First Things First - Venezuela beats USA, Wins WBC, Crosby ‘livid’ after failed trade, Jared Allen joins, Nick’s Tiers

Episode Date: March 18, 2026

(0:00) Venezuela beats USA to win 1st WBC (25:21) Maxx Crosby ‘livid’ after failed trade, Do the Broncos deserve respect? (39:57) Michael Rubin joins the show to talk Fanatics Flag Football Classic (48:51) Nick’s Tiers (01:06:54) March Madness: Final Four predictions (01:17:14) Maurice Edu joins (01:26:25) Packed Stats, Biggest headlines from WBC (01:50:07) Jared Allen joins (02:03:14) How dangerous are the 49ers? (02:08:29) NCAA’s Cinderella stories in their final chapter? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've reached the final. And what a matchup we've got. It is Venezuela against the United States. Two and two. Garcia drives up on left center field, bucks them in the run, we'll get there. But one pitch after the wild pitch, Venezuela strikes first.

Here's a drive to center field off of the bat of Abraou. Willier Abraeu hits it out. Machado's 1-0 pitch. Harper sends a fly ball to deep center field with the champion. One, two to judges right at the knees for strike three to end the inning. Sanoha runs throw from Will Smith is not in time. He's stolen second. Into left center field headed for.

Live from New York, it's a show that's very happy for Venezuela. I told you. As a fan of sport. No, you got to be. It was just amazing. That's what I got to be. When Italy was in the final four, and I said I was rooting for them over the U.S., it was a similar idea, which is it did mean more for the players on Venezuela, certainly

more than it would have been for Italy, because most of those were American guys anyway, like for them to win. And the U.S. comported themselves great, is awesome for them. It was just a great night of sport. And I can't, I can't wait. I don't normally care about the rating of things that aren't our TV show, but I can't wait to see how many people watched it. Like, that's going to be a number that will only be

trumped by footballers. Yeah. I mean, it's going to be. It was a huge event. It was great. Would have been sick if Roman Anthony hit it out, though. No. Everyone was ruined for the Reds.

Did you hear Joe Davis? It was like, oh, this has been the Red Sox baseball classic. No, buddy. I don't know. It hasn't been. It was the Royals baseball classic. anything. See who won MVP? You see whose gears going to the Hall of Fame? A couple of royals. Today, Max details his Ravens visit. Odd, Brew. Not great. Well, it should have been odd. The whole thing is

odd. Is he staying with the Raiders or is he on the move yet again? Meanwhile, it's our premiere of World Cup Wednesday. U.S. team unveiled their early roster as we prepare for two friendlines. And Nick has got some presents for us, I heard. Oh, wow. Have you heard about this? No, Brew doesn't know. It's a great present giver, so we'll find out. He is. Oh, I can't wait. You do love presents. Designer, something.

Designers, Nick don't play with the gifts. In the record, I got, I don't play with the gifts either, but you don't use mine. It broke. It didn't break. It stopped where it's a pin that doesn't write. I got to go, like, to the store and get it refilled. Because it's a good pen. It was in the car. It's like a gas station.

It didn't break. Hey, Brew. It doesn't write. The robe or the loafers or sneakers I got you, you got to take those in anywhere. They just always go clean and refill of nothing. A great pen, a lifetime pen. Oh, really? Worked for about six months and then all of a sudden it wasn't right.

We start Miami. Venezuela are champions of the baseball world. USA silver medalist. Wardo Rodriguez was amazing on the mound. Venezuelan bullpen also amazing. U.S. bats ice cold. Pool play out here crushing the ball. Then Canada, a little bit worse.

DR batted 212. Yesterday we batted 100. Not great. No. What was the number one reason Team USA lost? Venezuela performed in the bigger spots better than Team USA did. Each one semifinals on USA bats were dead. Yeah.

And so that's going to happen. It's single elimination. sports, but particularly single elimination baseball can be brutal. It's why it's such great theater. And even though Team USA lost, there's only one loser, and I'm not

not calling the person a loser, but there's only one person that I think came out of this tournament in a losing position. Holding an L. Yeah, there you go. That's a better way to put it. And that's manager Mark DeRosa. Because for the second time he gave an interview where it seemed like he was not as familiar with the rules,

and this is a rule I know he knows, as he should have been, which was when he was asked why they didn't go to the best pitcher available in one of the best closers in the world. Here's what he said yesterday after the game. Honoring the Padres, had we taken the lead he was coming in, but I wasn't going to bring him into a tie game. When you would never get the chance to get a lead again. What's that? There wasn't going to be a safe situation at that point.

I just, I wanted to honor the fact that there was a situation there where if it was tied, we were going to use Whitlock. We had talked to the Red Sox about that. And if we had the lead, we were going to, we were going to use Mason. Okay, that flatly doesn't make sense. I mean, I think he meant in the eighth, though. But I, I, we had gone. up three, two, in the eighth.

Right. I think that's what he means. But if the Padres were okay with Mason Miller throwing up three, two in the eighth, then they've got to be okay with him pitching tied in the ninth. I understand it can't be, hey, you're going in and you're staying in. But if he's allowed to try to go get you three outs, once you knew you were the home team, unless the rule was he has to be used before the ninth inning, then it makes no logical sense whatsoever that he is allowed to pitch

the top of the eighth but not the top of the ninth, or that he's allowed to pitch the top of the ninth leading but not the top of the ninth tying. And I just, it felt to me like Mark DeRosa, and you can't put it on he fumbled over his words.

He's a professional communicator. He's a broadcaster for, by trade. I just, I thought he was the only person involved in the tournament that didn't come out looking It was odd that, look, we knew going into it, pitching is the odder parts of managing this lineup because I don't know if it was A-Rotter or someone told us, you have to manage your guys, the team, USA Baseball,

and deal with every baseball team's managers and how much, you know, grace do you give them and listen to them? He's like honoring the Padres. I don't know if Venezuela treated it the same way or just pushed back a little bit more. Their manager said he talked to some of the managers from the teams, the MLB teams for his pitchers, and got a little grace. Like, hey, he threw, who did he throw back to back? The, well, it was, and the guy who got the final outs for them, he said he wasn't initially going to be able to use them,

but then he called his team was allowed to. But I just don't, it felt like, just like it, and maybe it's colored by the fact that I thought DeRosa should have just said, you know, yeah, I made a mistake about, not knowing the rules. Instead he's like, no, I knew the rules. I was just, that he was sloughing it off on the Padres when you're telling us the Padres were okay with Mason Miller pitching.

You can't convince me that the Padres were like he can only pitch if he's going to be eligible for a save. Yeah, that hell do they care about? It doesn't make sense. But they said he's only going one in it. That's fine. That was the thing. So the top of the ninth did.

But I think, look, DeRosa did not close himself in glory this week. All right? necessarily trying to defend him. I'm saying there, I understand what he was saying. I think he's like, if we had been up going into the ninth, which they had a chance to, and I'll get to Aaron Judge struck out looking, all right, instead of swinging the bat when they could have had a chance to take the lead, we would have put him in in the ninth to save the game, all right?

Now I think he's thinking, and you're right, he could have put him in, but had he shut them down and then it goes into the 10th tied, he's got to take him out. So I'm thinking he's thinking, look, nobody's been scoring a lot during the game. Let's see if we can get the knife. I think he may – he said he wouldn't have put him in if it was tied. Which means he was never going to play. But I think he may have had – like if it kept going, he would have probably put him in somewhere.

Maybe. I just think it's – but again, I'm not trying to defend him because he doesn't look great. But the guy who doesn't – you said doesn't come out of this looking awesome. Because I agree. I think DeRosa probably. took the biggest hit, the only guy that kind of is Karen and L. But Aaron Judge, and he wasn't the only one not hit him. No, nobody hit, but.

Nobody hit, but Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt and Aaron Judge. Now, Witt, I'm not saying he's not as big of a star as Judge. Correct. Judge and Witt were 0 for 7 yesterday. All right. Outside of Bryce Harbor, I'll give DeRosa this. And again, I'm not trying to be the DeRosa Apologist. But when Bryce Harbor was, what, 5 for 27, 3,000.

the tournament until the last game and people wanted him to bench Harper he stuck with him down in the lineup and he had you know he's the only one gave us a shot to win had two of our three hits the rest of the lineup was one for 26 so our bats went cold

I'm not even going to say our bats went cold because you're right you said that can happen in baseball it shouldn't happen when you got a lineup full of superstars that's why you get that lineup so look if judge is cold Harper will be hitting

or if Harper's cold you know Schwab will be like you figure somebody's going to be a hit Edward O'Riguez who pitched the first

four plus innings shut us down one hit, no runs he had a 5.02 ERA last year for Arizona so we should be able

that we should have we didn't hit well and so judge though is the guy that certainly doesn't come out looking awesome I don't think he takes as big of an L as DeRosa

But this is heavy is the head that wears the crown. And look, we've been talking about it in the NBA. This is what Lucas facing, all right? LeBron faces early in his career. James Hardin, God bless him. A lot of his fantastic career has unfortunately been defined by not being able to get it done in some of the big games. To go to football.

Someone else that comes to mine. Lamar, I mean, Lebar got to get it. He, I don't think he's as bad as these guys yet, But yeah, Lamar got to get it done too. But look at his numbers. Everything in the playoffs goes down. Batting average totally, everything goes way down. All right.

And here's the thing. The Yankee, who at least recently is viewed as Mr. Clutch and great in the playoffs, Derek Jeter, his numbers in those categories, they actually go up a little in some of them. But essentially, they remain what they always are in the regular season. He hit 310 for his career. he hit 308 for his postseason career. So if you just be who you are in the regular season, that's a clutch postseason player

because you're facing better competition, games mean more. And so this is just another kind of thing. Judge hit 222. He struck out three times yesterday, the last time looking. This is just added on to, okay, this guy's got to get it done. And if the Yankees make the playoffs, this will come up.

Well, so can I ask... It'll come up a little bit. So can I ask that before you go to your thing? Just real quick, staying on Judge. Here is, because he was awesome, this last Yankee playoff room. We talked about it in the series they lost, he had 600. In the playoffs as a whole, granted, limited, it was a total of six games. And they didn't go deep.

He had 500, right. They didn't go deep. Here is where I feel like if I'm Aaron Judge's friends or family, and I'm seeing this, I'm a little annoyed. Because what I think is definitively true, if he was awesome and they won, and he had the Bryce Harper moment and then a walk off in the 12th, and then struggles this coming postseason. No one is going to be like, well, you can't say he's not a playoff performer.

Remember the WBC. It felt like this could only be used against him. Like there is, you know, I agree. If we would have won it. Right. If we would have won it, he was awesome. Let's say he's homers in the eighth, and they win the game. And in six months, he's bad in the playoffs.

And you think someone's going to be like, hold on. You can't criticize Aaron Judge's playoff performer because of what he did in the World Baseball Classic? No, we've seen him be great on a big stage. Okay. I think it would be a mark in the positive college. Yeah, it would have come up. Look, for the time being, it would have shut all of that down.

Then if they get to the playoffs, and he struggled, it would have, this would have come up. But I do agree with you that ultimately people would have said, well, he still got to get it done in the playoffs. But for the time being, until then, this would have, everybody would have been shutting down that big game talk. Here's a hot take. We lost because we weren't the better team. We had, we may have had the better lineup, maybe. But the better team won.

And it was pretty obvious post-game. It became blatantly obvious that we were a collection of All-Stars and guys that wanted it pretty much. It would be better to get a gold medal than a silver medal. But we weren't willing to run through a wall like it felt like Venezuela was. A lot of our – Mason Miller is only going one inning. Don't do it again. Oh, Tariq Scoobal drove through the rain, but he's not willing to pitch. but he wants to be there.

Venezuela was weeping. They were weeping after the game. Today is a national. They wanted it more. They wanted it more. But that's different than being the better team. No, I don't mean team as in roster. I mean team as in include all the intangibles and specialness

that it takes to be a real team. They were talking about being a family. It was a nice. like all-star team? I didn't know like, yes. Yes, Roman Anthony and Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper are now, they're now brothers. I didn't feel like that.

And I don't think they felt like that. I don't know how much that can. You're right in that day, their manager called and said, look, we're going to use these guys. So I'll give you that. But look, I think your point, the better team, we can't sit here.

Major League Baseball is the best league. We think we haven't played Japan, but I think it's the best league. We're the best. all over the world. Yes. You can't sit here confidently and say America is the best baseball country. I mean, there are other countries.

The DR might have had the best team. And Japan might have had the best CNN and Venezuela won it. So the only counterpunch to your point is everything you're saying about Venezuela, about how much it, there was something to the international, particularly the Latin American players, saying this is bigger than the world. series. And none of the American players seem to feel that way, but all of that was true for the DR who we beat two days ago.

