Two For The Win - S2.61 - Goalies Fight, Trades Fly & Bidets Help Reset Culture Shock

The sports world decided to go full throttle at once: an Olympic legend choosing to compete through a torn ACL, a winter showcase where a goalie fight flips the script, baseball quietly retooling culture and rosters, the NBA turning its standings upside down in a single week, and a Super Bowl matchup that promises more strategy than spectacle.

We start with Lindsey Vonn’s decision to race while braced, exploring how modern sports medicine, recovery protocols, and sheer competitive drive intersect when the Olympic window might close forever. From there, we skate to hockey history—Patrick Kane’s new U.S. scoring mark—before a Tampa Bay outdoor game erupts into a rare goalie brawl that transforms momentum and, ultimately, the result. It’s a reminder that emotion, identity, and rituals still matter in a data-driven era.

Baseball brings its own twist: a star’s bidet request sparks a real conversation about performance comfort and clubhouse culture, while front offices pull off sneaky moves that value contact, defense, and prospect capital over headline splashes. Keep an eye on the switch-pitching buzz too; matchup engineering is evolving, and smart teams are already positioning for it.

Then the NBA steals the spotlight. All-Star choices clash with merit, rookies drop eye-popping lines, and the trade deadline changes everything—veteran scorers for late-game composure, pace guards for transition bursts, and war chests of future picks for long-game flexibility. Coaching changes and ownership noise add layers to an already wild market.

We close with a deep Super Bowl breakdown: two disciplined defenses, quarterbacks nursing injuries, and a likely grind where time of possession and the run game unlock the air attack. Expect tight ends to matter in the red zone, special teams to tilt field position, and one decisive late drive to define legacies. Hit play, join the debate, and tell us your first touchdown pick. If you enjoy the show, follow, share with a friend, and leave a quick review—what prop bet are you riding this Sunday?

Transcript

Sponsors And Run Of Show

SPEAKER_00 0:12

February 4th, 2026. Welcome back, everybody, and thank you for joining us for another episode of Sports Banter. I'm Brian with an eye. And I'm Mike. And we are two for the way. Mike, this is another good time of year for sports talk. We have some intriguing things going on. What's on tonight's agenda?

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Well, we're heading off towards Super Bowl Sunday this weekend. We have the Olympics kicking off with the opening ceremony Friday night. And we got an NBA trade deadline happening tomorrow. So we have all kinds of things happening with the NBA as far as trades are concerned. And I mean, sports is not disappointing right now with plenty to talk about.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Yeah, and just a couple days away from the Super Bowl. Man, and then like you said, the wintertime Olympics get ready to kick up here soon. So uh very exciting things going on this time of year. Uh before we get started, I just want to thank our sponsors and partners. Body by D Gym, located in Yorktown and in Gloucester. Uh Deshaun Wright, former bodybuilding champion, uh training future bodybuilding champions uh out of those gyms and fitness centers. Uh very community-oriented, very youth program oriented, a lot of great things coming out of those uh gyms up there. Good job, my friend. Our good friends Caden and Christian over at Solace Outfitters, uh, two young athletes, basketball players, in fact, Mike, uh, not just displaying a high level of uh athletic ability, but also a high level of business acumen as well. So good job, guys, and keep on going. And giving tree chiropractic. Uh located down here in Virginia Beach. Uh Justin's very knowledgeable, very good, uh, very outgoing, very uh very warming, welcoming, especially in his uh you know, place of practice. I don't know what chiropractors call their place of practice, Mike. But anyway, um, you know, like a dojo or something. But anyway, he's very knowledgeable, very skilled, uh, and his prices are set up to be accessible for pretty much anybody, regardless of your budget. So thank you everybody for being our sponsors and partners, and we look forward to doing business with you more in the future. Mike, let's dive in, bro. What do we got up first?

Olympic Drama: Lindsey Vonn’s ACL Decision

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Well, we're gonna kick off the show tonight talking about uh the Olympics of all things, because uh, like I said, Friday. Friday is the opening ceremonies, which are always pretty cool to watch. Friday's day. Yes. But we're gonna start off with some uh unfortunate news, uh, especially for an Olympian, but uh more so for Lindsay Vaughn, who back on January 30th, so not so far far back, uh was just doing a practice run, going down the hill, getting ready for the Olympics. You know, most most athletes are practicing, getting ready because they want to do well in their sport. So unfortunately for her, she crashed while going downhill. And this has happened to her before, and she's had some pretty gnarly injuries because of it. And unfortunately, she said back on February 3rd that she has suffered an ACL injury, and when you hear that, you're thinking, oh no, she's not gonna compete. But wait, tough blow. She is gonna compete at 41 years old. She is still gonna compete because this is probably going to be her last Olympics, but she has worked with doctors and they have put on a brace, and she has actually gone downhill with the brace and has said that it's stable enough that she feels she can compete with the brace and be here for this Olympics.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Okay, Adrian Peterson. Hold on now.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Look, all I can say is if you don't think that these Olympic athletes are competitive and that are determined, I mean, this is this is this is borderlining on those scenarios where you hear like a hockey player had a broken leg and still skated, or you know, Jack Trueblood when he was with the Rams in a Super Bowl and his leg was broken, he still played. You know, or Ronnie Lott with his finger.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

You know, I got something on that competitiveness uh in just a second, but uh, you know, this I think this is also a good nod to these athletes and what they're displaying of evolution, right? They're pushing the human body forward, all right. Look, and this is a sign of how healthy these athletes are and how well they take care of their bodies, that they're able to either compete with an injury like this or get past an injury like this in a relatively quick amount of time. So I think there's a lot of things that deserve credit here. Uh, not just her uh competitiveness uh and willingness to compete, but also how well these athletes have built their bodies and how healthy they really are when enduring things like this.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Okay, so Lindsay Vaughn says that she completely ruptured her ACL, has a uh bone bruise, uh plus a meniscal damage, but she says my knee is not swollen, and with the help with help uh with this knee brace that she feels she can compete. I I look it to compete for your country, which she has done before, she has nothing to prove here. She has been one of the more dominant performers in her sport, and she I mean she just won in worlds before this Olympics, so it's it's not like you can say that she's not you know up there as far as the competitors. This isn't somebody, you know, who hasn't done it before. Yeah, there's some people saying, Well, why not take and be you know gracious and just say, Look, I'm gonna bow out and let an alternate come in. But at the same time, you realize that these athletes, a lot of times when they go and compete, they got sponsorships and partners that if they perform, they get money. Well, not just that, but like not that I'm saying she needs the money, but I'm just saying that it when you're expecting, hey, I'm gonna get this amount of money if I go compete, and I'm not saying that's what's driving her. I know what's driving her. What's driving her is to this is her last Olympic. She knows it's her last. She wants to go and compete.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Yeah, well, you almost took the words right out of my mouth. Like, um, this isn't, I don't even think this is about money or sponsorships for her. Obviously, uh athletes train and prepare for years leading up to these Olympics, all right? Um, and to to make it this far and to come up short, I really think that this might have been one of her last hoorahs for her career, and she probably really wanted to do this one last time.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

Well, and the Olympics has given us so many scenarios kind of like this where you know competitors still want to compete even after they've gotten hurt. Like I can't remember the runner's name, but there was a runner. He was uh Robert Griffin.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Huh? He was an Olympic sprinter until he got his leg torn in half.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

You're throwing me off. You know, RG. No, I'm not talking about stop with your homerisms. Look, no, this was in this was in the this is in the Olympics. I'm talking about summer Olympics years ago. It was back in the 90s, there was a guy who he he's literally running, and you could just tell he basically tore up his hamstring. Oh yeah, and yeah, his father literally comes down from the stands and helps him, and he's he's trying to help him off the track, and he says, No, no, I want to finish. Yeah. And he literally, with the help of his dad, crosses the finish line and you know, tears in his eyes, because you know, this is this was supposed to be his moment to to be on a national or not national, but world stage and show how good he is, and you know, yeah, you never want to go out like that, but it made made one of the more memorable moments, you know, or or like uh oh dang. Who did I'm trying to trying to remember the gymnast name, like try harder! She literally, she uh Larry Mo uh no no no, what is it? Uh Mary

Competitive Spirit Stories And Grit

SPEAKER_01 8:53

Damn it. She was a gym Mary had a little lamb. No, she was the gymnast in the 80s. Uh she's actually in that movie Scrooged. Um but when she landed when she landed her when she landed, she literally busted up her leg, but like holds just barely holds her leg up because she knows that she's like either broken her ankle or broken her leg or something. Like she screwed something up, but she stuck the landing.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

I mean she wanted them points.

SPEAKER_01 9:24

But but because of that, she won. You know, but yeah, it's it's it's that competitive spirit that even though you're hurt, you muscle through and you get through the pain. You you do what you have to do to win.

SPEAKER_00 9:39

Yeah, and let me tell you what, like, and to to competitors like these, every single thing, even if they say it's casual, is competitive, okay. I'm gonna go left field a little bit real quick, okay? Uh good luck to Lindsey Vaughn. I'm sure we'll circle back to this in a full circle moment. But like, I read an article about Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, for instance, when they play golf, right? Somebody went to meet them to play golf. And, you know, it was supposed to be a casual round of golf, but you could tell that Michael Jordan was still gonna find a way to win this game. They were gambling upwards of $30,000 a whole.

SPEAKER_01 10:17

Yeah, because Mike does everything competitively. There's nothing, there's nothing that you can do that has any edge of competitiveness in it where he's gonna just like be like dialed down and just yeah, yeah, whatever. No, he wants to win, and if he doesn't, he's gonna be pissed.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Yeah, even if he doesn't show it. And I guarantee you, this is something similar for Ms. Vaughn here as it is for many competitors. That's just the way it is. I mean, I feel it myself. I haven't been a competitor since my high school days, but even now, like, if there's something even remotely competitive to do, it doesn't matter how trivial trivial it is. Like, I'm like, all right, I'm gonna win this, you know. So it just doesn't matter. It could be washing dishes, who knows? But anyway, good luck to Ms. Vaughn. I hope that she has success in competing with this injury. Uh and especially representing women and America as a whole, uh, is just pushing forward. So just a huge amount of honor, I think, in what she's trying to accomplish.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

Yeah, just competing for your country is a is a major honor.

