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
The Baseball Gods Giveth and Taketh Away
What happens when sports suddenly stop making sense? That's the wild ride we're taking this week as baseball's hottest teams face unexpected twists, NBA coaching searches spiral into public rejection, and NFL quarterbacks find themselves in places no one predicted.
The Mets are absolutely rolling, sweeping their way through opponents with Soto haunting his old squad and Pete Alonso driving in runs like it's batting practice. But because baseball can never let good things last, Kodai Senga and his league-leading 1.47 ERA gets sidelined with a hamstring injury. Across town, Judge continues launching moonshots with the nonchalance of someone taking out the trash – it's just another day at the office.
Our special MLB segment dives into today's top five players, sparking heated debate. While Judge unanimously claims the top spot, the remaining positions trigger fierce disagreement. Is Ohtani's two-way brilliance enough to overcome his DH status? Does Senga's dominance warrant inclusion? What about Freddie Freeman quietly hitting .367 or Bobby Witt Jr.'s emerging superstardom?
Meanwhile, the NBA Finals script gets flipped again as Indiana's bench explodes for 49 points in a crucial Game 3 victory. History now favors the Pacers – Game 3 winners in tied Finals series go on to win it all 80% of the time. Speaking of basketball, the Knicks' coaching search has turned into a sad parade of rejections, raising interesting questions about whether teams are deliberately blocking their requests or if they already have their mystery candidate lined up.
The biggest NFL bombshell? Aaron Rodgers signing with the Steelers, setting up the perfect Week 1 revenge game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium. No pressure for new head coach Aaron Glenn – just face the quarterback your franchise mortgaged its future for in your very first game.
Jump into the conversation on our hotline at 732-588-6869 or follow us on Instagram @RiceontheRadio. Sports chaos is always better when we break it down together!
I guess there's only one way to find out. Let's do it to it right. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. All engines running. Welcome in and welcome back.
Speaker 1:Episode 17,. Here we go again. You know, some weeks sports give us stories that make sense. Good teams win, bad teams teams lose. Everyone just kind of minds their business. Well, that's not this week. Judge is busy putting baseballs into orbit. The Mets are absolutely rolling, with Soto haunting, his old squad staring down guys he was traded for all while the pitching continues to be otherworldly. But the baseball gods promptly tap us on the shoulder and take Kodai Seng's hamstring to remind us that life can't be that easy. Got Sauce Gardner wanting a new contract while he's saying he's bought into the culture and also wants to help change the culture. Brady's getting his own statue, because of course he is. Bryce Young's getting mad that defenses have ears and can hear him. And Devontae Adams suddenly discovering some happiness once he gets away from the Jets Shocking, I know. Nick's coaching search has turned into the saddest game of musical chairs and prom denials you've ever seen. Oh, and did I mention the NBA Finals?
Speaker 1:Indiana's bench woke up and flipped the series again doing what everybody said they couldn't all while SGA is casually rewriting basketball history from his end of the court. And we're not stopping there. We got some great segments spliced in this week, because sometimes when you're talking good sports, you just pull the mics out, hit record and let the dust settle where it will. The hotline's open, instagram's buzzing. Grab a seat, settle in and let's get after it. This is Rice on the Mics, episode 17,. And here we go.
Speaker 1:Let's kick it off with some baseball, and we'll start in Queens, because right now the Mets are playing like the whole league owes them an apology. They sweep the Nats right after sweeping the Rockies. This team is nuts at home. Pete Alonzo can't stop driving in runs. Jeff McNeil crushing homers and finding his stride again, hitting walk-offs out there like it's backyard wiffle ball. Brandon Nimmo two-in-one game and Soto taking his old team deep or hitting doubles every time he steps up to the plate. We're all just waiting on the Nationals to ask for their ball back, really staring down Mackenzie Gore too, because he was part of that trade when he got let. He got traded from the Nationals and look again. Just can't knock the kid.
Speaker 1:Soto played his card right. Nationals offered him an ungodly amount of money $444 million or some shit like that and he turned it down. Well, look what. He parlayed it to $756 million. Okay, everything's great though. Everything's good, everything's cooking right. Nope, nope, can't have nice things.
Speaker 1:Kodai Senga, who's been pitching lights out and quietly, has the best ERA in baseball at a 1-4-7. I mean, are you kidding, put that on your Cy Young list? Goes down on a banana drill covering first Hamstring, strained with an MRI to follow. Just brutal. You could literally feel Citi Field collectively groan on another questionable throw by Pete. But Sanga made sure to have his interpreter tell him that he felt some tightness before that play anyway, which is a whole other conversation for another day. But look man, that's baseball War of attrition, right? Next man up. So Max Kranich's back, paul blackburn's gonna step in. We'll see if frankie, montas or sean and I have something to add soon too.
Speaker 1:It's, it's how it goes with baseball. Just, you know, yankee fans wanted to trade stroman early in the season. Well, you can never have enough pitching right? Speaking of the yankees, let's go across town here. They just keep not not so quietly handling business.
Speaker 1:They complete the sweep in Kansas City while sneaking out a 1-0 rain delay win on a wild throwing error by Kansas City and Judge Homer's, in three straight, including a casual 469-foot moonshot, doesn't even crack a smile on his way around too. I swear judge, judge's bad flips is like you're asking him to take out the garbage. It's, it's routine and which it is, which is crazy. But we're getting to that time of the year, right, summer's heating up. The ball is flying, ross's are shuffling and now stanton's on his way back. It looks like boone's gonna have to figure this lineup out on the fly, but still, you'd rather figure things out in first place instead of trying to claw your way back and hope some rookie can save the season. So we're in a good spot. Yankee fans, mets fans let's breathe. Things look pretty good and real quick around the league.
