Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Ben Verlander likes this Cubs' roster, hopes they aren't done adding to it (Hour 4)

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

In the final hour, Marshall Harris and Mark Grote were joined by Flippin' Bats podcast host Ben Verlander to discuss the Cubs' additions this offseason and the latest MLB storylines. After that, Harris and Grote listened to Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley share his disappointment in the legendary Michael Jordan failing to appear on NBC more often after he was hired as a special contributor for the network's coverage of the NBA.

Essentially what we have right now for the Chicago Cubs is the exact same offense as last year, just swapping Alex Bregman for Kyle Tucker. I love both of these guys. I think they're both gamers. It just feels like Alex Bregman might be a little bit of a better fit for the team. So you have the same offense, swap Alex Bregman for Kyle Tucker, and the rotation has added Edward Cabrera, and we'll also get Justin Steele back.

So I've really thought about what the Cubs have done this offseason and my thoughts on it. And I landed on that I really like what the Cubs. have done. That's nice to hear. That sounded like the flipping bats podcast to me with Ben Verlander. That's what it sounded like as we welcome me back into the Rahimi Harris and Grotie show here on Chicago Sports Radio 670 the score. Let's bring Ben Verlander in. He is a Major League Baseball analyst. He is the host, as I just alluded to, of the flipping bats podcast.

He joins us right now on the Circa Resort and Casino Hotline. Circa-LosVegas.com. Hi, Ben. Thanks for coming on with us. What's up, guys? Thanks for having me. Absolutely, man. And again, I'd like getting a little taste of your Cubs thoughts right there. But the first thing I want to ask you, man, is what is the team that you have spent the most time talking about this off season on said flipping bats podcast? That's a good question. My immediate gut reaction says it's the New York Mets, just because it's been such a polarizing offseason for them, and it's New York, and whether you're a Mets fan, we're freaking out, Yankees fans jump on board with the conversation.

So I feel like I've kind of been like a level head throughout this process of saying, okay, let's wait a second. This team is like completely getting cut down and chopped up, and it's not just going to end this way. I felt when Pete Alonzo, when they let him go, and Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo was traded, everyone thought the world was ending for the New York Mets. And my thought was, okay, let's pump the breaks here. It's November, December. You know, Steve Cohen, you know, David Stern, they're going to do something. And I actually think they'll be just fine. And then they make all of these moves. And it's a totally new look team. So my gut, my gut says I've talked more about the New York Mets than

anybody else this off season. Well, the Mets certainly disappeared for a moment and then reappeared looking as strong as ever as far as a team that can make a push to challenge for the NL crown. Although when you talk about the NL crown, I mean, it starts and ends with the Dodgers, in my opinion. And I'm curious as to what you think of the Dodgers continuing to just add on to a team that obviously is already the best in the major leagues. Yeah, I mean, if you're a Dodgers fan, this is a perfect world scenario, right?

I mean, you look at the Dodgers last year in the World Series. I look at that World Series and say, the Blue Jays were every bit as good of a team as the Dodgers. If not, there's also a world in which you could say they outplayed them for the majority of it, and they still lost the series. And then you can come out of that and say, man, the Dodgers have now won back-to-back world series. What in the world is their weakness? and you can immediately say the closer role, they had to figure it out on the fly

and then use Yamamoto in back-to-back days. And then they could use another outfielder because Michael Conforto wasn't very good. And they went out and added the best closer available on Edwin-Tiaz and went out and added the best player available probably and Kyle Tucker. And it's just, if you're a Dodgers fan, it's a dream. And if you're not a Dodgers fan,

this isn't fair. And like I get it, but like they're within the rules. And I commend them as just a fan of the game of baseball. I would put much more of my frustration on teams doing the opposite than them taking advantage of what they can. And they're making their very good team even better. And yeah, I mean, I commend them for putting the team in the position they are and for going out and making the team better.

All of that said then with, you're right, they are doing, when you spend all your money, that's what it looks like. Kyle Tucker is with the Dodgers. The Phillies who won 96 games last year, they bring back Schwabber for all the money. Real muto is back while we're at it too. We talked about the Mets with Bichette and Peralta and Luis Robert, if you would like. So steering into the Cubs, the question I have for you, Ben Verlander, is I do think the Cubs are better right now than they were last year. At this moment, I don't know if they could advance further than they did this year. Are they good enough to advance beyond one round of the playoffs?