SPEAKER_00 11:23

Yeah, and hopefully this will be, you know, maybe she'll continue to try to compete, but maybe if this is the cherry on top of a great career, then you know, this is this is probably it. I think so too. I I salute you. Uh once athletes kind of hit that 40 mark. I mean, I know Brady played until he was like 44, 45, you know, Rogers, but they're very rare generational uh talents.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Well, it but within when it comes to the Olympics, though, there are some athletes that can go longer in their careers. I mean, like if you're an archer, yeah, you can obviously go a little longer. I I I've seen some people that do the uh the uh I forget what the event's called, but it's when you're cross-country skiing and you're shooting targets. I've seen people compete well.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Yeah. It probably it probably depends on the physicality of the sport. Yeah. Um, but you know, I I think we all hopefully understand where I'm going with that.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

You know, I digress.

NHL Milestones And Tampa’s Goalie Fight

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Let's talk about some hockey, shall we?

SPEAKER_01 12:25

Yes. So uh just a few things to hit on hockey. We're gonna start with talking about Patrick Kane, who just hit a milestone for the US of all things. He is uh now the most points scored by a US-born player. He scored his 1,375th goal, uh, I believe this was last Thursday, and uh he's now he he was a longtime Blackhawks player, and now he's with the Detroit Red Wings, which is a bit odd in my opinion. Um I don't really see him as a Detroit Red Red Wing. I see him as a Blackhawk, but nevertheless, he's he's with the uh Red Wings now. Um trying to find it where who he passed. He surpassed uh where is it, where is it, where is it? My apologies for my poor judgment in finding the name.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

Try harder! I am trying the name of this episode, Try Harder. It's uh Mike Munden. Here, you're the name guy. Oh, here we go. Here we go. Um where is it? It's right there. Oh, Mike Madonna. Yes, Mike Madano. I could have threw that out there like 30 seconds ago.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Yeah, well, how come you didn't?

SPEAKER_00 13:54

Well, I didn't know that's what you were looking for.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

Anyway, he passes Mike Madono. Now we have a new leader for the US in hockey. Congratulations, Mr. Kane! But more importantly, let's talk about the winter classic. Yes. You do know what the winner classic is, right?

SPEAKER_00 14:19

I assume it's a classic that happens during the wintertime. Good lord.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

So hockey every year likes to do one of their games outdoors.

SPEAKER_00 14:33

But for hockey.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

No. No, they like to do their game outdoors, and this one was a little special because they did it outdoors in Tampa.

SPEAKER_00 14:44

Ooh, but it just happened to be cold down there last weekend.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

That was just good timing by the weather, to be honest. Because you think about it, we're gonna do a hockey game outside with ice in Florida. Yeah, that sounds weird to most people.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

They lucked out, they lucked out. Somebody was controlling the weather on that one.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

I guess. But yes, it was rather cold during that time, which played to the fact that they were having a hockey game. But in this particular game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Bruins, uh didn't start out so great for them. And by the way, they played this in the Buccaneers Stadium.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

Ooh.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

So they usually they usually do it up. They make it they make it cool every time. They got usually hooked to it every time.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Do they still fire the cannons for hockey teams?

SPEAKER_01 15:35

You know, I don't know if they did, but that would have been pretty damn cool.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

And if they do, will it crack the ice?

SPEAKER_01 15:42

They don't actually shoot the cannons, they just you know, basically ignite some stuff and make it seem like they're shooting them. They're not actually shooting them.

SPEAKER_00 15:50

They're sending cannonballs onto the fields, or I don't know, Mike. I have never been there. I don't know what they do down there in Tampa.

SPEAKER_01 15:57

Florida folks are crazy. Yeah. Florida man. Anyway, um, so getting back to this hockey game, uh, it was not starting out so great for for the lightning. The lightning got down down by the Bruins pretty quickly, but get down, get down this guy. Anyway. So what happened was this game wound up going going to overtime, and no scores, no scores made. But they went to a shootout, Tampa pulls it off, they get the they get the win, but they credit this mainly to one action in the game. One action in particular, and it's gonna be your favorite thing.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

Fighting? Yeah. I don't know that I would describe that as my favorite thing. I'm awfully good at it, but I don't know. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

I'm saying I'm saying your favorite thing about hockey, the fighting.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

Yeah, that's my favorite thing, but that's because I really don't know anything about hockey, although I love to talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

Anyway, so but what makes us what makes this fight in particular interesting is because it was the same type of fight that we talked about just a week ago that hadn't happened in a long time.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

Where there's true goalies going at it. And now within a calendar 10 days, we've had two goalie fights in the NHL.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

I know the goalies like we went in on this action.

SPEAKER_00 17:29

They're getting it, but I'm sorry, the last one, I forgot his name. It was a really long, complicated name. He was the best one because he just came clear across the ice. Nobody even saw him coming. But let's talk about this situation here.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Well, this particular fight was interesting because uh the goalie decided to get into it with the other goalie because he started fighting. He started fighting with one of his other players, and he said, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 17:57

Not today, not today. I saw what happened last week. I'm getting in this week.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

This is this is my space to fight. You're gonna fight goalie, you're gonna fight the other goalie. And goalie fight, goalie fight. It's always fun when this happens. Like a bunch of teddy bears because they're all padded up. Oh yeah, oh yeah. So basically, the situation turns into a massive scrum, and then you see the goalie start to skate away as he notices the other goalie is coming across the ice and they start stripping down their gear, which is kind of ridiculous. Like, keep your masks on, but right at center ice, they're like, nope, just start throwing down, grab the collar and start raining punches, both of them. But because I led to saying this was the rally point for Tampa, their goalie kind of won this fight. The Tampa Bay goalie, he won the fight.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

You know, that looked like they just agreed that they were gonna fight. It didn't even because I mean they're basically hugging when they got back up.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

No, because the look, the goalie threw a punch at the offensive player for Tampa. You know, he tries to in fairness, goalies don't like when you stick the the your stick right into their pads after they've already trapped the puck. Yeah. And that's what he did. And uh he didn't take kindly to it, so he tried to punch the the Tampa player, and when he saw the other goalie take offense to him throwing a punch, he was like, Alright, I'm gonna come over there and I'm gonna deck you. It's just it's just the uh Bruins goalies saw him coming across the room.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

Yeah, they got some they got some good jabs in there. I'll say that was that was a good fight, too. They had some good jabs in there, uh, but they seemed to be all good after it was over.

SPEAKER_01 19:44

But like I said, they were down at that point, so they they looked at that as their rallying point, and the whole game changed from there where they took it in overtime and won in the shootout.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Yeah, the qu the goalie is like a quarterback almost. Like, you ain't gonna mess with our guy without going through us first. But I think that's very interesting. Uh, hockey season uh seems to be getting quite quite heated here recently, and uh, but let's talk about something else getting uh heated

MLB Culture Clash And Trade Ripples

SPEAKER_00 20:12

here. The MLB moves never seem to end, Mike. I think this might be the only sport that just is constantly cranking year round. If you're paying attention, you see it. Yeah. Like no, I haven't seen now the NBA is active, but like during the offseason, like it's not even the MLB season right now. We still got a few months to go.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

Like hey, catcher, catchers and pitchers report to spring training this month.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

Yeah, so we're we're seeing moves every week that just looks like it's the middle of the season to me. You don't see moves like this, uh like the NBA has their trade deadline, the NFL sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

This is why I always say true baseball fans, they love this time because this is when all the wheeling and dealing has happened. This is when players are moving and signing and going elsewhere. But I think you need to go ahead and take this and talk about what's going on with the White Sox new edition.

SPEAKER_00 21:11

Oh my gosh, I've been waiting for this. So I have a question for our listeners, and feel free to go over to our social media, Two for the Win, Facebook, Instagram, and coming soon to you, TikTok. The talk of tick, ticking the talk will be there. Anyway, um Lord. So, my question to you and to you, Mike: do you bidet or do you bidon't? I don't have a bidet. And I'm glad you understand where I was going with that. Because uh, according, you know, so if you've been paying attention as you noticed, uh, Japanese slugger Munitaka Murakami, which I hope I said right, I think I got pretty close. Sounds right. Has joined the White Sox this season. The Chicago White Sox, if you're unfamiliar. And He has requested that they add bidettes to their clubhouse. Bidets. Whatever. Badets. Well, I saw the tea and the silent tea. The English speaking version of me said bidett. But what else? Bidet, bidet, bidou, but don't. I don't care. Whatever you be, uh, they're adding them to their clubhouse and their locker rooms. Uh, so can you imagine, right? We go to other countries. I don't go anywhere, but people, Americans, go to other countries. And I imagine, like, we there's some level of culture shock based on you know their customs and traditions. Could you imagine being used to having a bidet the way you know things are done in Japanese society, and then coming over here and they just hand you a roll of toilet paper, hand you a roll of toilet paper. Like, that's that's one step away of from handing me a pile of leaves. What do I do with this?

SPEAKER_01 22:58

Yeah, well, it it's culture shock. There's look, there's some scenarios in other countries where you basically got a hole in the floor. You don't actually have a toilet you sit on.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

So, you know, some places just have a six-inch ditch dug down the street. And then that's what happens, not to get too graphic, you know, for our PG-rated podcast. Oh, I think we left that a long time ago. Well, we try not to, but anyway, I think it's a great addition. Um, I support the bidet movement. Um, you know, it's just it's another thing. Another thing making my water bill go up. Well, maybe that. And it might be cold on your bum, but no, you can get heat of water. You can heat the water. The science is there. Bidets, I think, are actually healthier than how we typically do it. Again, I won't get too graphic. Everybody knows how we do it in America. But um, you know, I think that was interesting that that's being done specifically for him, and I think that's rather cool, honestly. I think you're gonna piss off the Charmin Bears talking about bidets so much. Well, they'll save a lot of money on toilet paper, and like you say, Charmin will probably not be happy, but who said they buy for their Sharman's product anyway? So maybe Sharman won't feel it.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

Anyway, let's move over into some of the moves that have been happening in baseball. Uh, Giants, I think they did a low-key sneaky deal here. They got Luis Saraiz on a one-year deal to come play for them. Now, he was with the Padres, but the Padres didn't bring him back. Now, this guy is a multiple-time batting champ, so he can swing the bat. He doesn't hit a lot of home runs, but he's that guy that seems to always hit that sing-eye single. He just seems to sneak it between a few players and he can get your bases move in, you know.