You know what I mean? And so that's not like a cure-all to winning the games. But it was, and even more so for Venezuela than the DR team. Because Venezuela's almost all of the stars on the DR team are stars in Major League Baseball. Venezuela has some stars in Major League Baseball and also some guys that play in Japan and play elsewhere. This was for them

the biggest moment in their country's baseball history by a lot. And for a lot of those guys, it was, and they also, obviously, Venezuela right now is, listen, we're not geopolitical experts on this show, but their nation is going through a very tough time and, you know, just weeks ago. And they mentioned that. The manager, some of the players.

And about trying to bring joy to the nation. Like, there is a power of that. Absolutely. That I don't think could be translated for the American. It's great to see. The country needed it and we needed it too. Yeah. That was excellent. All right, then as well as first WBC championship, entire series was electric,

TV ratings records, attendance records, and a final game that encapsulated the passion around the tournament. Here's Suarez, postgame. Nobody believe in Venezuela, but now we win the championship today. And this is a celebration for all the Venezuelan country. This team is awesome. We are family here.

That's why we play with passion, we love because we feel that the jersey. We feel our country in front us. It was just an amazing post-game interview. How will you remember the World Baseball Classic? Well, look, it's hard not to say the emotions from some of the other teams, particularly Venezuela won't be the defining thing because it could be that. But for me, it's just going to be this is, I think for me and for most Americans, the first time this WBC really felt like a big deal, like a big event.

And obviously we wanted to win it badly, not as much as some of the other teams, but it meant something to us for the first time I kind of feel like. And I think, Nick, I'll remember it as the. first of like I think going forward this is going to be a big event and I think we're going to continue to send our best guys try to win this thing and so I look I look back at team USA basketball when we were our college team was winning every year every four years it wasn't a big deal all right well it was a big deal because it was college guys it was a little closer but once they started losing then it became bigger we sent the redeem team

or the dream team. The dream team was a big deal. Right. But through the rest of the 90s and the dream team, it was a joke. And it was like, I would hardly watch the games because we were winning about 50 points. Then again, we start losing. And then we had the redeem team, and it made it more. And even this year or last time was a big deal with LeBron, Steph, KD.

So I think the fact that we didn't win that we've only won one out of six. I think that's just going to even make it even bigger. And so I'll remember this is like, this was the first one that really launched the WBC. I have three words. Joy, happiness, and fun. It was just an excellent event all around. And I have some recommendations I'd like to get your take on. Number one, Major League Baseball, more instruments involved.

Yeah. That was big in the crowd in Japan. We need instruments. In high school, we've got instruments. Everybody knows it. In college basketball, college football, we got full-on bands there. If we go to pro football, nothing's happening. Go to pro baseball.

There's no instruments. More instruments. Number two, more celebrations. The idea of like the bad, it is obviously a avenue for people to show their personalities. and their full cells. And it's just great. Like, who's against bat? Did you read Passon's column today?

No. It's about that. Oh, good. And you'd love it. Like, it speaks to that. Was it about using an espresso as a noisemaker as well? Like, I want the whole thing. No, Passon thinks that the reason bat flips became somewhat acceptable in major league baseball

was the world baseball classic 20 years ago. And seeing that, and like, that that helped kind of remove some of the unwritten rules from baseball because we saw how other countries celebrate. So in a serious note, baseball has a unique challenge of when it comes to celebrations. In basketball, you can have a lot of aura. Anthony Edwards can have a lot of aura, let's say. Anthony Edwards is going to be good every night regardless. Anthony Edwards can play on like a sprained ankle and he's still going to give you 28.

He's never going to go into a slump. In baseball, you can go into a long slump. And it's like, man, why are you sell? That's what you get for celebrating. So you kind of have to wrap your arms around celebrating overall. Also in basketball, if you do three goggles, nobody can throw a 95 mile an hour baseball. Exactly. What are they going to do to you?

Exactly. So we're getting closer. The Red Sox have like the big green monster helmet. But more celebrations, let these guys show their full personalities more. So I'm kind of in a similar place. and I realized when I was about to, the reason I had wanted you to go was I felt myself getting oddly

emotional for a second and I don't want to. But I'm going to try to make a profound, a seemingly profound point. Okay. So I think it is foolish to pretend all people are the same.

Absolutely. Like people, human beings all share a humanity. And I think we all share a core moral fiber and, you know, those things. But within America, like black people and white people, generally go to church a little differently, have weddings a little differently. You know what I mean? There are different cultural things that are totally fine.

But ultimately, what we're doing at church or what we're doing at our weddings or we're doing at Thanksgiving is the same. We just have different cultural signifier. to go along with it. The world, and part of this might be because I went to that game in Japan, but seeing how the Latin American players celebrate and enjoy and play baseball, and then seeing how the Japanese players celebrate and enjoy and play baseball, and the crowds and then the different American players, while all literally striving for the same goal,

while all literally playing the same sport, I don't know why I found it really special. And I thought it was a nice reminder for all of us during very, let's call it, tumultuous times, that the superficial parts can be so different while we're all doing the same thing and hoping for the same thing. And I thought that was really cool. I thought it was really something to it. And I also, and that's why I'm kind of glad the underdog won. The underdog Venezuela won.

It did mean more to them. And the, but I think, and I got to think, because Bryce Harper watched him celebrate and then talked in Passon's column about he wanted to win, but how he was happy for it. And I do think there is an element of learning from each other's cultures and celebrations being like, oh, that's fun. I like that. I don't like that. I don't know. Like I said, it just, it really did mean something to me. in a way international sports can bring us together and remind us that we're very different in certain ways

while all being kind of the exact same. I thought that was great. My takeaway. That was excellent. Oh, thanks. It was deep, man. I told you. I went to, it really was a work trip.

This was a work trip. I told you. I apologize. Exactly. Are people sleeping on the Broncos? That's next on first things first in Fox Sports Channel. X-M. Join Fox in supporting our troops from daily needs to global emergencies, help us be there for those who serve.

Scan the QR code or visit go. dot Fox slash Red Cross and donate to service to the armed forces. Welcome back to the show. Former almost Raven Max Crosby detailed the contract that wasn't on his podcast. Long story short, weird stuff. The Baltimore visit left him confused. and, quote, livid, here's Max with the most ironic podcast set ever. Take a listen.

It was good, though. Good listen. This is the thing, bro. Like, I don't, everyone's got their own theory, conspiracy theory. No one really will ever admit at either side what the real truth is. We ate lunch, we chilled for a little bit. I'm chilling on my phone. I'm like, what the fuck is going on, bro?

I'm sitting there waiting for a call. I can't even sit still. Call CJ back. He hits me. He's like, yo, they're backing out. And it's crazy because they're guys. like call me, one of the Ravens guys called me and it's like, yeah, we're trying to figure this out, you know, we're going to get

this done. Don't worry. Like five minutes later, CJ calls me. It's like, they're backing out. I'm like, holy so I'm like frozen. I'm like, what the I'm livid, confused, the whole nine all in one. Does this change your view of the trade

that wasn't? Well, first let me say this, because this was really the first emotion I felt listening to it. It's a great listen. I was thinking when they when he said and people we didn't play the whole thing but when he he was it was

hours he was at the facility for hours before he met the GM Eric DeCosta and the head coach Jesse I tell you something I'm gone I'm gone okay I think we didn't say was it five hours did he say well he said he said he said he said he was there an hour before the physical

and so and he still hadn't met him right and then he has the physical and then needs them later, but like, the fact that, go ahead. Well, but I'm thinking when he, I was just, when he finally met him, he said the energy was off. And they said like,

we don't know how to say this, but our doctors have some concerns about your, you know, your knee and what we saw. I was putting my stinking to him. And he said it. He was terrified. Imagine at that point he's really thinking

is my knee really jacked? up? Like, am I never going to be the same? You know, and he still may have those thoughts. He talked to his doctor, he reassured him, but he still may have those thoughts. So I was just thinking, I felt for him. Yeah. Because I was like, in that moment, he probably was really like,

like, what? Like, yeah, yeah. So, but honestly, to answer your question, this just bolstered, now I get the skepticism. And maybe they did just, you know, think about it for a few days and say, wow, we're giving up two firsts for a guy, 29,

coming off injury. Maybe that, I get that, and maybe that's what happened. But my view is that their doctors really saw something. That may be another team will pass, but for their doctors, it was something.

And the reason I say that I'm bolstered in that belief is because I think when he was at the facility and it was a long time before the minute, I think they're talking to the doctors, like, what do you, there's a problem? And then start thinking, what are we going to do?

Like, how do we get out of this? This is why you are a great guy, Chris Pris. I'm just saying, I mean, it might be, that might be it. But, I mean, look, they're adults. They're a great organization. I know they, before they're not a great organization. I think he's, I think Wilds might be worried the great organization went to the giants. Well, Harbaugh is a great guy.

Right. He is a great guy. I mean, how much. This whole, this whole ordeal was not a, strike in the great organization category. No, but I'm saying when I say great organization, I mean they thought about, before

they made this trade, they thought about are we really going to do this? Oh, yes. Right? They brainstorm. They came to an agreement. So for them to then all of a sudden get cold feet, unless you think they saw some of the media comments and thought, oh wow, are we doing the wrong

thing? Trey's price was lower than they thought. So here... According to they had been talking with Trey, but Let me say this lastly, Nick. Go ahead. The Cowboys doctor was one of the doctors that analyzed the scans. And the fact that the Cowboys never, you know, decided not to get back in it. From what we know, no other teams are trying to trade for Crosby.

So I just think they're, I think they saw something that maybe made them say, you know what, in three years he's not going to be the same player. Might be great this year, not in three years. And then they pulled out. So the part of it that to me, I classify, there were two things that I classified as actual news. One might be petty and silly, and the other is noteworthy. The petty and silly one is this. I am surprised they did not fly him private there. When he got on the plane, he is about to become the second highest paid player in franchise history.

they have traded two first round picks for him and they know because Baltimore is not a huge hub that if you want to fly commercial direct from Vegas you have to go to D.C. And so they've said, you know what? 30 grand to charter a private plane not going to do it, we'll put your first class

and then have your ride for two hours. They flew back private. But I agree, they stood up. No, no. I think the Raiders flew him back private. Oh, really? I think that part I don't know I know he flew back

I know he was I thought he might have flown him but they should have flown him so that was just noteworthy and by the way I just wanted I've never flown private in my life I'm not like acting like oh first class but typically for something like this that struck me as odd particularly because they knew he was then going to have to take a two hour

car ride from DC with your knee right yeah that was extra noteworthy to me When I then found out, according to Crosby, he did not see DeCosta or the new head coach, Jesse Minter, the first hour he was in the building pre-physical. So whatever discussion they're doing post-physical before their doctors have seen the knee,

the head coach and the GM don't meet him? Like, that part, that part to me was stunning. Should have greet him on the tarmac. Right. And not on that. So that is, that's the first thing where I'm like, wait, were they, did they really have cold feet before they saw the scans? Because that thing gets to my other point, which is, I don't know what acceptable rules on passing a physical should be for a player that is very recent post. surgery where you know he's not technically

going to be able to pass. Like, they knew he had had major surgery nine weeks ago or seven weeks ago. So he wouldn't be able to pass a physical in the sense like a guy would have to pass at the trade deadline to play next week. That just feels so nebulous on what is passing. It's subjective. It's maybe. I mean, the Raiders probably were passing on the same physical.

Right. But like what is, and so like that, so KW, that to me is I have not been big on the conspiracy theory gets thrown around too much on the idea. Cold feet. Yeah, that they got cold feet. So you don't think that's what happened. I have not been big on that, but I am stunned. The GM and the head coach weren't the first people he saw when he walked into the building. They should have had a seller, like they have for Jesse Minter when he walked in the building and everybody's waiting.

That's what I would have thought. Now, again, if they were mulling it over, like, we may not do that. Maybe they got cold feet. You still should treat him with that type of respect. And even, I'm not saying have the celebration with all the people in the organization, but the coach and GM should have been there to greet him at the front door, if not at the airport or wherever. I agree with that.

They should have treated him much better than that. Just walking up to a random, like, you got the code for the bathroom on Max Triciske. Here's the thing. If they got cold feet, they got, that's fine. There's a snack machine down the hall. There's a change machine there, too, if you have dollars. Doesn't take cards. All right, we had a day to digest the Jan Waddle trade to Denver.

