Sports Live! With Steve and Justin

LeBron Bombshell | UFC & FIFA Explode

• Steve and Justin

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LeBron James can still play, so why does the hardest part feel like finding a team that actually wants the whole package? We get into the NBA free agency theater and the real question underneath the headlines: roster fit, team culture, and whether a young core can grow when the spotlight is guaranteed to tilt toward one superstar.

We game out the most talked-about landing spots, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the New York Knicks, with an eye on salary cap reality and on-court roles. We also hit the uncomfortable rumor that could be shaping everything: the Bronny James angle, and what that kind of pressure does to a young player who needs time, reps, and space to become his own pro. Along the way we throw in a Celtics curveball and talk through what “value” looks like when a team is choosing between flexibility and a win-now swing.

Then the sports world widens fast. Conor McGregor returns to the UFC, the hype is enormous, and the result is brutal and quick, which leads us straight into the business of combat sports and how anticipation gets monetized. We shift to soccer and a FIFA controversy that made our jaws drop, while still appreciating how much fun the World Cup atmosphere has been in the United States. We wrap with a few personal notes and shout-outs that remind us sports is community, not just takes.

If you enjoyed the ride, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review. What’s your call: where should LeBron go next?

New Intro And Warm Open

SPEAKER_02

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to my favorite podcast, and I hope it's yours. Sports Live with Steve and Justin. Justin holds that up because I always I always stumble on the name because I do too many podcasts and it all runs through. But we have a grand new grand opening video, and here it is. Hello, Mr.

SPEAKER_01

Rabbi. The judge, that was beautiful. It was like the old HBO opening where you're going in and like you go into the big HBO and it spins around and you're like, you know, like that was that was like a ride. Like I felt like that was. It's funny.

SPEAKER_02

I saw a documentary on how, believe it or not, HBO being so self-involved back in the day, is they did a documentary about how they made the introduction. Really? How they filmed it and everything. It was really cool. I mean, because they showed you how they like faked the whole thing. You know, because it wasn't.

SPEAKER_00

It was before CGI.

SPEAKER_01

But the one you have is an actual celestial event, right? That was part of the Northern Lights, right? Correct, correct. Correct.

SPEAKER_02

When the um the asteroid moved in between uh the moon and the earth during um a night game at Wrigley Field, it the worlds collided. Yes, that's true. That's where that came from. That was beautiful. So hello

LeBron And The Spotlight Problem

SPEAKER_02

everybody. How are you guys? Uh we're gonna cover some current events, I think, out of the gate. What do you think? Let's go for it. So I I mean uh the two big events uh this week was a non-event that's always a big event, and that's LeBron James and his ever ever continuing search for meaning. Um I I don't know. I I don't know why he thinks he needs to do this, but he definitely does, and I have to tell you he's pretty damn good at it. He m he could keep his name. I mean, every sports show in America and some in other countries basically go on about uh your mother says hello, by the way. She's our only watcher. Angela Rule. If she wasn't watching, we would be talking to the wall. But anyway, we are uh by the way, I'm talking about that, we are closing in on 7,000 subscribers.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Strangely enough. They obviously love to subscribe and don't really feel like watching, but that's okay. You know, so please like and subscribe. We're trying to get there. We're trying to get there on on uh not only on YouTube, but also on um uh TikTok. We need to get a thousand um followers to be able to broadcast live there as well.

SPEAKER_01

So please enhanced trends and stuff if you want on TikTok. I mean, what's that one where everybody does that and then stops and then pours, you know. That that thing? Yeah. You know what they're not no. You're not into those trends? I I love that.

Lobster Rolls And Food Debate

SPEAKER_02

By the way, my main mug came back. Sex, drugs, and lobster rolls. Amen.

SPEAKER_00

Fantastic.

SPEAKER_01

You could run for office in Maine on that platform.

SPEAKER_00

My cholesterol, just from the pictures, was through the roof.

SPEAKER_02

I was it's like everything you order. We went to this place. Went to this place, and it's like a burger place. You know, it was a nice restaurant. I ordered the Wagu burger, it comes with lobster on it, this thick. It was gigantic.

unknown

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I've never had a lobster. I've never had one. I I've looked at them, I thought about it, just never never done it. Is it that they're they're good.

SPEAKER_02

Rabbis usually don't eat shellfish.

SPEAKER_01

Well, they they're no, they're parav. That means like the anything I want to be kosher is parav, so like I just roll it in there. I got like, you know, but anyway, all right.

