REAL TALK! with Doc and Marlon
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REAL TALK! with Doc and Marlon
Pete Rose, WNBA & Knicks/Pacers & OKC/TWolves Preview. Schedule Release w/ @TheJShield
We welcome special guest Jai from Baltimore to discuss the most heated topics across the sports landscape including Pete Rose's Hall of Fame controversy, NBA playoff predictions, and NFL schedule analysis.
• Pete Rose deserved Hall of Fame induction while alive, MLB's posthumous consideration through a "historical committee" is disgraceful
• The Braves have bounced back from an 0-7 start to get within four games of first place despite key injuries
• Baltimore Orioles are struggling at 15-30 after questionable offseason moves by management
• WNBA's continued growth with stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese entering their second seasons
• New York Knicks showing championship potential with their physical, resilient playoff performances
• NFL schedule breakdowns for Falcons, Bengals, and Chargers with win predictions for each team
• Brock Purdy's massive contract extension sparks debate about his true value versus team situation
• Shedeur Sanders projected to win Cleveland Browns starting quarterback job by Week 1
• All-time NBA starting five selections reveal Magic, Jordan, LeBron, and Duncan as consensus picks
• Jai's all-time Cincinnati Bengals dream team headlined by Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase, and Chad Johnson
And welcome everybody to another episode of Real Talk. Doc, you doing all right today.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, I sure am man. We got a special guest today. Man, Do the intro 100% Special guest.
Speaker 1:You've heard him. I feel like we've had some special guests, but this one whenever you can get doggy on your podcast, not once but twice Twice that I know of, but whenever you can get doggy on, I know he does some other things too as well. As far as with radio, huge Bengals fan Orioles fan too as well. I mean not too happy about that right now, but Jai in Baltimore joins us on this next episode of Real Talk. What's up, jai? How you doing man?
Speaker 3:Marlon and. Doc, it's a pleasure, fellas, how y'all doing.
Speaker 2:Doing fine, brother. God bless you. We appreciate this man. Let's make it happen, marlon.
Speaker 3:Let's do it.
Speaker 1:Anytime. Thanks for having me, of course, man, of course. So I know you listen to every episode, jai. You message us after every episode. You tell us what you love, what you hate and all that. And, uh, you one thing that you have told us that you do love our episode, our segment where we get it off our chest. So, doc, we're gonna start with some mlb. Pete rose news just broke over the week, so, without further ado, doc, go ahead and get it off your chest a long time p rose saying man, going back to the 70s.
Speaker 2:It's an absolute disgrace that manfred the, the commissioner, couldn't do anything to get P Rose in the Hall of Fame. He had the power to do it, to get him in the Hall of Fame while he was living. It's a disgrace, man. This is an all-time hit leader. He's got three rings, two of the reds and he's a good spokesman. He's not unjuiced.
Speaker 2:Charlie Hustle, you know, jai, and it's one of those things where, not only that, they got some lady in Cooperstown I don't know where she came from is going to try to ascertain and determine if Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson have merit to go into the Hall of Fame. Now, this is going to happen for two years, december of 2027. It's just a disgrace that Manfred let this happen. I know, pete Rose, nobody's perfect. You had guys doing amphetamines and alcoholics and you had some races. They all in the Hall of Fame. Pete paid his penance. You know, 20 years there, 25 years there. You got to do it while a man is living.
Speaker 2:And I'm sick and tired of Manfred man. I really am the moves that he's made. But this Pete Rose thing. It sticks in my craw, ray and Marlon, because this guy here is a great baseball player, a great great player, top 10 all time. We're not talking about Cub Scouts here, boy Scouts, we're talking about baseball players. And it's just pathetic that a lady and I close with this relative to my rant that some lady who probably doesn't know anything about Pete Rose, didn't see him play is going to have to determine to get a. What do you call it? A historic committee? Historic committee? Come on, john, you know the game. That's a disgrace in and of itself, man, and it's one of those things where you should have let him in when you determine that he's eligible the next day. But a historical committee, your take, brother Bring it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I talked about it on my podcast last week. It's an absolute joke. I mean, here it is Major League Baseball, and not alone, in fairness. You know all the other sports, the NBA, the.
Speaker 3:NFL. Nhl, most likely, probably too is in bed with these gambling companies, either specifically within the big umbrella of the league, or the teams that make up the league have their own individual sponsorship and partnership deals with the numerous amounts of sports books that are out there FanDuel, DraftKings, ESPN, Bet, Bet, I mean, you name it, I mean the list is endless. And for Major League Baseball to sit on their high horse and act like that that Pete wrote. Now, I understand at the time, you know, in the 80s, voting was still very, or voting betting was very, still taboo, frowned upon. You know you had to do it illegally, with bookies underneath the table. I understand all that, but times have changed, obviously.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 3:I don't understand why, the minute baseball put pen to paper with sponsorship and partnership deals with the gambling companies, they didn't pick up the phone and say hey, pete, we agreed to new sponsorship deals with such and such. Let's let bygones be bygones and have you reinstated and we'll work as quickly as possible for us to work to get you your deserved day in Cooperstown.
Speaker 3:And the fact that they kicked the can and sat on their hands literally for years for years for years and then give him his day is just a joke On top of the fact, when they needed Pete Rose to exercise in capitalism and to make they being baseball money off his back, whether it be at nothing Now, obviously this one.
Speaker 3:The first example is before my time in 1999 at the All-Star game for putting together the All-Century team, and then the second one I vividly remember because it was only 10 years ago, when the All-Star game was in Cincinnati, 10 years ago, this upcoming July, and they invited him back. So when they needed Pete Rose to help add some extra excitement and juice into the pregame festivities, into their all-star game, they had no problems looking the other way with his gambling. But yet when Pete wanted his back scratched after he scratched their back, they said oh, no, no, no, we can't, which is which I mean. That is the epitome of usury. And to you know, to Dog's quoteg's quote, it really is disgusting because that's not how you treat other people. That's not how you treat other people. That's just completely and utterly out of line. Pete Rose is such a disgrace. You have nothing to do with him. That means you don't let him become a part of the studio crew for Fox during the MLB playoffs, you don't let him show up in 99 at the All-Star game and you don't let him show up in Cincinnati.
Speaker 3:But Major League Baseball okayed all three of those situations and it got in bed with the very same thing. They got just flagrantly annoyed with Pete Rose at. The whole thing is disgusting, and the thing that makes it worse is that Pete Rose knew while he was alive. He knew that baseball was going to reinstate him and make him eligible to get inducted into the Hall of Fame. The moment he died he was on this earth and said before he died this past September that he knew baseball was going to pull this bull j. He died this past September that he knew baseball was going to pull this bull jive, and the fact that baseball actually carried it out and did it seven to nine months after he's passed away makes them look 30 times worse than they already do. The whole situation really, really pisses me off. It bothers me, because how in the world can you keep the all-time hit king and one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball post-World War II?
Speaker 1:out of the.
Speaker 3:Hall of Fame. I did it. It makes no sense. Meanwhile, we'll turn the other cheek when it comes to the cheating frauds with the steroids. Ivan Rodriguez in the Hall of Fame? For God's sakes, the Astros still have their championship. Not one player, not Altuube, bregman, correa Gurria. None of those guys got suspended after the sign stealing.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:That's right and smoke.
Speaker 3:The whole thing just makes me sick. Makes me sick. It's disgusting.