Got reaction immediately says yes. You know, in that clip you played, I was kind of like, I knew I wanted to talk about the Cubs in the episode. And my thought was, okay, I liked the addition of Bregman. And throughout that segment of the show, I found myself liking the team more. more and more. And it's interesting because I don't sit here and say Alex Bregman is a better player than Kyle Tucker. But I do feel like I sit here and say Alex Bregman might be a better fit for the Chicago Cubs than Kyle Tucker. And then you go out and think, okay, they've added to a rotation, Edward Cabrera. And you can look at Edward Cabrera's baseball reference page and

say, is that really the piece that excites you the most? And I say, no, but he does have some of the nastiest stuff in baseball and a change of scenery and different pitching coaches and continuing to take steps forward. I do think he can be a top of a rotation guy. Then you look at the playoffs when they got eliminated and Cade Horton, who was a big part of their second half, wasn't a part of the playoffs. Then you keep going another step further and say, Justin Steele is an absolute ace. They didn't have him for the majority of the year. He's going to come back at some point. So I just really started talking myself into, wait a second, I think I really like this starting pitching rotation for the Chicago Cubs. I think it has a chance when Justin Steele comes back to be

really solid. And then you add Bregman to a lineup that I think can be, again, good. I'm excited to see what Biaseros can do out of, you know, get more playing time this year and see how he can evolve at the bottom of the lineup and add some thump down there. So, you know, I just found myself, like, talking through it and realizing I really like this Chicago Cubs roster. In a perfect world, they're not done adding in a world where I know the Chicago Cubs and how they've operated the last few years, I feel like they are done. And I kind of like this team.

Well, Ben, we just heard from them as we're joined by Ben Verlander, a host of the flipping bats podcast here on Rahimi Harrison Grotie. We just heard from them at Cubs Convention. and it sounds like they aren't done. And there's been rumors and speculation about possibly adding Zach Gallen. I would like to see them upgrade even more on offense because I just think you never have enough because guys are going to get hurts. Certainly holds true with the arms.

But even with the bats, they didn't have that fail safe when Kyle Tucker went down for long stretches. And he was what seemed to be the fulcrum of their offense in the first half when they were doing so well up and down. And we thought Sayez Suzuki should have been an all-star. Do you feel like they need the addition of an arm, a big arm, or a big bat more if you're going to continue to add on and ask for more? First off, let's just take a moment to talk about the sentence that you just said that we thought Sayas Suzuki should have been an all-star. Say a Suzuki absolutely should have been an all-star.

It was the most egregious snub out there. That was absolutely ridiculous. So totally agree with you there. I think hopefully everybody does. I look at this Cubs team. and I think in the show the other day, I said, I wish, I hope they aren't done. I think in a perfect world, they add another arm. So my gut says arm, but you're absolutely right, where this lineup doesn't have, you know,

if you go into the playoffs with this current lineup one through nine, you feel great about it. But if you go into the playoffs with one of those guys hurt or just coming back and they're not where they need to be, it is lacking. So I totally agree with you there. So look, my gut still says arm, but if it's a bat, I don't think you can go wrong adding. I would love a Zach Gallen. I feel like Zach Gallen right now you can get a little cheaper than maybe if he was a free agent a couple of years ago. I still think he's a stud. I think he's an all-star. He has felt like a Chicago Cove to me. Like since trade rumors started, I could see that being a good fit.

and if you could add a bat, great. So I think the Cubs are in a really good position, and in addition one way or another, a top of the rotation arm or a bat for depth is going to be huge for them. What about maybe adding like a 42-year-old veteran starting pitcher? I hear there's one out there. I hear there's a couple out there.

