North Florida Sports Network Podcast
North Florida Sports Network Podcast
Portal Combat: Navigating College Football's Transfer Season
all right, welcome back.
Speaker 2:It is the north florida sports network, your favorite podcast in the world right here in north florida we got a big show, at least your favorite podcast in north florida that's right.
Speaker 1:No, the whole world. Um, we got a big show. We got a lot to get to. The transfer portal opened up today. We'll get there. We have to react to the ufc event. We also have to react to the UFC event. We also have to go over the NBA playoff seedings and all the matchups as the NBA regular season ended this past week. A lot to get to. But first, you know that sound. That's the sound of victory for rory mcelroy as his masterpiece. As jim mance said quite elegantly on the 18th, the second time through which was the playoff hole, after he choked it away a few times. But the best golfer was Roy McIlroy and he got the last piece to what is now a grand slam, coming the sixth ever to do it. Incredible, incredible feat. His first major in 11 years time bro geez.
Speaker 1:Justin rose with a late birdie in the 18th to get it to 11 under, and rory you know he'd wanted to make it interesting bogeyed the last. But on the first playoff hole, justin Rose was like 15 feet from Birdie, but Rose was it to be denied? Roy stuck it in there to about 3 or 4 feet, was able to make that one and he got himself a green jacket congratulations. A rarefied club joins the likes of Gene Sarazin, gary Player, ben Hogan, jack Nicklaus, tiger Woods and now Rory McIlroy. That's pretty awesome when you think about it. And guess what? Phil, you're not on it. It's crazy. The US Open is what he has to get. I think Jordan Spieth's one away. He has to get the PGA. But it was an entertaining Masters, one that people will remember forever because of who won it. Rory McIlroy is your 2025 masters champion and your sixth ever golfer to complete the grand slam. Well, how about? Well, how about that? How about that? There's your golf.
Speaker 2:My only question is did Rory use a torpedo bat to hit that Grand Slam?
Speaker 1:No, no, he did not. He did not. Oh man, what a weight lifted off his back. I know for sure. You know, congratulations. I was rooting for him, but, man, he made it. I know, congratulations. I was rooting for him, but, man, he made it. I actually had a. I was going to my daughter's play and I was like literally watching him on the first 18, missed that putt and I'm like, oh my God, I got to turn this off so I wasn't able to actually watch the first playoff hole. Oh yeah, that's great. So there's your golf. The NBA is going on right now. The Heat made it, so we got our Heat insider basketball extraordinaire, justin, on the line. Do they have a shot at making some unbelievable run here?
Speaker 2:I don't think so. I mean, they look phenomenal right now. Yeah, but they are playing phenomenal right now yeah. But they are playing the Bulls. Yeah, but Tyler Hero's like unconscious right now. He's something like 10 for 10 in the first half. The Heat are up by 23. It's almost halftime. They beat down. Unless the Heat decide not to show up for the second half, We'll be playing again on Friday.
Speaker 1:Well, we weren't really going to talk about the play-in games. It would be nice to see the Heat make it. You know, I think they would be a formidable seed. They're always a tough out. But yeah, this season has been lost for them 37-45. They're in the 10th seed, the Bulls are the 9th seed at 39-43, and the Hawks 40 and 42 in the East. The magic with the big win over the Hawks, we'll get the seven seed and play the Celtics in the first round. So congratulations, um. But still, you know, when you're a young team like them, you just don't want, you want to get in, you want to get the experience in, you know. So this will be a good, good four games.
Speaker 2:May good, four games may. Hopefully you can get one. You know, for the magic I, I think the magical, I think the magical, sneak one out out again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what the goals one. You know I was going to say over under one and a half for this series.
Speaker 2:So I think there's a three-point dependent yeah that one cold night behind the arc uh baron caro goes for 30. Then, bam, there you go. Orlando gets the win. But there's no way Orlando makes it more than six.
Speaker 1:And the other play-ins. Now you'll have the Heat, which are going to win this game. The Hawks are going to be out of it, so looks like the Heat will get. They'll have to. I mean, they'll play the Bulls, they'll have to play the Hawks and the winner of that game will be with the Cavs.
Speaker 2:A couple years ago is the exact way it went for the Heat Right. I mean, that's who you want to play.