We all like the move. Odds makers, however, said, eh. Odds in the West, Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos in third place. Over under for Denver is nine and a half. Chiefs in charge is 10 and a half, so it's not a huge deal. No, it's close. But third place is third place. They won 14 games.

last year but so the chiefs or the Broncos deserve more respect I I'm surprised at how quickly some you know NFL fans and media have just not Vegas hasn't but some have just been like okay the chiefs are clearly like they have my home so they should be in the mix, but they're not, you know, they're nothing special. I'm surprised by that. And I think the team that prior to last year had been to five of seven Super Bowls, and while Brew correctly points out the last couple years, Mahomes' stats were down, but they won 15 games. The team wasn't down. You know what I mean? Because this is not a specific just to Mahomes conversation. The team was not down when they went 15 and one and then lost the Super Bowl or the

year before when they went, I guess they were down a little bit when they went 11 and five or six, but they then won the Super Bowl. And so I think the chiefs, let me put it like this. I think there is, and I believe in the Broncos to a degree. I said I liked the trade and I begrudgingly gave them the respect to the went on. But I think the Broncos year is more likely. to be, I guess I think both years last year

were a little bit of a fluke. The Broncos more so. I think the Chief's year, I don't want to call it a fluke, they deserve to be a bad team, but there was an outlier year in the negative way. I think the Broncos year is probably going to be a bit of an outlier in the

14 wins major positive way. Sure. If that's, you know what I mean? I don't think they don't know if they don't want to 14. Right. I think the Chiefs still deserve to be the favorite at the very least in their own division, which they are? Yeah, I don't. And I'm, I think the only reason to believe in the Chiefs is the history,

which is a legitimate reason. I mean, it's not ancient history, it's recent. But that 15 in one year, a lot of their games were close. And strange things happened. They made it happen, the black field goal of the Broncos and all that. And then they got annihilated. in the Super Bowl. And then last year, they were just bad.

I mean, they started out, okay, at one point we thought, okay, the Chiefs are back, and then it just went downhill. And even with Mahomes, they were six and eight. So I just, I think the reason to think the chief, believe more in the Chiefs than the Broncos is their pedigree. And Mahomes is in his prime, but Mahomes is coming off a serious knee injury. And so they haven't done anything in the receiving group to, you know, help him out. we don't even know if their best receiver is going to be there, Rashie Rice.

Kelsey's back. That's nice, but he's older. Who do you think made the bigger edition? Kenneth Walker or Jalen Walsh? Kenneth Walker is a good addition. I think that's a good addition. But you can argue that was as big as Jalen Waddle. But I don't think Kenneth Walker's like, I mean, he's not one of the elite running backs in the league.

I don't think he's one of the three or four best. I think. No. I agree with that. He's a good running back. I just don't think that. It was a good addition. They needed a running back.

But I just, I think, look, the Broncos were better last year. The Broncos beat him twice last year. Beat him. I know the one last two years ago was when the starter sat. But had a chance, had them down, almost beat him before that, but for a block field goal. And then added Jalen Wildell. Broncos, I think, had the better defense versus. the run versus the past, they get more sacks.

Offensively, both teams weren't good last year. I mean, and Mahomes, look, I hope Mahomes returns the form, but I've shown this before, but look, the last three years, he hasn't been the Patrick Mahomes that we all have come to know and love. And so coming off a knee injury without adding to their receiving core, is he going to be the old Mahomes again? I think there's a question mark there. I'd like to see one more move on the offense.

Well, the draft will be huge, and we'll see what they do in the draft. You think it's offensive? I mean, I think the chiefs have two first round picks now. The Broncos have none. Like, so that's, you know, a piece of it. Michael Rubin joins us to talk about the fanatics flag football game coming up this weekend. But first, David Ortiz closes out the WBC. Take a listen.

I've got to give me one more thing right here. Only the international assessing at this. Motto! Bobby, t-shirts, cigars. Oh, man, he got it out. He deserved it off. He's a champ, man. Brady is back on the field for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic.

It will be on Fox. Star-studded, three-team round-robin tournament featuring the best in the game. Saturday at 4 on Fox. Joining us now for all the details is Mike. Michael Rubin. Michael, thank you for joining us. What can we expect from the flag football game coming up? Well, first, Tom Brady has guaranteed me that his team is going to win and then he's going to be MVP. Excellent.

Oh, wow. He did that with me, the Fanatics Games last summer, Fanatics Fest. I didn't believe him. Of 100 people, he won. He showed why he was MVP. But I think what you can expect is an incredible demonstration of flag football. I mean, look, flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It's so exciting. obviously going to be here in the Olympics in 2008 in Los Angeles. We've got so many of the top NFL stars and best athletes in the world to play in this game.

And I couldn't be more excited for it. Also to have Team USA, who is the best flag football team in the world against two, you know, primarily NFL-based teams. That's going to make it really exciting. People are going to take this very seriously. This is not, you know, going to be like your average flag football game. I mean, there's a lot of smack being talked right now

and people very serious about winning this game. Oh, listen, I don't doubt at all that Team USA flag football is going to take it seriously. We heard some of them chirping about a year ago when people were like, would Patrick Mahones play quarterback in the – Darnell, Giuse. Yeah, he's my guy. He's – he's – he can't win my spot. He – look.

The guy can move. I understand the guy can move. Flag football is not tackle football. I understand that. So I know they're going to take it seriously. I also feel like Michael that Tom Brady – He loves working with us at Fox. I think he loves what he's doing with the Raiders.

I also think maybe at least once a week he wakes up and he's like, should I come back? Yeah, I'm better. Did I keep playing? There's not a more competitive human being than I know. And there's nothing I enjoy more than the typical banter and hazing that goes on between the two of us. He is so excited for this game.

He was so excited to return to the field. I got to tell you something, I can't wait to see how it plays out. I wish that I put aside all the responsibilities that we have in putting this incredible, you know, flag football competition together. I can just watch it as a fan because it's going to be so fun to see Tom Brady on the field, partnered with Jalen Hertz, Joe Burrow together with Jaden Williams. I mean, you've got four of the best NFL quarterbacks going at it.

Then together with the USA flag guys, and then you've got so many other great stars in this game. It's going to be an absolute blast. We're doing it at BMO Stadium, which is where the Olympus will be played for L.A. 28. for flag football. Hopefully, I think this game is going to be packed. You can still get some tickets at the Ticketmaster who's coordinating this for us in the FNAX flag football. If you just Google that, take it right there.

So we want everyone out there to see it live, see if the smack talk's going to be as good as I think it's going to be. But, you know, right after Brady was hitting those records with Jimmy Fallon, he called and said, man, I can still kick, I can still kill any of these youngsters. You know, and what I've heard is, you know, he said, I like beat Heisman Trophy. winners. I do that. That's like easy light work for me. And, you know, I was with Joe Burrow in Vegas last weekend. He said, Tom just came up to me and literally said, he said, he said, he killed me. He said, I've been thinking about that. I said, you're thinking about that. So Joe's like,

I'm killing him. So there's going to be some serious competition going on out here. So I can't wait to see it. Well, that kind of leads me to a legitimate question, which is, do you think Brady if he plays the way he believes, and I think we believe he can, he's going to play on Saturday, might seriously consider trying to play for the U.S. Olympic team in 2028 in flag football. Look, I don't want to speak for Tom. What I can tell you is I believe that today he'd be a top quarterback in the NFL if he wanted to play. I see in practice he's been sending me videos. He's still at an elite level.

He's in great shape. Even though I try to do things to course when not be in great shape, you can't break Tom Brady. You know, I try to put some desserts in front of him, try to do some other things to be bad. He's not breakable. All right, Michael, look, with all due respect to Team USA, I got to be honest, I don't want to see them out there beating some of our best NFL players. Now, I don't know how much of them you've seen Team USA, but do they really have a shot to go out there and beat a team led by Tom Brady or Joe Burrow or whoever? By the think about the four quarterbacks. You have Tom Brady and Jalen Hertz who won eight Super Bowls together, leading one team.

Joe Burrow and Jane and Daniels, who are incredible quarterbacks, future the NFL leading another team. But I'm going to tell you something crazy, and I shouldn't put this out. But I was just talking to the CEO of our fanatic sports betting business, he said the preliminary lines. He thinks that USA flag football would be about a six-point favorite over the NF, the two primarily NFL-based teams. I was like, what? So I didn't believe it, but my betting the game business just told me a couple hours ago, they think that the lines are going to be that the USA flag football team will be a six-point favorite, give or take over the two primarily NFL-based teams.

Now, of course, I called Brady right away, talked a lot of smack, and he told me the guys have no shot. This is the dumbest thing he's ever heard. He said, he opened our sports book on bankrupt. Look, I'm going to support. Tom Brady through thick and thin. I'm riding with Team USA football. I think it's play calling. I think it's plays.

I think it's, look, the linebackers in defense. Miles Garrett, Derwin, James, Keekley, Tyron, Vaughn Miller, and Jalen Ramsey. I don't know how many flags they've pulled. I'm just saying pulling flags is in art and moving around. Let me just say this. I know there's going to be a big practice tomorrow morning, have big practice on Friday.

They're going to make sure they know how to pull flags. But let me ask you guys a question because I want to put you guys on record right now. Each one of you guys, who's winning? Like, let's make the picks right now. Brady's team. I'm taking Brady. But what, well, is Brady, we don't know. We don't know who else on the team.

He's going to have Grunk. Here's what I'm saying. If Brady has to have Gronk, they're winning. Gronk is motivated. No chance to tonight, Brady. The draft is tonight at 730 PST, 1030 EST. I think you're going to be able to watch it live

on the Fanatics YouTube channel. You're going to be able to watch it live on the NFL's YouTube channel. It's going to be all over social. If there's one thing to say, there's no chance that Brady's not picking Gronk on his team. And by the way, Brock may not be.

He may not be as good as shape as he used to be, but that's a big dude. And he knows how Brady throws up off. I don't see how Brock's not catch it. Jaden Daniels and Joe Burrow, my first pick, Grunk. Oh, you mean just screw up. Yeah, just trying to do.

Right. Right. Right. What? And then Brady has to go to Devanti's So I'm going with Brady's team. Wilde is going with the 5-7 flag footballers. I like Doucette.

The Doucette. Do we have video of the Doucette? They better not. So you got Team USA. I got you. I'm going with Jaden and Joe Burrow. Wow. Jaden Daniels is Joe Burrow.

Here's my seat by you guys. You're a great team. You're going to make sure somebody's right. Somebody wins. Yeah. That's right. All right. All right.

The draft is tonight. The game is on Sunday. It's 4 o'clock. Sorry, Saturday on 4 o'clock. Draft us tonight. Saturday, 4 p.m. Check it out. And one of us will be right. No, it's all good. Michael, have a great weekend. Have a great draft. Thank you very much for everything. And also, hey, shout out for fanatics. Sending the USA hockey jerseys to team. Yes, that was sick. I thought that was great. Wonderful.

I loved every minute of it. until we didn't get the right outcome last night. I could not have been rooting for the team USA harder. But, you know, I heard, you know, we had deals with both Jack Hughes and PCA. And they're each friendly with each other. We have their exclusive and ex-partners. And we're also the exclusive partner for all the team, you know, USA, for the USA hockey team for their merchandise.

So I know that they brought the jerseys to us in the Florida facility. We quickly got, I think it was like 36 jerseys to the guys to read. They were all game-news jerseys. And the only thing was I wanted them holding the gold medals. It was still a cool moment of camaraderie. So it was great. Incredible. All right.

Flight football classic Saturday of 4 on Fox. Thank you, Michael. Thanks, Mike. Thanks, guys. Live from New York. It's a show that believes in Team USA. Hockey, baseball, flag football. If they beat these NFL players, that would be non-Tom Brady.

All the American NFL, all of the NFL players playing the flag football. thing or American as well. But they're not on team USA. They might be in 2028. Then I will root for that team. I root for the stars. Yeah, I root for the stars and stripes. Okay.

And also, when he does the little dip in all of sunny, he's like, Dutkwarky is going to work. Yeah, no kidding. Yeah, well, you're picking again. Second hour, first things first. Today, we deliver our March madness picks. Meanwhile, World Cup Wednesday. It's our debut.

We've got our roster. What's the biggest takeaway as we get ready for our friendlies against Belgium and Portugal? Let me get you caught up to speed on what's been going on last night. The NBA last night while desperately trying to stay awake from a delayed jet lag from working hard. An elite committee of analysts, savants, and flag football experts fought and twilled and burned the midnight oil to deliver the best segment in all of sports television. It's an honor and a privilege. It's time for NBA tiers. Thank you so much, Kevin Wilde, for the great introduction.

Oddly, not dripping with sarcasm or personal shots. No, I decided to change my tune. Thank you, buddy. You were out there working hard. Exactly right. I appreciate it. I'm glad you finally recognize that. Unfortunately, I have some sad news.

For the first time in a while, we have some fresh eliminations. Oh. And it's quite a few. Oh. Because 10 teams are no longer trying. It's a third of the league. Can we reveal the eliminations? The Bucks, who the story there is,

they've said to Janus, can you not come back from the injury? And Yon's like, I'm coming back. But do you like it or not? Can't give it to me that easy. He's the only one trying on the whole team. The Bulls have been eliminated. The Grizzlies have been eliminated.

The Mavs have been eliminated. Kings, Pacers, Nets, Wizards, Pelicans, Jazz. eliminated opening. The beam was a big deal. Oh, he's so big. The Nick, it was a big deal for you. It was a big deal and they were going to beat the Warriors. And then Deerrin Fox broke his finger and then I shed a tear on the air.

And then they traded him away and they have him the same sense then. Time for the tears. Once again, cancel the plane. Here's what I mean. And I'm being serious on this. Playing should not exist if you're below 500. If you're below 500, you shouldn't get an extra. They don't never have it in the East.