Speaker 1:Before we get our guest in here, andrew McCutcheon just passed Roberto Clemente on the Pirates home run list. You got to give a tip of the cap to that right. Nothing but class. Clutch has always been the man. Byron Buxton hit one farther than Judge Hit one halfway to Canada, 479 feet. Jesus man, I mean that thing was like oof. I think it was a cock shot and I got one. That might hurt your feelings in the age department a little bit, so up late watching a game caught, a late night game between the Angels and the Mariners, and I'm watching and eric, young senior, is coaching first base and the inning's over and, all of a sudden, I see him out of his pocket, throw, throw like some snacks and seeds on the ground at first base, I go what they come back.
Speaker 1:Eric young junior is coaching first base for seattle so his dad was leaving him some snacks at first base as a little nod. I watched both of these guys' careers and now you're telling me that they're both so old, they're out of the league and they're coaches already. Hoy, marron. But all right, let's get to the good stuff. Earlier this week I had a chance to sit down and record some fun MLB segment stuff, talking some baseball nonsense, bouncing ideas back and forth you know, having a couple of beers and shooting the shit, and I brought the mics out.
Speaker 1:So we wrapped it up by asking a very simply who is your top five players in MLB right now? Not who you start a franchise with right now in the game. So here's that conversation. Let's check it out well, well. Well, here we are linking up with the only person whose sports opinion I trust just as much as my own. Some of you know them, some of you don't, but you will get to know them if you listen to this podcast enough. It is my brother and my best friend, mr Robert Ramirez.
Speaker 2:Well, what's going on tonight?
Speaker 1:Not much bud Good to have you on finally. Well, let's talk some fucking shit now yeah, shall we get into it? I think we shall.
Speaker 2:Why not? We got fucking Knicks world. We got Mets world.
Speaker 1:There's so much going on. This is the off-season of sports, but it's really not. There's so much going on, so much that we can talk about and I'm sure this podcast is going to run way over time Just the way that me and you chat back and forth.
Speaker 2:Well, what did we used to say back in the day when we were in high school? It's Monday, man Night.
Speaker 1:Let's talk shit. Monday man Night, let's get into all right. Well, where should we start? I gotta start for you. How about this? Let's do. Let's just keep it nice and simple, but controversial also, who's your? Uh, let's go. Let's do a little list. Do a little list to start non-pitchers. Give me your top five in baseball right now. Doesn't have to be the order of best to worst, but give me the top five.
Speaker 2:Is there a top five or who do you start your franchise?
Speaker 1:with no, no, no, no, no. I want the best players from the Rob Ramirez point of view in baseball, not who you would start your franchise with based on age. Whatever who's your best, you got number one overall pick in the fantasy baseball draft. Who are we taking?
Speaker 2:As a Met fan, you would kick me in the nuts when we're done with this conversation. But it's Judge. Right now you can't hit 400 with all these home runs. You don't got the best RBIs because your lineup sucks. There's nobody in front of them.
Speaker 1:But Judge is your best player in baseball, right now I 100% agree and I hate to say it. I hate to agree with you, as both diehard Met fan and anybody that listens know I'm a card carrying Yankee hater. But man judge is just doing ungodly things.
Speaker 2:If I had to say but I mean, you have your judge, you have your Otani, Everybody can bitch. Oh, tony's a DH, sure, still put up his numbers. But let's go from judge of nobody in his lineup ahead of him to I know you said don't say, but you said hitters. Let's go pitchers where you have Paul Skeens, where you also don't have hitters, because your lineup in front of you sucks. You just went seven and two-thirds against the Phillies and got a no decision. Hello DeGrom.
Speaker 1:You're not alone in this world, dude. A lot of DeGrom vibes, that's right.
Speaker 2:So if we go Judge Otani, schemes.
Speaker 1:So Judgey, killing it, obviously, hitting three. He went 0 for fucking five, I think, against Boston in game two over the weekend and he lowered his average down to 390. God forbid, right. Yeah. And Otani, he's got what 24, 25 home runs. Shout out to cal riley too, by the way, just got paid. He's got fucking 24 home runs. Who saw that? So all seattle needs is a hitter, and they finally found one, and they still can't get it done. All right, so fine, all right, look, I'll let you slide with one pitcher. That's it just one. So we're going judge otani and skeens. Yep, okay, give me two more four and five, four.
Speaker 2:And five.
Speaker 1:It doesn't have to be order. It doesn't have to be like oh, this is the fifth best player in the league. I'm not going order, I'm going off what's top of my head.
Speaker 2:You said no pitchers, so Scooble's not allowed in this conversation.
Speaker 1:No, no, scoops, no, scoops Not allowed.
Speaker 2:I want to say Corbin Carroll, but last I checked his average is like 259. When I start my team around him. That's a different conversation.
Speaker 1:That's not the conversation we're having, though. Listen. Corbin Carroll is great. He's young. He's got the fastest base time it's 30 seconds around the bases.
Speaker 2:I think that's an insane number 30 seconds and the guy he just faced, elie De La Cruz. Again, not a great average right now but he's a great player.
Speaker 1:Elie's a monster. Not the best right now. Elie's good for 60 steals a year, probably around 30 home runs.
Speaker 2:If I go four right now, I think we've got to jump into, we've got to go Bobby Witt, I mean who wouldn't?
Speaker 1:want.
Speaker 2:Bobby Witt on their team right now.
Speaker 1:I'm not mad at Bobby Witt.