SPEAKER_02

So yes, they're they're made basically two ways. And one way is with, you know, uh uh mayonnaise and like shrimp salad is or potato salad is, and the other way is with melted butter. You clarify the butter, meaning take young out all the uh water and you clarify it, and then uh you pour it on a lobster roll, which is on a lobster roll on potato roll, bread with doused with butter. Yes.

SPEAKER_01

It's a cholesterol event. I just I just I just had tremors in my body when you talked about that.

SPEAKER_00

That was my is this still a sports podcast?

SPEAKER_01

We're food gasming over that.

SPEAKER_02

So we're talking about we're

LeBron Destinations And Team Culture

SPEAKER_02

talking about LeBron. Yeah, I mean I I wonder if it's his team that put out there that he may go back to Cleveland. Or I mean, because he ain't going to Cleveland. They're not gonna win. So he's not going there. He wants to win.

SPEAKER_00

All that talk about him, you know, going to the state.

SPEAKER_02

I believe he wants to state. I believe he really wants to come to the Knicks. But it ain't happening.

SPEAKER_00

He's gonna use the Knicks, but two things are he thinks if he goes there he can win again. He well, he's gonna, you know, let me show you how you know you can get to level two by taking on me and and my numbers. But it'll be the Me Show, which is the Knicks are not about that. And they're fairly young, and that's what's happening right now is I don't know that there's a home for LeBron. Not that you don't want him, but what current roster of players outside of a veteran roster like the one in Golden State actually wants LeBron to come play for them? Because the younger generation, the 20-something year olds that essentially you know run this league, they don't want to play with the old man. Doesn't matter how good he is, it doesn't matter that he's the greatest. Young people want what they want.

SPEAKER_02

I I think it's more than that. I I I don't think it's not that they know just don't want to play with the old man. I think they don't want to play with anyone who's gonna take the spotlight off of their game.

SPEAKER_00

Well, there's that, of course, without question. And he's gonna demand or command spotlight, regardless of what he wants, because he's LeBron James. The the one thing I could say about him is that I think I think back to the 2000 Mets when Sean Dunstan was on the team. I think well, because I think it's relative. I think it's relative here. Sean Dunstan said to the team in the locker room after they lost to the Yankees that looking at Mike Piazza, the guy who gets paid the most in this locker room, plays like he gets paid the least. And that's a true testament to the kind of player he was. Tough, gritty, never took anything for granted, didn't look down on his on his teammates or think ever for one second that he was the best player on the team. He played like he wasn't, he played like it mattered, he played like he had something to prove. Whereas I think we've come to the conclusion now that LeBron definitely thinks he's better than everybody else, right? Maybe he is, but and that's okay to feel that way, but to play that way, other greats never did that. And I think that partly makes him unpalatable to prospective teammates. And also probably ownership, who's like, do we really want to take a chance now? Can we get there without this guy? Or is he the missing piece for our puzzle right now?

SPEAKER_01

History is kind to people sometimes. I mean, again, you know, like I mean, I'm not gonna say bad stuff about Kobe, but I mean, you know, like the game where Kobe had 80, you know, like uh, you know, his last game where he's taking a billion shots, the you know, Jordan coming back to the Wizards, you know, like some of these guys. I mean, honestly, like, you know, like like to be to be a star at this level, you got a little bit of narcissism going on.

SPEAKER_02

You know, I mean I Yeah, but I I think Kobe's a forgotten man. I don't think anybody when they talk about great players, nobody ever says Kobe.

SPEAKER_00

Well, Andy Yan has been driving the LeBron bus since 2005. So or 2004 when he was in high school, you know, it was all everything was LeBron. It was just uh televising his high school games, his decision, who's gonna drive. I mean, we knew Cleveland was gonna get the pick. You know, even the decision to go to Miami, everything he does is a spectacle, and it's been that way for 20 plus years.

SPEAKER_02

By the way, we also have a basketball opening that we're gonna play before we go on to basketball.

Cleveland Sixers Money And Fit

SPEAKER_03

Scorching.

SPEAKER_01

I love it.

SPEAKER_03

What can I say?