Speaker 2:Well, johnny David Ortiz is in there. You got other guys that you stopped. It's a disgrace man. He had all his memorabilia, marlon, as Johnny references on the Hall of Fame the 3,000th hit, the 4,000th hit and all his all-time hits his gloves, his bass, his jersey, whether it's the Phillies or the Reds. They got all that in there, but the man himself no. So that's a good rant, brother, and I'm sure people listening to our show will know that Dr Falcon and Giant Baltimore is very serious about this man, because we love the sport of baseball and it is a disgrace. And Manfred's in charge. It's on his mantle, good job.
Speaker 1:Johnny. Alright, so, doc, speaking of a little love, obviously your Braves are not looking too bad right now. So before we get to the bad with Jai sorry, jai, but before we get to the bad we'll go ahead and get to the good with your Braves. How are you feeling about your Braves right now, doc?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm on cloud nine, brother, after starting 0-7 because of the significant injuries of Spencer Stroud and Ronald Cunha Jr. We started out with the Padres and you swept us, you know, four games. Then we went three in LA. That's another sweep that we saw. Now Snickers got this thing going. We got pitchers from the minor leagues, young cats that we traded for that I don't even know and we're doing the thing. We're a game over 500.
Speaker 2:Should have swept the Red Sox, jai. And it's one of those things where I'm taking it day by day with this team, because this is a special team that can come back from that deficit and now we're only five games out and, if things work right, with the Red Sox beating the Mets, the Mets lost. So now it's four. Good point, thank you, brother. It's one of those things there that it's a long season and I'm looking forward to the second half of the year, marlon, relative to getting Acuna back and Spencer Stratton catching his stride and pitching like he should a Cy Young Award candidate. So yeah, I'm happy as hell, man. It's been rough now, but still four games back and we're in late May. I'll take that after starting 0-7. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, 100%. So now, Jai, I'm following your Twitter and you fire this person, that person. It's pretty rough. I mean 15 and 30, I believe, is what the record is. I mean you're not, it's still early, I mean we're still in May, but can you get out of this hole? Is there any potential turnaround for this season? You know what are your thoughts on your Baltimore Orioles right now.
Speaker 3:My thoughts on my Baltimore Orioles is that they are an unmitigated, disgusting disaster and a disgrace. They're a disgrace. They are completely unwatchable. You know they have no competitive fire. I understand tonight, for the first time since Haley's comment, they actually came back to tie the game up, only for Yen-Yer Cano to give the Brewers the lead right back because he can't hold a runner on first base for anything and he gives up more go-ahead and game-tying base hits than you can shake a damn stick at. It's just horrible, man. Mike Elias and I said it at the time on my show in what in January, during the Friday of divisional weekend of the NFL playoffs, I said this team is not going to be very good. They let Corbin Burns walk, which I'm still pissed at.
Speaker 3:But, okay, he wanted to go back to Arizona. Arizona, apparently, is the greatest place on earth. Whatever. My problem is, why didn't you go out there and do whatever it is that you could to replace him? I mean, you couldn't. The Yankees went out there and grabbed Max Freed. You couldn't have gotten out there and grabbed Max Freed. How come the Yankees went out there and got the best ex-Atlanta Brave doc? You know Max Freed, one of the best pitchers on the Braves the last few years. Why didn't you go out and get him Instead? What do they do? They go out and they get again a former Brave, charlie Morton, who's in his 40s, who had an ERA over fourth in the Braves last year who is a walking disaster.
Speaker 3:Who needs to be out of baseball? He is so bad you can't to be out of baseball. He is so bad you can't make sense out of no sense. You really can't. You bring him in to replace Corbin Burns. You couldn't have traded for Garrett Crochet, you couldn't have traded Kobe Mayle and Ryan Mountcastle for Garrett Crochet.
Speaker 3:You couldn't have done that. And then you know, they let Anthony Santander walk, which at the time and I'll say it here was the right move. I had no problems with it, totally understood it, because, look, I mean he's had a horrific start to his Toronto Blue Jays career and I think, if I read correctly, a few days ago he got benched and they had to take him out of the lineup. He's been so bad, so, okay, fine. But I said the caveat was you let Tony walk. You have to throw a blank check into Oscar Hernandez's face. You have to Solid corner outfielder who hits for average, who hits for power, who was sensational on the World Series Championship Dodgers team last year, who was a pending free agent at the time. I said you throw a blank check at Teoscar Hernandez.
Speaker 3:What do they? Do they let Teoscar Hernandez return to the Dodgers and who do they bring in A career 240-something hitter in Tyler O'Neal, who has been completely useless with the bat in his hand since the opening weekend of the season, who has a laundry list of muscle pulls and tears and sprains that has landed him on the injured list for God knows how long. I mean, it's a joke and he has literally been completely useless with the bat in his hand Completely useless. We run it back with Dean Kramer, who pitched tonight, who once again was awful, who we somehow got back in the Manning Machado trade, if you can believe that seven years ago. I mean, the whole team is just rudderless. It's a mess. They've been the same flat, feeble disaster lack of execution, lack of attention to detail the fundamentals. This team used to be one of the more fundamentally sound teams in baseball in 2022 and 2023.
Speaker 3:And then, the halfway point after we beat the Yankees 17-5 at Yankee Stadium, we went to Houston and it's been a completely different baseball team since for damn near an entire calendar year. And that's why I placed a decent amount of immediate blame on manager Brandon Hyde, because you either coach that crap or you condone it. And if he continues to go on for an X amount of period of time and you do nothing to fix it.
Speaker 3:You don't kick over a trash can, you don't get in their faces, you don't hold a high voltage type of meeting. You know to hold their asses accountable, then you are okay, essentially with the same hamster wheel of foolishness continuing, and that, essentially, is what caused this drop. But Mike Elias is a con man, he's a joke, he's a fraud. You know this roster. He put together and actually had the temerity, audacity, the chutzpah and the unmitigated goal.
Speaker 3:To think that this team was going to be in better shakes this year compared to last year, to win a World Series championship, is insulting. I mean, you might as well just go to every single Oriole fan within the region and spit in our faces. The whole team makes me sick and I saw this coming from a mile away. I said before the season started I have never been more unenthused heading into an Orioles season with expectations than I am this year. And, lo and behold, my intuition was telling me something, because I was right this team's 15, about 16 games under 500 and about three outs. It's the team's a joke, the it seems a joke and an absolute disgrace.
Speaker 3:They make me sick, the season's over. The season was over by Easter when they got their teeth kicked in by the Reds 20-4.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I remember that game and that was made, then Somehow the change wasn't made then.
Speaker 2:Well, johnny, that's a lot of information. You're very forthright about your team, all the names that you mentioned and all that the stats. That's great, marlon. This is a loyal fan base. For the record, john, I've been collecting trading cards, sports cards, bubblegum cards for over 40 years the Baltimore Orioles. My favorite player was Eddie Murray. I remember Steve Stone and Jim Palmer. I think Dave Henderson was on that team the late 70s, mid-80s, something like that. But Eddie Murray's my guy and it is a loyal fan base, marlon, for the record, you know, in the American League and I grew up in the National League, city, john, but I had one eye on Baltimore. I remember Reggie Jackson played for the Orioles for one year in 76, and I was 14.
Speaker 2:So Orioles for one year in 76. And I was 14. So, yeah, god bless you on that. You know your stuff, brother. Yeah, and I just hate to hear that what's going on, because I did pick the Orioles prior to the season, with Marlon here on the podcast that they'll make the playoffs, but losing Burns will kill you. Burns, corbin Burns, and they should have did something. Max Reed was available. I hate them to lose to the Yankees Of all people, the Yankees. I would have preferred them to go to your Baltimore Orioles, but that's all I got on that. You know my take on Eddie Murray. Man, he's great. I'm sorry, monty.