Speaker 2:Because two years ago we're talking, ronald Acuna, acuna just came back and since he came back, I think they're 1-9. So, are you that good? You're not carrying your team, because if you want to make that, argument, then Lindor is way better, because Lindor is carrying the Mets right now. Well, Alonzo too.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Sure, that's four, four so we're going, bobby four right, bobby witt is my four or five, I would have to say, hi, let's take a look. Five. You know what? Freddie freeman, I think it's hitting 367 right now is he really he's not aging? Yes, he's had a couple like things here ankle injury, all that but like he's, nobody's talking about him. How do you play for a big market team like the Dodgers and nobody's talking about?
Speaker 1:you and you're like the fifth guy in the lineup.
Speaker 2:Like it's crazy when he came into the Mets series 367. And he's doing that Dodgers. A little underperforming, Still in first place, but let's not forget the beginning of the season when they started in Japan. Mookie Betts, I'm sick. I'm down 15 pounds. I weigh 115 after I get out of the pool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, mookie's not on my list, for sure.
Speaker 2:But their list is they're still doing great. He came to well. He missed the Yankees series. I think he missed the first game against the Mets. They're still doing all right. The Dodgers, yeah, of course, but Freddie Freeman is a monster.
Speaker 1:No, freddie Freeman's a monster. He led the league in doubles like two years in a row. Freddie Freeman, as a Mets fan, it's fucking blasphemy to say my favorite pitcher of all time is Greg Maddox. Right and Braves killed us for years and years. Freddie Freeman falls under that same category for me. I love Freddie Freeman. As a baseball player and as a human being, he's impossible not to root for.
Speaker 1:He's our Chipper Jones. But god damn it, why do you have to be on the Braves and then be on the Dodgers? If you were in the AL, I would fucking buy your jersey, but if you think I'm buying a Braver, a Dodger jersey, you're out of your goddamn mind out of my five I gave you.
Speaker 2:If you want to sub one pitcher for first schemes okay and then is there one different hitter that you can say well, I agree with you.
Speaker 1:I think it's judge. And then a big gap, and then the list starts right. So I'm throwing Judge in there too. I hate Otani, I hate the golden boy, and you're not going to tell me that this guy wasn't a gambler. I'm not putting Otani on there. He's DH. He's fucking this any other. I agree with the stats, I agree with everything. I know he's doing well, but I'm moving Otani, so I'm keeping Judge. I'm going to go.
Speaker 2:Other than Judge it's Judge Otani, witt and Carroll.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So you could sub one out.
Speaker 1:You're subbing out Otani. That's a fucking big boy move to do.
Speaker 2:If we're talking last year, Gunnar Henderson's in that combo, yeah right.
Speaker 1:I think Pete deserves a spot somewhere on this list, coming off of the terrible year he had last year. All the contract pressure, everything then fights for whatever. Whatever wants to be back with the Mets and it might be a little Mets homerism but you can't argue with it. I mean he's, excuse me, breaking Mets records. He's hitting.
Speaker 1:I think he's hitting 300 now, he leads, he leads he leads the league in RBIs, not the NL the entire league, and I think it's the NL the entire league. And I think it's a little bit of the Soto effect too, because if Lindor and Soto are on, you're going to have to pitch to Pete. You're not going to load the bases, so I'm going to throw Pete on there.
Speaker 2:And that all did change because you had to start the season. Either Winker or Marte was in the four behind him and, no matter what, they're still behind him regardless. But, behind him and no matter what, they're still behind him regardless, but it's not a lot of protection. Now you add somebody in the two hole, like if you didn't face lindor, you face the two, then you face soto. Are you gonna walk the fourth guy in the inning right? You can't, no, you can't. So now you're facing him yeah, and soto.
Speaker 1:Soto's taking soto might be the most confident hitter I've ever seen in my life, being down oh two, it doesn't matter what the count is. When oh two doesn't, he goes, okay fine, I don't give a shit if it's oh two, watch this. I'm gonna work it back to three, two and then I'm gonna get a nibbler on the corner and because I'm soto, I get the call that it's a ball. Exactly he gets it.
Speaker 2:There's been some that you see that k box you're like that's a strike all day, because he moves his not saying the show because he hasn't shuffled all year, but he makes that one like he moves the bat up and he makes that showing, like I know yeah, I know that's right.
Speaker 1:Well, he knows, he knows it's a ball right. Yeah, he just signed the biggest contract.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna get jerk off if I give him the ripper yeah, we'll get back to that.
Speaker 1:Speaking of fucking call uh punch outs all right. So I'm gonna go judge him. I'm gonna throw pete in there just because he leads the nl in so many categories. I don't know, I really want to throw. I want to say lindor, but I can't because it's just now. I'm just a super met homer. I will agree with bobby witt. Bobby witt is an all-time monster right now and he's young and he's just he, just there's no one around him. If I had I'm not including a pitcher, but if I had to do a pitcher, I would do scooble, and I know you mentioned scooble, I would. I would take scooble over skeans, just because I don't know he's, he's finding a way to make it work. Um, I had to do skeans, you know what you know, who's scooble, even like yes.
Speaker 2:Last year he made a name for himself. He was up for two seasons before that and he really wasn't that good. Skeens came onto the scene and he jumped on it immediately.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine being like a 22-year-old rookie? 21-year-old rookie win the College World Series with LSU Dayton, dayton.
Speaker 2:Libby Dunn come up immediately, like Bryce Harper style no-transcript yeah, that's it skeens came up in pittsburgh, nobody gave a fuck. But because he, because he did it at lsu and all that, there was a little more pressure, but pittsburgh still well, baseball's a regional sport and baseball ratings are up right now too.
