The Kevin Sheehan Show - Nats Nearing 1st World Series

Episode Date: October 15, 2019

Kevin and Thom recapped the Nats' Game 3 win to take total command of the NLCS. They talked about the incredible string of starting pitching performances by the Nats in this series. Some Redskins talk... at the end. <p> </p><p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
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Starting point is 00:00:00 You want it. You need it. It's what everyone's talking about. The Kevin Sheehan Show. Now here's Kevin. You're listening to The Sports Fix. In the air left field, this is going to do it. Game three of the TLCS belongs to the Washington Nationals. And Nationals fans, your team is one win from a World Series. Amazing that this team is one win away from the World Series. I'm here. Aaron's here. Tommy's calling in from home, not feeling well again. He's gotten himself sick once again.
Starting point is 00:00:40 But you were there last night. And first of all, I guess before we get started, because we're going to do a lot on the Nats today, we will do some Redskins, and we will probably get to the LeBron James story if we have time to do that. How are you feeling? You got some asthma-related issues?
Starting point is 00:00:57 again or? Yeah. Yeah, Doc. I got some asthma. You know, you're going to wind up getting sued for giving out medical diagnosis. My doctor laughed when I told him that you thought I had asthma. Listen, I would be there. It has nothing to do with being sick. It has everything to do with having four and a half hours sleep last night after being at the ballpark to 1.30. So that's why I'm not there. Let's make that clear. I'll take four and a half hours every night. Four and a half hours would be a sound sleep for me. But you're a young man. Younger than you, that's for sure.
Starting point is 00:01:35 Are you feeling all right, seriously? You've got to stay away from these young people. I mean, and maybe we're going to have to get you a plastic bubble at some point that we can cart you around in. I'll beat a bubble boy. Yeah. Remember that movie? I'll be a bubble boy. Yeah, well, I remember, no, I remember the Seinfeld episode where George and Stanza wound up playing trivial pursuant.
Starting point is 00:01:57 with the bubble boy. But I, but, listen, I got sick because, one thing, everybody, all the kids who cover the gnats are sick. And I was sitting in a prex box with them last week for eight hours a day. Plus, I spent 20 hours on a plane last week. People get sick when they're on a plane. No doubt. There's no doubt.
Starting point is 00:02:17 You know, and you... But I'm not as sick as I was the last time. I'm fighting it off. And the most important thing is I got out of my deck bed to be on with you. I know. Well, you know what? I appreciate that. It's one of my favorite things to do, as you know. And today would have been a bad day for you not to be on because of what they're close to. But, by the way, that boy in the plastic bubble movie, because I just looked it up because I was like, I sort of remember that movie.
Starting point is 00:02:46 John Travolta was in it. 1976, Tommy, the movie came out. Travolta was in it. Robert Reed was in it. Ralph Bellamy was in it. It was a pretty big movie back in the 70s. I never saw it. Yeah. Did you see it? Basically, he was like a kid who was born, you know, without an immune system and had to basically live his life in a plastic bubble.
Starting point is 00:03:07 Anyway, no one cares about that. Sort of like you in a way, right? Not really. I would say it's pretty much the opposite with you and me. Maybe we need a bubble at some point to protect ourselves from ourselves. Anyway, all right, so you were there last night. Let me just say that watching it on television, it really looked awesome. And the seventh inning final strikeout for Strasbourg, I thought at least from watching on television,
Starting point is 00:03:34 that was almost as loud, if not louder, than the Soto hit in the wildcard game. That place was on fire last night, and it really was cool to watch on TV. What was it like to be there? I think it was louder. It was great. The crowd was pumped up. The place was packed. 43,000 fans, and they were loud.
Starting point is 00:03:55 They were up on their feet. You would have loved that part. Yeah, I know. They're on their feet a lot. We're learning. Yeah. And you know what was interesting? Derek Gold, who works for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, covers the Cardinals.
Starting point is 00:04:09 He tweeted out last night that he was impressed with the crowd at the Nats game and the atmosphere in the ballpark. And this is an opposing writer who works in St. Louis. He gave them a lot of credit. It was great to be there. It would be even better to be. there tonight if they wind up clenching. Yeah, it really would. You know, it's funny. So I thought that the Bush Stadium crowd over the weekend, at least watching on television, you know, may have been, the cold weather on Friday night could have been part of it. I don't know. But it seemed,
Starting point is 00:04:42 now, there was never, you know, an opportunity for the home crowd to really get excited because they barely generated any base runners. So there was that part of it. But like the two, the two ballparks, just completely different in the way it came across on television. And I will say this, Tommy, about our fair town. You know, D.C. is when it comes to, you know, a big event. It's a big event town. You know, and people respond to the big event. We, you know, you can call it a bandwagon town, a big event town, whatever you want. But we've both been in every single arena and or stadium for big events. And when they are big, the crowd is loud. They're into it. You know, they're passionate. You know, that night that Jason Worth hit that walkoff in their first playoff, you know,
Starting point is 00:05:29 series was an incredible moment. I wasn't there for Soto in the wild card game and wasn't there last night. But usually the East Coast part of our city steps up in moments like that. And, you know, and I enjoy that, whether it's a Caps playoff game, it's been a long time since it's been a Redskins playoff game or a big game. But other, you know, events, you know, obviously I always refer as some of the big Maryland games out in college park that really sometimes have not been rivaled by anything in this town. But last night was incredible. And Tommy, I mean, we got to start with just this incredible historic pitching, you know, performance by the Nats. The Sanchez performance on Friday night, the Scher performance on Saturday night, and then Strasbourg last night,
Starting point is 00:06:18 they have not given up an earned run in 27 innings. This, team has and the starters have been lights out. Well, like Mike Rizzo said, the stars on this team have played like stars in the postseason. And their stars are, you know, that starting rotation. We didn't include Annabelle Sanchez in it initially. It was always the big three of Max Scher, Strasberg, and Patrick Corbin. But Sanchez is now part of it as well. And you know what we're seeing is we're finally seeing.
Starting point is 00:06:54 At the same time, these guys, let's say pitchers, pitch their best. They're capable of this. We've always known that the best of these guys can do something like this. It just so happens that they're all doing it at once. And it's almost like, I know this is like an abstract thing, but pitchers' feet on the staff will feed off each other. They feed off each other's performances. They feel like they have to go out there and match the guy before.
