I think the fat suit was more ridiculous because I think what he did in China that was that was to go viral and it went viral and it got him what he wanted. Yeah so this nigga looked into a camera in China after a Gia made comments about Hong Kong in China and told these kids that don't even understand what the fuck he's saying that Daryl Moore is a liar and I will never play for him again.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:36

And then he repeated himself you said he talked into the camera right yeah I mean yeah well right well well okay well at first he was he was the angle that they caught him he's looking at the crowd but then he turns and he looks at it and he said let me say this again yeah that was a message to Darryl Moore and he just used it as the opportunity to to get the message to the message that's all I mean the fat dude's ridiculous though yeah like come on man you're now on the court and and he's put it on a few times too it wasn't it wasn't just one time he did it in Houston and he did it in Brooklyn well I don't blame him either either time honestly James Hart's a winner and he's not gonna be in situations where people aren't trying to win yeah Houston went to a hard reset get me out of here uh Brooklyn hey Kyrie take the vaccine bro I'm trying to oop no I can't do this get me out of here so James Martin moves both he he moved every time for basketball reasons but he's seen as the bad guy whereas Lucas just not playing defense which you know I guess we've kind of been off in a weird way since then do you like that fit in Cleveland? Yeah I love it because now Donovan Mitchell doesn't have to score 35 every night but he still can Jane Harden does not have to be a closer but if he's feeling that he still can and uh Jared Allen's playing a lot better basketball because he has a guy who can give him the ball exactly where he wants it.

Media Narratives, Betting, And Awards

SPEAKER_00 1:16:30

Yeah get him get him another one of those hundred million dollar contracts right yeah yeah no he scored a 40 ball this year did he yeah you know he did it was like against Portland randomly one of them nights yeah yeah like fuck scores everything uh is there anything else NBA that you care about uh nothing just off the top of my head I mean we're still just waiting on playoffs you know obviously we pretty much have a good understanding of who's gonna be in the play at least um the West is a little bit harder to figure out Peyton Pritchard's playing some really bad basketball well yeah he's a six man not a starter I mean but he's been he had he had that huge game against the Lakers on uh I guess it was like the Sunday after all-star break this guy he's on my fantasy team so that's what I'm saying he's just he's been he's been playing really bad basketball yeah he's a six man not a starter I mean you you'd think that this nigga got the yips or something you know no his his his rotations have changed his the guys he's playing with what he's asked to do like you know and Jason Tatum's not not in the rotation either so you know priorities are a little bit different well rumor is he's back Friday I believe that's what Bill Simmons said I hope he doesn't come back I want the young fellow the rest stuff man I know you love basketball but the rest stuff man it's okay he he would have did it if if it was you know situation like Dallas right like how Kyrie's obviously gonna be shut down or did shut himself down I mean he I think he knew he wasn't gonna play high key anyways but but if they were contending I would imagine he would have came back for Dallas I don't know though because that's a hard ramp up and you now have to get reintegrated into the team I I I don't know I don't know honestly yeah you break the whole flow you may you change the peg and order it may not be as easy as as as as it sounds um anything in culture you want where do you want to go in culture uh well off the top of my head at least I I do want to address the this the the Steve in the building um the sort of the Steve in the room well Steve said that he was uh more popular than anyone but Zion on the the Pelicans and maybe he has a point in in a sense of well I'm on national TV um all the time so more people know who I am than I guess who would be the second most popular player on the Pelicans DeJounte Murray maybe who cares bro how old are we well I guess my thing is is that Steve the idea that Steve is talking about this type of stuff on on on his programming it just it never ceases to amaze me when this guy picks up a mic and he says something well you gotta remember man Steve is Steve but also again how old are we Steve and secondly you're supposed to be more popular your job is to be more popular your job is to play basketball and be good at basketball and popularity accompanies that you're on world you're on the worldwide leader every day you're on serious every day you go on national national shows the view shows on CNN shows on Fox News Fox News yeah like you put yourself in front of more people than these NBA players do so yeah Steve Steve's a whore for some air time yeah so yes you're more popular but who cares they got more money than you a lot but Steve cares about uh you know the cash A you know hey so they go out and they and they want to get at the same girl who wins well if you let Steve tell us Steve wins well uh maybe because he'll spend more money I'm just being honest like all things equal who wins more times than I the stick thick ass nigga who's in tip top shape or the soft body screw knee loudmouth nigga with a bad hairline the nigga that plays in the league come on man like know your role yeah Steve I just think it's ridiculous that he said it and uh how do you feel about his rollout for his campaign uh uh not not a fan of it I mean but then again Steve is somebody that I would never vote for so it's like to me it's it's it's it's just as comical in reality as Kanye running and honestly I'm a huge Kanye fan but I think it's more I I think it's uh I think it's a bit more comical I think it's more comical and more alarming you want me to go on yes all right Kanye West is a billionaire they may say he's not a billionaire but Kanye West's name is net worth Kanye didn't have a legitimate chance of winning Steve is popular enough to win and Steve also if he wins the primaries a lot of black folks are gonna vote for him just because he's black so there's a voting block there that Steve has Kanye doesn't get that same voting block because the party wouldn't pick him up but also you gotta think about who's gonna get Steve elected who's gonna fund him you know you think the GDs the Middle GDs are gonna fund him probably not shit they'll probably fund him and guess what that means he was propped up he was propped up to be a puppet yeah he gets a personal benefit a lot of personal benefit and many more of us would do it than won't right what the hell does he know about foreign policy what does he know about domestic policy what does he know about just government and functions and military and health care and picking a staff he doesn't even work in these fields you know what I mean so he's gonna have handlers doing everything for him that's my biggest issue with Stephen A.

