Michigan vs UConn: Matchups, Depth, And Coaching Mind Games

The championship game isn’t just a matchup, it’s a stress test for every sports idea we argue about all year: execution vs chaos, coaching control vs player freedom, and whether the betting market is reading the room or shaping it. We start with some birthday and road-trip banter, then lock in on Michigan vs UConn with the kind of nuts-and-bolts breakdown you can actually use while you watch: rotation depth, defensive reliability, who can manufacture a run, and what happens if the pace turns into a half-court fight.

From there, we rewind to Michigan’s blowout over Arizona and talk about the warning signs you can feel before the scoreboard makes it official. We also get into the coaching layer, including how Dan Hurley manages momentum and how Michigan’s approach looks more like “impose your will and keep executing.” Betting lines come up for a reason: point spread, money line, and the over under only make sense if you can picture the game script. We give our predictions, including what we think the scoring range really looks like when the defense tightens.

Then we zoom out to the larger sports ecosystem. We hit the Fab Five and why that early 90s era helped change college basketball culture, branding, and the money conversation that eventually becomes NIL. We also talk NBA playoff chaos and lottery odds, plus the reality that sports betting is now a central character, from DraftKings promos to payout limits. Finally, we vent about MLB umpiring and why an automated strike zone feels inevitable, then pivot to the NFL draft with a Jets quarterback debate and what a Giants trade request could signal about team direction.

Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review if you want more live, unfiltered breakdowns. What’s your call: Michigan or UConn, and what decides it?

Transcript

Welcome And Birthday Banter

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hello, everybody, and welcome to Sports Live with Steve and Justin. Tonight, today, tomorrow, we're gonna be talking about NCAA finals. The weekend was kind of a blowout city, and we'll talk about it live. Sports Live with Steve and Justin. You hear me okay? I didn't really set my thing up before.

SPEAKER_04 0:39

Yeah, I can hear you fine.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

I uh I basically went, I started talking and realized that I didn't have a microphone. I I changed this, you know, setup to a different arm, and now I can't keep my coffee cup or my drink over here because the arm is low. And I keep knocking it over.

SPEAKER_04 1:00

I have you need a tray stand.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

I had a lake here. That's not a bad idea. I get a little thing on the side, but I'll probably knock that over too.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Anyway, all right. Justin, happy birthday, everybody. Happy birthday to Justin.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

I wish I had a little happy birthday message to play, but I don't. I sure didn't think I didn't think about it until right now.

SPEAKER_04 1:23

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Two two years in a row, I spent my birthday on a college campus now, which was pretty fun.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Yeah, but it's not a college campus playing for the national championship tonight.

SPEAKER_04 1:34

No, that's that's true. That's true. Although, although Cortland did win their national championship in football a couple years ago, I wasn't on campus for that, but it was pretty interesting being there at UConn today visiting. I had my Michigan jacket and hat. Oh my god. My son, when I got out of the car, looked at me and said, take that off.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

I can't believe you were you're trying to get a scholarship for your kid and you're wearing Michigan clothes.

SPEAKER_04 1:57

He's already got it. It's as good as it's gonna get.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

So they can take it away from him.

SPEAKER_04 2:02

I was trying to get a picture of myself in front of Gample, but he was he was running back to the car after the tour.

MLB Start And Early Mistakes

SPEAKER_01 2:10

So a lot of sports this weekend, a lot of screw-ups, a lot of everything. I you know, I watched the Mets come back and win yesterday, and then I watched the Yankees roll over and die.

SPEAKER_04 2:27

So well, their bullpen is not very good right now.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

I think that's one problem of of of Yeah, but they're seven and two.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

They have the best record in baseball sharing it with the almighty LA Dodgers.

SPEAKER_04 2:51

They're beating the teams they're supposed to beat right now. And it's just we're just getting started. It's nice to see the Red Sox off to a dismal start, although we're up, you know, it's it's still March.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Yeah, they're pretty bad.

SPEAKER_04 3:05

They have not been good. They've been, yeah, they have been bad.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

It's one thing to lose or get beat, but Yeah, but they beat the Marlins a couple of times, the Yankees, and didn't didn't really uh could have really been better, but they beat the Marlins, and the Marlins are a tough team. Gotten to be a tough team.

SPEAKER_04 3:28

From from what I've seen so far, not just the Yankees, but across Major League Baseball, it seems like you kind of scratch your head and wonder what was happening in spring training that some of these players are not hitting the cutoff man, throwing to the right base, et cetera, et cetera, covering the mound or whatever. And then you realize they were all playing international baseball for a month. Right. You know, in the middle of spring or two weeks in the middle of spring training. So maybe that has something to do with it. I'm sure that'll all straighten itself out by May. And then once you get into the summer months, you know, you'll you'll separate the men from the boys kind of thing. And just like every other sport.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

And which one are we?

SPEAKER_04 4:11

Today, 51 years young, so I'll I'll take I'm a boy today.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Well, I I only have 16 years on you. I don't know how that could be true, but it is.

SPEAKER_04 4:28

A wealth of wisdom and knowledge in that 16 years.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Huh?

SPEAKER_01 4:38

We are live on YouTube. I can see it.

