Utes Spring Camp Takeaways | Utah Mammoth Playoff Push | Jazz Pick at #5 | Is MLB Boring?

In this episode of DNA Sports, we’re breaking down everything happening across Utah and beyond 👇

🏈 Utes Spring Camp Recap
What’s standing out so far? We dive into key position battles, early risers, and what it all means for Utah heading into the season.

🏒 Utah Mammoth Playoff Positioning
The Mammoth are in the hunt—how do things look down the stretch? We analyze their chances and what needs to happen to secure a spot.

🏀 Who Should the Jazz Take at #5?
With the draft approaching, we debate the best options for Utah. Best player available or team fit?

⚾ Is MLB  Boring?
A real conversation—has baseball lost its excitement, or is it evolving in ways fans aren’t appreciating?




DNASportsRecap.com
https://www.instagram.com/dnasportsrecap/
https://open.spotify.com/show/11S5H5Bh0przKY5GBy4CvL
Utah Mammoth DNA: https://youtube.com/@utahhockeydna?si=oQzkXiH_PBxbZyMy
Utah Jazz DNA: https://youtube.com/@utahjazzdna?si=jqD1yzruZuxUiEGn
Utah Football DNA: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNUMA6R9eyI5EKDbxEnxGw
Major League DNA: https://youtube.com/@majorleaguedna?si=yMUFRRp9NF57SZ2h



#UtahUtes #NBA #MLB #NHL #DNASports #UtahJazz

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hello, internet, and welcome to another edition of the DNA sports recap. My name is Darren. That is AJ. How's it going, my friend? I'm doing good. Um that light's not on. Oh, okay. Great. Cool.

SPEAKER_01 0:11

Cool. Well. Slight set adjustment. And I even got here early.

SPEAKER_02 0:16

Yeah, that's funny.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

All that and I got here early. Do we need the light?

SPEAKER_02 0:19

Do we need it?

SPEAKER_01 0:20

No, I mean it's not terrible. It's not terrible. That one's on too, though.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

For credit out loud. Our lighting is just choice this week. Guys, forgive us. We're just gonna roll it. I think we're just gonna roll it. Let's do it. I think it's fine.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Let's do it. We're fine.

SPEAKER_02 0:31

Folks, join us on the live stream. If you are watching us live, please join us in the chat. Jump down, let us know where you're watching from, uh, what your favorite color is, and law as long as it's red, because that's all that AJ cares about.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

That's it.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

That's it. Any shade of blue, unapproved. Congratulations to Michigan fans out there, national champions.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Yeah, NCAA tournament. That's insane.

SPEAKER_02 0:53

Congrats to all the Michigan fans out there. Yeah. I know we have one that chimes in here once in a while that's a big blue fan, so hopefully we see him in the chat there. Yeah, boo him. Before we get on with the content, folks, we have the pre-show cheers. Yep. Cheers to you, my friend.

SPEAKER_03 1:11

Cheers to you guys.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

Our lighting's off. We have the overhead light on. Starting with a bang today. Heads are falling off. Good stuff. Good stuff. Starting with a bang. As a reminder, folks, if you're watching this on our live stream, please jump in in the comments. Join the chat. Let us know where you're watching from. We want to hear from you on the subjects. We'd love to interact with you guys live while we're doing this because that's the whole point of doing this live and not recording it. Is we can uh interact with you guys.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Because it's way easier to do it unrecorded or unlive. Unlive? Unlive. Recorded. You know, you guys know what I mean.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Yeah, let us know how our audio is, by the way. We've been messing around with the mics for like the last 15 minutes trying to dial that in. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

And clearly we did it enough that we forgot to turn the lights on and the overhead light off. And you name it. So we're killing it. Let us know.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

We're killing it. Um, all right. So you want to go ahead and get in the first subject?

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

All right, let's go ahead and talk a little bit about the Utah Mammoth.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

All right, so let's go ahead and get into it, man. First thing you want to talk about when it comes to the mammoth is well, again, we're coming down to the home stretch here, and we want to kind of break down the playoff odds. So um, as it sits right now, AJ, um, we are on the road to Stanley Cup playoffs here in Salt Lake City. Gosh, it sure is nice.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Isn't that like that's such a crazy thought, especially this team has been here one full season, and this is their second year in Salt Lake City.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

Yeah, and we're already in the hunt for yeah, we're hunting, man. It's nice to have playoff uh sports in Utah once again. Any of them. We'll take we'll take any of them. Yeah, we will. We definitely will. Yeah. Uh now the Western teams that have already punched their ticket uh when it comes to the playoffs are the Wild, the Avalanche, and the Stars. Uh, according to moneypuck.com. Uh the Mammoth have a 98.6% chance of making the postseason as of the time of recording, AJ. Uh, which is not a lock, but it's about as close as you can get.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

It's about as close as you can get to being locked, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Yeah. Now with the mammoth having 88 points right now, still sitting in the top wildcard spot, which most are inferring that that's going to be the spot they're going to hold. Right. Um, winners of four in a row now, AJ. Four in a row, the mammoth.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

Yeah. Yeah. And in that game um on Tuesday, they won their first game in franchise history against the Edmonton Oilers. And I mean, this is a game where they fell behind 3-1 early, right? And and it kind of looked like, oh man, we could be in trouble here. And then they kind of storm back. Um, they end up winning a 6-5 in overtime behind a Clayton Keller game winner, which was awesome.

SPEAKER_02 3:55

Patrick, that game, right?

SPEAKER_01 3:57

And what does this have to do, you might ask? At the time of recording, the Mammoth have a 45% chance of playing the Oilers in the first round.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

So winning this game was huge because that is their first time in franchise history in the two years that they've beaten the Oilers. Right. So that's a big time game. But this helps kind of prove to this team that this team and its players really that they can beat an experienced team like the Oilers and help this team win in their remaining games and go out there and have confidence heading into the playoffs. So if this does end up being their first round matchup, they know they can go, they can go out and and match up with these guys and and play.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

And I mean Yeah, you got the monkey off your back of not being able to beat us.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Yeah, that's the last place you want to be is in a playoff series with a team with that much experience. And like your your first thought is like, we've never beaten these guys.

SPEAKER_02 4:53

Yeah, it throws me back to the Darren Williams days of when we've haven't beaten San Antonio in San Antonio in like 10 years. Yeah. And so like, I just like it's just to have that monkey off your back going into the playoffs, knowing, okay, this is a season veteran team. That team can beat you, and they have been quite often, but it's not gonna be, it's not an impossible.

SPEAKER_03 5:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

And to have that win, especially in overtime in a game where they both are trying to win that game. Gosh, it's also nice to have a sport where everybody's trying to win the games too, AJ. It's kind of nice.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Every player on the every player on the ice is actually going out there trying to like do their best to win the games. Yeah, I remember. Even the coach, the coach is even out there trying.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

Yeah, it was really funny because uh last week you were talking about how uh a player got his 400th goal off of uh in his career. And one of the things that they mentioned in hockey is that when you go to see a player, uh a famous player out there in the hockey that's coming to Utah, you know he's suiting up, he's gonna play. Yeah, absolutely. You know, there's no game time decisions or any of that kind of stuff in this. Like they're they're here to play and they're and they're gonna show up, which is always great. Um, yeah, man, I'm super excited. This is awesome to have this team here in Salt Lake City and to have potential and to have you know hockey, playoff hockey in year two. Not only that, like you mentioned, the Edmonton Oilers 6'5 in overtime uh is huge coming down the stretch, knowing that you have the capability of beating this squad and not having to worry about that monkey on your back and being like, oh, you know, ho hum, what was us, you know, especially when you know there's a good chance you're gonna be facing them first round.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Yeah, yeah. And and and the thing is, is a seven game a seven-game series is long, right? In the first round playoffs are seven-game series, but you got a chance, you know. You went out there, you you played tough, you came came from behind to beat them in overtime, is is just awesome. So the Mammoth also have a 24% chance as of now to play uh the Anaheim Ducks. Not an ideal first round matchup. Um, that's that's a really talented team. Those guys beat us last month in a one-to-f beat us one to four last month. So we didn't play great in that game. Not saying we couldn't still take the ducks in in the first round, but um this offense is humming, though. The the Oilers is that's the team that we kind of want, right? They're right around the same uh wins and losses as us. We've got, I think, one more win than they do. I don't have their record in front of me, but um, and then we also have a 22% chance of getting the Golden Knights. So yeah, I mean we're we're a wild card team, so we're not gonna have that home ice advantage, you know, that that can help, you know, but but even getting three of those games uh in Salt Lake City is gonna be awesome.

SPEAKER_02 7:29

Yeah, and uh is it is it too early to get greedy? Yeah. Is it too early to get a little greedy and be like, you know, uh is it we do we want to win a series the first series? Is it too early to get greedy about that?

SPEAKER_01 7:41

No, no, and I think I think it's not necessarily even I I think that's I think that's an expectation from this fan base, right? Like you've watched this team play such good hockey and they've come so far. I mean, they're really gelling. You see these guys just playing together while they're out there. The offense, like you said, is just it's humming. That's that's a very mild way to say it because there's times out there where you're just like nobody can beat this team. Like there's just too many people that can score. Like the defense looks great. We got a great goaltender.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Like, I don't know when in the last week and a half this team scored less than four goals.

SPEAKER_01 8:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

Like they probably have, but if you were you'd have to you'd have to remind me. But yeah, uh the Evington Oilers have the exact same point total as us, by the way. Yes, 88 points. We're both singing at 88 at the time of recording. They do have one more win.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

But they can win the division, they can because they're in the central division. They're in the Pacific. Oh, Pacific, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

Yeah, so they they have their division title not locked up yet. But close, yeah. But everybody in our division uh is locked up, and they're way ahead of us in points, yeah. About 22 points ahead of us. So uh, but yeah, anyway, we'd love to hear from you guys. Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments down below. Let us know what you think as far as the team's odds to make it. Like I said, it's not quite a lot, but it is looking that way. And uh we're getting closer and closer to clinch time for this team to it's getting exciting. It is, it really is. Yeah, um, one thing we want to pivot on over to before we uh jump out of the mammoth conversation is there's an article that came up um, gosh, earlier this week. I think earlier this week or late last week, uh this was an article from the Athletics uh Scott Wheeler. He mentioned that the Utah Mammoth are ranked sixth in the NHL for the greatest prospect depth.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's insane to think that how many talented players we have out there right now. I mean, how many young, young guys we got on long contracts that are gonna be with this franchise for for years to come. But then you look into the prospect pool and it's like you got you know Tij Againla, Caleb Denoyers, like those, I mean, just those two guys right there, they're probably ready to be on an NHL roster somewhere. You know, they're playing really well um in some of the lower leagues, and I mean it just it it's really cool to see this team doing such a good job drafting players and keeping young talent, and then you know, also signing and making trades for players are gonna help this team win right now.

