Two for the Win
Mike is a U.S. Navy Veteran and Bryan has more than a decade of civil service experience. Together, these blue collar guys dissect the latest sports headlines and events.
Two for the Win
Two For The Win - E26 - Think Cool To Keep Your Cool, Championship Dreams & A Gender Reveal At Home Plate!
The sporting calendar hits its spectacular peak as NHL and NBA playoffs converge with MLB's early-season drama, creating the most electrifying time of the year for sports enthusiasts.
We dive headfirst into NHL playoff matchups, breaking down the compelling storylines across both conferences. From the Battle of Florida between Tampa Bay and Florida to Dallas facing Colorado's high-powered offense, we explore why playoff hockey represents the sport at its purest and most intense form. As one veteran player noted with a punctured lung, these athletes push through barriers that seem superhuman.
Baseball's early weeks have delivered unforgettable moments, including Jackie Robinson Day celebrations, Bryce Harper's blue-bat gender reveal (followed by an unfortunately timed strikeout), and the touching scene of a 105-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor throwing out the first pitch. We also examine notable milestones, including José Quintana becoming just the 24th pitcher ever to defeat all 30 MLB teams.
The WNBA Draft takes center stage as we analyze the top selections and how teams like Washington and Chicago are positioning themselves for future success through strategic trades. Meanwhile, the NBA play-in tournament sets the stage for compelling playoff matchups, including Golden State's attempt to recapture their championship magic against a young, hungry Rockets team.
NFL draft discussions round out our packed episode as we evaluate team strategies, potential selections, and the perpetual debate between drafting for need versus taking the best player available. We specifically focus on teams like Chicago and New Orleans, examining how their current roster constructions might influence their draft-day decisions.
Whether you're a hockey fanatic, basketball junkie, baseball purist, or football enthusiast, this episode captures the magnificent convergence that makes April the ultimate month for sports fans. Subscribe now and join our community of passionate sports lovers who appreciate the stories behind the scores!
welcome back everybody. April 20, april 17th 2025, excuse me, uh, one of the busiest times of the year for sports. Just everything happening, firing on all cylinders. We have a loaded agenda tonight. Mike, I'm brian with an eye and I'm mike, and we are two for the win.
Speaker 2:Mike, what we got tonight, man, we got a lot going on well, like you said, I mean it's playoff time in more than one sport right now, and we just had a draft and we got one right around the corner and baseball is off and moving.
Speaker 1:Man, it's a great time for sports oh hell, yes, it is, but unfortunately, opening the show, you know, we have some uh, notably sad and unfortunate news to open with today. We tend to open with the sad news first. We try to stay focused on positive things, but sometimes things uh, require acknowledgement. We'll start out here. First of all, just happened today campus of Florida State University. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those students, their families and the community, everybody affected by that. They had an active shooter today on campus Most recently that we know of. Two of those people have passed away and four remain hospitalized and injured.
Speaker 1:Just an absolutely tragic situation of things going on in our country right now. And you know, radford university, just down the road here from norfolk, was on lockdown due to an active shooter, you know, not far from their premises. So just our thoughts and prayers go out to those students and families and communities affected by that and I know it's truly an unfortunate situation. And then the next up we have Don Hasselbeck, former NFL tight end. Father to QBs Tim and Matt Hasselbeck passed away at the age of 70 this last week. He had a notable career and his you know, especially Matt Hasselbeck, had a notable career as an NFL quarterback himself. So again, our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family and those communities affected by his passing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was kind of a sudden thing. It was a medical incident and, according to Tim and Matt, apparently the neighbors kind of stepped up and jumped into action when something was wrong with their father and they credit the neighbors to giving him a chance and possibly surviving. But he unfortunately didn't make it. He was part of the Super Bowl champion Raiders back in the 80s so actually had a blocked extra point in that game against Washington. Sorry about that, it's okay.
Speaker 1:Washington seems to come up, no matter how hard we try not to. But, yes, you know our thoughts and prayers with him and may he rest in peace. And the final thing we have for unfortunate news. This is not really positive news, but it's significant enough given everything going on in the world. Kyron Lacey took his own life this last week. If you don't remember, just a few months ago, he was the young NFL player involved in a road rage incident that resulted in the death of an elderly gentleman. Road rage incident that resulted in the death of an elderly gentleman. He took his own life while dealing with the legal ramifications of that. So we got to be in the moment when things are happening. Right, you can't panic, because as soon as you panic, you lose your judgment, and that's you know. I can't speak too much on Mr Lacey's behalf I'm not going to but it's just a total top to bottom unfortunate situation to happen, with him to you know to be where he was headed, and then you know it's kind of the old adage young and dumb.
Speaker 2:Yeah, young, you do dumb things, but you hope the dumb things you do don't affect others and affect yourself in a way that you can't come back from it. It's one thing you get in a car accident okay, accidents happen. That's why we have insurance.
Speaker 1:But you do something dumb and somebody passes away. You can't really take that back. You can't take it back. You can't really take that back. You can't take it back. There were other people affected from that incident as well, medically and with their automobiles. And I mean just going back to what you were saying with Mike. You know you've got to be smart in the moment, you've got to keep your cool and just because I know this affected Mr Lacey rather quickly, but sometimes we get by things and then they come back in the future to bite us in the ass. So that's the other thing you got to think about in the moment as well. So, uh, our thoughts and prayers go out to FSU community. Uh, mr Hasselbeck's family and community and Kyron Lacey's family and community. You know, given his circumstances, uh, three very unfortunate events, um, you know, given his circumstances, uh, three very unfortunate events, um, but you know, uh, we're we're sorry for all that and yeah, well, let's move on into more positive light, uh that's why I have
Speaker 2:playoff hockey happening saturday. We literally have gone through the entire season. We have playoff hockey and not only playoff hockey. We have nba going into its playoffs as well. So if you love playoff sports, man, this is a good way to good way to go, especially with hockey, hockey. Like I said before in a previous episode, if you have a friend that has never watched a game of hockey, you don't show them a game in the regular season, you show them playoff hockey that's right because it's so much faster, so much more intense, and just like you can't fake the emotions that come with playoff hockey, I mean these guys, they're not phoning it in.
Speaker 2:There is nobody in a playoff hockey. I mean these guys, they're not phoning it in. There is nobody in a playoff hockey game that is going eh, I'll just take this round off, yeah, yeah. I'm just going to sit back here and you guys take care of it.
Speaker 1:No, hey, ryan Grubb, can we pass past the sticks? Kind of shit. No, in hockey they just go out there and do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they just get it done. And sometimes these and do it, yeah, they just they just get it done, and sometimes these guys do it hurt. I mean, uh, you know, I've heard of guys that they broke their leg and they're still out there playing. I mean, a few years ago there was a player he he had a uh, I think, a broken, broken rib and I think he wound up having a punctured lung and he still tried to go out and play the next game.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And they're like, okay, all right, you can go out there. And he skated for a few minutes and he was like, no, get me out of here. He was like, no, I can't do it, I can't do it.
Speaker 1:Because that rib's going to push through that lung here in the next tackle.
Speaker 2:But it's just like nobody do it, because that rib's going to push through that lung here in the next tackle, but it's just like nobody questioned it. Nobody questions sometimes when these hockey players are like you know, they're hurt and they still go out there and it's like really yeah, nobody accuses hockey players of not being tough.
Speaker 1:This is guy human.
Speaker 2:They got cyborg hockey players now but with that, let's break down some of these upcoming matchups oh, we love breakdowns, don't we? Oh yes, we do, we do love, we do love playoffs and we love it even more that's right.
Speaker 1:Let's start over here round one on the eastern side toronto and ottawa.
Speaker 2:Sorry, I gotta yeah, we got toronto and ottawa going against each other, and then we have the tampa bay lightning tampa bay lightning going against panthers panthers which hey battle of florida. Who's gonna win? I know, I know my buddy david wants panthers to win because that's his team. That's right, but also, we have the Washington Capitals going against the. Montreal Canadiens, canadians. And then we have the Carolina Hurricanes going against my favorite team, the Devils.
Speaker 1:They are. I do like the Devils too. I'm not going to lie.
Speaker 2:I don't, man, I hate to say it. I don't think we'll make it past the Hurricanes, because they're a darn good team, but it is what it is.
Speaker 2:D2 and D3 there but now, moving over to the western side, we got the Winnipeg Jets going against the St Louis Blues Woo. We got the Dallas Stars against the Colorado Avalanche, which that like Dallas one thing. I didn't know about them for like a long time, but they have a hype song for their team, done by Pantera, the former metal band, which is just badass if you think about it.
Speaker 2:Like you know, the only hockey team in well, the only hockey team that got a professional metal band to make them a song for their team I mean that's, that's just that's just pretty cool hell of an intro then we have the minnesota wild going against the las vegas golden knights, which golden knights have been money since they've come into the league. But we'll see how that works out, yep, then we have the Oilers against the Kings.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Sorry, oilers, I don't know. The Kings have been pretty hot this year. Yeah, we'll see how that works out, but that's a good slate of games opening up. Matter of fact, let's see if we can pull up the schedule for Saturday and see who starts when and get this going.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we want to know when these games are.
Speaker 2:Let's see it.
Speaker 1:Thursday, Friday, two games Saturday April 19th.
Speaker 2:So Saturday the Blues and the Jets are going to be opening up at 6. And then, following that game, will be the Avalanche and Stars, and then Sunday, we've got three games coming up. We'll have the Devils and Hurricanes that will be the first game, at 3. And then the Senators and Maple Leafs playing at 7. And the Wild and Golden Knights playing at 10 o'clock.
Speaker 1:Nice, and then we go into Monday.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I'll be able to stay up for that game or not, but you know it would be nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, school night. We'll see how it goes. And then we got four games on Monday. It just seemed to be adding to the schedule here.