SPEAKER_04 4:40

Oh, good.

SPEAKER_01 4:41

So there's something for there's something for our ability today. Do we have any viewers? I can't really you know what? I can't really tell on here. I don't know why. I tell you, we missed the rabbi, right?

SPEAKER_04 4:53

We missed a rabbi. The rabbi is uh on assignment today. So we'll have him before.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

He's on a slow uh slow train to China at the minute. Yes. He is the rail ticket. On the Pacific, you know, on the uh Union Pacific trying to drive drive the spike in the North Country. Being not only not only gonna see his kids' college or probably being chased by ICE representatives as we speak.

SPEAKER_04 5:28

Is he still the rabbi this week? I wonder what his code name is now.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

I don't he's the rabbi from now on. I don't care if he likes it or he doesn't like it. He's the rabbi.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

It's great.

UConn vs Michigan Stakes

SPEAKER_04 5:38

Yeah, so he he was uh he he I spoke to him briefly via text this morning, and he's all right. He's he's tra his his traveling accommodations aren't great, but he'll survive. He uh he's he's been really I got two texts today from two two former classmates, both of whom are saying that they can't stand to see UConn win a national championship. And uh both of them cited Hurley as the you know the coach of coaches right now, and how you know he's playing mind games and he gets under everybody's skin and he knows just what buttons to push and all that. And I said, if there's one coach out there that would be completely pro or uh not prone, immune to Hurley's antics, it would be the Michigan coach because he's probably just as nuts. He's you know very cavalier, and nothing seems to bother him. And so I think that you know he might be impervious to any sort of mental game that Hurley wants to play. He's just gonna have his guys go out there and execute, and that's that. Okay Although Michigan opened up as a I think they opened up as a 14 and a half point favorite today. I mean, huge favorite.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

I mean, I was shocked. Not for anything. I mean, they they score it well. I mean, they got a guy who's one of the best in the country who sprains his ankle and his knee and says, I don't care. I'm coming back out to play.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:22

And I I know they lost. Did they lose him for tonight?

SPEAKER_01 7:25

I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 7:27

I think he's Lunderborg is out tonight. I know they're gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

What'd they have to do? Castrate him to get him not to play? I mean Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_04 7:34

Well then Hurley came out with their I forgot who it was, was in a walking boot. That was the headline this morning. As I'm catching text while driving up to Connecticut.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

Alright, so I mean, I'm looking at some of the stats.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Uh I don't know. Michigan started that game, you know.

SPEAKER_04 8:06

I'm watching that game. I was texting you the game against Arizona, and you know, one thing that stood out to me, there's something that Keith said earlier in the season that Arizona can score at will. They score in bunches, they can score on anybody, but they don't play very good defense. And to start that game, it seemed like Arizona was trying, and I say that kind of tongue-in-cheek, but I I was looking at it from the Michigan point of view. I was kind of like, you know, on the edge of my seat every time they went down the court because I I just felt like they needed to get a lead. And I thought that they were getting some really good looks and you know, some incredible passing and assists to get the buckets they did, but I was like, how long can they sustain this? And the next thing you know, it's 10 to 1, then it's like 15 to 4, and they're up by 12, then up, you know, they almost got it to 20 before the half. And I thought it was a huge bucket for Arizona to get it back down till I think it was 14 or 16 instead of it being 20. And uh, you know, I thought to myself, wow, Arizona, you know, at one point I think they cut it to six or seven, you know, in less than two minutes. They had run up and down the floor, and I was like, oh, here they come. And the next thing you know, Michigan just puts the press on them. I mean, they were just scoring every time they came down the floor at one point.

SPEAKER_03 9:35

Right.

SPEAKER_04 9:35

So I I I don't see Yukon playing with that level of defensive inability, if you will. You know, they can play.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

I think it's important that they get out in front, that they get the ball and and sink it. I mean, but if you look at the stats, you know, looking at some of the stats, you had we're looking at UConn.

SPEAKER_04 9:59

Ball played They did not have incredibly good offensive stats.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

28 minutes, and he was 39% from field goal. Not bad. Uh Damari played 28 minutes, he was 44% for field goal. Uh Furfe, is that his name? Furfe? Like Murphy with an F? Furfe? Furfe. Uh oh, he only played two and a half minutes. That's why I didn't know. Carabin. He paid 30. He's the one that had those great shots at the end of the game that did nothing at the beginning of the game the other day.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

He he was in for 34 minutes. He shot 46%.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

And and and um three-pointers 38, 37 percent, 38 percent, whatever you round up. I mean, the same thing with uh Damari Jr. was 38% from three-pointers, ball was 30% from three quarter three-quarters. You had um Molina, he was 28 minutes, he was 43% on field goals, 34% on three-pointers. I mean, you don't know how many they took. I mean, it's probably in here, but I'm not looking for it. I mean, so those are pretty cool, but now turn to Michigan. Uh Michigan um Catadoo, 27 minutes, 40%, 38% from three-pointers. Then you had uh uh Kaysen, he only played 19 minutes, but he was 50% on field goals and 40% on three-pointers. You had Gale played 21 points, he was 46 and 31 percent. You had Grady, he played six minutes, but he had 35% and 32%, respectively. You had Johnson Jr., he played 25 minutes. He was 62% field gold, incredible and 35% three-pointer.