Harden’s Image, Luka’s PR, And Cavs Fit

SPEAKER_03 1:24:45

Smith running for president not that I don't think he's qualified because I don't think he's qualified not that I don't think he's capable because guess what you get the right staff going any anything can get done but he doesn't know who's good who's bad what's right what's good you know what's right what's wrong whoever everybody then is here is either waving a carrot in front of him or they have something to gain from from giving him for giving them advice so no no like everybody can't do everything just because you're popular just because you're rich doesn't and just because you're good at business doesn't necessarily mean that you are good at politics. It doesn't mean you should do politics we should have people from different walks of life in politics but just because you are good at business doesn't mean you're good at running a bureaucracy. You have different rules it's different money it's taxpayer money not your money you have to look out for the overall good not just the best deal right the best financial deal you know it's it's different so I hate it uh or I think he'll be propped up to be a pawn to get beat by whoever the other side wants to win because they know he's not actually electable you know I think he has absolutely no chance and that um he's doing this even more so like I I you hate to say it's a tactic to make more money but it is like you would think that he'd be just happy with the hundred million dollar contract ESBN gave him but no you don't get an industry setting contract and then like be satisfied you know you gotta want more and Steve doesn't do anything really independently you know he he has bosses yeah no first statement hit show well bosses that that apparently maybe would fund it well there you go uh have you kept up with any of this Iran stuff um not in totality no uh I I'm very surface level with with them with my knowledge of what is going on I think I had sent you something because they literally had hit in Bahrain and I'm like holy shit you know yeah and so that's the part I just want to talk about like I don't actually care to get into it right now because I have some more research that I need to do this weekend before I'm comfortable speaking um on it publicly but it was a weird it was a weird feeling man because they hit the bathing bar rain and I knew exactly where they hit you know and I used to walk over there all the time and you're like shit And then the other side of your brain, you're like, oh, I totally understand why. Then I was talking to one of my friends uh who I was stationed over there with, and he told me they hit the crown plaza too. And we used to go to brunch at the Crown Plaza. And when my parents came to uh to my promotion out there, I took them to brunch at the Crown Plaza.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:25

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:26

And then they hit a high rise. And I don't know which high rise they hit. But I lived in one of one of those high rises, you know. So like this, it act it hits, it doesn't totally hit home because I'm out and I'm not there, and the friends that I do have there, they're good. But there are also other people who I encountered there who like locals, you know what I'm saying, who may have been affected by this. Like it hit it hit a little different, you know?

SPEAKER_01 1:29:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:08

Warhood, yeah, what's it good for? Absolutely nothing.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:15

I like how you plug that in there. Um and you you said you said it before I could say it, but I was just gonna say, did it hit close to home? But you obviously already answered that, and then I was gonna say no pun intended, but um, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:32

And shit, man. Like, no, I got buried. I wanted to go back to Barbara.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:41

Really?

SPEAKER_03 1:29:42

Yeah, I was gonna try to get me a uh, you know, a nice cushy GS job and just live over there for five, six years, you know. Why not? Single, no kids.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:54

Liked it that much, huh?