Starting point is 00:07:24 for them. The old Orioles staff used to do that when they were great pitchers and the Orioles back in the 70s and 80s, they used to do this all the time. And, you know, maybe Patrick Corby Patrick Corby will be able to do that. It's a hard thing to basically command up
Starting point is 00:07:39 a great pitching performance. But these performances by these Natch pitchers, like start a momentum going. That's hard to stop. The one thing that can stop it is a real good offensive team. And the Cardinals are not a great offensive team. You know, the Astros would be. So that would be a different
Starting point is 00:08:01 challenge in itself. But I got to tell you, let me just make it clear. So I'm honest, I thought they were going. I thought the NAC were going to lose this series. I picked them to lose. You know, I wish we had talked tomorrow, but we can go over and cover some of the same ground. We don't have, you know, a time restriction on this thing. Because I really felt, and I said to Aaron yesterday, that typically when you describe a team that's up three nothing in a series, you say they are in command of the series. I really felt like they were in command of the series after two games. I thought the Cardinals looked defeated and done on Saturday night after what Sanchez and Scherzer had done to them, especially considering that Strasbourg was next. And then, oh, by the way,
Starting point is 00:08:45 they get a break with Corbyn in game four. now there is no way the nationals can lose this series, Tommy. There are leads, and then there are true commanding series over situations, and I think this one is the latter. I think it is, too. I mean, they still have Surzer and Strasbourg ahead of them if it goes past, you know, tonight. Well, they got Sanchez for game five, and then they have their two best pitchers
Starting point is 00:09:18 lined up for game six and game seven if it gets to that. But the offense, the key players like Rendon and Howie Kendrick, who were two of the best hitters in the National League all year. I mean, Howie Kendrick did not have enough at batts to qualify for a batting title, but if he had, he would have won it. He had the highest batting average in baseball. He's so good. I think for guys hitting over 300.
Starting point is 00:09:45 it. So, you know who we haven't heard from yet? We haven't really heard that much from Trey Turner yet. I'm waiting for him to break out as well. I mean, we haven't even heard from some guys yet. We haven't heard from Soto in three straight games. Soto's in a bit of a slump here over the final over the last three games. He's struggling offensively and he struggled defensively last night as well. But, you know, in a way, it's almost like they saved up all their good baseball over the years for this series. You know, I mean, let me forget, like going into almost all those division titles, those division playoffs, they were considered, if not the most talented team in baseball,
Starting point is 00:10:31 among the two or three most talented in baseball each of those years. And they always underachieved. Now, this year, they're not overachieving. They're playing to their level. They are this good, save for the bullpen. And my God, even the bullpen last night, I mean, it was an eight to one game. Yeah, I know. I love watching Fernando Rodney when he's on.
Starting point is 00:10:55 He's a lot of fun. Well, it's a lot easier to be on when you've got a seven-run lead. I know. I know. And that guy, this is an aside. I see that guy signing autographs at the ballpark before a game all the time. So he's a terrific guy. and I'm rooting for him.
Starting point is 00:11:13 But it was a great atmosphere. You know, Ryan Zerman is having a great postseason. They've just got, what Rizzo said it best, how stars are playing like stars, and they have a lot of stars. I mean, most people thought going into the season, the Nats were the favorite to go to the World Series. And finally, they're playing to their level of ability. Well, I mean, I went back actually before the postseason,
Starting point is 00:11:41 started and looked at a lot of the preseason projections. You know, the Nats weren't like an overwhelming World Series pick, but they were picked to be a playoff team and to be a division winner. Now, Atlanta got a lot of run in Philadelphia, got some run as well. But the Dodgers were the big favorite in the National League to get to the World Series. And Houston, you know, was the big favorite in the NAA and the American League to win the World Series overall. But, you know, to your point, this isn't a sneak-up. on everybody's situation. You know, they are now 81 and 40 over the last four and a half months.
Starting point is 00:12:18 They've won 15 of their last 17 games. This is a team that had the talent. And, you know, going back to early in the season, and we had some of these conversations, it really was, it's impressive in hindsight, but also somewhat obvious in hindsight to recognize what they thought, that they stuck with it, they had confidence, because they were missing, guys. guys that were seeing lighted up. Rendon and Soto and guys that were hurt, they really were missing big time players, Trey Turner, you know, for a big part of that 19 and 31 stretch. But going in, a lot of people did feel like the Nats were a dangerous team if they got into the postseason because of their starting pitching. And certainly a lot of people thought that they would be the
Starting point is 00:13:05 toughest matchup for the Dodgers in the National League, which proved to be true. I wanted to do some of these results pitching-wise with you because I think the Strasbourg results are actually amazing but even before we get to that the Nats would be right now in three straight
Starting point is 00:13:25 shutout situations had it not been for basically two fielding errors like Michael A. Taylor misread that line drive on Saturday which led to a run and then Soto slips last night makes a bad throw. Those are the only two cardinal runs.
Starting point is 00:13:41 Sanchez, Scherzer, and Strasbourg have combined as starters for one unearned run allowed three walks, 28 strikeouts in 21 and 2 thirds innings. That's unbelievable, Tommy. And through the nine playoff games, the NAT starters have a 1.59 ERA, and the opponent's batting average against is 164. you can't lose a series with that kind of starting pitching. Well, and we also know that the bullpen's essentially been starting pitchers, you know, going back to the beginning of the postseason.
Starting point is 00:14:19 Incredible numbers. It really is. It's impressive. And I love it because I hated the bullpen of pitching staffs in baseball. I know a lot of teams, a lot of the smaller market teams did it by necessity, teams like Milwaukee and Tampa because they can't afford to pay, you know, three top-line starters. So I understand that. But starters, they're the giants of baseball.
Starting point is 00:14:50 They are the ultimate stars. I mean, that camera is on that starting pitcher, you know, for every pitch. I mean, I've always said pitchers are the ones that fans show up to see the most. So, I mean, to diminish your start by diminishing starting pitching was not good for the game. This is good for the game to have guys like Scher and Strasbourg recognizable names, at least in the baseball world and in the sports world, too. You know, be so special. I mean, it's part of the conversation today around town.
Starting point is 00:15:30 Strasbourg, Scherzer, nationals. I mean, I think it's great. I think the nationals doing this well is good for baseball. Yeah, I hadn't thought about it from that perspective, but you're so right. Like from a business perspective, I know that you've had some of these teams that have, you know, basically like the brewers relied on openers rather than starters, you know. But when you think about it, you're so right. Of course the big time home run hitters have been stars in the sports.
Starting point is 00:16:03 And they're out there every day, unlike a pitcher. But the pitcher, when he's out there, gets more camera time than anybody. They're recognizable faces. And you're right. A lot of people make their decision during the regular season on the game that they want to go see based on who the starting pitchers are going to be. It's so true. I'm sure you've seen these numbers, but maybe some listening haven't,
Starting point is 00:16:27 because I want to get to Strasbourg here for a moment, because what he's putting together right now is an amazing career, and all of the sudden it's sort of jumped on us here because of his performance in this particular postseason. Right now, Strasbourg is on par playoff-wise with some of the all-time greats in 401 career post-season innings, which, by the way, Tommy, isn't a few. You know, he's got 41 post-season innings. A lot of great pitchers never even made it to the point. postseason. Strasper's got 57 strikeouts and five walks with a 1.10 ERA which trails only Sandy Kofax and his 0.95 ERA among pitchers who have pitched at least five playoff games or
Starting point is 00:17:18 started five playoff games. His 10 plus strikeouts in four of his seven postseason starts is a feat that only Bob Gibson has matched. And then last night's performance, Tommy, gets to your all-time hero. Zero walks in 12 strikeouts in a postseason start. The last time that happened, 46 years ago, Tom Seaver in an NLCS game. Kofax Gibson and Seaver is who Strasbourg's being mentioned with right now in terms of playoff performance. I'll ask you what I asked Mark Zuckerman. earlier this morning on radio. Is it time to start considering him to be Cooperstown worthy? He's going to have to amass more, he's going to have to amass a lot more career numbers.