Well, no, in the East this year, everyone's above 500. Like, so. Hornets are 35, 34? Yeah. I do like the Hornet. But the Warriors and we don't need, like, the Suns and the Clippers are legitimate playoff teams. The Warriors and the Blazers are not.

And the fact that one of those two teams is going to have a one game sample against one of the other two teams to make the playoffs, I'm just not a huge. In certain years, it can make sense, but I don't think you need it if the teams are below 500. That's all I would say. It's an added ring. Don't hate it. It's not bad. Yeah, I don't hate it. Fire up NBA TV. I don't know which of these teams are going to be in the playoffs, whichever ones they are.

I know where their games are going to be. That on at 2 o'clock? I know where you can find. Jalen Johnson and the Hawks are Scarty. Scotty Bar to the Raptors. We're top 10 player, Bam, out of bio. Like one of those high school cameras. It's just a fish eye lens.

No cuts. I just know where we're going to be able to watch those games. It's hard these days. You don't know. He's on peacock. It's on pride. Those are going to be on NBA TV. One can hope.

You can hope that if the Hornets get in that this team, they've cooled a bit as of late, but the team they showed they could be for a couple months. Might throw a scare in one of the top East Seeds. And you can hope, hey, there's usually about four weeks of season, bro, where the Sixers are fully healthy. What if those four weeks are? Four? That's what I'm going to lie. What if those?

All right, two weeks. Very dangerous. Right. If all the health lines up, I wouldn't want to play that team. And Embed, it's going to be rested come to playoffs. Listen, one can hope. No easy outs. That's for the top teams in the West.

Thunder Spurs. You both won 60 games, I think they're going to. Thunder certainly. You have basically locked up a top two seed two months ago. Congratulations. You play in the first round against a Clippers team that after the 6 and 8, 21 start has been sensational. And Kauai is playing the best basketball he's played in his 30s.

Or a son's team that has, Devin Booker humming and might at that point have Dylan Brooks back. Again, I think the Spurs and Thunder will win their first round series no matter who they're playing. But it's not, I don't think those are sweeps. I don't think those are easy, you know, just show up for a quarter series. We've seen this move. A Rockets team that just can't get over the hump, a Timberwolves team that's good, but not quite good enough for a Cavs team that has no real shot of making the finals,

unless LeBron James is on the team. Yeah, we've seen this movie. And sadly, it's where I think we are with all three of these teams again. The Timberwolves were the one team on this line that I had the most faith in. But now we find out Anthony Edwards, not that he's going to be back in one to two weeks, re-evaluated in one to two weeks, which is basically assigns them the sixth seed. Now, maybe you might say, okay, well, if the Lakers are the three, they're six, they beat them last year. Lakers are 3 and 0 against them this year.

I don't think that would be great for them. I don't think they have to worry about falling to the seven, but still not ideal. Quietly lurking, Knicks and Nuggets. Here would be the argument for the Knicks and the Nuggets. They both knew pretty early this year. All right, we're not going to end up being the number one seed in our conference,

and our season is going to be defunct. by how we do in the playoffs, and they just haven't fully locked in. Because we know the Nuggets are championship caliber in theory. Now, I know they're not the exact same team that won the championship, but same three best players, and I know it's a new head coach, but their head coach was on that staff. And the Knicks have been building to this moment,

really the last three years, certainly the last two years, and I wouldn't be thrilled to see them on the other side of my playoff series. series, but they also haven't been, it's hard to find two months for this season. We're like, man, that team looks like team's going to win the title. Obvious flaws, but maybe the Lakers obvious flaws is, are they really going to be able to defend well on? Marcus Smart's doing his best. LeBron's doing better.

I just read an article today about how actually Lucas defense is improved. We always that thing is second on the team. As you like to say, there you go. That train is never late. You know, when you look at the really advanced. They're going to be really good. And the Pistons other than Kate Killingham, can anyone just get their own shot, get a bucket? But maybe the pistons are going to be the one seat.

The Lakers do have Luca Donchich and a top two all time player as their third best guy. So maybe reservations for June. The thing I am most certain about in the NBA at this moment for this season is that the Celtics are making the finals. I'm more confident about that

than any other individual playoff prediction. Now, are they going to win the championship? They're my pick, but they're going to be an underdog in the finals unless there's a major upset. in the West, I understand that.

But I just don't see who in the East, if we assume Tatum's only going to get better from where he's at right now. And if you just guaranteed me Tatum's going to be where he's at right now, I think they'd be the favorite. The Celtics, as presently constituted, are the favorite, but like, that's maybe incorporating.

I still don't know why they can beat the Knicks. We just saw it with a healthy Tatum most of the time. They were going to win that series. The Knicks? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, that was, listen. And I picked the Knicks, if you remember, to win that series.

I just think they're different teams. I think Jalen Brown is better this year. I think the Celtics role players are better. I think Mikhail Bridges is sneaky, way worse. At least he's in a slump right now. But so we'll get to that later. And then atop the tiers, two teams with a question. Is this our next great rivalry?

Oh. Thunder Spurs. Is this what the rest of the decade's going to be about? The Thunder and the Spurs. Wimby and Shea, those great organizations, the great supporting cast, all the draft capital, both of those teams still have, the assets, the youth. Is this just going to be a back and forth atop the West where we end up feeling like the Western Conference finals are a de facto NBA finals? maybe, or maybe one of them gets upset early in these playoffs,

and we don't even get it this year. But that's the question I have, and those, Brew, are the latest tears. They are pretty good. And the answer to your question at the top, I do think that's clearly the next great rivalry in the league. I think that will be the Kobe Shaq Lakers versus the Duncan Spurs, like every year they were going at it. The Lakers broke up early.

So I think, because Kobe Shack's up. So I think this will be obviously a lot longer. Both teams are incredibly young. Yeah, I mean, this is going to be great. But I guess I would say it's unfortunate during the same conference, but maybe not. You know, we'll just get those in the Western Conference. I mean, you mentioned they broke up early,

but despite that brew, those two teams won five consecutive championships. The Spurs won in 99 and 03 and the Lakers won the middle three. And so it's, you know, and one six of seven. The thing about the Spurs is one of the question marks, obviously there's the inexperience, but their three-point shooting was a question mark. They have improved it this calendar year, January was only 32 percent, February was 37 percent, and March is 39 percent. If they're hitting threes, it's going to be very tough.

Literally the only question is inexperienced. And that's a legit question. You know, we'll see if that fails them. I am, Nick, I like the tiers, but I'm going to put the Knicks and the Nuggets on the tier above alongside the Lakers and the Pistons. Look, if the Lakers and the Nuggets meet, if they are to meet in the playoffs, that's going to be a tough series to pick. I might pick the Nuggets. I'm not sure, but the Nuggets, look, Aaron Gordon is back. He's only been back five games, but he's hitting 40.

percent from three. All right. So we know he's going to bring, he's going to get better as he's healthier. I see y'all eyeing each other. No. That's a fireball. You got to, we got to let somebody go. Brew.

We have to let somebody go. It's the bar. You let here's a nugget. I'm mixing, nix, nix spot. You know, that's got to go. Y'all know that's not me. We got to let somebody go. You know that.

I'm just, right. I had no. And what? And it's the bottom line bold, like, move to New York. It does tracks from Bruce otherwise great. The audience knows who it is, too. It's Hubs.

No, that's dusty. No, Hubs does the puns. Watch, Hubs are going to get in my ear and say some pun. That's bad. Whatever it is. I'm done. I don't even going to know. Look, the Aaron Gordon, I think, is going to just keep getting better.

That's true. Have you seen him from three? It's unbelievable. Yeah, it really is incredible. That is a reinvention of a player because that's, That used to be the thing who was worse. Yes. And now.

He's almost automatic from that corner. He's a guy paid Watson should be back in some point. He'll be back in a week. So, yeah, I think the nuggets are going to get better. The Knicks, look, Knicks are five and three, Nick, against OKC, San Antonio, the Lakers, and Denver. I didn't put Boston in because now they got Tatum back, so it's different. No, but if the Knicks, that says if the Knicks were to make the finals,

they played well against the Western team. They really have. And like you said, Wiles, they beat that Celtics team. I'm not saying they would definitely beat them this year because, you know, sometimes just. Yeah. Yeah. But they certainly have a shot. The Knicks Cryptonite is Detroit.

And right now they would play Boston in the second round and be able to avoid Detroit until the conference finals. Or maybe Cleveland could, in their eyes, they'd hope Cleveland could knock out Detroit. I think the Knicks are the only team to beat win. in the last month and a half. Because aren't the Spurs 20 and 2 in their last 22? Yeah. And one of those losses came without Wimby. And the other one was a game I was at, was that MSG against the next.

So like the- Yeah, when they beat them two out of three-dick. Yeah. So that is something. What did Hubbs say in your ear? He hasn't come up with it yet. I don't know if he's putting stuff in a square cardboard box. Okay.

Hubbs, that's just way too. I thought that was dust. Who do you have in the West? He hasn't decided. In pencil. In pencil. Just going. In pencil.

I'm hoping for the spurs. Look, I've seen, obviously I've covered this league for decades. I have seen seasons where regular season, a team swept another team, met them in the playoffs and lost. Like, so you can't always go by that. It's the goat, dude. I have that graphic. I have that graphic. I have that graphic.

Okay. I had no idea. Because I also am hoping for the Spurs, but I don't think you really believe in the Spurs. Andy, you guys have tagged me with like, oh, Wilds, you're a fool. No, we're a clown. No, no, no. You only pick repeat champion. You just picked the defending champs.

All you know, I picked the defending champ, even though in football, the chiefs came out of winning. Okay, see. It's not my fault is what I'm saying. We haven't had a repeat champion in seven years. This is unbelievable. We're due. We are due. Here's the sign of a good franchise.

If you're like McDonald's, you know, it's good franchise. Burger King, you can go to Bangor, Maine, and then you can go to San Diego, California, order a Big Mac, taste exactly the same. The standard and the quality of the franchise travels. Here's OKC's defense this year and last year. Exact same. That's unbelievable. Defensive rating 107.5.

Opponent field goal percentage, 43.6. championship year, 43.5, actually got better. Yeah. Defensive rebounds per game, 34.2, 34.5. They get a third more of a rebound somehow. Just to basically, I think it's a tip. Get their hand on the ball. Then it's the, well, actuallys.

Like, well, actually, they've been losing, you know, good teams. That was before the All-Star break. And I think this lends itself to the, let's lock in theory. Long season, 173 wins was out the window. Maybe they took their foot off the gas. A lot of those are obviously Spurs losses. Nine and eight before All-Star break, eight and one after the All-Star break. And, Brew, this is your Spurs graphic.

They haven't had a good time against the Spurs. They're one-and-four against San Antonio. But last year, the Knicks were 0-and-4 against the Celtics. They won. The Wolves were 0-and-3 against Phoenix. They won 4-0. Josh was kind of cherry-picking some other stuff. the dames famous bad shot according to Paul George.

What were they? O and three against O KC Blazers. So there's a few of those in history and Brew mentioned it just off the top of his head. I had to do half hours worth of research. So I think Thunder are gonna repeat. I don't know if I should throw my all support so you guys, am I like a Thunder guy?

Should I start buying Thunder stuff? You are a Thunder guy because of Chet. That's first of all. Chet Chet. You're also a Thunder guy because you like dirty play across sports. I mean, you're always, yeah, you think it's fine in general. Once brew called pitch framing deception.

Yeah. Is it not? That's exactly what it is. So is a pump fake. It's not the same thing. It's kind of. All right. So breaking news, America.

For the fifth straight year, Kevin Wilde thinks the NBA team that won the last championship is going to win the next. just following the data. They've lost. Every single one of those teams is lost in round two. Sal, you've done it all, right? You're one of the greatest catchers ever. You've won a World Series. Compare what this feels like right now.

Oh, my God. That's unbelievable. I'm super happy. And now I feel like I can retire. It's a great moment. So I was in Kansas City when Salvi came up for the Royals, and he was instantly really good. And listen, a lot of baseball players from, you know, America or otherwise come from very humble beginnings. Salvi came from Dickensian humble beginnings almost in Venezuela.

And he signed one of the most undermarket contracts imaginable, like a seven-year deal to lift his mother out of poverty. his friend, family. And he then went on to become one of the greatest players in history, the team. They then gave him, you know, he's made a bunch of money post that, but took him a long time. And it's just one of my favorite athletes ever. And I believe a legitimate Hall of Famer now. Like, if he wasn't already, and I don't know how much technically the world baseball classic is supposed to count. But I think it counts.

I think when the voters are, it's human beings that are filling it out. And he's got, he's just a legendary player for like, like the point you made yesterday is historically somewhat true. The best royals very often, royals for a bit and then leave. He didn't and he won't. Like he'll be a lifetime one team guy. And I'm so happy for it. So happy for it. That's great.

