Rice on the Mics
Welcome to "Rice on the Mics", where sports talk comes with no script, no filter, and just the right amount of chaos. Hosted by Ian Rice, this is the spot for real fans who love the game but aren’t afraid to call out the bad takes, blown calls, and overpaid benchwarmers. Whether it's a legendary performance, a brutal choke job, or your fantasy team crashing and burning, we’re here to break it down like it’s last call at the bar. No corporate PR spin, no forced debates—just unfiltered sports talk with passion, personality, and maybe a little trash talk along the way. If you’re looking for stats read off a teleprompter, you’re in the wrong place. But if you want bold opinions, real conversations, and the kind of debates that might get a drink thrown at you, pull up a mic and let’s go.
Rice on the Mics
Who Will Lead the Knicks Now That Thibs Is Gone?
The firing of Tom Thibodeau has sent shockwaves through the New York sports landscape. After pulling the Knicks out of irrelevance and establishing a defensive identity that transformed the franchise, Thibs' sudden dismissal raises serious questions about the organization's direction. Leon Rose now faces perhaps his most consequential decision as team president – finding a replacement who can take this talented roster to championship heights. With obvious candidates already unavailable and no clear frontrunner emerging, the pressure mounts on a franchise that can't afford to take steps backward.
Meanwhile, across town, the New York baseball scene is heating up. The Mets walked into Dodger Stadium and took the season series from the defending champions, sending a clear message that they're legitimate contenders. Juan Soto has emphatically silenced his early-season critics, delivering five consecutive games with extra-base hits while rediscovering his trademark swagger. When Pete Alonso is driving in runs by the truckload and the dugout is loose enough for bottle-flipping contests in enemy territory, you know something special is brewing in Queens.
The Yankees continue their balancing act, welcoming back Jazz Chisholm with immediate results while preparing for Giancarlo Stanton's return. The pitching rotation looks increasingly formidable, though bullpen concerns persist after Luke Weaver's injury thrust Devin Williams back into the closer role – a position that carries unique pressure in the Bronx.
NFL drama never sleeps, even in June. Aaron Rodgers' 80-day wait to sign with Pittsburgh sets up a must-see revenge game against the Jets in Week 1. Derek Carr showed rare integrity by walking away from $30 million guaranteed with the Saints, while Anthony Richardson's latest injury setback highlights how quickly fortunes can change in this unforgiving league.
Follow along on Instagram @RiceOnTheRadio and call the hotline at 732-588-6869 to share your thoughts on these developing stories. Tell someone you love them today – you never know what people are going through.
I guess there's only one way to find out. Let's do it to it right. Five, four, three, two, one, zero, all engines running, liftoff. We have a liftoff One week. It's panic. The next bottle flips with the boys in the dugout Pete's launching nukes that Freddie Freeman's admiring and Soto's looking like the storm everyone forgot was coming. The Mets walked right into Dodger Stadium, gave it to the defending champs and walked out with the season series and a message this team is for real. Yankees meanwhile salvaged their finale with the Dodgers. Behind some Ben Rice heroics and some looming bullpen drama. Judge keeps stacking MVP numbers and Giancarlo's almost back. These bats are starting to settle into something scary.
Speaker 1:Some other small news you might have heard the Knicks just fired their best coach they've had in 25 years. Part of me feels bad, part of me doesn't Not. When Game 6 looked like how it looked players folded, rotations collapse, somehow it's all on fibs, though. Look, there's two sides to this coin, and the accountability training is on the local, not the express. Rogers finally signs with the steelers. After dragging it out like only he can, derrick carr walks away from 30 million and retires with some class. Anthony Richardson another injury, another setback. We might actually see DJ this year and Stanley Cup Final is off and flying. Connor McDavid orchestrates the OT winner and Edmonton draws first blood Game. One done and set. It's early June and the sports calendar still refuses to take a breath. So neither will I. This is Rice on the Mics, and the sports calendar still refuses to take a breath, so neither will I. This is Rice on the Mics, and let's get into it. Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed Alright, so let's get right into it, because this is probably going to be the last of the basketball talk for now, until the league starts becoming the meme of this league.