Starting point is 00:18:12 I think he's 112 and 58, very impressive career numbers, and he hasn't won a Cy Young. It's without a Cy Young and without an impressive overall career resume, like Max Scherzer is going to walk in. because of his pre-Sah-Young Awards. So Strasbourg hasn't won a Sa-Young, and they vote on the Sa-Young for the regular season, so he's not going to win it this year. Even though he had a terrific year, 18 and 6, and struck out, I think, 254 batters.
Starting point is 00:18:46 But he's pitching Cooperstown like now. Look, at Kurt Schilling would probably be in the Hall of Fame if he didn't shoot its mouth off so much, based on his postseason. performances. He was 11 and 2 in postseason performances. His regular season resume would not put him in that conversation. So, you know, Strasbourg, you know, we could see the beginning. I look, these nationals, they're not going anywhere. I'm not asking you if he's in now. I'm just saying, are we seeing, like, is this the first time that it's worthy of having the conversation as to whether
Starting point is 00:19:25 or not he's putting together a Hall of Fame career? Again, I don't like to think of it in that way. I think you could, I mean, because I think the transformation of him has just been totally complete now, and as much of off the field, I think, has affected him on the field. I mean, he's talked about how he handles things differently now. Right. I mean, I know it seems kind of obvious, but he's matured. he's mature like a lot of us do,
Starting point is 00:19:55 and he handles things different now than he did five or six years ago. This is a quote that he gave this week. I mean, this was a guy. I was with Steven Strasbourg when they introduced him at Nats Park as the number one pick. I was in the clubhouse with him as he walked down the tunnel to be introduced on the field, and he was like a guy walking on death road to the election. He was so scared and so nervous and just so did not want anybody to know anything about him. Now he's like Buddha when he gives his answers.
Starting point is 00:20:35 Somebody asked him about how the culture has changed in the clubhouse. This is, quote, it's human nature for when things go wrong to maybe not want to look in the mirror and constantly say we don't really have that feeling in the clubhouse. He's talking about the way it used to be. and that's a pretty strong admission that basically he was saying it was not that great of a culture it's more so now like picking
Starting point is 00:20:59 each other up and sticking together and we're just a tight-knit group of guys and we talk about family a lot I mean for him that's like a revelation for him to talk like that he's basically saying you know they weren't as tight as as everyone thought they were
Starting point is 00:21:16 and this year is different and I think I think that has impacted his performance on the mound. And like for last night, you know, he's struggling in the seventh inning. He's putting runners on base. Dave Martinez goes out to get him. Strasbourg says he doesn't want to come out, and he winds up closing out the inning. That was, I mean, before, that's a two-run inning for Steven Strasberg.
Starting point is 00:21:43 Not only closing it out, but he got behind on Wheaters and then threw three straight strikes and then struck Fowler out on three pitches. Now, he had Fowler's number all of nine. Now, it's a lot easier to do in a 7-1 game. You know, if that game's 3-1, you know, I don't know that he gets the choice in that spot from Dave Martinez. But you're right. You're so right.
Starting point is 00:22:06 Like all the things that, you know, used to, you know, prompt people to talk about how delicate he was and how perfect things needed to be, he seems like a completely different person. and I loved the hug with Parra, like that lasted forever. And I loved his comedy. I'm not much of a hugger, which, by the way, would have been anybody's reaction watching Strasbourg over these, you know, these nine, you know, ten years that, you know what? He doesn't look like much of a hugger.
Starting point is 00:22:39 But Tommy, back to just his career, he's only 31. Like, it's very possible that he is just now, you know, in the back portion of his prime. And we could have two, three more years of prime Steven Strasbourg. And on this team, as long as they re-sign Rendon and keep Soto here, probably more postseason opportunities. Well, let's get to the business at hand as long as Strasbourg doesn't opt out and go to the place out. Right. And he doesn't opt out. Right. Which, I don't think he will. I mean, he's a big guy on comfort level. and he's really comfortable here. Now, more money can make you more comfortable,
Starting point is 00:23:20 and he's racking up the dollars in this postseason as we speak. But he moved his whole family from San Diego to Washington last year. I don't see this guy leaving town. I don't see the nationals let him leaving town. I think he will be around, and I think we'll see some great years ahead from Strasbourg. Speaking of racking up and increasing his value, I mean, Anthony Rendon's postseason is just ridiculous.
Starting point is 00:23:49 I mean, he's hitting 379. He's got a 1.108 OPS. He's 11 for 29 with six RBI's eight walks. Like, it seems almost impossible to strike him out. He's struck out seven times in this series, but there's no chance that you're going to get him in more cases than not to be down and out at O&2. It's almost where he thrives.
Starting point is 00:24:14 By the way, speaking of, like two out, you know, innings. The Nats now have nine of their 13 runs in this series with two outs is where they're generating it. It's just been awesome to watch, but I wanted to go back to something real quickly, and that is the three pitching performances in this series, because I talked a lot about it yesterday, and I said that my favorite, and even after last night, my favorite is Sanchez's performance on Friday night. I love, I love Tommy, and really I get, you know, almost moved by the older veteran who uses experience and guile and craftiness to completely befuddle an opponent with the opponent not even realizing that it's happening.
Starting point is 00:25:00 And I just, that Sanchez, you know, no hitter into the eighth was the most compelling performance of the three, and they were all great for me. Which of the three was the best for you? Well, the Strasbourg won last night, I guess, because it's hard to separate the TV from being there in person. I wasn't there in St. Louis for the first two in person. Look, I was the guy who came back in spring training and told everyone that people. I was going to say that for you. You didn't have to say it yourself.
Starting point is 00:25:30 I would have given you credit. I was on the verge of doing it. Well, and because you know who he pitches like except he's better? Levin Hernandez. He's like Levin Hernandez. He's got like 10 or 15 different versions of pitts. He changes speeds from 65 miles an hour to 90 miles an hour. And he remade himself over his career as a pitcher.
Starting point is 00:25:55 You know, and he's not only that, again, I know this is cliche stuff, and fans because they can't quantify it aren't crazy about it. But he's a tremendous clubhouse guy. I mean, he had a tremendous impact. not just on the Latin players in that room, which he did, but on the whole team. I mean, this is, this is by far the best national clubhouse I've been in. And they've had good clubhouses, but, you know, they've also had issues as well. And Sanchez is just as strong a character as he is a pitcher.
Starting point is 00:26:31 I mean, you saw him when he came off the field after Martinez got the hit off him, he acknowledged them, you know? And how about kissing the baseball when he's on the mound? I love that. Well, I mean, it was that whole thing Friday night. I mean, first of all, you're sitting there, you're like, oh, my God, we are in the postseason, and the Nats are in the nationally championship series for the first time, and in their first NLCS game, this dude might pitch a no-hitter.
