The Kevin Sheehan Show - Ryan Fitzpatrick's PFF Ranking

Episode Date: May 20, 2021

Kevin and Thom today on the Caps' double overtime loss in Boston, the Wizards' do or die game tonight in Indiana, and more on why Morgan Moses might get traded and (at 1:04:00) where Ryan Fitzpatrick ranks on PFF's NFL QB 1-32 list.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You don't want it. You don't need it. But you're going to get it anyway. The Kevin Cheehan Show. Here's Kevin. The show today is brought to you by MyBooky at mybooky.g. If you go to MyBooky.orgie. And you use my promo code, Kevin, D.C.

You will get your first deposit matched up to $1,000. All right. Let them know that I told you to go to my bookie and they'll match your first deposit all the way up to $1,000. You can put whatever you want to. in there. They're going to double it up to $1,000 and give you more money to play with. We've got the NHL playoffs going on, the NBA play-in tournament, the Wizards are three-point favorites tonight, all of the NBA playoff action getting underway this weekend, and a lot more. They've got an online casino. You can play just about any casino game at MyBooky, and they've got

blackjack tournaments on a weekly basis that give you and your friends a crack at prize pools of up to $50,000. MyBooky, mybooky.ag. Please use my promo code when you go there. It's Kevin D.C. Tommy's with me today. We've got the Caps game to talk about. The Wizards game tonight to talk about.

I definitely want to talk about the Warriors and the Lakers last night, which was an outstanding basketball game. No, Tommy. I did not stay up and watch it, but I did get up very early this morning and watch the second half, which I had recorded. And Tommy hasn't had a chance to weigh in on just the devastating news, the devastating news that Morgan Moses might get traded. Oh, my God, that is horrible news.

Some of you really have to just cool down a little bit, pipe down a little bit. This is not, they're not trading Chase Young. They're trading Morgan Moses. You know what? You'll see how ridiculous your response is. as to how outrageous this is when you see what they get for them, like maybe a fifth rounder.

They're trading all their Washington football icons. All of the icons are getting dealt. All of the players. I mean, we got a whole... All the three and 13 legends. We got a roster overhaul. And, you know, I saw Ben tweet this out this morning and give me a second to find it,

but it was so spot on. Hold on. Ben tweeted out. Ben standing. Ben standing from the athletic. Yeah, Ben standing from the athletic. They knew who I was talking about. You know who always did that was Doc. You know, Doc would mention, you know, like showstopper and give all his nicknames. And I would say, yeah, Ryan Carrigan, and he would say, they know who I'm talking about. You don't have to say that. But anyway, Ben tweeted out this morning, the pushback to Morgan Moses's likely exit, while sentimental goes against the very changes Washington fans and others

claim they hoped Ron Rivera's arrival signaled in the first place. Yes. You wanted him to have this autonomy to do a total roster and organizational overhaul. But they loved these mediocre players. My God. They love them. Ryan Carrick and Morgan Moses. Are you kidding?

me stop. Look, he may be wrong about all of this, but let's just give him a shot. Because the other way hasn't worked. None of the other ways have worked. And this one probably won't work either. It really is. It is hilarious, though. But it speaks to the core group that is left that believes 3 and 13 could be 13 in pre to next year. Oh, there are people out they're really, really ginned up about this upcoming season. And I'm encouraged, too, about what they're doing. I mean, whenever there is at least some semblance of professionalism and organizational competence, I get a little bit optimistic. You know, obviously, it has been stopped in my tracks over the years, you know, within, you know, within a couple of years or

sooner. But I don't know, man. I mean, there's obviously, even a cynic, and some people would say I'm a cynic, has to admit there's a level of curiosity. Yeah. There has to be a level of curiosity about how this plays out. Vegas has them an underdog in 14 of the 17 games they're going to play. Well, they're just cynics. Yeah, what does that mean on May 18th or 19th or 20th? It doesn't mean shit to be honest with you. But they, you know, in the recent power rankings that ESPN did, they're 20th. All right. They're not 5th. They're not 10th. They're 20th. By the way, there's two things that I want to do this morning. I want to give you, you know, what I think sort of the offensive line is going to look like. I'm not doing a 53-man roster projection here on May 20th. I don't even do it in August. But I do think that the rookie mini-camp,

probably played into the timing of the news about Morgan Moses. I'm going to get to that in a couple of segments. We'll hold off on that for now, and we'll get to that in a couple of segments. Let's start with the hockey game. Okay, let's start with the hockey game last night. It's the hockey playoffs, and the Caps have played three straight overtime games. And this one last night was a 3-2 double overtime loss to the Bruins that dropped them in this series into a 2-1 deficit. And it was a bad goal, Tommy. A bad goal in the

second overtime. It was a bad, unfortunate goal for a goaltender who was under siege during that entire overtime. Both over time. And played well. Yes. This is true. Samsonov played an excellent game in his first game in, I don't know, 15, 16 days, whatever it was. He stopped 40 of 43 shots. And, you know, I asked, I wanted to have a goalie on the show this morning. And Brent Johnson, who is a part of, I think, the pregame show or post game show. He's not part of the post game show, too, on NBC Sports. On NBC Sports Network.

Sports Washington Network. And so he, I texted him, and I'm like, any chance. And he goes, you know what? I start my lessons at 6 a.m. and I'm not done until 8.30. He's giving hockey lessons 6 a.m. to 8.30. By the way, that is the life of a hockey parent, Tommy. You only get on the ice so many times. And when players are young, the ice time is like ridiculous hours.

And the parents that are hockey parents, that's a real commitment. Because usually, you know, depending on the, in our area, it's not like there are rinks on every corner. So you got to drive long distances some of these people do. And for ice time that might start at 5.30 in the morning. That's a commitment. Anyway, Brent was very nice. He said I'd come on any time, but I've got lessons tomorrow morning.

But I wanted to get an explanation from a goalie as to how that should have been played. Best I can tell, I'm reading various things. Samsonoff and Schultz essentially miscommunicated. You know, Schultz thought that he was. was going to clear the puck and Samsonov thought that Schultz understood that he was leaving it for him. But the one thing that I did, I think I learned from reading about the mistake that he made is that Samsonov, when he dumped the puck to that side and Craig Smith, the Bruins player, was charging in that area, he needed to at least put his body out there to screen him. He was leaving it for

Schultz. He wasn't clearing it. So him going back to the net was a mistake. So there was a miscommunication, but then the goaltender also made a mistake by not staying out there and screening Smith who was charging to the puck. Understand? Yes, I do. And that's the way I see it as well. I mean, it was his. The puck was Samsonoff's responsibility.