SPEAKER_04 12:12

That's deadly. I mean, uh, you know.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

You had Mara, he played 23.5 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

He was 67% from field goal and 30% from uh from three-pointers.

SPEAKER_04 12:29

He's got incredible hands. May and concentration under the basket. May comes off the bench, he's 50. By the way, Mara, Mara's seven foot three.

SPEAKER_01 12:40

Right. That's the other caveat. May comes off the bench, plays a little almost three minutes. He's 50% and 66%. So he gives you a couple baskets right out of the gate.

SPEAKER_04 12:52

Mara underneath the basket was incredible. He was quick. He was phone booth quick. His hands were he didn't drop anything. Phone booth quick. You know, yeah, like he could move in quick inside a phone booth. Like he's under the basket. Is that like a Superman reference or something? Yeah, it could be, sure. But he's got phone booth, you know, quickness in a small space. So I that's what I call it. Phone booth quick.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Phone booth quick. Write that down, ladies and gentlemen. Phone book quick.

SPEAKER_04 13:26

Some people can have fun in a phone booth with no change. That's me. That guy, he's phone booth quick.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Last guy, OMara gave you, Maya gave you McKinney. There's actually a couple guys, but McKinney. Played 22 minutes, 47%. They got a lot of shooters, field gold, 40%. Yeah, they rotate.

SPEAKER_04 13:52

Who knows what buttons to push and when to push them?

SPEAKER_01 13:55

And number 42 uh looks like Tech Terra. He played 14 minutes, he had 38% field gold, 35% of three-pointers. Does it have how many points each one of them had on here?

SPEAKER_02 14:14

It does not. It does not. Did you watch you were watching the CBS broadcast at the club? The Michigan game?

SPEAKER_01 14:32

I think we were watching it on uh Paramount or whatever the hell is it.

SPEAKER_04 14:36

Uh right, gotcha. Not see it wasn't on CBS anyway, it was on uh was it TBS? TNT? I can't remember.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

But I whatever it was on, we were watching it stream. I don't know if it was Paramount or or or or whatever. I don't know what it was.

Fab Five Broadcast And Cultural Impact

SPEAKER_04 14:52

I was watching the uh True TV broadcast when they had the Fab Five do the whole game, but I I couldn't find it initially. I caught like the last few minutes of the first half, and then I watched the second half on that on True TV, which was pretty interesting. They were they were really having a lot of fun. Obviously, it was much easier to have fun because Michigan was winning. But um those guys do a lot of talking, and it's very insightful too. And I know how much they love each other. Well, they're great, they were great players. You know, they were really that era, that early 90s era, you know, they transcended basketball and hip-hop. And, you know, looking back on some of the criticisms that they took, they were just freshmen, sophomores. You know, they were so young. And back then, you know, that I don't think Steve Fisher gets enough credit for playing them when he did. Because when you think of coaches that played freshmen and won and everything, you think of Kalapari and Pettino and how these big coaches got all these freshmen to play and they graduate him early and stuff. That was not yet a thing back then. That was really the beginning. There were so many things happening all at once with that team. And, you know, they only really stayed together for the two years. I think Juwan Howard stayed a third year, if I remember correctly. But I was I was talking to Keith about that, and I mentioned to him that I thought the Fab Five would be, especially if Michigan wins tonight, the Fab Five should be on his short list for inductees for next year's Hall of Fame class to the American Basketball Hall of Fame. That's a good point. Because that's a really compelling story. I mean, at that time, the culture being what it was and the merchandising that came off of it, you know, that was something they realized, they said when they went overseas. I think they took a trip to London, somewhere in Europe, they saw exactly how much they were missing out on. And you could trace links of the NIL money today back to that era. So the only other sport entity at that time that was bigger than that, that transcended all these different things and made, you know, an injection into the economy was Michael Jordan. And I'm not comparing the Fab Five to Michael Jordan. It's not, I'm not, not basketball comparison. It's a cultural thing and it's a basketball phenomenon type thing where the culture and the landscape of college basketball changed, just like everything changed with Michael Jordan in the NBA, and then the money that he injected into the economy as well. And I think the Fab Five plays into that. They kind of go hand in hand.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

True. You know, it was just one of those eras.

Subscribe Notes And NBA Playoff Picture

SPEAKER_01 17:50

I mean, basketball was something else. There's one person, one person came up watching us. I know there's more, and you don't really see them all for whatever reason. They're not signed in. I'm guessing that's Dom. Must be Dom. Or you know who else watches this? Is Mike. But yeah, Mike Deleggy. Yeah. So, um Thanks, guys.