Speaker 1:The Knicks just fired the best head coach they've had in 25 years. This is a guy who dragged the franchise out of the sewers and brought it back to national relevance. A guy who got buy-in from stars. He built a defensive identity he should. He helped turn Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart into like buying in growing and blossoming as these players, and Brunson into a face of the league type. Player Thibs wasn't perfect, but he was a damn good coach, and now he's gone, and this is where you start to feel it a bit, not just from a basketball standpoint, but a human one. The guy is a lifer no wife, no kids, no side gigs, just film practice rotations and a two-for-one end-of-quarter possession. This man eats, sleeps and breathes basketball, and that's it.
Speaker 1:Now, sure, no one's going to cry a tear for a man who just got paid $30 million to sit around and do nothing, and maybe Holan somewhere else. Maybe some team gives him another shot, but more than likely it'll be with the same kind of scenario of a team that is deep in the weeds and needs to be pulled out and needs leadership and guidance. Look, his best case scenario is he slips back into like an assistant role on some team that needs like some more defensive intensity. But that's being the guy behind the guy. And hell, look, a ring is a ring. No one's going to sneeze at a ring. But whether it's fair or not, the league sees him as Buck Showalter, the one that gets you close, makes you better, toughens you up, but just can't finish the job. And look, that's fair, but not entirely fair with this team.
Speaker 1:Let's call it what it is Thibs got outcoached by Carlisle. He did, and, by the way, rick Carlisle not the worst person to get outcoached by. He's nothing to sneeze at. Guy was Larry Bird's 1A. He's got a ring in his playing days and one with Dallas during the Dirk days, so that man knows how to take down championship-level teams. But Tibbs, just he didn't adjust fast enough. He rode his starters into the ground all season, which is his normal MO, but something I didn't really have a big problem with, because there's a reason they're able to come back from 20-point deficits left and right and it's because my guys have more legs under them than the other and that's them playing 40 minutes a night.
Speaker 1:So then game five rolls around and he's forced to go to the bench and it works, so it makes him look worse. Deuce McBride, landry Schammett, shamit shit, even huck porty, they all. They gave them life, but it was too little, too late. Because game six carlisle knew it was coming. Big cat has a decent game in the box score but played bad. If you actually watch the damn game, the whole team bricked free throws like they're doing their best mitchell, robinson impression, and all you could do was hope that brunson pulls out another 40-point game. And look, he put up 19, which is not a bad number as a point guard. But that's not the way to win games. Just hope that Brunson can become LeBron and Jordan and take control of the game, which, by the way, he normally does and he normally can. But you know, even LeBron had Wade and Bosh and Kyrie and fucking Dele Vadova, for that mention, I mean, jordan had Scottie and Rodman. So when the moment got big, it wasn't just the coach who crumbled, the court was filled with fingerprints of a mess, which leads me to my next point.
Speaker 1:After the game, and all season for that matter, everyone backed Tibbs. There was maybe a little rumblings here and there, which looks a lot different now post-mortem here. But Tibbs through and through through had the locker room under control. There was a little fighting, but nothing crazy. So then afterwards he gets fired.
Speaker 1:Some reports slowly start to trickle out that each team member during their exit interview they might have criticized Tibbs a little bit, and apparently Dolan was there too. So you hope and you pray that this was a Leon Rose decision and not a Jim Dolan sticking his fingers in a cookie jar move. I think Dolan has finally conceded with that. But look, if we're being honest, knicks fans have seen this movie before. This is back when the franchise was a joke, when free agents wouldn't even take meetings. A second round sweep felt like a fucking miracle. The only thing that sold in MSG besides the tickets was shame. That's the thing the Garden sells out every night.
Speaker 1:This isn't Charlotte where they need a sexy hire to fill some seats. Thibs helped pull them out of despair. He restored real standards. So if you're going to fire him, you better have the guy lined up. So who is the guy? Well, michael Malone was everybody's first choice First name everybody threw out that's already been kiboshed. And same thing with Ime Udoka. God, I would love to have him, but the Rockets, they're not letting him go anywhere. Yeah, he had his troubles in Boston, but took the Rockets from like a 22-win team to. I think they were like the three seed or the two seed, so okay. So let's keep going on the list.