SPEAKER_00 24:53

Yeah, you get some rotation going.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

And he's not he's not a bad defender, too. So, like they're low-key move that probably is not going to get enough love, but we'll see how he does this next year with the Giants. Now, moving over to a kind of a surprise move, in my opinion. Uh, you had uh the Reds of all teams going out and signing a big name free agent. They added Ranger Suarez to be their third baseman, and there there was a lot of people saying they thought he was going back to the Mariners. Like there was a lot, it made a lot of sense. He liked being with the Mariners, he was traded to the Mariners last season, and yeah, he is a high dollar player, but everything seemed to line up where it made sense for him to go back there until the Reds came in and said, Ah, come over here. We got you, we'll sign you to a deal. And so now he's gonna be a Cincinnati Red. Hey, money talks. Hey, but that means they gotta figure stuff out over there with the Mariners.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

Well, if somebody tells me they won't have an issue and they may have even already figured it out.

SPEAKER_01 25:59

Well, it's they're one one of two things. Okay, so he plays third base. They also had a hole at second base because they had their second baseman go sign with the Mets and Polanco. So now they've addressed that situation, at least addressed the second base situation. They pulled off a three-team trade getting Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals. Now, Donovan pretty big name player for the Cardinals. He's been pretty

NBA All-Star Choices And Rising Rookies

SPEAKER_01 26:26

good with the bat, you know, and good with the glove. So they're getting a pretty solid solid second baseman. So, as part of that, they did a three-team trade between the Mariners, the Cardinals, and the Rays. Now, the Rays, all they got out of it was uh Ben Williams, a third baseman. So that's Will Iams. Oh Lord. Anyway, but the Cardinals are the ones that made out like a bandit. They got a bunch of players out of this, and I really want to see how Brian does with this name, so we're gonna go ahead right there, that name right there.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Oh lord. Bear with me. Jirangelo Ginche. Sinche. Girangelo Cinche. We'll go with that. That's what we're rolling with, everybody. Jirangelo Centre.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

So they got Gerangelo. They also got an outfielder prospect who's number 11 in the Mariner system. Uh, they also got, well, actually, two outfielders. One that was ranked 15 and one from the Rays, who was ranked 24 in the prospect market. Um, and then they got competitive balance stuff and a few other things to round out this this haul. But what makes this interesting is there was just a report about Durangelo, who, if you haven't heard about this player, Gerangelo, Gerangelo. Durangelo. Uh Duran Duran. They just talked about this player not too long ago, where they basically said that the Mariners have deemed it to where they're going to make him pitch only from the right-handed side. Now, you might be saying, Well, why would you have to worry about in the first place? You normally you have a pitcher, he's a righty, he's a lefty, and that's what it is. No, in this case, he's a switch pitcher, he can pitch from the right or the left. You've heard of switch hitters, but not switch pitchers. That's called ambidextrous. Uh this is a bit beyond ambidextrous because just the ability to pitch in general is amazing, but being able to do it from not just the right-handed side, but the left-handed side is amazing. And he's not bad.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

He's not bad from either side. I'd like to see if he can play forward on a soccer team. How well can you use the other two limbs?

SPEAKER_01 29:04

All I know is if you watch this guy pitch in the minors, he he's looking pretty good. So the so they're hoping probably with the Cardinals that they found themselves a future starting pitcher for themselves who can switch it up from time to time, maybe go one inning pitching from the left side, one inning pitching from the right side, depending on your batting order, which could be just that next level weapon. Yeah, you know, kind of like when Otani came and he pitches and hits. Now you got a guy you don't know what side he's pitching from when you come out. You just look over what glove he grab. Did he grab the righty, the lefty? Which one he gets?

SPEAKER_00 29:40

Yeah, I I think that's gonna throw some some of his competition for a loop. Uh I'm eager to see how that plays out on the field. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

And to the Cardinals credit, you know, going and getting yourself because let's face it, Brandon Donovan, they're probably not going anywhere with the Cardinals right now. But to get you a good building piece like this for him, yes, I think that was a pretty smart move by a good organization.

SPEAKER_00 30:04

I think so as well. Uh, but you know, landscape of baseball's ever changing. Uh and here we have landscape of basketball seems to be changing for our eyes, Mike. A lot of a lot of activity leading up to the trade deadline. Yes, yes. But real quick, before we jump into that laundry list of moves, uh LeBron James earns his 22nd, by the way, extending his record, 22nd NBA All-Star game. Excuse me, sorry. So, um, for 22 straight years, LeBron's been in the All-Star. So I think that's hugely impressive. Congratulations to him. Um, and you know, obviously his future being in flux with the Lakers, you know, I think he plays maybe one or two more years. But I know we talked about that last week.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

To be completely honest, I don't really like that they chose him first over sending Kawhi Leonard. And only because, like, typically we're concerned when is Kawhi Leonard playing? That's usually the concern. But this year, Kawhi Leonard has been the best free throw percentage shooter of the entire NBA. Yeah. He's been playing well at an all-star level, which has never been a concern for him. But he they actually finally added him after the fact that they added LeBron. And it's it's kind of like, well, okay, you guys needed to add a clipper. So you went ahead and added him in. Yeah. But the fact that they they were like, oh no, we gotta get LeBron in, you know, LeBron, like they're placating to him to get him his flowers. Now that's not to say LeBron hasn't played well, but Kawhi's been better.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

I was actually gonna say, like, there are obviously a handful of very good candidates on the table for this. I was actually just about to ask you, do you think they're just placating to him uh so he can continue his chase for the GOAT title uh as one of the more senior talented players to come to the league? Or do you think that they really believed he is the truly, you know, best deserving player? I think it's a little bit of both, if you ask me.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

To be honest, and this is this has been a thing throughout his career, but uh look, I will say this flat out, bottom line, LeBron is one of the greatest players to ever play the game, period. End of story. There's no debate on that. He is one of the best. Now, I've never seen somebody need so much coddling as him. Like there's so many people out there. I mean, his his agent has a podcast where he just placates to him and anybody, anybody else that is his eight part of his team, you know, his his uh players that he represents, he just talks them up and placates them. But the biggest thing is like it I don't know why it seems to be like they they almost like LeBron needs to have people talk about him. It's like bro, you you you don't need to worry about

Trade Deadline Shockwaves Across The League

SPEAKER_01 33:38

this. You're good. You are good, like you're one of the best. You don't need to worry about what people say, period. Like you need to just go, oh, how many years have I been in the league?

SPEAKER_00 33:47

How many, how many titles did I go to? I don't think he has anything left to prove of it.

SPEAKER_01 33:53

Exactly. That's my point. He doesn't need to get their approval, he doesn't need anybody to be like, you're the greatest of all time. No, look, you just look at what you did, you look at the accomplishments over the years you've been in the league, you know, because like here's the thing, here's the thing. I I I'm sorry to cut you, but I know. No, you didn't. You were you were already talking, you're good. So when he was when he was with the Heat, one of the reasons that fell through is he went he wanted Eric Spoolstra to be fired. He wanted to get rid of Eric Spoolstra because he didn't like the way he was running the team. He wanted to bring in his guy, his people, and he got told no. So he left and went back to back to Cleveland where he knows he could have control because the second he got there, he brings in the coach he wants, he brings in the players he wants, goes wins a championship, and then he leaves and goes to LA to set up his career off the court and make money off the court with all the other endeavors he has.

SPEAKER_02 34:52

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 34:52

And it kind of soured a lot of Lakers fans because they're like, bro, what are you doing? Like, you're here to win, you're here to get championships. Why are you worried about us other stuff?

SPEAKER_00 35:05

Yeah, and he might even arguably have a better team with the Lakers than he had with the Cavaliers uh in that span, uh, talent-wise.

SPEAKER_01 35:13

But like, here's the thing you're going to a historic franchise like the Lakers with all of those players that hands down are probably some of the greatest ever play, and you want to be known as a Laker great, you can't be pulling all this other BS, you know? Like, you gotta just show up, play, don't worry, you know, don't be sitting here placating, like, we gotta draft my son.

SPEAKER_00 35:38

Look, LeBron begron being described as a Laker great would be like me describing Deion Sanders as a Redskins great, okay? If you only spend one year there, can you really be in the conversation? Well, he's been there a lot more than one year, but I mean he's been there for a few years, but you know.

SPEAKER_01 35:58

At some point, you have to say, enough's enough. And like, I get it. One of the best players in the league has kind of been the face of the league and driving revenue for the league for many years, and he's been involved in many finals because he's good. Like, I just don't understand the recognize that.

SPEAKER_00 36:22

Well, there's no arguing the talent. Um, and I honestly I think at this point he's literally just chasing the goat title, and he's not just chasing it. He shouldn't have to. That's my point. Like, well, some people are just like that, and it's not that he's like it's like, look, well, it's not even that he's chasing it. I think he's trying to get it so it's almost it's a very long time till somebody else breaks it. So I think he doesn't just want the records and the titles. I think he wants to break them so much that they're hard to ever achieve again. He wants to be the greatest of all time, and he wants to remain the greatest of all time.

SPEAKER_01 36:59

I mean, you you play as long as he has, you've accomplished as much as he has. You don't have anything to prove. Like, you don't need you don't need to worry about what people say.