Speaker 1:I mean I would rather play the Cavs than the Celtics.
Speaker 2:So you know it's the best matchup possible if you just get in, if you're the Heat, yeah right now Tyler Hero has got 23 points in the first half eight for eight from the field, three for three from three.
Speaker 1:But the Celtics clearly look like they're going to get through Cavaliers 64-18 with the big season. They're going to match up with maybe the Pacers or the Bucs in the second round. I wouldn't. I'd watch out for the Pers or the Bucks in the second round. I wouldn't. I'd watch out for the Pistons. With the upset in the first round, that's my shocker pick in the East, Although I think it's going to be 1-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Cavs Pistons what about you guys? Anything else other than that?
Speaker 2:No, I think the Celtics walk to the finals in the. East. This year the East is pretty weak.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, let's get to the West then. That's where the craziness was all the way up to the end. Final standings are as follows the Thunder get the one seed, which was the only thing that was not up for bids up in the last week as they finished the season 68-14. The Rockets, with the two seed 52 and 30. Then the Lakers got the three seed, with a tiebreaker over the Nuggets and the Clippers. The Nuggets with the four, clippers five. They'll face each other.
Speaker 1:Lakers will face the Timberwolves, who got, with one game over the Warriors, the six seed, so they'll play the Lakers. The Warriors had to play endgame but they won, so now they'll match up with the Rockets. Grizzlies are the other team there that is going to win. They're going to face the Thunder. But the West is interesting because two through eight are only separated by like three, three or four games, you know. So, other than oklahoma city, a lot of people who are not even picking. Then the popular pick is the lakers with luca and lebron. But don't sleep on the Rockets, I like the coach.
Speaker 2:I'm going to sleep on the.
Speaker 1:Rockets, All right. Well, you like the Warriors to beat them in the first round? Then I'm guessing.
Speaker 2:I kind of do. I don't trust the Rockets one bit. And if you're going to give me playoff Jimmy and Steph Curry against the Rockets in the first round, if you're going to give me playoff Jimmy and Steph Curry against the Rockets in the first round, I'm calling the upset.
Speaker 1:Alright, how about this? I'm going to go Rockets. I wouldn't. I mean I could see Rockets and T-Wolves winning those first two series. I mean the T-Wolves have the players to do it. I mean they have a guy they can put on. I like the matchup the teewoves have with the lakers. Actually, I think they can pull that series out. I think it's going to be tougher than the lakers want in the first round and I think that's the seven game series and then, uh, you know the warriors, rockets is going to be a fun one. I like the toughness from the Rockets. This year We'll see. They have playoff Jimmy now. They've been pretty good since they got him. When they play him and Steph, they're damn near unbeatable. They've been like 20-2 or something down the stretch.
Speaker 2:It's playoffs, dude.
Speaker 1:Nobody wants a part of Jimmy Butler and then now you have the best shooter of all time. So, yeah, he's gonna find out a way to draw the defense. When someone like Steph, you always have to play him so you can. When you're a guy like Jimmy, he's gonna have less pressure than he's had in a while maybe ever in his career. There's not going to be he's going to have less pressure than he's had in a while.
Speaker 1:Maybe ever in his career. Yeah, so that's it. Well, that'll be fun to watch. That's a potential second round matchup against the Lakers. That'll be a superstar matchup. Um, in the. That's what I want.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I want to see, dude, I want to see Luka versus Jimmy and LeBron and Steph. That's the matchup I want to see in the second round. I hope that's what we can get.
Speaker 1:All right, and the other side is the T-Wolves, I'm sorry, the Thunder, the number one seed. Yeah geez, I mean they're playing, they're going to play the grizzlies, which will be a tough eight seed. Um, but then you also have that, you know, that jam-packed middle where the nuggets and the clippers will go at it. The nuggets without their coach that they fired clippers kind of been on a nice little stretch here towards the end of the year I mean james harden's been playing really well.
Speaker 1:Nine and one in their last 10, as opposed to the nuggets who fired their coach. You know, and I've been playing bad- but, but the best player in the on the floor is playing for the nuggets and the Joker's just in another world averaging a triple double. He's a player that's gonna. I mean, he's the MVP. He might not get it because you know how they get they get bored giving it to the same guy. But who's more valuable than that guy?