Speaker 1:Oh surprise, baseball ratings are up. The Yankees have a four-and-a-half game division lead and the Mets have the best record in baseball. Yeah, no wonder baseball ratings are up. It's a regional sport. Whether you like them or you hate them, you're still going to watch them. Okay, so we got Judge. We got Pete For a pitcher. I guess I will throw Scooble in there, not that I really want to include pitcher. Are you putting Witt or are you getting him out? Oh yeah, no, I'm putting Witt on there. And then last no, that's four, that's four.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm saying then last because. I guess it would be if you're subbing out Carroll.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I am Okay and it's a close. They both play on the same team. It's close to go with who I want to pick, but I'm either going to go. Machado or Tatis Jr, they are both killing it Machado's having the better year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Machado is having the better year, but I'd rather Tatis, but Machado's definitely having the better year. I saw a graphic on Twitter today. It was like send three to be your starting all-star outfield For the NL. It was James Wood, fernando Tatis James Wood's a monster too. Corbin Carroll. That's three. No, not Bryce Harper no.
Speaker 1:Harper Kyle Tucker was number four which we're leaving out. I forgot about Tucker. Yeah, Tucker's a monster too. I forgot who number five is but oh, pca, you can throw pca in there, yeah, so it's pca corbin carroll, james wood, we had tatis tatis, yeah, but you have five legit guys that are gonna have monsters right for three spots.
Speaker 2:All five make the team.
Speaker 1:It's yeah who starts, yeah exactly that's the shitty thing with Lindor. Lindor's been getting sniped Six years. He hasn't made a fucking.
Speaker 2:All-Star team.
Speaker 1:Better not snipe him for bets For bets or CJ Abrams, or fucking Ellie or O'Neal Cruz. I'm not hearing any of that garbage dude.
Speaker 2:You then put him at second Because why is it like it used to be? Whatever the winning, the World Series manager fucking did it and he picked the team. Where are the years that we had no more Garcia Parra and Jeter starting together? Garcia Parra moved to second for that, yeah, it's the best nine players, not the best at each position, because Lindor got sniped last year and you had, like, geraldo Perdomo fucking starting at shortstop and Orlando Garcia.
Speaker 1:What a disgrace I was.
Speaker 2:Orlando Garcia got DFA'd and is now with the Rockies.
Speaker 1:Didn't Ozzy Alves make that fucking list too? Over him Alves is at second. Yeah, but I'm saying he still made it over fucking Andorra, it goes by voting. You can't go by voting no Voting is bullshit and they'll say oh, it's a fan vote and like I just voted, and like you get five votes per day, one of my votes I did every Rockies player and I did every White Sox player, just to be a dick.
Speaker 1:Yes, that would be fucking hilarious. I just did that to be a dick, but like it's fan voting and you can stuff the ballot box and stuff, but it's I don't know behind the.
Speaker 1:Dodger machine Out of ESPN, blows Otani and all of them. So yeah, of course he's going to get votes. The Mets don't really do that man. The Mets just fucking put the content on the field. No easy transition there. Big thanks to my brother Coming on Lots more in that convo that we got to, but I just had to cut some of it for time.
Speaker 1:Man, we were definitely on one. That list definitely gonna get people talking and listen, disagree all you want. Jump on the instagram, then hit the hotline. Let's hear your top five baseball fans. If there's one thing we know, everybody's got an opinion and I want to hear them, so let's take a quick break. We'll shift gears to the hardwood.
Speaker 1:Nba finals are getting spicy and the Knicks are looking like they got too much dip on their chip. Don't go anywhere, though. We've got plenty more chaos coming. All right, baseball in the books let's talk some hoops, shall we? Alright, baseball in the books let's talk some hoops, shall we? Nba Finals I mean, just when you thought the Thunder might cruise right along with a big Game 2 win, here come the Pacers flipping the script again, like they've been doing all year.
Speaker 1:Game 3, indiana First Finals home game in 25 years. They outscore OKC 32-18 in the fourth quarter, completely pulled away from them. J Will scores 26 and SGA has 24, but it's still not even close to enough. Benedict comes off the bench, decides this was going to be his game and drops 27. Meanwhile Hallie was a rebound away from a fuck around, find out, triple double in the playoffs, again 22-11 and 9 boards on the biggest stage of his career. Jeez man, I hate to say it and I can't stand the kid. But Jesus, he's good. And if the Pacers go on to win this thing, I'll tell you what the Knicks. They don't come out smelling as bad as we think they do, because OKC was the ifto facto winner, crown champion already.
Speaker 1:If the Pacers pull this off, oh boy Tough. Look for OKC Pacers. Bench outscores OKC 49-18. I mean, that's unreal. The talk with OKC all year was the team had depth and the Pacers are just giving them a run for their money. Man, the big thing with this win too is history, which loves to repeat itself. Nba finals tied 1-1. Winner of the game goes on to win the whole series 80 of the time. So all you okc bettors out there, I hope you hedged early and okc themselves. They better buckle up quick, man, because this Pacers team just swung the momentum and they love to hold on to that man and it's right back onto their side in a huge way. But it's not just the finals drama that's catching my eye. There's a different kind of drama going on in the NBA which what else is new? And it's your favorite flavor of drama actually. Good old classic knicks drama fired thibs after your deepest playoff run in 25 years.
Speaker 1:All right, fine. Maybe it was time, maybe the players were over it, maybe there were some button heads in the background.