SPEAKER_01

What can I say? It just scorched me, man. I got a tan from that. Um so uh I I I should make the oh yeah, the tan looks good, by the way, Josh. Um so I'm gonna make a argument because I figure even though it's it is straight. I mean, the point that he hasn't done Cleveland yet is very strange. I thought Cleveland was a done deal last week. I felt like there's been a lot of movement towards the Sixers this week. However, the one thing I'll say about Cleveland is Cleveland is the only team that this, well, Golden State has done something tangibly. But Cleveland has done two things tangibly that make LeBron that make it a better fit for LeBron. Okay. First of all, they locked up Mitchell to a long-term deal. He's maxed out, so they don't have to worry about his contract throughout the season. Second of all, they got Harden to turn down a 42 million point 42.7 million dollar option for the year. He's going to renegotiate for multiple years, right? So the idea is they now have money to bring LeBron in. They might have to do some kind of sign and trade with the Lakers to make the numbers work. They might have to dump back Struess's number. Um Struuss is a $16 million contract. They can get somebody to take that. Um, the numbers do work there, though. I mean, they've gotten the two big hurdles out of the way. Um, where like Miami has some work to do in that regard. Golden State has has started started renegotiating with Draymond. They got him to opt out. It was a $22 million option, so that wasn't as huge a deal. But I think the thing with Cleveland is it's kind of a nice mixture, right? You got James Harden, who will be forever remembered as the guy who is awful in big games. He wants to get that off his back, right? So bringing LeBron in is good for Harden to the point where he's probably gonna end up taking, you know, 10 to $10 million less this year, and you know, maybe even next year to get him in. Um, you know, you got Jared Allen on the team who's a fantastic player. You got Donovan Mitchell, top 10 player in the league. I mean, they're real good with him. The Sixers are probably a better team. The problem is, and and again, you probably I would say the most, you know, again, the best team in the East right now is the Sixers, right? But, you know, the problem with the Sixers is like how many basketballs are you gonna play with? Joel Embiid needs about 25 shots a game. Okay, and the average NBA team takes 90 shots a game, right? So Embiid gets 25, right? Jalen Brown's gonna need 25 to 30, Maxie's gonna need about 20 to be effective. And like, you know, Edgecombe, who's you know becoming a really good player, you need to get him shots. So like it I like, I mean, competitively, the Sixers are, you know, they're they're not a bad fit, especially if Embiid gets hurt for stretches throughout the year. But when you get to the playoffs, I mean, who is why you think Embiid can get hurt? I know, right? Like he is he is he is I think it's 46 games the last few years. You know, it's like he's he's always hurt. But the problem is when he's on the floor, you you just don't have enough basketballs. I like Cleveland because they can get him enough shots to get to 20 points a game. They can they they they're better with him there. I I I mean, again, they're not a lock, though. The problem with the Knicks is nobody wants to go to the promised land after they've already gotten to the promised land, right? Like LeBron, the the narrative with LeBron LeBron going to the Knicks, why it made sense every year except for this year, would be this. It was always, ah, the Knicks haven't been able to get over the hump. They bring LeBron in, LeBron takes him to a title. Great story, right? Now it's like LeBron comes in. What's the best they can do? Win the championship in four games? You know, it's like anything looks like a disappointment with him. And he's not looking for that. He's coming back. He wants that moment. I mean, the the the narrative of either going back to Miami or going back to Cleveland is so good. I mean, the Miami, the Miami one, again, there are there are there are issues with the salary cap there as well as as there are in every place. They haven't really done anything to make it possible yet. However, that stuff can go quickly. LeBron to Miami could happen. I still think Cleveland could be.

SPEAKER_00

The NBA has no shortage of blockbuster moves. Yeah. So anything is possible.

SPEAKER_02

You know, it's it I think. But LeBron goes to a team. LeBron goes to the Knicks. All you're gonna say is, okay, even if you win, you came to a winning team and you won. It's it's Carmelone and kind of like Durant going to Golden State.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It's uh you're better, you're better off going to go to clean by Cleveland and making them win. The only trouble is he wants to take Anthony Davis with him.

SPEAKER_01

And I don't think they can make Davis work there. I think they can make Davis.

SPEAKER_02

I don't think you can make Davis work anywhere.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. Washington said he was looking good in practice there. That's how bad things are got with Anthony Davis. Well, of course they said he was looking good in practice. They want to trade him. Oh, God.

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. Has he played Anthony Davis?

SPEAKER_01

Is he in backpack? He is not he's not played again. He hasn't played in two years. Yeah, he's well uh yeah.

SPEAKER_02

He's in a G League now. He's in a G League.

SPEAKER_00

He's in some foreign league that we've never heard of. You know, you know, the other factor He's in the B plus the B plus league.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

Bronny Rumors And Legacy Pressure

SPEAKER_01

The other factor with LeBron, and I can't even believe that this might actually be part of what's holding it up. I was thinking about this the other day. He may part of him coming in might be he wants the team to trade for Bronny. And if that's what he picked up, I'm like, oh, if that's part, I mean, I mean that's gross. I mean, that's really like I mean it I I I really I feel I I actually feel kind of bad for Bronny because I think in a normal situation he would have developed into a very good NBA player. He probably won't be a bad player, but you want to talk about a guy who is just perennially, he could win five titles, he's in his dad's shadow. You know what I mean? Like that there is nothing but shadows.