Yeah, it was right. He needed to, God, man, and I'm just watching it again. These hockey players, they're so quick. So basically, he went to the wrong side of the net. He needed to screen Smith coming in. Instead, he circled around to the net and then lost track of it. But Smithman makes such a quick hands play. I mean, Samsonov has no idea.

until the goal's already been scored. It's a shame. I think you're right. You know, when we get to the hockey playoffs and we talk about these games, we're really talking about them as sports fans, not hockey experts. Most of you know that. But I do think we have, we've watched enough of these things to know that the ice, as they say, was tilted in the overtime.

And certainly the first overtime and for much of the second overtime as well in Boston's favor. They seemed to be dominating the caps, getting the best opportunities, and their best player, Brad Marchand, had two opportunities to end it, one in the first overtime and one early in the second overtime, and just basically missed wide-open nets. Now, the caps, I thought, during the course of the game, especially the second and third period, you know, I think they got unlucky.

I think they were carrying the play for the most part. Samsonoff was awesome for the first overtime. basically keeping a minute. But there were turnovers that Boston had that the caps scored on one of them. The penalty that Dow took was terrible that set up the power play game time goal. But I thought the caps were sort of the better team in regulation. That's the way I saw it. And the penalty was a horrible penalty that allowed them to tie the game and force the overtime.

It was just a bad penalty that was behind the play. and it's unfortunate. Yeah, it was. I mean, and one thing I didn't know about this, maybe you did, given your level of hockey expertise, but it came up yesterday last night on social media. I thought it was a joke at first, but Alex Oveskant has never scored a playoff overtime goal.

I saw that with the first overtime game on Saturday night, and then they did it again. I didn't see that, so I didn't realize that. He has. That's a bit surprising. It's shocking. I mean, I think he has 70 postseason goals and none of them are in overtime, not one. Which I don't know what that speaks to.

I mean, luck as much as anything, yeah. I mean, Marshan's got, when he got one the other night, it was his fifth. Baxterum's got four for the caps. So, yeah, I mean, I would say it's the, you know, the puck luck thing. Yeah. Because he certainly had opportunities and been very close to ending games before. Now, Kuznetsov was back last night. Samsonoff was back last night.

We already talked about Samsonoff playing a really good game. I thought Kuznetsov looked fresh and looked fast and looked good. Now, I was reading a couple of things that said he had, you know, a so-so game. I thought there were moments where he looked really like he did before, you know. look, Tommy, this organization has a Stanley Cup. And thank God it does. Because this is starting to reek a little bit like what we've seen over a long period of time with the caps in the postseason. And by the way, we've seen the last two years.

First round exits two years ago is the defending champs for a first round exit to Carolina in a game seven at home. but, you know, that Stanley Cup run, they were down two games to nothing and in overtime in game three in the first round against Columbus and being dominated. And somehow they won that game three in overtime and it turned it around and they ended up making their run. Well, look, you're right about, thank God, for the organization. They've got that Stanley Cup. it validates the whole Alex Ovechkin era. I mean, can you imagine the conversation about Ovechkin now? If we're going through this now and he still doesn't have a Stanley Cup,

that's all anyone would be talking about. And I don't think they'd be wrong to talk about it. No, they wouldn't be wrong. But that's not the case. Okay. They have a Stanley Cup, you know. You could argue that they are wasting, that they have wasted, prime Ovechkin years with substandard coaching except for Barry Trotz's, you know, time there.

And I think that's a legitimate complaint. But I have confidence that I don't, I'm not sure that this is going to be a repeat of what we've seen because I have confidence in their, in their, in their coach, Peter Lavalé. Yes, lavalet. See, I prefer to use the French-Canadian pronunciation. I know you do, but he's not French-Canadian. Yes, but basically, you know, when it went in Rome. Isn't he from, like, Jersey? Where's he from?

Yeah, I think he's from South Quebec, Jersey. I'm not sure. He's from Ontario, Jersey. He's from Quebec. But, again, this is a guy with Stanley Cup. Quebec is the only French. Canadian province, right? Yes.

Yes, it is. He's from Franklin, Massachusetts. Okay, well, that's close enough. That's closer to Quebec. No, it isn't. Then Washington is, yes. Is it? Yeah.

But that's pretty far. Yeah. It is. Montreal is about, from here, about a nine-hour drive. I think I've done it before. Well, I think it's, it's, I forget. what the distance is because I drove from Quebec to Montreal.

It was pretty far. Nine hours, 25 minutes. So I was pretty close. So it was 25 minutes off according to MapQuest, D.C. to Montreal. So what's Quebec to Montreal? Now, it took me all day to drive, but I was on back roads. Oh, I thought we were talking about Franklin Mass to Montreal. Five hours in 23 minutes.

Quebec to Montreal is two hours and 45 minutes. Oh, okay. Yeah, and it's further north. Anyway. I don't think, I could be wrong, but I don't think this necessarily plays out as it has in the past. And why do you think?

No, because I have, I think in the Stanley Cup playoffs, coaching is important. Okay. And coaching experience in the Stanley Cup playoffs is important. Now, all I have to go by that is the fact

that the one time the Capitals made it to the Stanley Cup finals and won the Stanley Cup was when they had a coach who had Stanley Cup experience. That's true. When they hired him. Right. You know, who wasn't a Stanley Cup playoff experience, who wasn't a minor league coach who were coaching for the first time. Wait.

So Barry Trots didn't have. Stanley Cup playoff experience. He didn't. I said. They played in a playoffs. He went to the playoffs, 15. times. I know, but he never, he never, he kept getting beat in the playoffs. I said he had Stanley Cup playoff experience. Oh, I thought you were saying like Stanley Cup finals experience. No.

Because LaVolette does. Lobelet does. He, I know. He took Carolina to a Stanley Cup and won it in his second year there. He lost in the Stanley Cup finals with Philadelphia in his very first year. And in Nashville, he got to the Stanley Cup finals in his third year. Now, in Nashville, in Nashville, in In Nashville, he lost in the first round in his first year. So it's not like he hasn't lost in the first round ever before in his first year. I know. He's got a much better resume than Trots had when he, you know, when Trots got here. Yes.

