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
What Makes a Jersey Timeless? Sports Talk Beyond the Numbers
We deliver an action-packed sports buffet this week with MLB drama, NBA contract news, and a fun new segment on universal jerseys that anyone can proudly wear regardless of team allegiance.
• Subway Series recap featuring Yankees snapping a six-game losing streak and the Mets showcasing their offensive firepower
• In-depth analysis of both New York baseball teams' struggles and successes heading into the All-Star break
• Brian Cashman acknowledges Yankees need starting pitching help at the trade deadline amid rotation injuries
• Home Run Derby field finalized with Jazz Chisholm Jr. joining seven other sluggers for the showcase event
• NBA offseason spending spree with Paolo Banchero, Devin Booker, and Chet Holmgren securing massive contracts
• Mike Brown officially hired as New York Knicks head coach, bringing experience but mixed fan reactions
• NFL controversy brewing over alleged owner collusion to limit guaranteed contracts after the Deshaun Watson deal
• Amanda Anisimova, Jersey native, making a splash at Wimbledon after defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka
• Introduction of our new "Universal Jerseys" segment featuring iconic jerseys anyone can wear with pride
Hit me up on Instagram with your top five universal jerseys! The conversation continues all week, and I'll be sharing the results on our next midweek mic check.
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 Liftoff. We have a liftoff. Welcome in and welcome back.
Speaker 1:This is Rice on the Mic's, episode 21,. Blackjack Baby, I mean, episode 20 was great and all, but let's be real. It dropped on july 4th weekend and after all the hot dogs and sunburns it got buried faster than a mets bullpen lead. But hey, the show goes on right. We dust ourselves off, apply some aloe reload, we keep swinging and speaking of swinging, we got home run derby talk. All eight contestants are finally locked in. Jazz marking his name on the ballot for the final entry shortly after getting moved to second due to a sore arm. But that's neither here nor there, and peter lonzo's sitting this one out for a change, I guess. Give somebody else a chance. Huh, dive it into the subway series.
Speaker 1:Recap wild weekend at city field. Yankees are dodging sweeps and slumps and the Mets well, they're just trying not to get anybody else hurt. Before the all-star break we got standout debuts. Cam Schlittler comes out firing Jazz goes deep twice and, shock of shocks, yankees won a game in extra innings. Plus, I got plenty of trade rumors to touch on. The NBA offseason spending continues Bonchero, booker, holmgren, all cashing in massive checks. Mike Brown is trying to bring a championship back to MSG, halliburton is sadly out on the shelf for all of next year, giannis sounds uncommittal and the Joker is rolling the dice on his next mega deal.
Speaker 1:Nfl news Well, you know it's the offseason when I got a player making headlines for fireworks and not in the good way, and I've got some spicy stuff about contract collusion between owners and got to mention on some Wimbledon storylines Amanda Nisimova, jersey girl, right here from Freehold making good across the pond. Fritz is flying the American flag high, djokovic is chasing immortality and Alcaraz is saying not so fast as he tries to three-peat in London. And I got a fun new little segment here that blew up quicker than I honestly thought it would A debate about universal jerseys. You know the ones Griffey and the Mariners, vince Carter and the Raptors, purple, michael Vick, atlanta Jerseys so iconic that nobody bats an eye if you wear one. I got my list and I can't wait to hear yours on the midweek mic check, bottom line, episode 21, stack A buffet of news.
Speaker 1:Hot takes facts. This is just the appetizer. So buckle up, tap in and let's roll people. Rice on the mics, 21 deep. No slowing down, down, let's get it now. Look I get it. The nfl is king and, trust me, once football ramps up we're we're going full throttle. But right now it's it's mid-july and baseball owns the headlines, especially here in new york. So if you've been paying even half attention, you know our teams give us a wild ride this week. So let's just dive straight into it.
Speaker 1:Mets and yankees wrapped up a highly eventful Subway Series this past weekend. Game 1 had Jeff McNeil crushing a go-ahead two-run shot, turning around the Yankees' lead and handing them their fifth consecutive loss. And despite some early fireworks from Judge and Dominguez, the Mets come out on top. They get a big Juan Soto homer in his new home against his former team, putting the chance from the Bleacher Creatures to rest. Game two was a slugfest too, had Pete Alonso hitting two homers, bringing his career RBI total past Mike Piazza's and moving ever closer to that Darryl Strawberry franchise home run record Markey's chasing. Then you tack on a Brandon Nimmo grand slam his second in four days, by the way. How, how about those stats? And that all helps the Mets route road on and it pushes the Yankees hitter. Six consecutive loss, tying the longest skid since 2000. But you know what? Hey look in game three. Yankees salvage their pride. Judge hits his 33rd home run and some stellar defense, highlighted by Cody Bellinger. A web gem of web gems, probably the defensive highlight of the season. To be honest, unreal, shoestring catch. And he doubles off. Lindor first is what it is. Yanks break the streak. The Mets briefly teased a comeback in the game, but it wasn't enough and Max Freed improves to 9-1 following Yankees loss. That's exactly why you paid that man.