SPEAKER_00

There's no comparison. Yeah, and it's it's listen, young athlete. You know, I don't want to skip ahead, but yeah, when we get there, the difference between somebody like that and somebody who's making his own bones as a young kid is making decisions for himself. Okay. And Bronny probably had no chance other than his dad forcing the Lakers to draft him. He's not good. I'm not afraid to say it. Period. He needs development time. He wasn't that great in college. It is what it is. Let the kid develop, fine. If he makes it, he makes it. But it's not like he was coming out as a McDonald's all-American that everybody had to have on their team.

SPEAKER_01

He was a four-star kid, though, going into USC. He, but he had the heart issue at the beginning when he was at USC. So he only played half a season and he was playing kind of under restrictions. So developmentally, they took a kid who really I mean, you know, his father could play right out of play right out.

SPEAKER_00

He did his father a favor. It was that simple. And now, instead of just letting the kid find his own way, if he's trying to drag him with him somewhere else under the guise of, oh, I'm gonna win a championship, pack your pack it and keep walking, buddy.

SPEAKER_01

I really hope that's not it. I mean, the the one thing I'll say is LeBron typically turns it into a spectacle, but the one time he didn't turn free agency into a spectacle was when he went back to Cleveland last time. That I think I told you the story about this. It was a no-brainer. Well, no, you know, it was weird because like Cleveland really didn't think he was gonna come back. So they had Gordon Hayward in the building and they were about to sign Gordon Hayward to a max deal, right? Gordon Hayward is in the lobby, and LeBron just calls up, like, you know what? I'm gonna go to Cleveland. And literally, like, they they were like, Gordon, um, we're gonna have to postpone this meeting. And uh, you know, like he was he was furious, right? So, you know, with the Lakers and with Miami, he definitely stage managed it in a way that was very, you know, very spectacle-like. With Cleveland, it was just sort of like, okay, yeah, why not? So it might be that he might he might be playing this that way too. I just think, you know, again, it keeps him in the news. I think the narcissistic angle is is there with athletes, right? Like they like hearing people talk, they they love being talked about. It's not bad for him to be talked about. It's a cool story. If he goes back to Cleveland, if he goes to the 60s, it's a cool story. But but realistically, like, you know, this needs to be over in about like probably a week or so because realistically, there's just like, you know, season's over. You know, it's like uh I don't know how to do it.

SPEAKER_00

Are any of these teams gonna sign somebody in a situation like that? Is Gordon Haywood type player gonna be in somebody's lobby before they call LeBron and say, hey, we're gonna sign this guy unless you sign? I I just don't I don't find him to be that yeah generous, if you will. It was well they they they I mean his agent called and said, Heywood's in the building, you need to make a decision if you're gonna go to Cleveland. And it was like, oh, someone's taking the spotlight away from me, I'll sign with Cleveland. That dude was coming in. And frankly, Cleveland set themselves up pretty good. I mean, they they had a lot of flexibility after LeBron left. Yep. They got another pick, right? They got um I want to say quite uh Kyrie Irving. Yes, they did, right? They set up their roster really well, and it was a the door was wide open for LeBron to come back. Absolutely. So it made perfect sense. It was easy, but he had to make it about himself.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Which is what he always does. He he will probably, like I say, he'll probably I I still think I it's weird that this is being held up as much as it is, but I think he ends up in Cleveland. And I think what's gonna what happens then is you have the cascade of a bunch of different players falling into place. You're gonna see like a flurry of moves around it. But I think the market is kind of holding on LeBron right now. Um, the again, the Sixers would be interesting. Uh, you know, the Knicks, you know, there's some out of the box.

SPEAKER_00

If they're holding things up to move on, to move, to bring LeBron in, that means they all think they can win a championship with him. Because what's the future? Right. It's win now, right? So they have to make a decision. Can we win now with or without him? If if we can't win without him, then and he's holding them ransom. How long are you gonna wait? Well because your future is now.

SPEAKER_01

He's probably if we were to if we were to take the name off the back of the jersey and we were just say, okay, like what we're bringing, what are we bringing in? We're bringing in, he's an older player, but he's a guy who consistently plays. He had a he was averaging 22 points a game in the playoffs last year, 20 point, 20 points a game a season, you know, at you know, every season since the beginning of time. I mean, he's a good player. Like, you know, they're getting they're gonna get value for him, but he's like the third best player on whatever team he's going to if they have a shot, right? And you know, like like I said, that's not a bad thing. Uh but like I wouldn't, you know, uh like the whole the whole mystery about where he's gonna go thing is like like are we doing this again?