Speaker 1:We don't know but okay okay, you got a plan right, right? Well, doesn't really seem like it. Nicks are wandering around the league asking everyone else's coaches to leave their playoff teams and come coach new york, and they're getting denied at every goddamn door. Kid udoka, finch snyder, everyone's saying no, even jay wright thanks, but no thanks. And I'd be against jay wright, just for the record. That's leaning into the villanova way too much. But look, look, the knicks are. The knicks are getting a bit of a bad rap because the next job is highly coveted and anyone that says it's not is they don't know basketball. So it's not like the coaches themselves are saying no, or at least we don't think so. But you know, I'm sure Jimmy Dolan has rubbed some franchises wrong over the years and the teams are saying help the Knicks. Yeah, go fuck yourself. But in the media it's kind of being portrayed as no one wants to coach the Knicks, which is that's silly.
Speaker 1:So now what? Look, maybe Leon Rose already has his guy lined up and he's just pulling names out of the hat to do his due diligence. Maybe it's time to call Jeff Van Gundy Shit. See if Spike Lee wants to be a coach. I don't know. Either way, the franchise, the fans of the franchise, we're all waiting on bated breath for this big, big move and, to be fair, we're all we're all nervous about it too. So sooner rather than later, please and thank you, just make sure it's the right one also, please and thank you.
Speaker 1:Speaking on some more drama, kevin Durant and the Suns finally admitted what everybody already knew. I mean, kd's leaving town and I'm surprised Devin Booker isn't either but as of right now, kd's leaving town. It's just a question of when and where. Knicks beat writers are writing that they swear they're not into KD, but the national beat writers are saying that they are super interested. So who do you believe there? But I don't know. Durant's sitting there ready to drop 30 in his sleep wherever he lands. But also that comes with a $122 million extension waiting in the wings as soon as he moves to whatever team he goes to. Tough to think about for a 37-year-old Going to transition here into another segment. With my brother we talked all sports and really got after it, but we had some really good takes about Knicks' future coaches and just the state of the league in general. So let's take a listen to that what we gotta get into. Who do you want as the next head coach?
Speaker 2:I don't know I I don't know enough about the x's and o's with the basketball like I can tell you who I like okay, so but I, I can't tell, like everybody's jay writes out.
Speaker 1:Jay writes out today. Even today, malone's already out for prioritizing veterans over rookies which is exactly. Yeah, they were like malone's out, malone, malone's out and tibbs was two point out. I would love the young guy.
Speaker 2:Because, again, like there's no team really that like hires that veteran coach. The Because, again, there's no team really that hires that veteran coach. The next day they win. There's a reason that veteran coach isn't a coach at the time. With Missoula and fucking Ime. Yeah, I know, but what I'm saying is I want a no-name to come in that can take them over the hump. They're saying oh, mike Malone, mike Budenhauser, all this, those. They're saying oh Mike Malone.
Speaker 1:Mike Budenhauser, all this, those guys they get fired three times.
Speaker 2:There's a reason they get fired. You think you're going to bring them in to bring you over the hump. Why don't they have a job To find? That coach that's going to take you over the hump is the Steve Kerr, the Eric Spolster that nobody's heard of before. So I'm interested in Johnny Bryant, but I don't know who he is.
Speaker 1:What does he bring? That's different, could be good and could be bad.
Speaker 2:Jason Kidd, I don't really consider as that veteran coach. Yes, he's been a coach for three teams now, which is crazy, because I don't even think he's 50.
Speaker 1:Well, what was it? It was Nets for half a second One year and they were like get out. They traded him to the Bucs.
Speaker 2:He had a couple years at the Bucs.
Speaker 1:That's what scares me the most. If they get him and they're going to I don't know that report of that quote tsunami offer for Giannis. That means A tsunami means you're fucking overtaken, so you're going to give up fucking everything. But that's what scares me. If they go get Kidd because it's like okay, well, if they had Kidd with Giannis the first time, why didn't it work the first time?
Speaker 2:And now they said it when I was driving back from my sister's house on the fan they were talking about it how Kidd went from the Nets, got traded to the Bucs After he got fired from of Thibs and he rejected taking the job. He was offered the job. He rejected it because LeBron, when he was I mean he's still with the Lakers but he said to Kidd he's like you're learning so much now, like you're learning the X's and O's of basketball.
Speaker 1:Don't give it up, stay here.
Speaker 2:You have one more year and then you're ready to make that next leap.
Speaker 1:He still isn't on the championship with Dallas but apparently he's a much better coach now than he was when he went to the finals with Dallas. Dude, that was a fucking big run. Dude, you had to take some teams out to go to that run.
Speaker 2:So they're saying, by him staying with the Lakers, he learned a little bit. Whit won the best of all time. If you don't think he's the best of all time, with LeBron you got to learn what. Lebron is an assistant coach and he made sure you didn't leave.
Speaker 1:You were all for the Knicks job um, all right, so the names on the list were fucking Jay Wright, that he already came out, so that's not happening, right? Um, mike Malone was like the first choice and it looked like he was going to try and go that ESPN route where everybody's on the really suggested by the fans.
Speaker 2:It was never like the Knicks are interested.
Speaker 1:He's just a hometown guy and like he was going to go the ESPN route of like oh, I get on the booth. And then halfway into the booth I'm like JJ Redick and fucking Doc Rivers, like, oh, I'm on the booth and now I'm a coach. I got to pay another guy. The one name that interested me was Taylor Jenkins good, I forgot.