SPEAKER_02 10:07

Yeah, and on top of that, you know, there's you know just the strength and how well the team is balanced on both high-end skill and size all throughout the team. Like all throughout the minors, you got not only you know talented players like Tij uh and and Cole, you also have Maverick, who's also pretty you got decent size players, like like I mean like Maverick and stuff like that. We've drafted size as well as talent, and just to know that you know this is really nice to know that you have a team that's making a playoff berth in the spring, and we didn't have to uh you know bet the farm for a Hail Mary to get all in. Yeah, you know, and go all in on this one and try and push for it. We've gotten there with you know, with Armstrong doing things the right way in Phoenix for the coyotes, and then when that team came up to Utah, they just kept, you know, reaping the rewards of you know having to play at the bottom, you know, and and really solidify those traffics and make the right moves, sign the right players that you need to have without again shredding your entire farm system, your entire future, yeah, keeping this team in a prime position to continue to compete year in and year out for the for series.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

And now they have a fan base, like an actual can come to every game fan base, yeah, and and top of the line uh you know training facilities and like you put all of this together and like this is how you build championship clubs.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Absolutely, yeah. It's gonna be fun, man. Can't wait to see it. Can't wait to see it. Uh, did you did you see did you see the Zamoth?

SPEAKER_01 11:33

I did. Dude, that thing is so cool.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

Very, very cool.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

I just want to drive it around my house.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

I yeah, well, you might run into something or you might tear it.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

It's fine.

SPEAKER_02 11:42

Um, because you know, the tusks. Did you see the tusks or casts?

SPEAKER_01 11:45

The tusks are so sick.

SPEAKER_02 11:46

Yeah, it's so funny.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

Dude, that whole thing is so awesome.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

That's funny. Yeah. Um, but yeah, let us know if you guys seen it in the in the comments down below. Let us know what your thoughts are on anything we talked about when it comes to Utah Mammoth uh today, when it comes to what we talked about as far as you know, being close to clinch, uh, how the farm depth looks with that arco and the athletic, uh, and as well, you know, let us know what you think about the Zamoth, man. I think that's so cool. One of a kind. I don't know. Have you seen any other Zambonians that are customized in the league?

SPEAKER_01 12:14

I I haven't. Not that I watch a ton of hockey, but like that is it's gotta be one of the only ones.

SPEAKER_02 12:20

I don't I don't think I've seen ones that decked out. Yeah. Maybe so, maybe a custom paint job graph graphic. Right. Something like that, but just to have one that like is is the like the whole logo.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Like, that's so sick.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Yeah, it's pretty cool. Pretty cool. Yeah. Uh once again, folks, we want to hear what from you. Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments down below when it comes to Utah Mammoth. Um, please subscribe to the channel, check us out. Uh, drop a like on this video for your boy AJ right over there. Do it. Uh, all right, let's go ahead and pivot on over and talk a little bit about the youth, shall we? We absolutely should. Okay, let's talk yet. All right, my man. So there's a few things we want to talk about when it comes to the University of Utah. Uh, the first one is before we get into that, uh, we want to do a DNA tip of the cap to the University of Utah Red Rocks. Uh, they were uh actually they won the Big 12. So they won their conference uh when it comes to gymnastics and they made it to the regional finals, uh, which is in a year where this got squad wasn't really ranked as high as it normally is for them. Uh they're usually typically top ranked in the country. Uh, for them to not only win the conference but make it to the semi to the uh nationals uh regional finals is kind of a big deal.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Did you see they did not make the national finals for the first time in 49 years?

SPEAKER_02 13:36

Yes. Yes, that's true. But but they did win the conference again and in a year where they haven't really been ranked at all the whole year. Yeah. You know, so the fact that they still went out there and went in a down year. Absolutely. They still got a conference title, you know. Yeah, you want to hang your hat, you want to keep that streak going, but you know, as we'll talk later in in MLB, not every streak lasts forever.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

So not every streak.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Uh, but anyway, so congrats to the Red Rocks there on a great season. And uh yeah, we look forward to return to form next year for sure. Um now when it comes to what we want to talk about when it comes to the Uts, the first thing we want to talk about is the article uh that we saw out there uh that talked about uh Coach Galley and how he's able to retain their star quarterback in Devin Dampier uh with uh Coach Witt and his OC of the past two seasons, Jason Speck, both uh bouncing and going to Michigan. Their entire offensive coaching staff went to Michigan, if I'm correct. I don't think anybody stayed.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

No, I mean there were some there were some coaches that stayed, but for the most part, I mean it was a lot of them.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

It was a lot of them. Yeah, to have Devon Dampier say that there was a specific gesture that the team made uh that was huge for him. So uh the story goes in the article here that uh on his return back from surgery from Philly repairing a sports hernia. Did you know he had a sports hernia?

SPEAKER_01 14:56

I did not until I read this article.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

Yeah, I thought that was crazy. Like I knew he was a little banged up towards the end of the year, but I didn't know of any specific injury that required surgery. Yeah, that was that was news to me. Um, so when Devin Dampier emerged from the plane in January, coming back to Salt Lake, he was surprised to see every more every member of the Utah coaching staff at the airport. Uh, he said when he came back from surgery, I I couldn't walk. Uh, Dan Pierre told the Salt Lake Tribune. I couldn't really make the first rounds of meetings uh with the coach Morgan Scaly. Uh Scally put in a huge effort uh with me and made the one-on-one conversation with me. Uh Dan Pierre said, I think that we really got to learn from each other, and I was able to learn things about him that I never knew. He was able to hear things about me that he didn't know about me as well. I think the real heart-to-heart conversation, uh, what he wanted out of me and shared his beliefs in me, uh, the loyalty there sealed the deal for me, I know, the day after uh we had that conversation. Uh that's huge, man. I you absolutely love to see that. Not only just simply the gesture of making sure the entire coaching staff is there when you get off the plane, but just being willing to have those one-on-one conversations with, you know, again, this guy could have easily just walked over to Michigan with the rest of you know, with his OC that he's been working with.

SPEAKER_01 16:16

You know he had an offer.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Oh, yeah, you know he could have gone over there. Yeah. But the fact that he stayed, I don't know if Utah outspent Michigan for him. Unlikely. But uh, yeah. So the fact that there's a lot more than just just the paycheck is is pretty impressive for this kid.

SPEAKER_01 16:31

Yeah, I mean, I just I really love that Morgan Scally just kind of continues to show up like him and his coaching staff to just show up for their players, right? I mean, it just shows that that this coaching staff is just class act. I mean, he's he's making these players believe in themselves first, making sure they know how important they are to the University of Utah. And by doing that, he's making them believe in him. And that's like the second hand, right? Like that's the best part of it, is like he tells them how he believes in them, and by doing that, they believe back in him. So it it's it's really awesome to see. And I mean, that's exactly how it should be. Like, realistically, I mean, you can coach all you want, but you you can't go out on the field and make players win games. You have to make sure that these guys believe in themselves, believe in what you're you know, you're preaching day in and day out, and and he's put he's coaching to get the most out of these players. And him knowing that Devin Dampier returning to the U, that steadies a ship that was, let's be honest, starting to rock just a little bit, right? That was that was priority number one was to get Devin Dampier back. And he didn't have to do it in in a deep conversation, he did it with an action to show up and make sure that he, you know, he was seen and he was comfortable. And when he got back, um that that he he knew that he was priority number one for Utah. That's got to mean a lot to Devin as a quarterback. I mean, I know as a youth fan, like when you heard Devin was staying, that helped the nerves quite a bit, right? I mean, you you saw a lot of stuff happening that you weren't sure which direction. I mean, it it was it was a real trying time. So it it's a great. I'm I'm really glad that Coach Scalley handled it that that way very specifically. He got Devin Dampier back, and it gives this team an opportunity to grow on the great season that they already had last year.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

Yeah, 100%, man. I'm looking forward to it. Uh, this is gonna be a good year solely because of the strength of the best uh offensive weapons they had that they could possibly have return returning. Yeah. In Birdflick and and in uh Devon Damp here the whole time. Absolutely coming back. You know, and then they you know, we'll we'll get into this article here next when we talk about some of the the improvements that we're gonna see on, you know, positions where we weren't too confident in uh in the next bit here. But yeah, this is the type of story that you love to see because you you read this and you and you know the whole time you're thinking before he agreed, like what did they say, what did they do to get him to come back? Yeah, and is this the repeatable thing that Utah can do to make sure they don't lose talent in this year where it's very much transaction, in this type of football where it's very much transactional now. Yeah. Um, you know, and so when it's something like this where it's something that's repeatable, it's not just who wrote the biggest check. It's not just, you know, hey, you know, it's your old OC from back in the day, we're gonna keep you happy.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

Yeah, it's who was there for me. Exactly. Yeah, love it. Absolutely love it. It's actually loyalty to to the team that's taking care of you and giving you this opportunity to come into Division I football and play at the highest level in a power four conference. It says a lot about Devin Dampier as a player, and I think even a little bit more about Morgan Scallion knowing that he's the new face of this of this program and what he can do to keep it moving forward.

SPEAKER_02 19:47

You love it. You love it. We want to hear from you folks. Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments down below when it comes to this story. Did you get a chance to read the full story there on the trib? Um, um, give us your feedback, let us know what you thought in regards to that. Um, the next thing we want to get into is you know, there's this uh article on sportsillustrated.com. Uh, this one was from uh Cole Forzman. Uh he had an article up where he was discussing um, you know, now that we're over the hump, and there's probably about like 10 days left in spring ball practice. Yeah. The five weeks we're over the three, right? Um what we've learned so far from spring football here at University of Utah.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:24

And we'd like to go over that and kind of just give our thoughts on the three main things that they put in there. And uh, you guys feel free to chime in, let us know what you your thoughts are. What did you hear in regards to uh coming out of spring practice there? What are the three things, or is there anything specific that you heard that you wanted uh dive in on? We'd love to hear from you on that. Um, so you want to get into this? Yeah, absolutely. So the first one's gonna be uh the O-line is exceeding expectation. So Utah did lose all of its five starters at this position last season, either to the NFL or to graduation. And uh the first year O-line coach, which is Jordan Gross, uh, has been seeing improvements and getting uh this group really ready for the 2026 season. What's your thoughts on this, man? Like, did like are you seeing I don't know, what's your takeaway from the fact that they're just reloading at that position?