Starting point is 00:26:59 And then, of course, Saturday, I was convinced through six innings that Scher was going to finish it off because they couldn't even put a bat on the ball. ball, let alone actually put one into the outfield for a single. And Goldschmidt, you know, I said this yesterday, and I'm sure you felt the same way, if that had been a 7-0-0 lead or even a 5-0 lead, Soto probably makes the catch on the Goldschmidt lead off single in the 7. You know, if it's a regular season game, I'm sorry, say again? He takes the chance on getting that ball rather than letting it bounce in front of him.
Starting point is 00:27:34 Last night, however, was the most complete performance by the team in this postseason. I mean, Kendrick was incredible, you know, three doubles, three RBI. Zimmerman, we mentioned him. He was two for four last night with two more RBIs. Eaton continues to be clutch. Like, I don't know what Eaton's hitting for this series. It's not very good. You know, I'll look it up here real quickly.
Starting point is 00:27:57 It's clearly not very good, but he's had the clutch at bats, you know. Absolutely. He's the guy who has gotten their offense started when it seemed like they were struggling it during the games. Here it is. Adam Eaton, yeah, I didn't think it was very good. He's hitting 182 in the series. He's 6 of 33. However, he's had just clutch, now back-to-back clutch hits. And, you know, last night, too, how about Strasbourg's two sack bunts against Flaherty? Which were so impressive. Like, I'm listening to, you know, Darling and Company and Frank. McCourt, et cetera, and they're saying, look, that dude, Flaherty's throwing 97. That's not easy to do when he's laying down perfect bunts, you know, to move runners over. And then the decision, Tommy, last night for Davy, who everything he touches turns to gold here, to start Robles for a Michael
Starting point is 00:28:49 A. Taylor who's played so well, and Robles completely delivers for him. Yeah. And what about another thing with Strasbourg, I forget who the runner was, but he gets the guy off second base, and he handled that perfectly. Oh, well, it was Ozuna. Yeah, okay, you handle, I mean, when you get a guy in a rundown, what you do is you run towards the guy. Yeah, absolutely. And he handled it perfectly like that.
Starting point is 00:29:18 And I've seen a lot of postseason games get flushed down the toilet by a pitcher who didn't know how to field his position. Well, think of – Godfurt did well. In hindsight, I don't know that it would have mattered had St. Louis jumped on top there in the second. Remember, in Strasbourg's start against the Dodgers, he's down 3-0, giving up two homers to Muncie and Hernandez in game five,
Starting point is 00:29:45 and then he bears down and pitches great to keep him in the game. So Ozuna doubles to lead off the second, and then Martinez grounds right back to Strasbourg. He makes that great play. It's a terrible base running error by Ozuna. Terrible. Like, you know, given that they, I don't think they have. had had a runner on second to lead off an inning in any of the games in St. Louis. And so they had a legit shot in that spot to jump out to a one-nothing lead.
Starting point is 00:30:12 But I don't know that it would have mattered. The Nats are just better. They're just a lot better. And playing really... You know what? The nationals are... Look, I haven't seen a lot of the Astros and the Yankees or the Astros. I've seen them during the regular season.
Starting point is 00:30:29 I've watched some during the postseason. And people would argue that the Astros are probably the best show in baseball right now. But if the Astros are the best, the Nats are right behind them. It's the second best show to watch this postseason. I mean, they are compelling the watch. Oh, yeah. You know, I have, as you know, people very close to me who live offshore and delve into the other side of gambling, the right side of gambling.
Starting point is 00:30:56 And one of them in particular is just a massive baseball guy. We're always talking during the course of the season. And he said, look, it's going to be really hard to beat the Astros in a best to seven. And it may be difficult to beat the Yankees. Both of those teams, by the way, will be favored over the Nats. And in fact, the Astros may be a sizable favorite over the Nats. But it's pitching in the postseason, brother. And the Nats have it in spades.
Starting point is 00:31:21 They have it more than the other two. By the way, how cool would it be to see either a Verlander Scherzer or Verlander-Strasberg game one matchup, although the way things are going, if Sanchez doesn't pitch game five because they close it out tonight, I wonder if they'll let Sanchez pitch game one of the World Series. No. I don't think so. Mark thought that there was a chance they would. Oh, they might.
Starting point is 00:31:47 They might, but if they could pitch Thursday or Strasbourg in game one, they're going to do that. Now, listen, Houston has better pitching. Garrett Cole and Verlander, yeah, but I don't know that they have the deep starting pitching that the Nats have. Well, they've got Garrett Cole. Cole is unhivable right now. And what's the other? Zach Rankie.
Starting point is 00:32:11 In Zanker, who didn't pitch in it very well in his last outing. Yeah, I know. I know, but I like those, I like those crazy. Look, you're right. I understand that Houston would be favored. The Yankees would be favored. I get that. But we might be talking about, we're talking about.
Starting point is 00:32:26 We're talking about a team that has, I mean, I don't know what their record has been in the past three weeks. I forget it, but it's certainly been better than anybody else's in baseball. We've talked about this phenomenon of the wild card momentum carrying a team through the postseason, and I think we're seeing it with the nationals. Yeah, the last team to win at all, the Giants, when they played the Royals, and both of those teams were wildcards in 2014. the Giants came through D.C. on the way to doing it. Yeah, by the way, Aaron and I were talking about this before the show. Tonight, if the Yankees are the opponent in the World Series, tonight's the last chance to get into that stadium for a reasonable price.
Starting point is 00:33:12 Like, you can get into the stadium tonight and sit in decent seats for about 250 bucks, 200 bucks, 180 bucks, you know, for decent seats. If the Yankees or the opponent, you're not getting into that ballpark anywhere for less than a thousand bucks. You're right. So it'll be nuts. Tommy, it'll be the hardest ticket this city has seen since I don't know when. It'll be a much, look, the caps, smaller arena, 18, 19,000, whatever it is, you know, lots of demand, few, you know, limited supply. but if it's Yankees Nats in this World Series, it's going to be the most in-demand ticket we've seen in this town in years.
Starting point is 00:33:56 Yes, it will. Two things about the Yankees and the Astros. If they play the Astros, this is their spring training partner in West Palm Beach. They see the Astros a lot in spring training. They share the same facility. That'll be interesting. And you mentioned, like, Scherzer versus Verlander, they used to be teammates.
Starting point is 00:34:19 There's no love loss between those guys. They're not best of friends. Really? I didn't know that. Yeah. The second, the other thing is, I'm rooting for Houston because I do not want to go to New York to cover a baseball game. And, I mean, it's a cesspool. It's a cesspool of a city. In a city I was born and raised, everybody, the minute you walk into New York, everybody gets a dollar.