Speaker 2:So the four games on Monday the Canadiens against Capitals games on Monday the Canadiens against the Capitals, the Blues versus the Jets for their second game, the Avalanche versus the Dallas Stars for their second game, and then the Oilers and Kings. So that gives you a good start to the playoff hockey picture.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:So if you love your playoff hockey, strap in. We are at playoff time.
Speaker 1:Be good. Opening series this coming weekend and into next week. Let me tell you what.
Speaker 2:We're going to move on and we're going to get into baseball Baseball. If nobody noticed, we hit something that we do every year in baseball, on April 15th, it is Jackie Robinson Day, jackie, Robinson, so a lot of people.
Speaker 1:It is Jackie Robinson Day, jackie Robinson.
Speaker 2:So a lot of people may know who Jackie Robinson is. But Jackie Robinson was a groundbreaking player for the Dodgers the Brooklyn Dodgers than the LA Dodgers now. But he wore number 42, and years later they decided throughout baseball they were going to retire the number 42 and nobody was going to wear it after that point. I think one of the last players to wear it was money mariano rivera, the closer for the yankees for many years. He he still wore it and I think he was like one of the last players who's kind of grandfathered in. They let him keep wearing it, but after they retired it on April 15th, that's the only time that all players in baseball wear the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson. A little fun fact about Jackie Robinson he wasn't just a good baseball player, he was a good athlete altogether. He was all-american in college and not just baseball, but he was all-american in football, basketball and track.
Speaker 1:I mean, come on man, this guy was an athlete like he was a serious athlete this guy could move look jagger robinson.
Speaker 2:He doesn't get enough love for how good of an athlete he was. He was basically the first Bo Jackson. Before there was Bo Jackson. Bo Jackson, you know, like if he was modern day man I don't know what we would have got from him, but it's always a good thing to see every year. I love that the league does this, you know, pay a little homage to the past.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, it's always important to remember your past, because that's how you move forward.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's where you came from. So the White Sox recently DFA'd Mike Clevenger, and what a fall from grace. I mean, mike Clevenger, he was having, you know, an upward trajection with the well then Indians and after he went to San Diego it didn't do as hot and sit with San Diego and then he wound up with the White Sox and he just he just hasn't been able to find himself like he was with with Cleveland and it's it's unfortunate. I hope that he bounces back. Somebody will sign him and you know, probably to a minor league deal, but hopefully he can bounce back.
Speaker 1:Maybe he needs to go hibernate in a cave, like Aaron Rodgers and really find himself, Find the darkness yeah find himself in the darkness is what he's going to do, kind of like Rodgers without a team.
Speaker 2:Anyway, moving on more baseball stuff?
Speaker 1:I don't think he should it's not for everybody.
Speaker 2:But moving on, a player on the Washington Nationals, paul DeYoung. He's heading to the injured list with a fractured nose. This happened in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates where Paul was at bat and he got hit in the face with a 92.7 mile an hour fastball that was thrown by Mitch Keller.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine Mike getting hit in the face at an over 90 mile an hour, basically a rock like hitting you? Can you imagine what that must be?
Speaker 2:I think he's lucky that it wasn't Paul Skeen's pitching who throws in triple digits.
Speaker 1:That is beyond concussion-level impact, right there.
Speaker 2:They took him out of the game immediately and for obvious reasons, he was already bleeding all over the place.
Speaker 1:I'm surprised his nose wasn't shattered.
Speaker 2:Well, this has happened multiple times. That's why some of these players wear the extra little guard piece on their batting helmet, because some players have been hitting the chin and had their chin broken. I think of Hayward Hayward. He got hit in the chin and broke his chin. He plays for the Astros now, I believe. Fun fact.
Speaker 1:Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off. Oh, go ahead. I was just going to say fun fact Cups can also double as viable nose guards. Just get the right size, as always.
Speaker 2:I don't advise that. Anyway, it works. So, keeping with the theme of, you know, that particular series, we had Tommy Pham who joined an embarrassing club out of that game, out of a game with the Nationals.
Speaker 1:Say it ain't so.
Speaker 2:Tommy Pham joins the rare club of hitting into a 7-3 put out. Now, in case people don't know what a 7-3 put out is, all of the positions on the field are numbered. So by number three we're talking about the first baseman. By number seven we're talking about the left fielder. So that's got to be either one hell of a throw or something went wrong. And I would turn to this play for all of the little league coaches, this is the play you're going to turn to and show your team and be like this is why you always run out the play. So, basically, the left fielder for the Nationals. He like he caught the ball, but he didn't catch the ball. The ball bounced off the ground and into his glove, but it happened so quickly it looked like he caught it just above the ground. So the base runner on first heads back to first base because he thinks that he caught the ball and he has to tag up or at least go back to first and not be double play. The outfielder instantly throws the ball to first.
Speaker 2:By this point Tommy Pham has stopped running. He's maybe five to seven feet away from the base and he just stops running. He just stands there and then when the ball comes in, the ump's like out. He's like wait, who's out? I'm already out. What do you mean out? No, you're out because you didn't keep running. So you know, I got to give him a little bit of slack because if it looks like it's a caught ball, you're probably thinking what's the point in running. But this is the moment for all Little League coaches when you go. This is why we always run out the play just do it anyway.
Speaker 1:Just do it anyway. Just do it anyway. If they call it dead, they call it dead, but if it's good, you look like a genius yes, yes, you, you look like a hustle play genius team guy, mama sam genius.
Speaker 2:so moving on from that. So Bryce, harper of the Phillies, oh, this is good Normally normally.
Speaker 1:I've been waiting for this one.
Speaker 2:Bryce Harper. I'm not the biggest fan of his okay, I'll just admit that, and I don't usually like to be, you know, a negative person.
Speaker 1:Oh, how negative, Mike. No, this, no, no, no, you're dragging me down.
Speaker 2:Right, this is, this is.
Speaker 1:This is actually a pretty pretty I like how you did that little shoulder dance.
Speaker 2:He said this is actually hey, people can't see my shoulder dance, but we're not getting into that. The point is so. He wanted to do a gender reveal in his game, so how did they do this? His teammate, trey Turner, brings him his bat. He hasn't seen the bat, he doesn't know what the bat looks like. The bat is going to be either pink or blue.
Speaker 1:It's a torpedo bat.
Speaker 2:And by that color that's the gender reveal.
Speaker 1:Even the bat has a baby bump.
Speaker 2:So he gets the bat right before he's about to go up, he goes out there and he's got a blue bat. So him and his wife are expecting a baby boy here in the near future. Now that's all good and fine, but you would hope what's going to happen with that bat? You know, the good thing would be like get a base hit, maybe hit a double, triple home run. Just get a hit right. No, harper struck out that's a bad omen, bro.
Speaker 1:That's a bad omen.
Speaker 2:It's kind of a bad look.
Speaker 1:Your kids are going to jail, don't have them Just messing.
Speaker 2:That's not funny. But you know, years later he's probably going to be like no, I hit a home run for you son. Well, no, I hit a home run for you son. Like well, dad, I'm looking right here on my phone.
Speaker 1:Oh, my kids are going to call that bullshit. No, dad, look, look, look. Even you use a torpedo bat. Even the bat had a baby bump and you missed.
Speaker 2:I hope that one day he is having that conversation with his son, his son's. Like you couldn't give me a hit, dad, but congratulations to him and his wife.
Speaker 1:you know, definitely, definitely worth, you know a talk about in our show, you know what would have been great is if he chose to use an old school wooden bat like an exploding bat where, when it broke, the color of the powder came out from the splinters.
Speaker 2:That would have been cool but obviously a waste of money since he didn't hit nothing so well, I don't think any player wants to have a bat that explodes because it could be dangerous for all those around look, this is a gender reveal.
Speaker 1:We do things differently, all right, we're not. We're not made like the rest of them moving on.
Speaker 2:So there was also something to happen pretty awesome in the Brewers game recently. So the Brewers needed somebody to throw out the first pitch. Who did they turn to? They turned to a 105-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor to throw out the first pitch.
Speaker 1:Oh, this is awesome. This guy trained for this right. This guy was in rehab for this.
Speaker 2:I don't know if he trained for it, but they did help him out there. He had two, two spotters helping him stand and I mean he's 105 years old. Let's cut the guy some slack, yeah, but he's still for 105 year old.
Speaker 1:He threw a pretty good under underhand toss now, albeit it didn't go to home plate, but again, get the guy some breaks, yeah, you know he's 105 and he's pearl harbor survivor yeah, one of the few, if there's not many of those people left to be honest with you no, there's not. There's not, so this is even more this is more significant than that, but, uh, good job ed mcclap.
Speaker 2:Mcclavick is his name, I think that's how you say it, ed mcclavick anyway. But if you get a chance and you just want to see a see a good thing, you know it's pretty cool to see him throw out a first pitch for for a baseball game.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I think that was incredibly notable.
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh especially with him.
Speaker 1:Definitely, onvard vet like yeah, that dude deserves the world. They went through so much on that day.
Speaker 2:Uh, and to follow, but again moving on so cody bellinger mr wing himself, you know, said he's swearing off wings because he got sick off him, but he's back in the lineup, he's playing again and he saved the Yankees the other day against the Kansas City Royals. Cody Bellinger, playing right field with two out and men on base. A guy at bat hits a fly ball that is cutting away from him and Cody Bellinger is running and you can almost see he kind of slips a little but at that point he dives full out. Superman dives, catches the ball to win the game and at that point the score was 4-3. So there was two men on. If he doesn't get that ball, those two runs are coming across and then they're going to the bottom of the ninth and who knows if they get the points of the ninth and you know who knows if they get the points to to win. So he saved their bacon.