It would be nice to see him, you know. That's a great moment. Playing two world series in Kansas City. I know about you. Maybe get one more. Yeah. Maybe this year. With the Royals and WBC MVP Mike L. Garcia.

Exactly right. They were all over. It was true. Afternoon headlines sponsored by Ram Trucks, built to serve less than 20 hours away from the tournament, tipping off. Ohio State 8C, number 9, TSU. Or TCU.

I don't know what I'm talking about. Final four is on April 4th. That works. Time to make our calls for the final four. Nick, you want to kick us off? Yes. My final four is. St. Johns off the strength of the greatest modern era college basketball coach of all time.

The University of Houston, six straight sweet 16s. In that stretch, they've been to the elite eight. They've been to a final four. They've been to a national championship game and lost. The only thing they haven't done is finished the job. Last year, they were a possession away from winning it. Arizona's been the best team all year. They've lost twice.

once was a road game in Allen Fieldhouse, one of the hardest places to win. And then the very next game in overtime, Texas Tech, and Michigan, who their biggest competition in their region is Alabama. Alabama, you know, is going through it a bit right now. Brandy upset alert, remember? What do you mean? I've got Hofstra over Alabama. Oh, I like that. Listen, I think it's interesting now.

I'm starting to develop, I've got a working theory. I don't know if Nate Oates runs the tightest ship down at Alabama. I think we might have to look into it. But I've got... He's just trying to get the haulers, man, no matter what. I've got St. John... I've got Houston, pardon me, playing Arizona in the national championship. And Kelvin Sampson and Houston finally break through.

And Kelvin Sampson and Houston are the national champions. It would be nice if they won one. Yes, absolutely. It'd be nice. Kelvin deserves it. It would cement him as a Hall of Famer if he's not already. So yeah. All right.

My final four. I've got Duke. I almost went with Kansas. I'm the Duke guy. I've been on Duke all year. So I can't pick him for the final four? KW. I've been on Duke all year and you know it.

A lot of people are going to pick Duke to go to the final four. I was early on it. Did they really come out of nowhere? But I said it first. I'm just saying I said it first. So what? Because they're my squad. Duke is making the final four.

I picked them last year to win it all, and they didn't. So I got Duke in the final. I almost went with Kansas. Darren Peterson, been playing consistently lately, but I just don't know if the chemistry will be there enough for them to get out of that region. I do have Houston, as you see. I've talked about them the other day. The freshman Fleming at the point guard, their defense is spectacular.

Arizona? in the West and they're you know they've had a great year there's no question about it so I think they can get out of there and then Michigan with their size I think is going to be a lot to deal with

now let me take people behind the curtain yes please because a lot of people think in shows like this that we just automatically pick different team like oh Nick's got them so let me take

so and so. No, obviously. Oh, I can't pick the Chiefs because he's picking the Chiefs. No, we pick who we think is going to win. Oh, I hope I know what's coming. Regardless, regardless of whether your partner or your co-host pick. Okay, hold on one second. Hold on one second.

You already just got roasted by me and the Internet, Gianna said, for taking Duke to the Final Four when they were my squad. The Internet tag. If you are about to do what I think you're about to do, you still have time to change your mind. Don't do it. Then we have nothing to talk about. Brew, I want the honest truth.

All you owe us is your opinion. Houston is winning the tournament. I'm with good job, Brew. Houston is winning the tournament. I love that, Brew. And I'm with you. Calvin Samson is a great coach. Been to what, three final fours,

One with Oklahoma, two with Houston. Yes. It's time. I think he's going to seal the deal this year and win the championship. It feels, here's the thing it feels a little bit to me. I know I'm mixing metaphors here. Ray Allen hits the shot against San Antonio, game six. They then lose in game seven.

A lot of people, I, and I, myself and I think many others felt like, that's going to ruin them for next year. You can't be that close. to a championship, have it ripped away, and instead they came back, had the exact same finals matchup, and wanted that final matchup.

And crushed Miami. Houston came about as close as you can come to winning a championship without. Three of those five starters are back. You keep mentioning Kingston Flivings, correct, and then you add the freshman. I totally agree. I think it's their year.

You really thought I was going to go with them. how you feel. You probably want to switch to Houston. No, I could tell that you were going to go to Houston. I didn't pick you. You thought I was going to go Duke. No, I knew you weren't going to go do it. You haven't been on Duke all year. I have. I have Duke losing the Sweet 16 to St. John's.

So the problem is, Dusty want to reveal mine there? I have Duke. But I really like that region. That's why I don't have been ongoing. I don't have St. John. I really like St. Johns. I really like Michigan State. but as everyone knows, I've been on Duke all year.

Yep. Even preseason I was on Duke. I went to the Duke game last year. I said even though Cooper Flag and Malwatch and Concanipo are leaving, I still like this squad. The margin of victory 19 points, which I like really beating teams. Coming out of South, Illinois. I don't hate that pick.

I'll be honest with you. A lot of this is just awareness bias from me. because my in-laws went to Illinois. We go visit them. Illinois is on a lot. And like, turns out I like this. They got a nice freshman. No, yeah, they have waggers good.

So, Yakovich is good. They can score. They can play defense. They're big. And the, the South, inarguably, has the weakest one seed. Like Florida was the, you know, it was a seven-lossed one seed.

And so that's where Brew and I have Houston coming out of. But like that feels more open, so to speak, Then I've got Arkansas coming out of the West. A-Cuff had 30 against Vanderbilt. He had 49 against Alabama, who I have leaving the tournament earlier. I hope you're right about this one. Because I thought about Arkansas, but A-Cuff is just fun to watch. And he's a great-

Can he win a few games on his own with a great coach? Yeah, and Coach Cow. In Michigan, I'll go with you. That's mostly a Parkins pick. I'm like, if Parkins really likes Michigan, he was great making predictions all through. I'm the Michigan guy. I paid them a lot.

I know, but Parkins picks have been excellent. And Parkins, for the record, he lost. Don't, don't. Markins has Michigan and I'm like, well, Parkinson's. So we all, so that's what's crazy. Chill, Brew. We all have Michigan. We all got them in the five.

Yeah, don't like any other squad there. No, that's, I'm just saying. That's the only, the, you and Brew both have Duke. Brew and I both have Houston. Other, and then we all have Michigan. We obviously have Duke. You have to ask me for a winner. I've been saying Duke all along.

I've been on Duke for ages. It's been a while since they're due. How about that? We believe in due dates. Duke is due. Duke is due. Coming up next, World Cup Wednesday roster revealed, 27-man roster. What does that mean for our friendlies coming up?

We discuss next. Oh, and Nick has gifts for us. We are counting down the 100 best World Cup moments of all time. We're 85 days away from the World Cup, so here's moment number 85. One man made sure the world would remember Bulgaria. 1994 World Cup, Christo Stoichkoff was unstoppable. After upsetting Argentina, the Barcelona star sent Bulgaria to the knockout round. Round of 16 against Mexico.

Stoichkoff strikes first, and Bulgaria advances on penalties. Next, defending champions Germany. trailing 1 to 0 in the 75th minute. Stoichkov equalizes. Three minutes later, Bulgaria sealed the win. In the semifinals versus Italy, despite his sixth World Cup goal, Bulgaria's run ends.

Golden Boot, fourth place, ballondor, the same year. 1994 wasn't a breakout. It was Stoichkoff at his peak. Pretty good. 85 days until the world's, Cup kicks off on Fox and right here on FS1. And it feels like Christmas came early. I've got something pretty cool.

Gifts. Oh, well, so let me, this is, I mean, this is a gift to myself, I guess. Then I'll give you your guys. This is just to show everyone. This right here, if I open it up, and then go through here, this amazing box. Your own jersey? Oh, there we go. Yeah.

So hold on. Oh, that is sweet. So an official team you have. USA, I'm not good at this. Oh, it's got, I didn't realize that had stars on it. Stars on it looks awesome. The box is unbelievable.

Oh. The presentation. So, Bruce. I got one. There's yours. Sweet. No box. Oh, I got the box too.

Yeah, you got it. It says Bruce Ard, which is like Smith in the bayou. That's right. KW, you got, there's just, there it is. Is this? Yeah. Where is the box?

Yeah, you didn't get one. But you got the jersey. It's a great. Jersey. Yes. It is. Yeah, yeah. All right, it's World Cup Wednesday. Yes. We're going to be, every Wednesday we'll have a soccer guest talk World Cup. Joining us now. Moe, Moe, welcome to the show. Welcome to the premiere of World Cup Wednesday. Thanks for joining us. We have the cut down 27-man roster.

Some guys I obviously expect to be on the team, so no big surprises. What was your number one takeaway from the cutdown? First of all, good to see you guys. And I mean, those jerseys are looking clean, I must say. Nice to have a box, but nice. Yeah, they did you dirty there. I'm not going to lie. But when it comes to the roster, I think everyone's talking about Gio Raina's inclusion, Johnny Cardoso, but I'm going to go a different direction.

Anthony Robinson is back in the fold. He's been out from the national team. I think his last game was the end of 2024 nation's league game back in November. he's had he's been struggling with injuries but beyond christian beyond tyler adam beyond west mckinney in my mind anthony robinson is one of the first names on the team sheet so it's good to have him back on the roster back fit back playing for his club team um and excited to have him being a part of this squad looking towards the world cup mo of the guys who were not included on the roster because of injury who sticks out to you as someone you would be shocked if they're not

actually on the official roster All right, so the guys who aren't there, Tyler Adams, Haji Wright, Serginio Desi, Diego Luna, to me out of that bunch, Tyler Adams. He wore the captain's arm band for our national team in the last World Cup. To me, Tyler just brings a skill set, leadership qualities that are just hard to replace.

So I would be shocked, shocked, shocked, shocked, if Tyler Adams is not on the roster. Do you think Diego will make it? Because he felt like during some of the exhibitions or in the lead-up that he was becoming a fan favorite that he maybe had earned his way on. Do you think he'll make it? Diego's a close one for me.

I'm not going to lie to you, man, because you're right. Diego has this kind of like cult following. He's got this real personality that he plays with this swagger. He plays with that everyone can buy into. And he won over Pochitino during the last goal cup. Where it becomes tricky for him is guys like Gio are being included. Malik Tillman's in the school.

wide, Christian, obviously, Tim Waye can play in that position. He started off this season in MLS with an injury, and that's part of the reason why he's not in this camp. Well, part of me feels like he's on the outside looking in, but the fact that he impressed Pochitino during the Gold Cup has earned him some cashier, but he's on the outside looking in, in my opinion right now. So, Maurice, Poach wants to treat these upcoming friendlies like their real world World Cup games. How important are these four games for the national team?

These four games, these four friendlies is what we call them friendlies. But in all honesty, when you're a host nation, you don't play World Cup qualifiers. So we didn't play any qualifying games, which is so vital because in those games, guys, that's when you gel as a team. You go through the ups and downs. You go through difficult games and away stadiums and really intense and trying atmospheres. We didn't get to experience that. So we've been. We've had to play a series of friendlies. But these four final four games, three of the games are against top ten ranked teams in Germany, in Belgium, in Portugal, and then the final game is against the 12th ranked

Senegalese team who I still consider them the Afcon champions, although it's been taken away in recent days. But the other part too, that's pretty interesting. We're playing Belgium. I was doing like a little mock bracket for the World Cup. If everything plays out the way that I think it plays out, USA winning our group, Belgium winning their group. That's a potential matchup for us in the round of 16. Oh, that's interesting.

My favorite team cut down scene in all of movies is Miracle. And Herb Brooks is trying to make the 1980 hockey team, right? 80 or 84? 80. Oh, my God. The Miracle on Ice here? Sorry, 80. Edit that out.

My God. Just making sure. 1980. 1980. 1980. My goodness. That being said, it's still my favorite. Is it, though?

Yes, it is. So, Mo, the famous scene is, like, Herb Brooks says, I'm not trying to take the best players. I'm trying to make the best team. Is that what you think Pooch is trying to do here? Are you just taking the best players for the cutdown, or is he trying to get a personality for this team? And what guys would be on the edge either way?

Yeah, for Pocetino, you can't just take the best players because the best players don't always necessarily make the best teams. You need the best group of guys that complement each other, that have that cohesion, that have some of them that have been battle tested together, that have gone through tough moments together. But ultimately, you want a group that's healthy, that's competitive, that's all working towards the same goal.

And, I mean, we saw that in the last World Cup, where there were some harsh decisions toward the end, some really unpredictable decisions that we didn't see coming, but ultimately, I think they were made with the idea that this is going to be what's best for the group. Pocetino, he's in a similar situation. He was just asked that question the other day, and that was his answer. So you're spot on.

His answer was, yes, I'm picking the best team and not necessarily just the best players. So speaking of the best players, I mean, Polisic, on fire first half of the season for A.C. Milan has come back from injury and now has, you know, hadn't had an assist or a goal in, like, his last 11 games. You think there's any reason for concern? Man, pull is sick. Aye, aye, aye. Of course, there's always going to be room for concern when your best player is not scoring goal.