I see where you're going with this. Justin of the Burlanders. What's your brother up to, man? He is, man, he's feeling great. His year last year, you know, you look at the number. I think everybody looks at age. But to be honest with you, everyone was starting to look at age with my brother when he had to get Tommy John surgery a couple years ago at 38, 39 years old,

and everybody said he's done. Well, he came back the following year and won the Cy Young Award. So there's just been a few players throughout the history of sports that you can't look at their age and say they're done. Father time catches up with everybody. That may be true, but Justin is doing things a little bit differently, and he's put himself in a position as one of those players in the history of sports that has just pushed Father Time a little bit down the road. And you can look at his numbers last year, especially down the stretch. I don't care that he's 42, about to be 43 and a little bit less

than a month. He's going to help a team. And he's not going to help a team because he's a savvy veteran. and he's going to help a team because he's a really, really good pitcher that really focuses on his craft, and it really means a lot to him. And you look at what's still out there. Anything surprised? I mean, we're less than two weeks away or about two weeks away from, you know, pitchers and catchers and then full squads reporting in Arizona and Florida. Are you surprised by anybody that's still out there as a free agent?

Because we know sometimes it does take longer for the last guys to get signed. I'm a little bit surprised that I feel like I haven't heard a single thing about. about Eugenio Suarez. I mean, this is a guy that was a big trade acquisition for the Seattle Mariners. He's a guy that's going to hit you 40 plus homers. I mean, look, I get it's not the most appealing, like, batting average to say this guy's going to hit you around 220 to 230. But let's look at the OPS.

Let's look at this. You can plug a guy right in the middle of your lineup that can hit 40 plus homers and drive in a bunch of runs for you. and I feel like we haven't been talking about him much. We have talked about him, but I would say it's a little surprising Zach Gallin is still out there. And then one more name I'd throw out just because I was thinking about him the other day and how well he did for the Blue Jays in the World Series

and being able to come out of the pen. But a guy like Chris Bassett haven't really heard much about him this off-season. So there's still plenty of names out there. Fram Bravades is an ace. I think the hold-up is just a few different teams fighting for him. there, but there's still some big names out there that can really help a team. So if you're a team or a fan of a team that hasn't done much, there's a lot that is still out there to be done.

This is the voice of Ben Verlander right there, MLB analyst, host of the flipping bats podcast, which I recommend. You should check it out. If I may, I want to zero in on one player on the Cubs with you, Ben, that I've been wanting to get your opinion on. And that is Pete Crow Armstrong. He had a superstar first half of the season last year, and they just lost it towards the end of the season. What do you think he is? Is that just a guy who hit a rookie wall, or is he still, if we not still figured out who PCA is as a major league player? I think we know who he is. I think he's that first half player. Look, it's a long season. I played professionally for five years, and I, it's very different. but if I could relate to it at all, I would go through the same things because of the length of the season.

And it's really difficult to learn how to deal with those. And he's still so young, he is that first half player. And he is a star and he is electric. It's just as he's young and learning his way through the big leagues, I think he's just going to have to lean on some other players and lean on veterans about how to get through 162 games. because that's part of the difficulty of being a majorly baseball player. It's not just hitting 100 mile an hour fastball, which is the hardest thing to do in sports.

It's also playing 162 games in like 180 some days. It's very, very difficult, and that is part of the learning curve. And I'm really hopeful. I'm hopeful he's able to have that experience from last year and learn from it. And I'm sure he will. And I think having a guy like Alex Bregman on the team, I've said this a bunch, and I think people get confused when I say it about Breggman is Alex Breggman's a great baseball player.

He's an all-star. But what he does for a team in terms of in a locker room to a pitching staff, what he's able to see from third base, to the rest of the lineup, what he's able to pick up on from pitchers and what he's able to see other guys working on, I think having a guy like Alex Breggman for Pete Crow Armstrong, which I already heard Pete say they spoke and he's really helped him all right. already, having those veterans there next to him, going through it and saying, hey, this is how good you were last year at the beginning. This is why. And this is how we're going to keep you doing that

all year long. I think it's going to be huge for him. So I'm glad he went through it to learn from it. And I'm glad he has veterans on the team to help him and a new veteran Alex Bregman to really help him as well. Ben, I got to ask you because this is all a precursor to 2027. How confident are you that we will have baseball and how many games do you think we're going to get in if we do have baseball? Yeah, I, you know, I continue to stay cautiously optimistic. I think the fact that everyone in the world thinks we're not going to, it kind of gives me hope that we are. You know, the league sees that and everybody sees that. And there are issues that need to be fixed, as there are every time a CBA comes up. These are just in the age of social media and in the age of what the

Dodgers are doing right now, I think everybody's just more vocal about the upcoming CBA. We have a year to, we have a year to figure this out. And I'm hopeful and cautiously optimistic that we are able to. I'm obviously not in those rooms, and I'm obviously hopeful and a little biased for love of the sport that we don't miss any games. So look, I hope, I think conversations start like right around now. I think spring training the year before the CBA is up. And I'm hopeful they can figure it out. So I'm going to say they play 162 games.