Speaker 2:He. He's making himself a fan favorite there for the Yankees. And speaking of fan favorites, over on the other side side of the Yankees Red Sox, their little rivalry, alex Bregman, he's having himself a good year for the Red Sox. Alex Bregman had his very first 5-for-5 game with two home runs, a double and four RBIs against the Rays the other day, and it's hard to believe because he's been in the league for a while. You know he's playing with Houston. It's hard to believe he's never had a game like this. So for him to have that milestone, that's pretty epic. Yeah, and apparently he's also expecting a child here soon with his wife.
Speaker 1:So I guess everybody hey, exploding bat gender reveal. Come on, Bregman, Alex. Hey, Harper, let us down.
Speaker 2:So, going back to the Brewers, the Brewers, one of their off-season pickups was Jose Quintana. He became the 24th pitcher to achieve a feat that not many pitchers have done. He won his debut with the Brewers, but that win over the Arizona Diamondbacks makes him the 24th player to ever beat all 30 teams in MLB. Wow, and not many players. You're only the 24th to have done that.
Speaker 1:So first of all, seven scoreless innings number one and then to beat all 30 of the other teams.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that's a pretty good, notable feat A win against each team, that's pretty impressive.
Speaker 1:This guy is rocking some swag right now. I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2:If you go, look up the other names of those players, you're seeing players like Max Scherzer, justin Verlander, you're seeing top-line pitchers accomplish this feat. So it's good to see that he reached that milestone, but he's not the only one who reached a milestone recently to see that he reached that milestone, but he's not the only one who reached a milestone recently. Woo Spencer Strider. Strider Became the first pitcher or became the fastest to 500 strikeouts for his career. He accomplished the feat, unfortunately, in a loss against the Blue Jays back on the 16th. That was interesting. That's pretty cool. And to make matters a little sweeter for him, this is actually the first game he's pitched since 2024. He's been out with an injury, he had a Tommy John surgery, and so he's finally back up in the majors again. But kudos to him.
Speaker 1:Good job Definitely a good feat.
Speaker 2:I'm sure he'd rather have the win, but yeah, I mean 500 career strikeouts.
Speaker 1:Would have been nice to have a win to accomplish that feat. But you know, a feat nonetheless, a very good one, a lot, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:A milestone in your career.
Speaker 2:Be the fastest to do it if he keeps this up career be the fastest to do it.
Speaker 1:If he keeps this up, you know, maybe he can uh, he might, set a record for strikeouts in mlb history.
Speaker 2:At this rate, hey, he's gotta.
Speaker 1:He's gotta play for a couple decades, like nolan ryan did not like hey hey, but it's there, like it's there, he could do it, he could get close anyway well, you got to avoid injury, and that's the big thing.
Speaker 2:But moving on, uh, the world baseball classic is going to be coming up next year and they're starting to round out their team. Aaron judge has been slated to be the captain of the team, which bodes well, I mean they. Their coaching staff is built up with mark derosa, they got matt holiday as their hitting coach and a bunch of other notable former major leaguers. They're going to be part of the coaching staff, but they've got their team set up. Their catchers are what do?
Speaker 1:you got Keep on going, I'll wait.
Speaker 2:So they got Edley Rashman I always have trouble with his name the catcher for the Orioles. He's going to be on the team. Carl Rowley, the catcher for the Mariners. He's going to be on the team. And then position players at first base they're going to have Bryce Harper. Second base they're going to have Mookie Betts. Shortstop Bobby Witt. Third base, Austin Riley, and then third base slash shortstop Gunnar Henderson. Second base slash outfield will be Christian Campbell. He's the Red Sox player who recently signed a pretty good extension. And then infielder slash outfielder Brendan Donovan. For outfield, of course, aaron Judge. They're going to have Mike Trout, corbin Carroll, kyle Tucker, jackson Merrill and Chamber Simpson from the Rays. Starting pitching-wise, we're going to have Paul Skeens. We're going to have Scooble from the Tigers, zach Wheeler from the Phillies, hunter Green from the Reds, logan Gilbert from the Mariners and Garrett Krochek from the Red Sox. But I won't go into the bullpen.
Speaker 1:The bullpen but I won't go into the bullpen, the bullpen long list, but all names you should know. Oh yeah, and I don't know if this is significant, just because aaron judge is the captain here this year, but he didn't participate in 2023, the last time this competition came around. Uh, and considering this is a who's who of american mlb baseball, the list you just named off, mike, I'd say they're trying to win because that year, in 2023, usa, of all countries, usa lost to japan in the finals.
Speaker 1:Hey look, japan was no joke they are no joke, they have such a good crop of talent.
Speaker 2:That's why you see, majority of them starting to make their way over to here and I agree with you.
Speaker 1:That comment was not a shot at them not being good. That comment was about how good Japan is as a baseball country. Oh yeah, because we lost to them in the finals. And, by the way, the players they're putting together, I'd say they're trying to make sure they win this time around.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, the thing that gets real interesting about this tournament is it seems like the more it's done, the more players are interested in being a part of it.
Speaker 1:And the more.
Speaker 2:You're getting nations that want to be a part of it. So you got players that you know going and playing for you know, cuba, or going to play for Germany or whoever the other country is, and you're like, oh man, they got ties to that country. Oh, that's cool, yeah, I mean, you know. So it's a little bit of a kind of like the four nations with the hockey. You know, everybody was really hyped to play for their nation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's what you're getting. I thought that was a good idea too.
Speaker 2:So that's coming up next year, so I hope everyone's excited for it.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, Exciting time. Mlb baseball's hot and heavy right now. But you know what else is hot and heavy, Mike? The WNBA and the NBA. Talk about another round of playoffs here, at least for the NBA. But before we get on to that, we're going to talk a little bit about the WNBA here. They just had their draft. We'll just go over the top 10 real quick, Paige Buechers.
Speaker 2:Paige.
Speaker 1:Beckers, you all know that I suck with verbal mechanics. Just disregard all of that.
Speaker 2:So the Dallas Wings pick up Paige Beckers, that's right. Number one pick overall.
Speaker 1:And then number two, dominique Malanga. Hopefully I said that correctly. I'm sorry, I'm not Going.
Speaker 2:Seattle.
Speaker 1:Storm.
Speaker 2:That was actually a pick that they got from the Los Angeles Sparks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then here we have, I'm assuming a trade happened. I wish I was a little bit better up on our WNBA news. I'm assuming a trade happened. I wish I was a little bit better up on our WNBA news. But picks three and four both went to the Washington Mystics. Okay, washington Mystics pick three came. They traded from Chicago Sky for Sonia Citron she's a guard. And then their fourth pick for the Mystics, number four overall, kiki Irofen. I hope I said that correct. She's a forward from USC. She's actually a pretty notable player. I know her name, number five overall, justy Jaquaiti. I know I butchered that name, but she's gone to the Golden State Valkyries Another good player.
Speaker 2:another good team. I applaud the attempt, yeah. Because I certainly wasn't going to do much better.
Speaker 1:And again the Washington Mystics making some moves, trading with atlanta dream to get the number six pick georgia. Amour, a guard from kentucky uh, actually an australian. Some of these girls are from other countries I should have mentioned. You know, you stage a quote. Hey, the one who I butchered the hell out of her name, she's from lithuania uh. Georgia Amor from Australia. Some notable international connections there. Connecticut Sun had two picks in a row number seven, number eight respectively Anissa Amoro, forward out of LSU and then Suniya Rivers guard out of NC State.
Speaker 2:And both those picks were picked up by trades. And those both those picks were were picked up by trades. So the the amoro amoro trade was with the phoenix, phoenix mercury, and then the rivers trade was a trade with the indian indian fever. Indiana fever, yeah, indiana can't say indian anymore bro oh, oh shit. I already said it.
Speaker 1:And then pick number nine, which is a pick I really like, even though I don't know much about WNBA. But we are learning Sarah Ashley Barker, guard out of Alabama going to Los Angeles Sparks. That was a trade they acquired from Seattle Storm. And then number 10. Number 10 and 11, actually Chicago Sky. This is another team looking to make some moves, as I recently read about. If you're not familiar, chicago Sky is also what's her name plays out Angel Reese. Angel Reese plays for Chicago Sky. She was absolutely happy about Asia Sivka. I hope I said that right.
Speaker 2:Slovenian player, another Slovenian player, another Slovenian player.
Speaker 1:She's a forward. They got that number 10 pick from Connecticut Sun and then they traded with Minnesota Lynx to get Haley Van Lint, a guard, out of TCU. Another good pickup for Chicago Sky Sky. You know the Sky and the Mystics, those two teams I've been reading about here recently. These two teams are trying to come up. They're really trying to make some moves here. So that's the top 10 or 11 picks out of the WNBA. They're getting hot man and I don't just mean appearance-wise Like the WNBA is heating up competitively.
Speaker 2:The thing I'd like to see, though, that they're doing is teams aren't afraid to be making moves. I mean, how many times did we say that this team had two picks back-to-back because they moved up? They're not afraid to make these moves to better their team.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you know, this is what makes drafts exciting when you have your team and your team is like they got a pick and then they got another pick right after that and it's like, oh man, so it breeds hope, you get hope out of a draft. So when you see that your team is picking back to back and they're getting some top name players to your team, yeah, it really makes you go man, we're building something here.
Speaker 2:We're doing something here. So I really like the fact that they're really starting to push the WNBA more and more, giving it more spotlight, kind of like they do with the NBA. And, to be honest, I feel like the WNBA. We have more players that we know because we're seeing these girls play in college, Whereas with basketball, I mean the last few drafts, the number one pick has been from another country.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's like, unless you went on and found them on YouTube or Instagram or any other social media platform, you didn't know who these guys were until draft night.