Speaker 2:Not just more valuable. Who's better? Nobody.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, he's both. You can't say any of it. So, um, but if the Clippers can say, if James Harden can stay healthy healthy, the Denver defense is not good. If Kawhi Leonard can stay healthy is a bigger, even bigger question. Clippers are a team that's kind of going in the right direction. Everyone's talking about the Lakers right there in that town, you know, where they can kind of get the matchup, where they don't have to face the Lakers or the Warriors until the finals, where they can get up. That'll be an interesting series to see them play the Thunder in the second round, which a lot of people think. But watch out for, you know, the Nuggets and the Grizzlies. The West should be a lot more entertaining. That's your NBA. Anything else that you're looking forward to. If you had to predict a finals matchup let's do that for me Switch topics what would yours be?
Speaker 2:Um, I don't know Well, definitely the Celtics.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, and the West is tough man because I, I don't think. Okay, See, he gets to the finals, even though they've been the best team all year. Sga is very free throw dependent in his game which can bog down an offense. And if those refs start swallowing their whistle, like they tend to do in the playoffs, OKC could be in a lot, a lot, a lot of trouble, man.
Speaker 1:Is he going to be able to hit those jumpers and get the fouls that he got all year long?
Speaker 2:Which is probably going to be an.
Speaker 1:MVP season. Maybe We'll see.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't think they make it all the way. Yeah, I don't think they make it all the way.
Speaker 1:So you got Celtics. What Celtics?
Speaker 3:Celtics Warriors.
Speaker 1:Celtics Warriors is what Reno's going with.
Speaker 2:I'm going Celtics Lakers.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Classic matchup dude.
Speaker 1:Those would be great. Actually, I mean honestly, you know how much I love Luka.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, oh, yeah, that's the dream matchup is the Celtics Lakers.
Speaker 1:I mean, they have all the stars, you have the defending champs, you have the classic rivalry of your best two franchises in the league history rivalry of your best two franchises in the league history.
Speaker 2:So I mean, yeah, yeah, I'm going with it. I'm going with it, man, I, I got luca. I rode luca the other year. He got me all the way to the finals with that.
Speaker 1:I mean god, if you ever been like, I wonder what odds you could get if you actually went and bet like a part, like say, hey, I'm actually going to take both one seeds to make the finals. I bet it's like some of the best odds ever, you know, because I I mean, I really think there's not many people taking the cleveland over over boston in the east and there's nobody's believing in the thunder no, nobody, yeah, they're clearly the best team, like.
Speaker 1:They're clear. They've clearly been the best team all year, right in a jam-packed west. They've, they're clearly above. And then you got the calves in the east doesn't matter, and the east is more. It's like yeah, I get it. The calves know what they have to do. They're not gonna be chasing this for like something they don't need in the west, though it was. Will they be able to do it in a seven game series? We'll find out. I'm intrigued. It's every night, it's, it's. It's about to start. But before that, something started today, and I think I, the new era of college football's transfer portal is open. The portal combat begins for the final time before the next season. Some teams getting hit hard. Oh yeah, it's just crazy. What do you got for me, jimmy Reno?
Speaker 3:Five running backs have left Cal Berkeley today.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God.
Speaker 3:Headlined by Jaden Ott. Wow, yeah, he's already committed to Oklahoma.
Speaker 2:Oh man.
Speaker 1:I mean it's that.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, but all five of them. I mean you got 12 or 13 guys from UNC at last count. Wow, anybody with any kind of talent took it, took a hit at some.
Speaker 1:well yeah, kind of death a lot of coaches that are getting in you and be like, oh, I don't want to go through this with this guy right and then you the the nico.
Speaker 3:What's his face? I am a situation going on in tennessee that's the big name.
Speaker 1:Yeah you a guy that was already signed to a deal that was paying him over a million dollars.
Speaker 2:Yeah, two and a half million, yeah, two and a half million a year.
Speaker 1:But hey, Hurston Beck just making four, so he decided to hold out.
Speaker 2:Hey man, it costs more to live in Coral Gables than it costs to live.
Speaker 1:Is that all it is, was it?
Speaker 2:just that, or were there? It costs more to live in Coral.
Speaker 1:Gables than it costs to live. Yeah, is that all it is? Was it just that? Or were there other guys?