I don't know if, you know, December 1st when it's technically a work stoppage. I don't know if we figure it out by then. But at some point throughout the offseason, hopefully both sides can figure this out because the sport just has too much momentum. We have the greatest player of all time in Shohei Otani. We have Aaron Judge on a Barry Bond's-esque run, and he's putting himself in the conversation for the greatest hitter we've ever seen.

We just have so much good happening in the sport and attendance and viewership is on an upward trajectory, and it just gives me cautious optimism that everyone sees that and doesn't want to ruin that. Ben, last thing quickly, and we are running out of time very quickly here. But when we talk about the White Sox around here, it's not going to be another 100 lost season, is it?

Is it possible, Ben, that the White Sox, with their young core and some of the signings, the Munataka Marikami, Sir Anthony Dominguez, Sean Burke in the bullpen? Is it possible that the White Sox are one of those surprise teams this year, or do you think there's still a little ways off? I spoke about the White Sox recently as well. I love the addition of Murakami. I think it's a high, upside, low risk move with the years and dollars attached to him. I love the addition of him with this young core that I'm actually really starting to like. So look, do I see them as a surprise

team to get into the playoffs? No, but do I start to view them as an exciting team that might actually be a little bit fun to watch this year. I view them this year as I did like the A's last year. Like this young core is starting to have some exciting players. I'm now excited to watch them and I don't think they lose a hundred games. That's where I think the White Sox are currently. That's a fair place to put them. And yeah, when I said surprise team, I mean 500 or 10 games. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I could see that. That would be a surprise team. Ben, thank you so much for your time. Always good to hear from me. Keep on rocking on the flipping bats podcast. podcast. Thanks, Ben.

Thanks, guys. Really fun being on here. Appreciate it. Yep, that is Ben Verlander. Again, yes. He is of the Verlander family. I told you. I warned you. He's an MLB analyst, obviously very good at what he does. And like I said, the flipping bats podcast is very good. When we return on Rahimi Harrison Grotie, Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan. We must talk about Michael Jordan. And reaction to Michael Jordan about his famous now. We're infamous NBC interview. Can it be both? Can it be both? Do you want to get Charles Barkley in on this too?

I think we should. Let's do that. It's next on the score. Listen to Rahimi Harrison Grody on the Odyssey and IHeart Radio apps. I think. Looking forward to coming to the United Center and see your jersey hanging up there with my jersey. But if not now, when? This is kind of a continuation of the, let's just call it a Rahimi Harrison Grotie series.

It's going to be an ongoing series. Oh, Insights to MJ? Yeah, it's like a Netflix series. No, it's we want more from Michael. We want him to be here. We want him to be accessible. We want you to like us. Sometimes it feels like he doesn't like us anymore.

We all do. And not just in Chicago. Obviously in Chicago, that's a big deal. It's a big part of it. We want more. And it feels like it shouldn't be this difficult in so many different occasions through the years. We're like, oh, Jordan's not going to be there? Why isn't he not going to be there?

It's hard to predict where Michael Jordan will show up. I, everybody in Chicago, everybody in the nation has always wanted more from Michael Jordan. That's why when the documentary came out during the pandemic, well, that was one of the reasons everybody watched it because it was the pandemic, because everybody wants more from Michael Jordan. And that is why when we started here about how Michael Jordan was going to do this, be part of NBC's coverage as it goes back to NBC, retro as they were during the 90s Bulls. Michael Jordan be part of it. Then, you know, we all wonder what it would be. He's going to be an analyst and all that stuff.

No way, it's going to be an interview with Mike Torrico. And then we find out that Mike Tarrico interviewed him for about three hours or so, and they're just going to take little segments on the way. It doesn't mean that it's not interesting, but we're still not getting much of Michael and he's getting all the money to do it. So it's something about it just still feels like a ripoff, right? Do you agree with that? I don't know that ripoff is the right word.