Speaker 1:Guys or girls, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So now when you have these girls that they're playing in college, you see them and they make their way to the WNBA, you go, oh man, yeah, I remember seeing her play for LSU or I remember seeing her play for Iowa or whoever. But I feel like the more people pay attention, the more they're going to start loving the WNBA more than they have in the past. Because, look, I'm telling y'all, I'm going to be honest, I didn't really watch too much WNBA before. But I'm telling you, these girls, they play hard. Honestly, I feel like sometimes they play harder than the guys do, it's sad to say. These girls, they have passion even for the regular season games, not just playoffs. Playoffs are definitely a different animal for any sport, but these girls, they are hungry to win they are just just watch a game.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you, just pick a game next year, watch and you'll see what I'm talking about absolutely.
Speaker 1:And and last year 2024 is number one overall in wa. That was caitlyn clark. Uh, you know she went to indiana fever and they, you saw how well they performed this year with their new crop of talent. So to see the Washington Mystics have three picks in the top ten, and especially by trade, like these girls, like I said, washington Mystics is going to be a team to watch, and so is the. I think Chicago Sky is going to be a team to watch too, because I think Angel Reese just wants to catch up to Kaitlyn Clark so bad. I mean, she has her own list of sets of accomplishments.
Speaker 2:Don't get me wrong, she was a double-double machine last year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, she was one of the best defensive players and the rookie defensive player of the year for the WNBA, so she's in par with Kaitlyn Clark and some of the other bigger names. So I'm eager to see how these girls do this coming season, especially with their new crop of talent and congratulations to all those teams for that Moving down the line here into the NBA. Who's ready for some NBA action? This is probably the biggest subject right now for us, even bigger than football, because this is is. You know, everybody loves hockey, everybody loves baseball in the wmba, but the nba playoff time it's one of the hottest times because it's right after march madness.
Speaker 2:So everybody's still hot on basketball so before we dive into that, I look. Sometimes people just can't put the shovel down. And Nico Harris, the GM of the Mavericks.
Speaker 1:He doesn't know when to say when.
Speaker 2:So Nico Harris has a meeting with reporters, which is not unusual. These things happen but they don't have a private meeting with reporters and they don't tell the reporters. You can't bring a recording device, you can't write anything down, oh, and we're going to hand-select who can be in there. That usually doesn't look good right, I can't really recall this ever happening with any other GM.
Speaker 1:Sounds awfully communistic.
Speaker 2:Right. All this ever happening with any other GM Sounds awfully communistic, Right. But out of this, this whole closed door situation, a quote came out where he said about the Luca trade funny how we keep coming back to this, but he kind of brought this on himself.
Speaker 2:He kind of brought this on himself. He says we got exactly what we wanted out of the trade. And what he meant by that is they got the two-way defense and offensive player in Anthony Davis. But come on, man, put the shovel down. You don't have to keep digging a hole even deeper. You know, just like and this is one of the your team's getting ready to go play in a play-in game. Just let the team do their thing and just sit in the background and say nothing. I mean you know like.
Speaker 2:Do you recall anybody asking hey, nico, can you have a meeting with us?
Speaker 1:I think they have some buyer's remorse here, or shall I say seller's remorse here, or shall I say seller's remorse here?
Speaker 2:because I think they know they probably shouldn't have let Luka go. Well, okay, they could have done this deal if they got more out of it. They should have gotten at least the third best player off the Lakers, including AD, and then they should have got more picks.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I agree with that. They should have got a lot more compensation.
Speaker 2:Yes, I mean Luka's tearing it up in LA right now. If they would have gotten Austin Reeves in that deal and AD and maybe, let's say, three more picks maybe not first-rounders, maybe a first-rounder and two second-rounders that kind of seems a little bit better than hey, we got what we got out of this trade and we're saying it's a good thing. And we're saying we're moving Luka because of his injuries, but you're bringing in a player who's older and has injuries.
Speaker 1:Look, nobody's stupid. Okay, we all see through the bullshit. This was a flex move, just straight up.
Speaker 2:What this was is an organization that was at a rift with Luka.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:And they had to find a way to get him out of there so they didn't have to pay him huge money, because they were afraid we pay him the huge money, he's going to be hurt all the time because he's not taking care of himself. But you know what?
Speaker 1:Was he out partying and drinking? Seems fine to me.
Speaker 2:No, but I mean he's had calf injuries multiple times and he doesn't take care of his body. He's known for, you know, smoking a cigar and drinking beer. Every LSU quarterback to win the national championship smokes a cigar, but he's okay. He comes in overweight, he gets hurt and the team is worried because he's not taking his training programs seriously I can understand that.
Speaker 2:I can see I can see their point of view yeah but then at the same time, you have to save face with your fans. You can't just say all right, we're done with you, we're going to give you away for a bag of peanuts. You've got to get something out of it.
Speaker 1:I think it was Cracker Jacks, slightly less valuable.
Speaker 2:Look man, Basically they didn't even get planters nuts, they got some off-brand. Oh yeah, we're going to move on from that, though.
Speaker 1:That's fine. We can move on, because the Denver Nuggets are reportedly interested in interviewing Carmelo Anthony for their head coaching position. What a headline, bro. Let's dive into this one.
Speaker 2:Man, I think they're hoping for a JJ Redick-type situation here by bringing Carmelo in, I mean just because JJ Redick goes to Lakers and is handed two really good players. I mean honestly, JJ just had to work out his transition, bringing players in and out more than the previous coach did, Because the previous coach barely rotated his players and when he did do rotations, they were just weird.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I know there's a lot that goes into coaching, but there's like two core premises that you really have to bring.
Speaker 2:Win.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I was going to say that One is a winning culture. You got to know how to win. You got to know how to motivate your guys to win. But that brings me to my second point. You have to be a good leader. You have to know how to motivate and get that level of play out of those players. But you know, as a former player, you know the game, so you should have some inkling on how to coach these guys, especially since you were an all-star player at one point yourself.
Speaker 2:So you should have some tricks of the trade to be able to teach Well. But not every player makes a great coach.
Speaker 1:No, you're right about that.
Speaker 2:We've had plenty of players who went into coaching. I mean Mark Jackson he wasn't exactly great.
Speaker 2:But for every guy like that, you have the Steve Kers, yeah, you have the Phil Jacksons Like Phil Jackson was a player back in the 70s for the Knicks. But you know, for every player that was good as an NBA, player that becomes a coach, it doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be a good coach. I mean no, I agree with you. Player that becomes a coach, it doesn't necessarily mean they're gonna be a good coach. I mean, no, I I agree with you.
Speaker 1:Patrick ewing went down to into the college ranks and was it was a coach at georgetown and it didn't really work out for him well yeah georgetown, so I mean I, I agree, I mean, that's what I'm getting back to saying like you got to have the ability to pull that level of play out of your players, just simply being a part of the game for your career. That's half the battle, because you know how to teach it, you know what to teach, but being a leader, a leader of but not.
Speaker 2:But not just like.
Speaker 2:You can stand up there and try to tell players how to do stuff and try to show them, but you gotta you gotta motivate them you have to know how to teach everyone individually, being able to give the word to individual players in a way that they retain it or a way that they can effectively produce the things that you're saying in the game. And not everybody has that ability. I mean that's one of the reasons, like people were, you know, saying for phil jackson's like, oh he got all these great players, yeah, but think about that, the egos and the attitudes he had for the teams he had, and to keep some of that stuff as fiery as those players were, to keep it kind of bundled up and kind of keep people on the same page. I mean, especially when you had Dennis Rodman, who would just disappear for a few days to Vegas and then come back and you didn't know if he was coming back. So like.
Speaker 2:I mean, you've got to have some level of you know like they call him the Zen master for a reason.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I mean, I agree, Like you know. That's like I was was saying that's part of where the leadership and the motivation aspect comes in. Everybody doesn't have it just because you were there at one point in your career, um, and going on here, uh, onto the next subject. Not that we're in a hurry or anything. I just believe we probably have enough to talk about that, mr Anthony, and the Nuggets by the way, nuggets, they made the playoffs, didn't they, which we'll talk about shortly. I don't know, maybe they got knocked out, I don't have the bracket for me.
Speaker 2:No, no, no.
Speaker 1:Anyway, either way, pacers reserve. So this is what I'm talking about with the Indiana Pacers. Okay, we're heating up in playoff time. Pacers their reserves, by the way rallied from a 27-point deficit versus the Cavs in their season finale. This game is notable because it's the Cavs and because it's the Pacers. The Pacers backups. Pacers are known. They have a history of playoff upsets. They turn it on around playoff time and they tend to keep it on until they get knocked out well, let's keep one thing in mind, though.
Speaker 2:What did you say there? The last?
Speaker 1:game of the season. Last game of the season the reserves, but still, a 27 point deficit is not I mean, I'm not.
Speaker 2:I'm not saying that they didn't do something cool, but you know, usually when you get to the last game and you know you're the one seed, you kind seed, you kind of just go through the motions. I mean look, the Bulls whooped up on the Wizards for a 30-point win.
Speaker 1:I was just about to say that they had a comfortable lead all night, yeah, against the Wizards.
Speaker 2:And then they go to play against the Heat and they get bounced.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So it was impressive. You had that 30-point win the other night against a team that wasn't playing for anything, but you didn't show up when it mattered.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, like I hate to say it, I mean, look, bulls is my team, but that was kind of lackluster. We're millennials, so you know, the Bulls are our team.
Speaker 1:If you're a millennial you know the Bulls is our team. It's just straight up. Okay, michael Jordan era all day. But yeah, I thought that was rather notable because the Cavs are sitting at number one seed in their conference in the playoffs and I know the Pacers have a notable history of playoff upsets. But going down here, as we're talking about the pacers, dyson daniels who's not affiliated with the panth pacers at all, by the way uh, could he be the defensive player of the year as the hawks enter the play-in tournament? Uh, he was the first player in the year as the Hawks enter the play-in tournament. He was the first player in over 30 years to average three steals per game this season, by the way, and that does not include his ball deflections. Okay, this guy's been on fire, okay.
