The Pat McAfee Show - PMS 2.0 1339 - Feel Good Friday With Shams Charania, Pete Thamel, J.R. Smith, & AJ Hawk

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

On today's show, Pat, AJ Hawk, and the boys recap last night’s NBA playoff game that saw the Warriors get handled by the Timberwolves without Stephen Curry, as well as two great games in the NHL Playoffs with the Capitals beating the Canes 3-1, and the Oilers beating the Golden Knights 5-4 in overtime. Joining the show to chat more about everything going on in the NBA Playoffs, is ESPN Senior NBA Insider, Shams Charania. Next, The Authority on both college football and college basketball, Pete Thamel joins the show to chat about the 16 team playoff that looms, the budget of top college football programs this upcoming year, some QB battles, when a ruling is coming to establish some guardrails, and more. Later, 2x NBA Champion, 2013 Sixth Man of the Year, 17 year NBA veteran, JR Smith joins the show to chat about the playoffs, his golf career, and more. Make sure to subscribe to youtube.com/thepatmcafeeshow or watch on ESPN (12-2 EDT), ESPN’s Youtube (12-3 EDT), or ESPN+. We appreciate the hell out of all of you. See you on Monday. Cheers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello beautiful people and welcome to our humble abode the Thunderdome on this Feel Good Friday, May 9th, 2025. This program starts now. Spore are happening all around us and we're so incredibly lucky that we get a chance to chat about it. Obviously the NBA and the NHL playoffs continued on last night with some magic taking place deep into the evening as the NHL had an overtime game on the West Coast. So that's a 1 32 a.m. call time if you're to watch the entirety of that game. We have somebody in the Thunderdome that actually did that and even tweeted about it at about 2 a.m.

And it is heartbroken by McJesus and the boys of the Oilers who have now won six straight playoff games which is a record in the NHL after being down a significant amount. They've won six straight playoff games, which is a record in the NHL, after being down a significant amount. They've won six straight games after trailing. They've come back every single time. This is a gritty group. Obviously, we watched them do their thing in the playoffs in the run last year. We had them mic'd up.

They had cameras in the locker room. McJesus is yelling at the boys. They thought last year was going to be the year. Is this the year that the Edmonton Oilers are the team of destiny? Is this the year that McJesus cements hisers are the team of destiny is this the year that McJesus? Cements his name is not only one of the greats to ever play but also a guy That's tough for Jackie Aces. Jackie Aces had a great game. He did that's Jack Ikel that just got absolutely demolished there at the blue line

Okay He was the best player on the ice for the Vegas Golden Knights the entire game just so happened to get him at Jesus train On him in the OT bang to lose the game now That's tough for Jack Ikel Jack Ikel will bounce back Jackie aces his dog Stoner also gonna be able to bounce back They think they got screwed because of a little bit of an ice pick that happened in overtime now nonetheless Hockey is awesome and that game was spectacular. I don't think a lot of people got to watch it, but we have somebody that did Let's go to the talk to table at Boston Connor at Ty Schmidt Ty Schmidt. You've been a Vegas Golden Knights fan since the Vegas Golden Knights were created

That's right. You're born and raised in Iowa. I don't think you were a big hockey fan. You joined this program We're all hockey fans. You didn't have a team the Vegas Golden Knights become a team you say that's my team Have a lot of success you followed along last night You stayed up until 2 a.m. to watch this overtime thriller against the Oilers. Your heart got broke after the Vegas Golden Knights had another lead and gave it up yet again. What was your thoughts on the game and what is your thoughts on the NHL playoffs this year? Yeah, I mean you hit the nail on the head. You know you want to talk about heart breaking. Listen, I try to watch as many of these games as I can but you mentioned

it. I mean these west coast start times when you you know, hey, if this thing goes the distance or goes into overtime, like I think like 16 of the games so far in the NHL playoffs have like we're looking at maybe a 2 a.m. You know, 230 a.m. finish here, which isn't great, but it was an incredible game. I mean, pick it up right here in the third period. Golden Knights are on the power play. Jackie Aces is just dancing with the puck you mentioned it He was the best player on the ice for most of the game