SPEAKER_04 18:15

Make sure you like and subscribe.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

They've already liked and subscribe. Everybody like and subscribe. We had, I think we had what, 6,000 downloads last week? 60 something. Nice. So we appreciate everybody following up on it. We've been going back and forth with my other podcast, which is History's Agenda, as far as subscriptions. Uh, people that subscribe, so please subscribe so you can go past that other one. Even though this week, for anybody that's interested, I have uh Mr. Rosen, who is the James Rosen, who is the author of the book on Anton Scalia, the former Supreme Justice. It's a wonderful book and is killing me as I'm trying to get it done before Thursday. What would I do to do the do the uh interview? But so that podcast is rolling along in its own world, and so is this one. And uh, we appreciate everybody that's been working with us. Keith has been a great compliment. When I wanted to talk about the NBA last week, he left me away. So while he's not here, I'm guessing this is what this means. If the season ended today, um this is in the Eastern Conference. The play-in would be the Raptors versus the Hornets, the Magic versus the Heat, and then the loser of 7-8 plays 9-10, the winner of 9-10. Too much to to read, right? And then they go in.

SPEAKER_04 19:48

Well, it's it's it's the NBA. I mean, they have to make every last dollar they can.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

The Knicks, the Knicks would play Philadelphia, uh, the Cavaliers would play the Hawks, and Detroit and Boston would play whatever winners of the play-in game. Western Conference is the Lakers play Timberwolves, Denver plays the Houston Rockets, blah blah blah blah blah.

SPEAKER_02 20:16

Um I did want to mention if nothing else, the NBA is wide open. I wanted to mention the race for the number one pick.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

The Washington Wizards, number one, 17 and 6. They would have a 14% chance at the number one pick. Number two would be the Indiana Pacers. They're 18 and 60. They are 14% chance at the number one pick. Brooklyn Jazz, Brooklyn Knights, Nets. I'm reading two different lines at once. They're 19 and 59, great team. They're also 14% chance. So then it starts moving down. And they're 11.5% chances of the number one pick. Um the Pelicans, strangely enough, uh would pick, would they convey their pick to the Atlanta Hawks? Um, so the Pelicans are 25 and 54, they have a 9% chance. And then, you know, the Grizzlies, 7.5%, Bulls, 4.5, Bucks three, um, Golden State Warrior 2, Portland, Trailblazers, 1.5%. half Miami Heat.

SPEAKER_04 22:01

Bucks record.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

The Bucs record is 31 and 47.

SPEAKER_04 22:06

And they have a 3% chance of getting the number one pick?

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 22:11

Can we can we can we bet can we bet on that that they end up with the number one pick? What are the odds? Three percent I don't know. Let me see if it's I I'm willing to bet that they end up with the number one pick because if Giannis is traded, that's the NBA. I mean it it's hard to watch sometimes with these with these numbers and the ping pong balls and the lottery picks and the closed envelopes and blah blah blah. What's the um what do you want to look at DraftKings?

UConn Rotations And Betting Lines

SPEAKER_02 22:44

Whatever whatever has it whatever whatever it is I'll take I'll I'll take it get a a parlay they get the number one pick and Giannis is traded for the draft I don't know if it's here I don't see it I don't see it more specials I'm gonna oh god no I'm listening to you I was gonna just go back to UConn for a second before you find that info I think I think for UConn and I don't know what Hurley's going to do.

SPEAKER_04 23:48

I mean he's a he's clearly a great coach I think he's gonna put the ball in Tarras Reed's hand the transfer from Michigan who's a senior I think he's gonna do everything he can to facilitate him to score as many points as possible and drag this team to the finish line because they do a great they do a great job of subbing you know he knows listen he knows when he goes up or down he he has a feel for the game you know I think that blowout loss to St. John's in the in the big east tournament was was an aberration I not and I'm not saying that they he or they lost on purpose or that he coached them to lose that because they still got a higher seed than St. John's because clearly they're they're better than you know better than that but he's he he seems to know when to sub within six or eight points being up or down and the changing of the momentum of the game without calling timeouts. When there's a loose ball he's got two or three guys ready to come in two three guys come out all of a sudden boom boom boom they extend their lead back to six or they cut this the deficit to one or two or take end up taking a lead I think he's very good at at rotating his players within the rotation that they have set because they use everybody you know and he knows when to use them. So this time around I don't think Michigan plays that style I don't think they care who's on the floor against them. They're gonna they're gonna sub when it's appropriate but they're more of uh impose their will type you know strategic strategic strategy sorry um so you're ready for the odds on this game?

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Yeah go ahead I got it uh starts in three hours and twenty minutes Connecticut is plus seven and a half so it came down considerably it's it's I think the under over is 144 and a half 144 and a half wow because you got two shooters but I still don't think they're going over you unless they go in overtime barring overtime yeah I would take the under.

SPEAKER_04 26:18

I think there's gonna be a lot of defense in this game tonight.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

Alright so Connecticut money line is plus two seventy Michigan money line is minus two eighty five spread. So if you want to take Michigan plus ten and a half it's or minus ten and a half it's plus one sixty three I think they're begging you to take UConn tonight. Well that's interesting maybe that's just my bias it's interesting you say that let me let me um we get to the more markets so Michigan Michigan will win by one and a half points is a minus two forty five no is plus two twenty three I don't know exactly what that means one and a half points or more so I guess you're basically saying they're gonna win by one point or they're gonna lose they're not gonna tie right but if you go down to Yukon oh those are locked you can't bet on Yukon and play with the point spread. If you wanted to bet Yukon win by four and a half points or more I guess the number's so big that they don't want to want you to bet on it. Or unless I got a lock.