Speaker 1:So now that the Subway Series recap is over, let's dive deeper into each team and, because I'm a homer, we're going to start with the Mets. So, coming off the Subway Series, they travel down 95, go to Baltimore and things look good. Until they did it, unfortunately, game one we got a thrilling comeback, the Fab Four, as Uncle Stevie King Cohen called them himself on Twitter. The boys hit how they were actually supposed to hit, rallied from a 6-2 deficit to secure a 7-6 win. Tenth inning, juanito delivering the crucial hit, and Mauricio and Lindor and Alonso all homered. Edwin Diaz nails down the ninth Off. We go right. That's exactly how things are supposed to look. No, no, mets get rained out. Now they got a day-night doubleheader.
Speaker 1:So game two. Let's start off there. David Peterson, things look great. Pitches a gem Goes through. Seven innings plus Mets the whole knock on the Mets all season has been their starters can't go long.
Speaker 1:Guy goes into the eighth inning and Mendoza makes a fucking bullshit call to the bullpen. Peterson comes down in the eighth and he gives up the single to the first batter. So Mendy comes right out, doesn't even talk to him, pulls him. Now in comes Ryan Stanek just shits the bed, gave up multiple runs, multiple walks, blows the lead, ultimately gets tagged for the loss. Look, if I say so myself, it's a bad decision by Mendy and probably one of his first that I've really noticed. Noticed, and Mendy was pissed in the post game for whatever reason. But when you're in New York you're going to get questioned. But sorry, doesn't fix the lamp, right? I don't know what to tell you, man.
Speaker 1:This was Peterson's last start before the all-star break, so he's going to have off like two weeks. Leave him out there. If he gives up a single and gives up a run, fine, then you figure it out. Let him see the next batter at least. I mean hell, maybe he gives up a double play, he works it out, then you can bring in Diaz for the ninth. But no, baltimore capitalized and they fucking hammered away and secured the win. That was the game they wanted to win too. They were probably going to throw away the second game if they got that win because they didn't have a starter lined up for the next game until like 30 minutes before game three. But now, since they lost, and now on tired legs, they've got to try and steal one back to win the series.
Speaker 1:And honestly, you thought everything looked good going into game three. They had a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first and it evaporated as quick as it came because Baltimore's bats stayed hot, Overcoming the Mets offense, and they took the series. So now the Mets head into Kansas City with no days off and you got some intriguing matchups coming up. So Senga is supposed to. So Senga is supposed to come back from injury and he's supposed to go game one against Michael Walker. So we'll see how that goes. Then you got Frankie Montas versus Michael Lorenzen and, honestly, who knows what you're going to get from either one of them. They could both be great, they could both stink.
Speaker 1:And then Sunday is marking Sean Mania's potential season debut. But it's also Clay Holmes's turn of the rotation and his innings are climbing faster than they want to admit. But it's good to keep him on schedule, because if he doesn't pitch then he probably won't throw for approximately two weeks. So now he'll be all out of sync. I mean, it's all a mess, really. What's going to be, what should happen, and what's probably going to be, is that Minaya is going to be on a short leash. So what you should do is you should start him, have him go three, four innings if he can, and then you have Holmes come out and finish the game or at least go another three, four innings, because he's used to coming out of the bullpen.
Speaker 1:And honestly, clay, let's face it Once the playoff time hits. I'm sorry, thank you for all the starts, but say hello to the fifth, sixth and seventh inning, clay, because that's what your role is going to turn into, especially if they make a move for a pitcher or something. But hey, doom and gloom aside. On a positive note, another Met makes the All-Star team. This year David Peterson earned his first All-Star selection. It's a sub-selection, but hey, man, you know, still goes as an All-Star on the books Baseball reference still counts as an All-Star. He replaces Robbie Ray.
Speaker 1:Now, speaking of the pitching woes, clark Schmidt is undergoing Tommy John surgery. Actually I think he went under a knife today. I mean, it's something that we knew, but it's also, you know, it's going to sideline him through 2026. That's another pitcher loss. So with Schmidt out and Cole out, I mean, look, there's some reinforcers on the way, with Luis Hill coming back, I guess. But Brian Cashman did acknowledge in a press conference that starting pitching is going to be a priority at the trade deadline. But before we get into that, let's roll forward into the Seattle series here.