Starting point is 00:34:45 Everybody. It doesn't matter who they are. they get a buck, you know, for something. So I don't want to, I mean, the hotel, I'll be sleeping on the street. By the way, a buck maybe 30 years ago. Hopefully it's five bucks at least. I mean, you're duking people a dollar? No, I mean, the whole population.
Starting point is 00:35:02 By the time you leave, it's like he gave the whole population a dollar. Oh, my God. You're something else. I'm glad I'm not waiting on your table, that's for sure. No, actually, I'm a good table. Hi. Hi. I'm a very generous tip.
Starting point is 00:35:20 So Tommy, when they won it in 2012, and they had Verlander, and they had, they had Sanchez on that team too, right? Yes. Yeah. So the pitchers for that 2012 Tigers title team were Verlander. Well, they didn't win a title that year. Right. They lost to the Giants.
Starting point is 00:35:43 They lost to the Giants. I'm sorry. When they lost to the Giants in 2012, When they lost to... Who pitched for the Tigers that year? In 2012, the Cardinals were in the World Series. 2012. Yeah, that was the year the Cardinals crushed the Nats hopes.
Starting point is 00:36:02 Yeah, I know that. But I thought the 2012 World Series was Giants Tigers. I thought that the Giants... I don't think the Tigers have been to a World Series. It was Giants, Tigers in 2012. Yeah, right? Giant sweat. Because the Giants beat the Cardinals in the NLCS that year.
Starting point is 00:36:24 Okay. I thought it was right. The year before that was the year the Cardinals one. 2012, who was in the World Series? Giants and Tigers. Yeah, that's what I thought. Okay. Four games sweep.
Starting point is 00:36:37 The Cardinals beat the Rangers, Tommy, when David Freeze was the MVP, the year before that, I think, or maybe two years before that. It was like Tony LaRuse's last thing with the Cardinals, right? I don't know. Anyway, what else? Do they end it tonight? Yes or no? Yes.
Starting point is 00:36:58 I think they do, too. I think the Cardinals just look dead and want it to be over at this point. Wednesday, it's supposed to rain. So we don't want it. And it's a 4 o'clock game, and it could last all day if it rains. So we want it done tonight, and they'll end it tonight. Yeah, let your co-host here today handle the weather situation for Wednesday. Here's the situation.
Starting point is 00:37:23 Major League Baseball is planning on rain-altering Wednesday. If the Nats lose tonight, if they lose tonight, it's very possible that that game tomorrow, which was scheduled for 408 Eastern, is going to get moved to Wednesday night, and the Yankees Astros game will actually get suspended or postponed, and they'll resume the series the next night. And the reason is the way the storm is moving, Tommy, the rain's going to end here,
Starting point is 00:37:52 but it isn't going to end in New York on Wednesday. So, first of all, I don't think they're going to have a game five tomorrow. I think they're going to end it tonight. But if there is a game five, it's very, very possible that that game will get moved from 408 to 808 p.m. on Wednesday night. Let the big boys handle the weather stuff here. Don't tread into an area that you're unfamiliar with.
Starting point is 00:38:14 I thought you only did snowstorms. That's true. Good. You're right about that. I only do snowstorms, but I do Nor Easter's year round, and this is sort of a Noreaster situation. All right, I'm with you. I think it ends tonight. I think, by the way, you know, even though we've seen Corbyn three times in relief, we haven't seen him start a game since game one against the Dodgers, even though he seemed to see him every other day, you know, in every other game. Yeah, and I might want to remind everybody that everyone was willing to pin a rose on Corbyn because he managed to recover in that game one and pitch okay. But I think he set the tone for that game one against the Dodgers. I think he took his team out of it early. That first inning was the worst inning of his career.
Starting point is 00:39:05 Yeah, I just kept walking people. Yeah. I mean, could not stop walking people. in that first inning. Yeah, and got out of it, by the way, if I recall, only giving up one run. Like it seemed like it should have been much worse, but it wasn't, and they got out of that, only giving up one run. You know, it's sort of like, you know what, Tommy, it's sort of like the Straussberg
Starting point is 00:39:30 first inning against the Dodgers. It really should have been worse and felt like it could have been worse, but he was able to sort of, you know, hold the fort down there barely in that first. inning after giving up the homer to Muncie early in that game. But anyway, all right, we both have an ending tonight, and it will be really cool to see a DC baseball team in the World Series. And, you know, I've told you many times over the years that I'm just old enough to remember going to Senators games with my father. My father is a diehard Nats fan. I mean, whether he's in Florida for half the year or at home for half the year, he does not miss a game.
Starting point is 00:40:11 you know, every night. And I think a lot of people of his age in particular are really, really excited and moved about this because they grew up watching a terrible baseball team, but having baseball and having the ability to go to the park, you know, on a July night, to watch, you know, in many cases somebody else from another team that was coming in, maybe somebody from the Yankees because the senators were an American League team. But, you know, it's really amazing. And I've I've talked about this a little of the last two days. It really is amazing when you think about it, Tom, that D.C. didn't have baseball for 34 years.
Starting point is 00:40:50 They had a baseball tradition, even though it wasn't a winning tradition. 70 years in the big leagues. You know, every opening day, the president throwing out the first pitch, or most opening days, the president throwing out the first pitch. And then not to have it for 34 years, you had multiple generations grow up without it. And I still have, and you and I've had this conversation before, I still have a lot of friends. Their heart lies with the Orioles, not the nationals.
Starting point is 00:41:15 They're rooting for the nationals, but it's amazing that this town was not, was deprived from baseball for that long of a period of time because they thought that they wouldn't support it here. Well, you know, this is what I always tell people, if you want to talk about the passion for baseball in this town. 34 years without a team. They had a team right up the road that was perfectly serviceable, that was good, and that could fill your needs. But it never quite did for most people.
Starting point is 00:41:51 Not me. For some people, it did. But for a lot of people, it never did. And you had generations of politicians, businessmen, and fans who never stopped trying to get a team back to Washington. Nobody waved the white flag and say, well, you know, it's never going to happen. You know, we're wasting our time.
Starting point is 00:42:12 Let's just root for the Orioles. I don't think there's been a city in America that has gone that long and fought that long to get back what they lost in professional sports. Yeah. I mean, what city would be even comparable, like for any sport? Yeah, like the – you could argue. the Rams. Yeah, but it wasn't 34 years. They left
Starting point is 00:42:39 in 94. They got it back three years ago. It was more like 20. Yeah. So, I mean, to me, that says what you need to know about how important baseball was in this town. That, you know, politicians who started the fight
Starting point is 00:42:55 in 72, 73 are long gone, and then you had another generation that continued the fight into 2005. You know, I forget if this was a Thursday thing when you were on or if it was a Friday thing. So I'll mention it anyway. And if I'm being repetitive, just tell me.
Starting point is 00:43:14 But I had a caller to the show late last week. Start talking about the days where the Redskins would have a game on a Sunday in October. And there would be all those banners and those signs saying bring baseball back to Washington. You remember that all of those years. You know, baseball in 1987. Baseball in 1983, whatever it was, there was always a push during football season to make it very clear that if somebody were watching a Redskins game on television that Washington wanted baseball back, it was always a theme of those games.