SPEAKER_04 27:41

What does that tell you? What does that tell you? I don't know maybe I gotta log in hold on I'm if I had to bet tonight I'd take UConn money line and the under really obviously I don't remember my password Obviously I I just signed on one an email I haven't used in a hundred years.

DraftKings Money And Promo Hooks

SPEAKER_01 28:12

That ain't gonna work either so we'll have to forget that for now unless I use my phone which is MIA at the moment You know the revenue is four point seventy seven billion dollars in two thousand twenty four the revenue for the NCAA tournament? For the DraftKings they don't give you twenty five they give you twenty four and uh you know how many employees they have fifty one hundred wow wow wow wow wow and it's on the Nasdaq let me see what it says how many billions too many five point one making a lot of money a lot of money I mean that's no secret we knew someone was gonna cash in on that but I'd love to know I'm sure we'll get a 30 for 30 on that in 25 years about how DraftKings and FanDuel came to be and what politician pulled the plug on protecting everybody from degeneracy Well they were you know what they'll say that sports teams would have collapsed well it's like I said it's it's right out of the last Boy Scout.

SPEAKER_04 30:11

Port Noy Let's see what he says I don't know if I could play it he's wearing Michigan is that on their their their their ex I don't know I guess it is Barstool sports in the history of final four to see that live there are two points more less okay I I think that Yukon Illinois cut of the Brainland Mountains to him I mean you couldn't find two more insufferable entities somebody born in Massachusetts and a Yukon fan so but he picked on Michigan who did pick Portnoy picked Michigan he went to Michigan.

Online Gambling Limits And Parlays

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Yeah I know he's wearing a Michigan shirt and a Michigan being what he is he does a great job yeah I don't know Jeff Kings offers a two hundred dollar bonus for a Yukon Michigan game bet five dollars and get two hundred dollars instantly how's that yeah that's another get it instantly but you have to gamble it away right it's a match bet thing yeah it's not like you could you get it and cash out but if you're not greedy and you play it smart you could you know you could you could make some money but I don't think you're allowed to bet like I don't think you can place a$200 wager I think you have to bet it in increments to sort of match it or buy it down. So I I had been my cousin had surgery and I went there to sit in the hospital with my other cousin and and the kids while she was having surgery and no one knew how it was going to come out or whatever. And in New Jersey at that time you could bet real casino stuff online. Yep with my phone wasn't pretty I'm sure it wasn't we haven't heard many stories if any about online gambling success right I mean I didn't do that bad button how many phone millionaires do we know and I and I'm my my niece is sitting next to me and I said to her what are you playing?

SPEAKER_04 33:18

By the way did you know that these companies don't pay out over two million dollar purse or whatever you call it what do they what do they do? In other words if you let's say you I learned this not the hard way but I wanted to bet like a dollar on the six lowest odds or six highest odds I guess the six lowest ranked division winners for the NFL so it was like you know the Jets the Cardinals the Browns you know boom boom boom across the board and at I think it was at$10 if it had hit it was like you know 200 million or it was well over two million dollars. And a thing flashes up that you can't bet this because they won't pay it out which to me is kind of egregious that you place a wager and you have all the odds in front of you everything's at your fingertips and you come up with this bet which probably isn't gonna hit that all six teams that finished last in the division a year before will win the division this year.

Final Predictions And Score Picks

SPEAKER_01 34:26

And um you know it's a six it's a six division I guess you call it six division parlay who's gonna win each other but they probably don't have the reserves to do that you know what I mean if it they don't have the reserves to pay it out so but I bet you could take a million dollars in cash and place that wager at Binions right they'll take any bet. Long as they have the reserve in Las Vegas you need ten time reserves of what gets gambled on the floor or some shit I don't know I this is what how I used to play and I used to win once in a while enough to make it worthwhile I'd take a hundred bucks play the NFL I would bet four teams to win sometimes an over sometimes money line sometimes points and then I would say well that's not enough five teams and then that number's big and you'd get to you'd get to that six thousand five thousand range I would bet it and I won once in a year when I used to do it and then you know I kept doing it and uh you know I would win four out of five three out of five you know it would it would happen but you only need to hit once finances the whole rest of the year you only need to hit once like pools I mean I was with the guy Saturday night who remain nameless his pool's three hundred dollars a box three thousand dollars a box is that for the NCAA tournament yeah does it pay every game or just a file I don't know I wasn't giving him three thousand dollars so I didn't ask him a lot of questions and uh he I used to be in his regular pool and it was one of those pools weekly pool Monday night football every week and it was$100 a box he sold 25 boxes out of the group and if you didn't win it carried over carried over and people win a hundred grand yeah you know people were stupid money and then he had another one that was$300 a box Monday nights that one was ridiculous what people won. Wow so it was a progressive right if you know one wins it adds to the next week because you're only selling 25 right wow so what do you think for tonight?