And he has a much better resume than Bruce. Woodrow had and the coaches before him in this Ovetigan era. including the coach who's coaching for the other team, who was a coach here and got run out of town because he was terrible, Bruce Cassidy. I'm still stunned. I mean, I remember covering that Cassidy era.

Did he make it to the playoffs? It was very short, right? Yeah, they got knocked out. They got crushed by Tampa. Oh, they did? That was the Yager teams. The what teams? Yeah, Yager teams.

He was over his head. And he had some issues. What were the issues? He has obviously resolved all those things. What were the issues? Issues. Drinking, drugs? I don't know.

What were the issues? Just tell me what they were. No, I don't. I don't have to tell you. Why? I'm interested. He's not going to hear this podcast. Look, all you got to know is that they were, I'm being kind and saying he had issues.

Oh, my God. I mean, I don't remember what the issues were. I'm looking at his Wikipedia page right now. And in Washington, it doesn't say anything. Were any of these issues reported? I don't think thoroughly, no. But you knew of something that he had issues with? You're going to make a big deal with this?

I don't know. I'm just interested. I'm curious. I mean, he's had a very interesting career. Because after the Caps, he got an opportunity as an assistant. with the Blackhawks, but then he spent a whole hell of a lot of time in the minor leagues in places like Kingston and Providence. And then he got the job in 2016 with the Bruins.

And he's been in the postseason four, you know, five straight years with the Bruins. And they lost the Stanley Cup finals to the Blues a few years ago. He's been a very good coach. And he got promoted. to coach the caps in part by George McPhee because he was seen as a rising star. Right. Okay. So you have this rising star who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, he probably tells me.

And he had a, in the NHL for what? Fifteen years or something like that. Right. 14 years. So what does that tell you? No, it tells me, he probably tells me he had some issues. Okay. And the issues were resolved, which is what you said, they were resolved.

So my guess is that he had some drinking or drug issues. That would be my guess. He doesn't have your issues. Nobody has your issues. By the way, so with the Bruins in his fifth year, Bruce Cassidy got to the Stanley Cup finals in 2019 and lost to the blues. and I think that was the series in which the Blues won for like the first time in forever because the blues, like Al Koken's a lifelong St. Louis guy, St. Louis Blues fan. And I think that was like the, was that their first ever Stanley Cup or the first time since the 60s or something like that.

And it was such a- That's what my hockey people tell me. It was such a big deal in St. Louis, but it had been a while for, well, not nearly. is long. That was, of course, the Pam Jim matchup as well from 2019. Some people got... I still have... Even though the caps are down to one, how tight this series is played, I have confidence they can bounce back. I mean, I think this is going to seven games. No, you don't know. These games are all... They're coin flip games. It could be three nothing right now. It could be two one either way.

These have not been coin flip games. Three games and overtime, all three. Those are not coin flip games. What do you mean? It's exactly what the coin flip description is. It could have gone either way. These three games, all three of them could have gone either way. I know that, but.

That's what I meant by coin flip a coin before the next game. Kevin, I think they're all going to be, it's very likely that they could all wind up be overtime games. Right. So what I'm saying is that. games. Right. Well, no, but that's not the same. Well, you use coin flip as nobody can predict what's going to happen. Yeah. And I'm predicting that they're all going to be close games and it's going to go to seven games. When I said that, you saw, no, it could be a coin flip. No, what I'm really saying, what I'm really, well, what I'm really saying is you have no idea what's going to happen. And then what I'm saying is no one really knows what's going to happen in the series because all these games are probably going to come down to whether or not a puck. hits a skate and goes in or hits a skate and then hits a post and goes out.

And all three of... Nobody knows. I know that. It's hockey. But you dismissed. I have a better topic. You dismiss. Listen to my topic.

No, I know. I don't want it. I have a question for you. I have a question for you. Go ahead. So since the Stanley Cup win, which my God, it was so much fun to watch them celebrate it, it was so much fun to watch Alex Ovechkin celebrate it. and man did he celebrate it and I was so happy not as a caps fan because I'm not a massive

caps fan I'm not a caps fan I'm really they're the one team in town I just don't have much passion for one way or the other other but I really was happy for him it was a really great story that he finally got the monkey off his back right yeah I mean look so what we know about oh we and let me just make it clear we don't know anything about these athletes really but what we I really don't know a lot about... Boy, I didn't know anything about Kwame Brown until recently. Now I know a lot more about Kwame Brown, but then again, I'm not sure I really do know that much about Kwame Brown. I just watched all the videos that Tommy told me to watch before we started recording the podcast.

If you haven't seen Kwame Brown go off on Stephen Jackson, Stephen A. Smith, Gilbert Arenas, and Matt Barnes. It's highly entertaining. And I did look it up. Kwame Brown made $62.5 million during the course... $20 million of his bust of a career. I know. So may I ask the question?

Because you interrupted the question. What are you doing? What are those noises you're making? Was that a sneeze? No. Or something worse? No, it was nothing. Okay.

It was my audience in the background laughing at you. My question is this. So he does have the Stanley Cup. He in the postseason doesn't even have one other Stanley Cup. Cup appearance or even a conference finals appearance. He has been eliminated and his teams have been eliminated in the first or second round in every other postseason he's been in. And since winning the cup and by the way having sort of at least a few years of no matter what happens, it really doesn't matter because he won the cup. How much longer

before we start to look at his team and him and their postseason lack of success. They lost in the first round of Carolina losing a game seven at home, which has been their MO many times, right? It's been their MO. They lost last year getting blown out by the Islanders in the bubble. What if they lose this series in a seventh and deciding game at home or in six? At what point do we start to come back to, you know, he got the one. But my God, was not a great postseason, you know, it was not a productive postseason career. Do we come back to that ever or not?

Do we do that with Dan Marina, who didn't even have a Super Bowl title? No, we don't. I don't. And we wouldn't do it with Ovechkin. I mean, there'd be some people who would do it. But the Stanley Cup keeps that conversation from being the dominant conversation. about him. I think when Barry Trots went to Russia in the winter before that, in the off season,

before that Stanley Cup championship season and wound up meeting with Ovechkin, I'm pretty sure part of the conversation was people are not talking about what you've done. They're talking about what you haven't done. And that's what the conversation will be. And now that's not going to happen. there will be conversations about, you know, the early exits and his overall track record. But he's got a ring. He's got a ring.