SPEAKER_00 37:12

Like, I don't know. I don't even think he is. I don't even think he is. I think, like I just said, I think he just wants to make sure he stays at the top for the forever.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

Watch a few more interviews and you'll see what I'm talking about about this. But let's get off of LeBron and the the window closing, yeah, window closing, and let's talk more about these two young athletes that just came up through the draft this past year. That's right. Cooper Flag and Khan Kanipple. They finally went against each other the other night, and they put on a show. I mean, surprise, surprise, Khan Kanipple has been one of the better shooting free uh shooting rookies out of the entire class. Cooper Flag took a little while to warm up, but he's finally finding his own. Uh, but they went against each other the other night, and Cooper Flag put up 49 points to his former teammate Khan Knipple and former roommate when he was when they were at Duke.

SPEAKER_02 38:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:11

And uh Khan Knipple, he put up 34 points with the uh uh Hornets earning the 123 to 121 win. So Flag putting up a good fight, but not coming away with the win against his former teammate. And honestly, I feel like if Khan Knippel was on a different team, not the Hornets, you know, if he was on a bigger team, he would be getting so much more love than he is. Because he's been he's been shooting at a great clip.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

I mean, he's been almost playing lights out, uh especially, you know, he's you know, uh, sorry, I lost my thought for a second. But I agree. If he was on a more significant team, he'd probably might be getting a little more spotlight. But I think the Hornets seem to be off to a good start with the rebuilding of their future here. Oh, yeah. And Kanipple, you know, leading that charge, uh, and then to overcome a team like the Mavs. I know the Mavs kind of had a little bit of a reset, you know, in recent years, but still, you know, Cooper Flag was the best college player coming out of college this year. The number one pick overall. Number one pick overall, deservedly so, and joins a very high-powered Mavs team who historically has been competitive. You know what's wild is he's 19 years old and playing in the NBA. Good lord. I wish I, you know, looking, knowing what I know now, I wish I had been 19 years old when I started my career. Because I'd probably be ready to retire by now. So but, you know. Anyway. Good job to these young fellows and a hell of a game displayed uh that evening. Sorry, I got some issues here tonight. You alright? Yeah, yeah. A little bit of hiccup, a little bit of, you know. A little bit of stuff going on. Yeah, hiccup and stuff, problems. But anyway, that doesn't matter because we're here to talk about sports, not my problems.

SPEAKER_01 40:08

Yeah. So with the NBA trade deadline happening literally tomorrow, uh, we figured we'd hit some of these big moves that have recently just happened. Uh, one name, namely actually happening today, yes, yeah. James Harden being moved from the Clippers to Cleveland, and the Clippers are getting Darius Garland and a future second-round pick, which, by the way, this is a win-win for both teams because Darius Garland, younger player, faster player, is gonna add some add some juice to the Clippers team. But you're getting James Harden over to the Clippers when he's scoring 25 points a night on the regular, you're adding another scorer, but the Clippers hate this move at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 40:57

I hate it because wasn't Harden already on the Clippers or was that the 76ers? I think it was the 76ers, what I'm thinking about.

SPEAKER_01 41:04

He was on the 76ers. He's never played for Cleveland. Yeah, you're right. But he's with the Clear he's with the the Cleveland Cavs now. That's right. Which for the Cavs, I mean, yeah, you're getting a veteran player, you're getting, you know, a score, but we have seen from Hardin over and over again, he kind of falters when it comes to the playoffs. So I I worry in the fact that what they might get when they hit the playoffs, hopefully he shakes off those demons and they get some good production out of them. And for the Clippers, Darius Garland's a young player that they can use and with that future second-round pick too. And with the way that the draft's going these days, the draft picks are getting more important. But Darius Garland, with his change of pace and his ability to run end to end and get the fast break going, he's gonna add an extra little punch to this team.

SPEAKER_00 41:51

I really I really like this trade, like you said, uh Mike, because this is this was need for need, right? Cleveland gets a high profile uh veteran who can help lead this team uh and round them out. And LA gets, like you say, Darius Garland, who's just an absolute baller.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

I don't know that they need him to lead as far as Cleveland is concerned. I don't think they need James to lead. I think they just need an another scoring option.

SPEAKER_00 42:18

I think you're right. They just need another scoring option, but it still gives their squad some veteran leadership. Not that they'll be, you know, digging into it very much. Maybe they will, I don't know, but it still gives them some veteran presence there.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

And then Thunder uh deal uh so the Thunder make a deal with the Charlotte Hornets. Yeah. OKC get Mason Plumley while the Hornets get Kwasame Ding.

SPEAKER_00 42:50

Ding Kwasami Kuzmane. You know uh OD. Yeah, that's not a good idea. Never mind. Usman Us Uzman Ding. You know what? Just go read it. Y'all will figure it out.

SPEAKER_01 43:08

Anyways, and a second round pick go to Charlotte. So Charlotte getting a young player as well as a young a pick that could turn into something for a veteran of Mason Plumley. Yeah, not a bad, not a bad move, but this was the more interesting move that I thought I saw coming out of the Utah Jazz of all teams is making some moves where they move they made moves with Memphis, and this was the surprising move. We've all been talking about John Morant, but that's not who they moved. They moved Jaron Jackson Jr.

SPEAKER_00 43:43

to the Utah Jazz, along with Look, Utah is making out on this one, okay? So come on, bro. Utah receives Jaron Jackson Jr., Jock Lindell, uh John Concher, Conquer. I think it's Conquer. Kinchard. Kinchar. I think it's Conquer, though. And then Vince Williams Jr. And Memphis received. Actually, Memphis is getting the better part of the deal, in my opinion. Here they get Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, George's Nyang, or Neon. I don't know. And a future first-round three. Three future first-round picks, which to me is really where the value is because damn. That's that's crazy. That's why I say I think they're really getting the better part of the deal. Memphis should be set up for some success here in the next you know, three to five years.

SPEAKER_01 44:42

So one team that's been making a lot of moves that that really surprised me was the Chicago Bulls. The first first of which they did was a three-round or three-team trade where they went with Detroit and Minnesota, and in this situation, Minnesota only getting cash consideration because they're up against cap situation. Right. So Chicago, they received Mike Conley Jr., which was a pure money move. They only moved uh Mike Conley to free up the books because they owed him like 24 million or something. It saves him against like I think 10 million against the cap. And they also uh sent uh Jaden Jaden Ivy Ivy over to uh the Bulls via DJ Detroit. Yep. And the Pistons, they grab themselves Kevin Hooter, uh Dario Sharice say both from Chicago and a 2026 first round pick swap via Minnesota.

SPEAKER_00 45:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:45

So a situation where it kind of works out for all teams, although the Bulls kind of a curious move, kind of making a very loaded back backcourt with that move.

SPEAKER_00 45:55

So this right here, the cash considerations, I feel like is what having um, you know, an almost limitless salary cap is like. Uh, because now you're moving players just for the sole fact to have other teams take over their their base

Coaching Moves, Front Office Shifts, Ownership Talk

SPEAKER_00 46:12

pay so you can free up money. Uh so that's interesting to me that they're in that kind of cap hell that they're literally just giving players away for the fact that other teams were willing to take on their payday.

SPEAKER_01 46:25

So if earlier that name from the Bulls sounded a little weird, it's because Sacramento had sent that player to the Bulls, and the Bulls then moved him off to uh Detroit. This is why I say the Bulls have been wheeling and dealing. They certainly have in that in that particular deal. The Bulls also got two second-round picks, one in 2027 and one in 2029, uh from Sacramento. But they were also lumped in with a deal with Cleveland, with Cleveland receiving Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroeder, which is a good pickup for Cleveland because it's no, it's Schroeder. Oh and uh Emmanuel Miller from the Bulls. So Schroeder being at it, it's good veteran presence and good player to help them make a push in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_00 47:16

You know, I'm just looking at these dates 2027, 2029, and I'm like, damn, they really making some picks in the future. Mike, do you know I'm just now realizing we're in 2026, and both of those years are not that far away. I know, I know. That is crazy to me. Do you know I have I'm not trying to get too far off the subject, but do you know I have reading and following the potential building of a new stadium for Washington since 2020, 2011? I remember talking to you about this actually that far back.

SPEAKER_01 47:50

So let's get over to some other moves that happened that were not up here, but I remember reading about them and I'm gonna talk about them because I love the idea of what happened here because I don't I don't love it for what happened to the player, but I love it for what the team did. So the Mavs have kind of been a listless ship and they've kind of lucked into some things, but when they went and picked up AD after trading away their star player Luca, uh it kind of for AD, it's like, all right, you went from the Lakers, now you're being moved to the Mavericks. Oh, okay. Well, I mean, you know, I was on West Coast, now I'm gonna go to Texas, no, no state tax. Okay, whatever, you know. I'm I'd be alright, you know, go play play for the Mavs for a little bit. Not so much. Because guess what just happened? They shipped AD to Land of Misfit Toys. They sent him over to the Wizards. So he went from being West Coast with the Lakers all the way to being with East Coast with the Wizards. That my friend sucks. It is suck on on a platter for him. So Mavs sending uh sending Davis along with guard guard uh Jaden Hardy, uh D'Angre Russell, and uh Dante Exam to the Wizards in exchange for Chris Middleton, which is a pretty good get for them, good good veteran player, uh AJ Johnson and Malik Brenham and Marvin Bagley the third, and two two first round draft picks and three second-round picks, according to sources. So now the Mavs who looked like hopeless are now getting a situation where they have some young talent coming back, or some young talent that's gonna be coming back to them with these picks, as well as getting some good veterans to mix in with their star player. Now you're gonna have AD, who's normally hurt, going to play in with the Wizards with normally hurt Trey Young. So I guess they're just gonna both sit on the bench next to each other going, yeah, hey man, what's up? Nice street clothes. Yeah, I know, right?

SPEAKER_00 50:05

Now, do we have any word on Giannis? Because no, there was talk on the about them moving him.