Speaker 2:If they say it was a utah, the grizzlies, I always meant, for some reason, the jazz and the grizzlies that are same team to you, fucking team to me, just they're both from east bumblefuck yeah, right and they had like three years together where they were good because it was like the grizzlies, uh like, finally they got john yeah, john, handsome player mike connelly was still over there like they had like they were good for no reason, yeah, but like it was taylor jenkins I, I think it was fucking utah, because then they fired him and I think that was I hope I'm right.
Speaker 2:I think that's the year they fired him started trading everybody and that's the year brian winters said what's going on in utah I think that's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right, and taylor jenkins apparently before that last year everything went to shit forgot about that. That's a good callback.
Speaker 2:He was way over 500 as a coach and they're like, well, it's like they fired him, like when they fired mike malone halfway through the year. This year they fired mike brown. With the kings they're over 500, it's. It's weird shit. Can it work? But again, these retreads. I think it's about finding that new guy, like you said. Joe mizzou is good, steve kerr is good, whoever the fuck the coach is with the thunder, I can't even tell you his I have no idea.
Speaker 1:And the thunder good, the last coach that I remember from the thunder donahue was donahue.
Speaker 2:That's literally the last coach. I think he's with the balls now I couldn't tell you no idea. I donahue had them. Good, this guy's take them over the fucking edge yeah, not to help that.
Speaker 1:Sga is just. You know what they call him? A free throw merchant, because he baits the fouls and shit. And I don't know, as Knicks fans we can't really talk because Brunson is guilty of that too. But you know what, dude, drive the lane. No, and Brunson earns it because he fucking takes charges. It's not a, he's not against the shit. Yeah, dude, and a lot of the fouls that are actually fouls doesn't get called. So you know what, if I get some makeup on the back end, I'll take it, but I don't know, sga is just. He's a different level, dude. Um, anyway. So mike malone, they already said he's out, right no so then you start looking elsewhere.
Speaker 1:It's like, uh, danny hurley was the big name, right, danny hurley? First of all, danny hurley is a god in yukon and I get it.
Speaker 2:You know, jersey, yeah, not bad, but not great but they won back-to-back championship.
Speaker 1:They stunk, not stunk, they didn't stink, but they, uh, they definitely. You know what? Are you gonna? Three-peat in college? That fucking. The fact that they went back-to to back is insane. They still made the tournament and shit. They just you know. But danny hurley in the nba, whether he wants it or not, is you think grown men are going to be able to take how danny hurley coaches? And some player like jalen brunson is the kind of player that does like that. Like there's players that like look, I know what I'm doing, you know whatever and you can teach me and coach me whatever, but you start yelling whatever.
Speaker 2:But then there's other players, like brunson fits on the right, there's players like brunson that need that.
Speaker 1:Like I need you to fucking yell at me and put I don't care if you're making 100 million dollars, you're making two million dollars, like there's and brunson's that kind of player, but that's just brunson. You think fucking mitchell robinson is gonna take that fucking shit? You think OG is going to take that?
Speaker 2:Watch out, I don't give a fuck.
Speaker 1:Right, but watch how fast fucking OG was healthy pretty much all year, right, and that's his biggest thing. He doesn't play hurt. Watch how fast OG goes. Oh, my foot hurts.
Speaker 2:I also saw a clip where it was like game three or four against the Pacers, where Dibs is on the fucking sideline, he sideline. He's screaming at towns, jaylen. None of them are even paying attention. At that point they checked out. Now here's the thing we were talking about nil in the car come back talking about nil and I think it fucking ruined everything. People like saban yes, he went to the nfl, but you look at saban herbmeyer they can say whatever they want to these college players like guess what you?
Speaker 1:rely on me.
Speaker 2:You're here on scholarship, that's right, fuck you you go to the nfl with that mantra the guy that's making 40 million to make sacks, he's well that's why they all got out.
Speaker 1:That's why they all got out. Sam is gone. Every buyer by his own shit's gone. Jim harbaugh's out fucking in, and then sheshefsky's out fucking. Uh, roy williams is out mike, iso is probably next.
Speaker 2:Now I have to fucking cater you because you're getting nine million a mil, right, I'm sorry oh I offended you. Fuck you, because you have a sponsorship with mcdonald's. I don't give a dude.
Speaker 1:Look at ruckers. This year ruckers had the number one and number two point guards. Uh like, uh, commit point guards and what I like, five star, whatever, whatever didn't even make the goddamn tournament, dude. I think they finished under 500 and, by the way, ace bailey still got drafted like or well he's probably going to get drafted.
Speaker 2:It's Harper and Bailey this year. Harper's, let's go two, bailey could go three or four, and they were both on Rutgers. Yes, Both of them they stink.
Speaker 1:You had two Like. I guarantee you, wherever they go, they're going to make an immediate impact.
Speaker 2:Look at the Rockets that you have two guys going two and potentially three or four and you can't do anything.
Speaker 1:So how focused?
Speaker 2:are you on the sport if you're getting all this money?
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2:When you're fucking in your dorm and you're starving because you used all your fucking supplies you have all this fucking money.
Speaker 1:Look at James Winston stealing crab legs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're out late at night because, guess what? I got $8 million in nil. I know they're not getting that much, it's college basketball, but, like, maybe you stay out far off though are you gonna cut me when I'm the one that's bringing the money into this program? Yeah, that you've made them more. I'm not saying more important than they are. They are important, but you've now made it where it's not the focus about basketball.
Speaker 1:They don't give a fuck. No, my opinion, and like it's, it's already showing because. So how about this? You want to talk about tampering? So the owner of the utah jazz also owns the utah hockey club, right, utah, uh, what is it? What? Where are they fucking? What's their college team fucking uh, utah, yeah, no, it's a team that fucking uh, zach wilson played for it's the same college, byu by played for it's the same college BYU, byu, right, so he's a huge donor to BYU. He owns the fucking professional team in NBA for Utah and the professional team for hockey in Utah and he's a huge donor to BYU.