SPEAKER_01 21:15

Yeah, I mean, I just I just have a really weird feeling that this like this offensive line, like they have such big shoes to fill. I mean, because we had such a great offensive line last year. There was a ton of experience. I mean, two round one draft picks on there, but I just have a really weird feeling that this team is that this O-line specifically is going to far exceed expectations. I mean, the coaches are already saying they're exceeding, you know, expectations for where we're at in this season. I think when the season comes around, I think this is gonna be a fantastic offensive line unit. Um there's been quite a bit of talk about Cedric Jefferson. He's the Montana State transfer, he's really excelling. I mean, we got to believe that Kelvin Obot, um, he's gonna be out there on the field helping this. Unit. Um, and and really, I think the the thing that probably gives me the most confidence is we got to remember that Utah's known for one thing, and that's a defensive line. Utah is a great defensive line coach, a great defensive line team. And and this defensive line didn't lose as many pieces, right? So we got these these young or inexperienced offensive line um guys coming in, and they get a play against a Utah defensive line every single day that is gonna push them to their limits, and that is going to help them going head to head against great players that have a ton of reps. Iron sharpens iron, man. And I think it'll help get these guys up to speed a little bit faster. And I I think again, far exceed expectations for I think everyone's kind of reeling the back. I I'm all for that, but I think at the same time, I think this could be a really good unit for for the youth moving forward.

SPEAKER_02 22:57

Yeah, there's a lot of I think I'm gonna use the quote that um Scaly has on here. He's like, Jordan is such a is such a good teacher with these those guys, and they're having a lot of fun. You're seeing the progress every single at every single position, every single practice. That kind of statement there from your head coach, yeah. I mean, a lot of this, you guys, you're gonna be taken ton in cheeks just simply because the you know the chances for them to unroll we talked about last time is how even though there's not a spring portal anymore, there still is a chance for these players to leave your program. Absolutely. So you want to say the right things about these guys to keep them here and keep them happy. But this this is a lot of conversation that's coming out simply because of this reason, and because of it, it doesn't sound like fluff to me. You know, it's kind of like every time, every you know, recruiting season, like, oh, we got all the players we wanted. No one's gonna come into that press conference saying, you know, man, we really missed some the five guys we wanted, but we got these other five. I guess we'll do all right. You know, no one's gonna say that.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

Yeah, we didn't get all of the guys we wanted, but I mean it it'll be fine, we'll coach them as good as we can. It'll be okay.

SPEAKER_02 23:58

Yeah, so some of this is gonna be conference talk, uh, you know, press conference talk just to keep your guys. But I don't know. I think there's enough of the conversation there that I've heard through interviews and with the media that have been able to see practice uh that would say this there's a lot of truth to this one.

SPEAKER_03 24:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:14

Uh secondly, uh Daniel Bray uh is due to make his uh big leap in his sophomore season. Um singling a player out as one of the big three uh reasons that big three takeaways from spring camp so far says a lot. Uh this kid did show some talent in 2025, uh, and they are expecting more out of him this year.

SPEAKER_01 24:36

Yeah, no, I mean absolutely. And I I love that Coach Scally has not talked about him in one or two interviews. It's almost every time he's in front of a microphone, he's talking about how good Daniel Bray has been. I mean, he's saying how he's gotten his body ready, how he plays with intensity, he's been setting blocks up the field, and and I mean, he's just bought into the culture. And this kid's talented. I mean, we saw him take a couple runs, break him off for some great yardage. Um, he's really fun to watch. And and he was a player that I really thought we would see more of last year because he kept having these breakout plays, and you know, they threw some wheel routes to him. And it was like, I feel like this guy's got that he's got the talent, like, why aren't we using him? Um, but but at the same time, it's like, okay, I'm good with it, you know, and especially if he did need, I mean, coaches see a lot of stuff that we don't see as fans, you know. Maybe his body did need a little bit of work, he wasn't quite big enough. You know, as a running back for the you, you've got to be able to run block, uh or I'm sorry, pass block. You know, when you're when you're back there, there's gonna be a lot of schemes where you're gonna need to be able to set a block and go into the flat and catch a pass. And we know that Weishon Parker can do those things. So it kind of minimizes how much you need a small, fast running back. But I think that uh with with how much he has improved, it'll be really cool to see how he's paired with Weyshawn Parker and and if they can even make the the whole offense that much better to have that skilled and quick and you know explosive type player out there with this offense.

SPEAKER_02 26:13

Yeah. Comments from McGivin on uh Bray here. He said he's one of the he's one I'd love to expand his role uh so you can see what he really can do. He's a really dynamic player. Uh kind of speaking to what you're talking about there, there's obviously some reason for why they held him back, probably just to prevent risk of injury, I'm guessing. Could be. You know, uh, like you said, maybe his body wasn't ready for it. But uh yeah, I'm looking forward to it, man. This one's gonna be pretty good. Um, I'm like I'm looking forward to seeing that progression. You know, if he came in a spring, what was it, 20 pounds heavier? I can't remember what it was.

SPEAKER_01 26:45

Yeah, I think it was like 20 pounds heavier. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:47

Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, love to see it, man. Looking forward to it. Uh, the next one we have here on this article is uh the Utah State transfer, uh Braden Pagan, um, who has made his presence known pretty well uh on this squad uh coming in. So I don't know. What's your take on this kid?

SPEAKER_01 27:04

Yeah, I mean, he was just voted to the leadership counsel, which which says a lot about a player just transferring in. And and we knew that this addition would would kind of help the team learn the offense from a player's perspective, right? Like you're gonna do everything you can as a coach to help install an offense. I mean, I've I've read multiple things that Kevin McGivin is has worked really closely with Devin Dampier to try to change some of the uh like the terminology they're using to make it a little bit more familiar, you know, similar concepts, changing the terminology on the field so that it's not everything's not so brand new and and so daunting, which is a really cool, a really cool thing. But then to to hear that you have a player out there, um, and he was he was in one of his interviews, he says that he was willing to help players that have questions. Um, he's like, if anybody has questions, I I hope they come ask me because I'm willing to help with whatever I can. Like that was like kind of what he was saying. And that is exactly what you look for in a senior wide receiver that you know is wrapping his career up. They've the youths have just gotten they've gotten so lucky pulling in culture guys that are that are just brought in and just buy in immediately and help promote it and push it forward. Um, I mean, there's a ton of our you know, a ton of really good highlight catches that that Brayden Pegans already already pulled down. And I mean, you're just hoping he just keeps building that chemistry with Devin Dampier and continues to kind of flourish in this system. I think they're you know, you know McGivin's comfortable with him, so he's gonna he's gonna count on a lot of targets that direction. And uh, and hopefully they can pull it all together when it matters.

SPEAKER_02 28:41

Yeah, I really like one of the comments here that they had uh for him there. Again, Scaly uh said on Pegan there, this is one of the dudes that you wish you had 20 of them. Uh, he's such a good kid, smart football player, athletic, can jump out of the gym. We're so excited to have him. And I think to your point, you know, being a senior, yeah, that probably helps a lot, but just to kind of come into a new locker room, into a you know, power for conference and have that kind of presence and willing to take on that leadership role when it could easily just be, you know, like, hey, I'm gonna take a step back here. You know, there's obviously more talented players on this team than me, like I'm gonna just take a step back. He's not doing that, man. He's uh you know, taking on the leadership role, and like you mentioned, you know, on the leadership council first year transfer in, which is insane. Insane. I love it. I love it. Uh, we also have another comment here. Uh, we have a comment here from uh McKinley Cutler. Uh he said, Um, so I don't know. Uh so I know that there is technically a new rule now that is supposed to stop the tampering of players so they can't unenroll and then re-enroll to extend the transfer portal. Do you think this will do anything?

SPEAKER_01 29:44

Um I don't think so. He has another comment. It kind of continues it. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 29:52

Yeah, I love this term. I love this term, McKinley. Or is it just a paper uh paper tiger rule uh that will fall apart when the NCC when the uh first player slash coach takes the NCC to court and sues them for trying to say the students can't decide which school they can enroll in. Yeah, uh I heard this.

SPEAKER_01 30:11

Did you hear about this this rule? I did, and and I think it's uh it's they're they're trying. They're they're trying to get a handle on all of this, right? Because everyone understands that the system in college football is broken. Like you have to have some I mean, especially with with how much money is going out, you feel like there needs to be some sort of contracts or some something tying some like anything to somebody because realistically you're you're a free agent at the at the beginning and end of every year, which professionals can't do that, and you you guys are getting paid to play now. So I I think this rule is trying to accomplish the right thing. I don't know if this was the best way to do it, but I I mean I'm I'm excited to see what they come up with next. Hopefully they can kind of build off this and make sure that players, you know, aren't just unenrolling and re-enrolling because we all know what that's doing to college football.

SPEAKER_02 31:09

Yeah, I just I don't think it's gonna really do much. I mean, like you said, I love the term paper tiger because I think that's exactly what it looks like. I I just don't know. There's just too much involved in it, and there's just too much money involved in it. And once money gets involved, it's really kind of tough for anything to really get in the way, even when it comes to things like rules or executive orders, yeah. So uh it's just kind of one of the very limited. Yes, you know, it's technically not federal law. So that's kind of where that one's gonna be kind of I think that's where that's a good place where we could put that one. Is that I think you're right. I think first time somebody challenges this in court, I don't think they're gonna win. Right. You know, so I think the players should be allowed to go wherever they want, uh whenever they want, just like the coaches. Yeah. Until you until you hold the coaches accountable, you can't hold the players accountable. Exactly. You leave in the playing field now. Okay, great. Now what? You're gonna try and scale that back? Just that that genie's out that genie's out of the bag.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

Well, but I mean, at the professional levels though, if a coach gets fired, you know, he can he can take another job. But when you're firing them, you see, but you don't see professional coaches just switching so much, right? You you go onto a four-year contract, coaches get traded, their contracts get traded, and that kind of stuff in the NFL. But something like that has to happen. I mean, to your point, right? Like something has to happen where if a coach is under contract and a player agrees to play with that coach while he's under contract, and he gets traded or moved or decides to go. I agree that the that player should have the option to go with that coach. That's who recruited them, that's who they want to play for.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

Or simply leave that school altogether. Exactly. And explore a new option. Yeah. You know, I think it'd be even not just even the head coach, it could be the offensive or defensive coordinator, whoever, whoever the position coaches.