Speaker 1:I have a question when is a theft and a steal slightly different in definition and context? Let me tell you and I picked this up from an article that I read Theft is what the Atlanta Hawks did to pry Dyson Daniels away from New Orleans Pelicans last summer, and stealing is what Daniels does nightly, effortlessly, for the Hawks, and that was via Sean Powell. But again, he's averaging three steals per game, I think the league average right now is less than 1.5. I think it's like 1.3. It's not even close Like he's smashing it, almost doubling it. So I have a feeling that the hawks are in the playoff race largely, uh, because of mr daniels mike. What do you take of this? You think he's in line if the hawks go deep into the playoffs. I absolutely believe he could be up, uh, for dpoi well, you know this.
Speaker 2:This is one of those stats that it's. It's it's kind of like you said, where league average is less than double of what he's doing, considerably less.
Speaker 1:It's not even close.
Speaker 2:It's impressive, it's very impressive what he's doing and again, for the Hawks to have the wherewithal to take him from the Pelicans, which I mean Pelicans.
Speaker 1:And they did legitimately steal him in that draft.
Speaker 2:Look, the Pelicans are a much more mine team.
Speaker 1:That was a theft. I'll give them that, because this guy now don't get me wrong he wasn't like great with the Pelicans. He hasn't necessarily had an all-star career, but something clicked when he got with the Hawks. Maybe it's coaching, maybe it's you know, chemistry, I don't know, but when he got with the Hawks, it clicked for him.
Speaker 2:Well, unfortunately it didn't help him against the Magic the other night. The Hawks wound up losing their game and now they got to play against the Miami Heat to see who's going to go play the one seed out of that victory from these play-in games I mean honestly, I don't really feel like the play-in games are the playoffs.
Speaker 2:I mean it just seems like the season extended. I mean, yeah, it's nice to see these teams try to get in, but unlike the NFL and unlike baseball and unlike hockey, we haven't seen a lower seed team go all the way to the championship and put up a real fight. I mean, the closest we got was Miami doing it in the bubble against the Lakers, but the Lakers ultimately won that bubble championship.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know it's tough Number 10 Heat versus the Hawks in this. You know what did the Heat do against the Bulls.
Speaker 2:I mean the Heat won that game.
Speaker 1:They 109-90, very comfortable win, I think they.
Speaker 2:Tyler Hero was the player for that game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think they led most of that game and then down here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they led the entire game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, the Bulls didn't even have a chance, unfortunately. No they didn't. It was sad. But the Hawks didn't even put up 100 points and they lost versus 120 in Orlando. So they'll have their work cut out for them versus the Heat, who have a notable playoff history especially in the new millennium it's not really new anymore.
Speaker 2:25 years in, but the magic for their 120-point win. They're sitting there moving on to face the Celtics the number two seed, yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm sure they probably would have rather lost, but they can't say that out loud. But I'll say it for them because the Celtics probably could knock them out.
Speaker 2:Well, even if they out, Even if they won, or even if they wound up going to play the Heat and they beat the Heat, they'd be playing the one seed. So you really didn't get. It's not any better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're not doing too much better. I mean the Celtics. You know their last year's reigning champ, the Cavaliers. What were they the year before? A couple years before that, the Thunder, the Cavaliers and the Celtics are the three heavy favorites to win the finals this year.
Speaker 2:But over in the West, though, we had the Warriors beat the Grizzlies to move on to play the two seed uh, the two seed Rockets and the Grizzlies for losing, they're getting to play the Mavericks, who, again, like we said earlier, when we're talking about Nico his team's in the playoffs, but I mean, albeit they're the very last play-in seed at the 10 seed, but they're going to play against the grizzlies to figure out who's going to go play okc and I don't like either of those teams. Chances again against okc. Okc is yeah, I.
Speaker 1:I think whoever wins that match, their playoff road ends with the thunder. Yeah, um, and down here, this is an interesting matchup with the uh, rockets. Come on, man, sorry. This is an interesting matchup, uh, with the Rockets and Golden State because, um, steph Curry, since he's been with Golden State, the Warriors, he is 4-0 versus the Rockets in the postseason. So the Rockets have never beaten the Warriors in the postseason as long as Steph Curry's been with them. But with the Rockets being the number two seed and a young and hungry team and I'm not saying the Warriors aren't young and hungry, they're slightly older, they're a very good team, don't get me wrong, despite the seventh seed. But I'm going to be honest with you guys. This might be my bold prediction I'm standing in the Rockets' corner on this one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm kind of feeling it.
Speaker 1:Well it's not really a bold prediction saying a 2 is going to beat a 7. It's not bold, but it's bold at the same time.
Speaker 2:Well, it feels that way only because of how dominant the Warriors have been over the years. The Warriors aren't the same Warriors team. This kind of feels like this is the last run, like if they don't do anything now. I mean because the team, unfortunately, they're kind of at a weird point where they can't trade away Curry, like that's not going to happen. He's going to be a lifelong Warrior.
Speaker 2:I don't think he wants to be traded. No, I I'm not saying he does, but yeah, you know, normally when teams are a bit long in the tooth they'll trade away their assets try to get something back from yeah, get some compensation unfortunately, he's at a point now where he's still playing really well, but everything around him is kind of falling apart.
Speaker 2:You know, players are older, players aren. Players aren't. You know as good. You know Draymond, his scoring's down. He's not the player he once was. He's still a force on the court, don't get me wrong, but he's not. You know Draymond from when they were winning championships. And you know Clay Thompson is gone. They traded him away to the Mavericks. So now we have a team that's kind of a show of itself. I mean, yeah, they got, they got Jimmy in there and you know, never cannot play off Jimmy. He can't turn it on from from here, from here on out. I mean, he, he does seem to have a different mode when he gets into playoffs. But you're talking about a team that's older that's going to be going against, against a young, hungry Rockets team that's a two-seat. For a reason they played some good ball this year. We could very well see this as the Warriors' last run into the playoffs where they might be able to do anything. They might be bounced quickly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean it's going to be a tough matchup. The Rockets definitely got to play it right. But you're right, the dynasty is winding down.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Well and right now, I feel like the only player that's really hitting off of threes is Steph, and the Rockets have a few guys that can hit threes and they got KD too, kevin durant, though on the rockets.
Speaker 1:So no, he's not. Yeah, I thought he was with the rock, I saw. No, he's with the suns. Oh, he's with the suns now wow, dude.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're listening to the rumor mill. The rumor mill is is somebody trying trying to get katie over to the rockets?
Speaker 1:that's probably what it is because I saw him with the rockets uniform. I was like what the fuck anyway yeah, that, the rumor mill that's probably where that came from. So my misinformation I know that you know docks my credibility a little bit, but fuck off. And then you want to take this one, or you want me to take it? Kyle O'Quinn.
Speaker 2:You got it.
Speaker 1:Just in case you guys missed it, kyle O'Quinn retired from professional basketball and is returning to one of our local hometown schools, nsu norfolk state university, as the executive director of athletic advancement. I'm eager to see how he works um with michael vick and football. Uh, after a decorated career that took him from nsu's 2012 ncaa tournament upset that shocked the world in the NBA and in and overseas leagues, elkwin is back where it all began, this time to help elevate the future of Spartan athletics and the university as a whole. I think this is a great move for his career. Like you know, trying to go back and then especially what NSU is trying to build right now, not just in football, but all other athletics.
Speaker 2:I think it's a good move yeah, well, speaking of moves and things happening in college sports, uh, in the world of men's college basketball, duke's taking another hit this offseason because they're not just losing Cooper Flagg, but Conn Knipple is also. Their freshman star is going to enter the NBA draft, so he'll be gone and that's a big hit because he was very good in the playoffs.
Speaker 1:I know I butcher names, but I'm pretty sure it's pronounced Newple. No, it's Knipple. God dang it. I'm terrible at this. Trust me, trust what I say. I'm terrible at this. Trust me, trust what I say I'm more like the comedy relief of the show. Mike is the brains of the operation. If you can't tell.
Speaker 2:So staying in the realm of college, but we're going to move over to football and Colorado State has just done something really, really weird.
Speaker 1:Oh, this is a good one.
Speaker 2:They just announced that they're retiring Shador Sanders and Travis Hunter's numbers. That's a little weird. Yeah, let's dive into this.
Speaker 1:This is a deep dive. Let's dive deep into this one, Mike.
Speaker 2:I got okay. Here's the thing Colorado has won a national championship and none of those players have their numbers retired. Shador is only 13-12 in his go-round with Colorado, so we're retiring his number. I mean he doesn't have any accolades as far as, like the Heisman, I mean Hunter does. So, but I don't know where this is coming from. I mean, what's next? Are they going to retire Shiloh's number two?
Speaker 1:Probably likely. But you know what I think this is coming from. I read about this earlier Colorado's trying to put fans in the stands. Okay, they're retiring these guys' numbers at the next upcoming game. I forgot the name of it. It's a notable game, but I believe this is a move to put fans in the seats, okay. Also, I don't think it has anything to do with Deion Sanders Uh, give me just a second.
Speaker 1:But you know, travis Hunter might be fringe because he has a Heisman and he's a very incredible two-way player. I could make an argument for retiring his number. Incredible two-way player. I could make an argument for retiring his number. Not to be misinterpreted, but Sugar Sanders, in my opinion, you might hold almost all of your school passing records, but you don't have any other accolades to go with it and your record is barely a winning one at that. So I don't know if that is worthy of retiring a number. Just speaking honestly is worthy of retiring a number, just speaking honestly. And also all the players from Colorado State who do have their numbers retired. By the way, there's only five of them.