Speaker 1:The number one can't miss recruit. This kid's supposed to be next to Wayne Wade coming out, committed to fucking Utah, because you know why? Because he fucking probably threw him, whatever. So now let's say this kid comes up. Let's say Utah starts sucking, like they look like they're going to. They move Lori Markin and they move all these guys and Utah somehow ends up with like the top three pick or something. You don't think that, coach, you know you're here. Like you don't talk about tampering, yeah, like you want to talk about tampering, um, yeah, but all right. So okay, danny harley, no good out I wanted ema adoka.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I, he turned, he got a listen. You fuck around, you find out and you know you fuck your assistant yep yeah, you're gonna, the team's gonna cut you she's not near long, literally.
Speaker 2:Yeah right, what are you doing? She was a big reason we watched Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, for sure. Oh, dude, yeah, but okay, fine, then you get a second chance in Houston and you brought Houston from like a 20-win team, 22-win team, to the. I swear to God, I think they were the two-seater in the West this year. Okay, and Houston's good, a lot of good young talent, whatever. So uh, udoka fucking does that to him. Okay, I wanted him bad and houston immediately said he's not fucking going anywhere. Are you crazy? So that's another name off the board.
Speaker 2:So the only look, the only problem? Yeah, because you have a guy like emay, who you know, big market boston you also. One of the things I read is Atlanta has to think of it this way they are young and they are just starting to get good. I think he has two years left on his Atlanta, no Houston.
Speaker 2:Houston. I'm sorry, you have to start to think of it this way. Does he want to be there? We don't know if he expressed interest. Knicks were interested, but let's say he was like hey, you know, can I interview? And they say no. You have to wonder if he has two years left on his contract and you just started this rebuild. Do you want to go two more years with him and then he leaves? If he's not all in, let him go. And I'm not saying that because I'm a nicks fan. But if you want to complete this rebuild, which he started, great, maybe his top assistant should take over now if he's not going to be here to see it through.
Speaker 1:Well, that's the thing that I'm sure they hope too. If they see the forest to the trees, I'm sure they hope that he teaches his assistant enough that, when that time does come to fruition, if they lose them, they don't feel as bad about losing them because they know they have somebody running the wing. But then you also play the risk of like, hey, this guy's an assistant coach. What if next year somebody gets fired and they go hey, give me the guy from Houston. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:I think they said on the radio the other day that, like of the past, like eight of the past, like like eight of the past, 10 nba coaches of the years are unemployed right now. That's insane. So you have to think about like this, like if I can get something for my coach, will we be good next year? If you're seeing a rebuild like okc or houston, you know you're on the up, yeah, but if I'm, if I'm in charge of the rockets and teams are now reaching out to even charlotte, I would say all you want to interview with them?
Speaker 2:Okay, well, before you interview with them, here's a five-year extension. I want to see you through with us. Do you want to be here If he doesn't take it?
Speaker 1:then let him go.
Speaker 2:Because then probably in two years, when his contract's up, he's going to go.
Speaker 1:He's gone anyway, right? So get it over, rip, rip the Band-Aid off of him, right?
Speaker 2:Because if not, you're probably starting over again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you just fucking started over again, and Houston's a franchise that can't afford starting over, all right, so that's the other thing I want to talk about too. So a franchise like Charlotte or a franchise like Houston or Sacramento, right, if they fire their coach to get fans in the building, they need that sexy hire. They need that like I don't know Danny Hurley, just to throw a name out there to inspire hope in the fans. The Knicks don't need that. The Knicks sell out every night, doesn't matter what. So it's not like they need the sexy hire to I don't know, get people in the building. Hire to I don't know, get people in the building. The only problem with that is like, let's say, they hire, you know, the uh, the assistant for cleveland boys johnny, johnny, utah, whatever.
Speaker 1:Fine first year coach. I got no problem with that, especially if he's going to be an offensive coach or like I mean look what he did with cleveland, like you know they. I'm sure he had a lot of hand in cleveland it's also the old nets coach that did great, I'm sure said fuck you for steve nash. Um, he got a raw deal over there. I've been talking about his name, I can't remember it all. Right, let's say, let's say they both whatever, they both have a little input or whatever.
Speaker 1:Fine, the we know the amount of pressure coming into this team as this new coach whether it be, you know, jason kidd, whether it be fucking, you know, sheshefsky himself, doesn't matter. Whatever the amount of pressure this next coach is going to be under is unmeasurable. You were six wins away from winning a championship, right? So now you're the coach that you hire, like whenever that's the thing. Like, if you're going to fire a coach, okay, who's better that you're going to hire over him, right? So Tibbs has his faults for sure, and part of it's him, part of it's you know how they built the roster around this team, but who's six wins better than Tibbs? That's that good stuff right there. And look, nick's head coach Durant's future team. It's going to dominate the NBA headlines when it does happen, but for now we're all just guessing and refreshing to channel some wall Clyde Frazier there. We're all just waiting on that Shams bomb to drop Coming up.
Speaker 1:Let's jump back over to the NFL. Jets are making culture moves. Devontae Adams says he found some happiness again and a certain Patriots quarterback is getting a statue. Can you guess who that would be? Stick around, we're not done yet. Okay, just like the nba, that segment is almost. So let's close this thing out strong with some NFL. Because guess what folks? Aaron Rodgers is officially a Pittsburgh Steeler. Yep, we all saw that coming. Rodgers signs a one-year deal for $13.65 and could almost hit $20 million in incentives. What do they think? Either they're going to win the Super Bowl. A little odd, a little little late, a little confusing. But uh, you know what, if we learned anything from rogers, that's uh, that's pretty much how he does business these days. And because, because the sports gods are undefeated and they have the most wicked sense of humor, guess what?