Speaker 1:Game one Stanton, your boy, mr Adonis, three-run moonshot. And Austin Wells stays hot too, goes deep also. Yankees hammer the Mariners 10-3. Will Warren looks serviceable, bounces back a little. Five innings, five and a third scoreless.
Speaker 1:Game 2, top prospect Cam Schlitter. Say it with me Schlitter, not shitter. Schlitter makes his big league debut and folks, he delivered sure got seven Mariners. I mean, I know the Mariners don't always hit, but seven in your debut. Touching 100 on the gun gets a standing O at Yankee Stadium. What a debut. Jazz goes deep twice and the Yankees pull it out 9-6. Now Cam Schlitter making an impressive debut. If you're a Yankee fan, you got to be hoping that maybe he could be a piece of the puzzle, maybe he could strike lightning again. I mean, he earned the win despite Seattle hitting two homers. So you hope the kid kept the ball at least right.
Speaker 1:Now game three. This is the one, this is the wild one. Brian Wu nearly no hits. The Yankees carried it all the way into the eighth inning, yankees down 5-0. And who's up to bat? Your boy breaks up. The no-no sparks the team exactly when you need it.
Speaker 1:And look, I got to mention it's a fantastic name that I heard a caller call in this week. Someone called Boone Boone the Baboon because he doesn't know what he's doing, and I laughed so hard at that. But look, I'll give Boone the Baboon some credit today. He pushed the right buttons, pinch hit Stan and of course, of course he goes yard First career. Pinch hit Homer too, by the way. Who knew that was a thing? So now the lead's down to two.
Speaker 1:Bottom of the ninth Austin Wells. Two outs, two strikes, bang, game time, knock. Then Volpe in the 10th Circus, slide at the plate off a shallow judge, sack fly. Yankees win 6-5. Wow, they did it. They won a game in extras. Sweep Seattle break out the brooms First comeback from down five since 2016. Great finish for the Bombers and, honestly, a great morale boost After the slump that they've been going through. They'll take it.
Speaker 1:But let's be honest with ourselves here. Even with this winning streak, the issues with this team are they're glaring at times and come trade that line line. Some moves are going to have to be made and based on cashman's own words himself in a press conference he said recently, said quote we're going to be seriously active for a big player. End quote. But here's the thing, cashman, he's always been a little uh p when it comes to prospects. He's always been terrified to part ways with young talent, but meanwhile, when it comes to the day-to-day stuff, he can barely even fit Ben Rice into this lineup.
Speaker 1:Consistently, about some playoff baseball, you're gonna want a big time arm or some bullpen help or, hell, even a serious third baseman that will hit over 220. Now that you're DFA LeMayhew, you're gonna have to pay the price and unfortunately your farm system isn't that great except for a couple players, and the cost of starting pitching and bullpen relief is going to be expensive, not just because it's what every single team needs, but also because those said teams also probably have more ammo than you and other. Gms aren't dumb if you come out and say a prospect is untouchable or you know we'd have to give up, get a lot to get back from. They're going to test you, they're going to ask for more and even if they settle on the moon they're going to take it because they're out of it. So they don't care who they sell and they're going to sell their fans that like, oh, look at what we secured for the future, look at the haul we got back.
Speaker 1:How about the Nationals? How are they doing after that Soto trade? That could be us, but the reality is that no one knows about the prospects. I mean, starting pitching always gets hurt and some guys come up and they can't hit the goddamn curveball. So I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yankee fans, if you really want to go back to the World Series, you really you're going to have to start getting ready to live in a world where you've been hyped up spencer jones and george lumbar all these years and you're gonna have to live in a world where you get rid of them and hope that you the return is worth it. I mean, look, as a mets fan, I I gotta, I gotta see article after article and highlight after highlight about fucking pca every goddamn day. And right now you know what the mets need right now A serious center fielder. You don't think I'd love to see this team with PCA leading off, followed by Lindor and Soto and Alonzo and Nimmo. Look man, those are the breaks. Sometimes you give up Michael Fulmer for Cespedes and you go to the World Series, and sometimes you give up Jared Klinic for Edwin Diaz. It just is what it is, but you got to roll the dice and you got to go for it while you still can, and you know what.