Speaker 2:I think they. It sounds almost like the Rashada situation. Dude where. Nico was just being stupid and greedy and he overplayed his hand and Josh Eipel was like all right, get the hell out.
Speaker 3:Yeah, right, and the dads of both are big culprits in each case, right um because you're it's you're so close to the to to the big payday, right, so like what's you have confidence in yourself and just yeah, just finish it out.
Speaker 3:And what, in the end, you just cost yourself, buddy, yeah I and I mean we'll see, I mean, I don't know man, I guys, kids that are in that kind of situation where their dad is is front and center, and everything they do regarding football, which is everything in their life, um, I mean, I I always question, like, how happy the kid truly is, yeah, whether he even gives a shit about making the right decision. He's just going to do whatever keeps his dad off his ass. Man.
Speaker 1:So he's open for, you know, grabs. Well, I mean.
Speaker 3:I think UCLA is who's got him. According to Cowherd, they got yeah Scars. According to Cowherd, they get yeah Scars. Yeah, I don't think you know any big-time guy that's already in the portal probably knows where they're going.
Speaker 1:All right, what about back?
Speaker 3:here at home. Nothing really earth-shattering, but I wouldn't. You got that big receiver though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I saw was some big receiver as well. Yeah, I think he was told something he didn't want to hear though. Yeah, that was what I saw with some big receiver as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I think he was told something he didn't want to hear when asked about playing time Right In terms of not guaranteeing him a spot. I mean, he was a reach anyway, right Based on his height. But again, though, you don't really have anybody else.
Speaker 1:You don't want to have guys like that. Well, when you're looking to build morale coming off a bad season, you've got to have hungry guys that are looking to prove their spot and have confidence that they're going to get playing time once they play. Just one that be guaranteed something off of having zero experience is not the kind of guy I want in the locker room anyway. So goodbye, bye, you know right and I mean it was.
Speaker 1:It was good to see the measurables, but that's just the other side of it. There's a reason why he was available in the first place yeah, um, I just at this point.
Speaker 3:Anybody that that leaves from florida state, it's just kind of like, oh well, whatever. Anybody that leaves from Florida State, it's just kind of like, oh well, whatever. Even somebody that they may be depending on and I'm not Dude, we will undoubtedly have a surprise, at least one, maybe multiple kid that hops in that nobody saw coming. But who cares at this point, dude, just roll with whoever wants to be here. We were 2 of 10 last year, give a shit.
Speaker 1:That's what I mean. I was just just like we don't have time to deal with all this bullcrap um, but everybody, everybody want to play you paid. You paid who they're gonna pay once. That's over with.
Speaker 3:That's it right a lot of these, a lot of these programs are having these conversations with these kids right now is how much like listen dude, we're not gonna keep paying you this money because you're you're like you're getting close to being dead weight, like they have a very small window before schools, like financially you're gonna be like all right, how much sense does it make to just keep this kid here? Instead of just going and getting somebody every year you gotta reevaluate it.
Speaker 1:I mean just the rosters are so there won't be a turnover like there is in college football, but positions like the wide receiver especially. You can see pickups and guys being running back and wide receiver.
Speaker 3:Kids want to play man. They don't want to sit, they want to cash in like you saw the running back from Ole Miss last year. Yeah, you'll see some of that that. You know Jaden Ott was he got.
Speaker 1:So this guy's going to get picked on, but I think this is more of. You'll probably see this normal. You know, yeah, where he's getting drawn heat is Especially with agents. He's a starter who already that's his yeah.
Speaker 3:Like it's a little bit different in his situation.
Speaker 1:I can't see anybody that, like it was, did like carson bet, let's go and bring in miami. You know he had just made it to like finished off something with georgia. You know it was almost a new chapter. He had the option to go pro right, it's like, well, they gave him money not to go pro, okay, right. So like that's a different situation. You're way younger than that. You're still at that school waiting to prove something. Your your money, your payments, only like what, a year away?
Speaker 3:yeah it well, the and the, the time draft eligible next year. The timing of it, I think, is what is uh you know from tennessee's perspective is why it's kind of like what the fuck you know? I mean like yeah, you're gonna wait till spring, two days before.