SPEAKER_01 33:00

I think you and I think you have to limit that to at some degree. At that point right there. Yeah, yeah. OCDC. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:07

Coordinator, but other than that, we get like to the quarterback coach or the lines coach or yeah, you're like, I really wanted to play for this offensive analyst.

SPEAKER_01 33:14

Yeah, this strategy makes twenty thousand dollars a year. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 33:18

This college intern. Yeah. Uh now that he's graduated, I want to go. Michigan's offering me 10 million a year. I'm gonna go there instead.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

Really feel like we got a chance. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 33:27

So yeah, I I love it, man. I appreciate it. Thanks for jumping in the into the chat there, McKill. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Uh, did you hear about the two uh BYU players that are entering the portal? Did you see this?

SPEAKER_01 33:38

No.

SPEAKER_02 33:38

Yeah, they had uh they just I think it was just today. Um McKillen could probably tell us who they were. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

I'm just like riddled with anxiety over here. I need to know. Tell me it was someone good.

SPEAKER_02 34:00

Oh gosh, I just heard it. Um ten hours ago. Oh no, this is uh this is on the basketball side. Oh, that don't matter.

SPEAKER_01 34:12

Everybody on the basketball side enters the transfer portal.

SPEAKER_02 34:15

I know Rob did. Yeah, that was the that was the player that was thinking of, Rob. He he left. Um I don't know who Rob is. Yeah, he's um Yeah, I think he uh Rob Gronkowski. Yeah, that's who it is. Yeah. Rob Wright, right? No, that's a bad that was the point guard, right, for the basketball team. So um anyway. Um yeah, it might have been on the basketball side. Anyway, correct me if I'm wrong on that, uh, McKinley. I could be wrong. Uh McKinley is our resident BYU fan. Uh, you know, for the team down south there.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

We we appreciate you, buddy. Thanks for tuning in.

SPEAKER_02 34:50

Absolutely love it. Appreciate it. Thanks for jumping in and commenting on the show. It's always great. Um, all right, so uh yeah, again, I I love this story there of the three things. Uh, we'll probably have like another week and a half left of spring camp. So we'll see what happens for the last little bit here. Yeah. Stay tuned. We'll probably have some more stories that come out in the next week that we'd love to talk about. So uh if you guys have anything that you'd like for us to talk about in an upcoming episode, feel free to jump in the comments, let us know. If you hear a story that you want us to cover, we'd love to hear from you. Let us know what you think.

SPEAKER_01 35:20

And obviously, we like giving our opinions, so you guys let us know what you want to hear.

SPEAKER_02 35:24

Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's great. That's great. All right, let's go ahead and pivot on over and talk a little bit about the Utah Jazz. Let's do it. It's hard to see now that's purple on the thing, you know, versus yellow. Yeah, yeah. All right, man. So there's a few things we want to talk when it comes to the Utah Jazz here. The first thing we want to talk about is well, you know, we've got what, two games left in the season? I think is that all is that all there is? I think there's only two games left in this season. Oh no. Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Yeah, don't hit that button. What's up? Channel legend, Greg Hawkins. Thank you for jumping in. What's up, Greg? How you doing, my man? Um, yeah, so yeah, I I looked it up on the NBA schedule, and according to NBA.com, the Utah Jazz. Easy. The Utah Jazz only have two games left on their schedule, uh, which means we only have we're near the close, we're near close to the end, AJ. Only two more losses.

SPEAKER_01 36:31

Finally.

SPEAKER_02 36:32

Two more losses, and we can be done with this whole tanking business, leave it behind us, and just move on to greener pastures.

SPEAKER_01 36:39

I'm so excited to watch the Jazz win again. You know how much I love jazz basketball, and you know how frustrating it is to just watch them get clobbered on purpose every game.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

Yeah, and it's not the even I don't it's not even the winning, it's just the trying. When you know that the players on the on the court are trying, and you know that the front office is telling the coach to pull them out so they don't win, yep, that's getting really frustrating and hard to watch.

SPEAKER_03 37:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:00

You know, and it's not just the jazz. Uh, you know, we've talked about this ad nauseum why the why we think that this is the only way that the jazz can really build a team in the modern NBA. Unfortunately, in the player empowerment era, this is really the only way we can grow a team, right? So it is the only way.

SPEAKER_01 37:18

Yeah. We I mean look at the Oklahoma City Thunder. They're they're where they they are where they are because they tanked for four years.

SPEAKER_02 37:27

Yeah.

unknown 37:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:28

And they acquired enough assets that they could trade for the players they wanted, they can do all the things. So you can say that that tanking is the devil and it's the thing that we don't want to happen, but this is how NBA franchises are built.

SPEAKER_02 37:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:42

And the NBA did this.

SPEAKER_02 37:44

Yeah, the NBA did this. It was their rules. Yeah. It was the players' association, they're agreeing to these rules and kind of everybody coming together and saying, okay, this is how we're going to do it. You know, for a small market team like the Utah Jazz, for a market where, you know, oh, you go play in Utah, where players are can not don't want to sign here unless we overpay for them, and players that basically block trades, you know, and don't want to come here anyway, you know, it makes it really tough. The draft is really kind of the only way that we can do it.

SPEAKER_01 38:13

The only way.

SPEAKER_02 38:13

So in this case here, we know we're we're we've said it to our boot in the face. Hopefully, this is the last time we're talking about it, you know, because two games left, we'd be done.

SPEAKER_01 38:21

Uh, but as it sits right now, and then we're gonna move on to all the good stuff, all the off season stuff where we can be super optimistic.

SPEAKER_02 38:27

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. We got a comment here from Greg Hawkins confirming yes, two games left. That's actually McKinley. Oh, sorry, did I say McKinley? I'll say Greg, yeah. Sorry, a comment here from McKinley saying, yeah, two games left, and they can't end sooner. It's been the most disgusting basketball I've ever seen. Yeah, yeah. And the fact is, is it got worse from years before when we had the worst record? Somehow, this basketball we're watching this year is worse than last year. Yeah. We're signing a bunch of 10-day contract players and putting them out there for 25-30 minutes. It's actually what the next comment says. Oh, nice, nice. Jabez has been committing crimes against basketball this last month. 10 got 10 day guys are so bad. It's crazy. The Jazz have tanked hard enough that they might drop to three in this on the standings. Yeah, so we'll talk about that in episodes coming up further for sure. Yep. But what we want to talk about today is we want to talk about as of the time of recording, uh, the Utah Jazz are sitting where they're probably going to be selecting fifth in the draft. Yep. So um, let's say everything plays out the way that it looks like, odds wise. Do you mean that it always plays out? Because the Jazz never move up in the draft, Darren. No, but what I'm saying is that also that it never stays the same. That's also true. The Jazz will either stay or drop, never go up. Yeah. But obviously, the number one chances never get the number one pick. So, like we're saying there's a chance. We're what we're saying here is this is an exercise in fruitility. It's like doing preseason rankings for college football before before the fall camp.

SPEAKER_01 39:58

Before spring camp.

SPEAKER_02 39:59

Before people watched it. Before fall camp even starts. You know, like it's it's really just until they got a couple games in a year, there's really nothing you can do to kind of identify what's going well for a team, what's not. But in the same case here, we're just this is you could go to take-a-thon.com, hit the button. Ooh, that's what we should do next week. Yeah. We'll pull up take-a-thon.com, yeah, do a random uh draft poll, see where the jazz are, we pick where what player we think the jazz are gonna take.

SPEAKER_01 40:25

Oh, that's a good idea.

SPEAKER_02 40:26

I like it. Yeah, that's what we're gonna do. Yeah. As long as it's not fifth, and we'll have to do it again because we talked about it this week.

SPEAKER_01 40:31

We thought, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 40:32

That doesn't work. Um, all right, so let's talk about it. The jazz get number five pick overall. Who you're gonna draft, AJ, and why?

SPEAKER_01 40:41

Jazz picking at number five. I really hope you didn't pick the same player as me.

SPEAKER_02 40:46

Oh, I'm guessing we probably did. We probably did because I think you and I are in line with what the Jazz need to be doing this offseason. So anyway, you go for it, man.

SPEAKER_01 40:56

I'm gonna go with Keaton Waggler. It is the same player, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 41:01

It is. It is.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

I thought about this as I was doing it because I'm looking through like the top 10 recruits and I'm like, this is this is what we tell each other what we pick. Yeah, this is why. Um run your line there.

SPEAKER_02 41:16

Why should why should we pick uh Keaton?

SPEAKER_01 41:18

Probably because he's a 6'6 guard that shoots 39.7 percent from the three. Yeah, 42% on the road, by the way. Yeah, yeah. I mean, this kid's a super talented dude. He plays with his heads up, he's got a quick, smooth release. Um, he plays well through contact. Um, he's he's known. I mean, you look at all of his draft profiles, he's just he's known as a high IQ basketball guy, very efficient scorer, playmaker. I love the size of 6'6, I love the wingspan near seven foot. Um, he does need to make some defensive um improvements, his lateral speed, not great, um, especially in the NBA where your guards are just too fast, but he's a problem for this team. But it that's exactly my point is if you're gonna have one weak spot on a jazz team uh you know next year, might as well put it with your 6'6 guard that can score from anywhere on the floor.

SPEAKER_02 42:08

Yeah, and then everybody else on the team is at least 6'6. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:11

So you can't you can Well Keontae's only 6'5, isn't he?

SPEAKER_02 42:15

I thought he was 6'7. No, Keon's. No, that's Ace. I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah. Ace's 6'5. Yeah, so 6'5, 6'6. What I'm saying is there's enough, there's enough size, enough reach there that even half-assed defense would be better than wholehearted defense from some of these short kings that you have drafted in the past. Yeah. You know, it's just it's much better. Much better.

SPEAKER_01 42:36

Yeah. I don't know. I really like this kid. I watched probably 30 minutes of highlights and you know plays, and I just he is just a smooth shooter. I I love that the the 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists say so much about the player that he is.