Speaker 1:One more thing too Yankee fans, while we're on trades, can all of you please, for the love of God, stop flooding my DMs telling me they should go get Jose Ramirez? It's not gonna happen. First of all, when he signed, he took a discount to stay in Cleveland because, for some reason or another, he loves it there. And, if I remember correctly, his deal is like seven years for like $120 million. And he's only in year three of that deal. And on top of it, when they moved Lindor, he has now become the hometown pride and joy of Cleveland.
Speaker 1:So to get him out of there. It would take an enormous package and, uh and I'm sure this isn't the first time some of you have heard that you don't have it. Okay, you don't have that enormous package in your farm system at least. Oh, realistically, what you would have to give up for him would be insane. And you know, throwing shit out like will warren and oswald peraza isn't gonna cut it in. All in all seriousness, to get hosie out of cleveland it would take judge, and that's not an exaggeration. Okay, okay, okay, I'm done. I'm done ranting, but let's touch on some news around the league before we move on.
Speaker 1:The home run derby lineup is finally finalized. Jazz put his name in. He's the last to put his name on the ballot. He completes the field. We got byron buxton, little hometown atlanta kid. He's joining the party.
Speaker 1:James woods uh, national slugger, he's my sleeper, peak, sleeper, lefty Swing that plays the truest part. You got Acuna there to defend his stadium. Little Cow Rally, another lefty. He's the favorite. Brent Rooker trying to carve out a name for himself. Junior Cominero from the Rays is the throw-in name for the year. Someone that just said yes.
Speaker 1:And lastly, you got O'Neal Cruz makes his debut and I think it's going to be a problem. Look, I'm all for kids winning the contest and having a good time in the outfield, shagging flies from whatever and all-star weekend and enjoying everything. But someone's child might need some protective gear. This year Cruz is notorious for not hitting anything below like 100 miles an hour. It's a missile and it's coming at an 11-year-old. Okay, look, you heard it here first. Don't say I didn't warn you, jeez.
Speaker 1:And lastly, two other notes. God, I want to touch on PCA again because he just continues to shine in his breakout season, has his fifth multi-homer game this year and he hits the 25 homer, 25 steal milestone in just 92 games the fourth fastest ever to do it. And that Cubs outfield is for real Cubs are going to make some noise in the NL come playoff time. I just hope the Mets just don't have to deal with them. And lastly, quick tip of the hat to someone whose career I watched him start to finish and I dreaded facing him when my Mets were absolutely terrible. Clayton Kershaw hits the 3,000 strikeout mark, joins some elite company, becomes the fourth lefty of all time and probably one of the last of his breed and probably one of the last we'll ever see. That curveball has been poetry in motion for years and he gets his 11th all-star nod, so just want to give a quick salute to some greatness.
Speaker 1:All right, that's your MLB news this week, but stick around. Next up we're going to dive into a whole bunch of NBA contracts and lunacy going on. Teams are out here spending Monopoly money and the Knicks are hoping that they finally found the right guy. So stay tuned, we've got a lot left to cover. Okay, let's shift gears from the diamond to the hardwood.
Speaker 1:Nba offseason is delivering drama, like it always does. I got injury news and I got some huge contracts. You're not going to believe these numbers. So let's kick it off with something that we already knew. But now it's confirmed. Halliburton, the weird looking guy who can hoop for some reason and the heart of the Pacers team, has officially been confirmed to miss the entire upcoming season after surgery on his Achilles. Look going down and fighting in game seven to now fighting some squats in rehab. It's tough. Look. You never wish injury on a player and those that do don't get the game. And for the sake of the game, I actually I wish him a speedy recovery, but I I can't lie and say I'm not entirely upset that it doesn't make the Knicks' path to the finals easier, but on top of it too, that's not the only blow coming out of Indiana.
Speaker 1:Miles Turner, their defensive cornerstone walks. After a decade in Indiana, milwaukee swoops right in, pulled some cap gymnastics that even Indiana was kind of pissed about. Milwaukee cut Lillard and then they stretch his contract to make the numbers work. It's a bobby bonilla kind of deal. They're going to be paying him till 2030. So now turner is a buck and he's got a hefty 107 million dollar deal. I mean, indy pivoted and they grabbed Jay Huff from Memphis, but losing Turner right after losing Halliburton, that's the gut punch that Pacers fans can't stand. So going to be fun in Indiana this year, I guess.
Speaker 1:Then the Drew Holiday deal to Portland is finalized. After it got amended, they go with a straight swap for Boston for Anna Free Simmons no picks involved instead of picks involved as it was. I find that so weird and so funny, how NBA is really the only sport that that happens, where NBA GMs can just call back and say hang on, wait, wait, wait, wait. I want to change that. And Boston just continues to shed salary they get. They're well under the second apron now and Portland gets to add a respected veteran. But Boston is clearly in cost cutting and like restructuring phase after Tatum tore his Achilles. So I I don't know who knows what they're setting themselves up to do, but as far as I'm concerned that's another team out of the way of the Knicks winning it all. But plenty of other teams are not in the cost-cutting business this offseason, and we're going to start with Orlando.