That's sort of like, you know, protection from the kryptonite. I think actually the Marino thing is fair because I think football and hockey are similar. You know, you're not on the ice. You're not on the field the entire time. You're dependent much more on the team. with that said, Gretzky, Lemieux, you know, Crosby, and all of the multiples of Stanley Cups, this will be, you know, if it's only one

and the rest of the postseason resume is really bad, which it is. You know, it'll be discussed. It'll be discussed. But I think you're right. Yeah, I think you're right. God, you just said something else that made me think of something and now I forgot. Well, I do that a lot.

Listen, one thing that's fair is I think it's fair to say that our favorite owner wasted the Oveskian era. Oh, that's what I was going to say. So this Barry Trots trip to Russia. So you're saying it worked, huh? Yes. So, and then it worked because they won the Stanley Cup, right? Yes.

And then the owner... You really set me up here, aren't you? And then the owner did what? Did he forget what the coach had done just a couple of months earlier? Seriously, what was he thinking? I mean, as long as this guy and this franchise was striving to achieve that, you pay the man. I know, I know. You pay him.

I know. It's crazy that he didn't. There was this conversation in the organization about Reardon that Todd Reardon had a lot to do with their Stanley. Well, how'd that work out for them? Yeah, I know. Because, you know, part... There's what happened. You had guys who thought they were smarter than they really were.

Well, isn't that interesting? You know, when you write a book about the business of happiness, there's no doubt that you think you know what it takes to be happy. In all seriousness note, I mean, that's one of the biggest recent mistakes in that sport. Yes, it is. And I know that people that covered the sport, you know, sort of bought into it too, because I remember some of those conversations, and I can't, I can't remember specifically who was on board with it versus who wasn't.

But I remember them saying, yeah, Reardon is just really phenomenal, you know, X's and O's and the whole thing. He'll slip right in. Yeah. They won't miss a beat. Yeah. And last year, they basically said the team quit on them. Yeah. You know, in that bubble loss to the Islanders.

Listen, you want to talk about Morgan Moses' foolishness by fans? the foolishness by Capitals fans, when they let Trots go and hired Reardon, was unbelievable. Tell me. The pushback I got from fans who said, no, this is no big deal. Fans who had no clue how much what Todd Reardon contributed to the organization. Said, no, this is, they bought into the whole hook line and sinker that they weren't going to miss a beat. And that it was no big deal because the reality would be too pay. painful. Here they were celebrating their first Stanley Cup championship, and then fans had to come to grips with the guy who brought it to them left.

They didn't want to admit that that was a major disaster. It's really, it's not only that, by the way, since he showed up in New York, coaching the Islanders, right? He's done very well. They beat the caps last year. And the first year, they lost their, before he even started, they lost their best. fired a free agency. They won, so they lost in the conference finals last year, and they lost in the second round of the team that beat the caps in the first round, Carolina, in 2019. So he's been a better playoff coach than anybody the caps have had that's replaced him, reared in twice, and we'll see about la lavalier.

But, and they're also, by the way, it's one-one with Pittsburgh. You know, Pittsburgh was sort of the favorite in this series. I think game two is tonight, but that series is all knotted up at a game of piece. I don't know, man. I don't know enough. But they got this one wrong in hindsight, clearly. They got it wrong. While Ted, and it took them a long time to get to Barry Trots in the first place, they wasted a lot of years.

Ted may have capitalized on Alex Ovechkin at the. box office and growing his product. But in terms of results on the ice, you could argue he's wasted the Ovechkin era. You know, seriously, in the book that I'm writing, the business of unhappiness, I'm going to have a chapter titled Wasted Stanley Cup era. And, oh, by the way, when we finally win one, don't fire the coach. That will make me unhappy. It didn't make me unhappy, but it'll make that's pretty good.

Unhappy. You know what, though, Tommy? Smartest guy in the room. Just ask him. Absolutely. Well, you know what? He's got the resume to back it up. He really does. You got to admit. You know, whenever we have this conversation, I always remind myself that compared to the other owners in town, he's developed a really, really attractive product with the hockey team over the years. He did. He really did raise the profile of this franchise. Now, you got lucky that Alex Ovechkin was available and you picked him, you know, because without that, it would have been, you know, basically what it was previous to that. But they've had this long run of, have they ever missed the playoffs with Ovechkin? I think they did have one year that they missed the playoffs. Yeah, they did. At least more than one.

No. Yeah, more than one. I think they had a losing season, Ovechkin's first year. No, no, no. Ovetchkins Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, right. But I'm talking about once they made the playoffs, remember they lost to the Flyers in Game 7,

we were there for that one. The next year we were there for the Penguins. That was the game 7 where it was like five to nothing in 20 minutes. Oh, my God. Oh, God. But once they started to make the playoffs, is what I'm talking about. Have they missed since? Or has he made the playoffs?

I'm pulling it up here. 2007, 2008, the Flyers. Okay, playoffs 09, 10, 11, 12, 13. They did not make the playoffs in 14, and then they've made it every. So once they started to make the playoffs, they've made it every single year except for one season. But you know, here's the other thing about the narrative of this team. What?

I mean, it's not like they were sitting in a corner. eating green spaghetti before Alex Ovechkin arrived. I know. They had all the heartbreaking losses of another era. They had tremendous playoff run. Yes. They went to the playoffs 82. I mean, they went to playoffs for about 14 straight years.

Right. And loss of the penguins and the Islanders and everybody, and they went to the Stanley Cup final where they were promptly dismissed by the Red Wings in four straight. That was 98. And they also, And they also got to the Eastern Conference finals at some point and lost to the Bruins in Forestry. Yes, they did.

Well, look, their playoff history was just littered with the 3-1-blown leads in the game sevens at home and the game sevens elsewhere. But they made the playoffs. They were a playoff contender every year. Oh, yeah, no doubt. They had great teams. I mean, it's not like they were walking. It's not like the other team that Ted owns that's been walking in the desert. for 40 years.

There was success before Ovescant. You know, the other thing about the capitals, so number one, you know, the pro, here's what he did do with the downtown arena and getting the team. I know they were downtown before because they played the Red Wings, you know, in the downtown arena, not at Capitol Center.

That's true, right? I'm right about that? Yes, yes, they did. Because I think I didn't go to that series, but I went to the series against the Sabres in the Eastern Conference Finals, and I'm pretty sure I went downtown. But what I was going to say is not only did Ted really enhance the product and make it – it really is a great live sporting event in town to go to,

and it's a really good atmosphere. I give him all the credit. He does understand consumer businesses and how to market those businesses and how to make them super customer-friendly, I think he's really, really good at that. And the other thing, they had the benefit of, in addition to Ovechkin, and I think that this, you know, is part of the story. They have a true rival. They're the only team in town, really, that has a legitimate rivalry that's nationally known now.