Speaker 1:Go ahead. Yeah, no, you're good, You're good. So some other topics real quick. I know, Jai, I know you can go on and on about your on that, and of course, the Angels surprising the world, sweeping the Dodgers. So, Doc, your take on that and then, Jai, you can follow with that.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm glad that the Yankees took two out of three from the Mets I wanted to sweep. But it's one of those things that Warren Soto clearly made a mistake, jai, because you know the money doesn't always dictate success with the team or your stats. The Mets are in first place. We'll see if they hold on, but it goes noted that he's not having the kind of year that he expected, signing a $700-something million contract, leaving the Yankees. I thought the Yankees were going to keep him. They threw a contract, commissary, with him. He went to Yankee Stadium, got booed and he made some mistakes and that series. So those doesn't seem like the same guy.
Speaker 2:As for the Angels, it's a total shock, jai, that they swept Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, a team that's in last place firmly. My buddy Mike in OC is on cloud nine, but it's one of those things. You did not expect that at all. With that line up the Dodgers had and, if something goes as you said, you know that the Angels came with whatever players they had. They did the number you know. So, yeah, there, you go right there. That was a good rivalry weekend From a personal standpoint, because the Mets fell apart against the Yankees, then seeing the Dodgers fall apart. Swept Johnny, come on Against the Angels. That's all I got on that. Yeah, I love baseball. Go ahead, john.
Speaker 3:No, it's crazy. You know, money doesn't always guarantee happiness in life and in sports. And Soto, I think it's a little too soon to call whether or not he's miserable in New York, but things aren't looking promising. I mean, he only got one hit in that series. The fact that he was lackadaisical and slow out of the box in the eighth inning at the time tie game at two apiece is just I mean, that's unacceptable.
Speaker 2:I saw that right. A game of two apiece is just.
Speaker 3:I mean, that's unacceptable. I saw that right, the swagger and the electricity that we saw during his at-bats as the Yankee last year. The Soto shuffle and just you get the feeling that he's the most locked. You remember that feeling you would get watching his at-bats, where he is the most locked-in individual on the field yeah.
Speaker 3:You haven't seen that in the Met uniform thus far. And you know the Mets in April were fortunate because they were able to win games hand over fist, because their starting pitcher got off to an excellent start and Pete Alonzo, you couldn't get him out. But now Pete Alonzo's coming back down to earth. You know the starting pitching is the same thing with them and the bullpen also has gotten a little rattled as of late. And then the rest of the lineup is also not hitting, which is doing nothing more but further exposing Juan Soto's shortcomings.
Speaker 3:And he has not been productive consistently at all through the first month and a half of the season and the Mets have not been a good team. They lost earlier tonight against the Red Sox. They went empty with runners in scoring position as per usual. And you know they got problems because they cannot get the big hit with runners in scoring position, like my world, because Adley Rutschman flies out to the opposite field. So the Orioles have to lose their eighth game in a row. So it's a problem for that team. It's a problem and I understand the Yankee brand. I think in 2025 is a little overrated in this day and age. But I mean you'd have to be a fool to not be able to admit that he did fit that team and fit the mold of that team in that lineup like a glove, because he did.
Speaker 2:Yep, he sure did Good response there, Barney.
Speaker 1:All right. So, jai, before we go ahead and get to some basketball action, what was your World Series prediction? I know you made it on your podcast, so what were your World Series predictions going into the season?
Speaker 3:I had a Mets and Rangers World Series prediction.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, that would have been. That's great. Yeah, that's good, brother. Yeah, I like that, especially with Durant. I love that manager ex-Giants and he got three rings with San Francisco. Only won one two years ago with Texas. Good job on that, johnny.
Speaker 1:So we will go ahead and dive in and take a look at that. Okay, all right. So some WNBA action before we go ahead and get to the juicy NBA action. So before I ask you, jai, I'll start with you and your thoughts on the WNBA. Just the season itself last year and, of course, going to this year. You know just a little backstory on me. I'm a huge Breonna Stewart fan, going back to the UConn days and then seeing what she did in Seattle and then going to New York and uh, just all that. So I'm, I'm definitely a, I'm a huge Liberty fan. I'm kind of like those LeBron fans wherever you know he goes, she goes, I go. So that that's, that's me and my backstory. So, um, but just your thoughts on the WNBA last year and looking forward, what are you expecting this year on the W?
Speaker 3:I think you know a lot of players will be able to take that next step. Interesting to see how Kaitlin Clark and Angel Reese fare in their second season, I think because of the fact that you know they had a normal offseason because the end of their college careers were under so much pressure, I guess in a sense trying to win a national championship, but it was also under a lot of eyeballs. They were so polarizing where they realistically took over the world of sports during those four or five weeks.
Speaker 3:So I think, having an offseason to kind of decompress, get a little bit away from the national spotlight, so to speak, and then just focusing on second season as a pro, I think it'll do them wonders. I'm actually debating whether or not to go because Caitlin Clark's Indiana team comes to my neck of the woods. The Mystics are hosting a game here in my city at the CFD Arena a week from Wednesday at 730. And I'm debating whether or not to go down there and see Kaitlin Clark play for myself.
Speaker 2:Do it Absolutely, should be interesting WNBA season.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love it. Now I'm going. My daughter plays basketball, jai, and the last three years I've been tuned into this. You know the college rivalry and then also now they just played the other night. Now the sky got blown out by Indiana. But Angel Reese has 17 rebounds and like 14 points or something. She's a double-double, like a Moses Malone-type rebound. She's not a prolific scorer like Kayden Clark. Now Kayden Clark, jai and Marlon will carry this league going forward because you got a lot of players from South Carolina UConn. I got an eye on Paige Becker's rookie year. You know it's one of the you can't wonder all this year and she could have been one of the greats ever, but she got injured her junior year and sophomore year. But I'm all into it, brother, and my wife and I we're taking our daughter to the LA sports game on Sunday. I don't know who they play, but the tickets are blocked. Go in the crypto arena, brother. So yeah, I'm happy about this, molly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love it. I love it, I love it.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right. So now we're going to jump into some NBA, obviously with, with playoffs, I mean, it's, it's. You know, we, we saw the nuggets, they, they definitely had a chance even when, even without a coach, they had a chance to go ahead and make it to the Western conference finals. Boston, of course, we saw what happened with Jason Tatum and his Achilles. That obviously hurts him. It was great with what they did in Game 5. But you know they weren't going to go win in the Garden, you know, in Game 6. So, doc, I'll go ahead and start with you. I mean, what were your thoughts just on these, the semis and then going into the conference finals?
Speaker 2:Well, I'll tell you, man, this is one of the most entertaining and I'm sure Jial agrees entertaining postseason that we've ever seen. You've had blowouts, you've had teams winning on the road consistently like the Knicks, and then at one point they were 5-0. So yeah, to answer your question, man, I was shocked by the margin of victory over the Celtics, because the Celtics are the defending champs and even though they lost Jason Tatum, jaya Marlin, you expected a more competitive game, but as the game wore on the third and fourth quarter, the New York Knicks pulled away. They usually don't score like that. They remind me of the 90s Knicks, you know, with Mason and Oakley and those cashew-ing and starts. But this year's team is special, man, and the league is in good hands as long as the Knicks are alive. Now, going forward, I think the Knicks are winning six against the Pacers and I love Tyrese Halliburton, they got Turner and they got Nimrod and all that. But I just think there's something special about this Knicks team because we criticized Tibbs, the past at least I have the last two years of running this team into the ground. You know, last year they got hurt and this year they're healthy.