Speaker 1:Jay wright, just really lean into that. Further. Villanova life yeah, that's not happening. Man, jay is doing just fine where he is. And look, would he love to coach his guys again. Would he love to coach in the nba? Yes, would he love to coach his guys again. Of course, could he handle the pressure in new york? Maybe I mean probably, but college basketball is his bread and butter. He's a good looking guy, he's great on camera and he knows exactly what he's talking about. So if you think he's leaving that booth anytime soon, I've got a bridge to sell you.
Speaker 1:Okay, danny hurley, you want to keep college? Sure, danny Hurley, would he do well here, possibly? I mean, I think he'd love to coach NBA stars I thought I was off playing hard, which is his whole shtick. And man, he'd make my job a hell of a lot easier with all the sound bites he'd give. I'd have material forever. But again, same thing as Jay Wright. He's a god at UConn. Again same thing as Jay Wright. He's a god at UConn. He's not going anywhere. If you think how he yells at his college players, you think grown NBA men are going to be okay with that. No shot, that's a powder keg waiting to happen.
Speaker 1:How about an old-timer Van Gundy? You want to roll back to the original 90s? The man's 63 years old, younger than Tibbs, by the way, but he's forgotten more nba knowledge than any of us will learn. So yeah, that's great. Not to mention he'll fight for his players. Ie hanging on alonzo morning's leg. I just I don't know. Man you're gonna, the fans will love it. Does he still have it in him? Maybe Spolstra? Pat Riley would rather shoot Spolstra and go to jail before he sent him to the Knicks.
Speaker 1:I had a listener on the Wednesday mic check throw a crazy idea, but not so crazy idea. Throw a crazy idea, but not so crazy idea. Udonis Haslam. Maybe he learned enough from Riley N Spolstra to be a good coach. I also heard Jay Williams throw out Rayjean Rondo, who's currently coaching on the Grizzlies bench.
Speaker 1:I mean shit, you want to throw more players out. Why don't we give Ewing an assistant spot? I mean this is a huge job to step into A lot of pressure. So that kind of only leaves Johnny Bryant, the assistant coach, on the Cavs, coming off a great but disappointing season. Brunson and him have a little bit of history. A little rapport Could be a nice transition, but again another unproven coach, first-time coach stepping into a world of pressure.
Speaker 1:A world of pressure. That's the problem. There's no obvious answer on where to go from here. No name that guarantees you a title shot next year. No name that guarantees you six wins better. So if you're making this move, it's not just about dissatisfaction of Tibbs. It's about belief going forward, belief that the next guy is better right now, not eventually. Right now, and if Leon Rose doesn't nail this hire.
Speaker 1:It might be his last one because make no mistake, he's taking some swings as his next career here. He hired Thibbs to pull us out that hit. He brought in Jalen that hit when everybody criticized it. Then he doubled down, bringing in Rick Brunson too and say what you want, that's not a Nepo thing either. I actually think Brunson's dad being on the side on the bench is a good thing. Now when the new coach comes in, we're gonna see that goes. But that's a no one will be harder on my son thing. Not like a Nepo thing. So it's a big swing. We'll see Bridges five first-round picks, constantly criticized, but then shows up in the Boston series for defense that's a big swing. Jerry's still out there. Traded for big cat, traded offense for defense that's a big swing. Jerry's still out there, traded for big cat, traded offense for defense with a defensive coach. Jerry's still out there too. Swung big on OG and paid him a bunch of money and he's an intricate part of this core moving forward. So some of the moves hit, some are to be determined, but this move right here, this fire and tibs, this is the swing that either launches the knicks forward or blows the whole thing up. I keep saying it this offseason is going to be a huge one, league wide. So what will the knicks do and where will the Knicks do and where will the Chips fall?
Speaker 1:Let's shift gears from the potential and current chaos going on at MSG. Let's talk about a team that might have finally found their swagger. The New York Mets. Metsies just walked into Dodger Stadium, home of the reigning champs and baseball's supposed best team, and can't be beat. They said yeah, we remember last October they absolutely handled their business.
Speaker 1:This wasn't just another series on the calendar, it's one that they circled and then they reminded everybody we haven't gone anywhere. In fact, we got better. You know who else hasn't gone anywhere? Juan Soto, just like I've been telling you guys all Pump the brakes. You know who else hasn't gone anywhere? Juan Soto, just like I've been telling you guys, all Pump the brakes. So many of you were counting him out. The noise was loud and shit. It still is for the record. Oh, he regrets his decision. He's pressing, he's just not having fun. He misses Judge behind him.