The football team doesn't really anymore. I mean, people know Skins Cowboys. I'm not trying to say that nobody, you know, that no one really recognizes that. But it's way down the list of important rivalries in the N. NFL. Penguins' caps, number one rivalry in the sport, and has been for a decade or longer. Listen, and that that was a, again, that was, that was not a rivalry that just started during the American era. I know, I know, they were choking to the penguins in the years past. Right. Yes. But it really, but the Crosby-Ovechkin era of this rivalry pushed it to the top. Yes.

It wasn't. And I want to point out, another thing that Ted did, speaking of, the arena. I don't think enough people realize this. That building was in trouble until Michael Jordan came to play for the Wizards. How so? I don't know. I honestly don't know what you're talking about. It had opened and in this first year and a couple years of attendance there was not

doing particularly well because people didn't want to go downtown. Well, that's crazy. It was such a great. I mean, once the, go ahead. It started slowly. Once Jordan got signed. Yeah, that took... That started the Exodus downtown.

People started saying, okay, it's safe to come down here. You know, we can come down here and watch an event. That changed the tenor of what was then the MCI Center. It was floundering for a while. You know, so I, you know, I love my city, and I've spent a lot of... time in a lot of different areas in the city. And Chinatown, prior to the arena, being built, was not a great area. It wasn't.

You know, it certainly wasn't an area you spent time in unless you probably lived in the area. But I sort of remember being wowed right from the jump when it opened up as the MCI Center, right? It opened up as the MCI Center in 97, 98, that time frame. Because I went down a lot in those early days, not for hockey games. primarily for Wizards games. But I remember, and it just continued to get better and better and better. The attendance for the caps was bolstered by the fact that they made the Stanley Cup.

Pretty much the finals, the first year was open. Right. I mean, but as far as the Wizards, their attendance, before Jordan took to the court and started playing. Their attendance in that place was down. I mean, for a new arena, it was horrific. Usually for a new building, a new stadium, there's usually a bump for a couple of years. That's interesting. I didn't know that.

You know, I still, look, Abe Poland wasn't like a great owner of the bullets in the capitals. You know, he wasn't a big spender necessarily, but man, ultimately, him, building that arena, basically financing the entire thing, was such a huge thing for this city. Such a huge thing. It gave people a reason to come back to the city, and it really started, look, I'm not an expert on what started the gentrification of a lot of different areas of the city and made the city in so many different neighborhoods, more desirable not only to live in, but to come down and spend money in over the years.

But this was a big driver of that. Yes, it was. It changed the city. I mean, without this success of the Verizon Center, there's no Nationals Park. And there's probably no talk of at some point maybe having a football stadium back in the district, which you don't think will happen still.

Do you, or have you? Well, I don't want, I don't think it'll happen. No, I don't think it's on the horizon. And I don't think it's on the horizon as long as Dan Snyder owns the team. You know, did you see the story about the turf? They're changing the turf at FedEx Field. Yeah, my question is, how many bodies do you think they'll dig up? Oh, that's funny.

I think... That is funny. Yeah. Well, they... Required more than just, oh, that's funny. They have to dig deep, apparently, to put this turf in. So there may be a couple of them down. there. But my guess is most of them

are buried out in Ashburn and not necessarily at the stadium. But, you know, one of the things that came out in that release or that story that I think actually Ben Standig, Ben writes for the athlete, for those that don't know Ben. The, is that

one of the things that was said by the organization is this turf will be really, really good for us right through the end of our lease, which is 2027, right? Yes. Oh, shit, it's 2021 already.

That's going to appear before we know it. All right, let's talk. I mean, like I said before, I think they're going to wind up right where they are. It's possible. But, you know, hopefully Jason Wright, and by the way, guys like Terry Baitman, who I know, Terry, you know, is still working on some of that stuff and some of the, you know, different stuff with gambling and he's still involved. They have, they're working towards a lot of things.

here. But I'm not going to debate you on this because you really have a better sense of what the city thinks and what the state of Maryland, the state of Virginia thinks. The Virginia thing to me seems like a long shot has always seemed like a long shot. I hope they understand one thing. I hope Jason Wright understands this. Brian Lafamina, who lasted all of nine months and who Tommy famously said when he got hired. Don't buy rent. That was rather prescient. I hope Jason Wright understands what Lafamina understood after meeting with several people, me included. He had me out there to spend an hour with him one day. And part of the conversation was about the stadium. And he said, what do you think? And I said, well, it has to be built in the city. And he said, well, it doesn't

have to be built. No, I said, it has to be built in the city. I said, you know, winning is going to solve everything. But really, if you want the people that you've lost as a fan base, and a lot of those people are in places like Montgomery County and even parts of the city and certainly parts of northern Virginia, you've got to build a downtown stadium. You've got to have a winning team. Winning is first and foremost. But if you're asking me specifically about the stadium, it's got to be downtown. Because if it's way out in Virginia or if it's, you know, you know, near the MGM, it doesn't matter in this day and age whether you're winning or not. A lot of people that you want to go, that you want to buy big time suites, you want to spend big money,

they're not going to do it unless it's downtown. That's always been my feeling. But anyway, let's get to the Wizards, Pacers, and the other game from last night, the Warriors, Lakers. What a game that was. We'll do that right after this word from one of our sponsors. Wizards and Pacers tonight, the Wizards are two and a half, three point four. favorites. The winner is the eight seed faces the 76ers and a first round best of seven starting this weekend. The loser is out. And I'm just, I'm wondering if this is crucial,

like if they have to win or it's going to get blown up. And blown up doesn't just mean Scott Brooks. Like I do sort of feel like if Scott, if they don't win this game in advance to the postseason, that Scott Brooks won't be back. And I don't even know that if Scott Brooks wins this game and then gets into a first round series and gets blown out that he's back. But I think it gives him the opportunity to get into a first round series and be competitive and then have Tommy and Ted sold on, we can win 50 games next year, we can be a three seed, and we can have a chance with this team. So I do think from that standpoint, it's crucial.