Speaker 2:None of those players won a championship for them so I think this has everything to do with Deion, because, notice, after Deion signed his extension, all of a sudden now some players are getting their numbers retired and it just happens to be his two biggest pupils in his opinion. So I think this has everything to do with dion saying, hey, yeah, I'll sign my extension if you retire these jerseys, yeah, and give me the money that I'm asking for and let me run my program the way I want to run it, without you guys interfering. I think that's exactly what's going on here now.
Speaker 1:Yeah you probably, probably have a point.
Speaker 2:Don't get me wrong, I have no hate for Deion, no this is not about hate at all. Don't get us wrong, guys. This to me feels like what we've seen here recently these last few decades, where it's become everybody gets a trophy. That's what it feels like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but everybody doesn't get a trophy well, if you play for deon and you're one of his boys.
Speaker 2:Yes, you do, you get your number retired like you did something. Look, let me put it this way uh, a college football hall of famer. Would you say they should have their jersey retired?
Speaker 1:College Football Hall of Famer yes.
Speaker 2:The college football has their own Hall of Fame. They do, and I'm going to name a name and I'm going to tell you right now his jersey is not retired. You know why I know this? Because a player in the draft is wearing his number right now and he's a high draft pick this year what school?
Speaker 2:Penn State. So fans might be getting a little close because this guy is going to be in top three picks. Levar Arrington his jersey is not retired and he's a college football Hall of Famer and he has the numbers to support that. And Abdul Carter, who's getting ready to be drafted in the top three picks, in the draft is wearing his number 11. So he's got the stick city going on. So the point being, when you have a Football Hall of Famer that doesn't have their jersey retired and you're going to say, hey, shador, we're going to retire your jersey, it just feels like a participation trophy a backhanded slap, like I want to say a spit in the face.
Speaker 1:And I'm not saying like. Universities are different, they all handle themselves differently. A smaller school like colorado might retire a jersey like shador, whereas alabama or ohio would never think of that.
Speaker 2:But they, okay, they have a national championship and they have players that were on that team that don't have their jersey retired.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:They weren't even close to that. So I could understand if this was like an Appalachian State kind of thing or if they were still back at what was the school Jacksonville? If they were still back at Jacksonville, was the school, uh, jacksonville? If they were still back at jacksonville, I could understand them retiring the jersey because he would be the most prominent player being drafted out or even florida atlantic.
Speaker 2:A small school, you know you know, if it was a small school I could get it, but when you're a bigger school that has has gone through prominence, it it just doesn't. It's weird yeah, it's just weird, like it just doesn't hit the ears right, you know yeah and and, like I said, like I could see a fringe argument for travis hunter.
Speaker 1:He's a heisman and he's a incredible two-way player. And I'm saying shadur is not an incredible player. He just does not have the accolades to back up retiring a number that's, that's my whole point.
Speaker 2:I mean, there are players that have the numbers, yeah, and and, by the way, a side topic some of these, these draft numbers that are out right now for these players. Remember, these players have done six, seven years in college. So if a guy has thrown for 5 000 yards during his time in college, it's not the same as a player who played four years and has 5,000 yards throwing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you've got to put the numbers and the stats in perspective as well, especially with college sports, because people play longer careers in college sometimes.
Speaker 2:Now I am not saying Schroeder did not play well, because obviously he played well, because he's being looked at as a number one. Yeah, we're not knocking his talent or his skills at all yeah, I just want to say that right now, first round, yeah guy, this, this isn't about talent, skill.
Speaker 1:It's not about race or any other fucked up situation you want to try to inject into this. This is simply about his accomplishments and accolades on the field I feel like.
Speaker 2:Feel like this is like when you have a friend and you're going out somewhere and they show up and they're wearing some goofy shirt and you're just like, bro, go back in your house and change.
Speaker 1:I feel like you're describing me.
Speaker 2:No, I'm not describing you. I'm just saying when you've got real friends, your real friends go don't do that, bro.
Speaker 1:Now I'm not a real friend, whoa.
Speaker 2:So maybe go oh shit, don't do that, bro. Now I'm not a real friend, holy whoa, so so. So maybe maybe they need some more real friends in colorado to be like, hey, dion, don't do that to your kid, like don't do that to your kid, like don't retire his jersey. You know, maybe maybe if they did, now on the road kind of thing, and maybe he's had a great NFL career. I could see something like that. You know like, okay, case in point, I got a great name for that okay.
Speaker 2:Patrick Mahomes his college career. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Texas A&M lackluster lackluster.
Speaker 2:It was not a great college career. That's why people were kind of about his, his draft prospects. So he kind of fell a little bit in the draft. But everybody, everybody who likes the NFL, would agree that he's been money since he's been in the.
Speaker 1:NFL, except for last year.
Speaker 2:Last year was a down year, but everybody would say, look, I mean, the guy's got multiple Super Bowls within the first few years of his career. That's nothing to turn your nose up at.
Speaker 1:I mean he almost had a three-peat, so I'll give him that.
Speaker 2:But the point of the matter is, he would be a prime candidate for after their career comes back. Hey, we're going to retire your number because you're prominent for our school. Maybe you didn't have the glory in college winning a national championship. I mean, let's put it in the other context Tua, who won a national championship, Alabama ain't retiring his jersey.
Speaker 1:Too many concussions. He'll never remember it. Excuse my language, you know. Just getting on to what. Adding to what you're saying, though, the college game, just like. Uh, and forgive me, this is the only example I can draw. I can draw others, but I don't want to. Rg3 robert griffin, the third. Okay, I'm not going to talk about.
Speaker 2:It's always washington.
Speaker 1:We're not going to talk about washington, I wasn't even gonna mention their name. You did that anyway. Uh, rg3 had a pretty good college career at baylor, was the heisman, but they didn't give him a statue and retire his number until he had success in the nfl. To me I think that's important. Okay, because you might not be the greatest player in college, but if you go on to have a notable nfl career, that brings value to your name and to the school you came from. So I agree with waiting to see how you do in the pro level.
Speaker 2:Well, that's why you know colleges, when they have a name that comes out of their school, they do invite them back for alumni games. They do invite them back for things of that nature that help them boost their school's image and boost the revenue for the school. And it also helps them too, because a lot of these players they want to go them, boost their school's image and boost the revenue for the school. And it also helps them too, because a lot of these players they want to go back to their school.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But that's not the only weird thing that came out of college. Man man, tennessee volunteers. They're a QB. Let me get his name right. I'm going to attempt this. I'm going to attempt it.
Speaker 1:I'll try when you're done.
Speaker 2:It's Nico Lama-Levea.
Speaker 1:You did better, you got it. That's what I was going to go for you got it. Lama-levea, let's do that. One Sounds fancy and a little bit like lava.
Speaker 2:This guy's on fire. We're going to keep it where we can pronounce it. It's just going to be Niko.
Speaker 1:Niko Lava.
Speaker 2:We're talking about the quarterback. Okay, so UCLA this is the report that was put out there that he had a riff with Tennessee because he's seeing all these players moving on to other colleges. He already had an NIL deal that was worth over $2 million with Tennessee, but he's seeing all these guys get in and transfer and they're getting four. So apparently there was a report put out that he had a riff with the school over the amount of NIL he was receiving and he wanted $4 million. Now, since that has come out and since Tennessee kind of said bye, Bye, Felicia.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you can find somebody to pay, you go for it. They're like bye-bye. So since that has come out, there has been friends of the family that have said, no, that's bogus, that's not what he had a problem with. He had a problem with the way he was being used in the offense. He had a problem with the way he was being used in the offense. He had a problem with the offense in general. So this has found him in talks with UCLA and going to play for them For more money.
Speaker 2:Well, no, he kind of lost a couple hundred thousand in an IL deal to go there, if he does make that deal. But he not only did that, but he also kind of loses out because tennessee had a better offense.
Speaker 1:So I mean, they are they are a more notable school too.
Speaker 2:This is kind of turning into you know that whole grass greener on the other side situation where, man, it looks great over on that side, I want to go over there. And then you get over there and you're like man, man, this grass is painted Look this is what we're, this ain't even grass.
Speaker 1:This is what we were talking about earlier with. Don't lose your cool. Make smart, educated, rational decisions. Okay, right, especially as a young person. You're only in college, bro. First of all, it's good you're even making money at all right now, because there was a time when that didn't happen, unless you went pro, okay, well, well, remember, there was a bag man there was a, there was a bag man and all the yeah, we know there was a.
Speaker 2:There was a loaner program with the dealership.
Speaker 1:It was not the level of nil money that we're seeing today. Okay, nil, much bigger numbers than the backdoor deals. Okay, oh, but now it's out in the open, in the public, and some of these players are openly. Now I get you know. Um, I get the the Vols QB. This guy, uh, nico, uh, lama Lavea is what we're running with. Uh, I know he had his other issues as far as offense and his utilization, utilization, but I'm reading more about college players, uh, in the nil area, more willing to jump through the portal because of financial reasons, because of nil.
Speaker 2:Well, think about it too. I mean, a lot of times, these guys, when they're getting these deals, it's not just about them. A lot of times, these guys, they're coming from a situation where their family is not doing well and by them getting these deals, they help out their entire family. They get their family out of poverty and they buy houses for their moms.
Speaker 1:It is. It changes everything. It changes your life. It changes your family's life. It changes people's lives around you. That's what it's like coming into a significant level of, we'll say, wealth or money, especially at a young age. Look, it's more dangerous to come into money young than it is older, because you don't know who your real friends are. You don't know who's trying to take advantage of you.