I just think that if you always leave them wanting to, more, they're going to want more. That's how that works. That's like, okay, let me give this very plain terms that you can definitely understand. Our audience can understand. Oh, you're going to dumb it down for me. Well, no, no. Every, I'm just for everyone. You meet a girl. Uh-huh. Okay. You like the girl. Hey, girl. And you get her number. By getting her number, she has told you she wants more of you. Correct? Correct. But, Are you going to overwhelm her or are you going to slow roll it with her? Oh, yeah, got to play cool, man.

Not even, I don't think it's playing cool. I think it's reading the room and understanding normal social cues of how much to give someone so that they're always wanting more. Oh, wow. So it's like he knows we want him and he's just teasing us and giving us little. He's Michael freaking Jordan. Give it us a little. He's checking out his shoe sales from not only people who are now your age.

But also they're kids. Still wearing his shoes. In the clip we came in from the break, in that message to Derek Rose, he said, I can't wait to go to the United Center and see your jersey hanging next to mine. Okay. When's he going to be here? Exactly. When's he going to be here? Let us know.

What's your name? What's your number? Have you ever felt suffocated by someone? In a relationship? Yes. Okay. Hey, everyone has. I was going to say, probably in every relationship because of me.

It's because of me. I'm a single man, and there's a reason for us. It's me. This is going to escape you because, again, you're older, the theme of the day. All right, enough. There's a cartoon called Tiny Tunes, which a large portion of our listenership. I know what Tiny Tunes is. I do.

There's a character called El Maira. Okay. A little redhead, and she gets a hold of animals, and she just, I'm going to love you and she's just crazy, right? Michael Jordan knows we're already crazy about him. Population at large, basketball fans at large, Chicago at large. If he gives you too much of him, he's going to feel that suffocation. That's a good point.

Right. He just doesn't need the edulation anymore. He doesn't need it. Yeah. He's not out here. It's not a crisis of confidence for him. Yeah, well, it's a crisis of confidence for the city of Chicago to get the return of the that you gave him for so many decades now. It's been decades. You know when I think the last

of it was, now that I think about this for Jordan, when he may have had that feeling of, I just, I don't need this. I can't. Honestly, it was the first time he went back to the United Center as a member of the Washington Wizards. And here's why they gave him, and justifiably so, and I recorded it, took it all in because it's the same days the Bears were playing in the playoffs against the Eagles. And they applaud, what was it, like 10 minutes? 15 minutes? That's crazy. That's a massive of... And him just having to stand there and smile and take it in.

And I get it. This sounds ridiculous. All the poor guy was being honored and cherished. Like, I don't think Jordan is comfortable being the king. And I guess that's probably good. I think there's a difference from being the king and understanding that it's too much, it's too much. It's somewhat of a cult. Yeah. It's somewhat of a cult.

He's John Lennon. He's Paul McCartney, right? Can't go outside of your place. Like there's not ever so Walk anywhere in the city, period. There's a few places he can just walk anywhere. Period. But in this city?

And the more money he makes, the farther he can isolate himself too. So that's why when people say, you don't need the money. Like, he doesn't need the money. Yeah, he does. Because he gets farther away from us, the more money he makes. He's going to be on Jupiter in 10 years. That's how far away he's going to be from us because of all the money he makes. Other billionaires can walk around with a sense of anonymity still in some

places. Michael Jordan cannot. Just think of it that way. It's true. That said, other folks have weighed in on this. Charles Barkley is disappointed by Michael Jordan's lack of presence on NBC's NBA coverage. I was excited. We need Michael Jordan affiliated with the NBA. But now you see this thing coming out with NBC and you're like, wait, y'all did one interview like five months ago and y'all going to sprinkle it throughout the season. Come on, man. That's disingenuous by NBC. Listen, that's crazy, man.