It's also crucial for the Indiana coach who, you know, there were reports recently that he has, essentially had lost the team. I think they're going to win tonight, but I have no idea, because they just don't guard well enough. And Indiana can really score, but Indiana doesn't guard very well. The key to me is really simple, Tommy. I want them to somehow get into a regular season-style game like they had with the Pacers, where they end up with 105, 110 shot attempts,

and Westbrook can go for 22 assists, and Beale can score 42, and they can win 135 to 133 or something like that. If it's a game that gets into a slog, you know, fest and there's more half court and defense has to be played and more of a plan offensively has to be implemented, you know, I think they're in trouble. You know, people don't know about Subonis. A lot of people that are just paying attention to basketball right now don't know the kind of year that Sabonis is having for Indiana. he averaged a triple double over his last, I think 15 games of the regular season. He's a terrific player, plays a lot like Yokic, great passer.

They're really good. They won't have Karis Lavert. He's in like health and safety protocols, I guess, related to COVID. I don't know. I kind of hope they win. And at the same time, if they lose, I look forward to what's next. as well. But I want them to win because I want another week and a half of talking about them in the playoffs. They can't be chilly, though. I mean, no, they're not going to be Philly. But look, I think

even if they lose, I think the Scott Brooks conversation is going to be problematic for Tommy Shepard because of Russell Westbrook, who's made it clear that his infamous quote, Tommy gets me. He lets me be me. Yeah, but if letting him be him means a terrible game and a loss to the Celtics and another bad game and a loss to the Pacers, who gives a shit if you're the owner or the general manager? Hey, Russ, we love you. Oh, the owner will give a shit. They love Westbrook. Well, great, but letting him be him didn't get you to the playoffs.

I agree with you. I agree with you. And I don't know if Tommy thinks. this way or not. But, you know, I mean, me and other people before me have crowned Tommy Shepard, you know, the champ in the Westbrook Wall Trade. And then you want to blow it up just like that. Well, you know, I mean, the reason you wrote what you wrote and the reason that people have been talking about that is that this last month and a half was supposed to end in a playoff series. If it doesn't, then what do you have? What did you really get? That's right. That's rational.

What you're saying makes total sense. But there's an extension to the rationality there. The extension is not only didn't you get there, you didn't get there because you couldn't beat a reeling Celtics team and a Pacer's team that can't guard anybody because you're really not built for these kinds of games the way you're currently constructed. They have to prove to Ted and to Tommy that this will work.

and this will work can't get proven unless they play a competitive series in a best of seven against the number one seat at this point. I think they're committed to this team as is. I don't. Okay. I agree with you, and I've agreed with you recently, but that's because I had the expectation that they were going to get into a best of seven. and if they don't, then we, you know what, playing these two games, which have been playoff style games, I don't know what tonight's game's going to look like yet, but it sort of, you know, it basically takes the last month and a half or the last six weeks and says, yeah, but this guy is

majorly limited when the game changes in the postseason. I know, but again. And Brad, Brad might not want to be a part of it. of it. What if Brad doesn't want to be a part of it? You're talking about a fan base that in a way is the same fan base that is up in arms over the departure of Morgan Moses. No. No, no, you've got a fan base here that's ginned up about the last six weeks.

No, I think you're wrong about that. This is the Wizards. I think you're wrong about that. I think the real hardcore Wizards fans, which I talk to a lot of them, I think they want Scott Brooks out. I think they want Brooks out. What are you? What's,

are you okay over there? No, there's somebody. Would you keep it down back there, please? Okay. Thanks. I think they want Brooks out. That's what I think.

And I think the only way Brooks is out is if they lose tonight or if they win tonight and then just get torched in, say, four games by the 76ers. Well, I think that's the difference in Morgan Moses. That's what should happen because I don't think. I don't think they make the move, the leap that they want with Scott Brooks as the coach. Let me throw one other wrinkle in here, and I just screamed it to you, but you didn't acknowledge it. What if Brad, what if they lose tonight? And Brad says, you know, it was kind of fun.

And he's really interesting. And, man, he tries hard. But I want to win. I want to win big. I want to be on a big stage. And it ain't going to happen. this way. And he tells them

after next year, I'm going to free agency. I'm not signing a long-term deal here. If that's the case, you have to trade him before next year. And it's actually getting to the point where it's even too late to trade

him for a haul, but you'll get a haul. You know, I had, who did I have? Chris Miles on the show from NBA TV. This this morning. And he said, you know, you're talking about, you know, a significant player in four first-round picks. You know, so you, you know, like two in New Orleans for him to team up with Zion. Maybe you get Ingram back in four first-rounders, something like that. You know, you're right. And if you're Tommy, Tommy Shepard, the new GM, as much as everyone loves Bradley Beal, and he is a great player, he's not Tommy's player.

Yeah, but they love him. I know they love him. Yeah. But general managers, it's in their bloodstream. They like to grow their own. Do they win tonight or not? Yeah, I do. I think they win.

I'm worried. The line is short. I think the line is short, and the public is playing the wizard. So, you know, that bothers me. But I'm going to say that they somehow eke out a win tonight. And then they play the 76ers real quickly on the game that was played last night. Wow, that was a basketball game. Look, I didn't stay up.

I recorded it and I watched it early this morning, the second half. That was a basketball game, man. That was intense. That was playoff fever. And the Lakers got what they wanted. They wanted to win last night so that they got Phoenix in the first round. Phoenix is a very inexperienced team other than Chris Paul in the postseason. And they wanted to avoid, you know, being in that Utah stretch of potentially playing Utah in

the first round. And I give the Lakers credit. First of all, LeBron got poked in the eye, and I swear to God, you would have thought that he had been shot three times. And Mark Jackson, who was doing the game with Van Gundy and Mike Breen, when he went to the line and he was doing the blinking really hard and the squinting, Mark Jackson said, and I'm paraphrasing here, but it'll tell you pretty much what Mark Jackson was thinking. He said, yeah, I remember sometimes. when I got hit in the eye and I would do that blinking, squinting thing just in the event that I missed the shot. Basically calling LeBron a drama queen actor, which of course we all know he was, but my God, did he hit a shot last night? From 34 feet with the shot clock winding down, he buries the three. It ends up being the game winner.

And then what a really good job the Lakers did. First of all, in the second half, after they scored just 42 in the first half. You know, 42 points in the first half of an NBA game, even an intense playoffs, you know, field game like last night. That's like scoring 18 in college. Like, you know, these teams are just putting up big numbers, and they could not make a shot. And the defense by Draymond Green in particular, he was so good. And then in the second half, they used their size, and they got to the rim. They took the lead, and then it was back and forth. It was a great basketball game last night.