SPEAKER_02 42:55

Under two turnovers a game, too.

SPEAKER_01 42:56

Because he plays with a ton of energy to fight for rebounds. He's always got his head up, he's looking for the best pass to make a good basketball player. He can knock down shots from anywhere on the floor. I really, really like him at number five. If he's available, go that direction.

SPEAKER_02 43:12

Absolutely. I am not going to argue with that in the slightest bit. He's easily the best player uh that I think the Jets can take at five, really at four or below, to be honest with you. Yeah. Um, even if let's just say we're out the gate, this guy isn't ready to play out the gate, that's perfectly fine because you know that works right into what Ace Bailey's really kind of put himself into because he's really set himself up as a position to be a starter next season. This guy's really kind of put himself into that position to be that starter. So if you know you put him out there and then you have this great kid uh in Keaton that we can um develop, you know, they can come out, do the 25 minutes a game, really kind of you know, hone his craft, and then we can go wherever the matchups take us going forward there. You know, just it's insane that this. Would this pick would be perfect, AJ? And I cannot say it's funny that we picked the same one. Yeah. And I cannot well, it's kind of obvious, you know, on this one if we're picking five. You know, yeah. Some people would say other picks, but honestly, what we don't need is we don't need another big guy.

SPEAKER_01 44:16

We don't need a big guy. And we don't need a six foot three-point guard.

SPEAKER_02 44:20

Yes, which is what we're gonna get into. We don't need any more undersized guards on this team. So let's go ahead and jump right into the rumors that the Jazz are interested in a short king guard, AJ. Uh it has been mentioned in several publications that the Jazz are interested in Darius A. Cuff Jr. uh in the draft. Um, have you heard any of this?

SPEAKER_01 44:41

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. No, I've I've seen quite a bit of it. And and the kid's a great player. Um the I mean, he's a freshman port, freshman point guard, played at Arkansas this year. Um, I believe he was the SEC freshman player of the year. Um shot 44% from three on six attempts per game, which is very high volume and a very high percentage. He's a great shooter. Um, he did. Did you see that he joined Pistol Pete Maravich is the only freshman to lead his team in scoring and assists all time? Don't care. Um John Calapari, who this is a guy that coached SGA, Devin Booker, John Wall, the list goes on and on and on. Said that if you pass on this guy, you will regret it. This player is unique. Says he lives in the gym, and he says he just reminds him of a lot of a lot of the other great players that he's coached in his time.

SPEAKER_02 45:34

So 6'3 at the combine, probably actually 6'1 in shoes, probably about my height there out of shoes, probably is my guess. Uh I'm sorry, man. That I'm done with this, man. No more short guards. I've made that very clear. We're gonna make a t-shirt. No more short kings in Utah. That's just we're just done with it. I don't know what this team's obsession is with them, but the Jazz have always had issues regarding perimeter defense. And the one underlying thing is that the Jazz are obsessed with drafting and developing undersized guards. It's just been something that they have done for at least a decade. You know, and I just it's it got to the point now where like you've got size everywhere. Why would you do this and draft this guy, Darius? You know, and he's gonna be a great NBA player, don't get me wrong, but let him be a great player on any other team. I'm perfectly okay with passing on him and losing sleep for that one. Because honestly, I want this team to develop based off of what we're putting together, because this team's gonna be in a unique position when we have size at every position, up and down the lineup, not only in our starters, but also in our backups and also in the third string rookies that potentially may see in court time. When the small shortest guy on the team is gonna be what I say, yeah, collier? At 6'4, yeah. You know, that's kind of saying a lot, you know. So it's it's really kind of putting this team in a position where you're gonna have size, you're gonna have length, why would you go and do this? Great player, don't get me wrong. But he's gonna be what a shooting guard? Why would you have a point guard taller than your shooting guard? You know, just there's like I don't know. For me, there's just the the it makes sense for why the Jazz would do this because they've done it a lot in the past, but it also doesn't make a lick of sense when you have better options um for you at what especially if you're a five. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 47:17

Yeah, I mean he's kind of originally projected to go around the number seven mark, and that was kind of before his NCAA tournament performance. He he did have a great tournament, um, played in some good games, carried the team, put him on his back. I mean, he's quick, he gets to his spots, he can score from anywhere. He does reportedly have a six foot six wingspan, which would indicate that six foot three might be his actual height. Okay, fair enough. Although, you know what I mean, otherwise six one with a six six wingspan is insane.

SPEAKER_02 47:44

I just mean people we've watched we watched Walter Clayton win the national championship last year with Florida, and he couldn't and he couldn't make this team. Right. You know, so we could he couldn't see the court. So I just don't know. I mean, yes, we want to take some credibility into playing well in the tournament because that's the lights are bigger, the pressure's higher. But I don't think it's the end all be all. I think the intangibles uh that you're gonna see from these players, like the the measurables on their like their athleticism, you know, that kind of stuff, their size, their length, all that matters uh when you're when it comes to drafting talent. I just I I'm hoping that this is more of the media playing MB NBA 2K front office than it is the teams actually really interested.

SPEAKER_01 48:29

I I think it could be this is my conspiracy theory. Okay. I think this could very much be the Jazz saying something like this. Ooh, I love it. Just to I mean this is Danny Ainge we're talking about. Just to turn the whole the whole draft stock away from the player that they're actually looking at. Okay, that's what I'm hoping is going on here. I like it. So I don't know. I I actually don't mind this kid. I mean, not that I want him to draft a 6-3 guard, but I he is he is a really, really talented player. He reminds me a lot of Damian Lillard. Uh, really natural shooting stroke. He can score from anywhere. Um, he's quick. He actually is a is a serviceable defensive player in college. Um, plays with a ton of energy. I think he's a great young player. I just don't think he's necessarily the best fit for what the Jazz are building right now.

SPEAKER_02 49:17

Yeah, I'd have to agree with you on that one. I think the article uh on the athletics says that um Stefan Marberry is his comp.

SPEAKER_01 49:26

Yeah, Stephon Marberry, uh there was another one. Damian Lillard, I think, is another comp. Like, that's that's kind of the the route that they're going. I mean I don't know. I I think he's a great player. I mean, I I watched yeah, I will I think he's a great player, but I just I don't think he's the right fit in Utah. That's my problem with it.

SPEAKER_02 49:45

Have to agree with you on that one. Let's hit a few of these comments here. We got a comment from McKinley saying the Brooklyn Brookinets have three games left and one against the Bucs. And tonight we are playing the Pacers. Uh, you have a good chance of winning two more games this year. Uh they have a good chance of winning two more games this year, and it says sorry, I mean tomorrow they play the Pacers. Yeah. Um Yeah, I'm hoping we go for two in the next two games.

SPEAKER_01 50:09

Like Oh, absolutely. I I unfortunately don't want to see a Jazz win. Yeah, which is fine because then this is over and then we're done.

SPEAKER_02 50:17

Yep, and I'm just fine with that. I think all of Utah Phantom is is ready for this to be over. You know, if we take two more losses, uh they've lost what 10 straight now. Yeah, we get two more losses in it and we accept the fine and we move on. You know, we're happy campers, right?

SPEAKER_01 50:31

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 50:31

Uh we got uh another comment from McKinley here. Now I'm thinking we fall backwards into Darren. Backwards into Darren. What are you thinking?

SPEAKER_01 50:40

We got ace at five last year, and I'm thinking Darren tanks his draft stock and goes to the jazz at five.

SPEAKER_02 50:45

Oh, okay. That's right. You're thinking the jazz are gonna be higher up in the draft then because at the time of recording this, the jazz odds were five, depending on how the game's shaked out today.

SPEAKER_01 50:54

Well, he's saying like ace because ace fell. Ace was a projected top three pick, but his draft stock they kept pushing him and pushing him. So he's saying we fall at five to get to get a top three player at five is what he's saying we get.

SPEAKER_02 51:07

Yeah, I just don't think I don't think Darren's gonna fall that far. He's still it would take a lot of work. Considering the majority of people are thinking he's still the number one overall pick, even though his issues very, very well could be. You know, a lot of people just said Ace is off my draft board because the way he acted preseason. Yeah. He acted, you know. Which was his agent. Exactly. Not even his agent, his manager.

SPEAKER_01 51:28

Right.

SPEAKER_02 51:29

You know, so anyway, uh glad that worked out in our favor, right? Yeah, so that's exactly what you were talking to, McKinley.

SPEAKER_01 51:35

So we're at 53. Maybe we push Sensabata next week.

SPEAKER_02 51:38

Uh if you want to, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:39

Yeah, I think we rolled a baseball. Yeah. Yeah. Because that's a great one for next week, too.

SPEAKER_02 51:44

Sure, because we have to we have to talk about that one and we also have to talk about um flip. Yeah. So, okay. Yeah. And then do our draft lottery. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. That's a good week. Yeah, that's a good week. Make sure you guys too stay tuned for next week. We're gonna be doing uh some fun stuff next week. Um, all right, let's go ahead and pivot on over and talk a little bit about Major League Baseball.

SPEAKER_01 52:02

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_02 52:14

Okay, AJ. So let's go ahead and talk a little bit about Major League Baseball. Oh, by the way, folks, if you're watching this on our live stream, please jump in the comments. We'd love to hear from you. We want to hear from you in regards to everything we're talking about today. Uh we're talking since we're talking major league baseball, we have a couple of subjects we want to hit in baseball, and we'd love to hear your take on it. The first one is my favorite topic whenever I tell people I'm a baseball fan, I always hear the same um arguments, AJ.

SPEAKER_01 52:40

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:42

Yeah. So I always hear this argument like, oh, baseball's boring. Baseball sucks, it's not fun, it's so slow. Like there's like there's like nothing going on. Did you know, AJ, in a full um NFL game, in the two and a half hours of NFL game, did you know there's only 11 to 18 minutes of actual gameplay?

SPEAKER_01 53:03

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 53:03

In an entire NFL game.