Speaker 2:And the Western Conference the Nuggets are a disgrace to go out like that in game seven. I don't know how you feel about this, but I expected more. At one point they were down 42. Now OKC, you know you can say up and down and posting, but they been dominant and they just keep showing their wares like that. Going forward, I can see OKC doing the number on Anthony Edwards and that Minnesota team and this is a great Minnesota team. They dispatched the Lakers. I love Edwards and I love Julius Randle and I love I'm a big man, john, and I love the big guy Rudy Gobert. But I just think that OKC, with the MVP, shea Gilders Alexander, is going to do a number and I think that series can go seven. So I'm taking the Knicks and OKC Thunder going forward. But it goes noted that the last two games those particular teams played they routed their competition unexpectedly, especially the Nuggets man. You know. Go ahead, josh.
Speaker 3:No, I mean, I can't disagree. I think there was a finite limit or finite ceiling on how far the Nuggets were going to go, considering the fact that they fired their head coach with about a few days left to go into regular season. Yeah, fired their head coach with about a few days after going to regular season. So I think that once you do that move at a specific time, you're kind of working against yourself to begin with anyway. But Oklahoma State, they're a damn good basketball team. They've got a lot of talent. Chet Holmgren has been a solid player for them.
Speaker 3:Sga arguably, in a lot of people's eyes, is the MVP of the league. After his performance, especially in Game 7, throughout this series, especially when they were down, I believe, 2-1 through the first three games, you have to tip your hat and give him tremendous credit. It's going to be very interesting to see, obviously, how they plan to neutralize Rudy Colbert down low. The matchup between or, excuse me, how Anthony Edwards fares you know you hear all this talk all the time about. He is essentially, you know, this generation's up-and-coming version. We think of Michael Jordan. Well, now it's time for him to rise up and shine and show it with having a dominant performance here in the Western Conference. Finally, he didn't win last year. Okay, fine Self-victim to Luka and Kyrie Irving, who were magnificent in the Western Conference Finals last year.
Speaker 3:Well, now you finally get a chance to get a do-over here, Again, albeit, they have been the best team in the Western Conference all season long. They are inexperienced. You were here last year, they weren't. It's time for Anthony Edwards to step up and show out and get the Minnesota Timberwolves to the NBA Finals.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 3:What about the East? John I think in the East, the Knicks, with their tenacity and I said it on my show today, I'll say it again I think if there was ever a positive to take from their series against the Detroit Pistons in the first round, it's that the Pistons brought out an element of tenacity, mental and physical toughness we haven't seen from the Knicks since last season. Physical toughness we haven't seen from the Knicks since last season. I think throughout the majority of the regular season.
Speaker 3:they were labeled especially and including me as very soft, a front-running team at times, a team that couldn't punch up above their weight class against the top-tier regular season teams in the NBA this season. And I think the fact that the Pistons scared the daylights out of them a little bit I think did wond. The Pistons scared the daylights out of them a little bit. I think did wondrous for them going forward and allowed them to kind of tap into that greenness and that toughness that became their MO when they you know that playoff run last year and to a lesser extent, I'll be a different team but still staying coach with Thibodeau in 2021. So I think they're not scared of Halliburton, they're not going to be scared of the Knicks.
Speaker 3:I think whoever between the two Alpha Dogs and Tyrese and Jalen Brunson whichever one between the two has the better series, I think, is going to win. But they're going to need Carl Anthony Towns to step up. They're going to need him to not play dumb basketball in terms of the high getting Anthony Towns to step up. They're going to need him to not play dumb basketball in terms of the high, getting in the foul trouble like we saw in game five, not exposing himself for being defensive liability that he tends to be at times. So, keeping that negative part of his game at bay and, I think, just finding that killer instinct that we saw in the Knicks in game six in the late period of the fourth quarter, in game number four and you know, rest on the walls of their opponent, gifting them the game, like we saw against Detroit, like we saw first game against Boston.
Speaker 3:But going out there and taking it, because this Indiana team is a well-coached basketball team and they're not to be taken lightly. They have been one of the best teams, if not the best team in the NBA since the new year came around this past January, so you've got to keep in mind that. And also too. Let the Madison Square Garden crowd and atmosphere work to your advantage, because, with that crowd.
Speaker 3:It's very tricky. It can be a double-edged sword. If you allow it to be, you play well. Get out to an early start in your home games, allow the crowd, allow that atmosphere to swallow that team whole, theoretically speaking, and they should be in good shape.
Speaker 3:If not, that crowd will be tight and next thing you know the crowd's sitting on their hands begging, like we saw in game number three a few Saturdays ago. Tyrese and Tyrese and Indiana will eat that up and will take advantage of it wholeheartedly, like we saw in game seven of the semifinals last year.
Speaker 2:Who wins it all? John, you're on the spot. Who wins it all? Man, I got you here. Doc asking Doc and Marlon, who wins it all? I'll give you my pick after you go. Go.
Speaker 3:I'd say the New York Knicks. They end the drought. They end the drought first time since 1973, and they win the NBA championship.
Speaker 2:I agree. I agree, marlon, with that, because I think it's just their year. Man Tibbs is on a mission and I don't think that the Knicks are going to give up one at home to Indiana. Remember, indiana beat them last year, marlon. So the Knicks are on a. I guess this particular team, they're on a mission. I see it in them. Your call Marlon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I've said this time and time again when you have teams like the Lakers and the Knicks, even the Heat necessarily it's more attractive, it's just a sexier option. The NBA is better whenever those teams are in there. And why not? Why not the Knicks are in there and why not why not the Knicks? I mean, the Knicks are a—I don't know if you guys saw the social media, but Wimby got pretty much attacked by a New York Knicks fan because I think Wimby picked Boston. But it's great to see New York back in there and I would have loved to see Cleveland not wet the bed and Cleveland make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston would have loved to see Cleveland not wet the bed and Cleveland make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston would have loved to see a healthy Jason Tatum. The Nuggets I think we kind of know what type of Nuggets team we've seen in the past that's able to come together even without a coach. They were able to do what they were able to do, of course, the Lakers, the Warriors so it would be better to see some sexier teams in there. But I mean, hey, you got the Knicks in there. I think the Knicks have enough to go ahead and take it and go ahead and bring a championship back home for the first time in what like 40, 50 years, I believe. So, yeah, yeah, yeah, all right.
Speaker 1:So let's go ahead to some NFL action. The schedule dropped about five, six days ago, Of course, with all the leaks and everything. You definitely could have saw your team's schedule a couple hours sooner. But I'll go ahead and start with you, doc, looking at your Falcons schedule. What are your thoughts? What's your schedule prediction? Are you worried about anything? I know you got some primetime games there. What are your thoughts on your schedule for the Falcons?
Speaker 2:big spot Now. We do host Buffalo on a Monday night and a week later we're in San Francisco on a Sunday night. So the schedule is somewhat daunting. And you've got the usual NFC, south, tampa Bay and the Saints whoever they have, you can throw the records out and of course Carolina will beat us in Week 18. Last year they drafted McMillan out of Arizona, the big target for Bryce Young. But we start out at home against Tampa Now.