MLB Umpires And Automated Strike Zone

SPEAKER_04 36:53

What happens I'm sticking with Michigan I picked him from the beginning and I'm I'm sticking with him I I I think like I said before Dusty May is gonna you know laugh it off whatever Hurley throws at him and it's just like I've been saying from the beginning it's just up to Michigan to execute like they've been doing everything's everyone's healthy and everybody does what they do on both sides. I I think Michigan is the favorite for a reason yeah they play better they have such a deep rotation and he's so now listen their best player's out right Linderborg's out but they didn't miss a beat it's I'm not knocking him says he's gonna play it he says he's gonna play tonight let's see the actual Linderborg injury update Michigan star says he'll play a national championship that might be a Willis Reed type situation but again even without their all American you saw how deep they were against Arizona now do I think that they can run the floor like that against Yukon the way they just absolutely blew Arizona out of the building no I don't think that's gonna happen but I think they have enough depth and talent to exact a lead and stay there in this game. On the flip side if you're Yukon, I really think that he's gonna go through Taris Reed. I think he's gonna get in his ear hole and tell him this team they didn't want you there. You transferred from Michigan to Yukon for a reason you came here to win a national championship go out there and win it prove prove that you're better than what they offered you. So I think you know we'll we'll see a lot of Trash Reed early if he's hot they'll stay with him. If he's not then you know then we'll see you know Hurley will obviously transition from that but I think you're gonna see a lot of Tars Reed early in this game. I think he's gonna be the one with the ball taking it to Michigan in the first half he could have a huge night either way I mean he's got to be licking his chops to play against these guys right I mean I don't know how many guys are still left on the team from when he was there I should probably know that but he transferred from Michigan you know went to UConn went to UConn obviously he he wanted to play for that coach when he transferred Michigan didn't have you know they were in flux they were looking for a new coach so what do you think the over and under is um what do you think the over and under is before Hurley loses his mind oh he'll lose his mind in the first half one way or the other if he's got to set the tone for any specific reason to slow down the game stop the game stop any momentum you know if Michigan gets out to like an eight point lead at some any point then you'll see him start to you know like I said he's very good he knows what he's doing he knows how to control the game right he called that he he called a uh was it or maybe it was maybe it was Coach Day that did it. It was Day. I'm sorry it wasn't Hurley it was day but kind of the same thing calling a a challenge on a play knowing you weren't going to win that challenge but it stopped the game. Sure. It was like an and you do lose a time out for that but you get all this extra time to calm things down talk to your players I mean it's better than calling a you're gonna call a lot anyway so challenge the play smart move savvy basketball move savvy coaching move anyway so you know I think you're gonna see that tonight all game long I think you're gonna see it a lot you know that's probably more so from UConn but again if you're gets up eight or ten points at any point then you're gonna see Michigan do it so they're gonna it's gonna be it won't be like a cat and mouse it'll just be a chess match where it's move for move and they're they're gonna stay right with each other until somebody shows they got the hot hand and then they're gonna ride it as long as they can so what's your prediction what was the 144 144 you know maybe I'll take the over although these the Michigan games are not you know what 7870 Michigan how about that's a good number I think 8274 over you heard it here first but now we did that I want to talk about one more thing baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball for baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball and that's baseball I just want to mention one thing I know we talked about a little bit already and that is the umpire and the challenges I mean the umpires have been so bad now I don't know if they're bad on purpose or they just suck so they've always been bad for the most part I mean but you've seen ones that are three inches off the plate two inches on maybe an inch three so talk about cat and mouse so that's not gonna play well for the Empires that's where the but that's where this is headed right this is this is this is the test run to use as a negotiating ploy during the lockout to say hey you know what we don't need you behind home plate other than to call safer out or box or whatever but they missed that the other night the in the Yankee game he tagged the guy on the leg guy never even touched the base never touched the safe never touched the base CB Buckner C B Buckner called the guy out at first base they did it was nowhere near the guy threw the ball over the backstop this guy touches first base CB Buckner calls him out he never touched the base the coaches were both looking at each other laughing I think it was was it the raise and the Marl was the raise in somebody I think it was the raise but I I you know there I said from the beginning why are we playing this game? Just use the automated strike zone what do you have to make these guys look like idiots for why do we have to slow down the game even more because they want to look like idiots And then the flip side is if you challenge the umpire, whether you're right or wrong, he's got it out for you. You challenged his call. So now he's looking for you.

SPEAKER_01 44:11

When the Yankees ran out of challenges last night, you saw they called what's his name? Stanton. Which was on the outside. They even looked at it.

SPEAKER_04 44:21

He's been hot as hell. Two hits in every game. How about the one off the fence? He left a huge mark. Huge. Well, yeah, that guy's powerful. But the umpires, they've given the umpires an axe to grind. Whereas, look, if all of this technology, I've been saying this for years, if all of this technology was available when Abner Doubleday invented this game, we would have used it from Jump Street. So this whole, oh, the tradition of baseball and the human error element and blah, blah, blah. So human error is one thing. But having an axe to grind is completely different. These guys are calling on pitches that are this far out of the strike zone or catches this much of the plate. And the umpire, you could just tell he's like, let's get on with the game. I'm gonna call this guy out. Yeah, good. You lost your challenge. Now I'm gonna screw you next time I have a chance. And that you can't have that. Not with gambling. So, and think about that. You're allowing gambling on your sport. You have an automated strike zone that you're that you don't use. You get you you get to use it twice a game if you're next year they're gonna they're gonna give them one year.