Celtics Curveball And Paul George Talk

SPEAKER_00

You know, you know, I don't care where it is that he goes, I I I still don't think Boston's out of the mix because I think they have room there, especially after the trade. They need somebody, they're the ones lurking, right? They're you don't hear anything about them, and they need to make a move. And if LeBron is good at anything, it's pissing everybody off, and that would not only piss off all of us if he went to Boston, like the judge said, it would also piss off the Boston fans. So I'm all for it.

SPEAKER_01

It blew up from game one, you know. It would just be ridiculous.

SPEAKER_02

Let's not forget the Boston fans are pretty pissed in the first place because they got rid of their favorite player.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, great player. 30-point a game player. Let's but let's bring back a guy who's, you know, similar contract number, 36 years old, numbers are numbers are going down.

SPEAKER_02

Although nobody really likes let's bring him back.

SPEAKER_01

Like George is the one thing about George, though, I was looking at his at his numbers. The one thing that has been consistent with him is he is a very he's always been a 40% three-point shooter. His numbers have not leveled off in that area. So if they're gonna use him like Al Horford was getting used for years as a spot up three-point shooter, I do love Paul George. Yeah, like he's not a bad additionist. Well, but you're not sure.

SPEAKER_00

I've always liked him as a player.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I did too. But but he used to have like three or four things he did well. He's got one thing he does very well right now. So like if you recover from injury. Yeah, I was gonna say, rehab. Um, he he he he's legitimately, he's right around 40%. He's right on his career average from three. So it's like, you know, it's not a bad guy. It's not a bad ad. It's just like it just that trade at the time seemed weird. I don't think it's as bad as people think it was. I think that, you know, that they they once they decided they were gonna get rid of Brown, the market was pretty much closed up. They weren't getting Giannis, so this is probably the best they can get back. They just figured that they couldn't live with the with uh a supermax contract for three more years. You know, I mean they they got one, they almost got one with George for two. So they're really only getting a year of flexibility, but they must have just thought from a team dynamic that this was like really the wrong guy for them. I don't see it. I mean, you know, but like you know, I it find me find me a 30 point a game player, and you know, I'll take them. You know, any roster I got in in the league, 30 point a game player, put him on it. Sure. You know, yes, he takes a lot of shots to do. It yes, he's he's inefficient for a guy who scores 30 points a game, but it's like for a guy he scores who scores 30 points a game. I th I I in Boston that deal is not gonna make a lot of sense. But also, Boston's probably a 61 team next year, also. So it's like you know, I mean they're still real good. So I don't know how much it's gonna matter. So anyway, but I think it helps Sixers. Oh, that's the other thing. Trade him to the Sixers, the all-time enemy, you know, like the dark side, the Sixers, you know. So I don't know. So that's good that that one's interesting. I still think LeBron Cleveland judge, where you were you think he's going Sixers? I I don't think anybody wants him.

SPEAKER_02

He's gonna end up because if you're bringing your son, you're not coming. All right, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That's what's holding this up.

SPEAKER_02

I'm I'm really that's why you let it leak that he was going to Cleveland to see if he could build he could back Cleveland against the wall. And then they said, we're not taking the kid. I don't care. He's not from Cleveland, he's from LA now. So you can take your kid and your deal and get out of here. We don't need you. You won't be here next year.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I mean, it it it it is um, you know, like I said, I think it just just disappeared, man. I don't know. That's right. I'll be back. But anyway, yeah, no, I I I I think, you know, I I think this gets done this week, but like really funny thing gets done. I don't know if it does.

SPEAKER_02

I don't know if it does.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, he's got you gotta figure everybody's gotta have close to their best offer up on the table. I mean, um, you know, again, uh you know, like I say, it's sort of it's a just it's a dead time for basketball. I mean, there's there's the uh you know, you have the summer league and stuff like that. So but we you know, we we get a lot else going on though. We got we got a little baseball thing happening this year. You know, I don't know if you heard about this, but like baseball has like uh got some labor issues. Did did you know that, Judge? Do you you want to get into that now?

SPEAKER_02

Uh well I was I was uh I just before we get into it, let me just say one thing. Let me talk about UFC for a minute.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Yes, go ahead.

McGregor Injury And UFC Pay Reality

SPEAKER_02

So big buildup. You know, Conor McGregor's coming back, hasn't fought in years, was one of the great named superstars of UFC, had broken his leg, and within 70 to 100 seconds he blew out his knee, and nothing happened in the entire thing and lost. Um he got paid thirty million dollars.