Starting point is 00:43:48 I'm not saying that it was people, you know, are like, oh, let's look for the baseball's back sign. But if you were at those games or you watched them on television at least once, you recognized somebody, you know, with a big sign or a big banner that would be hung saying bring baseball back to Washington. Well, a caller called me late last week and said, wouldn't it be really cool if last night, you know, for the first home National League Championship Series game, or maybe tonight, if they had a big sign at Nats Park that said bring football back to the nation's capital?
Starting point is 00:44:18 That would be. That would be something. And you've got to love how the Redskins have thrown their support behind the Nats, you know, with all their congratulations and stuff. Don't you love that? Well, you know, it's funny because, I don't know if it was you who told me this or somebody else said. The Redskins haven't congratulated the Nats at all.
Starting point is 00:44:37 They're the only team in town that hasn't. The Caps, the Wizards, the Mystics, the United, and whatever other teams there are here in town have all done that. The Redskins actually did tweet out a good luck and go Nats and stay in the fight thing before game one in St. Louis. So it's not like they hadn't done anything. What they didn't do from what I can tell is they were the only local team not to, send out via social media a huge congratulations after they beat the Dodgers. But they did send something out before the Cardinals game. Well, good for them. Shows they have a heart. It may be shrunken and it may be black, but they have a heart. Yeah. All right, speaking of them, let's get to them next.
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Starting point is 00:47:05 Today, get your first deposit doubled. You play, you win. You get paid at mybooky.orgie. All right. By the way, one thing before we move on to the football team, you mentioned Ted Leoneses. This is what he tweeted last night. He must have been at the Natch game. What a great vibe at last night's night.
Starting point is 00:47:26 Nationals game. Positive, confidence, fun. In it together. D.C. is a total sports town. I saw so many fans last night wearing Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics gear alongside their Nats red. That's awesome. I wore my red Nats hoodie to represent. By the way, the Mystics are throwing out the first pitch tonight. Oh, good. Well, who's throwing it out? The whole team isn't three. Is it Elena Deladon? Good. Yeah. Good for them. Yeah. Did you see the TV ratings from over the weekend? Football versus baseball? No.
Starting point is 00:48:04 So, you know, look, Ted's insufferable from my vantage point. And this, you know, some of the quotes off of the William Hill announcement, you know, the online, you know, the legal bookmaker gambling company in Europe, William Hill, the relationship that he's creating with Ted. I cannot stand to hear Ted talk about gambling anymore. He's either incredibly naive or he's totally disingenuous. I actually am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say it's the former. What he should say in all of this gambling talk is not talking, he stopped talking about data and the advantages and how, you know, really smart guys have a chance to win big.
Starting point is 00:48:45 Just say, look, gambling provides extra entertainment, you know, in watching the game. It's a lot of fun. he is really pushing it as if it's like a career. Like people are going to turn this into a career and they're going to take down Vegas. It's unbelievable to me how naive he is about this. But anyway, what were we talking about? Oh, the TV ratings. So this is not exactly the time to talk about this, but off of what you just said,
Starting point is 00:49:15 the Redskins Dolphins game, which I thought going in had a chance to be the lowest rated regular season Redskins game of all time. Like, it shouldn't have been watched by anybody unless you had to for professional reasons. It did a 14.2 locally. The Nats game the day
Starting point is 00:49:35 before, game two against the Cardinals, it was on TBS, it wasn't on Fox, it was on TBS, did an 8 point something. It was an 8 point something. I had it here a moment ago and now I can't find it. Here it is.
Starting point is 00:49:51 did an 8.7. So I don't want to get hung up on this because I'm so into the Nats and couldn't care less about the Redskins right now. But for people that really think that, oh, all the sudden were a baseball town or the people that thought all of a sudden were a hockey town from back in, you know, two years ago, the Redskins are having, it may be at a new, unprecedented rock bottom moment. and they nearly doubled the Nats television rating over the weekend. So that's a reality check. And I know you're going to tell me not everybody watches on television and you're going to give me your whole rating spiel. That's fine. It wasn't a 14 versus a 14-2 versus the 13.8.
Starting point is 00:50:34 It was a 14-2 versus an 8.7. It was a significant difference. And I can't, I don't know anybody personally that watched the Redskins Dolphins game other than me and maybe you. But anyway, I digress. because I don't really care about that stuff right now. I care about the Nats, and it's so much fun watching this. But, you know, people are, they're not really aware of the differences.
Starting point is 00:50:58 If you want to say anything about that, go ahead right now. No, no. Look, I agree with you. I think people, it may drive people nuts, and it's more in the NFL maybe at this point than the Redskins. But the NFL rules, you know, it just does. You know, there's nothing wrong with being second place. No, nothing. Nothing.
Starting point is 00:51:21 And by the way, Tommy, right now to me, this is bigger than two years ago. This is, and maybe it's because of my personal, you know, interests. Like, I'm into this. I wasn't nearly as much from a personal, passionate level of rooting into the hockey thing as much. But this is appealing to, I think, a larger group of people. We will see. I mean, because the World Series ratings should, I mean, the Nets, if they're playing the Yankees in the World Series, these games should be doing 20 pluses here in town. They would, they'll be doing 50 pluses in New York.
Starting point is 00:51:57 We should see games in the 20s if they're in an actual World Series, which, by the way, I think the Caps elimination, when they finally eliminated Vegas, I think it did something in the 20s locally, which was incredible. But anyway, that's beside the point. Let's get to the Redskins real quickly from Sunday. That was, God, what an impressive performance, didn't you think? I mean, beating the dolphins, a team that was desperate, you know, had to have it, and the Redskins with their new staff, and, you know, the feeling that if they could get this one, they're right back in the season. What did you think of the big 17 to 16 win over Miami?
Starting point is 00:52:33 You know, it was like that Giants game a couple years ago. At least, look, we talk about the dolphins and they're tanking. But that's the front office. those players played hard. The players on the field, I mean, they weren't, you know, like sparring partners. They played hard, the dolphins did. So I give credit to the players on the field. And here's the other thing, Kevin.
Starting point is 00:53:00 You don't want to be the only Redskins team to go 0 and 16, do you? You know I was being sarcastic, right? I know. Okay. I know that. It was an embarrassment for the organization. I get that. I get that, but you won. Yeah, it doesn't.
Starting point is 00:53:18 But you want it. Who cares? I didn't want him to win. Oh, and 16? I wanted them to lose. I wanted Miami to make the two-point conversion. I'm not about to fake like I wanted them to win in that spot. If they had come out and they had done what everybody else did to Miami, win by an average of 35 points a game, that was the difference in the Miami's first four games. If they had come out and it was 38 to nothing or 38 to 6, I would have been like, all right, you know, clearly, you know, they're at least not, you know, so bad that they can't take advantage of a team that is openly tanking as a franchise.