That being said, Christian's still playing. Christian's still creating chances. Maybe he hasn't been as clinical as we're used to seeing. But when this kid puts on the red, white, and blue, he's a guy that I never have concerned about. His effort, the leadership he brings through his play, as well as the respect that he has amongst his teammates. he's a guy that I think this

couple of games that are coming up against Belgium and Portugal could actually be really valuable for him. A chance for him to get on the score sheet if he scores in either of those two games, he goes back into his club with a little bit more confidence, maybe a clinical edge again.

And the other part to that, fellas, is that I would rather him have this little if we're going to call it a drought. I'd rather him have that now, January, February, March, and then finished off strong in April and May leading up into the World Cup. Nice. Well, Mo, thank you very much. We'll check back in with you on our next World Cup Wednesday. We've got these friendlies coming up in 85 days to the World Cup kicks off on Fox and FS1. Thank you very much. Thanks, Mo. Thanks, ma'am. Appreciate you fellas. Good seeing you.

More first after the break. Live from New York, first things first overtime today. How will you remember the World Baseball Classic all-time tournament that got to another level we discussed? Meanwhile, Danny, a fresh episode of. Packed stats, making stats cool, featuring an outfit change, a leather jacket that he's going to put it on himself. Believe it out. Well, he doesn't put it on himself. And finally, Jared Allen. That's how cool it is. Joints the show to talk the Vikings. That's exciting.

Yeah, and Max Crosby's fired up to talk about it. Max Crosby's on the show? No, no, no, Jared Allen talking about Max Crosby. One great pass rush. Still great, though. Still a good get. Max Crosby would be big news. He'd be sick if we got Max Crosby.

Josh, do you know Max Crosby? call Max Crosby, see if he wants to be on the show. He has that podcast. That'd be great. One-uping Jared Allen. Yeah. Oh, no, Max Crosby would like, Jared Allen's all-offering.

That's true. Max Rosby's not a hallfamer yet. Not yet. Is Max Crosby going to the Hallfammer? No, that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. Jared Allen is in the Hall of Fame. Why?

I know he's not yet. He's active. I mean, there are some active players that are definite hallfambers. Like Miles Garrett, who you think is overrated. I don't think he's overrated. I don't think he's. He does him play in game. As the old guy.

that pass rushers actually aren't important. Well, I don't know, the best pass rushers when it combined like nine games. Yeah. Max Crosby's great. I'll bring it out. Miles Garrett's great. Are they affecting the, is it leading to W's?

Ask him about whether, yeah, does pass rushing affect the game? Oh, I just think it's like a final piece. It's not a, the first piece. No, not necessarily. World Baseball Classic, Venezuela wins it. Entire series was Electric, Danny. Ratings for attendance and TV. Final game was just magnificent.

Here's Aaron Judge postgame. We get a chance to be the captain in Team USA. My job was to go out there and bring a championship, bring a goal home. We didn't do that. But there's no pressure. We got a team like this and just go out there and get out. That's what I try to do every single night. And we give ourselves a shot.

We just couldn't close it out. What was your number one headline here, Danny? There's a lot because it was a really cool event that has grown into this must-see TV spectacle. And I've covered baseball for a long time and more recently, I think, than any of the three of you. And so covered Royals World Series teams, a Cubs team coming off of a World Series. And baseball is a weird game because it's 162 games. It's America's pastime. But then you see the World Baseball Classic.

and it's almost like everyone else has more fun playing America's pastime. And so it's like an interesting dichotomy. And Passant's column was great. I heard you reference it earlier. And I can say like in the 10 years that I've been in baseball clubhouses, like it's gotten better in terms of more fun. More fun. Like I covered those Tim Anderson White Sox teams when he flipped the bat and there were

a lot of benches clearing incidents around his celebrations. And he was talking about changing the game. And Joe Buck was saying he should be the face of baseball. It's gotten better. But what I think is so striking about the World Baseball Classic is for the Latin American countries, they are openly saying, like, this is bigger than the World Series. This is the biggest deal. And you will not hear the players on Team USA say it. But even in the games that are more significant to them than any games they've played before, including World Series games, they're still.

able to do it with the joy and the celebration and the levity. So, like, I hope we remember this. It's impossible for us to do it in, like, the 15th game of the regular season in April or May. Because it's 162 games. It's a marathon. There'll be 15,000 people in the stands in some of these games. You're not going to, it's not realistic to get that intensity. But it would be cool if in the playoffs, in October, in the biggest American games,

if the tension could be laced with a little bit more of the world baseball classic flavor because it's just that's the best version of the game. The best version of the game is actually what we see in the WBC. Them dancing, them celebrating, them leaving the dugout, them chanting. It doesn't take away from the stakes. It doesn't make it feel any less serious or less significant. But there's a stuffiness, I feel like, to American baseball

and Major League Baseball at times, that we could really benefit from leaning even more into how the WBC conducts it stuff. Well, remember a few years ago, Bryce Harper was like trying to make the game more fun and all that stuff. So, yeah, they could definitely do that. Let guys celebrate, you know.

In basketball, the nature of basketball, you just are allowed to show your individualism during the game, the way it's played. Football, you can celebrate, right? In the end zone and things like that. But now you can. That was a rule. change.

Right, right. But defensively, but offensively, you know, receivers and running backs would do dances in the end zone for decades. Baseball, it would be nice if they just allow that to become part of the game. I agree with you there. And I don't want to go negative because I agree, like I said earlier, just this was like the first world baseball classic that I think captivated America's imagination. Before it was like not that big of a deal to us, oh, we didn't win.

Okay, whatever. now it's like a big deal and I think going forward it will be a huge deal but I also think some Americans on the flip side are going to take away from it look we sent our best and brightest and couldn't win and I get it baseball is fickle it's especially in a one and done

situation but still we've won one time in six tries and we've not like we dominated every game leading up to the final No, no. I mean, we were fortunate against Dominican Republic. We needed help to get out of group play. Yep. We needed it.

We lost to Italy. Right. And then the game against the Dominican, we're on here debating a bad strike call. You know what I mean? It was that close. So we were on the precipice. We had so many of our big names. Yeah.

And we couldn't hit a guy that had a 5.0 ERA last year in Arizona. Yep. You know, so our bats going silent. I get it. It's a sport. failure, you go into slumps, but our whole team essentially went to a slump, except Bryce Harper in the last game, you know, so it was, it was, I get it why they weren't happy with the silver medals because we're supposed to win that.

I, or lose to a Japan or the DR or something like that. And so I, my biggest, throughout the world, this, I thought the biggest story was team Italy. It's hard to say they were the biggest story because they ended up not making it through. They lose to Venezuela. But I thought them beating the U.S., the espresso celebrations, the legit underdog. And listen, we're partial to team Italy to a degree because Vinnie Pasquentino has hosted this show with us. He's a friend of the show.

He was on it. He was the captain of that team. And as cool as that was, though, that wasn't the same. gravity of the Latin American nations or Japan where it was those weren't a bunch of guys born and raised in Italy it was a few guys like that but most of the guys were like Vinnie Italian heritage but they were Americans the way it meant so much to particularly the Latin American nations and I think some of the Asian nations well most notably Japan was captivating in real time but the legacy

if that word exists, of this year's World Baseball Classic is, I think, Brew, what you said at the start of the show. It's the line of demarcation of this being a major event. Of this, like I, Simmons used to write about, and I agreed with him, that he wished the Olympics and the World Cup

went from four-year cycles to three-year cycles. That way, every year you either had the Winter Olympics, the Summer Olympics, or the World Cup. That every year there was a major international sporting event that we could look forward to. And I thought it was a great idea.

I agreed with him. This, I'm not saying this is the Olympics. But I'm now, this is now something that in three years I'm excited about. Like the, the cut, and I saw today, there was a little momentum like, what if we moved the knockout round, the semifinals and the finals to All-Star Week? Yeah. I don't like that idea. I thought this has created a launching pad for this baseball.

regular season. And this now is, to me, just like soccer's, the gold medal in soccer is not nearly as important as the World Cup, obviously. It feels like this is the premier international baseball competition more so than baseball in the Olympics. Yeah. And so I think that's the legacy of this world baseball. Yeah, so this is 2030 next WBC. Oh, my, okay. There was, I don't know if it was It's not 2029? No, I don't know if it was pandemic related to Y Trout versus O'Tani was three years ago. We are also in the prime time before we move on to Pax Stats. Stats are cool.

We are in a amazing time in the sports calendar, fresh off of the Olympics where we had USA fever and just like caught up in that. To the World Baseball Classic where we saw the world's best baseball players play on the heels of the, we're leading to the World Cup. We're just in prime time, just major events this year. I think it's also the idea of creating something and it not catching right away. Like if I'm Adam Silver watching this and the mid-season tournament, it's like, we'll give me 15 years and then tell me what it'll look like. The four nations. It already started to me more than it.

No question. But imagine what it can mean a decade from now, like Premier League fans. Four nations is a good example. Like Four Nations in hockey was a thing. Whether you liked hockey or not, like, it was a thing, and it outrated a ton of other hockey events. Like, you can't, there is still an appetite to create new things. You know what's funny? I had, shoot, I don't want to be negative either.

I had the same feeling on the opposite direction about the NBA All-Star game. That you're tinkering with all these, like, different formats. And it was better this year. Right. But no one cared as much as Venezuela, USA did last night. Oh. Like that all-star games have gone away, and maybe international games are rising. Well, which is maybe what the All-Stars games trying to recapture by making it the international format.

But to your point, Danny, this I think all of sports, and one of the reasons football is king of kings, is football games still feel like events even in the regular season? Yeah, yeah. And I think there's a lot of smart research and data that says, as people, people's entertainment diet has changed and the attention deficit or like the people's ability to pay attention things has changed. What stands out are events. Even if the event is farcical, even if it's, not that this was, but even if it's Mike Tyson fighting Jake Paul, it felt like an event that people tuned in for. I think it's one of the reasons like the Indie, the Indie 500

does so well. It is marketed as a big event. This, felt like an event. Absolutely. And in a way that made the casual fan or the casual consumer tune in. Because I think a lot of people were dialed into the last couple weeks of this that will not watch another baseball game start to finish until October. I think there's, you know what I mean? I think that there obviously diehard baseball fans were into it.

But I think a lot of sports fans are like, hey, this weekend I'm watching March Madness, I'm watching the NBA, watch the Masters, watch the NBA playoffs. I tune in for the big stuff. This classified as a big stuff, which was great. Dan, you see I was like calling for PCA to get in the game on Twitter? I was like, let's go, man. Yeah, let's switch it up. If nobody can hit, again, I'm not Seamhead like you.

But Cal Raleigh just hanging out on the bench. He got hit 60-home runs. They came out with their early 2030-home runs. They came out with an early 2030 lineup, and he's the catcher for 2030, if it's any consolation. The Calvallel. Yeah. 2030. Gets another shot at.

I have great news for you. I know you're thinking that was a cool conversation. What else he got up your sleeve? Well, glad you asked. Leather sleeves actually. Danny did his top 10 players and coaches who will define the tournament. There were some stats in that, but we got some cooler ones in store for you. Time now for pack stats.

There's the emoji. Here are the stats. Here are the gloves. Here's a leather jacket with some cool stuff. Danny, that was a cool segment you had yesterday. This one's even supposed to be more cool. It's even cooler wilds. I'm glad you liked it.

But you guys know what else is cool? Playing with scissors. No, really? That's not true. That's not true. You have small children. That's not true. And they love playing with scissors.

What? Always catching them with scissors. Well, the things are they buying? They keep finding scissors. How they said he got in your house. The goal is to cut. down the nets. We got a lot of scissors in that. We're always doing arts and crafts. These two teams have the most amount of pressure to cut down the nets. You should have said. You know what's cool. Arts and crows. No, I like to see it. Or nets. Sorry. Guys, it's cool. I'm wearing the leather jacket. I know what's cool. My four and two, four and six year old, they know what's cool. Yeah. And it's playing with scissors. Yes. Duke can't use them under a lot of pressure. Look at those wind percentages. This is a This is since John Shire took over at Duke.

Calvin Samson, we know he hasn't won a title. Houston lost in the final last year, Final four in 2021, Elite 8 in 2022. Shire, final four last year, elite eight, the year before that, I would argue 68 teams in the tournament. These two teams are under more pressure than any other programs. So here's the problem, though, Danny. Okay. Brew and I both picked Houston to win the championship, so I agree with you. But Duke can't be under that much pressure because Kevin is explained to us they're an underdog,

and he's the only one who believes. Well, they shouldn't be at you. If they're just, it's just a cake walk, you know, if everybody's got them. You think you discovered Duke basketball? He does. I was early on this year. I was early on.

He was so early. He was the first one to discover who was. Early on. What was their preseason ranking? I don't know. First of all. Got it was it, was it what? That's what I.