SPEAKER_03 1:29:56

Yeah, I loved it. It was great living. I mean, if I lived over there, bro, I wouldn't buy anything off the rack anymore besides like gym clothes.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:14

Really?

SPEAKER_03 1:30:15

Yeah, I uh yeah, just get everything tailored.

Culture Beat: Stephen A’s Popularity And Politics

SPEAKER_00 1:30:19

Yeah, I I mean I've never been um never been to the Middle East in general, but um yeah, I am glad though that everybody is okay, certainly the people that you know that are still over there, but that was literally the first thing that it stood out to me because I was like, holy shit, you know, I'm like, you know, this happens a few years earlier. You know, you you can see how it can affect people, right? I mean, not only just the idea of it just being terrible, like you said, for locals, but um when you do potentially know people, you've got loved ones and friends and stuff that are over there, it it starts to all become very real.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:00

Yeah, man, and and you know, that's one of the reasons why I got out of the military, is I was no longer aligned with America's objectives, and I didn't want to risk my life for it, and I also didn't want to make more friends who were risking their lives for it because I didn't want to lose a friend because of it, and obviously I still have friends who are in, and prayers to them, especially my friends who are abroad and deployed, you know, like shit's rich, like we have a friend that's somewhere doing something, you know what I mean. I don't even know where where hell he's at, I don't know what what should he go on, but you know, we've we've got friends who are still in this lifestyle, you know. So it's uh it's probably a good closing point, but like, yo, it's I don't know, man, it's people. We have to think about people, and the common man doesn't get to make the decisions that go into the stuff, but you really think about it, the oligarchs and the rich drive the policy and drive the direction of the country, and the poor go and fight for it and die for it, right? And don't really get to reap the benefits of it. So when we think about like what's going on in these other countries, and we're celebrating American success or celebrating what America is doing, think about the risk that we that's taken to do that, and think about how when our country's doing stuff that we don't agree with, imagine the people in those countries who feel the same way but are victims to pretty much the same thing, the same thing is the different side of the coin.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:11

Right, and then we all share in common, obviously feeling the same way in a sense of the when those other people that are on that other side of the coin that is, and it's really nothing you can do, and all you can do is look at it and say, you know, damn, like as people, it's just so fucked up, and there's nothing that we can do, but it's just like this is just the world that we live in.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:42

Yeah, like just think about this. I'm willing to bet any American that knows five people in the military would say that they're all in it for different reasons, and would say that even some of those who are in it look at it as a job and don't even think about what you're what you're actually doing, or because the benefits are so great, and if you do it right and you get 20 years, you can live a pretty good life for the rest of your life, you know, that that security. And it's like, hey, do you ever think that people from these other countries are doing the same thing? They're joining the military for the benefits to try to get a better life and hope that they don't have to take a life, or hope they don't have to support a policy objective. You know, we're so quick to call other people bad guys. Yeah, and our people good guys, but some of our people doing the quote-unquote work of the good guys aren't good guys, they're just doing their job, they're just doing their job and they're hoping to come home to their families just like um many of us. Yeah, yeah, and I hope, I hope. I hope that a lot of Americans who are forward. I would hope for all of them who are forward to come home, but that's obviously not the reality of this stuff. Man, no more war, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:37

This shit's bad. Nope, everybody's gotta line their fat pockets up. Yeah, bro.

SPEAKER_03 1:35:46

I I hate I hate it. I hate it, but I can go on for days about that. Um, I've got my kid. Is there anything that we that's smoking out that we need to hit part of?

SPEAKER_00 1:36:00

Uh, not that I can think of, sir. I think that we can put uh a ribbon on this thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:06

All right, man. Hey, great week, and I'm not gonna lie to you. This shit kind of got me my feelings. Like this shit really hit home.

SPEAKER_00 1:36:17

Yeah, I know. Like I said, you're the first person I thought of, literally. As soon as I saw it. That is like Saturday morning waking up to that. It's just crazy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:37

That's the one thing I'm gonna say.

SPEAKER_00 1:36:39

We come on, man. We see hey, look, hey, I've read this script before. You know, this is this is simply just a it's a it's a reboot, you know. Yeah, yeah. It's the Bush Cheney. Yeah. Different actors, same movie.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:00

And same leader of the uh Middle Eastern GDs.

SPEAKER_00 1:37:06

Well, he's gone now, but uh well, at least that's what was reported.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:11

You are oh my god, you've been mything that whole joke on the Middle Eastern GDs.

SPEAKER_00 1:37:20

Send me the context.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:22

Six-point star.