SPEAKER_01 53:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:05

And so I don't understand why they say baseball is slow and boring when even in an NFL game, you're only getting up, you know, at the at the latest 11 minutes of action versus 18 minutes of action, you know. And we just we hear this all the time, you know. Oh, there's a 162 game season. There's too much downtime in between pitches, too much downtime between you know, innings, you know, it's just too complex, it's too difficult, you know, and it's really hard for casual fans to kind of get involved with the game. Um what I want to do is I want to talk about this subject today because I think now's a great time to talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 53:43

Yeah. Oh, it absolutely is. Especially because baseball is one of the few sports that's actually consecutively growing.

unknown 53:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 53:53

Um, let's hear it. Yeah. I mean, you know, baseball over the last few years have implemented quite a few quite a few rule changes specifically to increase viewer engagement. Um, one of the first big ones was obviously the pitch timer. Um, you know, they did this to drastically reduce the dead time between pitches going in, and you know, and and and ultimately their goal was to have faster baseball games. The whole reason they put a pitch clock in was because they said the games were too long. They were they were just over what two hours and 50 minutes, and they've got them down to like two hours and 38 minutes now.

SPEAKER_02 54:29

Oh, probably less than that.

SPEAKER_01 54:31

Yeah, I mean, so so the average baseball game by implementing this pitch timer accomplished exactly what they were looking for. Um, you know, they saw that there was an issue with you know uh defensive issues, right? People want to see the ball put into play and runs being scored. Really tough to do that when you have as much tape as you do on Major League Baseball players now. You can put an infield shift in, and and these guys hit to the same spot. Uh Major League Baseball stepped in and said, Hey, this is not gonna work. Like we're we're seeing on-base percentages fall. Um, we're gonna put a shift restriction in, make sure that infielders have to stay on, you know, A, the infield dirt, and B on your side of second base. And this whole thing was put in place. You know, there's still you still see shifts within the rule now, but it encourages players to hit the ball hard and you know, put it in a hole traditionally. And that's exactly the way you want to see it, right? They made a great rule change to make it look like a baseball game because it's it was really weird before the shift rules came out when you got I mean, everybody's on one side of the infield. You're like, what are we doing here? It it didn't even look like baseball anymore. So, you know, they increased the they increased the base size up to 18 inches, you know, it it reduced a little bit of distance between the bases. And what happened the first year that they and the first year they do it, it drastically increases stolen bases.

SPEAKER_02 55:58

Well, what's our what's our motto when it comes to Major League Baseball?

SPEAKER_01 56:01

Stolen bases equals MVP.

SPEAKER_02 56:03

And what happened in the first year they extended bases?

SPEAKER_01 56:05

They had what two players with No, Ronald Acuna. Oh, Ronald Acuna, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:09

Yeah, it got the MVP for stealing 70 bags in one season. Yeah, which is insane.

SPEAKER_01 56:13

And it's all because they were bigger.

SPEAKER_02 56:15

Yeah, well, no, no. It's because he's wicked fast. He's wicked fast. Yeah, he's not good. It's like all the bases are bigger, I can save a second.

SPEAKER_01 56:22

But also in that same season, they imp they implemented the pickoff limit, didn't they?

SPEAKER_02 56:26

Yes. So you can only throw over to first two disengagements, two disengagements.

SPEAKER_01 56:30

If you throw over a third time you don't get them, they automatically get second. They get second, exactly. So, I mean, that surge in stolen bases is what makes baseball fun. That's what people want to see. Like when I watch baseball, and I was I loved baseball growing up. I got disengaged for a few years. I love watching baseball again. But what you want to see is stolen bases. And like I like watching pitchers throw back to first, especially now knowing okay, they've only got two. So it's like it's like a chess game now. You know, I mean, like, okay, I can throw over once on this hitter, but once once the next guy comes up, I might have one more if he's still there.

SPEAKER_02 57:04

Or if they step off.

SPEAKER_01 57:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:06

That counts as a disengagement.

SPEAKER_01 57:08

Absolutely. So the runner can now see exactly. It's all it's all chess game, man. I I just love it. You know, I mean, baseball's done such a great job, you know, with the rule changes. Obviously, this year they introduced the ABS challenge system.

SPEAKER_02 57:19

Um which has been so much fun.

SPEAKER_01 57:21

It's been so much fun. And and the thing is, is these I feel like it's drastically changed the way that umpires are calling games. Oh, yeah. Like though those calls, I mean, there's a few, you know, we we talked about it last week last week's episode. Yeah, CB Buckner obviously has missed quite a few, and and some of those were really bad. But for the most part, like when you're watching these games, you're seeing umpires call a much, much tighter game. They're not missing calls by two, three inches. Um I mean, does it take some of the some of the the glam out of the game, right? Like great pitchers get better call, you know, get a few more calls, that kind of stuff, yes. But it does stay true to what baseball is, right? The ball's got to go over the damn plate. And and that's how it should be, right? And players are trained their whole lives to recognize the ball going over the plate, and you see it because hitters, when when a hitter calls a challenge, that's my favorite thing.

SPEAKER_02 58:14

It's like this guy knew, and when it's like strike three, yeah, you know, he's like, nope, nope, nope, nope, that was too low.

SPEAKER_01 58:21

Yeah, and then you see it missed by two-tenths of an inch and you're like, damn, these guys are good.

SPEAKER_02 58:25

Yeah. Well, that's what I love about that one is that you know, there's always this talk about how the NBA, uh, sorry, in the in the major league baseball, the umpires are trying to be the story, right? They're trying to be like people are like they're trying to insert themselves as being part of the game. Well, guess what? Now you are.

SPEAKER_03 58:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 58:40

So if you make a bad call, anybody can challenge it. You know, anybody like this like pitcher, catcher, hitter, anybody who doesn't believe with you can challenge it. And then you're gonna either A, look like a brilliant person, or B, look like an idiot. And so congratulations, you got your chance to get a bigger one. You got your chance, yeah, absolutely. And I love it. I love that the umpires now are clapping back, too. Did you hear this story? No, oh, it's so good. Like the the hit, the pitcher threw a ball and he called it a ball, but it was close enough that he thought the pitcher thought it was a strike. And so he's like chirping back. He's like, Oh, come on, man, that was and so the guy takes off his Mac and he says, You have another challenge, you want to challenge it? You know, even though the two seconds are gone, he's like, You guys want to challenge? You want to challenge it? You know, just immediately just like saying, Hey, you don't like my call, challenge it. Yeah, you know, and I absolutely love that. If you made your better pitch, he would probably call it, or he would swing at it. So I don't know. It gives that umpire that chance to really you want to be part of the story? Guess what? Now you are. Yep, absolutely. Enjoy.

SPEAKER_01 59:42

I think one of the other rules that I really like they put in is the permanent extra runner inning. The permanent extra inning runner.

SPEAKER_02 59:47

The ghost runner.

SPEAKER_01 59:48

Yeah, yeah. I mean, placing that runner on second to start the tenth inning is now permanent. This is this is such a great move by Major League Baseball to continue to drive down game times where people were, you know, like that. That's the problem with baseball, is it can get a little tedious, right? Like you get into the ninth inning. If you've got two pitchers that just threw shutouts for seven, eight innings, you haven't seen any offense. It's like, hey, we got a base runner now. It motivates the players to get a hit, it motivates guys to just, hey, try to pop it up. Like, let's let's play some like some small ball, some defense, like some strategy baseball, because we can win this thing right here. You know what I mean? Or if you go out and get a good stop, like, hey, we can win, like, we got two fly balls, and that thing's in. Yeah, so I love it, dude. Major league baseball has just done such a great job. And and and like I said at the beginning, 2025 marked three consecutive years of attendance growth, over 71.4 million fans for the first time since 2007. And and this is this growth is is propelled by the faster pace of play. Like, people are are on notes saying that they like baseball now because the game's not four hours long. Like, it's great. I mean, and MLB did a great job partnering with you know, social media people like John Boy that brings in the younger demographics. Kids like watching that, you know, they like seeing what players are saying on the field. Um, MLB.tv streaming is up 27%. Like MLB has done such a good job growing their platform across all social media. They're making baseball available to more people, and you're seeing it in every single thing. And it's just it's just a beautiful thing, man. It's baseball is just so much fun to watch.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:30

Did a great job of turning it around. I'm not arguing that the fact that the that if you were not a baseball fan or you're not a fan of the team, it was really hard to watch a random game on Tuesday with two teams you don't know anything about. Yeah, absolutely. I I understand that 100% for a casual fan. That would have been absolutely insane. Unless you were going in with there, like, oh, I'd like to see this pitcher. Yeah. Oh, I want to see what this team does with this kind of pitcher. You you know, that you would have no interest in a random Tuesday game. 100% agree with you. Not at all. You know, but one thing I love about this, and one of the things that I I I saw a stat on the other the other day, is that the World Baseball Classic, which is an exhibition tournament, it's not Major League Baseball. Does qualify for the Olympics. Does qualify for the Olympics, true, which we didn't have last year, correct? Which we are gonna have now. But since 2023, the original that that world baseball classic, the attendance has slowly the interest in baseball has slowly kept up year after year after year. Yeah. And I think what's really interesting is that this speaks volumes. Yeah, and this Venezuela versus US game exhibition tournament had more viewers domestically than any game in the NBA finals. Pick any game. I totally believe it. So the fact that we're seeing that much from that, and obviously last year's World Series broke records, going seven games, one game X, you know, 18 inning games. 18 innings you literally had eight games that season, and it ended in extra innings in a game seven, and then the year before that you had Dodgers Yankees.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:59

I was at the Utes game, at the Utes football game when the Dodgers won the World Series, and and the game had just stopped, and they announced it over the intercom.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:07

Oh my gosh, seriously? Yeah, oh yeah. That's awesome. Yeah, you love to see it. You love to see it. Okay, so now that it's also all said, right? Let me get into the my take on when it comes to this argument of baseball sucks, baseball slow, you know, it's boring. Baseball is not boring, it has never been boring, and it will never be boring. Your life is boring. Your life sucks. If you think baseball is boring, and if you think the game is too slow, then your life sucks. Your life is boring. I'm gonna put it to you that way, and the reason why I say this, and I'm saying to it honestly, everybody now has a hyperfixation on a dopamine hit on 10-second, 30-second swipe-sups. Any check in any second you have a chance to be bored, you are looking for a random dopamine hit, random engagement. Yeah, there is no time for you just to sit on a bench and have a conversation with somebody nowadays. This very much sounds like old man get off my lawn type stuff. And I 100% agree that I'm saying that. But this is the point. If you are home in the summer, there's nothing better than grilling outside and you have the baseball baseball game in the background. You know, you don't have to be glued to every single pitch in every single inning. Yeah, you're not. You have the game on the background, you're doing, you're going about your day, you're doing things you want to do, you hear the crowd go nuts, you hear the crack, you're like, what happened? You know, that is baseball. You go to a baseball game, you spend a couple hours with somebody you want to hang out with, you have a conversation. You can't exactly have a conversation in an NBA game. No, too loud. No. NFL games.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:45