Speaker 2:We swept them last year and it's time for my number one draft picks, jalen Walker and James Pierce Jr, to step up and add to pass rush that we've been lacking pretty much since John Abraham retired. You know we were 31st in the league in pass rush efficiency, so I want to see them get off the Baker Mayfield in the division at home at the crib. Then we go at Minnesota the following week and JJ McCarthy he's coming off a significant end. He missed a whole year. He did win an Addy at Michigan, but this is pro football.
Speaker 2:Anytime you're on the road early in that beautiful stadium MT Bank Stadium we're going to see what the Falcons hold. I'm expecting the big guy to be John Robinson to answer your question. Drake London had 100 catches last year Not many people know that One of the quietest 100-catch seasons ever, over 1,300 yards or 1,200, whatever the case may be. But I need more out of Kyle Pitts brothers. You know, johnny, this is a guy who picked fourth overall and he was supposed to be. He was all world at Florida and he's done nothing since his rookie year playing with Matt Ryan. So now you've got a capable quarterback with a great arm. We're going to see what Kyle Pitts does. I was looking forward to trading him, but we did good in the draft. We kept him and we did the fifth-year option on them. So we'll see.
Speaker 2:Realistically, we can win 10 games I'd say 12 and 5, but usually go 4-2 in the division in NC South. And the Buffalo thing is At Arizona late on the road at Tampa, when everything probably will be on the line. Since they won the division the last three years. It's one of those things where I'm looking at. An NFC South division crown. Should have won it last year, jai. You saw the game when we blew the game against Washington.
Speaker 2:Without a lack of a timeout, all that. You know that killed us and that's what Shoddy quarterback played. You know well. Actually, penny did play. He did play that game, but we kept Kirk Cousins to answer your question. I'll end with this Kirk Cousins, he should have been benched after the bye week. He threw four picks against Marlins Chargers, including a pick six in week nine. You let Penix play after the bye week. Maybe we do win a division and get a home game for Mr Blank, who's 83. How much time does he have left? So I said 12-5 or 11-6, gentlemen, to answer your question.
Speaker 1:Alright, and then Jai, looking at your team tough division. It's always a tough battle, with you obviously dealing with the Ravens and you have the Steelers, the Browns of the Browns, but still, overall, just a tough division. You did get your uh, you know, t Higgins, he got signed. Chase got signed. Uh, I don't know what's going on, I think I don't know if Hendricks is still out. I believe he is still out. So the offense is set, but the defense is definitely going to be very shaky. But what are your thoughts on your team and the schedule going forward?
Speaker 3:They need to get treatments and signs. I've been on this team before T and Jamar got extended. The fact that the Bengals are always proactive excuse me, always reactive instead of proactive and always are more interested in trying to win negotiations and putting the best team on the field by any means necessary continues to piss me off and grind my gears. So I mean they got from now until late July, so about two-plus months, to get there, to pull their heads out of their asses and to get Trey Henderson taken care of. Because I swear to God, if this is another off-season training camp distraction, I'm going to be pissed.
Speaker 3:So, that's the first thing. Second thing I'm glad they got T and Jamar signed. Had to do it, had to get the job done. Defense needs to step up. We'll see what Al Golden brings, coming back to the Bengals after spending his time as defensive coordinator for Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Speaker 3:In terms of the schedule itself, I mean it's not impossible. You know their rough games are against, obviously, the Ravens. Twice. They play Detroit the third game, the Broncos, arguably, is the fourth, the Packers the same as the fifth and they got Buffalo as the sixth. I mean that's, that's six difficult games on paper. And then the others. I mean they're winnable games.
Speaker 3:You play cleveland twice. They're not going to be very good. Pittsburgh doesn't have a quarterback. You play them twice. Jaguars I gotta see it to believe it. Vikings same thing with jjJ McCarthy. You play the Jets, who aren't going to be very good. Patriots aren't going to be very good. The Dolphins aren't going to be very good. Cardinals should be improved, but they're not going to be as good as the Bengals, all things being fair and equal. And you get the benefit of having the Lions in your building. Obviously you get the aforementioned home game against the Ravens. I mean, the most difficult road game outside of the Ravens is at Buffalo, week 14. And the Bengals, obviously going back to their most recent playoff win in the division round of 2022, they're not phased by playing up in the Buffalo Orchard Park. So I mean the schedule. It's not a cakewalk but it's not impossible. You know their ceiling, 13-4, their floor, 10-7. All things being fair and equal, I'd say they'd probably meet in the middle and go 11-12 wins, they'd go about 11-6, 12-5, I think yeah.
Speaker 3:Lose a game to the Ravens, maybe another into the division. God forbid Split the games between Green Bay and Detroit. Maybe lose to Denver on the road in the altitude.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Beat Buffalo, beat the Dolphins, beat the Cardinals things like that. I think, if all goes well, I think best case scenario they could go 13-4, but I could definitely see 11-6 or 12-5.
Speaker 2:Well, John, that's a good point I have you with and I went on Adam Schein's show and said this I think that offense is prolific, man, and I got you winning the AFC North. On the outside looking in, I love your offensive line. You had some slow starts that have killed you, john, in the past Past two or three years. The basic question who's your running game? You know, who's going to help out when things are cold and all that where you don't connect on the pass? I don't know your running back situation, chase Brown.
Speaker 3:Oh, chase Brown, Okay yeah, who was very solid for us last year. We get a full season out of him and become more balanced running the football, as I've screamed and yelled for Zach to do for the last handful of years. We'll be good. We'll be good defensively.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, I'm a draft geek and I love your pickup of Shamar Stewart because I watched the SEC and Texas A&M. This kid's an edge, he's an excellent size and I'll tell you what man I wish Henderson would be signed to school, this kid, but the production wasn't there at A&M they had him playing everywhere, but the speed and the athleticism is there. I've seen him take over games in the run game. Forget the sack total. I think he's one of those guys that's going to have a great year for you as a rookie on the edge and I just think that me, following the SEC, I gave you a B-plus in your draft. You know I'm a draft geek, you know that, john. So yeah, good job there, brother.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I love Shamar Stewart. Good job, yeah, and that's what we need. We need more guys being willing to. We need more guys willing to stop the run, and that has killed us. Specifically and especially against the Ravens, who have made it a habit to whether it's with Lamar Jackson or Derrick Henry or Justice Hill, gus Buswin, gus Edwards, I mean, they've made a living running the Bengals' defense out of the building. So got to get better at stopping the run. Got to get better at running the football. Got to get better at stopping the run. So I'll just do it.
Speaker 2:Real quick, marv, before you go into it. I've got to ask Jai, this man, because Henderson has 17 sacks last year and I think he led the league two years in a row. I might be off, but I know he did last year and it's one of those things where the Brown family historically hasn't paid their stars. The guy's only 31, and I heard an interview with him, Jai, where his wife works for the hospital or county or something he loves, cincinnati. What in the world is going on there for a guy that produced the last two or three years All pro?
Speaker 3:The Brown and Blackburn family going out of their way to make life difficult on themselves because they insist on being stupid. I mean, there's really nothing else to it than them just being reactive instead of proactive and being, just flat out, just dumb. Because if a serious football team that's in the business of wanting to win a championship makes sure that everything is all copacetic, that every single player is quote-unquote fed in terms of their wallets, they're paid in the appropriate manner.