But right after LeBron hit that three, man, they immediately, they doubled the shit out of Steph Curry. They were not going to let Steph Curry get a shot up. Both final possessions. It was really interesting to watch what they did to Curry. I mean, they had two men on them a lot last night. He still got 37. But really good game.

And now I hope Golden State can beat Memphis because Golden State, Utah, that's a tough matchup for them, but they're really playing well now. You know, it was, it was really too, and I don't say this about the NBA a lot, but it was a really well-coached game. It was an intense game. It was physical. It was ugly at times. But, you know, obviously, you know that Steve Kerr can coach. And I thought Vogel did a phenomenal job as well, you know, sort of countering what wasn't working in the first half. And it was a great basketball. game last night. And the NBA needs the Lakers in the postseason. You know, I've heard a lot of discussion about how LeBron and LeBron's tweeting and his, you know, politics are killing the NBA. At the same

time, come on, people. I mean, regardless of what you think, if LeBron James isn't in the NBA playoffs or the NBA finals, that's going to kill the ratings too. He's got to be in it. I mean, that's what people expect this time of year. I'll be interested. did see what kind of number that game did last night because I saw a lot of conversation about that game going into it and then afterwards. All right, let's do some Washington football offensive line discussion.

Morgan Moses continuation. Also, where does Ryan Fitzpatrick rank on the pro football focus list of the top 32 projected quarterbacks entering the 2021 season? We'll do that right after this word from one of our sponsors. So people seem to be upset about sort of the roster overhaul. I'm not. And I want to make one thing clear, too.

Like, all of you know that I was happy about the hiring of Ron Rivera. And I'm happy so far with the job that he's done. I think there's professional people on the football side of the organization. I'm encouraged by that. At the same time, you know, I'm not giving him passes. I'm not thinking that, oh my God, they finally found the guy. But they found a guy that was better than the guy that I thought they would end up finding a year ago. I didn't think they'd be able to attract a guy like Ron Rivera to this job.

And Ron Rivera is doing a decent job. Bottom line is, though, they were 7 and 9 last year, and they beat basically six backup quarterbacks. And the only one that they did that they beat that wasn't a true backup or struggling was Ben Rathesberger. and that was right before Ben was about to implode. On this Morgan Moses thing, have added all you want. I'm not worked up over losing Morgan Moses. I'm not. And in part, I think what happened here,

I explained what I thought happened specifically yesterday, but I think there's another layer to this. I think the rookie minicamp revealed what they thought they were getting in Sam Cosme, the second rounder from Texas. They picked Cosmy in the second round. They didn't pick him in the fourth round. or fifth round. They picked him in the second round. When you pick somebody in the second round, you expect that player to be a starter. And so they liked him. I knew they liked him and Diami

Brown before the draft. There were two players that I talked about on that Friday before rounds two and three. And they ended up getting both of those players. And the one thing that I heard right when they drafted Cosmi is he's going to start. Now, my impression was, well, they think he's going to start at left tackle. Well, no. Actually, what I think now if you connect the dots after they signed Leno to a $5 million deal, is they think Cosme is going to be the starting right tackle. They think they drafted their starting right tackle. So if they believe that Cosmi and Leno are equal to Morgan Moses,

and by the way, younger and cheaper, well, then move on and trade them when you have a chance to trade him and get something back for them. Don't do what they've done in the past, which is wait, and then not have the ability to trade a player. you know, in the case of Trent Williams, be totally petty, in the case of Kirk Cousins, be totally petty, didn't want to deal with Kyle Shanahan, didn't want to, you know, give in to Trent Williams. All stupidity at the highest level by the organization, missing out on multiple first-round picks. But here's what I think the starting offensive line is going to be.

Leno at left tackle, flowers at left guard, Ruier, Sheriff, and Cosmi. You know, it could end up being like Cornelius Lucas. at the other tackle. That's a possibility. But I think that what they, the timing of it says to me that they got a look at at the guy Cosme that they wanted to get a look at and they liked them even more than what they saw leading up to the draft. And they're like, you know what, Morgan, see ya. And we got another guy who's going to be a tackle for us for a long, long time. So that's what I think happened. And that's what I think the starting offensive line. be, and then you'll have, you know, Lucas and Schweitzer and Martin and maybe Christian, who knows?

I know they like Sharp. They like Sharp last year. Tommy, I wanted to end with this. Pro football focus, regardless of what you think of pro football focus, I'm not going to get into that debate right now. They ranked the top 32 projected starting quarterbacks for 2021. And I was very curious to see where they had Ryan Fitzpatrick. you're not all in on Ryan Fitzpatrick. I'm excited and intrigued by Ryan Fitzpatrick, but I wanted to see where pro football focus had him because the bottom line is he's had two of the best years of his career in the last two years.

You ready for me to go through this list? Yeah, I've got it in front of me. Obviously Patrick Mahomes is number one. Brady's number two. Aaron Rogers is number three. Russell Wilson's number four. Deshawn Watson's number four. number five. I'll just add sort of parenthetically, you know, this is what I said when Watson was,

you know, potentially, you know, tradable. I think Watson's an elite quarterback and not maybe at the Rogers Mahomes level, but heading in that direction. They've got them at five. They've got Josh Allen at six. The first surprise. Wait a minute. Let me just ask you something. Yeah. They play one of those top five quarterbacks, how many do it's Washington play next year? I'm going to get to it because number seven is Dak Prescott, which I think is high for Prescott. But I think Prescott at 10 or 11 wouldn't have been too high. But yes, Tommy, they pray the top seven quarterbacks per pro football focus, they play seven games against the top seven quarterbacks.

They play Mahomes once, Brady once. Rogers, whether he's in Green Bay or Denver, they play Denver too, Rogers, Russell Wilson, they don't play Deshawn Watson, they play Josh Allen, and they play Prescott twice. That's seven games against the top seven quarterbacks in the league per pro football focus. I don't know that any team has ever had that on their schedule. Lamar Jackson's eight, they play Matt Ryan, who's nine. So they've got eight games against the top nine quarterbacks.

It's almost half their schedule. In recent years, it would have been half their schedule. But they play 17 now. Baker Mayfield's 10. I think that's high for Baker Mayfield, but I do think he was much better last year. And Kevin Stefansky's proving to be a real good offensive mind and maybe a good head coach.