SPEAKER_01

It's uh roughly what um about close to a million per second if you count the walk up to the and he wasn't the favorite, mind you, he was the underdog.

SPEAKER_02

The favorite only got between three and five million. Oh, really? Wow, I didn't remember. And so there were 20,000 people in the stance, and the gate revenue was twenty-six million dollars. Do we need to see any more?

SPEAKER_01

It's all right in front of you. He's 37, he's had it's all there, you know, really like it.

SPEAKER_02

By the way, somebody two seconds before or 10 seconds, 30 seconds before the fight start, somebody bet $900,000 on the guy that ultimately won.

SPEAKER_01

Greatest impulse, yeah, greatest impulse bet of all time. Yeah. I I I love that. Well, he was the favorite, mind you. Yeah, yeah. So he only made about a million bags.

SPEAKER_02

Well, you know, in horse racing, a lot of times you do that because you don't want to affect the odds. Sure, sure. Because you don't want to because people are watching your bet, and people pay where the money is. So yeah. Um I mean, you know, I I don't know who that bet was.

SPEAKER_00

It hasn't really been released, but I was gonna I I will say that I watched, you know, the the pre pre-fight, you know, when they were filming him getting ready, and they're like, oh, he stumbled a little bit. I I don't know. I he didn't really. I didn't see that. I didn't see that. I didn't think there was anything there. I mean, I'll let the experts tell me if they had the issue in practice or training, whatever he had a knee issue. We know he had a leg issue before, but one thing that McGregor does, he always is it seemingly every fight that he has, he attacks early, really early. And in this fight, he went right after the guy in the first 10 seconds, I think it was, and he took a you know, I don't know what the move is called, but he basically took this flying leap. And it looked like he tried to force the kick, even though he knew it was his timing was off.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And he landed probably prematurely, and it seemed like he he lifted off that leg to kick and he hyperextended his knee. It looked like a hyperextension to me anyway. It could be an ACL. I'm not saying it isn't. Um, but I think he shot his shot early, and then whatever that injury was, clearly he he was not the same person who entered the ring a minute before.

SPEAKER_01

And and at 37 years old, like he's not gonna get better as the fight goes on, probably, right? Like, I mean, you know that's a whole other issue. He's I mean, you know, legitimately he really is gonna be, you know, thought of as one of the greatest of all time. But you know, I mean he fought, you know, was it Mayweather? Yeah, he fought Mayweather. Amazing.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, that was that was that was really gassed by the fourth round of that fight.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. He ended up going 10, but he was like he was great.

SPEAKER_00

If you watched it, and we watched it because we pay-per-viewed that at the Lyceum, yeah. I mean Mayweather carried him for the last six and a half rounds in that fight. I'm being generous.

SPEAKER_01

It came out like his hair was on fire at the beginning of that man. It was like, you know, um, I I just, you know, I there isn't the same history with UFC as there is with boxing, but I mean, there is a long history of guys who just don't know when to quit. And I'm just sort of hoping for this guy's sake that like Well, you got two guys fighting to the death.

SPEAKER_00

There is no quit.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, like, you know, like I I'm thinking of Muhammad Ali fighting in Jamaica against Trevor Burbick, you know, like, oh God, like what, you know, are is this guy gonna come back at 38 years old after another injury? You know, like especially in a sport like UFC where like you legit you legitimately could get killed in the ring, you know, wouldn't be that big a deal, right? Like, do you want to be out? That's why everybody watches. Yeah, well, exactly. That's what they're the they're hoping for, right?

SPEAKER_02

So I there was a mean, a mean um, I don't know, one or two fights before, maybe three. There was a mean um choke hold where you know the guy tapped out and kind of not at all. Wow.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, that happens in these fights. I mean, what else do you expect? You know, I mean, even though you're fighting within the constraints of rules and everything else, you're essentially it's blood sport. It's always been blood sport, you know. Yeah, I mean, it's it's my how things have changed, right? Thirty years ago, ESPN wouldn't dream of putting uh MMA content on their highlight reels, and now you have that, you have pro wrestling, you have, you know. Right WNBA.

SPEAKER_02

So I mean it was not really drive for the best. Not really uh much to say other than what we already said about it.

Global Listener Stats And Shout Outs

SPEAKER_02

Um but I did want to bring up that on our audio portion of the podcast, this podcast is on all the audio and video uh services. The audio only part of the podcast had and I think we have 53 episodes now all together, which is pretty impressive that we've done that. But so we have um have been in four haven been listened to in 49 different countries. Wow. And 109 different cities.