It wasn't one. Thank you, Troy. I don't think it was one. And for the record, preseason. I never do this on the air. They were number six preseason. Exactly. And then I started talking.

I was in love with them then. Okay. All right. Okay. I was early on them. All right. All right. Well, glad we just talked about it.

You guys know what else is cool, though? I hope this one is wild. Freshman year. Freshman year is a great time. It's just like, oh man. Am I an adult? No, not really. Cameron Boozer can join a very exclusive group.

Last 50 years, that is the list of freshmen who have been the most outstanding player, basically the MVP, of a tournament. A who's who of legends in college hoops. But if you go even further because he is the heavy, heavy, heavy favorite to win national player of the year. A freshman to win a title and player of the year. Anthony Davis is the only one. So when we talk about- Who was wrestling? I said Mello got robbed, but go ahead, sorry.

Yeah. So when you just talk about, like, we talk about a lot of Peterson DeBancza. Boozer is going to be the third or fourth pick in this draft. I like talking about the tournament not through the NBA draft prison, but through what it does for your college career. Cameron Boozer cuts down the nets here, gets the play-ups from scissors. He is on a very, very exclusive club. Do you think, though, he is the best freshman? Well, like, do you think he's better than DeBanza? He obviously has been better this year than Peterson.

Whether the pro stuff like you said, you don't want to look through it. It's just I don't find that. Like, listen, I love the NBA more than college basketball, but like this time of year to me, you should grade it through the prison of college. But do you think he was better than DeBanza this year? Or just he was on the better team? Honest question. I don't know the right.

Yeah, no, I do think DeBanza was asked to do more and was the better player. But in terms of, like, team accolades factor into these awards across all. It factors it for MVP, all NBA, all. So I think that's not unique to college basketball. So he's right up there with Anthony Davis and all the great freshmen in college basketball history. We've got four, right? We did four because it's, you know, final four is what we're going for. That's wild's way of saying, get on.

Keep it moving. I'm just translating. Am I wrong? We added one. We went long on date. All right. You guys know what else is cool? What else is cool?

What? Ask Greg Jennings, putting the team on your back, though. Oh, yeah. You mentioned AJ to Banson. This guy. Oh, I didn't need to step on it. No, that's okay. 30.1% of his team's points.

Third highest by any player of a tournament team in the last seven years. Oh, too heavy. I was going to say, I don't love this. Well, right. It's why I didn't have him in my top 10 players who will define the tournament. Saunders getting hurt, their second best player. That number is going to go up in terms of. He might legitimately account for 40% or more of their points, however long they go in the tournament

because the second best player is out for the rest of the season. He's a remarkable player. his floor as a pro is insane. But a lot of people said on Twitter, they got mad at me, like to kind of push back how you did. They're like, no, one player can carry a team. Carmelo Anthony had Hakeemark and Jerry McNamara. There are other players on these teams.

In BYU's case, I think they're in real trouble, and DeBanza is just going to have to do too much. And he's already done a historic amount in terms of carrying the load for score. No, that's fair. I mean, he, without Saunders, now it's just much more for him to do. I love it if they could make a run. I mean, he's the leading score in the country.

He's electric, fun to watch. If he could get them on a nice run, that would be one of the best stories in the... If he gets to the second weekend. Yeah, just making the Sweet 16. I also think that might... I know you said you don't want to look through this lens. But I think getting to the Sweet 16

would probably cement him as the number one. Because it would mean he's very good in round one and awesome in round two. Because they're the six seed, so they'd have to beat in a three in round two. Yeah, that's one. Which would be a tough one. All right, last one. And Watts, I think you'll like this one.

I like them all, first of all. Oh, great. Well, I'm glad. He's just, just hurry up. Blank of death. Blank of death. You like that in the World Cup, group of death? Oh, I did like the group of death.

Yes, I know. East region. That's my squad. That's why I'm okay. Have we ever seen this before? Head coaches in the East Reef. combined final fours, 23. All the other coaches,

all the other coaches in the bracket combined, 17 final four appearances. Izzo with eight, Patino with seven, Bill Self with four, Hurley with two, Shire with one, and Mick Cronin has one. So all the other coaches have 17, and one of those coaches is Calipari. Correct.

Which means like, that's unbelievable. I, I dislike how the, dislike how that region fell. Because I wanted to root for St. John. I didn't want Yukon in with Duke. I didn't like personal preference. I didn't like Michigan State. I just feel like there should have consulted.

I feel like there's obviously a stronger bracket and obviously a weaker bracket. So I don't, so I don't know if I agree with that. I think there is a disproportionately strong coaching bracket. You know what I mean? But I don't think necessarily know that that means that is the strongest. Well, I don't think St. John's a five. I know I don't think St. John's a true five.

It is weird because right, you're like, well, all the five seats, there's four five seeds. It's just weird that the top coached four seed, Kansas, is in the top coached two seed, Yukon, and in the top coached five seed St. John's. Like, all of the Hall of Fame coaches in one region is weird when it is a sport that is so marketed and celebrated around its coaches. You would have thought it would have been spread out a little bit. That's what I said. That was cool, man. That was cool.

That was cool. Yeah, I'm ready for March. Yeah. Well, good news. We have more cool stuff. We are now debuting. You don't need another wardrobe. I do.

You don't, it's not a Beyonce concert, dude. Just wear one outfit and just give some opinions. You don't like when I wear my... We don't have to keep rolling VOs so you have new outfits. You don't like when I wear outfits to do normal sports talk. It's like, wearing my crown. You want me to put these back on for you? My picks?

It's not a problem. All right. You guys want my final four? Yes. It's a cool one. All right. All right. What are we doing here?

We got the Illinois. Okay. Final four, it makes sense. The Illini, Duke, Arizona, and Michigan. Is that the same as you? No, I don't have Arizona. Oh, you had Arkansas. I don't believe in Arizona.

So Arizona, a little bit of a narrative play. Thought they were really cool team growing up. But no, the depth of them, the fact that a West Coast team hasn't been in, they are ridiculously tested. I do think the Big 12 is the best conference in the country this year. The Aligni. A little worried about Brad Underwood in a close late game situation. He has not had a tremendous amount of success like X's and O's and getting his team into the best spots.

But their offense is overwhelming. They are the best offense in the country. They went 0 and 4 this year in overtime games. A lot of like really close bad luck losses. I think they're a little better than their record suggests. Duke, the favorite, most talented team. And Michigan, I thought, got an incredible draw. I talked about it yesterday.

Their team is huge when the rest of the teams in the region are either injure. injured or not big. Like I think Michigan, I will be floored if Michigan doesn't make it to the final four. So given that they're the most confident team of the four, I have Michigan cutting down. Oh, wow. Yeah. Do you have them playing Duke or Illinois? Duke.

Okay. Yeah, Michigan, Duke. That'd be fun. Yeah, it'd be high profile. Again, one seeds. And the monologue today is about how I think Cinderella is going extinct. We'll talk about that at the end of the OT. Wow.

That was great. I'm looking forward to that too. She's tuning in. All right. Coming up next. I'm going to go home and play with some scissors. Half one. Jared Allen joins the show to talk about Kyler and the Vikings.

That's next on First overtime. One more outfit change. Just fold, new blazer, a new tie. Welcome back to first things first. Max Crosby. He's giving new meaning to what happens in Vegas. Stayes in Vegas because he's back as a raider. He sat down on his podcast, The Rush with Max Crosby,

to talk about the Ravens backing out of their trade. Take a listen to Crosby. One of the Ravens guys called me and it's like, yeah, we're trying to figure this out. You know, we're going to get this done. Don't worry. Like five minutes later, CJ calls me. It's like, they're backing out.

I'm like, holy shit. So I'm like frozen. I'm like, what the fuck? I'm livid, confused, the whole nine all in one. It was a whirlwind to say the least. Like I said, everything happens for a reason, bro. I'm fired up. I'm here.

I'm meant to be a raider. I'm in this for life. And until that changes, which I don't. 4C you never know. Honestly, you never know in this damn league. I found that out for sure. But I just feel like I'm meant to be a Raider. And that's what it is.

Good editing by us. So Danny Parkins, Willie Colon, and we are thrilled to be joined by a man who knows a little something about sacking the quarterback, the Hall of Famer. Jared Allen, kind enough to join us on the OT. Jared, you think Max Crosby has a right to be F-N-Livid? Oh, absolutely.

Absolutely. I think, I mean, he's obviously taking the high road. I would have had more choice words and probably, you know, in his gut, you know, in his heart, he has some serious disdain for the Ravens. And I hope the Ravens are on that calendar because he's going to probably get two or three on them. You know, so, but yeah, I mean, the reality is, dude, they did them dirty. I don't care how they want to spin it. As someone who's been, you know, at the center of a very high value, you know, trade before,

where they had to give up picks and long-term contract, man, all the due diligence is done. It was done. You know, coming up there and getting your physical, it's semantics. And if what he said is true, the fact that he didn't meet the coach or the GM after five hours of being in the building, when I went to Minnesota, man, yeah, I got picked up on my D-line, but the first people I met is the coach, right? You know, it's Brad Children's, you got the GM, you got ownership. I mean, you got, I mean, these guys are giving up two first-round picks. And reality is that's what it came down to.

They realized that, you know, he's 28. And, you know, well, as you know, at 30, at that position, you're old, right? So even if they get, even if Max has four more years of elite level, that puts them at 32, is that worth two first round picks and then whatever the money is, they're going to have to pay him as well. I know he's already on a contract from the Raiders. So reality is they got cold feet and they realized like, holy crap, we're probably giving them more than we need to. And then they had an option with Trey. And they were never going to couple those two together.

That was never going to happen. They can spend that all they want. But from a player standpoint, I mean, that's the way happened. I mean, they realized, you know what, we're leveraging too much. It's the old medical, right, to bail out of it. Anybody can fail physical pretty much for any reason. I mean, they just have to have one doctor say that they didn't pass their physical. But the reality is the Raiders wouldn't have put them in that position, I have to believe.

And they knew what it was. And they're signing another guy who's coming off another surgery. They just don't have to get pitched for him. That's the case. They got Colby, and they hose maxed up. They really did. That's jacked up. And he's obviously taking a high road because I'd be pissed at the Raiders.

I'd be pissed at the Ravens, and I'd probably be trying to file a grievance with the NFL because they probably screwed up. I mean, think about it now. I mean, now they're exposed to him saying he failed the physical. Right? So now you're putting his medical stuff out there, and I don't know what legal ramifications there in Higgins.

I'm not saying specifically. They're obviously talking about his knee. But you have hippo laws. You can probably, you know, do something around. You've got, and now, I mean, now what? You know, now the Raiders, they know what the Raiders are going to get. how do they leverage that for a potential trade deal?

How is that impacted the Raiders after signing all these people thinking they have a deal done? So, yeah, they host Max up. They host the Raiders up. And, I mean, I hope the league comes in and does something because this was dirty. Yeah, like, Jared's spot on, man. I think it also exposes the dysfunction in Baltimore, right? Because you don't just get here, right? Like, you got to understand.

And the Ravers have been around for 31 years. They've never made a deal or attempted deal like this in a history of the franchise. So when something catastrophic like this is about to happen, JA is right. Ducks are lined up. You get a king's welcome if this deal goes through, right? So the fact that you don't see your president coach, that you don't even meet the head coach.

And, you know, Jared makes another good point. You just told the world that Max Crosby is a limit. He's technically a limit. And you just said the Raiders lied to you, right? And on top of that, if you're Max Crossey, you're not saying, hey, man, you know, I said goodbye to a lot of good guys in that locker room. You know, and that's a, you put me on an emotional roller coaster.

Now I have to walk back in that building and say, hey, man, you know, some things are just bigger than me, but now you kind of have to reestablish yourself, right? Because now the world feels like this knee is gimpy. You may have some trustworthy words, issues with John Spitech. So it's just a lot. So I think it's unfair that he had to go through because if you know anything about Max Crosby, he's been a model citizen, he was drafted by the Raiders. He played over 6,000 snaps for the Raiders.

Like, he's the face of the Raiders. He had to go through this whole circus, so it's tough. And Jerry, you're a great person to talk about, you know, the chiefs and Vikings and big trade and everything going on in your career. Like, you could definitely put yourself with those shoes. Like, Max says, well, now I'm just going to be a Raider. Can you walk it back? Like, can he play again for the Raiders?

It's tough for me to imagine. He's going to try. He's going to, Max doing what Max has to do, right? And I think he has the mindset, you know, I don't know Max well. I have, you know, some brief text conversations over the years. but I know people that know him well and I know what kind of work ethic the guy has right so I'll tell you this

if it's me if I'm Max Crosby I'm the most pissed off dude in the NFL and I'm going out there to prove everybody wrong right so you know there's that upside for him but you're in a new you have a new coaching staff a new gym you have a whole new organization basically who basically said we didn't want you here and the reality is too Max I mean Max in his age

with the trade wasn't a surprise with them you don't get you don't a player that caliber doesn't get traded without him and his agent being fully aware of it and knowing, you know, and helping piece together the compensation package and that kind of stuff too. So you have two parties who are amicably going to split based on compensation. Now coming back pretending we both want each other. And like you said, you have a new coach, new team, you know, new D-Line. You have new players that now the face of your franchise is supposed to be someone else.