Speaker 3:They don't have to kick and scream, they don't have to throw a professional tantrum. You know showing up to OTAs dressed like they're going golfing. I mean, any serious football teams do that. And still, even with T and Jamar signed, the Bengals, for some ungodly reason, still cannot get that through their thick skulls. It's one of the many, many things that makes being a fan of this football team so damn frustrating, because the Philadelphia Eagles don't have this problem. The Philadelphia Eagles don't have this problem. The Baltimore Ravens don't have this problem. I mean Kansas City Chiefs, for the most part, outside of Chris Jones' holdout two seasons ago they make sure that everybody gets paid when appropriate. It's really frustrating. And the stick with them pulling this crap, because it's not been the first time either. It's gotten real old, real old, real quick, real fast.
Speaker 2:Well, you Bengals fans, the lawyer and then Marlon, real quick, there's TJ Watt, there's Miles Garrett and there's Henderson with the Bengals and you don't hear enough about them because they haven't been winning. But those three-age players right there in the entire league, man, take your choice one, two or three or three, two or one. Henderson up there with Watt and Miles Garrett. So yeah, I love seeing them playing and that's all you had on defense. So good response to it, jai. I feel for you, brother.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's rough man yeah. But we got JB so hopefully you know, cross your fingers, Hope and pray he makes the whole season healthy. The defense isn't that of a UFL caliber. We should be okay this football season.
Speaker 1:Speaking of JB, I believe he is the second or third highest paid quarterback. I want to say second, if I'm not mistaken. And then some news broke, of course, about um brock purdy. Now he is now the seventh pay highest paid quarterback. So, uh, I'll go ahead and kick it back with you, jai does uh, brock, is this a good contract for? Of course it's a great contract for brock purdy, but this is a great contract for the San Francisco 49ers.
Speaker 3:No, it's not. It's not because Brock Purdy and I said it on my show earlier this afternoon he is compared to the elite of the elite, which is what we got to compare you to when you get paid top dollar. He is mid-compared to those guys Is he a Dak Prescott type?
Speaker 1:No, he's dollar.
Speaker 3:He is mid compared to those guys. Is he, you know, a Dak Prescott type? No, he's not. He's better than Dak Prescott. He's better than Dak Prescott outside of the talent, in terms of what you see on Sundays and the production level. He's better than Justin.
Speaker 2:Herbert, hey, hey, hey hey, hey, hey hey, I'm just saying I know you're a Chargers fan.
Speaker 3:I hey, hey, hey, I'm just saying I know you're a Chargers fan, I'm just saying so. I'm not trying to go out of my way to disparage Brock Purdy's career, but you also got to put it in a vacuum and realize that he's put in the perfect situation in the Kyle Shanahan offense when the 49ers' last handful of seasons have had the best roster top to bottom 2-53 in the National Football League. I've got to take that into a little bit of an account when I go out and I evaluate Brock Purdy and compare him to the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the National Football League and the game that I watched that told me everything I needed to know about Brock Purdy really is two of them. It was the Monday night game, christmas night, against the Ravens and he was pathetic, turned over the football all over the place and got swallowed up whole by that Raven defense in his building.
Speaker 3:That was the first game, and then the game that confirmed it for me for sure was roughly about five or six weeks later in the Super Bowl, when he at any point in time did not take that game by the horns and deliver his team home. The Kansas City Chiefs, Mahomes, Kelsey, all of them, they sleptwalked, sleptwalked through the first three quarters of that game.
Speaker 3:He had Debo Samuel wide open on a first and ten down three 13-10, with roughly 14 minutes going into the fourth quarter. He had Debo Samuel wide open and tried. If he hits him it most likely would have and should have been a touchdown. He had him wide open, he missed him and then in the overtime he had not won the two opportunities to put the ball into the end zone with the game tied and he failed to do so in both opportunities. I'm sorry. I understand Chris Jones was all world in that game, but Chris Jones is not Aaron Donald and he's not Lawrence Taylor.
Speaker 3:They had many opportunities to win that game, especially in the fourth quarter, and Bob Purdy had failed to deliver his team to the Lombardi. When you go out there and you get a pay raise $260-something million out of your contract for the next five years you have to answer the bell. You have to With that roster. As stacked as it is, is no excuse. I mean, let's be honest with Carl Spade he's not the best and most valuable player on that San Francisco 49er team CMC Christian McCaffrey is yeah, and when. That's the situation, with the exception to the rule being Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley with the Eagles. You can't sit up here and pay a quarterback $45, $50, $55 million a year when he's not even the best. He plays the most valuable position but he's not the most valuable player. Pound for pound, top to bottom, on his given team Josh Allen is Joe, burrow is Mahomes, obviously is Herbert Lamar Jackson is and I'll tell you something right now, and that ball 49ers would have won the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2:They would have won two.
Speaker 3:Yeah, would have won a second one if you put them on the 2019 team too. I mean, so I can't list. He is okay. He is an okay serviceable starter in the National Football League.
Speaker 3:He's not anything special. And when the 49ers went throughout this past season with injuries left and right, they had Pierce allowed because he got shot. Debo was out of shape and overweight through the majority, if not all, of last year. I mean, when you take away a shiny new weapons, what happens? He crumbles. You take away Josh Allen's weapons he finds a way to win the games. You take Lamar Jackson, who had the photo to Willie Sneed and a wash. Des Bryant and Rashad Bateman never plays. He finds a way to win football games. I'll be a joke, bro. Those two T Higgins and Jamar Chase, his tight end. He doesn't have a George Taylor or Travis Kelsey or Mark Andrews, both within his tight end room and he has no run game to speak of. And his offense a lot of the most part of his young, valiant career has been trashed and he finds a way to win games. So it's like I can't in good conscience give that money to Brock Purdy when I know I've got an older football team, I've lost some players due to free agency.
Speaker 3:I mean, he had to trade Bebo Samuel away to Washington for a fifth-round draft pick for crying out loud. So his primary receiving target is going to be an aging George Kittle who also wants a pay raise, last I read and a Ricky Pearsall, who they're counting on essentially being you know the next, you know the next Wes Welker. And then they're counting on Brandon Ayuk, who was kicking the skin with the front office holding out all that time because he wanted a new contract.
Speaker 3:And on top of that with an aging offensive line and his wide-side tackle in Trent Williams isn't getting any younger, so I do not like the fact that the 49ers gave him a contract extension. I do not like it for the future of that football team. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Doc. Well, john, I agree with him. I agree with him, marlon, and I'll say this we got one of our best buddies on the Shino Sports, marky Callahan. He doesn't agree with the contract. It remains to be seen, but we'll see real quick, gentlemen, whether he's worth it. He can win games for that team instead of relying on everybody, because Debo's gone and Ayuk has proven to be, you know, injury-prone and CMC is getting older and that might be a habitual thing when I'm getting missing time as a running back. So we'll see. Now Kittle might perform because he's all pro. But, jai, you make a good point. Man, you know games. He has to win and put the team on his shoulder. He just can't do it. So, yeah, I agree with Jai Marley.
Speaker 1:All right, doc. Now Shador. It seems like he's got a shot to at least be I'm hoping maybe third string, of course at the low end. So what are your thoughts on Shador?
Speaker 2:and will he have an opportunity to at least be a starter with the Cleveland Browns? I think he'd be starting in week, by week one. Because, dylan Gabriel, what is he? 5'11" if that.