College is such a great take. And it's funny because I didn't realize this is where you were going with this, but you're absolutely right, dude.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:52

It is not baseball that is sucked, it is society as and life in general that has gotten too hyper focused, too hyper now, now, now, quick, quick, quick. This was America's pastime when we actually had time that could pass. We just don't have it anymore. Everything has to be now, every second has to be monetized or maximized. And we're in a situation now where no one can just sit and relax and enjoy a couple hours on a lazy Wednesday afternoon. Yeah, and that is exactly what baseball does. The second you understand that that's what it's there for, it's therapy, it lets you relax, it lets you stare at a big, beautiful field and watch a bunch of you know overpaid people play a kid's game and just enjoy it. Yeah, that's my take on it. Baseball's not boring, just life in general has gotten too chaotic that you're boring. Exactly. Exactly. I want to know what your thoughts, your thoughts are, folks. Let us know in the comments down below. We do have a couple of comments here from Greg Hawkins, channel legend. Baseball rocks. I cannot agree more. Did you see the Cubs game where uh where the guy who lost his pants in the Cubs game? Yeah, I did not see it. Oh my gosh, it was pretty good. Pretty good. Uh it was it was yeah. Anyway, we'll get into that and I'll probably uh we probably should cover that one on a future episode. Uh it'd be pretty interesting. Uh part of what makes baseball great is the build-up. Exactly. I I just you know, it's just it's just fun sport to enjoy life with. And if you're trying to stop life to enjoy a baseball game, you're doing it wrong.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:21

Yeah. You know, so the best part is you can enjoy life while watching a baseball game.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:25

Yeah. You don't even have to be in the same room. You just you have it up loud enough and be like, crack, like, oh, what happened? You know? Love it. Absolutely love it. Um, so we actually did have a rematch of the World Series this weekend.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:37

Or sorry, this week, starting off this week on Monday. I don't know if you had a chance to watch any of these games, AJ. Did you get a chance to watch any of them?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:42

I sure did.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:44

So I Well, I watched one. The first one or game two? Uh well, I watched the 14-2 ass whipping.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:50

Okay, why don't you go ahead and break that one down for us?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:52

Okay, yeah. Um did I mention 14-2 ass whipping? Yeah. Okay, cool. Yeah, I mean, the offense for the Dodgers just absolutely exploded. I mean, Tiasco Hernandez, Freddie Freeman both hit two run home reign, two run home runs. Um, Dalton Rushing hit two home runs, Shohei Otani added a solo home run. Uh the Dodgers racked up like 17 hits and ended up winning their fourth straight game. Um, Max Scherzer, who was there, I mean, he was out after he was there for two innings and then came out. So uh the Blue Jays aren't looking great. They've now lost five straight games. I mean, they they came out of the gate looking looking pretty good. This was like a it looked like it was gonna be a pretty great um like a pretty great series to to be a part of and to watch. Um but I mean their their offense is really struggling, their defense hasn't been great, their pitchers struggling, like the the they're just struggling to put it together in that first game at least.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:49

Yeah, in game two, Dodgers win that one uh four to one. Again, you know, just I think they have PS PTSD there when you they know that Yamamoto's pitching. Uh six strong innings, one run allowed. Uh Shoyotani extended his on base streak 42 games plus, by the way. Again, considering offensively, the Dodgers played a very clean and controlled baseball game. Uh the Blue Jays were very sloppy, made up two errors on one play. Um, basically just kind of exactly reaffirming how the Dodgers won the World Series last year. Everybody's like, oh, the Dodgers you know lucked out on the World Series. Like, did the Dodgers look out or did just the Blue Jays blow it? And the Blue Jays blow it. Oh, yeah. You know, um, and that's coming from a Dodgers fan. Yeah, perfectly coming from you know, he had a bases loaded, no outs, and Alex Vestia got out of that game perfectly clean. Struck out one, fly out, ground out, you know. So again, uh Blue Jays offense could just continues to struggle. Again, at the time of the the third win for the Dodgers, sorry, the second game win for the Dodgers, uh, that was what seven straight losses for the Blue Jays. And what's more insulting, AJ, adding insult to injury, is guess who they got swept by before they played the Dodgers? Who Chicago White Sox. Oh. One of the worst teams in baseball. Oh no. Yeah, so they came in, but thankfully for the Blue Jays fans out there, they save face and won the last game uh four to three. Uh the Dodgers led late three to one. Uh the Blue Jays rallied in the seventh and eighth, uh, getting uh key hits from George Springer and Dalton Varsho. Uh basically is more of like there's a throwing error by Will Smith on a go-ahead run. Uh, this was more about the Dodgers faltering and blowing a lead than it is the Blue Jays actually winning a game. Uh Shoey Otani did pitch well, six innings, minimal damage. Um but uh yeah, I think uh the Toronto you know just got some good hits when they needed to, and the Dodgers ballpen kind of failed them on this one. Perfectly okay, I guess. We still got the series win. Didn't sweep the Blue Jays, and hopefully the Blue Jays can rally behind this and actually do something the rest of the year. Um but yeah, it was a good uh a good like World Series, you know, uh what's the word I'm looking for? World series uh rematch. Yeah. Because it kind of really just like, okay, the 14-1, the 14 17, whatever ass whooping that you were talking about, really kind of settled the flames of like, oh, the better team, right? The better team lost the World Series. Well, in this series, in this first rematch series from the two teams, like you can clearly see who's the better team in baseball. I mean, you can't argue it. We got a crate uh comment here from Greg Hawkins. No one's saying the Dodgers lucked out, everyone had the Dodgers winning it before the C season started.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:34

That is a good point.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:36

Yes, but if you watch baseball, you watch Dodger games, you saw how unlikely that didn't seem to be possible. Like it took it took the Phillies bullpen to decide to throw home instead of throwing to first for the Dodgers to get out of the NLCS. Sorry, the NLDS, you know. Yeah. So you know it wasn't exactly as clean as you'd think uh when it came to that. Like there's there's a few other things in there uh that were kind of interesting, but um yeah, the Dodgers definitely made the right plays they needed to to win it. Yeah, if you just looked at the numbers, saw the Dodgers payroll and the rest of baseball and saw they won the World Series, it's easy to see how like, oh yeah, of course they won. But if you actually watched the series watched the season unfold, you saw where the Dodgers didn't have the best record in baseball, not even close, but the Brewers did of all teams, you know, and you know, they just didn't look as polished as they did until the playoffs started, and then they really kind of jumped in there for sure. Uh but yeah, anyway, we just want wanted to touch touch base on that before we move on. Uh there is one more thing I wanted to uh talk about, which was the uh MLB power rankings. There's some changes on this, AJ. There is some pleasant changes. Yes, yes. Uh I I like it here. So, okay, let's first again start with the power rankings. Let's start from the top, work our way down. Uh the Dodgers are first. Uh okay, moving on. We got the Yankees there that actually moved up uh to the number two spot. Uh yeah, from four. Yeah, which is a nice little jump. Uh, best pitching in baseball, only allowing eight runs in their first seven games. Uh, name the other team that did that, by the way. The Braves. In 1993.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:12

Perfect.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:13

Nice. Glavin Schmoltz.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:15

I probably watched some of those ones.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:17

Yeah, exactly. Giants also did it in 02, but no one cares about the Giants. Uh, but yeah, the Brewers actually, they jumped up to number three, which is a pretty big jump.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:26

Uh, I mean, the winning seven of your first nine games always helps.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:29

Yeah. I mean, surprise, surprise, this team trades away their best starting pitcher, their best arm, and they somehow are still leading their division and have one of the best records in baseball. Yeah, correct me if I haven't said that the last two years in a row. Uh, but more interesting, uh, like a bullet, up from 13th. Who is number four? That'd be the Atlanta Braves. Yeah, man. Showing, man, even though they're all banged up, uh, they're still a great team, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:54

How are they doing this? Um, they're doing it with great pitching, as surprisingly as that is. First, uh Spencer Strider and Schwellenbach. Schwellenbach to be out. You're you'd think, oh man, this Braves team's in trouble. Chris Tail got into some trouble the other day. He gave up like, did you see the Chris Sail situation? Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, hit a player, walked a player. Just he was just struggling. He was just off, and it was crazy because the game before that he pitched in, he was sick, and I think he shut out through six innings. He just he just had a bad game. Um, but the Braves, the Braves bullpen is I think the best in the MLB right now. I don't know if I think they're allowing 0.97 ERA. They've given up like one run and wow 14 innings or something like that. Wow. Um yeah, the the the bullpen looks great. Um Drake Baldwin is just an absolute stud. I mean, he's either out there catching or DHing. Um, I think he's leading the team in ERA right now. Uh the Braves are tied for first in Major League Baseball with run differential with a plus 34. Guess who the other team is?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:00

The Dodgers.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:01

Boom.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:02

Um 17 to 2 does that.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:04

Yeah, the Braves had like an 18 to 1 game.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:07

Yes. And I love how that the uh like the broadcasters were getting a little anxious to get out of there. Like he the pit, the position pitcher threw a ball that was clearly a ball. You the Brockers like, that's a ball, it's clearly a ball, but come on, man. It's 17 to 1. Let's get out of here. Like you were the broadcasters are.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:22

I just love that the Braves were still hitting. Yeah, I love that dude.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:26

The unwritten rules in baseball are gone now, man. You put a position player in there, the players are just like game on. We're swinging, we're done.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:33

You know, like if you're gonna put it throw me a 55 mile an hour fastball, I'm gonna hit it.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:37

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I mean, as far as other jumps in the in here, I think the Blue Jays falling from second to sixth is you know, when you lose seven straight games, that happens. Uh the Astros jumped 10 spots, man, holding on. Um, even though you know all their best players either sign elsewhere or they're you know getting old and try to play left field. Um, but man, you're not on Avalares, man. If it wasn't for the fact that Judge was in the American League, we're looking at somebody who's a potential MVP candidate.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:03

Yeah, yeah, just playing great baseball.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:05

Holy cow. Holy cow. Uh Phillies are down, two spots, uh, just consistently not being able to put offense together. Did you see that Painters guy's debut?