Speaker 1:Palo Boncaro Won Rookie of the year in 2022 and now he has just inked a colossal rookie max extension five years, 239 million and with the right things it could balloon up to 287 million. That's a 50 million jump. What this magic team with Wagner and Suggs and now Desmond Bain? They're not playing around. They see the window and they see the east and they are grabbing it with both hands. Paolo now joins some magic royalty, to be honest, like Shaq, penny and McGrady which funny how that works out. I'll be bringing their names up later. That's what we call foreshadowing folks. Anyway, I don't know this kid in orlando's special man, and orlando they might have finally positioned themselves as a legitimate contender. Uh, at least they hope so. I mean, they've looked good for years, but they need to get that final push. They're hoping desmond bain is that. So we'll see how it ends up. We'll see how it shakes out.
Speaker 1:But let's talk about some other superstars securing their futures and securing the bag. Devin booker oh boy, hold on to your seats inks a two-year, two years, 145 million dollar extension. Two years, 145, that's 71.5 million a year. It's the richest AAV in NBA, yet he stays committed to Phoenix, despite all the turbulence. I mean, durant's gone blockbuster to and the best part is he'll be 30 when the two-year extension ends, so he'll be in line for another contract. Really, really. This is basically the Suns saying look, we're going to be bad, like bad, bad for the next couple years. So here's a dump truck of money. Can you please just stay with us and help us sell tickets and pad your stats, because there's no one around him now. So booker's about to take every shot he gets.
Speaker 1:Now we got the nicole yokic rumor mill swirling a little bit fresh off some massive organizational changes, by the way. He says, nah, I'm good, and he delays his contract talks, which you know he's smart. He's got three years left and he could sign now, but by joker waiting until next summer, he has an extra year and 77 million on top of it. So, look, smart move to be patient, but honestly, even a smarter move to fill out the new situation. New coach, new GM. Look, they brought in Valanchunas to bolster the roster, I guess, but they traded Michael Porter Jr. That was his boy.
Speaker 1:So I don't know. Maybe it's a money play, maybe it's let me feel this out. Maybe put some pressure on the front office and, god the king's ransom, they could get back for joker. It'd be insane, I don't know. I'm very, I'm very interested to see how things shake out in denver the next year or so, lest we forget about the reigning champs, oklahoma City Thunder, though Sam Presi out there, just doing what smart teams do, locking up their core that they drafted, got young superstars in SGA, j, will and Chet, and after this monster playoff run, despite missing chunks of the season, chet's defense and clutch plays in the finals guess what Earns him a five-year max extension. So now the Thunder have all three of their studs locked up and they're just going to say fuck it, we'll fill the other positions accordingly. As long as I have these three guys out there, we're good. That's a smart team that sets them up to maybe be a perennial powerhouse for years and years to come. God bless them Must be nice, all right, fine.
Speaker 1:Last but not least, let's get to it. Let's get to the big apple. Let's talk about it next. Fans, let's talk it out. They finally made it official.
Speaker 1:Mike brown steps into madison square garden as your new coach of the new york knickerbockers. They go from tibbs defensive guru knows how to work the locker room. But some offensive frustrations and some lineup constraints to brown who, look, look, in his own right, he's a two-time NBA coach of the year. Okay, you can't take that away from him. But I don't know, based on the polls this week, most of you were not happy at all about this, even so far. I even had someone tell me that their stomach turned and that this is going to be a dumpster fire. So I don't know. Look, yes, this guy has coached everywhere. Okay, but look at the players that he's coached lebron and cleveland, kobe and la curry and company and golden state shit. He fucking, uh, most recently recently broke Sacramento's playoff job. Can he handle the New York pressure cooker? I'd like to believe so. Can he handle the everyday scrutiny from all the fans? I'd like to believe he can. Can he bring this team to the promised land and be on a float coming down the Canyon Heroes. I'd also like to believe so, but unfortunately we're going to have to wait to find out. We have to hope that the pieces on the chessboard have been laid out correctly and that this team can take the next step no, the next leap and finally bring a championship back home to the Garden. Go Knicks.
Speaker 1:All right, that's your NBA offseason rundown. I got injuries shaking things up. I got big moves reshaping rosters. I got stars securing so much money they don't know what to do with. But we ain't done yet. Stay tuned.