Look at that just a nice little one-timer Apple to Victor Olufsen for three and you know again the Golden Knights it looked like the Oilers were gonna kind of run away with it and then we get an Alex Pichangelo goal You know tie it up 4-4 and This is all an OT. This is the the one kind of the start of play You got Nicholas Wah who just get you know, nice little four check. No, not a four check cross check cross check Yeah, four check defense on the ice cross check is illegal and he did a right to this guy's mouth I saw a lot of Vegas Golden Knights people saying that was a cross check to the chicklets I mean, I know clearly what that was. I get that you know, that's a lot of Vegas Gold Knights people saying, hey, why don't we do it? That was a cross check to the Chicklets. I mean, I know clearly what that was.

And I get that. That's a game of misconduct. He's gone. It's a five minute major. So the Oilers were on the power play for five minutes here in overtime, which obviously is not great when you got guys like Mick Jesus and Dry Cytl on the ice.

But Aiden Hill has nine saves on the power play. I mean, just deflecting everything. And we're starting to think, OK, we get back to even strength here. Here we go. Aiden Hill has nine saves on the power play. I mean, just deflect and everything. And we're starting to think, okay, we get back to even strength here. Here we go. Not too long later. This is what a lot of Golden Knights fans were bitching about as well. Including Lil Wayne.

Yep. Including Lil Wayne. You got Brayden McNabb, who just a classic ice pick here from, you know, Victor Arvidsson right into the boards. He was down for a bit and he also had to leave the game. He was done after this. They blew it dead. And let's go to the back, one half of the hammer, done, Cowboys, Bubba Gumpino.

They very rarely blow a play dead and then no penalty is called in hockey, right? Yeah, I didn't get an answer on why that happened. Maybe they thought he was injured is why they blew it dead because they had been doing that lately in the playoffs. But that's a, that's stone cold right there. 10 times out of 10 penalties. So they blow that dead.

Everybody thinks a penalty is coming. Maybe the Vegas Golden Knights will be on a power play. Instead, refs review it, no penalty called at all. That's stone cold right there ten times out of ten penalties. So they blow that dead everybody thinks the penalties coming Maybe the Vegas Golden Knights gonna be on a powerplay instead to ref review it No penalty called at all Vegas Golden Knights fans say we're screwed. We got screwed here We had a five-minute major now. We have this particular situation. You don't give it to us all of a sudden It's even strength still and then what happens to I yeah about a minute later You know we the Golden Knights, you know, give away the puck, you know, about center ice and this guy, if you don't watch hockey, this guy, this McJesus fella, I'll tell you what, it looks like he's playing a different sport.

Like we mentioned it multiple times. Jackie, Jackie Aces was the best player on the ice last night and he looked like an eight year old, you know, trying to play defense against McJesus. Just sick, nice little saucer over to Dry Cytle and they end it. You know, I mean, it really was. You go from thinking, hey, we're going to be on the power play. The Golden Knights have been excellent on the power play in the playoffs so far. And, you know, they held Jackie Aces and Dry Cytle scoreless through three periods. And then, you know, it's just, as the longer the game went on, you knew that their two best players

were eventually gonna get you. They did. Stoner, right after the game, goes over, taps the stick on, you know, the referees, you know, like, where they're looking at the monitors and just kind of lets them know, like, hey, this one's on you. Okay, that should have been a penalty.

We should have been on the power play. And he was pissed post game too, like, I think, and I think we have the clip of what he said. Pretty clear it's a penalty. He sticks between McNabb's legs, he sends him head first into the boards. Pretty clear cut penalty in my eyes and I think everybody's eyes, right? But it's hockey, you don't always get the calls, but it's unfortunate now we might be down on a D man. We'll see tomorrow, but it's just a dirty play. Yeah, and Coach Cassidy also, he was pretty upset as well when it came to that situation.