SPEAKER_01 50:11

There's yes, there's been speculation with John Giannis or the Great Freak. Uh so there's been all this talk about, you know, he has a restaurant or he is involved with a restaurant in Chicago and that he might be traded within, you know, the East. And it's like, no, no, no, no. He's not going to Chicago. I'm sorry. Don't don't think that for a second. The teams that have the the the build-up, the makeup to kind of make a move for him would be the Knicks, the Warriors, and then throw it, throw in what? What you got?

SPEAKER_00 50:46

No, I was just I was gonna let you finish, but I was just gonna interject. It's always funny to me, no matter what sport, when fans are like, oh, he owns a business here or he has a house here. But bro, I assure you, he has nothing to do with that establishment. It's probably being managed by his portfolio person. He literally probably just bought it, and he probably didn't even know he bought it.

SPEAKER_01 51:10

Also, there's been another move.

SPEAKER_00 51:12

Yeah, we can sidestep that.

SPEAKER_01 51:13

There's also been another move. Never mind. The Utah Jazz have acquired Lonzo Ball in a three-team trade uh with Cleveland and the Atlanta Hawks, but are expected to waive the veteran guard and allow him to become a free agent. So Utah is picking up ball just to let him go. So he's gonna essentially go where he wants. Uh Cleveland sent ball uh and two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz. They only received cash consideration from the Hawks in exchange, exchange for center uh Jock Lindale per sources. Well, not bad, not bad. So so that gets them a situation where they this is probably because they got shroudered. They're just like, get ball out of here. Ball has not been living up.

SPEAKER_00 52:06

Ball probably wants out. They probably talked this over with ball. Ball's probably a game with it. He's literally just a value piece, so they're gonna let him.

SPEAKER_01 52:16

He has not been doing well. When he was with Chicago, he had a knee injury the entire time.

SPEAKER_00 52:22

There you go.

SPEAKER_01 52:23

Dub Bears. Okay, stop. Uh he uh he had a knee injury that kept him from playing pretty much the entire length of his contract, and then he gets over to the Cavs and he's playing, but maybe he wore out his welcome, maybe maybe things weren't going his way, but he is see a excrement happens. Yeah, yeah. So they'll be sent somewhere. But getting back to to what you were talking about with Giannis and where he might go, um, I mean, really, there's there's there's only a few teams that can really pull off the kind of trade, which it might still happen. We still have till three o'clock Thursday, uh tomorrow, yeah, for them to pull off some more trades. And I would not be at all surprised to see a few more trades come down you know at the at the 11th hour, because it there's a lot of teams trying to make that final push. Well, that's usually where a lot of the big ones get hammered out because there was there was a move I didn't

Super Bowl Matchup, Betting Props, And Keys To Win

SPEAKER_01 53:30

see up here, which is kind of surprising. I I don't know why I didn't see it, but there was a move, another move the Bulls made that I was rather I was rather concerned when they made it because I'm just like, why would you do that? Why would you trade him? And maybe hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on.

SPEAKER_00 53:52

Hanging on, everybody. And while we hang on, okay. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:56

So the Bulls, the Bulls, the Bulls traded uh Nikolo Vucevic.

SPEAKER_00 54:02

That one.

SPEAKER_01 54:02

I know it's he got traded to the Boston Celtics for a second round, second round pick, and for and for uh Anthony Sim Simmons and another second round and a second round pick.

SPEAKER_00 54:16

So they're trading players and second round picks pretty much.

SPEAKER_01 54:19

Basically, and it's not it's not a bad move. You know, this is part of where I said they kind of had a crowded backcourt when they picked him up, but I did hear that that they went ahead and they traded Kobe White as well. They traded him to Charlotte, and then Charlotte traded a couple players back to the Bulls, and I think they traded Mike Conley to the Charlotte Hornets as well. So they like I said, they picked up Mike Conley just to flip him as well. So they've been making moves, they've been moving players all around. There's no telling who's on their roster.

SPEAKER_00 54:54

It just seems like they're just desperate to find a winning formula at this point.

SPEAKER_01 54:59

Well, I mean, they've they have not been winning for a long time. I mean, yeah, not since the Derrick Rose when days when he first came up to have where they to me, I I don't know if blowing up your entire starting squad at the trade deadline. It's not it's not everybody. They still have Josh Getty and they still have you know a few other players, two out of twenty players.

SPEAKER_00 55:20

Like no, it's not that bad. It's not that bad, but they've been moving some. But they have been moving, and I I I don't know if it's desperation or if they're really just trying to work magic. I guess we'll find out when we come playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 55:33

Well, they're loaded, they're loaded with picks and loaded with some new players, yeah, changing up the nucleus of the team. I mean, uh I think it can turn into something good.

SPEAKER_00 55:42

Well, them and them and Memphis, I feel are pretty well set up to build a winning product for the next in the next few years. Memphis, all those first round draft picks, and then uh Bulls acquiring the players and the picks to build on. Uh I'd like hopefully in the next three years, I'd like to see both of these teams much more competitive than they currently are, even though Memphis made, you know, barely made the playoffs last season.

SPEAKER_01 56:11

But yeah, so I got I got it here. The Bulls traded Kobe White and Mike Conley to Charlotte in exchange for Colin Sexton, and I'm gonna let Brian do this one because he loves doing this name.

SPEAKER_00 56:27

Colin Sexton and Osimon Dang. The same name I just tried. The same name he just tried. And then pronounced it differently, so go figure.

SPEAKER_01 56:38

And a third round pick, or yeah, and three three second round picks going to the Bulls. So they're getting quite a haul by trading trading away White and Mike Conley. And excuse me.

SPEAKER_00 56:56

You're right there? I'm so sorry. It's never just one, it's always like two or three or twenty. I've known him for many years.

SPEAKER_01 57:05

He is uh he is kind of sorry.

SPEAKER_00 57:07

It's always like 12 sneezes in a row.

SPEAKER_01 57:10

Another big well, not big, but a trade that kind of puzzled some people, if you heard it, it was uh Chris Paul got traded. Yeah. Now you might be saying, he's still playing? No, no, I mean technically he's not playing. Uh he's technically with the Clippers, but uh they agreed to send him to Toronto, um, which he does not need to report, but he's been traded to Toronto. Toronto! So we'll we'll we'll see what happens there.

SPEAKER_00 57:44

I mean play. The old raptors almost said rappers. I know I I heard you about to say rap candy rappers or music rappers.

SPEAKER_01 57:54

Which which kind of rappers are we talk about? Uh but but speaking of uh deals and things going on or things that happened and are unfortunate, uh Jason Kidd. Sometimes the best thing to do it's that old rule. But your mama always tell you if you ain't got nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. Yeah, well, Jason Kidd didn't pull up on that one. He had plenty to say. Uh when he basically said the rest did not do their job tonight. Well, by that making that comment, he got himself a $35,000 fine. Because he was he was not happy with the officiating in the game where they lost to the Mavericks 111 to 107. Uh no, my my apologies. The Mavericks losing to the Houston Rockets, let me say this right. The Mavericks lost to Houston.

SPEAKER_00 58:58

I'm telling you, watch out for Houston.

SPEAKER_01 59:00

Hey. Houston's a good team. They're not getting quite the production out of uh Durant like I thought they would, but they're still pretty good.

SPEAKER_00 59:10

I thought Durant, yeah, he can shore up some points for you, but I thought Durant was more of a leadership move for them because they are such a young team.

SPEAKER_01 59:21

So from from insult to injury, we're gonna talk about this situation that happened in the Charlotte Hornets game. Out of the fryer and into the fire. Well, no, no, no, no. What what? No, it just sounded good. Maybe it didn't. So, in an interesting situation, we had with one of the Lamello ball, one of the ball brothers, he was uh in a situation in a game where he was going for the ball, and so was his coach, who had really no reason to, when it was going out of bounds, over by the scorers table. And you had LaMelo basically go head to head with his coach, literally, bash into each other, and he needed some attention in the back room and you know locker room to get handled because he got a little cut on him, you know, a little little need a little stitch here and there.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:22

And ball, he was actually he was having a pretty good game this game. Uh, I saw a highlight where he just like out danced a defender, then just sinks a three-pointer. Like he was having a relatively good game that game, too.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:34

Yeah, and this kind this comes with the team's 102 to 95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. So yeah, he was he was having a good game. Yeah. But

Final Reminders And Sign-Off

SPEAKER_01 1:00:46

you know. He was putting them up. When your co when your coach just has to go for the ball, right when you're going for the ball for no reason.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:55

And real quick, before we jump off of basketball, we just gonna go. I know we don't talk about basketball standings very much, but seeing as how we're kind of like their season's kind of getting into the thick of it now, we'll just go over the division leaders here, okay? So central division leading uh Detroit Pistons got a considerable lead on number two Cavaliers 37 and 12 record. Uh that is the Knicks record, by the way, leading that. Sorry, I skipped. You skipped.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:25

You skipped the Atlantic Atlantic Division.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:28

Yeah, I skipped the Atlantic Division. So the Pistons are leading the Central Division 37-12 record. The Knicks are leading the division, the Atlantic Division 32-18, actually tied with the Celtics 32-18, and the Raptors hot on their heels 3-21. Um, and then we got the Southeast Division. Go up a little bit. Okay, sorry. Yep. Southeast Division. Miami Heat leading with a 27-25. The Magic on their tail tied with 2-3 or tied at 25-24-27. Yeah, so a tight tight division there with the code. Magic and Hawks hot on their tail, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:06

So going to the Northwest Division, we of course the Oklahoma City Thunder are leading that one with the 40-11 record, best record in basketball. Coming down to the Pacific division, where we have the Lakers leading with the 30-19 record. Although the Suns are hot on their tail back only just a half a game, or actually back a whole game, uh, because they're 31-20. Uh so yeah, they need to they need to hope the Lakers lose a few more games so they can take over that lead. Yeah. But moving down to the Southwest division, where the Spurs are leading that one with the 33 and 16 record, but do not count out the Houston Rockets, who are right behind them with a 31-17 record.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:54