Speaker 1:We're about to dive in some NFL drama that's been bubbling up, yes, even in the off season. Stick around, you're going to want to hear this. Nba is in the books. Time to talk some NFL. Listen. I know it's July, camps have barely even opened yet, but football never sleeps, especially when you got players setting themselves on fire almost literally.
Speaker 1:So let's get right into it. First things first, chargers, yes, chargers running back. Najee Harris had himself a holiday he will not soonly forget. Fourth of July fireworks mishap, superficial eye injury Thankfully nothing major, but apparently a tale as old as time. On the 4th of July, one person did end up losing some fingers. Yikes, harris is good to go for the season, something to keep an eye on. No pun intended for fantasy, though, and the Chargers didn't comment on it. But they are definitely breathing a sigh of relief because, let's face it, they've been chasing a running game since melvin gordon was melvin gordon. So, friendly reminder, keep those fireworks away from your faces. Boys and girls.
Speaker 1:Let's uh, let's pivot from that to kirk cousins. Man is there? Is there a qb in the nfo who manages to stay in the news cycle more than kirk cousins? For reasons that aren't football? I mean, I guess this one's football. But kirk cousin goes on netflix on the quarterback series.
Speaker 1:Says he felt misled by the falcons after signing that big guaranteed deal. Oh boohoo. Said that atlanta drafting panics at number eight completely blindsided him yeah, you and all of us and that he might have changed his mind on signing there and he would have even considered resigning with the vikings. Well, you, god forbid, right, but the Falcons still owe him $27.5 million this year. So he's their problem one way or the other, right? Look, you got to love Kirk. He's always bringing the drama, he's always keeping us entertained. You like that? You like that? Quick one from Cowboys camp Prescott says he's fully healthy and cleared for everything and when training camps opens he'll be ready to go.
Speaker 1:He's currently hosting his annual skill player retreat that he does every year, getting some extra reps in with the new guys and George Pickens and whatnot. Who Pickens says he's dialed in, ready to erase any doubts about his character. Tough sell if you're asking me, but hey, we'll see. Also, hey, dallas, no one has won the NFC East in back-to-back years for 20 years. Yes, that's a real stat. So you're out of excuses. It's time to make some noise. It's time to put up, or it's time to blow it up honestly.
Speaker 1:And lastly, the big news that's trying to get swept under the rug, but we won't let it. Some big controversy brewing behind closed doors between the NFL and the Players Union. Arbitration ruling leaked and hinted that Roger Goodell and the league offices encouraged owners to limit guaranteed contracts after the Sean Watson debacle. Now you got the NFLPA scrambling to appeal and they're trying to save face after they hid the ruling from players for months. Yikes man, somebody's got some explaining to do. I mean, if the players union doesn't have your back in this violent game that they play, then then who the hell does?
Speaker 1:This is something that I'm. It's got big ramifications. If it comes out any worse, I'm definitely gonna be watching this one. So unfortunately, that's kind of it for now for the nfl, but when more news breaks I'll have it locked and loaded for you, trust me, and I'll tell you right now I've got an amazing fantasy show planned for you guys, and maybe even some gambling content, some stuff I might have in the works with a trusted sharp of mine. It's all coming soon, I promise. You just got to hang tight. It's the middle of July, it is what it is. So I got to cover what I got to cover. And, that being said, we got to jump across the pond right now because Wimbledon has some serious tennis drama brewing.
Speaker 1:How about a little Jersey representation at Wimbledon? Amanda Anisimova, born in Jersey from Freehold, nonetheless reaching her first Grand Slam final after knocking off world number one Ariana Sabalenka, knocked off Sabalenka Woo Just two years ago. She stepped away from tennis for, like, mental health issues. She couldn't find her love for the game anymore. Now here she is taking down some giants in the game at center court. It's unreal to think about how fast things can change if you stick to it, she'll go on to face my favorite player on the women's tour, iga Swiatek, in the final, and she's trying to become the first American woman since Serena in 2016 to win Wimbledon. Look, I love Iga, but hey, jersey pride is Jersey pride, baby, pride, baby. She's gonna have to take a back seat here. It's a huge story and a huge moment. Go rep that tri-state pride. Amanda, get in there, and it's not just the American women making noise either.
Speaker 1:Taylor Fritz finally punched his ticket to Wimbledon semis after heartbreak, two years in a row getting bounced into quarters. He lost to Nadal, and then he played hurt all last year. This year, though, he finally seals the deal and, unfortunately, goes on to advance and face a monster in Carlos Alcaraz, who is no slouch and is currently looking to three-peat at Wimbledon. So, unfortunately, no easy task for the American men, but you know, if anybody can do it, I think Fritz can. He'd be the first American man to reach the Wimbledon final since Roderick in 2009. So I'm rooting for him, but on the other side, if he does win, he ain't got no easy final either.