SPEAKER_00

Are the Italians listening? That's all I really want to know. Uh I don't uh Italy has got a couple of people that are 49 different countries, and they're how many countries made the World Cup this year? 48? I think we're doing all right.

SPEAKER_02

You want to certain you know what's second to the United States? You ready for this? Vietnam. We're Boston. Vietnam, really? Here it is, United States, capitalism from Bay, Vietnam, Singapore, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Germany.

SPEAKER_00

All soccer countries. From all of us to all of you, good.

SPEAKER_02

And here we are, and most listeners, New York, obviously, Texas, another New York different city, Virginia, another New York different city. North Carolina, another New York different city. I don't know who's listening to Northport, but when you're out there, please log on to the live show. Uh North Carolina, here we are. Ho Chi Minh City and Ho Chi Minh.

SPEAKER_01

What's up, uh what's up? Shout out to the city, everybody. What's up? That's really cool. Hanoi. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

There's uh we have ten listeners from Hanoi. Fantastic.

SPEAKER_01

We got are we big in New Zealand? How are we doing New Zealand?

SPEAKER_02

I don't see any New Zealand. Santiago, wherever that is. Chile, Brazil, Chile, whatever.

SPEAKER_03

How many Chili? Chile. Someone doing World War people. Wow, Milan, Zurich. Zurich. How about Papau New Guinea?

SPEAKER_02

Uh I I don't see any. Um we're doing in Borneo, Judge. We're working on it. So that's it. Wild rabbi Borneo. So, you know, there's uh, you know, five percent of our audience is in Europe, audio-wise. Four percent is in South America. One percent, if you can imagine that, is in Africa.

SPEAKER_01

It's awesome.

SPEAKER_02

And 14%. 14% in Asia.

SPEAKER_01

I like that. I like that a lot. I like that we're big in.

SPEAKER_02

Oceania. But yeah, let's uh let's leave let's leave it there. Yeah. So let's leave it there. There is one other topic, um, current event that I'd like to talk about. Um, and I'm gonna add it back into the beginning when I added it, so it's not with this one because no one will see it, because it'd be sick of us by now.

FIFA Wire Controversy And World Cup Joy

SPEAKER_02

Um, is uh did anybody see the soccer game where the ball hit the wire? Yes. I did not. Uh uh FIFA game, the ball hit the wire, and instead of, you know, like in the world.

SPEAKER_00

It was the Norway game, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, Norway and England, right? Yeah. And instead of saying what the rule is if the ball hits the wire, it's the two teams, the ball hits on the ground, the two teams, whatever. But the ball hits the wire, you can see the wire move, you can see the trajectory of the ball, and they allow England to keep the ball, and they score a goal and win a game.

SPEAKER_00

Oh wow. Right? Yeah, it should have been stopped, it should have been reviewed, it was neither, and it was clearly the difference in the game.

SPEAKER_02

And then then, in in an amazing way, FIFA reviews it and says, we've reviewed it, and it's clear to us that the ball didn't hit the wire, and that's why they allowed the play.

SPEAKER_00

They are so corrupt. It's just so unbelievably corrupt.

SPEAKER_02

They have the money on England.

SPEAKER_00

I mean why I can't get into this sport. I I just that's part of the reason why. I mean, they're the most corrupt organization on the planet next to the CIA.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, years ago, I was uh there was a cop that pulled me over by the CIA. Years ago, there was a cop that hated me by my office. Had a little cart kind of thing that he drove around in. And he pulled me over once. He goes, What do you think? You're a hot shot? You're driving around in a BMW? And I was like, huh? This is New York City. People drive around in uh multi-million dollar car. I got a lousy 320i. I mean, are you kidding me? He goes, Well, you better watch what you do. So one day I he's he's in his little cart and I pull out of the garage and he pulls me over. And it's a Friday at 6 o'clock, and it's a hundred degrees, and he says to me, Do you know why I pulled you over? And I say to him, No, I don't. He goes, Because you don't have your seatbelt on.

unknown

Oh God.

SPEAKER_02

And I looked at him and said, But I do have my seatbelt on. And he said, No, you don't. And I was like, that's what the FIFA thing reminded me of. And I looked at him and said, Now do I want to spend my weekend in jail at 100 center? Or am I going to pay a lousy third? And if you've ever been in there, it's not fun. Or do I want to just pay my $30 ticket and go home?