Speaker 2:But at the same time, when they're getting this money so early on, I know a lot of people are having issues with it as far as giving the money as kind of changing the college game and kind of changing the landscape. But it's kind of balancing out the college game too. You know the days of, you know, alabama being three deep with five-star recruits. It's not going to be that way anymore, because a guy shows up and all of a sudden he was told he was going to be the starting QB and he finds out he's the backup all along. Well, you didn't have many options then, so you could walk away and sit out a year and then go to another college. But now, with the portal, they can say, well, if I'm not starting, I can go on. But I do see the other side of that, the other side where a lot of players came in like that and earned their top spot, earned the right to play. You know, where guys had to fight through something or be tougher than the guy in front of them and showcase when they got their chance and never give it back to the other guy I miss those days the edge of that is not going to be there as much as it used to be yeah
Speaker 2:but it's also making guys go places they wouldn't go before. You know. Players are showing up in boise, people are showing up in arizona, not saying these programs didn't have success before, but saying like these smaller schools are getting a chance as long as they're getting the boost of revenue now granted. Your ohio state, your alabama's the ones that actually have big dollars are still going to be able to get high top recruits. But now it's kind of everybody has a chance, everybody's at the table real quick.
Speaker 1:Tommy canali looks like fat tim tebow continuing with nil picture for the tigers he's talking about yeah, um anyway.
Speaker 1:But I agree the nil is kind of leveling the playing field a little bit in college, um. But I agree with you like I miss the days where you had to earn your spot and you had to earn to keep it, um, and and then you got paid if you made it to the next level. I don't necessarily disagree with getting paid at the college level at that point with how much money college, this college sport, is bringing in and it's almost like a sub-professional level. At this point I agree with the nil system, um so. But with that being said, we got.
Speaker 1:We are moving into not fun facts time, because I have no fun facts and they are not fun at all. We're're going to move into our flagship sport, our flagship segment of the evening, the NFL football. That's where our minds live. Let's get it, mike, what we got up first for this section. All right, I'll start out First of all. I know it's Washington based. Mike's a 49ers fan. I'm a Washington fan, if you haven't realized by now, through this 26th episode, by the way. Congratulations, mike. We made it. Is this overbearing or weird?
Speaker 2:I want you guys to go on our Did. We make it yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, kind of, we lasted six months. We got a little longer, though I want to know, and I'm going to post this on social media later Is this overbearing, weird, or are you indifferent? An NFL fan posted a video earlier this week of Jaden Daniels' mom on the dance floor at Debo Samuel's wedding. First of all, when weddings happen, everybody gets down. I know from experience, but this person is a little alarmed. I didn't catch their name and I don't want to put them on blast anyway, but they're a little alarmed that Janet Daniel's mother may be a tad overbearing. Um, because she's now his personal agent. She follows him everywhere he goes and she was getting down on dance floor right next to his son with him. I don't really have a problem with that. But, mike, what do you make of this situation? Is she being overprotective? Is she being overbearing? Do you care at all? Does it matter?
Speaker 2:Honestly. If he's okay with it, I'm okay with it. I mean, everybody has a different relationship with their parents. I mean not everybody. Some people they're estranged from their parents. I mean not everybody. Some people they're estranged from their parents, they want nothing to do with them. Some people they they love their parents dearly, but they need their space honestly. And then some people they just do everything with their parents I'm gonna speak for mothers everywhere.
Speaker 1:I think this is a solid move, um, if you, especially since she went out and learned what she had to learn to become an agent for her son. It might only be for her son, but that's all she needs. But she is the gatekeeper, okay. She is making sure her son not only stays on the straight and narrow, but she's going to keep all these other unsavory females out of his life.
Speaker 2:It's not the first time this has happened. I mean, lamar Jackson uses his mom of his life. It's not the first time this has happened. I mean, lamar Jackson uses his mom as his agent and you know, look how it worked out for him. He got a good contract.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and look at these guys who have this setup. They don't have any legal drama. They don't have any personal drama that we are aware of.
Speaker 2:Richard Sherman. He did all of his own deals himself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and he went to school, I think, for finance major or something along those lines. He went to Stanford. Well, he went for Stanford, so of course he was.
Speaker 2:No, no, he went to Stanford.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, that's what I'm saying, he went to Stanford, but of course that means he was a finance or business major of some sort. But again, no legal drama, no personal drama, no spotlight drama.
Speaker 2:He might have a lot of. Well, I mean Sherman's had some.
Speaker 1:He runs his mouth, but he's a competitor and I love his style.
Speaker 2:No, I meant the drama. He's had some off-field drama at times, but yeah, but it got resolved. Yeah, it handled, it worked itself out, you know it did.
Speaker 2:It's not like that cooler heads prevailed and things worked out as as adult. All right, we've alluded to it enough, I gotta say it okay. So apparently when he was drunk one time his wife was over at her mom's house or a friend's house and he came over real aggressive and was trying to like kick the door in. Like I said he was drunk and look, things happen, things get aggressive people you know being not in the right state of mind, especially when drinking yeah, you know.
Speaker 2:But they have since made up and things are, things are. So that's why I say things worked out, things calmed down. I mean, look, if somebody has an issue and they have the wherewithal to admit that they screwed up, or have the wherewithal to at least come back and apologize and try to make good, you've got to give them the benefit of the doubt the first time. But if they keep repeating it, then it's a problem. But I don't think that's the case with him. I think it was just emotions got high and things were a little crazy and it's all good.
Speaker 1:No, I agree with you, and especially now and younger professional athletes are dealing with something rather I won't say new, but I'll say the spotlight's being turned on to it. We didn't really put it in our agenda tonight. I think it's xavier worthy, I'm not sure, but uh, an nfl player who was falsely accused of sexual assault has now turned in a defamation suit against his accuser, and I think this is huge, because this isn't just happening with NFL or professional players.
Speaker 2:This is happening across the nation with women, people trying to get a payday out of, just basically know, just basically taking the situation and going, oh, that guy's going to get drafted in the NFL, he's going to be rich. Oh okay, let me go make this story up about him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and let me tell you from personal experience fuck that, because we're now living in an age where you've got to prove it materially. Okay, so I won't dive too deep into it, but I think this is good news for male athletes and for men, because it's. I don't want to get political, but it it's putting people on notice with false accusations, I'll say that okay yeah it, it shouldn't.
Speaker 2:you shouldn't be able to ruin somebody's life because you're having a disagreement with them. 100%, mike, but you know, albeit I'm saying if somebody has done something seriously wrong to another person, yeah, they should be able to get justice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree with justice. I believe in justice.
Speaker 2:It shouldn't be a, you know guilty it's the false accusations it shouldn't be guilty. 's the false accusations it shouldn't be guilty.
Speaker 1:yeah, and we all know proven innocent and we all know we still live in a world as progressive as our americans and world society is. We all know if a woman says you did it, you're gonna be treated pretty much like you did it regardless but, we'll I digress and we'll move on.
Speaker 1:I don't want to go too deep into that because we're not a political show. Um, but you know, uh, quarterback patrick peterson is set to retire. Everybody knows patrick peterson. This is one of the greats of this era. Uh, he's reset. He's set to retire as a member of the arizona, concluding his 13-season career. He was a Cardinal, I believe, for his entire NFL career. False, where was he drafted to?
Speaker 2:No, I mean, yeah, he was drafted by the Cardinals but he went and played for the Vikings.
Speaker 1:That's right, he did go to the Vikings. Now he's coming back home. He's going to retire with the Cardinals.
Speaker 2:I believe he also played a year with the Steelers that going to retire with the Cardinals.
Speaker 1:I believe he also played a year with the Steelers. That's right. Yeah, I think you're right. Our fans will double check us on that. They double check everything we say.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if we say something wrong. Don't feel like go ahead.
Speaker 1:I believe 100% we will hear about it from you all later. So that's rather notable. Patrick Peterson is somebody who I also kind of personally identify with as somebody in the area of football. I've always been a football fan, but he came into the professional game around the time that I really got into it. So this is notable for me beyond my Washingtonism. Um, joe flacco. The browns agree to four. Agree to one year, four million dollar deal. I guess flacco is just going around collecting money at this point. Any any takers?
Speaker 2:look, look okay any takers, any takers. So hang on, hang on he's got a good resume Relax.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes so look, this deal signifies one thing to me right, the GM of the Browns has already come out and said they took a big swing by getting Deshaun Watson and it didn't work. So, deshaun, imagine that. So, deshawn, he said something recently that is so hilarious where he basically said that I got nowhere to go from here, you know, basically saying everywhere. Up from here, you know, like he's, you know what. Up from here, you know like he's, you know what I? I think he's trying to get sympathy for his problems, but I'm telling you, man, I would gladly take those problems because his problems are guaranteed money, where it doesn't matter what he does, he's still getting paid look his money so yeah, I guess you can sit there and wallow about your situation and who you are and then, as soon as you do, they go sign Joe Flacco to a one-year $4 million option.
Speaker 1:Last year it was Jameis Winston. I don't know who has the better agent Deshaun Watson or Kirk Cousins. Last year it was Jameis Winston, who was a relatively liked person around the league, although he's not an NFL caliber starter. Now they're getting flagged. I think this is the Honestly. I read an article I think this is the Browns organization saying sorry we spent so much money on Deshaun, but as long as we keep bringing in names that we know you can cheer for, we think it helps make up the future.
Speaker 2:I think they're just collecting quarterbacks at this point but, it might be. You know, after all this watch, can he pick it be their starter? You know, like mr small hands. Hey, he got the small hands his middle finger is pretty long, though let me tell you what but but look, look, bottom line, the browns are doing what the browns do they, they, they do all these moves and they do all this stuff and they're still the browns yeah, the browns, they still find a way to be the browns now, mike, I need to ask you.
Speaker 1:All right, the saints are down at qb yeah car is out dealing with shoulder injury, might have surgery. His season was cut short, uh, rather early anyway, due to fractured throwing he wasn't playing that well to begin with yeah so I mean, he's a gunslinger. When he hits, he hits when he misses, he misses.