Speaker 1:It's going to be either Novak Djokovic or Yannick Sinner, and Novak has now reached his 14th Wimbledon semifinal. He just passed Federer. That's insane. The dude's 38, and he's still dominating. I mean, imagine doing shuttle runs for four hours at 38 years old. No, thank you. Took a nasty fall in the quarters too, bounced right back up like nothing happened. That's crazy. Like I said, he's going to face Yannick Sinner in the semis and if he does make the finals and ends up going on to win, novak will pass Margaret Court for the most major wins of all time. It'll be his 25th major.
Speaker 1:Look real, recognizes real, and we're watching history right now. So appreciate this man, man. Appreciate him while he's still here, because soon enough all we're going to have is the replays and the stories when it's all over. It's important to recognize greatness when you see it right. All right, tennis is wrapped, nfl News is done. Now it's time to have some fun, right?
Speaker 1:I threw a question out there and I kicked it around with some of my boys Universal jerseys, jerseys so iconic, so legendary. It doesn't matter what team you rep, what colors you support, you'd wear these jerseys proudly anyway. So let's break this down and let's see who makes the top five. Okay, folks, now let's have some fun. Let's talk jerseys, and not just any jerseys, the ones that I call the universal jerseys. You know exactly the ones that I'm talking about too Iconic, timeless, so legendary you don't even have to be a fan of the team to rep it kind of jerseys. A jersey so good it transcends rivalries, sports hatred. If you show up wearing one of these, nobody's questioning your loyalty, because these jerseys they just hit differently. They're filled with street cred. So long and short.
Speaker 1:I asked the question to a couple of buddies and a couple of friends of mine of the show and I got flooded with some great responses and I had to make it a segment this week. So let's break it down the list of universal jerseys of all time. Now, remember, this isn't just about talent, it's about swagger style. This isn't just about talent, it's about swagger style, that certain something that just makes you say yeah, yeah, I'd wear that. That's a great jersey. There was just too many options, so I split things up in a couple of categories. So let's start at the top the undeniable locks. We got to kick the list off with a couple of automatic. No argument, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1:First ballot, hall of Famers and number one you all agree with me Ken Griffey Jr. Mariners jersey. The backwards hat, the left-handed swing. I mean, jr made baseball cool, man. A Mariners grippy jersey is you could wear that to dinner with your girl, doesn't matter. Next we got the Vince Carter Toronto Raptors purple jersey. That purple dinosaur on the chest, vince, soaring through the air. You can see him right now Still probably the coolest baseball jersey ever. And through the air you can see him right now Still probably the coolest baseball jersey ever. Easy, easy top five all time. Next we go with the great one, wayne Gretzky Oilers jersey. I mean blue and orange, clean design, hockey royalty, it's Gretzky. Guy scored so much he got bored and then claimed the record for all-time assists.
Speaker 1:Next we're going to go with Michael Vick the Atlanta Falcons jersey. Everybody remembers that sleek black Falcons number seven, pure electricity. I mean you wore it because Mike Vick was. He was must watch TV at the time. And not to mention he was the ultimate man in cheat code. And last but not least, for the no doubt hall of famers, larry bird, the goat shit talker, everybody's favorite white boy, just a pure monster on the court and a monster of a jersey.
Speaker 1:So now here's where things get interesting. This is where the debate really comes in. Some of these were no-brainers, some were were a little bit of surprises, but they can all hold their own, no matter what. Kicking off the list, we got Allen, iris and Sixers jersey. That black and red combo Ooh, you can still see that jersey being rocked today. Throwback to AI stepping over Ty Lue, by the way, looking cooler than everybody in the arena and, honorable mention, I will take AI's high school jersey. Can't go wrong either way.
Speaker 1:Next we got Kobe Bryant's Laker Jersey. I mean, obviously it's Kobe, it's purple and gold, it's you know. No further explanation needed. Rest in peace, this one was a little tough. This one, it's Michael Jordan's Bulls Jersey. Look, I'll throw Jordan on the list just because I. I'll throw Jordan on the list just because I mean you'd see number 23 on kids who didn't even know what a basketball was. It's MJ. It's kind of cheating to throw him on the list, but I don't think the list would be a good one without him, so he needs to be mentioned. Next we got Joe Montana in the 49ers jersey. Pure class, I mean Joe Montana, joe Montana, football royalty. Red and gold, pure perfection. I will also accept a Jerry Rice Niners jersey also, and the last three I had to lump together because I got votes from all over the place Either a Penny Hardaway, a T-Mac or a Shaq Orlando Magic jersey.