Speaker 1:Blah looks like Soto finally woke up. He is now Billy Madison when he takes a dodgeball from the third graders. You're all in big, big trouble. Five straight games when extra base hits, three of which are home runs. Oh, and you want a little signature Mets moment? How about taking Clayton Kershaw deep and cutting the game down to 4-3 in a game that they'd eventually win, which took the season series? That's not just noise. Soto is back. We got the shuffle. We got the stare down of the pitcher. He's making sideline catches in the field. Yeah, all those receipts I kept. I'm about to cash them in in the coming weeks.
Speaker 1:But the real difference this week it wasn't just Soto getting out of his head, it was the vibe in the dugout. You had Acuna, another Mets young budding star, in the dugout pretending. He's behind the plate wearing Francisco Alvarez's catcher's mask. He's calling balls and strikes during Marte's at bat. He's surrounded by his fellow Spanish players. The only only one missing was Marte at-bat.
Speaker 1:And of course, what happens? Marte fouls one off towards the dugout and Acuna scoops it like he's Yachty Molina. Dugout went wild. Fast forward a little bit. Next thing, you know, there's a bottle flip contest right there on the steps at Dodger Stadium. This isn't the Rockies or the White Sox. This is a huge game against a team that knocked you out of the playoffs last year and a team that you're probably going to face in the playoffs this year. All calm, all cool, relaxed and good on Mendoza. By the way, letting the boys be boys. A lot of managers probably would have broken that up and said, hey, big game here. So they're bottle flipping. And what happens After everyone else fails?
Speaker 1:Guess who lands the flip? Soto, because of course he does. That's what baseball's supposed to be Fun, loose, fearless, not analytics and batting averages in your head. Right now, that's exactly what the Mets are. They're loose and dangerous. And speaking of dangerous, oh my god, pete Alonzo, can we rip up that contract and make him a Met for life? Now this man is raking another five ribby game, his 11th career game with five plus, by the way, really really climbing up the list. And you want clutch, you want production. Pete is your guy. When Pete's driving in runs and Soto's flipping bottles, you know the Mets are in a great place. So they split the series 2-2 in Dodger land.
Speaker 1:But the more important thing is they take the season matchup. So come playoff time, tiebreaker time, they'll have home field. If they match up in the playoffs and if they end up with the same record, or, god forbid, between the two of them. There's only one spot to get. It'll be the Mets.
Speaker 1:And before I get to the Yankees, quick note on their roster moves. Tough, tough break for Mark Vientos. He was just starting to heat up. He's headed to the IL with a little bit of a hand-shroom thing. But that means Ronnie Mauricio time. Let me tell you, if your biggest issue is finding enough room in your lineup for all these young studs, that's exactly the kind of problem you want. That's a great problem to have. Not to mention, we got so many guys still waiting to come up anyway, taking it to the, taking the subway over to the bronx.
Speaker 1:There's no shortage of headlines there either. Jazz returned some injury and he didn't waste a damn second straight out of the gate. Homersers, first game back, take the lead. That's making an impact. Saying, yeah, dj LeMay, who Not LeMay? You LeMay who? Rondon and Freed are just still dealing. They have a beautiful one-two punch at the top of the rotation. And not to mention, luis Hill is waiting to come back to round out the ugly bottom of that rotation. The Pinstripes also getting close to welcoming back Giancarlo.
Speaker 1:And listen, listen, I get it. Stanton's bat is dangerous and he for sure needs to be in this lineup, but he needs his reps. So my only question is when exactly is he going to fit into this lineup? Who's going to lose some at bats? I mean, this isn't. This isn't fantasy baseball, just swapping guys in and out Based upon matchups.
Speaker 1:You mess with the rhythm. Sometimes things go sideways pretty fast. Look Boone, I'll give him credit, he's pretty good at playing this uh lineup roulette. But the Yankees better have a plan for this man or this flow. Everything that they've kind of built could get rough fast man.