Speaker 2:And Shadur, I've been looking at this thing, jaya, and he's been showing, he's been making plays, he's been throwing the ball sitting tight windows, stacey Gill at Colorado, albeit with a great player, travis Hunter, but the skill set is there. The skill set shows that and they show us in the minicamp film where he throws balls deep sideline to sideline. The arm talent might not be LAS guy, but he's making throws that warranted a first-round selection and it's one of those things where it seems to me that he's got his attitude right. There were some questions relative to it, and rightly so, relative to his and rightly so relative to, uh, his interview process. But, uh, you know, flacco's older than me, and Jai Kabay and and, and then now you're dealing with Watson out again, but so basically his competition is, uh, is uh, dylan Gabriel, and, and the other kid, I can't think of his name, but I think Shadadour should start by week one, week three or four at the very latest. They're not going to be that good.
Speaker 3:You're talking about Kenny Pickett, kenny.
Speaker 2:Pickett. I was high on him coming out of Pitt going to the Steelers. But you are who you are after four years in the league and I think Shadour Sanders is going to win that job. Gentlemen, that's just me. He, shadoua Sanders, is going to win that job, gentlemen, that's just me. He had nothing at Colorado coming off a one-win season and then he had three wins and then all of a sudden they had nine or ten. So he knows how to build a program and the arm talent is there, contrary to popular belief. So that's my opinion on that, mark. Okay.
Speaker 1:Doug.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think Shadoua will get the starting job at the end of the day. Um, dylan gabriel does not impress me. Penny pickett is what he is. He's a career backup at best. And you know I iacco veteran. Been in the league for what? Since 08? So that's about 17 years thereabouts.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Former Super Bowl champion. Last time he was in Cleveland he helped lead them to the playoffs now going on two seasons ago.
Speaker 3:So I think and I'll see why he wouldn't have the backup job at the end of the day, and I think that they should give it to him have a veteran that's been around a little bit, in case, god forbid, he either gets hurt, if nothing else just to be a mentor to Shador and show him the ropes of what it takes to be a professional starting quarterback in the National Football League, especially from the eyes and the perspective of a former champion. So I think it's going to be a flack on Shador QB room, I think, because of who Shador is, I think it's going to help his chances to make the team. I just got to be honest. When you look at his competition as Pickett and Dylan Gabriel, it's just the way it is. In my opinion, and I think you know him, falling will be good for him. Tame that ego a little bit, humble him and I think he'll have a tremendous camp, perform well during preseason come August and I think the job will be his come opening day against my Bengals, week one. Okay.
Speaker 2:What a tough draw, though, is that game at home or in Cleveland, john?
Speaker 3:It's in Cleveland because the Bengals can have no nice things. Oh, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Speaker 1:You want to talk about no nice things? The Chargers for the second year in a row, we travel more than any team in the National Football League. Starting with, we go down to Brazil and then we can't even get a home game in week two. We have to go play the Raiders Monday night football because Chris Brown has it on Sunday, which he's in jail right now, so we'll see what happens with him if he's even out of jail by that time in week two. But they push it to Monday night football and then from there. Then we finally get a week. Then we finally get a home game week three against Denver, and then from there it's bad. Then we finally get a home game week three against Denver, and then from there it's bad. So you want to talk about nice things?
Speaker 2:As a Chargers fan, hold my beer. Well, Marlon, give me a win total here. You know your schedule. I think I went over it with you. Give me a win total.
Speaker 1:Can you compete for the NC West? Absolutely, and it's definitely a possibility that we can possibly win the division. Um, I mean, we're brazil, uh, kansas city, at vegas, we got denver, and then we fly out to new york giants and then we're home against washington, then we go to florida to play miami, then we're home against indy, then we're home again against Minnesota, then we go to Tennessee, home against Pittsburgh that's Sunday night football. And then we go to Florida again for Jacksonville, then we finally get a bye. So we got a tough schedule. I definitely think we went from five wins to 11 wins, with Harbaugh finally coming in. Definitely think we can do that again with 11 wins.
Speaker 1:This is a tough schedule, but the biggest thing, guys, is after the bye, which we get, a late bye in Week 12. So we have the Raiders at home, which that's not necessarily hard at all, but then we have home against Philadelphia. That's Monday Night Football. And then we go at Kansas City and then we're at Dallas, home against Houston, which we saw that was in the playoffs, and then we have at Denver. So really, this last five games is pretty rough. So if we can handle business and take care of what we need to do all the way through the bye because we're going to drop some games. I don't know that we'll beat Dallas. I don't know that we'll beat Kansas City Philly I mean SoFi is going to drop some games. I don't know that we'll beat Dallas. I don't know that we'll beat Kansas City Philly. I mean, so far it's going to be so green it's going to be disgusting. So I don't know. But I definitely think we can at least get 11 wins from that.
Speaker 1:Got to have a healthy Justin Herbert. Obviously we have a little bit of help too with the receiving group. Mike Williams is back. Trey Harris from Ole Miss is there, of course, ladd. So Quentin Johnson this should be his last year. I don't know that we'll bring him back next year. So we got some weapons in Marian Hampton and Najee Harris in the backfield. Our O-lines got a little bit better. So our offense is slowly building up to what Harbaugh wants it to be. So hopefully we can still build on that. Our defense is still pretty solid. We're built to play Kansas City and to beat Kansas City. So you know, run first. But we have one of the best quarterbacks. That's right.
Speaker 3:Jai said it One of the best quarterbacks in the league and he knocked off four interceptions in the playoffs hey hey, hey, come on, Jai.
Speaker 1:It was a great episode thus far. You gotta bring up old stuff and you're hurting me, man, in the playoffs. Yeah, we're definitely inexperienced, and that's what Harbaugh's there for to help work with him. I mean, justin has all the potential in the world and sometimes he can make every throw, but sometimes he does make dumb throws and he does too much sometimes and he doesn't get the ball out quick enough. He thinks that, you know, the chemistry is not there. And this is when Keenan Allen was great, because Keenan would always know what justin was thinking and they would be on the same page.
Speaker 1:And, um, I'm hoping we can definitely get him back. I don't know if keenan wants more money. He's still a free agent. I really don't know what's going on with with that right now, but it's a no-brainer to bring him back. Let him retire as a charger, uh, but yeah, it's, it's. It's tough, um, but you know, he he tough, but he's our quarterback, he has his money. Let's build around him, let's try to make something happen, but it's. I don't want to say our window is closing, but we have, we got the weapons, we have the O-line, we have Khalil Max last year. We have Derwin James, we have other guys that are around him and we don't want to waste justin herbert's years, which is what brandon staley did wasted pretty much all the years that he was there. So we went from five wins to 11 wins. We're definitely making progress. So now let's go ahead and at least get hey, I'm saying progress Get that first playoff win.
Speaker 2:Well, that AFC is brutal from an NFC guy. It's brutal, gentlemen, so good luck to your respective teams.
Speaker 3:Good luck. Thank you, we'll need it. That AFC is going to be a bloodbath this year, as per usual, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, all right, josh. So I got two last questions for you and I dropped the ball and I forgot to ask this question when we talked NBA. If you were putting together your starting five for NBA and I don't know how you want to play this if you want to just give your obvious starting five that just going up against anybody, and then your favorite, your personal favorite players of your starting five, it's totally up to you. But if you give me your starting five, what do you got?
Speaker 3:Magic at the point. Jordan as your shooting guard, lebron as your small forward okay, I'll have LeBron as your small forward. Okay, I'll go Duncan as your power forward. I like it.