Listen, Gord's looking at it. He blew it. He missed the call. I don't know what else to say. I mean, it's a can opener trip, it's a dangerous play, it's looking at it. He blew it. He missed the call. I don't know what else to say. I mean, it's a can opener trip. It's a dangerous play. It's all those things. But it didn't get called, so you've got to keep playing. And, you know, Nabber is one of our guys that we, probably one of the most popular teammates in the room. So that is a tough part of playing through it. It's not as easy as it looks. We're human, right? But at the end of the day, that's the task in front of you when those calls happen or don't happen So players are up in arms coaches and up in arms

Low Wayne was not happy either The Knights did just get robbed watching it live. I'll be honest just because everything's happening so fast You kind of just like oh man, that's too bad It looks like Braden McNabb may have broken his shoulder and he's gonna be out for the rest of the playoffs Like I wasn't thinking hey, we need a penalty because you know, it was so high stakes moving back and forth But yeah, you know a power play would have been huge there Ultimately the the Golden Knights lose to at home, which isn't great You mentioned it the Oilers have come back in six consecutive games, but the Golden Knights have been here before that

You know, Colorado I believe in 2018 You know, they came they came back from down to oh, so this game was incredible. It really was it was one I mean if you like playoff hockey like just unbelievable the playoffs as a whole have been Non-stop action really across the board playoffs continue tonight Leafs Panthers Leafs currently up to well Which is a big surprise actually was a part of the reason why we called yesterday. Holy Shite Thursday that game is on at 7 o'clock tonight on TNT and then the Dallas Stars Texas hockey take on the Winnipeg Jets fresh off a Thriller up in Winnipeg one half of the hammer done Cowboys AP Tone is here

Gumbling on these NHL playoffs seems to be tough. What are your thoughts? It is tough because You know, there's a way teams winning, there's home teams winning. Teams that have been hot just trip out. There's been a lot of comebacks, stuff like this. But as far as the overall odds to win the Cup, after last night the Oilers are now your favorites to win the Cup at plus 300. Followed by the Dallas Stars who are up 1-0 on Winnipeg, which we just talked about there, plus 325. And then you have a couple East teams following that up. The Canes who lost last night to the Caps, they're now plus 450 to win the Cup, tied with the Leafs who are up 2-0 on the Panthers.

So those are your favorites right now to win the Cup. Canes might be a little bit surprising to a lot of people because, you know, I don't think they looked like the better team in each of those first two games against the Caps, but we will see moving forward. Caps get a big win over to Keynes last night, 3-1. Tom Wilson notches an apple and then an empty batter at the end. Obviously the handsome menace from Washington is doing their thing. Capitals being the underdogs against Keynes is crazy to me just because of what the season has been for the Capitals. Those cup odds were crazy. Seeing that the Caps were so far down there plus 1100, that's good value for what that team is and what they've put together. So that spot right there on that graphic and if you go to the NBA one yeah plus 1100 is where the

Capitals are which we like a lot we like Capitals I mean the others this might be their year and obviously the Audre Santa same spot there plus 1300 Pacers I mean that's good value on both those teams that are playing great right now the Pacers Obviously take on the Cavs this evening on ESPN at 730 and then the Thunder take on the Nuggets at 10 o'clock tonight Pacers are up 2-0 over the Cavs and then Thunder Nuggets series is tied 1-1 We'll have Shom Sharania joining us here in a matter of moments get some updates on some news It's Golden State Warriors team without Steph last night He gets a Minnesota Timberwolves

I mean they got smacked from the beginning there now look whenever Draymond gets his technical that everybody's talking about right now and Draymond Gave a quote about afterwards how everybody portrays him and everything because he said five now technicals in the playoffs if he gets seven He'll be suspended for a game. This is Draymond green football I mean in my eyes that's just how I view Draymond Green like everyone's other this gonna happen This is in the second quarter was 33 17 or something like that. So you're talking about just Minnesota Dominated Golden State last night from beginning to end and I think Anthony Edwards even had an ankle injury in the middle of this They thought he was gonna potentially be out whole place gets quiet. He comes back at the end of that thing So with Golden State, I mean, there's a lot of question marks right now

I think a lot of it revolves around the greatest shooter of all time whether or not he's gonna be able to make it back Yeah, T Wolves last night went up 13 nothing to start the game. That was basically it was wire to wire They won every single quarter. They were winning the entire game Coming back huge for the T Wolves. They should be fine. But yeah without Steph the Warriors just aren't the Warriors I think we saw that in the spread of the game yesterday I believe the T Wolves were 10-point favorites after losing game one by 11 points So without Steph it is it's interesting But there's still I think if you're a Warriors fan faith in the fact that Jimmy Butler's done it on his own essentially for