Starting point is 00:53:53 You're right. Those players, they're playing to put shit on tape. I mean, they're not trying to go out there and just lay down. But what tanking really looks like, Tommy, and I explained this yesterday, you know, at this level in a 16-game season, is what Miami did. First of all, they deactivated their best defensive player who had practiced all week with a sore night. and in any other situation probably would have played. So he was out from the game. And then when you are a team that would prefer to lose, you take risks on lower probability outcomes like they did, you know, faking a punt and onside kick.
Starting point is 00:54:29 And then the two-point conversion where if you're really trying to win that game, you're kicking there. You've got all the momentum. You're going to overtime. And then if you're going to run a two-point conversion on a play that you practice during the week. You're going to run it with the player that practiced it. They didn't. Mark Walton was the one that practiced it all week, and they very conveniently took him out and put the guy that hadn't practiced the play, Kenyon Drake, in for that play. That's how you subtly tank. Those
Starting point is 00:55:01 players are trying, but organizationally, they didn't want to win that game, because the Redskins are more likely than not the team they will be vying with for the first overall pick. They didn't want to look back in October and say, oh my God, why did we put Fitzpatrick into the game? What a dopey move. By the way, I mentioned this, I think, on the podcast yesterday. I definitely talked about it on the radio show. Did you hear Fred Smoot's description of the two-point play by the dolphins? No. He called it two for Tua. That's good. Yeah, because it really was a low probability. two-point play. Like, here's how you don't score on a two-point play, for starters. Don't throw the
Starting point is 00:55:46 ball into the end zone. Throw it short of the end zone from the two-yard line. Let's see how that works. But anyway, it was an embarrassment Sunday. It was, I was openly at the end wanting them to lose that game for the purposes of getting the number one pick, but even more than that, Tommy, I'd be disingenuous if I was saying, if I said, I'm just rooting for them to get the number one pick. I want Bruce, I want Dan to understand how bad this situation is that he's got no choice. And losing to the dolphins, I don't know if that would have been a wake-up call because it doesn't seem like anything is, but my God, that would have been great. I mean, that would have been one of those, you know, wait a minute, you told me that firing Jay Gruden would work.
Starting point is 00:56:29 And we just lost to the dolphins, but they won. So now they think they're about to go on a roll. Yeah, look it. They got the 49ers coming to town. They get to get revenge on Kyle Shanahan. I'm sure Bill Callahan, you know, it's got a game plan working with A.J. Peterson running 75 times. You know, I think they've got high hopes.
Starting point is 00:56:57 How about this guy Callahan? It's hard. I mean, it's hard to take them seriously anymore. It really is. It's just hard to take it seriously. I mean, I get tired of bashing them. I really do. It's hard to, I mean, I get tired of bashing them,
Starting point is 00:57:13 but I'm sure at some point in the next week or two, they'll do something so egregiously stupid that I'll be able to revive my bashing energy and hammer them for that. But I'm tired. I'm tired of. Aren't you tired of them? Yeah, of course.
Starting point is 00:57:33 I mean, I just, you know, I want one day, you know, while I'm still alive and able and, you know, capable of really generating some passion, I want them to be good again. I just am resigned to the fact that these things, you just realize it. When you get to a certain point, you realize that it's hard to have success when the people in charge are so arrogant and so limited. and just not great, you know, they're just not good at what they do. And you can't change it. Like, this isn't a publicly owned team.
Starting point is 00:58:17 This isn't something where you have shareholder meetings and we can show up and demand change. Like, this is what it is. And what's been really depressing here over the last, you know, week in particular is the more I talk to various people in the know, Bruce didn't go on anywhere. Like, you know, this is, he is, he is totally, totally outselling the salesman in Snyder. He's got him thinking that Gruden's been the problem. He had him thinking that McLuhan was the problem,
Starting point is 00:58:52 had him thinking the Shanahan's were the problem, although Dan completely agreed with that one. But it's just not ever going to get fixed. They're going to, you know, I was thinking for a moment, I think Aaron and I talked about this yesterday on the podcast. For a brief moment, I thought, you know, the Niners are coming in here off an emotional win in the Coliseum against a division opponent that was favored to win the division Super Bowl team from last year.
Starting point is 00:59:18 They're traveling east. We all know West Coast teams early 1 p.m. East Coast start time on a Sunday. That sometimes that that's a spot to take the home team. And, you know, maybe it's an opportunity for the Redskins to hang in there. And then I talked to somebody who said to me, and I won't mention who that somebody is, but you might be able to figure it out, said, yeah, Kyle, he does, the 49ers, by the way, are 10-point favorites. He doesn't want to beat the Redskins by 10. He wants to beat them by 100 in 10. And he will make that very clear during the course of this week that he wants to bury the Redskins on Sunday
Starting point is 01:00:00 and basically give a middle finger to the owner's box and the team president who will be sitting in that box on the way out. So I would not trust the Redskins in this spot against the Niners. By the way, the Niners are really good on defense, really good on defense. Even without Ruben Foster? Even without Ruben Foster. That's amazing. It's amazing.
Starting point is 01:00:23 I don't know how they were able to do that. You know, the savior, the team leader. look it maybe maybe Kyle can run across the field if he sees Bruce and grab them in person and ask him about a trade for Trent Williams since they won't take Kyle's phone calls you know it it might be an opportunity they do not and they will not consider trades with the 49ers they could have gotten a first round pick for Kirk cousins but the pettiness got in the way of that and I think that the 49ers and the Browns and the Patriots all three of those teams would be interested in Trent Williams, but, you know, as far as the 49ers go, I would believe
Starting point is 01:01:04 that they've gotten word from somebody in the organization, maybe somebody like Eric Schaefer, that, nah, Bruce and Dan are not going to deal with the 49ers on anything. I mean, you talk about small-minded pettiness. I know. Again, I've always said the most important thing an owner can ask himself of a team every day is what's the most important thing for the franchise? that when you make your decisions, that's the question that needs to be answered. Not what I like, not what's good for me, but what's the most important thing for the franchise? And I don't think that question ever gets asked at Redskins Park. And by the way, as far as Bruce Lehman, I think I read a quote from Jake Laser saying he's not going anywhere.
Starting point is 01:01:49 He's Dan Snyder's Wings and Beer Guy. Yeah. Well, there's that. I think there's probably a lot more to that, that one day we'll probably learn. I think it has a lot to do with Dan not wanting to be, you know, a presence publicly or even within league circles as much anymore. Real quickly, two things. One is that there is definitely, if I didn't say this yesterday, let me say it more emphatically. There is definitely a feeling in Ashburn that they've got a chance to turn their season around
Starting point is 01:02:24 Sunday at home, that they needed to take care of what they took care of on Sunday, which is get the win in Miami. I'm sure they were thinking that this would have been a more impressive win rather than a dolphins conceding the win at the end. But there's this feeling, which is why Case Keenham's going to start the game Sunday, there's a feeling that if they can beat the 49ers on Sunday at home in this division right now with two three and three teams at the top, and maybe and seven wins the division that they can actually go on a run because they're looking, you know, at Minnesota on a short, you know, on a short week following the 49er game is not going to be easy, obviously, but then they've got, you know, the bills, the jets, you know, the lions.