SPEAKER_00 1:37:26

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:32

Um I'm glad you said that too, because you know we don't we don't want um we don't want anyone to shut us down if you said something else, but yeah, no, we we haven't figured out how to tap into the internet on our own yet.

SPEAKER_00 1:37:49

Yeah. We don't need that. But um don't need that. I I only want their support. You know, I I'll I'll turn into fucking Floyd Mayweather, you know. That that ridiculous video of him. Man, look here.

SPEAKER_03 1:38:13

I don't grab my ankles for nobody. Yeah, I'm not saying look, I want support from everyone. Yeah, I know. I know I know what you're saying. Yeah. You know, Floyd Mayweather, he grabs his ankles.

SPEAKER_00 1:38:28

Well, and look, clearly, uh, which and I'll just really quickly before we get out of here, um I didn't get to watch it, and maybe I will uh tomorrow at some point because I'm probably just gonna go to bed. But um Whitlock uh, you know, he said Floyd's going broke, and that's why he's doing the fight, of course, with Pacquiao. Um, you know, and I I think we all know, especially on Twitter, the running joke is that you know that's a recession indicator.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:03

Hey, are you really going broke if you can go pop up out of the bin and make that much money?

SPEAKER_00 1:39:10

No, but then again, going broke or not, who turns it down? Right.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:16

So maybe maybe Terris Coffer does because he said he would, but he he may be going broke, but you're not like people are trying to knock him for being financially irresponsible. If you can make that much money that quickly that doesn't too much deviate from your lifestyle, who cares?

SPEAKER_04 1:39:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:40

He's gonna get a tight to make the mission and a real Pacquiao fight. Two fights, he's gonna make well over a hundred million dollars. Probably multi hundred million dollars.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:53

Yeah, that's not going broke.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:01

Yeah, like I wonder how much he's getting for the Tyson fight.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:05

We know that the Pacquiao one's gonna pay more, but enough to get him and my enough to get Mike Tyson out to bed. Yeah, I mean, Floyd can always consult and and give lessons at a very high rate, or you or mentor boxers, you know what I'm saying? Like him going broke ain't the regular the regular American going broke.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:38

Kind of like Kanye. Is Kanye going broke when they say he's going broke when he can just put out something on his website and it's gonna crunch? Name the price people are gonna pay for because Ye made it.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:52

Yeah. These guys they they print money.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:56

Yeah, like, but that's what happens when you have like real fans, real breach, you know what I'm saying? It's not internet stuff, it's not like academics.

SPEAKER_00 1:41:04

That that's called making it. Financial release.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:09

Hey, last thing, would you say that Kanye is more free than Jay-Z?

SPEAKER_00 1:41:14

More free than Jay-Z?

SPEAKER_03 1:41:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:41:18

Uh, yeah, because he says and does what he wants.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:21

You don't think Jigga says and does what he wants?

SPEAKER_00 1:41:25

I think that Jay-Z uses channels to get through what he wants to get out. You know, Kanye will just kind of say what he wants to say. And there's a method to his madness. Like, I 100% believe maybe he felt he did actually feel that way too, but like that he did all this so he could get out of those deals with like a deal. Like, I think he wanted out of the deals. Because nobody would commit financial suicide like that.

Who Fights, Who Profits, And Coming Home

SPEAKER_03 1:41:55

I I don't think um Kanye is nearly as crazy as people say he is, and I've been saying that, and the more and more time passes, it kind of seems that way. And yeah, Kanye is free because he gets to do what he wants, and yeah, he gets to do what he wants. And it's not, you know, the crazy thing, it's not even necessarily about being rich. There are poor people who are free there, middle class people who are free there, rich people who are free. It's just the lifestyle that you want to live and your ability to maintain it while doing what you want, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:42:35

Exactly. And he he's cracked that code.

SPEAKER_01 1:42:39

Yeah, but hey, let's crack the code on this podcast.

SPEAKER_00 1:42:45

Same time next week? Yes, sir. Alrighty then. Uh, good show, salutations, good people. Thank you for those that are viewing. I see we got two viewers currently, at least on this. Um, we appreciate the viewership as always, and we'll be back next week.

SPEAKER_01 1:43:00

Hey, like, rate, subscribe, review. Thanks. All right, probably be.

SPEAKER_00 1:43:06

All right, Lee. Signing off as Rich McKay.

SPEAKER_01 1:43:10

All right, Rich.