SPEAKER_01 1:15:14

Yeah, he was the rookie, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:15

Yeah, a rookie pitcher named Painter. You cannot make this stuff up, guys. This is baseball. This is why it's so poor and so beautiful. A pitcher named Painter had a debut, five innings, pitched eight K's.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:30

It reminds it reminds me of the picture I sent you with Greg Maddox. I asked Greg Maddox to paint my house, he just hit all the edges.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:41

Oh man, that's great. That's great. I love it, I love it. Uh, but yeah, so not really a huge bunch of change there, but there's one more thing we want to hit out, hit before we get out of here, and that is a former, former Salt Lake B, man. Yeah. Having one of the best historical defensive performances in baseball history, according to most. And I'd have to agree with this just simply because of the, like I said, context matters. The reason why Shoey Otani, I think, had the best offensive performance ever made is because the context matter. Yeah. Uh, this is exactly the same on the defensive side of why context matter. You want to run this?

SPEAKER_01 1:16:12

Yeah, I mean, Joe Adele's defensive performance versus the Mariners the other night was just it's great because it was a culmination of really hard work. This guy wasn't a defensive star early in his career and had and had really struggled.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:26

That's why he spent so much time with the Bees.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:28

Yeah. It was purely based on his defensive performance, but he did become a Gold Globe finalist in 2024, so he has been you know growing steadily. Um, but he he's been he's just continued to make adjustments. Um, the three home run robberies in this one game. Um you will never see that again. This is a feat that hasn't been seen since they started tracking it in 2004.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:52

Oh, you'll never see it again, ever.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:54

I mean, and and these aren't like close home runs, these are all great, great plays. Especially the third one. The third one where he where he falls over the fence to catch it and stands up in the stands to show that he caught it. I mean, that's craziness.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:08

The fact that he had his legs still in play when he reached all the way out there to get it. Yeah, that's insane. Yeah, yeah. So the first one in the first inning was against Cal Raleigh, right? Uh solo home run early in the game, he the game scoreless. Again, then again in the eighth inning against Josh Naylor. Uh he was basically kind of the same thing. The first two were kind of just up against the wall where he jumped up and caught it over the over the big part of the wall. But it's that ninth inning one against JP Crawford when they had a one-run lead.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:36

And if that ball went out, the game's tied.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:38

And he just leaned over. Game changer, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:40

Yeah, just leaned over. Absolute game changer.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:42

All preserved the shutout with the Angels likely to lose if they were, you know, because again, home team. I think they call that a pitcher's best friend.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:51

I'm just making that up. But you know what I mean? Like if you've got a guy that's robbing three home runs, like you're as a pitcher, you're like, thank you. You are saving my ERA every single time I throw a bad pitch.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:01

There is something called a pitcher's best friend, and it's a ground ball. Oh, well, yeah. That is, that is a best pitcher's best friend. Okay, fair enough. You win. Uh, but yeah, I I would agree with you that I would trump it if you could ever get one of those. Yeah, but again, this is one of those performances, guys, you'll never see again. Something like that. I mean, one player, like they literally had it on the board, on the board for the next game. Yeah. This Seattle Mariners, don't hit it to Joseph. They literally put it on the board.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:28

Don't hit it anywhere near him.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:29

Yeah. So that's crazy, man. It preserves the shutout. First time, like you mentioned, that they started tracking this. But I I would really like to see anybody who could show me that there's a game where someone did that already. Yeah. You know, I mean, that's just insane. Um, you know, one of the greatest ones I think I'd ever seen, and I don't think anybody's ever gonna see it another one ever again.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:46

Yeah. How about that uh Reynaldo Lopez and Jorge Soler fight?

unknown 1:18:51

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:52

Did you see it?

SPEAKER_02 1:18:53

Yes, I did.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:54

I was watching the game live. That's so funny. Yeah, I was watching it, I was like, what is happening? Because the the camera wasn't on it. No, they went to the replay to show the tag out at second. Yeah, and then all of a sudden they click back and Soler's over there trying to punch UFC. Lopez, which is crazy. Soler played for the Braves last year.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:12

Oh, yeah, he's done it twice. He was a Braves World Series hero.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:16

You know, that one year.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:17

Yeah, but I mean, just I mean, he was playing with Reynaldo Lopez last year. Yeah. And I mean, Lopez hit him earlier in the game. And then he threw one high and tight, and and obviously Soler wasn't super ecstatic about that.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:30

No.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:31

Um, but but he just sat there and stared at him. I don't I think it was funny because I was trying to get the jump, I was trying to see the jom boy because he broke it down. Yeah. I didn't see what he said.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:44

Yeah, so it the it's hard to see what he said because the camera angle wasn't there.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:48

Yeah, plus he was probably speaking Spanish too.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:50

Uh, yeah, probably. They both speak Spanish, so that makes sense. But what it's the thing is that the stare down that Jorge Soler had against the Lopez pitcher cut during the whole challenge. He didn't move, he stayed exactly in the box, in the box, bat ready, and just stared him down the whole time.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:06

During the whole replay.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:07

Yeah, Lopez didn't like that.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:09

No, he didn't. Uh, a few things I want to comment on this one. One, dude, what's wrong with your catcher?

SPEAKER_01 1:20:17

Uh was it I think it was heim catching when that happened. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:20

Yeah. This guy let Jorge Solaire take like four or five steps to the to the mound before he even got up to get in front of the guy. Like he just kind of standing there like, what? Dude, normally when that kind of thing happens, they go, What? If he takes one step catcher, yeah. Boom, gets right in front of, hey, we're not doing it, you know. No, this dude let him get halfway to the mound before he even did anything.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:39

And they each got a seven-game suspension. They're appealing, but I don't know how you're gonna get out of this.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:45

Like, yeah. Two things. One I I absolutely love that the Yank, that the uh Braves manager, Tackerl, tackled Oh Walt Weiss straight went straight to him, dude. Just just wrestling move. You know, MMA, just boom. That guy actually fought. He knows Taekwondo, he knows MMA, he fought MMA. Walt Weiss is a stud, dude. I loved him as a brave, just like boom, tackled the guy down to the ground. Yeah, and that was his player. He even stood up and was like, hey man, it's good, it's good. Second thing, who in the heck let Mike Trout even leave, get onto the field? What are you doing? Like, don't let him anywhere near that.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:20

Absolutely not. The guy's made a glass 80% of the time. Why are you letting Mike Trout out there?

SPEAKER_02 1:21:26

We have a healthy season of Mike Trout. What are we doing? Just no, absolutely no. Mike Trout, if you're not at the bat and you're not in the field, put him on a leash. Bubble wrap.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:35

Put him on a leash. Like, you can't leave the dugout if there's any altercations. You stay in the dugout.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:40

And probably the biggest like pump, like puffing your chest in baseball or any major sport ever. This is the dumbest thing in baseball. And I would argue to find anybody tell me in any other sport where this a thing that makes absolute less sense than this. When the ball pins come into the game for the fight.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:02

I question it every single time. Like, what are you guys doing? First of all, the fight's way over. Like, what are you guys doing?

SPEAKER_02 1:22:08

By the time you guys get there, the fight's already over, and they're trying to start the game. Like, by the time they get out of the game.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:13

And now you've got to run all the way back across the field.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:16

I'm just like, what are you like? That's there's nothing that's bigger, like, you're not gonna get into a fight. If you're gonna get into a fight, fight the other bullpen where you guys they both were running together towards the fight.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:26

I was watching. Like they're like Danny old man skipping across the outfield, like they're all charging there. These guys are literally welling on each other, and these guys are just like I love the catchers that have the knee pads on that are even slower, like they're always trailing behind.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:42

Like, it's just like, what's the point, guys? It's a little bit of shoving, and then everybody goes back to their corners, back to their dugouts, and it's over. Yeah, but no, in baseball, we had the bullpins rush the field too. And I'm just like, oh my god, just the dumbest thing ever. Um I think it's absolutely ridiculous. I think there should be a rule in baseball that if your bullpen rushes the field during a fight, you're not allowed to use any more bullpen players. They're shut, they're all kicked out of the game. Just for the delay. Yeah, just because it delays the game and it makes no point. Yeah, they're all kicked out, none of them can pitch that game, and then you have to finish the game with a with a position player.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:15

Well, what also slowed the game down was they they threw Lopez out.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:19

So now the the Braves didn't have anybody in the bullpen. He was throwing a great game. So now they got to warm a pitcher up. So it was like a six-minute delay while this next pitcher comes in. I think it was Dylan Lee came in and he's trying to throw to get warmed up. Like, what are we doing, guys? It's so great. Yeah, so great.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:37

Why are the Braves always involved in some of these good brawls?

SPEAKER_01 1:23:40

Go Braves. It's always good. I can say that this year. You can't even sad face me.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:46

If you watch any other baseball content, you know what I always do right there when he says every time I say go braves, it's like it's a picture of uh Azuna who's not even on your team anymore, and it says eliminated from the blend. Sorry, buddy.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:00

It's okay, it's all good. Hey, we're looking pretty good this year. I'll take it. You guys are looking great. Yeah, and that's without our aces, too.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:07

Yeah, and who knows at uh Marcelo Azuna leaves the team. You guys still are performing well. I thought that guy really was like the heart of the team, and they really need to keep that guy.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:15

I I think Drake Baldwin has stepped up so much, dude. I mean, National League rookie of the year last year. His bat looks great. Um, I mean, he's done a great job catching, and he just he just comes in and just changes the whole pace, dude. He's just he's playing out of his mind. I love it. Acunu's actually not hasn't started the great. I think he's only hitting like 167. It's because he was playing the WBC. Probably tired, yeah. He's a little bit of breakfast. Well, and they just played 12 games in a row.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:39

Yeah, there's there's that. There's that. Yeah, I think it's good. Uh great, dude. Great fight. Just like Greg Hawkins said right here. Great fight. Absolutely true. Love it. You love to see it. You love to see it. Once again, folks, we want to hear from you. Let it know, let us know what your thoughts are in the comments down below. Uh, as a reminder, folks, this channel did hit a thousand subscribers, our main channel, DNA Sports Recap. Once this channel hits uh $500 in AdSense revenue, we're beginning giving that away to five subscribers. Each are going to earn $100 each. So if you are not yet subscribed to the channel so you don't miss out on that giveaway.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:08

Yep. And if you're watching on you YouTube on one of our short videos, just know this whole thing is available as a podcast wherever you get your audio. With all that said, my name is Darren. That is AJ, and this has been an episode of the DNA sports recap. Till next time.