Speaker 1:All were huge fan favorites late 90s, early 2000s. Blue pinstripes never went out of style. Those, those three, you could rock forever. Now here might be some curveballs, might surprise you a little bit, but they're they're sneaky, good choices too. These fall under the sleeper slash, underrated gems category that I put together.
Speaker 1:Kicking off the list is Ichiro. I mean, he was a walking legend, quiet, calm, cool, global star and number 51 in Seattle teal, oh, so clean. Next I got Tony Gwynn's Padres jersey that brown yellow, yeah, you know, it works. And plus he's one of the most lovable hitters of all time. Bo Jackson's Raiders or Kansas City Royals jersey, doesn't matter which sport, I don't care, I'll let you slide Bo new style as well. As he knew sports. I mean Bo knows right, bo knows. Next we got a Randy Moss Viking shirt purple. People eaters deep bombs. I mean it's Moss man. How could you not love Moss? You got Moss right.
Speaker 1:And again, I'll lump these last three in one category here or one thing, because you can't choose from any of them. I will give you any of the steroid era guys, bonds, giants, cubs, sosa or St Louis Maguire All iconic, all beautiful. And hey, chicks, dig the long ball right Now. Here's where we get a little funky, because I got a lot of movie and pop culture ones, but it's not really sports, but they are great jerseys on their own and you can't say no to the pop culture ones because of the lines and the childhood and whatever.
Speaker 1:So here's top five movie ones Jesus Shuttleworth, ray Allen, denzel I mean, that's all that needs to be said. That's a great jersey to pull out of the closet. Bobby Boucher, the water boy Pure comedy, great stuff. I mean, that's high quality H2O right there. Ricky Vaughn from Major League, wild thing. Indian Jersey is that's top cinema right there. And it's filled with just endless lines in that movie too. Are you trying to tell me that Jesus Christ couldn't hit a curveball? Next we got Paul Crew, the Longest Yard. Shout out to both Burt Reynolds and Adam Sandler versions, both good movies on their own.
Speaker 1:And last but not least, shane Falco, the Replacements, pain heels, chick stick scars, glory, glory lasts forever, boys. And finally, you got to give the college kids some shine, because you guys were buying their jerseys before they were even able to make money off them. And these are some of the certified college classics. Say what you want them on them. Johnny manziel, texas, a&m number two jersey goes hard. Johnny, football baby. Some of the older heads, they all had had.
Speaker 1:Doug Flutie, boston College jerseys. Small guy, huge moments. Reggie Bush USC jersey you could put that on right now and be the king of the party. Pure electricity. And last but not least, tim Tebow in Florida man, if you're from Gainesville, you probably have like five or six of them sitting in the closet. So look, that's it, man. We can debate this forever. There's so many more that I'm missing and I'm asking you now who makes your top five? Hit me on my socials. Let's get the argument going. Which universal jersey is the most iconic? Who did I miss? Don't hold back, tell me. Later this week I I'm gonna do a mic check and I want your votes, I want your voices. We'll narrow it down. Let's see who comes out on top. Right man, I love that jersey.
Speaker 1:Talk is in the books and we're almost done. We're getting to the end of the show here, man, but stick around. Got some closing thoughts coming up and I always want to leave you guys with something good, so don't go anywhere just yet. Well, what do you know? Just like that, episode 21 is officially in the books.
Speaker 1:We started off hot this week with a full Subway Series breakdown, some highs and lows for both teams Covered, some home run derby mashers. I got nba gms handing out money like they printed in the basement the nfl being shady as they always are and a quick promo for some specials I'll be putting out once the season gets ramped up. We got a local jersey girl taking on london and an all-time who's who of jerseys to wear. I really can't wait to hear your lists. So please make sure you guys write in this week with some suggestions and, as always, I appreciate you spending your time with me because you could have been anywhere else, but you chose to hang out here and I'll never take that for granted.
Speaker 1:Remember the conversation never stops. Follow me on instagram, vote in the polls, drop your takes shit. Dm me some memes. I'll answer all of it, I promise. Without you guys, I'm just an idiot talking to his mic. So, as always, spread good energy out there and make sure you tell someone you love them. Giving positive energy gets you positive energy back. Never forget that. From Rice on the Mics. This is your host, ian Rice, signing off Episode 22 next week. It's already cooking, don't miss it. Have a great week, everybody. I'm out.