Speaker 1:Week one Steelers at Jets MetLife Stadium 1 pm, iron Eagle on the broadcast. Aaron Rodgers in the house wearing the wrong jersey. New coach, new culture. Jet fans you want a drama, you got it, you got the drama. Jets players you wanted some drama, you got it, you got the drama. Jets players you wanted some motivation, you got it. This is about as motivating as it gets.
Speaker 1:And this is a massive, massive statement for Aaron Glenn. Unfortunately, it comes to your first game as a Jets head coach, but nonetheless it's against the QB. The franchise you are now in charge of fixing gave everything to build around and to fuck their future up for, and now your defense gets to try and take his head off. Glenn's been preaching culture change and accountability and toughness since I don't know the moment he got hired. Well, week one there it is. Go get it.
Speaker 1:And on top of it, if we needed any more juice to this opener, I'm pretty sure Justin Fields would like to have some words with the Steelers organization. He'd like to say some things and get off his chest. Week one revenge narrative is on. Point Fields is looking to prove his worth. The defense is looking to attack Rodgers. Garrett Wilson is looking to show Rodgers that he's a true number one in this league. I mean, you'll love to see it.
Speaker 1:While we're on the topic of changing the culture here and getting better, sauce Gardner ready to stick around recent interview and, honestly, jet fans, it's the kind of headline that you want to hear in June. Sauce extensions are going well from his words, but take that for whatever it means. And look, he says he's here to change the culture. I'm all for it. I know, I know he is no revis okay, and the big knock on his game is that his tackling game is weak, but I don't know. Man learning under aaron Aaron Glenn, who was Revis before Revis, by the way, I think it will make his game grow even more. And you pile his raw talent on top of that. Lock him up, man. Get the deal done. Lock him up like you lock Q up. You want a good D tackle up the middle and a good cornerback and we'll figure the rest out.
Speaker 1:Make it happen. Players, like sauce, don't grow on trees, man. I mean the last I checked. The jets have been looking for some something resembling stability shit since 2008. I don't know how about 99, how about 69? I think that's the right move for the Jets. Meanwhile, from one Jet to a former Jet, devontae Adams signs out in LA with the Rams and he says he feels the sun shines in the rainbows compared to the dark cloud that he felt with the Jets. Now, I know that's a shot at the Jets, but tell me that's also not a little small tongue-in-cheek. To the Rodgers darkness retreats Look man, a lot of pressure last year for him and I wonder if getting away from the dynamic duo that Aaron Rodgers was isn't too bad of a thing for his career. I mean, he's getting up there. Look, devontae, I'm happy you found your joy. I'm happy you found your sunshines and rainbows. But don't forget, it's easy to smile in June. Let's see how we're feeling around trade deadline or December. Okay, and speaking of legendary quarterbacks, no, no, no, no. Not Rodgers, we're done with the Rodgers train.
Speaker 1:The Patriots announced they're putting up a 12-foot bronze statue of Tom Brady outside Gillette Stadium. 12 feet. What's the line in the Bible about the golden calf or worshiping false idols? Again, I don't know. And the club announced the statue on Tom Brady Day. Yes, that's, that's, that's a thing. Six rings, any war, number 12. So six, 12. Look, I don't know, man, call me, call me a bitter Jeff, and call me call me whatever you want, but it's, it's pretty cheesy to me. To be fair, though, look, if the shoe was on the other foot and the Jets were celebrating somebody that had six rings, I'd be praising the hell out of this story. Shit, I'd be at the ribbon cutting. So look, credit where credit's due. When it comes to Brady. Brady is the GOAT, but that doesn't mean I can't hate on him.
Speaker 1:So, as mini camps start wrapping up, we are unfortunately officially in that dead zone. Countdown until real training camp and fantasy football rumblings and roster moves. Look, just stay ready. The nfl content will be hot and heavy once the season gets started, but until then, you're gonna have to get used to me talking about baseball for the next couple months. And look, we'll mix in some uh, some killer guests on the pod and we'll do some fun stuff. I got a bunch of stuff planned for the summer. So definitely stay tuned. But right now baseball is king and time is a ticking. So let's wrap this thing up and bring it, and just like that, episode 17 is in the books.
Speaker 1:We talked Soto bombs, judge moonshots, mets and Yankees. Magic broke down. Some finals drama, knicks chaos, durant rumors. Aaron Rodgers is now a stealer, because of course he is, and the Jets will welcome him back in MetLife with open sack filled arms. No pressure, aaron Glenn, no pressure at all. Devonta Adams newfound happiness. Sauce Garner, walking the type of getting paid and being a team player.
Speaker 1:Huge thanks to our guests this week. Great stuff, as always, and hopefully we'll hear a lot more from them. And, of course, thanks to all of you for tuning in, subscribing, rating, sharing, the pod. I say it all the time the show is nothing without you. Without you, it's just me yelling into a mic. So, thank you, thank you, thank's, just me yelling into a mic, thank you, thank you, thank you. Keep that hotline buzzing 732 588-6869. Keep the conversation rolling on the Instagram, at Rice, on the Radio. Alright, folks, that's it. Have yourselves a week, be good, be safe, remember to tell someone you love them and spread good energy in this world. I'm ian rice. This has been rice on the mics and I'll catch you next time.