Years with Miami and getting it done even though that is the East and the West seems to be much much better the Draymond thing Look, he doesn't know what his arms and legs do that is the east and the west seems to be much much better the Dremont thing look He doesn't know what his arms and legs do. Okay, so that has been kind of like the conversation a few different times Yeah, I mean it that's just what it is and the right side of his body gets fouled So that his left arm throws a bow I mean it just is a natural because you see reach around left arm bang. It doesn't really make sense lucky I don't I don't know how that happens. Well, in Jiu Jitsu, there's a moment where you get pushed on this side

and the other side happens. But I would like to say this about this moment here. And Draymond Green felt the need to address it about how everybody says I'm an angry black man, I'm not an angry black man, I'm actually very smart in all these things, which he is. He's part of the new media, I love his show, I love the way he's handled it.

He's been a champion, he's made a lot of money, he's out of Michigan State, he's a graduate. graduate like everything that he has done. I think would indicate So there must be people saying things to Draymond Green Let's make sure we have some respect for Draymond Green being Draymond This is just Draymond Green football like in my eyes. That is literally how I view it Just like in football there are guys on teams and it's like Tom Wilson on the cap. That's Tom Wilson football Yes, Draymond Green has been Draymond Green since the beginning So I don't like the fact that he feels obligated to defend himself and say

But that's only because I assume there's a lot of people that say that thing about him He is an asset to that Golden State Warriors team has been since the beginning and every once-in-a-lifetime Situations like this are gonna happen is how I view as an outsider of the NBA world the Draymond Green experience in the NBA Yeah, without a doubt and policy if you can go to where Steph Curry's talking to him, I think that's why people like to pile on. Because of course, the coaches are going to say stuff and things like that. But when you see Steph Curry do it, I think that's when people kind of say, hey, even Steph is going over and saying, hey, Draymond, you need to calm down.

I'm pretty sure the broadcaster said, hey, Draymond should just go back to the locker room After this to calm down because they don't show it in this clip here comes Steph to kind of tell him like hey relax It's the second quarter. We're okay. You know we still need you in this game Just real quick though Draymond Greenworth hundreds of millions of dollars has already been champion the fact that he's this passionate never gets talked about Yeah, you know like the fact that he's this invested. this is who he is. Like this is his style of play and I don't know. I don't like that he felt obligated to answer that because that means that that's what people are saying about him. It's like this is how some people compete. This is how some people are professional. It happens in every sport. Like and I hate to just say it again, but like Tom Wilson for the Washington Capitals,

he's on the line. He is an enforcer. He is. There's gonna be a little dance. I mean last night with the little toe pick on the thing, it's like Draymond. This is what Draymond Green has done. And I think the Golden State Warriors have benefited from Draymond Green being this since the beginning of his time out there with the Warriors. For sure. But now they're getting close to where he's going to miss a game. If you remember when- Two more techs. Yeah. If you remember in the, I believe it was the finals. Yeah. Where he got the, you

know, the tech limit and he had to miss a game and that was a huge conversation I believe they ended up losing that game. That was the 3-1 comeback here with LeBron with the Cavs Yeah, now they're getting to the point where hey steps out We need you now more than ever because of how great you are not just on defense now. He's making shots He's playing probably some of the best basketball on offense We've seen in the past few years. And now, unfortunately, he's nearing that line of, hey, you're gonna get suspended for a game.

Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is a man who might have a little bit more intel on what Steve Kerr says to Draymond Green after something like this. Or Steve Kerr says about what's happening with Steph Curry. Or Steve Kerr says about this team maybe having to revolve around Jimmy Butler for the good of survival here as they take on a very good Minnesota Timberwolves fan. Also some updates, senior insider for the NBA at ESPN. Ladies and gentlemen in front of the program, the handsome, Shom Sharanya. Shoms, we were just wrapping up the conversation about Draymond Green.