Now he's back. So how are you going to sit there and now rebuild that chemistry, real bit, rebuild that culture around Max Croswell. be and the reality is they might not want that you know no one's talking about sometimes when new coaches come in you know they fire everybody they hardly ever keep someone from the old stilt coach he's that even the old even the trainers get the ax you know what i mean right because they want people that are there for them to build their culture max is a holdover from several coaches right so max is a has a way of doing things he and now granted like you said he's been nothing but

amazing for the raiders in that organization in that in that city and what he's put on the field uh so a coach would be silly not to want to build around him but he's also So, again, he's getting up there. He's 28 years old. He's pushing those upper limits. And a young coach might come in and say, hey, I need these picks. I need these players. We're looking at a three, four year future.

And Max really is looking at it, you know, one, two, three year future of trying to win a Super Bowl. And I don't know how it comes back together. I really don't. If I went to Minnesota and the rug would have got yanked out because I was leaving Kansas City for a reason. I, you know, I wouldn't go back. I'd be beating the door down trying to get another trade. But now you're, like you said, now. Now your leverage is gone.

Right. Now your leverage is gone. Because now you're going to go somewhere. They're going to say, what? We're going to pull you because you're injured. And not to mention, let's not pretend that dude probably flew out commercial either. You know they probably sent the jet for them to. They said, he said they flew him into D.C. and sent a car, which was, you know, another sign.

Like, you can't. Well, there you go. You can't. If they spend that much money on me and they would not send the owner's plane, there's something. There was a red flag right there. But what's interesting, they sent them on a private plane back home. Because they said they felt bad about it. Well, yeah, they saved a bunch of money.

They just saved a bunch of money. I always think. Again, I know we're laughing kind of, but they did him bad. And their excuse even sucked. Like, their excuse was like, oh, it's bad. It's terrible. It's terrible for the league. It doesn't build trust in that organization.

And to be honest, if I'm any player going to any team now, right? Like, you're going to learn from this. It's almost, it's very similar. Like what Hutchinson, Steve Hutchison came from Seattle, Seattle, Seahawks to us in Minnesota. He came there, I think, a year before I was there, two years before I got there. But he put the poison pill in, right? And then all of a sudden, that changed, that changed negotiation. This is going to create a different way of tactics that now agents are going to try to protect their players against this kind of stuff.

And I don't see it being beneficial for either side. Listen, it's a good time to have you to talk about this topic. But then also another franchise that you're very familiar with, the Minnesota Vikings. They made news in terms of, hey, they signed Kyler Murray, but the Cardinals are paying him. But Kevin O'Connell says this can be a multi-year thing. He said that Kyler was the only quarterback available who he saw as a potential multi-year long-term solution. So Jared, I'll go back to you.

Do you buy it? Do you buy that Kyler Murray could be the long-term answer at quarterback for your former team, the Minnesota Vikings? You know, this is going to sound kind of like a non-answer, but I mean, it's all going to depend on what this year is, right? It really is a one-year tryout. I think he's clearly a talented player. obviously, you know, being a top pick.

Again, I'm worried about it. And again, and I trust, I trust, you know, the Vikings implicitly with their decisions. I love, you know, O'Connell and K.O. and those guys, I think they do a fantastic job. But again, I would hope they go back and check what the Knox have been, right? This is the one thing that scares me. When I think he's owed 30-some-odd million still from the Cardinals,

if someone's willing to pay 30 million plus dollars not to be in a building, that scares me, right? And so, but maybe that's the wake up calling needs. Maybe that's the motivation of calling these. Because from a talent level, yeah, do I think he could be great in this league? Absolutely. But it's all going to come down to, you know, what he does this year. And then we're going to have to be in that same situation.

Is he going to, if he has a great year, is he worth the high dollar value that you're going to have to pay him to keep him long term? And can he stay motivated? Because, you know, really, as you know, guys will have one good year motivated off money in this year or motivated off of, you know, wanted to prove, you know, getting cut, to prove somebody wrong. but is that sustainable. And, you know, we're in a position where we don't really have time to keep screwing around with quarterback after quarterback because you got Justin Jefferson, you know, the greatest players in the NFL right now and his clock's running out. And that dude, that dude, and, you know, and maybe that's why Kyler can be super successful with us because he doesn't have to carry the franchise on his back. He doesn't have to carry the workload.

You got, you know, Hawk and what we can do on the office side and then that defense is vicious. But, you know, we're in a tight window. We need to win a championship. Our window is always doing this with those guys year after year. And so hopefully he can be that. I trust K.L. But again, my biggest question is, why is someone willing to pay you so much money not to be in the building? Yeah, listen, you're never going to name your rental or your forever car.

It just doesn't happen that way. I'm with you from this standpoint. The biggest question about Kyle Murray is not a skill set, is his commitment to the game. And if you're trying to be a leader of men on the field, you've got to lead by example. I know guys in that locker from Arizona. And one thing they talk about Kyle Murray is not that he can't ball is that sometimes he checks out. And now you're talking about the organization in Minnesota Vikings that, hey, man, they took an L last year, right? And they took a major L because they just sent their prize quarterback in JJ McCarthy,

who's only started 10 games, by the way, and they say, hey, bye, we got a new quarterback. So now they're looking at Kyle of Murray. Like, man, you got to be more than him, right? We need you to stabilize this thing because we got a lot of weapons on the outside. We got to maximize their window to your point. On top of that, we got a division right now that who has a new face. His name is Caleb Williams. So the Vikings won't admit it, but this is panic mode.

This is how I said. I think the Vikings are in panic mode and they need Kyle Murray to deliver. And they got to figure out if he can work with COC or not. Bottom line. Willie, was it panic mode when you guys were doing the scouting reports and Jared Allen was on the other side? No, Big Mac Starks had to worry about JAA. I had to worry about those Williams brothers.

Those bad boys. Those, Jay was a dog, but those two Williams brothers, whoo, there was some bad boys. I would agree with you. I think you had the harder tabs got the inside because, my gosh, that's like 8, that's like 650 plus pounds coming at you depending on where, you know. But, Jay, there's the problem. They both could dance.

They were like, them boys are a lot on their feet. Yeah, people don't give Pat Williams enough credit for that. That dude had some of the best quickest feet at 330 plus pounds I'd ever see anything. And big Kevin, obviously, just a monster. Thank you, Jared Allen. Hall of Famer, we really enjoyed you. We'll have you back on First things first. Willie, we're talking Niners coming up on the OT.

Thanks for hanging out on the OT with Willie Colon and myself. Let's go to San Francisco here. This is a fascinating team to talk about. George Kittle was on Bustin with the boys about the upcoming season and the addition of Mike Evans. He said Mike Evans reached out to Kittle to kind of get the pitch on the Niners. And he was like, well, we hit hard and play well. hit people hard in the face and play really well.

It's like, all right, well, that's an interesting sell. Football. I actually don't totally think of the Niners as like that much of a smash-mouth team, but it is an interesting pitch. How dangerous do you consider the Niners to be? It's tough, man, because I think even though they have Mike Evans, you talk about the addition to Christian Kirk. They got Dre Greenlaw back in the building.

Bo Sane Warner will be back in the lineup, so you expect it obviously an impact. But I think the biggest, what's not going to be talked about, it hasn't been talked about, is that they're going to miss Robert Sal. Like he was somebody who, and I've said this, you know, not to be redundant, like he had a duct tape defense that hummed and was able to win games with, right? Like when you lose Fred Warner, you lose Bosa, you lose, you don't have interior help. I mean, it was caused for this, it was caused for concern that this defense was going to tap out. They never did. Half of the time when you looked at their lineup, you didn't even know who was out there, but you saw these guys flying around making plays.

To say all that, I do think when you have Kyle Shanahan, you have some additions on the outside, like I just mentioned, you got CMC, and you have to be. believe that purdy, as long as he stays healthy, you know, this team could shake some serious things up. I think the question I throw to you, do you think this team has caught up to the Rams and Seahawks? So to me, they're the if team. Like, if the right guys stay healthy, they can win the Super Bowl. But like, all of their, not all, the vast majority of their best players are either on the teetering towards the wrong end of their athletic prime, getting straight up old or injury prone. Like when you talk about Bosa and Warner and Greenlaw and Christian McCaffrey, like it's even Mike Evans. Mike Evans had been really durable until this last year,

but maybe that's he's 33 years old. So Richard Kirk went through a big. Yeah, but so it's just like their best players, their biggest names are old or injured. Yep. But they're all awesome. Impact. Because it's so it's like, If they have a year where the right guys stay healthy or are healthy late, even if you miss four games. But if you miss four games in October, it's different than missing the four games leading into the playoffs. So I absolutely think they can win the Super Bowl. But the injury thing and the age thing for them is so tough. Because think about what you just said about last year.

And all the guys who got hurt. They won 12 games. Right. They won. Well, they didn't know about the Marcus Robinson. Yeah. Yeah, man. They were just... And Shanahan is an amazing coach.

I love him. And he gives you such a high floor offensively. And week-to-week game planning is going to be so elite and so far ahead of 95% of the rest of the league. It's like their floor is so high that it's like if they just... And again, banking on health in the NFL is tough. Every team will deal with injuries and the older teams will deal with more injuries. And the guys who have previously been hurt are more likely to get hurt again in the future. So the likelihood is a few of those guys are going to get hurt again.

But if they just have the right guys healthy for the end of the season, they absolutely can win the Super Bowl. Because we talked about this when we were doing the playoff shows. I was like they were drawing dead against that Seahawks team. Oh, without a doubt. Because I remember when the Bears played them. It was like, well, the defense was doing well, but then as soon as they would play an offense that had a pulse,

they'd give up a big number. Like the schedule did them some favors at the end too. And Matt Jones saved them too. Yeah. And then Seattle put up, what, 40? in that game. So I just, if they are healthy at the end of the season, their roster is top five to 10 in the league. I just don't know if they're going to be healthy. It's impossible to know. Oh, yeah, it is impossible to know. But I also think you feel after watching what

Seattle did, you see the emergence of Rams and how they pretty much completed their defense. You have to feel like, man, for me able to compete in this division, I need firepower, right? Like, I need Christian Kirk. I need, I obviously got Kiddle. But now you're also talking about the season of court having Mike Evans, Christian Kirk. And Ricky, pretty, pretty, you know, Real Sol is not longer a young guy, right? He's been in the league long enough where you can consider him a legit man. And now you're talking about the receiving core. Like you're like, all right, we can do some things.

It feels like they're built to win a shootout with the Rams, if they get a shootout with the Seahawks. So if you're a shanahue here, you're like, man, I know our defense is still probably a one or two. We need to edge rush. We probably need some more help in the secondary. But if we're getting, if we get in a shootout against the Rams or the Seahawks, we can go toe for toe for with them. And part of the thing, just from the odd standpoint, like, if they're in the AFC

they're the favorite. If they're in the NFC South, they're the favorite. But they're in the NFC West, so they're third place. They're like a healthy third place behind the Rams and Seahawks, which drives all of their odds down. But, you know, maybe the Rams have a bad luck injury season. They've got an older quarterback. Seattle regresses, who knows. So like I do view the Niners as like in that group of teams that absolutely can win. I love March Madness, but I'm worried that Cinderella's going extinct. Next on the O2. Time now for first things last. March Madness is arguably the best event in sports.

Buzzar beaters, busted brackets, and the annual search for Cinderella. But I have a hunch that we are facing an uncomfortable truth that Cinderella might be disappearing. Not because the glass slipper doesn't fit anymore, but because someone else bought the shoe. Name, image and likeness, NIL. It has fundamentally changed the ecosystem of college sports. And remember, the first tournament in the NIL world was just 2022. So this is still relatively new, but the early returns are telling. Last tournament, not a single team seated 13 or lower won a single game.

Meanwhile, the power conferences, the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, and SEC combined for 55 wins, the most they've ever had. Now, you might yell sample size looking at just last year's tournament, so let's zoom out. From 2000 to 2021, there were 23 double-digit seeds from non-power conferences that made it to the Sweet 16. That's more than one Cinderella crashing the party. party every year. Since NIL began in 2022, that number is down to two. And in the last two tournaments, zero. Now that feels like more than a coincidence. The mid-major star who used to stay

in one place three or four years, build chemistry with his teammates and shock the world, he's now a free agent. If he pops in January, he's got Power Five money calling by April. And this isn't an argument against players getting paid. I'm all for it. There was bound to be unintended consequences. We'll just have to adjust our expectations. to loving the tournament for watching Giants fall to other giants. And hopefully the clock hasn't struck midnight on Cinderella quite yet. She's just in the transfer portal. That's all I've got. Thank you so much for hanging out with us on the OT.

We're back tomorrow.