Speaker 1:And on top of that too, just when you thought things were stable in the pen, here comes some bad news. Big injury luke weaver four to six weeks with a hamstring. So that means devin williams gets another shot at the closer roll. So that means Devin Williams gets another shot at the closer roll, slides right back in. Exactly what you got him for. And his first game back wasn't exactly the best. Gave up two runs, nearly blew it. Yankee fans got some flashbacks there, I'll tell you what. But look credit to Williams. He battled, he got the save and on top of it too, he told the reporters at the end of the day, we won. That's all that matters, which that's the right answer.
Speaker 1:But as your closer, especially for the Yankees living in Mo's shadow, you almost want a little more bravado out of him, to be fair. To be fair, it would have been a new story either way, which is maybe part of the problem with Devin Williams and how he is with the New York media. So I can't fully kill the guy. But from a fan point of view, if he was like, yeah, I missed this role of closing games and being the guy blah, blah, blah, blah, it kind of maybe would put a little more pep in the step as a Yankee fan. But that's tough to do because then you kind of throw your guy Weaver under the bus. So the humble way is the way to go, but New York is unforgiving. He made the QB remark of what's best for the team, but he knows or at least I think he's starting to learn, that this isn't Milwaukee. You don't just win the game, you've got to win the crowd too. So let's see if he truly turned the corner. Because, oh boy if not, the Yankee Stadium boos are loud and they will be very swift upon him. Because, oh boy if not, the Yankee Stadium boos are loud and they will be very swift upon him.
Speaker 1:Bottom line Mets and Yankees both looking good, with the Knicks season over and the dog days of summer fastly approaching us, both teams look dangerous. Both teams are finding their stride. If this keeps up, man, we could uh could we actually get the subway series that everybody talked about last year? Look here, look, knock on wood. I won't jinx it, but, man, it feels good to talk about our teams going forward, not in the sense of, uh, oh, I hope we're competitive come october. Not in the sense of, oh, I hope we're competitive come October, but more in the sense of like, I have big aspirations come October. You love to see that. Go Mets, go Yankees, I guess. Go New York, go New York, go. Well, the dugouts are nice and loose in baseball. But you know what league always, always has to one-up the drama.
Speaker 1:The NFL, specifically its quarterbacks, aaron Rodgers, finally decides to sign with the Steelers. And look, we all saw that coming from the moment that he was throwing routes with Metcalf. But after 80 days of making everybody wait seriously 80 days, look, I was blinded by the Jets green, but now I see the light. What a diva. Most guys pick their prom days faster than that. I mean, what are we talking about? And of course, of course, because the NFL script writers are just they're undefeated.
Speaker 1:Week one Steelers-Jets at MetLife. You want to talk about a sold-out crowd filled with hope. You want to talk about energizing the fan base. You want to talk about a statement as a new rough and tumble no nonsense. Bill Parcells, disciple head coach, you go get that goddamn win. And on top of it, you really think Sauce Gardner and Quentin Williams aren't circling that date on their calendars and training camp with blood? Williams aren't circling that date on their calendars and training camp with blood. You don't think Garrett Wilson wants to grab three TDs and show Rodgers that I am the number one wide receiver and I don't need DeAndre Hopkins and Justin Fields, the team that benched him at three and two Rodgers better buckle up and buy his linemen some Rolexes right now, because week one at MetLife, it's going to look more like a Tarantino movie than football.
Speaker 1:Speaking of QBs who do things differently, let's touch on Derek Carr for a minute. Guy walks away from $30 million guaranteed because quote he couldn't take the Saints money when he wasn't feeling healthy. Carr has always had to live up to his big brother's name and I think he's better than his big brother. But he was a mess in college until he found his way and since then he's always had the good guy tag and most of the times, times in the NFL that's either all talk or it's PR or it's bullshit. But man, that's, that's walking, that's walking the walk. And if you're a Saints fan and I got a couple listeners out there that are I give respect to Carr ending his career on his terms, doing the right thing. Look, we don't always uh, we don't always get stories like this. So when we do, I feel like it's important to highlight them. Unfortunately, not every qb story has that kind of feel good uh ending or storyline.