I'm so disappointed that the way that worked out. I talked to NBC. NBC has actually offered me a contract. But that's just, it's a bad look for NBC. and it's just a bad look, plain and simple. All right, that's Charles Barkley right there, and that's on Sirius XM Radio, making his feelings about it clear,

and I think I understand where Charles is coming from, that we expected more, and it felt like, I think bait and switch is probably too harsh, but that's basically what he's saying. Let me play this for you as well right now. Then we'll react to all of it, because somebody has to give the other side, or at least an explanation,

Let's have Mike Torrico do that. Mike Torrico is the man that did the interview. He is the man over at NBC, and he was on the Pat McAfee show yesterday. He explained the whole process on the shooting of the Michael Jordan interview for NBC's NBA coverage. A lot of people thought it was going to be something that we never said it was going to be, which is fine because that's the way things happen.

That was us. That was us. That was us. That was 100% on it. We were a part of that group, too, yes, we're saying. I was trying to be passive aggressive there. Yeah, I heard you. We heard it. Yeah, we owned it. We owned it.

Oh, listen, listen, listen. So, of course, Michael, anytime he talks about basketball, is going to make people stop and listen. Michael's above the day-to-day, hey, Shams said, Janus is going to be on the trade block. That's not Michael. Jordan?

Right, come on. So Michael was interested in doing this because of his connection and legacy with NBC. If Michael's going to do anything, it's going to be different and special. Michael's not going to throw himself into the ring to be one of the seven or eight guys making comments. That's not who MJ was, is, or probably will be.

So the chance to go down and get Michael really wanted to talk about where the game is and where it's going. And he had some feelings about that he is not expressed publicly. And as I said, look, of course we do that, right? And the thing is, every time we do roll out a new piece of it, people are like, oh, Michael said this. This is interesting. And talk about it.

So it makes sense. So was it great? It was awesome to hang out for a couple of days and talk basketball and life and all the stuff with Michael. Off the charts, good. I never expected, and I don't think anybody expected that Michael Jordan was going to be Shams Charani or Wojj before him. Nobody expected that. I don't think that was a waste of breath by Mike Carriko there. No, no, no, no, but that's not what he was saying.

No, no, but I'll go on. But he did say that. He did make a point of saying nobody, but he also said nobody expected Michael Jordan to be the guy, to be Charles Barkley to give the opinions. I didn't expect that either what I did expect or really hope for was that he would just be live in the studio in person, even if it was doing an interview, if it was just doing a segment, it was going down, you know, going down like old days or whatever it was. I wouldn't have expected that.

But at minimal, I would have expected Michael Jordan to be present and live during their studio show. I don't know that I expected that. I think 773 on the text line understands, and everyone just needs to accept this. I admit, I'd love to hear Jordan's take on actual players by names and takes on the season. Never going to happen. I think I went into this understanding that's not what this was going to be. I knew that. I mean.

Oh, so then what is it that you want? I would have liked to just like just show that he cared a little bit. Like, have it every week Michael Jordan is in your studio. and you can ask him whatever you want to ask him about what's going on in the end. I guess that would. That's what I'm saying. That would. I mean, but like why at minimum would he not do that?

Because he doesn't need to do that. He gets to talk about whatever he wants because he's Michael Jordan. And guess what? You're going to tune in, whether it's live or whether it's once they put the clips out on social media. We're a sucker for it. You're on the score. That's two segments right there. Get that down, Ray.

It's not even being a sucker for it. It's because he, he, he, left you wanting more. And so the little bit that he gives you, the breadcrumbs that he gives you, you will happily, no matter how stale the breadcums might end up being. And I don't think they've, they've been stale, to be fair. But you're going to lap it up. And you're going to take it and you're going to like it. And you're going to ask, where are some more breadcrumbs that I can find? Let me ask you, do you think that NBC should have been more transparent prior to it about what what Barclay was saying? Barkley feels like NBC was in some way.

devious, dishonest, I don't know what the word is. No, no. I don't think they were devious, dishonest. They let your imagination run free, which is great marketing, by the way. No, it's not an NBC. It's a freaking capitalist, you could even argue late-stage capitalist type of thought process. It's like, how do we get our desired result? Guess what?

They push the buttons that got the desired result, right? And you may not like it, but guess what? You'll take it, you'll eat it, you'll deal with it. Because that's the world we live in, baby. That's the world. The same world that's going to have people acting like they're mad about Indiana, but still supporting the bears once they move to Indiana, is the same world that's going to sit here and lap up whatever Michael Jordan's got to say,

whenever he's got to say it. It doesn't matter if there's nothing in Geraldo's vaults when they break it open. They didn't owe you anything, but we all watched. Listen, you're telling the story. You know I'm right. Do you know what I'm talking about, Ray? You don't want me to be right, but you know I'm right. I remember that that was a huge thing.