Starting point is 01:03:07 I think they're looking at these teams like, hey, we're just as good as they are. They're not. They're not as good as those teams, but I think they believe that. And then the second thing is this, because perhaps you've already talked about it or written about it. I don't know that you have or haven't. the Tomlin to the Redskins thing is a no-chancer just so everybody understands that it's not going to happen we shefter reported that on sunday i have you know i've got pretty good reason to believe that sheffter is spot on on this that that's not going to happen also real quickly tommy yesterday i made
Starting point is 01:03:41 the mistake erin and i actually um i made the mistake and erin erin didn't correct me and he should of because he should have known this. But he's looking at me like, what are you talking about? The Schefter report about the Redskins following the, you know, being interested in sort of being patient like the Browns were last year. And, you know, then they hired Freddie Kitchens to be the full-time coach. I mentioned that Kitchens was the interim coach. And then we both came to the conclusion that, oh, my God, Bill Callahan's got to be,
Starting point is 01:04:10 has a chance to be the head coach next year. Greg Williams was the interim coach last year in Cleveland. So really the correct analogy, would be they're really perhaps interviewing over these final 10 games, 11 games, Kevin O'Connell. They want to see what O'Connell has as an offensive coordinator, as a play caller, and that's the possible elevation at the end of the season rather than Bill Callahan. But anyway, what else you got? I got nothing else, boss.
Starting point is 01:04:40 You want to save the LeBron stuff for Thursday? Yeah, but let me just say, I mean, you know, I'm consumed with a NASDA, That's obviously, rightly so. But this NBA China story is one of the great stories in sports right now. It's a remarkable story with so many aspects to it that are compelling and dramatic. I mean, it's my kind of story, and I just can't pay any attention to it because the Nats happen to be on their way to a World Series, and I'm fine with that. But it's a huge story. Well, and the extension of that story is the LeBron James press conference from yesterday, which, again, we can save till Thursday, but I think it's an incredible story as well, and I talked about it a little bit last week. The bottom line is it's really remarkable that the NBA feels so beholden to the future of its business as it relates to China. So much so that they are willing to almost quiet their own.
Starting point is 01:05:44 at the expense of freedom of speech and freedom of expression to kowtow to China. It's amazing to me. I don't even know if we're on the same page on this, but I think it's amazing. It's an incredible story. Because that's their MO. Their MO is the opposite. Exactly. They're the league that embraces freedom of expression.
Starting point is 01:06:07 That's right. Oh, no, this is, we're talking billions of dollars here. This is astronomical. You know what, though? real quickly. So I was doing this exercise, I think, I don't know, Saturday morning. I was talking to a friend of mine who's really into the story as well. And he's, he works in New York and, and he said, you know, the NBA essentially receives somewhere in the neighborhood of like a billion dollars, you know, from China right now. That's essentially what China means, you know, to the, to the NBA. So, you know,
Starting point is 01:06:35 you're talking about, you know, a billion dollars divided by 30 teams. You know, when you really do the math on something like this, it's not like unbelievable money. You know, you're talking about, you know, roughly 30 million bucks per team somewhere in that neighborhood, you know, 33, you know, billion dollars per team. In the larger scheme of things, it's not a lot of money on a per team basis, you know, but that doesn't mean that the upside of continuing to be in China. As all, you know, businesses that want to increase top line revenue are interested in doing, you know, You know, the NBA is not the only one. But at the expense of, you know, what we believe in here as a country,
Starting point is 01:07:19 I find it incredibly repulsive the whole story. So do I. And the LeBron thing to be just an embarrassment from his standpoint. I mean, sometimes, you know, it's ironic that he's telling Daryl Morey essentially to keep quiet as he's spouting off on it. I agree. But anyway, we can get into that in more detail. And we skipped, you know,
Starting point is 01:07:41 You know what I decided to do with you today is just skip the whole Hudson thing from Friday night? Because I didn't really want to irritate you on that. And I didn't feel like arguing with you today on something like that. That's good. You can go back to your cave now. No, it's not a cave. It's not a cave. It's just, you know, there are two sides to every story, and sometimes the other side doesn't want to hear the other perspective.
Starting point is 01:08:03 That's the irony of that. We just talked about the irony of the NBA is in favor of all this. and now look what they're doing on that topic, on the Hudson topic, the people that are so sure that families first, and there's no other perspective there, has to quiet and shut the other side down as if their opinion doesn't matter. I always find... It must be dark and lonely in that case.
Starting point is 01:08:26 Well, you know, it's the same thing that I always say about the Redskins debate. I'm completely open-minded to the possibility that they should change their name because the name is so insensitive, and it makes an entire. culture, sad and angered and hurt to hear it. But the other side doesn't want to consider that Native Americans don't feel that way. So, you know, I'm always open for a debate. I'm always open-minded in keeping my head cleared and open to changing my mind. But it's always like the other side that says, nope, this is a no debate. You're wrong and we're right. And we don't have to explain why. Anyway, I want
Starting point is 01:09:08 to have a good day. I want you to feel better. You're going to be there tonight, right? Absolutely. I think I'm going to be there as well. Right now, it's... You better, you better be there. Well, it's 50-50 right now as to whether or not I'm going to get a decent seat. I'm going to tell you right now, I don't want to be there in a bad seat. I would rather be at home than be in a bad seat. So I'm waiting to hear on that. So we'll see. I hope to be there tonight. I love this team, and tonight could be really, um, You know, an all-time night for the sport in this city, which would be great. Let's go, Nat. Let's beat the Cardinals, finish this thing off, and get ready for a whole world series in our fair city.
Starting point is 01:09:49 All right, have a great day. By the way, we didn't talk about the Monday night game last night, but the Lions got robbed. If people out there were wondering what I thought about the NFL game last night, completely and utterly jobbed in the game last night, two penalties that weren't. And you know what that's going to lead to in the offseason? more replay on penalties, which is great for the game. Sarcasm there. The Lions should be three, one-in-one, and in first place,
Starting point is 01:10:15 and they had it stolen from them last night at Lambo. It's too bad. I actually like the Lions team this year. All right, Tommy. See you. All right, Fox. I'll see you. All right. If you're listening to us on iTunes or Apple Podcasts, rate us, review us, and subscribe. It always helps.
Starting point is 01:10:31 And listen carefully. We have an app that's available right now. You can get it at the app store. You can get it at the Google store if you've got Android. What I want you to do is I want you, for those of you that have used the app, go ahead and tweet me at Kevin Sheehan, D.C., and let me know whether or not it's a good experience or not. I had a couple of tweets yesterday from people saying, hey, it's great. The app's awesome.
Starting point is 01:10:55 And a couple from others that said it's a little bit cumbersome. I want more of your feedback on that, please, at Kevin Sheen, D.C. Thanks to Aaron, thanks to Tommy. Back tomorrow, hopefully talking about the Nationals as a World Series team. Have a great day.

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