SPEAKER_01 45:32

Next year they're not gonna do it. Well, there won't be any baseball next year.

SPEAKER_04 45:35

There won't be any baseball next year. There won't be any baseball next year.

SPEAKER_01 45:38

Two years, probably.

SPEAKER_04 45:39

I think you're right. I you know, somebody asked me the other day, did you ask me the over-under on when this becomes?

SPEAKER_01 45:46

Maybe.

SPEAKER_04 45:47

I think we were talking about it at the club, and I said ten years because of, you know, that's just how baseball is, but the more I think about it, it's it has to be imminent. I mean look at tennis. Tennis it's great. Great example. Absolutely. You know, you want to get those calls right.

SPEAKER_01 46:06

And they don't limit they don't limit challenges in tennis.

SPEAKER_00 46:10

No, close ones, I don't think so. On close ones, they look. I think they look at everything. I mean, you're dragging the seat now, but it really takes a second.

SPEAKER_04 46:20

You have it instantaneously. It's it's all there for you. So I just can't imagine that baseball is gonna allow this to drag on. You know, they'll renegotiate whatever it is they have with the umpires. You know, I don't think it should be a big deal. Like, I don't think it they should get a pay cut or anything like that. You still need a guy behind home plate for other things and to manage the game on the field. And you just take away balls and strikes. So, you know, if it's a strike, the box lights up red. If it's a ball, green light. It's that simple. It doesn't have to be complicated. You know, baseball, well, every sport likes to overcomplicate things with, you know, pendulum swing, knee jerk reactions to things. But this to me is is pretty uh is pretty concrete. It's it's an easy solution. You know, just use it every chance you have. Just watch another sport. You can watch another sport.

SPEAKER_01 47:19

And I don't know how I don't know what they're gonna do about football. They're gonna have replacement umpires. The league's already looking at it. And I'm like, huh?

SPEAKER_04 47:28

The replacement officials, they're the ones they have suck. I I don't disagree. I just there's a there's a fine line that they're all walking because of the gambling. I think the gambling plays a part in all of this. Because they can't take money from gambling companies and advertising and all that other stuff, and then all of a sudden, these entities that we all know about and we all know exist have a little less control over things.

SPEAKER_01 47:57

Entities? What kind of entities?

SPEAKER_04 48:02

Is the entity in the room with us now?

SPEAKER_01 48:04

I hear him. Or maybe it's our.

SPEAKER_04 48:08

I I you know, I don't know that it's ever gonna be perfect, but you know, the product itself needs it because in both sports, the product is getting worse every day. I mean, some of these baseball players are terrible. You see some of these games. One thing to not have enough, you know, at bats or reps in the field or whatever, but these are major league teams. You need to be ready to go April 1st. There's no excuse for a bad product at this point. This is the professional level for this sport. You can't have guys out there that don't know what to do with the baseball. You can't have guys out there that don't have a high baseball IQ.

SPEAKER_01 48:49

That don't know where to play is.

SPEAKER_04 48:51

They don't know where the players are, they don't know where the killeman is, they don't know where to throw the baseball.

SPEAKER_01 48:54

My father gave me. It shows you if the guy's on second and you're playing right field, you throw the ball to the second baseman. And so you don't want to throw behind the runner.

SPEAKER_00 49:05

So you throw to first base and let him relay it. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

SPEAKER_01 49:11

It's not that complicated.

SPEAKER_04 49:13

It it was not complicated. I mean, we learned this in Little League. That's what I'm talking about. This is very simple. I I mean, I, you know, I just at that level, when you see the ineptitude of some of these players, you have to scratch your head and wonder, man, how did that guy get this far?

unknown 49:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:36

I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 49:38

In football, I think you can disguise it a little bit more because of the brawn and the physical, the physicality of the game, but it shows the longer we we we move on from football childhood.

SPEAKER_01 49:49

In football, you can say. Era. I didn't know the place, so I just hit the first guy that came out of the backfield.

SPEAKER_04 49:55

At least he was he he made an aggressive mistake. I like it. You just weren't standing there looking for a lot of people.

Jets Draft Debate On Ty Simpson

SPEAKER_01 50:03

I mean, quarterbacks can't not know what they're doing because it's very evident. And I'll let you know the Jets. That's right. And wide receivers. Well, we haven't picked on the Jets yet today. I have to say that I'm pretty interested in what they're gonna do in the draft. We'll see. I mean, what do they have? Simpson is his name, the other guy, the other quarterback? AJ Simpson. Is that it? I can't I can't remember. I've I've been so off. Samson Simpson. Uh he's a great player. He should go first. I mean, they made it up.

SPEAKER_04 50:48

A lot of talk. The Jets are the last team that should be Ty Simpson, are the last team that should be talking and given any sound bites, bullet and board material, headlines, whatever. They should just close the wagons and shut their face.

SPEAKER_01 51:04

Oh, I think if that guy falls to the Jets, you draft him.

SPEAKER_04 51:07

Ty Simpson?