The Geraldo Rivera, like, in the vault, like bust open the vault. I didn't have any recollection of what was in it. And there was nothing in it. Are you serious? I just remember it being a big event. 9-17, by the way, 9-17. Gretzky does the day-to-day analysis. It does cheapen his image a tad.

That's the whole point. He's above the freaking frame. I get where you're coming from. Because eventually, right? Because eventually he's going to take, he's going to have a take you don't like, and it's going to make him sound like a boomer to keep on theme. That's the reality. He's a player who played in a different era.

Yes, he is the greatest of all time. But all you're going to remember, recency bias is the last thing he said about that one player that really is insignificant in the whole scheme of things when you're talking about freaking Wayne Gretzky. Same thing, Jordan's like, I don't need that. Give me my cash. I'll do my thing and I'll see y'all later. And you know what? When I see y'all later, you're all going to be so happy that I came back so you can see.

Marshall, what you're saying is, you know, to bring it all the way, all the way full circle to another segment on this show is it has potential to reach Bill Polian Hall of Fame level. Stop it. Stop participating. Enough. Enough. Give him a big hug. He's done great things. We appreciate it.

I can't see that happening with MJ. Yeah. No, nobody would ever say Matt for Björ. Does Jordan think the bear should trade? By the way, I also thought, too, the Geraldo thing. Is there any better place than the Ron Kumer? well, drop if like you were doing the... Well, there's two hours of preview.

There's five weeks of buildup. There's nothing in the vault. Grotie. Well, one more. 8.15. I tune in to watch Michael Jordan talk about the MLB, even though he wasn't a good player and probably doesn't know as much about the MLB as the NBA. Why?

Because he is an idol. He is the guy that made Chicago the place to be and watch for almost 15 years. And I guess the other part of it, too, is there's no way Michael Jordan wants to sit down and watch a basketball game, a late-night basketball game, and have to analyze it because that's work. Does Jordan think the bear should trade DJ more? That's the line of the day.

We have transitioned coming up next on the Speedle and Home show. Oh, wait a minute. We have another whole segment. What are we doing next? The show is officially off. I just tried to end the show. Great help, Mark. So you guys tell me.

Yeah, we have a couple more fun things. Oh, I see Kevin Durant is on the show. Kevin Durant reads mean tweets and also there was another Charles Barkley-related event from, you know, his whole crew on, which is now on ESPN, that there's a funny moment. We haven't seen very much of the inside the NBA crew on ESPN since they've debuted this basketball season. And when they finally were on for what the third time, Marshall, the fourth time, whatever it was, they had some little snafu happen with. a prominent ESPN voice. Oh, yeah. I'm looking forward to that.

I'm glad we have more show left. I saw Spiegel walking with purpose towards the studio. That's what threw me off. He had that expect. Are you going to the break? Look on his face. So that's what happened. It's Rahimi Harrison Grody on the score.

Marshall Harris. Mark Grody. Midday's 10 a.m. to 2. On Chicago Sports Radio 670. I am, Sarah Fee. It's a lotion. That's what Sarah V is And that was from a

Was it a commercial Tyler? Yeah A Super Bowl commercial I believe a couple years ago With Michael Sarah Sarah. Sarah, get it?

Yeah. Super Bowl marketing. That's good market. We're gonna get more of it coming up. That's great. Mark, do you moisturize? I do.

How often do you moisturize? On the daily. Okay. I do. Yeah. Yeah, I mean like I have a daily face thing where you put the little shirt of.

A regimen? Yeah. But do you moisturize like your entire body? No, I don't do that. Okay, so you don't ever worry about anything getting ashy. Oh, yeah. Talk to me about ashy. Tell me about ashy.