SPEAKER_01

And that's what I did. I mean, but that that is really, you know, it's like a joke. It really is with FiFi. I mean, the the whole the whole pulling the red card and the American player, it didn't end up mattering, but that was weird in itself. But then, I mean, granted peanuts compared to this all. But his the fact that that was the first time I I listened to this the soccer show you had last week, you did a great job of that. Like it was like that was unreal though. That was one of those where I'm watching it and I'm like, if the if the I mean if the United States had won that and you know somehow gotten by, you know, like like and that that you know they had pulled the record. I think the only other time they did it was 1954, you know, like that was bizarre. So I mean, you know, yeah, FIFA has a weird history and a lot of there's just a lot of stuff goes on with it. But the game is great. I mean, the game is healthier and better than it's ever been. It's been a great World Cup. I'm so happy they have it in America.

SPEAKER_02

Because the players are great, the organization sucks.

SPEAKER_01

And it's, you know, and and it's it's you know, it's a hard game to get into, I think, for some people. I mean, I looked at the you know, the highest scoring game in the history of the World Cup was a seven to five game, which I'm like, wow, you know. But like, even with that, like, you know, the fan base is coming over here. This has been really great this year. So I'm I'm thrilled, you know. I I I always get into the World Cup when it's on, and I'm not a big soccer person. The players are great, they got great personalities, but man, that is one heck of a distorted governing body.

SPEAKER_00

Like fans really made it more enjoyable for the minute.

SPEAKER_01

It's been great. How much fun is it seeing people coming over and like, you know, showing up in a you know, like in Applebee's and all excited about it?

SPEAKER_00

The atmosphere of these games is tremendous. I mean, they're on their feet the whole time.

SPEAKER_02

Look at Mark, he's in Portugal. I'm like, what are you crazy?

SPEAKER_00

You know, he went to like six games too while he was still here.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I never doubt why people got that excited about it when it was in other countries. I mean, I understood it was a big deal, but really having it in America, like the vibe to it has been fun, man. So, like, I, you know, like I'm I'm happy with that.

SPEAKER_00

I enjoy how much the Europeans are enjoying America. That's really that's that made it for me.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely, me too.

SPEAKER_00

Because at a time when you thought the rest of the world might hate us, they're enjoying themselves here and they love us. So that felt good.

SPEAKER_01

And it's been a great event, it's gone smoothly. And um, you know, like I said, I I don't, you know, I mean, it it's it it it hasn't even hurt that the United States is out at this point, you know. People no, it never will. So yeah, you people would I I don't think anybody was expecting that to happen, but it really has been fun, man. So like I'm I'm just I'm totally enjoying this at this point. So I'm glad we had it this year. And and I'll enjoy it again in a hundred years when we get it again.

SPEAKER_02

So uh yeah, I'll try it then. So I think we'll leave it there for

Remembering Friends And Closing Thanks

SPEAKER_02

tonight.

SPEAKER_00

I'd like to make a mention of something before we sign off. Uh it was a tough week for the uh candlelight crew. We lost two former employees this week. Um, we lost Matt Giordano, 39 years old, huge Jet fan. Uh Matt was a good friend. Um and we love to banter back and forth about the Jets, especially after I burned all my Jet stuff. And Matt was always trying to convince me that the Jets are gonna win the Super Bowl. So uh I I feel like I should jump back on the Jet bandwagon, but instead of that, I think I'm gonna just place a hundred bucks on the Jets to win the Super Bowl in honor of Matt. Uh, we also lost uh one of my former bar backs, uh coach uh Lou Dirienzo Jr. passed away, 34 years old. Uh the uh defensive coordinator for Monmouth football. Uh truly another great loss, gone too soon at 34 years old. But uh I just want to pay my respects and shout out the families, the Giordano family and the Drienzo Direc Dirienzo family. Uh my heart goes out to you, and I'm I'm gonna miss both those guys tremendously.

SPEAKER_02

Monmouth college? Yeah. My cut my cousin played there.

SPEAKER_00

Wow. Small world, right?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Um well now that you're saying that, uh I'll mention uh my former football coach, uh Coach Baggio, uh passed away, and a high school football coach. He was very dedicated, he had good teams, won a lot of championships. He passed away, I think it was 94 the other day. Um he couldn't stand me, but he was a good coach. Um that's a whole nother funny as hell story, but I'm not gonna I'm not gonna go into it. But yes, he did uh he did pass away and he really dedicated his whole life to being a coach of uh high school football. And that's very uh as I sit here no longer 14 years old, I I think that's very commendable. So on those sad notes, please like and subscribe, and we'll tell you other bad stories about friends we knew are now no longer with us. Um we're gonna do an episode. Um, so everybody have a have a good week. Um have any questions, please like and subscribe anywhere you watch us. If you're in uh wherever that was, Borneo that listens to us. Thank you very much.