Yeah, I think the Rockets can catch the Spurs. Who's got the best? Is it the Knicks and the Celtics with the best uh league records? No, it's the It's Pistons. No. Oh no, it's the Thunder Defending Champs. Well, I saw a 37. I didn't see uh Thunder's 40. So I told you. I told you. Defending champs, yes, you told me, but I may not have actually been listening. See? See? He doesn't listen to me. Anyway, next up behind them is the Pistons. So uh another good season of NBA unfolding, and we'll follow it more closely here now that uh NFL is kind of winding down. Even though the XFL and USFL are starting to gear up, uh we don't care about them. But if you do, we'll talk about them.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:37

And Olympics. And the Olympics, which we'll also cover. Let's let's also not forget that we still get some side stories here and there from pretty much all the sports. Yes, I mean baseball's coming.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:48

We we have the main sports, but we try to keep it diversified, you know. So but you know, that's what we got for some NBA and some basketball.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:57

Let's go over to college football for a second. Yes, Mike. And talk about Summerall channeling his his inner urban mire and making the gators earn their logo on their promo. Doesn't it? So it used to it used to be that players had to earn things. They weren't just handed them. You know, you didn't just show up and you know, coaches would do things where they would make you earn the logo on your helmet or earn your number. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:26

You know, or or like Ohio State, they usually have the They earn, they have to earn all the little stickers that look like pot leaves.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:34

But the the the point of the matter is he's bringing back that old school mentality of you don't just get this, you earn this. That's right. So I I kind of I kind of like that. You know, it's kind of like Dion, or like we reported last week, where Dion's enforcing penalties to players for not showing up our time on time or not showing up at all. And I I kind of like it because I agree with it. You're instilling in your players a bit of a value within them saying, look, you show up, you work hard, you'll be part of this team.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:06

No, I agree with it because regardless of whether you go on to play professional sports, when you get a job in the real world, you're gonna be expected to be there at the time you're expected to be there, or you will be penalized if not fired. Yeah. So I I think this is a very good life lesson because there's a lot of kids these days don't understand etiquette. Uh and a lot of kids these days don't understand hard work. But I don't want to go to the code.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:36

I I wouldn't I wouldn't say all of them, but I didn't say all of them, I said a lot of them. A lot of them, okay. But realize that a lot of these kids that are getting NIL now, they might not have to work after college, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:47

Well, they'll still be there'll still be work and it'll just the work will be different. Yeah. You should never really stop working. It'll just be different work. But you I agree with you, they probably really won't have to because they will be set, okay. But money does not make you live longer. Routine makes you live longer. Remember that. Keep a routine. Keep working. Hopefully they don't start podcasts. Look, if they do, I'm sure they'll have the resources to start at a much better place than we started at. We literally just bootstrapped this thing together. Okay. We're on like our third laptop. Okay. I sp we use our lunch money to buy these things.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:27

Yeah, yeah. We kind of we kind of learning as we go, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:31

We are. As if you couldn't tell. And you know, just a side note, it takes time to build things like these because neither Mike nor I really have much of a platform. Like we're not household names, we're not famous. We're definitely not rich. Um I think we have better things to do if we were rich.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:49

Um I don't know if we're obviously so wait, you're telling me your OnlyFans page ain't taken off? No, it didn't work out.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:57

I shut it down. People kept trying to pay me.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:01

They're pay they're giving you money to put stuff back on.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:03

In fact, they wanted me to come do more work for free in person. I said, no, I'm not gonna do that. I said, I paid for this. You better come to my house to clean my gutters. I said, I already work for tips, and a lot of them already had tips for me, but it wasn't the kind of tips I appreciated. So I let it go. Yeah, tips like uh, hey, brush your hair. No, not those kind of tips. The kind of tips that are not PG related, sir. Oh. Oh. No, sir. But I digress. But anyway, like I think we do a relatively good job with what we've done with this show. And the handful of listeners we have, we continue to build on. And by the way, we appreciate you all. Uh so yeah, it has been a learning curve for us, especially since neither of us are in media professionally. Uh but again, I think we're building something here. We're kind of figuring, we're kind of figuring it out as we go. We don't even know. I mean, we have a sense of direction, but anyway. Let's talk about Mr. Sumerall here and the Gators, is where we stalk to. Back to the full circle moment. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I thought you were going somewhere with that. Oh no, I had nothing more on that.

unknown 1:08:14

This guy.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:16

Alright, so I guess he wants to move on into NFL. I thought you had more on that. No, I didn't. I said what I needed to say on that. Let's move into the NFL.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:26

We'll move into the NFL. Speaking of not having much to say, the Pro Bowl was this last weekend. Did anybody notice? I don't even think anybody care. I don't even think anybody knows the Pro Bowl still exists.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:37

The only thing that I liked about this was the fact that you had you had Jerry Rice and Steve Young being the captains for the teams. That was the only part about it that was interesting to me. I thought Drusky was a captain. No, he wasn't. But I will say this. There is one good thing that does come from this, is a lot of these stars, they do interact with the fans, and the fans get you know time with them where they're signing autographs, taking pictures. And for, you know, the younger fans, that's pretty, pretty dang cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:08

I mean, for younger fans that happen to be lucky enough to make it to the Pro Bowl where literally nothing happens.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:15

Uh well, I I don't know. They name they named uh uh Dallas receiver Pickens as the uh player of the game.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:24

Yeah, he had a pretty new Well, yeah, he got Pro Bowl MVP, which really doesn't mean anything because it's flag football. I mean, that means something to people like still an impressive catch he made. It means something to people like us, Mike, who don't play a professional sport, but others are impressed that we can play anything. So that would be great for us. But I don't think that's great for Pickens because he plays on a much higher caliber level of athleticism than flag football. Like if I played flag football and got MVP, a lot of people would be impressed because um I'm super dad bodied out right now.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:01

Like, you see that dad bot get up.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:03

Like, dang, man, I didn't know that guy was that quick, or that he could jump.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:07

Look at that deceiving bot he has. It's like when you see a big guy, like you know, one of those like D-linemen, you know, those uh uh was it defensive tackles. Yeah, and you see them guys like motoring down the field, it's like look at that boy go.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:24

I still remember was it was it a dolphins player? I remember I think it was an offensive player, Campbell. This was a few years ago. He I saw a meme, he's like upside down holding the football going into the end zone, and he's like, I bet you're wondering how I got here.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:42

I I I saw that play. I saw that play. It wasn't it wasn't even it he it was all effort for nothing because they blew the play dead, but he took the ball and was like into the end zone. Yeah, he's doing a flip.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:55

And the meme was, I bet you're wondering how I got here. That was good. But anyway, um I don't really care about the Pro Bowl anymore. I know some people do. I used to really care about it when it was an actual game. I'm old enough to record.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:08

I think when they played in Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:12

Yeah, they played in Aloha Stadium.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:14

Well, it made an incentive for players because then you could take your whole family to Hawaii.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:19

Yes. And you know, I I feel like it's been watered down. They need to, I don't know what they're gonna do, Mike. This is something they've been trying to figure out for like 15 years now, maybe even longer, 20 years almost. Um but you know, I don't know what else to say on it other than to move on. But the Pro Bowl did happen. Uh and before we talk on, before we get onto the some Super Bowl, uh we'll talk a little bit of, you know, uh Super Bowl is gonna be the last thing we talk about. We've got to do that. Let's talk some news here first. As you know, Tom Brady wasn't selected in his first year of eligibility. Well, neither was Robert Kraft. Not Tom Brady.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:58

I know. You mean Bill Belichick? You said Tom Brady. Oh, yeah. Tom Brady isn't eligible yet.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:03

You know what? It's not a good mental health day for me. Anyway, Bill Belichick was not voted to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. And would you have it? Neither was Robert Kraft. This isn't his first year. This is like his 14th year. Well, it's like his 14th year, but it was Belichick's first year. So I am sorry if I'm not being clear enough on the facts I'm trying to lay out here.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:28

Um So Robert Kraft didn't get in either. So my my theory of they're gonna get Kraft in to have him stand up there by himself and not have to deal with Belichick was totally wrong. They didn't let him in either. And this is all speculation right now. This is all insider stuff because the official announcement doesn't come until tomorrow. Right. Oddly enough, NBA deadline, trade deadline, and who's going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame same day. Hmm, coincidence, I don't know. But I did hear that long time holdout, long time holdout, Roger Craig is finally gonna get in. Yeah. And he deserves it. Three Super Bowl rings, man. And the first thousand yard rushing and thousand-yard receiving running back is finally gonna get in. It's about damn time. And that's not that's not because I'm a Niners fan that I'm excited for the Niners fan going or the Niners player going in. I'm excited for somebody who deserves it finally getting in. You know, he deserves his recognition. I could do the homer thing, but I'm gonna be nice tonight. It's not being a homer, it's like, dude, you're the first player to do something in the history of the NFL, and you have three rings, and you were a big part of those three rings, you kind of deserve it.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:58

Mike has been triggered.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:00

Look, I'm just saying, like, any player, if I told you that there's a running back with three Super Bowl rings and they're not in, you're gonna be like, why? Whoa, and that they they were integral to those Super Bowl runs. Integral. Anyway, moving on, let's talk about Dolphins.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:23

Yes, Dolphins! Uh I thought we talked about this last week, but maybe we did. Dolphins hiring uh former Packers defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, as their next head coach. Um that's a rather precarious move that you added from the messages that I sent you. That's why it's familiar.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:44

Oh, it's a it's it's an interesting situation because if people don't remember, he was a college coach. He was coaching uh for Boston College. That's right. And he when all this NIL and all the confusion of what's gonna happen with it was coming out, he said, mmm, I'm gonna go to the NFL. I'm gonna go be a coordinator. He went from head coach in college to coordinator to NFL head coach in pretty short order, but but if you look at the at the way he came about it, it's how it used to be. Yeah, you used to have a head coach kind of move on and go to the NFL, be a coordinator for a little bit, and then move on to be a head coach. So it was kind of an old style way of doing it.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:28