Speaker 1:That's when they're like well, what if he's doing this now? What kind of? He must know something that we don't.
Speaker 3:This guy knows he sucks, or he's trying to get everything he can now, I don't know I mean, once you find out a player's doing that you, you pretty much got to just let them walk man, because, like you said, there is no regulation so they're going to pretty much be screwed.
Speaker 1:Well, you've got anything else, but it's just getting underway.
Speaker 3:Yeah, getting underway. I'm sure by this time next week there'll be a lot of carnage.
Speaker 1:All right, justin, justin, what happened? Ufc?
Speaker 2:All right. So we had a great card Saturday night. It was just as entertaining as I told everybody it was going to be, and if people would have placed some bets that I said to place, y'all would have been winners winners tell you he got the win he got the win, patty the baddie him with, and the michael chandler fight was cinematic in the way that it went down.
Speaker 2:Patty was just touching up Chandler all night to start using his reach advantage Chandler's only like 5'4" and the reach always gets Chandler and Patty was just tapping him, tapping him, tapping him with the jabs and little combos and then Chandler went to shoot Patty. Patty hit him with a flying knee, busted his wide open like rick flair in 85 um and then just ground and pounded him. Uh, patty got the win. Now he's gonna start making a run, uh towards the uh, uh championship match by beating michael chandler. I I gotta wonder who he's gonna fight next.
Speaker 2:I would see, maybe uh olivier, yeah, it was the best fight of the night, um. And then my boy volk alexander the great, who I was picking with my heart and not my head, beat diego lopez, you love that I did love it, man volk.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that guy yeah, I mean those guys, those Volk. Yeah, I love that guy. Yeah, I mean those guys, those heart guys. You know that they're probably not going to win, but you just want them to. It's always good to see them win, so a good UFC card.
Speaker 2:That's what I thought. That's what I thought was going to be. The issue is that Volk was too old because he had UFC card.
Speaker 1:You can still watch the replay um, if you didn't get a chance to watch it.
Speaker 2:I would recommend watching that Patty Chandler fight for people that just want to see some savagery all right.
Speaker 1:Well, what is that? Oh, oh god you all right dude we had to go.
Speaker 3:Oh, I see.
Speaker 1:Oh, we got to get on out of here Rod's here Before we go, not going to have time for that mock draft, huh? No, we'll get there next time. Everybody just do your job. You understand that, with somebody supposed to have the draft the mock list of my tight ends right here, alright, we're going to go over my top tight ends of the 2025 draft Some real sleepers in the late rounds, but somebody didn't give me the list. Everybody, just do a good job.
Speaker 3:You understand that, sleeper, sleeper.
Speaker 2:But somebody didn't give me the list, sleeper tight end Sleeper.
Speaker 1:Tight ends yeah you got to get someone from Miami, I'm sure Under Trevor tight ends.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, that is a good pick actually that's a late round steal there you go, there you go, that might do your job.
Speaker 1:There you go, there you go, that way you do your job, good job.
Speaker 3:I love it. I'm focusing on the interior.
Speaker 1:A lot God man. I mean the draft Jeez man. It feels like it just takes forever. Finally, it's still not this weekend.
Speaker 3:No, it's a couple weeks right.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Take a couple weeks away.
Speaker 1:Oh, a week from Thursday, sure, we'll find out where Cam Ward will go. Tennessee First pick Tennessee who Cleveland will take Should do it. You think I hope Whoa she's wanting to go to Cleveland. Yeah, that's one of those hard head things, yeah exactly yeah. We got to do our mock draft, though We'll get to that before then.
Speaker 3:I got some real surprises.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my late first round and these are insider picks here. I know a guy who knows a guy Inside a draft board room one time and I just watched draft day Did you get that in, Justin? Did you get it in that time of?
Speaker 2:year. Of course I did as soon as I saw it on Netflix. Yeah, it's that time of year I watched it.
Speaker 1:You got to get it in. You got to get your pancakes. Watch some draft day and get your boards up. Yeah Well, we got a lot to look forward to. We got some college baseball to look forward to. We got the NFL draft to look forward to the most, be going on forever transfer portal seems like to all that. We'll watch it, we'll keep an eye on it and we'll talk to you next time right here on the North Florida Sports Network. Everybody just do your job. You understand that.