Stafford's 11. I would have had Stafford ahead of Mayfield. I think I would have had him ahead of Prescott. I think he's going to have a massive year with Sean McVeigh. in L.A. Tannahill's 12. My God, Ryan Tannahill, there's the perfect example of never give up on a guy if he's got some talent because his career was over, basically, and he's had two phenomenal years in Tennessee. I don't know if he's the 12th best quarterback in the NFL, but he's a top half of the league guy, no doubt. Derek Carr's 13. I'm not a big Derek Carr fan, but I do concede that he had

had his best year last year. Kirk Cousins is 14. I'm not going to spend much time on Kirk. I actually think Kirk should be a little bit higher on this list. And I think maybe next year, I think he's going to have a big year because they've addressed a lot of the weaknesses on that team. Justin Herbert is 15. I'd have Herbert in front of Kirk. I can tell you that. Rathlisberger is 16. And clearly Rafflesberger is going down. The, you know, the arrow is pointing down on Rothelisberger. He just has, he doesn't look healthy enough to be the old Ben. We haven't gotten to Ryan Fitzpatrick yet, and we're through the top half of the league starters. Kyler Murray 17, Joe Burroughs 18, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is 19. And what they write about

Fitzpatrick is this. Fitzpatrick continues to play his best football the longer he stays in the league. The veteran ranks 15th in PFF passing grade since 2018. So since 2018, he's been a top half of the league passer. Last year in Miami, he had the team rolling until Brian Flores took the quarterback room for a roller coaster ride. It's rare for a veteran quarterback placeholder to join a solid football team, but this will be the best team Fitzpatrick has been on in quite some time, talking about Washington. Fitzpatrick brings energy, leadership, a wealth and knowledge to the locker room, but his Achilles heel is protecting the football. If he's able to play smart and deliver on explosive plays, Washington will be a

playoff contender. So 19. I don't know. It seems like he would be, for me, maybe a couple spots higher. I mean, Burrow, look, I'd rather have Burrow. He's ahead of Garapolo. He's ahead of Daniel Jones. He's head of Garoppolo. He's ahead of Carson Wentz.

He's ahead of Winston. He's had a golf. Well, I can get that. Yeah. But he's ahead of Carson Wentz. I think that's a little bit surprising. He's ahead of Carapolo. I think that's surprising. I think Winston's going to have a big year with Sean Peyton.

That's a good team, too. It's a really good team, and the quarterback is the big issue. But I think Winston's going to be good. He's ahead of Daniel Jones. One ahead of Daniel Jones. Yeah, one ahead of Daniel Jones. This is a massive year for Jones. I think of the guys in front of them, I don't know, maybe a step up with Rathlisberger dropping.

I like him more than I like Derek Carr. I'm just not a Derek Carr guy. I don't know why. I can't explain it. But anyway, you know, PFF thinks he's joining the best team he's been on in a long time. So there you go. What else you got? I got nothing else for you, boss.

Okay. Have a good weekend. And I know it's not the weekend yet, but I won't talk to you until next week. So have a good weekend. So you're not going to talk to me this weekend? I don't know. I'm sure you'll text. me something like hi like like i texted you during the wizards game the other night yeah i mean

you texted me during the wizard's game um are you watching what did you text me are you watching the wizards i texted you are you watching the wizards game yeah and it was basically a hint to retweet tommy's wizards column which i promptly did which you promised that you would i know and and then i mean i'm sitting there thinking he's watching the game about what the column was exactly about that we talked about. Well, let me just tell you. And it didn't the clue when the game started, you didn't say, oh, I forgot something. No, Tommy, right here in my phone was retweet Tommy's column, and I had it at 9 p.m.

Okay? I had it at 9 p.m. What good you do to retweet the column? When the game is more than halfway over. I don't know. But I... By the way, did you notice I retweeted your podcast yesterday? I think I missed the message when it popped up. No reminder.

Nothing. No, I know. And I appreciate that. And I, you know... Let's talk more about this over the weekend. Why don't we do that? Why don't you call me over the weekend? And we can talk about the differences in retweeting the podcast.

and retweeting your columns because there is a big difference. But no, you know, I love retweeting your columns, especially when I read them. And, you know, when I read your columns, and I like them, I typically do retweet them. I don't know. You know what?

You're assuming that I always like your column and that I agree with your column. Remember, if I retweet your column, it is, for anybody that sees me retweeting it, It is an indication that I liked it and I agree with it. Well, I re-tweet your podcast. And I don't necessarily agree with all of them. Yeah, but that's different.

That's different. I know how you're going to say it's different. Yeah, it is different. But beyond that, I mean, retweeting, first of all, if you didn't retweet a podcast that I did that you weren't on, and you do retweet some of the podcasts that you're not on. on, and I do appreciate that. But if you didn't, I wouldn't be asking you to do it.

But I do anyway, because my idea is you support your teammates. I know, and we are teammates in this podcast. We are. We're not necessarily teammates on your column, but because I love you dearly and I love the way you write, and there's so many times, I mean, over the years, how many times have I said? How many times have I said without you on the podcast or the radio show, I love Tommy as a columnist. Four times.

How many times? Four times. Bullshit. Many more than that. And the reason that I love you as a columnist is the same reason that I love Sally as a columnist. And I don't always agree with Sally. But I think that you're both fearless. And I love that about the way you're right.

You are fearless. You're a shitter for sure. But beyond that, you don't give a shit about who you've offended, although you did the other day say that you regretted what you wrote about Michael Morse. Mike Morse. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I was too. I mean, I write a thousand columns.

Of course there's going to be a couple that you wish you could take that. There are radio shows and podcasts. Many of them sometimes I'm like, ah, I wish I hadn't said it that way. I wish I hadn't said it at all. Here's the closing argument. counselor. Okay. What's the tagline at the end of my column say?

It says you can hear me on Kevin Sheehan's podcast. Okay. On the Kevin Sheehan's a podcast. I think we're done. You know what we are done because that proves that I read your columns all the time, which you've accused me of not doing. All right, boss. Oh, one other thing.

Is FP back on the Nats games? He's not back on the Nats game? I watched. No, there was Justin. Maxwell last night. So that's Justin Maxwell. Okay. Yeah.

A good guy. Yeah, I've heard he's a good guy. I think I had him on the radio show once. Yeah. All right, we're done. Back tomorrow on a Friday to recap the Wizards to talk about other things and maybe to have Cooley on the show. I don't know what his schedule is.

I'll find out later today. Have a good day.