And that's that's good quality coaching, but not just that, but when you're part of teams who have and sustain success, people take note of your personnel more. Like, I'm sure there are great coaches on the Falcons, most of them just got fired. Nobody's looking at them because they didn't do much. But the Packers routinely, through the years and decades, have been playoff competitive almost over and over again, and they have a track record of bringing in people who can coach. And I think that a lot of teams around the league pick up on that because they have coaches like Jeff Halfley routinely leave and go elsewhere in the league, either in a coordinator or head coach or whatever capacity.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:16

So interesting situation. Uh we've all heard that Eric Bienemy is going back to Kansas City. Is he actually going back? He's actually going back. It's happening. This is so weird. So, but with that move, you got Matt Nagy going, what's going on? Why? I've been here the past three years. You guys are pushing me out, and so he has found a new home. His new home is with the Giants. He's going with Harbaugh to go coach the offensive side of the ball with Harbaugh.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:54

Look, I think that the Harbaughs are just slam dunk talent evaluators from on-the-field talent to coaching talent. Okay, Mike McDaniels pairing with Jim Harbaugh, um Matt Nagy pairing with John Harbaugh. I think that these are two slam dunk head coach coordinator pairings. Um honestly, as a Washington fan, I'm scared. Like the Giants might be the best team in the division, maybe one of the best teams in the league next year.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:28

Well, depending on what they do in free agency and with the draft.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:31

Well, they already have the nucleus in place. The core is there.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:34

They just need maybe a couple hitters here or there, but they have the the ability to build a culture that leads to winning.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:40

And honestly, if Jackson Dart had been a little healthier, maybe played a little less recklessly, and Scatabow had remained healthy. And honestly, I know neighbors has been injured often on the last couple years. If they can just stay healthy, I think you have a really highly competitive Giants team.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:59

Yeah, but neighbors injury you can't really put on on.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:03

It was a freak thing, just like Scatabow's injured. It happens. Just it hat these injuries happen. But I'm just saying, like, this is part of the some of the things that teams have to overcome throughout the season is major injuries.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:14

So speaking of teams with a little bit of a change going on, uh, we all know that Matt Ryan went from being in the booth to now being president of football operations for the Falcons. But with that, he made a statement recently that he said they won't commit to Penix as the starter for the QB position.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:36

Yeah, I'm glad we hit on this. They don't and they don't need to because Penix isn't his guy. And then the second thing is Kirk Cousins is also probably out. Well, not so fast, Kima Save.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:50

I don't think I don't think that they're gonna be out of there because here's the thing when you have a quarterback come in and you immediately see the production of your running back go up, you have to ask why. Well, and the reason why, and I alluded to this before, when you have a quarterback go under center instead of doing the play out of the shotgun all the time, like they were doing with Penix, where he was basically just standing to one side or the other and handing the ball off, it's kind of making it obvious when it's a run play. Whereas you can have change of direction and have situations when you're going under center and coming out and handing the ball off, or pitching the ball, or having the line move one direction and have the running back go another. Yeah, and it works because you play under center, which Kirk Cousins can do. So we saw a noticeable jump in the production we were getting out of B. John Robinson and later in the year with that one move.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:54

Yeah, and you know, I I think if Kirk Cousins agrees to restructure his contract, maybe they'll keep him. But honestly, I I think they might look to entertain a trade for him. I don't think they're gonna cut him too much money. But I think they're either gonna try to restructure his contract or they're gonna try to get somebody to take over his contract. Penix may still be on the team, but I don't think he'll be locked in. I think he'll have to compete for a spot if he does stay around.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:20

I don't think Pennyx is has worn out as welcome. I think what it's gonna be is they're gonna do what used to be done in the NFL, where you have the veteran starter and then the rookie or the the younger quarterback sits behind and learns from the veteran quarterback. I agree. I think what they want to do is they want to get him up to speed with playing more under center to add to the value of Bijan Robinson out of the backfield because you spent that high draft pick to get Bichan, and he's he's well worth the pick. So you want to get the maximum effort you can out of him, especially right now, so you can evaluate what you're gonna do to get him locked up for a long-term deal. You don't want to sit here and put all your hopes into your running back having to do maximum effort from your quarterback not being able to put him in the best positions because of his play. Right. So if you want to get the best out of your running back, you've got to get Penix playing under center. What better way than to say, hey, you're gonna be the backup, we're gonna let Cousins do it because he's he showed last year that he's got better production than you because he plays under center. You need to learn how to play under center once you've gotten up to speed. Maybe then we move on and send cousins elsewhere, and then we'll get you in.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:36

Honestly, there's nothing wrong with that. I think cousins retires. Um, unless he really, unless he goes somewhere, lands somewhere that he really feels like he can win a trophy, a Super Bowl. I I think Cousins is almost ready to retire.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:52

I I don't I don't I I don't think so. I think what's gonna happen is unless a team blows them away with a trade, then it might be a situation where they're gonna hang on to him.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:03

Yeah, I I think so too. I don't I don't think he's I don't think he's I don't think he's gonna out and retire, but I think if Atlanta wants to move on from Cousins, unless he lands somewhere that's really appealing, I think that he would retire. Okay. Um, but I think you're right. Looking back, I I don't see a reason to part with Cousins. I think they want to restructure his contract. They probably will. Um, I think Penix is a good future quarterback, too. I don't see any reason for them to move on, but sometimes when you got new execs come in, it's not their guy. Sometimes they want to move on. Um, yes, this is true. Sometimes they want their guy. I do appreciate that in recent years, new in new incoming execs and coaches have considered the talent that's already on roster, though. Um, so that's good too. Uh that that's moving that way. But you know, we'll see what happens with them and the Falcons. The Falcons is a very promising offense, uh, actually a very promising team overall. So I I think Matt Ryan can help get these kinks worked out and get them back uh to playoff competit competition.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:09

So moving right along to another coaching hire that uh hasn't happened yet, but it's been heavily alluded to, and a lot of insiders have already kind of hinted that this is already in the works because we've been waiting to see who the Raiders are gonna bring in as their head coach. And it's finally been said that they're going after the Seahawks OC, Clint Kubiak, has a verbal agreement right now to be the next head coach of the the Raiders, which honestly.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:41

I think it's a great move. If you look at what the Seahawks has done have done offensively this year, uh I think that the Seahawks are sorely gonna miss Kubiak next year if this comes to fruition. I know it's just a verbal agreement now, but it's very likely to happen. Uh the Raiders have the number one overall pick. Kubiak comes over. You know he's taking Mendoza. Come on now. Everybody knows Mendoza is gonna be the number one pick.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:06

And it it you won't be wrong picking him.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:09

Honestly, Mendoza to me is one of those players that, like, I know every year, every season, oh, this is this is the number one pick. This is the number one guy. I really feel like Mendoza has solidified himself as possibly a generational talent. Because he is actually, he could go on, he doesn't have to play football, he could go on and do so much more groundbreaking things.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:35

This isn't like when you had, you know, Peyton Manning coming out. This isn't like when you had, you know, Andrew Luck coming out. Like this is this is he's maybe just a tier below where he still has some things that need to be worked on. Well, but you but as far as all the boxes, like the mental side, the ability to read defense, the ability to make the right throw, the ability to keep your eye downfield, and you know, make efficient plays, is there.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:08

And you know, his pocket presence is really like almost second nature, too, as well, you know. Uh almost almost a young Russell Wilson-esque kind of deal. But uh, you know, I think the move to bring in Kubiak for the Raiders is a great move for them offensively. They have a few weapons already. Again, another team who I think has an almost a good nucleus in place, is need a few more players.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:35

So interesting bit of news coming out here recently is there was a little bit of talks about one of the teams that's playing in the Super Bowl and the Seahawks. Uh, their former owner passed away, so they're Woody Allen. Yeah, so they're they're trying to figure out what they're gonna be doing with the team, and and it's not just them, it's also the Trailblazers as well. So uh all all signs are pointing to they're gonna be selling the team. But there was a question asked to Roger Goodell recently in in the media days where they asked about this report where the Wall Street Journal said that the Seattle Seahawks were fined five million dollars due to their ownership structure not being in compliance with the league bylaws. Goodell said that is not true, despite what the Wall Street Journal reported, that they are not being fined for them not being in compliance.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:36

You know, um Woody Allen, I he's been passed away for some time now. Uh his family, right, has been handling the sports teams and this estate. I think it was in his will and his intention to at some point sell those teams, and that this is now coming to the point in the timeline where they're gonna do this. Um it's not Woody Allen. It's not Woody Allen.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:01

Paul Allen.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:02

Paul Allen, that's right. Sorry, I got my people mixed up. Woody Allen's a whole nother guy. But anyway, um, I think it was his intent to have the team sold at some point in the future. He did. Um, so I think they're just now coming to that point in the timeline of handling that business. Um I wonder who's gonna take it over. Because you know, there's been a lot of it's not really families and independent owners anymore. Now it's like corporate, it's ownership groups. You know? Hey, what a time to sell. Corporate, corporate level. I mean, yeah, if you're a professional sports franchise, uh, specifically NBA or NFL or even NHL or even a baseball team, like any of those four big sports and professional, like, if you're an owner and you're selling, you're about to be on a whole nother level, bro.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:56

Well, I mean, when your team's in the Super Bowl, it means

SPEAKER_00 1:28:00

You think you're you're you're at the high point, you know. Well he's he started the Seahawks, didn't he? Didn't he or did he buy the Seahawks long time? Either way, I know he invested a considerably smaller amount of money. Well, yeah, it's always that way. When you buy these teams, they only get more as the NFL has grown its product and popularity, so too have the teams involved in that. Seahawks being actually one of the more valuable franchises in the league.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:31

Speaking of popularity, you realize they're they're saying that this Super Bowl, they're expected to have a record 1.7 1.76 billion billion with a B dollars bet on this Super Bowl.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:49

Yeah, and I will be one of them. So that number's gonna go up a little bit. They're not worried about your little minuscule bets. Look, I just need 10 grand, bro.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:01