Speaker 1:Surprise, surprise, anthony richardson is hurt again. Same shoulder he had surgery on already, which may be some soreness, but plus, he's got his knee. Richardson was supposed to be the Colts' savior. He was the fourth overall pick, the franchise quarterback. They handed him the keys. At this point, the only keys he's got are the training room keys, I mean, and somehow somehow DJ Danny Dimes back in the spotlight. Chance to get a starting job. That's unreal. Seems like they might be back to square one if things don't pan out quickly and look to be fair, they've had a tough go, had a tough deal ever since. Andrew Luck said peace out, just said fuck it, I'm out of here. But it goes to show how unforgiving this league can actually be. A couple other quick hits around the league Texan CJ Stroud, sore shoulder in OTAs, he's not throwing, he's on the sideline. Houston's saying it's nothing but nothing in June has a funny way of becoming something in August. So we'll see how that pans out.
Speaker 1:Kirk Cousins reportedly not only won't have a starting gig in Atlanta, but apparently anywhere. No team wants to trade for him. They don't want to give him up. That's brutal news for Captain Kirk. To give him up, that's brutal news for captain kirk. But hey, hey man, maybe, uh, maybe, netflix has an opening for uh quarterback season two backup edition. You know, I'm sure a couple you like that can get some, uh, get some sound bites.
Speaker 1:Giants had to end some practices early between some fights of the d line and the o line. Look it's, if you're a giants fan, it's nice to see some practices early between some fights of the D-line and the O-line. Look, if you're a Giants fan, it's nice to see some fire. It's nice to see some bite. But let's be honest with this schedule, as hard as it is. That might be a precursor to how much fighting they're doing in the locker room instead of on the field.
Speaker 1:And lastly, back to the Steelers Apparently they're still trying to trade for Jonah Smith. They don't want to trade for Jonah Smith. I don't know they went from and never mind, we're out to wait. Wait, hold on a second, we might be back in. They're flip-flopping more than politicians at this point. I mean like maybe sure they had. If they knew they had Rodgers, they were in. So then they thought maybe they didn't, so they didn't want to get him. But now that they do have him, they need to get him a tight end, because I don't know who else is going to run or catch the ball on that team.
Speaker 1:Bottom line is this there is no offseason in the NFL, especially when it comes to quarterbacks. Rodgers turns week one to a must-see revenge game. Carr leaves with class and Richardson's shoulder might be made of paper mache, and still more to come. The QB carousel just never stops. Football season is three months away, but if it keeps up like this, I mean we're going to be going over fantasy mock drafts sooner rather than later. But if it keeps up like this, I mean we're going to be going over fantasy mock drafts sooner rather than later.
Speaker 1:Just when you think you're out, aaron Rodgers pulls you back in. Ay marron, let's land this plane, shall we? We got the Knicks waving goodbye to their best coach in two decades and Leon Rose rolling the dice on what might be his last big gamble. No pressure or anything right. Mets are bottle flipping their way through Dodger Stadium, soto's smiling and Pete Alonso's driving in runs by the dozen. Queens has that aura back. Yankee fans enjoy the lineup puzzle when Stan returns and hope Devin Williams keeps finding ways to quote just win without losing the Bronx faithful along the way. Rodgers to Pittsburgh finally becomes official After a long enough wait to make LeBron's decision look efficient. Derek Carr shows how to retire the right way and Richardson's shoulder remains questionable. Somehow Danny Dimes is relevant again. Nfl offseason is always undefeated. Man Don't sleep on the Stanley Cup Finals either. Didn't cover it much, but Edmonton steals Game 1 in overtime. Connor McDavid doing Connor McDavid things Hockey, reminding us that there's nothing like playoff overtime drama.
Speaker 1:Folks, this show only exists because you're out there, listening, sharing and staying locked in every week. If you haven't yet, please hit that follow button and rate the show five stars wherever you're listening, and follow along on the Instagram at RiceOnTheRadio. We got highlights. I got hot takes. I got the midweek mic check I do every Wednesday. Bunch of polls. Got something to say too? Get it off your chest. Hit the hotline man 732-588-6869. Let your voice be heard. Shit, if it's good, you might just find yourself featured on the next episode. But most importantly, as always, tell someone you love them. Spread good energy in this world. You never know what somebody's going through. It's important to check in on people. Thanks for hanging out with me. This has been Rice on the Mic, episode 16, and I'll see you guys next week.