Speaker 2:And I'll go. Kareem at the exercise. Yeah, that's formidable. Good job on that, john. John. I love them all. The only thing is marlin and and uh. I agree with four of the positions. I think I'll have to go with, uh, will chamberlain it's not because I I didn't see him play. He retired in 73 when I was just 11. But what's? Numbers are so shocking, jai, that you just can't overlook that. And they played a couple of seasons against each other. Will was down near 40 or mid-30s and Corrine got the best of him. But I got to go with Will man, any man that scored 100 and averaged 15 and 27 one year and then led the league in assists as a center, played every minute of every game one year. You know, I got to go with that. The numbers are staggering, you know. And he averaged 35 against Bill Russell 35. This is Bill Russell. So I love all your four of those choices, but I'm going with Will over Big Cal.
Speaker 3:I can't argue, I can't argue, I can't argue.
Speaker 1:You can go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, in the center, because it's so deep with all-time greats. You can go Kareem. You can go Will Elijah Juan. Yeah, obviously, the late Bill Russell. If you just want a defensive menace and don't have to worry about scoring from your big, you can go a lot of different ways for picking your center. A lot of different ways.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:All right, john. Last question, this one hits home to you. So, if you can put, if I'm just giving you a quarterback and this is for the Bengals, this is for the Bengals one quarterback, I will give you four receivers, a tight end and two running backs. So, quarterback, I didn't prep you for this, so this should be easy. So, hopefully, ocho Cinco's in there at least. But a quarterback, four receivers, a tight end, two running backs, all-time Bengals. Who do you got? Oh, all-time, all-time Bengals. Who do you got? Oh, all-time, all-time Bengals, all-time.
Speaker 3:Anybody from way back when Doc was a baby, back in the 40s or up until now Quarterback? Joe Burrow without even giving it a second thought, running back go. Corey Dillon, how many wide receivers you?
Speaker 1:said Four, you get four of them.
Speaker 3:I'll be nice, I'll give you four, four, jamar Chad, aj Green and.
Speaker 1:TO was there for one year, I believe.
Speaker 3:Right, yeah but he wasn't in 2010, but he wasn't a good banger. Yeah yeah, he was better than TJ Houston's out and better than Muhammad Sanu. I'll go T Higgins.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I figured you may go T. You got to throw T in there, okay, all right, tied in who you got, okay all right Tight end.
Speaker 3:who you got? I'd say the cupboard is barren when it comes to all-time great tight ends in the history of the Bengals. I mean I guess you. I mean, oh, how could I forget Bob Trumpy?
Speaker 2:Yeah, trump, bob Trumpy, why not?
Speaker 3:Played for the 68,. 68 to 77, two-time Pro Bowler first team all AFL in 1969. Holds a lot of the Bengals' historical tight end records. Yeah, I'll go Bob Trumpy Before my time never saw him play, but I'll go Bob Trumpy at tight end.
Speaker 2:Didn't Dan Ross catch like 12 passes? Ken Anderson set a record. That was the same team that yeah, munoz was a rookie 81, 49. Dan Ross had 12 pass catches with Ken Anderson against the 49ers. He's another tight end. You know, I was in my late teens but I remember that that might be a name, dan Ross.
Speaker 3:He's fourth on the Bengals all all-time and career receiving yards by a tight end.
Speaker 2:Fourth Good job on that, john, good job.
Speaker 1:All right. So, John, if anybody wants to listen to you and your podcast and your show, can you let our audience know where they can listen to you?
Speaker 3:You can listen to the I'm a Telekitea podcast. Just subscribe to the youtube channel, just go to youtubecom or go on the youtube app. Uh, youtubecom backslash. Uh, I'm L-L-I-T. Like it. L-i-k-e-i-t, t-i-i-s. If you just go to my Twitter or Instagram at the J Shield, it could be easier to find it that way. That, or just Google Jai Shields Podcast and it should come up Jai Shields, mad Dog Russo, on the YouTube search bar. It should come up there and follow me on my socials, on Instagram, twitter and threads All same handle at T-H-E-J-S-H-I-L-D.
Speaker 1:Perfect, all right. Well, you got anything for us before we get you out of here, man?
Speaker 3:No, I just appreciate y'all for having me on, greatly appreciate it. Good talking, obviously, to Dr Falcon, all-time great Mad Dog radio caller. Marlon, you're my guy. Shame what Dean Spandles did to you pulling your team out of.
Speaker 3:San Diego. I'll never forgive him for that. I give you credit for continuing to root for them when they took them out of your city. You guys are all-time great sports fans, Always good to converse and to fellowship with some Mad Dog Sports Radio skinfolk and kinfolk, if you will away from the radio. So that's always a pleasure to talk to you.
Speaker 2:Brothers, Appreciate it, thank you. Thank you so much. God bless you and we appreciate it. We had fun tonight. Good job on that. From another perspective Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Thank you, Doc. All right Doc, I mean all right Jai, we appreciate you man. Yeah man, All right man, Appreciate it. All right, Doc. So what we got with you, got your, we've got about two or three minutes with Doc Talks, not tennis hockey. What do you got for us, man?
Speaker 2:Well, the Toronto Maple Leafs, they blew it. Man. I'm not really a hockey guy, but it's enough to know when you look at the ESPN that they blew it. You get blown out 6-1 at home at the crib in Game 7. There's something wrong there internally. So, going forward, man, I'm all in Big Ant would be happy for me to see who's going to win this Stanley Cup. It all started with this Canada-USA thing four months ago and I've started with this Canada-USA thing four months ago and I've continued to have one eye on it. You know I can't say I live and die turning on this hockey thing, but you know it's interesting. I think the Winnipeg Jets had an interesting series with Edmonton. I think the Dallas North Stars, you know the Panthers, all that, all that's been a great postseason for the NHL. So that's all I got on that. Don't ask me who's going to win, but it's been entertaining, to say the very least. Man.
Speaker 2:Shocking things apparently.
Speaker 1:Yeah and hey. Well, you can talk golf, I'll talk some tennis. Carlos Alcaraz, he does win again. In Rome we're getting ready for the Roland Garros tournament, and Coco Gauff made it to the final. She went up against Paolini. Paolini is Italian. She had the home crowd behind her. Overall it was a great tournament and Paolini does beat Coco, and also she does win the doubles too as well in her hometown.
Speaker 1:It's almost equivalent to when coco golf won the us open, uh, about two or three years back. So you know, whenever you have your home crowd behind you, it means everything. So we have the rolling girls, uh, which is in paris. That comes up, I believe, in about a couple weeks. So we're looking forward to that. Um, and then the us open, which is going to be, um, I believe, in late august is when it starts. So I will be dialed into that. New york all the stars will be out for that as well. Um. So, yeah, um. Other than that, I know, scotty scheffler, for golf, I believe you won again. Uh, that's all. That's about, all I know for golf. That's about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, me too. Great show, brother, great show.
Speaker 1:This is great Shout out to Jai for joining us. He was great. I will post on my Twitter all the great guests that we've had and just an ongoing list of everybody We've been growing and growing from, of course, in the States states from Antarctica, believe it or not, you know Europe, south America. We've been growing and growing. So we thank you guys for listening, subscribing and we will keep on giving you guys these great episodes every week and we will keep it. You know it's Memorial Day next week, doc. So what do you say? Take a week off, or how do you want to do that?
Speaker 2:We'll come back after the Memorial Day weekend the next day, on Tuesday, and do some things. The sports weekend is too big, you know, so we'll do it on Tuesday Sounds good, all right.
Speaker 1:Well, we will catch you guys on Tuesday. Peace, peace.