Right. There's people betting, you know, 10 times that in this Super Bowl.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:06

Yeah, yeah. They don't care about my little $150 bet. They got people putting 10 to 20 grand or more on this, aka Michael Jordan probably being one of them. But, you know, I digress from that. And I think it's interesting where sports gambling has gone come from over the years and where it's going. Specifically as it relates to fantasy sports as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:28

Where it used to be frowned upon and in back alleys and coded, where you know, people are calling bookies, making you know weird, weird things they're saying to them. You know, let me get a dime dime on Seattle for Yeah, it was almost like buying drugs.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:42

Yeah, exactly. Let me get a dime on Minnesota for o'clock over under a fifth fifth 550. It'd be like, what? Oh, that's okay, got you. You know, yeah, but now you just log on your phone and put some money in your account and you know, puts you know, whatever you do. It's becoming more widely acceptable. But you know, speaking of Super Bowl talk, I know we talked a little bit about last week. We'll talk about some more coming up here. Uh Mike, you have Seattle winning this, right? Yep. Uh I think I had New England winning this, and I think I really wanted to see New England win this, but I I think you're right.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:22

Uh right now, Seattle's the favorite to win it because the the overall roster structure and the team overall, they they feel is the better of the two teams. Well, they've had that's not that's not to take anything away from the uh New England Patriots because let me let me say this I'm pleasantly surprised by this New England Patriots defense because their secondary has just been ball hawks across the board. Like they're just guys stepping up, you know, Gonzalez is probably one of the best corners in the league, to be honest. That guy, you know, had a crucial interception in that Denver game to close it out. And I mean, it was kind of a floater and an easy pick, but still I'm just saying, like, you know, he seems to be involved in a lot of plays. But this game, what I'm hoping for, I'm hoping for a tightly contested game that, you know, I don't want to see this like final score 10 to 13 crap. I want to see like some points put up, you know, ball being moved down the field.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:29

You know what this reminds me of. I wasn't gonna, I took it out of the agenda, but this matchup reminds me of the Malcolm Butler play.

SPEAKER_01 1:31:38

Yeah, everybody's gonna think that because we're we're thinking about going back to back in time when it was two totally different teams then.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:46

It was two totally different teams, but the last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl, that is what happened. Yeah, they made Richard Sherman cry. That is what kept Brady from having what, a an eighth ring?

SPEAKER_01 1:31:59

No, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:00

Seventh ring.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:01

No, no, no, no. The Patriots won, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:04

Oh, yeah. You said that Malcolm Butler. Yeah, by the way. That's right. Oh, yeah, that's right. Russell Wilson. Sorry, it's been so long, y'all. It would have been I don't even I don't even remember right from left anymore.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:14

So it would have been Russell's second ring, which would have added to his his Hall of Fame case, which he might be the first player in history to play himself out of the Hall of Fame. Yeah, with the way he's playing. But getting back to this game, like, man, I'm not saying the Patriots don't have a shot because they definitely have a shot because with Mike Vrabel and ha having their offensive coordinator, uh, was what their offensive coordinator for the Patriots. That's uh it's not McDaniels, is it? Josh McDaniels. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:49

He's been around the Patriots for like 20 years, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:51

He's been in this scenario like nine times, man. This dude, like, he has seen this. They're gonna be plus the fact you have Variable who played in these games, they have a wealth of experience that the other team does not. So that experience will help in trying to calm some of these players down and get their nerves, you know, just kind of like bringing them in, being like, yo, settle down, get your shit straight. Because right now, you're too wound up. No, I agree with that. Because this game, you're doing nothing but waiting. You're waiting for the game to start, you're waiting for halftime to get over with because it's a longer half than the rest of the year.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:36

Yeah, and I agree. My like to me, this is about as even as a matchup as you can get, okay? They both have very solid defenses, they both have even records, high-screen winning records, by the way, 14 and 3. They only lost a combined six games this season. Um, but I think they're playing on two different uh fuels. I think Seattle's very organized, I think they're very well coached. Not to say New England isn't, I think New England's very well coached past team. They're very young, but New England has a lot of coaches who have been there and done that. They have a lot of experience, and they're playing on a high level of motivation and magic, where I think Seattle is playing on organization and execution.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:23

Well, here's one thing that you haven't mentioned is both quarterbacks coming into this hurt. You have Sam Darnold, who's dealing with the oblique injury, which if you watch these last few games, you'd be like, What oblique injury? He seems fine. Yeah. He's probably just getting the nectar of the gods there injected in them ribs or in that oblique area. And uh morphine. No. Yeah. Um, and and on the Patriot side, May, in that Denver game, he got slammed in the turf and screwed up his shoulder. Not, I don't think it was his was it his throwing shoulder? It might be his throwing shoulder. Either way, he's saying his shoulder's fine, he's good to go. But you know what? When you get slammed into the turf again on that same shoulder, things start to hurt a little more, you know?

SPEAKER_00 1:35:13

Yeah, and to me, this is probably honestly gonna be a defensive game. I don't know if this is gonna be a high-scoring affair, even with Seattle's high-scoring offense.

SPEAKER_01 1:35:22

I think both teams will score. I don't I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:25

I don't think we're gonna wind up with like a you know, 38 to 30 kind of score, but you know, we'll to me, like a 20-24 largely defensive game, but to me, the X factor is gonna be who can get their run game going. Whoever has the more efficient run game is going to have the better game overall because that will open up your passing lanes and that'll take pressure off your defense as you move the ball a little bit longer.

SPEAKER_01 1:35:50

Well, and this is where I say Seattle has a little bit of a hit to them because they don't have Charbonnet was their chain change of pace back against the Kenneth Walker. Although Kenneth Walker's been playing excellent these last few games and you know, putting okie dokes on guys like Darren Skates, but you don't have him, but over on the other side, you do have your change of pace pace backs when you have Stevenson and then Henderson, which Henderson you can roll out, roll out and throw a pass to him, which they have done before, or hand it off to him. And if he gets a if he gets a lane, you ain't catching him. He's so fast.

SPEAKER_00 1:36:26

I I think New England really needs to utilize their running backs here. I think Seattle needs to get their run game going to open up their pass lanes. So yeah, I think it will be a largely defensive game, but I think the team who gets their run game going is probably gonna win this.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:43

Well, it's the time of possession battle. Yes, you know, the team of possession battle. The team that can kind of like wear down the defense by getting their team to run the ball and mix plays up and keep that defense on the field longer and make them tired is probably gonna be having the better edge in this game. I mean, honestly, this is gonna be a good matchup. I think I don't see this being a blowout or somebody like clear-cut has control of it the whole way. This might be a back and forth kind of game, which I'm hoping for. I would love that.

SPEAKER_00 1:37:15

I think it could be back and forth. I think it'll be low scoring, but I don't think it will be a boring game. I think you will see some interesting plays. I think the first half of the game is gonna be spent trying to wear each other's defense out. A lot of run plays, a lot of play action, a lot of screens.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:30

So I got a few situations here I want to take take your opinion on. Okay. Okay. So we all know there's prop bets for these games. I love props. And there's there's prop bets for all kinds of things. There's literally a prop bet for how long the national anthem will be, over, unders for it, or how down to the second, how long it's gonna be.

SPEAKER_00 1:37:56

Yes, Mike, you can gamble literally on anything, on any aspect. You just have to name it.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:01

Right. So, some of the popular ones, uh, I wanted to see what you get your take on what you think it's gonna be.

SPEAKER_00 1:38:09

Oh, does Brian take the bet.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:10

I like this game. Brian. So for the coin toss, will it be heads or tails? Heads. Okay. For the Gatorade at the end of the game that gets dumped on the coach, what color will it be?

SPEAKER_00 1:38:25

Depends on the team that wins, but I'm gonna go with blue because they both have blue in their team.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:29

Okay, so you think it's gonna be blue Gatorade? Uh I will take yellow. Okay. Yellow Gatorade. Alright. Well, that is one of the Super Bowl colors. I'm I'm just saying that's what I'm gonna take.

SPEAKER_00 1:38:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:43

So now you come up with a prop bet. What's your prop bet?

SPEAKER_00 1:38:48

Alright. Uh who wins the coin toss for the beginning of the game? Okay. So I'm gonna say Seattle. Okay. Uh I this one I just thought of. I wish I had the sta. I don't know how many Super Bowls have gone to overtime, but do you think this Super Bowl goes to overtime?

SPEAKER_01 1:39:07

No.

SPEAKER_00 1:39:08

Okay. We get a winner. I think we get a winner at fourth quarter.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:13

Will this game end in a field goal? No. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:39:20

I think this game gets decided by a touchdown or more. So you think it's gonna end in a kneel? I think this will be a decided game. I think it will probably come down to the final moments. I think somebody gets a late touchdown, seals it, and then we go home until next season. So you think a team gets the ball back? I think this is I think this is a nail biter right down to the final minutes.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:48

Nice. Okay, I I'm all board with that. Yeah. I'd be cool with that. I don't know if that's what I hope or what I actually think, but both apply.

SPEAKER_00 1:39:59

Fair enough. Fair enough. But one last one we think we come up with here. Uh who do you think scores the first receiving touchdown? JSN or Diggs? Or somebody else? So my choices are Diggs or or Diggs, JSN, or other.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:23

It's another. I I think it's gonna be a tight end. Which tight end? You didn't ask that. I said I just said it's gonna be a tight end. I think that's either it's either gonna be Hunter Henry or it's gonna be uh Bonner.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:37

Bonner, yeah. I think it could be Hunter Henry. But anyway, everybody tune into the Super Bowl this Sunday, 6.30 on NBC. Tune into our social media, Facebook, Instagram, and soon coming TikTok.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:51

Also catch the opening ceremonies for the Olympics on Friday evening and the Olympics throughout following.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:59

That's right, and make sure you eat breakfast in the morning. For the last time tonight, I'm Brian with an eye. And I'm Mike, and we are two for the win. Thanks, everybody.