Well, ashy is like if you have darker skin, the darker your skin, the more ashy you will actually, I mean, you can be ashy without it showing up, but the darker your skin is, when you get ashy, that's a lack of moisturization, your skin turns like a whitish color. So for a lot of Caucasian people, they don't really think about it because their skin's already white. Right. And that is why you see in one of the most important.

things in an athlete's locker and the African Americans is the lotion. The lotion is very important. It's very important to Kevin Durant, Kevin Durant, who is now doing an endorsement for that lotion, Sarah V. And you educated me a little bit on how Ashley is known to be. So there was this video of him where his legging that he wears and his sock don't quite come together. So you could see just like a sliver of his skin, just like a skinny sliver. And people noticed that it looked like scales. It looked awful. It was white and scaly looking. And they're like, do you not use lotion? And he's taking so many jokes over the years. Because all that man cares about is ball. I remember watching a video one time where he woke, like someone pretending to be Kevin Durant,

woke up in the morning, like Kevin Durant's day. And like he wakes up, he takes a brush and he throws into the garbage can because he doesn't brush his hair. Same vibes but for moisturization and lotion. But now, apparently he's got a lotion deal, a moisturizer deal. He does and part of it is this, which you were about to hear now, Kevin Durant,

reading off tweets pointing out his ashyness. Bro, Katie, please put some lotion on your legs, dog. Why are you actually watching my legs so closely? Every time I forgot to put lotion on my ankles, I think about that one photo of Kevin Durant's ashy ankles. I had 35 on 12 shots that night. That is way more important than my

ashy ankles. No way Katie can be that ashy. No way. L-O-L. OMG. It was a skin incident. My legs went viral. It's all good. There's Ashy and then there's Kevin Durant. So I set a new scale for Ash. Kevin Durant knows damn well that running down the core with ashy legs is highly flammable. I have yet to see that. I've been Ashy in plenty of games. I might not be a millionaire, but at least I moisturized regularly. That's good. That's an affordable practice. Hopefully you become a millionaire like me. They chant, you need lotion at KD. I'm dying. Oh, is that funny? Okay. No wonder he always wears those long-ass legs sleeves. That is not the reason why I wear legs sleeves. It's because I'm

cold in these arenas, not because I'm ashy. Next time you take a matter into your own hands, make sure it's lotion. That's actually pretty funny. I don't have a reply to that. Going to be the first NBA player with a lotion deal. I am Seraphie. Kevin Durant, you actually fool you. I love how he leans into it, though.

I know, man. Isn't this the essence, too, of the world in which we live? Where people, like, he's being dehumanized right there. But it's okay because he's a superstar. He makes Kevin Durant, and he makes millions, and he's accessible, and he fires back. But what a horrible thing to to be inflicted with, I guess.

Not to be inflicted with it. It's not like some disease. But the fact that he is the, he's the poster child for ashyness. It's funny because he got made fun of for this, but he turned it into cold hard cash.

So now he's laughing. Jokes on. Because now he's moisturized and he's richer. He's got it all. He's actualized and he's moisturized. I am Kevin Durant. That's why Katie. is one of my favorites because he will,

and you remember the burner accounts, right? Yeah. He will interact with the people. What's the best over-the-counter lotion going these days? Oh, man. We're talking like a straight-up lubberderm here situation. I've done lubradoram, Navia. Navia's a good one.

I got the drunk elephant, you know, that's a little bit up there, though. Yeah. Yeah. I have Saravie at the house, too. Okay. Seravis your go-to? I have, yeah. I keep.

I don't want you coming in here, Ashy. I do not. Okay, no. So what's funny is I had the Jergens portable. Jurgens, that's the other one, yeah. And I can't find it. So, like, that's what I keep in my bag. Okay.

And I don't have it because I like to throughout the day. Yeah, you're like fully. You don't want to have the ashy elbows, ashy ankles. Maintain. Maintain. KD. is my hero. He turned into a freaking endorsement. Got paid.

Yeah, he did. I hope he keeps on D. How can you not love KD? Right. Having a sense of humor about yourself is like the most endearing thing one can have. But with some people like him who you would do. don't have to have a sense of humor. If you can't self-deprecate, I don't trust you.

That was a skin incident. Skinsident. All right. Now we are going to bring in our guys. The Spiegel and Holmes show is next. Today, starring Matt Spiegel. And Dan Weider's back for more. I don't know what he wants.

But Dan Weeder is back for more. He is in for Lawrence. We'll talk to those two guys next on the score. He rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. Thank you.