SPEAKER_01 51:10

You bet.

Giants Trade Rumors And Lamar Notes

SPEAKER_04 51:11

Well, I disagree. I I don't think you can take him with the 16th pick. I think there's a lot of hype there. It's Zach Wilson 14 picks later. So I'm not a big believer, at least not at that position. I think they're sincere about Geno Smith being the guy that's gonna take them to the promised land. But this is for them, they're they're loaded up for next year's draft. And I think they should continue to load up for next year's draft. Um, you know, to position themselves and get the guy that they that they really want, or at least is Arch Manning that guy? I don't know. He certainly didn't play well enough this year to be the first overall pick. So, and and then it's the Jets who just do not have the football acumen to cultivate a young quarterback. They just they haven't proven that yet. And I don't think they have, and with all due respect to Frank Reich, I don't think he's gonna be there very long. So I don't think the Jets have that in-house, and I think it's a waste of a pick if you take Ty Simpson. I think it would be a disservice to him. You know, I know he said he wanted to play for the Jets. If he's still there in the second round, which I think he will be, then all right, you want to take a flyer that early in the second round, go for it, because you're the Jets. But outside of that, put it this way, if he falls, and it's not falling. That's he for him to be even projected there, I think is is overrating it. I think there's other players in this draft that are could help teams uh in other areas before you you pick him a quarterback. Okay, I think the Giants are more are suddenly more interesting because Dexter Lawrence demanded a trade today or asked for a trade. Yeah, I saw that. That's a problem. It's a thing.

SPEAKER_01 53:07

That means he's he senses something. Either he got burned or they didn't they didn't pay him what he needs to pay be paid. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 53:17

I think he just wants to go somewhere and win. I think it's that simple. I mean, obviously, yeah, he wants to get paid and he will get paid, but I I you know I could see him, you know ending up on the Packers because they need help now, you know, in their interior defensive line and everything like that. He is one of the best players at his position in the sport. Maybe, maybe not the best player. Maybe he's second best player when he's healthy. I know he had a down season last year, but he's only 28 years old. This is, you know, this is where you get your contract. I mean, I know he already made$100 million, but you know, it's a$7 million cap hit for the Giants. I think if they trade him before June 1st, but if the guy doesn't want to be here, sometimes that just happens, right? I mean, what is the Jets uh sorry, the timetable? Did they just hire a coach that's gonna bring them to the Super Bowl this year? I don't think they're going to the Super Bowl. They're talking about the Giants drafting the running back from Notre Dame. What does that tell you? What does that tell you about Scatabow, right? If if that's a serious conversation, and I'm not saying it should or shouldn't be, my my bias against Notre Dame notwithstanding, you don't take a running back that early in the draft. You and the Giants aren't a running back away from being a legit Super Bowl contender, they need a lot of help. So, you know, having Dexter Lawrence there, obviously you want him there. How could you not? But if Dexter Lawrence feels like he's got to wait another three or four years before he really sees a legit shot at a Super Bowl, are they that far away or are they closer? I don't know. But, you know, I know, you know, well, look at the Patriots. They almost won to the Super Bowl, or you know, they turned it around from one year to the next. That doesn't happen to everybody. And it's not a knock on hardball. We know he's a great coach, but he also he's you know, he made Lamar Jackson available to the entire league at one point before he got his contract.

unknown 55:23

Right.

SPEAKER_04 55:24

So he's already proven that he's not afraid to, you know, expel talent. I heard a conversation.

SPEAKER_01 55:32

I listened to the radio for a minute, and I guess Baltimore had some kind of non-mandatory thing today. And everybody was shocked that Lamar showed up. They weren't sure if he was gonna show up at all, apparently. And that as soon as he saw reporters, he put a big smile on his head face.

SPEAKER_02 55:54

So I don't know. I don't know anything about it.

SPEAKER_04 56:00

I think you know, there must be maybe maybe it's maybe he's he's showing up as old coach. Maybe they did have a rift and he's just showing up you know, he's happy, happy to be in camp now. I know he's got some videos out there of him, you know, at the at the food truck, less than stellar. But uh look, he's a great talent. You want to keep him happy, you want him to be involved, you want him to be engaged, you want him to be a leader on the team, and I think that you know, the new coach is gonna allow for him to have that opportunity. At the same time, he's not gonna take any, you know, any business. You know what I mean? Like he's not gonna tolerate insubordination or guys not being all in because that's you know, that's been kind of the MO of these Michigan guys from day one under Harbaugh, is that you know, you can have the freedom to be who you are, but you're gonna play this game our way. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_01 57:00

All right, brother. I I think we could call it there. What do you think?

SPEAKER_04 57:03

Sounds good to me. That was quick.

SPEAKER_01 57:07

Well, yeah, I mean, usually we go a little longer, but you know, the game tonight's gonna throw everything off. So we covered a lot of stuff, and there it is. There you have it. We will see you all next week. Hopefully, we'll have the rabbi back for uh for uh follow-up on the talk one more time about the the game we're gonna see tonight and what happened. All right? Sounds good. Happy birthday. Enjoy your dinner tonight, Justin. Thank you, Your Honor. And I'll see you in the morning.