Speaker 2:He probably wasn't healthy, but but at the same time the Saints, they're in cap hell. They got a lot to figure out here soon.
Speaker 1:Do you think they make a play for Rodgers? Do you think they could try to afford him?
Speaker 2:Rodgers is not going there.
Speaker 1:I don't think so either. I don't think Rodgers is going anywhere.
Speaker 2:One. They don't have the pieces for him and I know Saints fans are going to be mad when I say that, but sorry, your team does not have the pieces for him. But more so I know where you're going with this, because they have the number nine pick in the draft and you're going to ask me if Shador should be on their radar.
Speaker 1:I wasn't, but that's a good thing to bring up.
Speaker 2:But here's the thing I'm going to ask me if Shador should be on their radar.
Speaker 2:I wasn't but that's a good thing to bring up. But here's the thing I'm going to say no, and here's why I say no, because he's going to the Giants. No, here's why I say no again. I say no because what did I just say a second ago? They're in cap hell. You don't draft a quarterback and then, when you are in cap hell, you're going to sit there and put what around them, because next year they basically have to do what the 49ers did this year with exiting old, aging players and getting rid of, you know, lofty contracts that are not worth keeping because you need to free up cap space. So now it's coming home to roost. They got to get rid of players this next year not this year, but the next year. So in order to maintain a team, you're going to sit here and bring in a guy and think about it this way too. They brought in Moore to be their head coach and he's got to build his own program.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So part of building your own program is getting your own players. Bringing in Shador and plugging him into a team that's basically trying to rebuild would not be beneficial for both parties, because you know you're not going to have an offensive line to really put him behind, you're not going to really have players for him to make plays with. So you're kind of putting yourself in a situation where we're going to bring in this guy we're not sure that he's the guy. We're taking him because, eh, he's there is not really what you need. What you need is to go ahead and build your team.
Speaker 2:So go ahead and get you a piece, a bona fide piece, draft the best player available at that time. Don't worry about it being a QB, because there's always next year, because, let's face it, they're not going to be good. They're not going to suddenly be good next year, yeah. So why not hold off and see what you get next year? Because, remember, a lot of people are talking about the tank for archie manning, I mean, albeit, it's also going to be a stronger quarterback draft next year yeah this is a reach draft.
Speaker 2:Really, the only reason we haven't been talking about four, five, six quarterbacks like we normally do, is because there really aren't that many.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know there's a lot of he could be, he might be kind of situations and that's not what you want with the number nine pick.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:You want a player.
Speaker 1:You know you can build with, and the Browns I mean, they currently sit at number two. I know the Saints are at number nine. That's who we were actually talking about. Somehow we got onto the Saints and the Browns. Yeah, I mean, you're right, though, do you want to get some pieces? Because if you draft a quarterback too early, he?
Speaker 2:doesn't have that or not the right one or not the right one or not the right one.
Speaker 1:He doesn't have much success in your system. Maybe he gets injured or something, and then in three to four years down the road, maybe even sooner, he's not even part of your team. So oh, you know. But I had to aggress on that Because if you look at the teams who drafted a quarterback after they had the pieces in place the 49ers being one of them right, they had much higher success levels when they waited to draft the right quarterback, as opposed to trying to draft the quarterback first and build around him.
Speaker 1:So if you look at those stats, they're there.
Speaker 2:But albeit, there's not a quarterback in this draft right now that you're going to, there's no Elway, there's no Marino, there's no guy. That you go and you say that's the guy, that guy, he's going to be good and he's going to be good for years. There's no guy that. And I'm not saying that these quarterbacks can't be okay at the next level, but those are the type of quarterbacks you do that with.
Speaker 2:You do that with the quarterbacks that you say if you don't draft him you're going to be hating it for the rest of his career. You know, like when Peyton Manning was drafted, there was that debate Should they draft Manning, should they draft Ryan Leaf? And they went Manning, which was the correct choice, because Ryan Leaf went to the Chargers and we all know what happened after that.
Speaker 1:And we'll dive into this deeper next week, since next week's the draft. But one thing I want to point out the Bears number 10 overall. They just took Kayla Williams number one overall last year. Look for them to try to make a move.
Speaker 2:Well, I don't know if they're going to make a move.
Speaker 1:Or draft, a notable player.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm thinking, tyler Warren, that tight end out of Penn State. They do need a tight end, might wind up there.
Speaker 1:Warned that tight end out of Penn State. They do need a tight end Might wind up there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well, I mean they have a tight end, but you're never short of good blocking and catching tight ends, and especially if one is there that could be adding to your offense.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, they have Komet and Komet's a little. He should be in a breakout year this year, theoretically.
Speaker 2:And I know a lot of people want to say like ashton, gentry, maybe at this spot, but there are teams ahead of him that they're he's being linked to as well yeah but honestly it's a deep running back draft year so you could wait and get a decent back even after that yeah so I mean it's not again draft the best player available for you at the moment that makes sense for your team right now.
Speaker 2:I mean drafting a qb. It to me, if I was the titans, I wouldn't be drafting cam ward. All signs point he's going to be the number one pick I would draft could be smoke I would draft carter. That's just me. I would either draft carter or I'd draft the very best o-lineman right then and there yeah because you're not going to be good next year.
Speaker 2:They're not even with cam ward. I mean, he may get you an extra win, maybe two, but you still need. You need so much as a team drafting at the top. You don't want to waste that pick on somebody that's not going to be that transformational talent or that player that is like a bookend. When you talk about a team and you say, okay, let's go this route, if I say the Chiefs, what players come to mind?
Speaker 1:Patrick Mahomes, all day Travis Kelsey.
Speaker 2:Okay, xavier, worthy, rasheed Rice.
Speaker 1:Okay, all the offensive guys Chris Carter D Landman no tackle.
Speaker 2:Okay. So if I said a team like the Rams, Sean McVay head coach team like the Rams.
Speaker 1:Sean McVay head coach.
Speaker 2:I would have said like Jared Burr, matthew Stafford, jared Goff oh wait, he's with Detroit now. I said Jared Burr.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I said Jared Goff.
Speaker 2:But anyway, I still link.
Speaker 1:Jared Goff to the Rams, not the Lions.
Speaker 2:The point of the matter is you have to have the keystone players.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, look at, okay, the team speaking of Lions Cooper Cupp.
Speaker 1:Well, that wasn't Lions, it was Rams, but yeah.
Speaker 2:They're the ones that like look at what they did, look at how they did their draft. They drafted Lyman Lyman, lyman, Lyman for a number of years with their top picks, and they have the best offensive line in all of football and they're kind of trying to do a similar thing on the defensive side now. I mean, yeah, last year they took Gibbs in the upper rounds but they identified that's a player we can't pass on, and look at what he's done for them.
Speaker 1:You know, another team who had four first-round picks on their line at one point was the Cowboys.
Speaker 2:And they wasted that.
Speaker 1:They did waste that, Especially with Travis Frederick. He was good man. There were some other good ones up there too Zach Martin, Zach Martin, another one.
Speaker 2:So hopefully the Bears do better with their plan than the cowboys did well, they already have, because they they well, they were substituted some of their needs by drafting some veteran talent to fill some major voids on the offensive and defensive line. Yeah, and then they also picked up a few players for, like you know, their secondary and you know they haven't done the go. Grab the biggest, you know the best receiver we can. You know they're building inside out.
Speaker 1:I'm eager to see the post BenBen Johnson and post-Aaron Glenn era, because the Bears lost their offensive coordinator and their defensive coordinator. So I'm eager We'll dive into this to another, the.
Speaker 2:Bears. You said the Bears, you mean the Lions, the Lions, sorry I was like wait a second.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry I'm getting off subject. Let's go back to the Bears. It's all the same division.
Speaker 2:anyway, we'll talk about this next week, but we can continue to talk about the bears for now. But I mean, I I'm I'm done with the bears. Yeah, I mean you're you're done with the bears. Basically, this is all linking back to draft strategy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what teams. Ben johnson is the head coach of the bears now, so I'm eager to see what he brings the bears. But I'm eager to see what detroit loses in losing him and aaron glenn as offensive, defensive quarter as well.
Speaker 2:I was going to say go ahead but the bears have done done this before, where they win the off season but they don't win in the regular season if you hire everybody everybody can win the off season by making flashy moves, but it's what you do in the real season that matters, because, look, it's not the big moves that matter, it's all those do in the real season that matters.
Speaker 2:Because, look, it's not the big moves that matter, it's all those little ancillary moves that kind of make the big difference. Because when your team makes moves to improve not just at one spot, but they improve like multiple special teams or they improve, you know, their depth at yeah, at a offensive line or depth at their defensive line, in ways by picking up players that like you might not know who the player is but he's been a consistently performing player.
Speaker 2:You know the guy that kind of he's just gritty. He does the stuff. He does the hard-nosed stuff that you just don't. He doesn't get the recognition Case in point, like Spillane going to the Patriots. He was darn good with the Raiders and he's a hard-nosed fast player that's going to bring some gritty toughness to that defense.
Speaker 1:And you watch Next year Spillane his name's going to get mentioned a lot playing for for the patriots you watch and that'll be good and you know, we'll dive deeper into that next week, especially with the draft being next week. We'll probably release an early episode, uh, but I just want to thank you guys, uh, for joining us once again for another conversation about sports sports. Like I said, this might be one of the busiest times of the year for sports. Uh, thank you everybody for joining us. We appreciate your following. Find us on facebook, instagram, any of your podcast, uh, streaming services. Pass the word. We're there. Pass the word, uh, thank you for joining us. I'm brian with an eye and I'm Mike, and we are two for the win.
Speaker 2:Thanks everybody.