Thank you so much for joining us today. I just view that as Draymond Green football, I guess what Connor is saying is like without Steph Curry with the position they're in, maybe they can't have Draymond Green football happen at this moment He's two techs away from a game suspension. Is that accurate? And what do you think Steve Kerr says to Draymond in these types of situations? Two technical files away and then yeah I think a lot of what Draymond Green was made him so great is this ability for him to be physical to Really command the game. I mean he commands games both from a vocal perspective, how he commands defensively and

then even on offense. Like he's the master communicator. Jimmy Butler said it recently in one of his press conference. He's like, you know, the best thing about Draymond isn't that, you know, how great of a player he is in the Hall of Famer he is, but just his ability to communicate from the best player to the worst player and how he's able to get his points across. And I think that's what makes him invaluable. But you know, play like last night and the way Steve Kerr said it after the game, which

was simply that, you know, we know there's a line that he sometimes goes over, but that's what makes Draymond so great. And you live with it, right? Because he's brought you, helped bring you four championships. And then last night with him getting that technical foul and I saw his comments after the game, did a little probing this morning on exactly what maybe he was referring to and I know he had the incident when he was on the bike during the game, a fan allegedly yelled a slur at him.

So potentially it could be something like that. I think another part of this from my understanding, it's also what he feels is this treatment that he gets from the officiating, believing that he gets calls on him that other players may not get and that they potentially referee him differently. Like that play right there on Nasrid, if this was the first time J.Mond Green was making a play like that, I don't think they'd go to the monitor. But because of his history, they've suspended him in the past based on history, I think because of all that he feels like he might be getting in an

improper whistle or an improper treatment. Now the flip side of that is everyone on the league believes Jeremon Green has probably the best leeway, largest amount of leeway that any player has. He's able to have that back and forth with referees all the time so it's a double-edged sword at the only German green is gonna be able to like explain exactly what this is I think part of it maybe was that incident but I think a large part is also the way he feels like he's officiated on a nightly basis and how his history is used against them well Draymond we just want to let you know you're a victim of your own success brother I mean actually when you're around this long, people learn about you, people do it.

And we would like to say we respect the hell out of the fact that you've been that guy since the beginning. Every team needs one, especially successful teams in all sports. There's normally a dog out there that is a little bit of an enforcer, a little bit of a tone-setter, a protector, and also a little bit of a wall card every once in a while. And I think Draymond Green has had a hell of a career doing and such. And go green Foxy. Yes sir, go white. Love you Draymond. Yeah okay so let's move on and let's stay in the Golden State Warriors camp though. Steph Curry's injury is obviously a massive ordeal for the Golden State Warriors. He's the best shooter in the history of basketball and he was getting back to

form of being the guy that was able to pull up from everywhere. Felt like Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green maybe ignited an old-school Golden State Warriors team feel. What is it with Steph Curry and how long are we looking for him to be missing some games? Because this Timberwolves team does not care and they are not waiting around for Steph to get healthy. When should we see him back and what are the realistic expectations, Shams? Pat, it's a hamstring strain and you know and everyone in there knows DB. I'm sure you know wherever he has he knows like ham I'm sure wherever he has, he knows. Like hamstring strain, that's not an injury you play with.

He's really been limited to just doing treatment and he's going to be reevaluated on Wednesday, which means he's definitely out game two. He missed game three, game four. So he's going to miss at least three games. My understanding is this probably not going to be at any point until game six at the earliest for Stephen Curry. And there's actually like a four day gap between games five and game six. It's a weird scheduling quirk. So no, the NBA didn't do this because Stephen Curry got hurt. The NBA had already made the schedule with some

alignment with the WNBA team there in the Bay but because of that they're able to have that period of time so maybe you get Stephen Curry back there but as I tweeted then this is the first strain of the hamstring that Stephen Curry has ever had in his NBA career he's never had this in his life he's never had a hamstring injury in his life. He said yesterday so it's gonna be a very safe approach. I think the Warriors are gonna take with this and I think at this point you just try to get one back in the Bay area. You try to win one you know and get either game three or game four and I think what happened last night what we saw is Steve Kerr and the Warriors

really pinpointing yesterday's game to just throw a bunch of things at the wall, see what rotations we want to go with, see what our best way to win without Stephen Curry is. And I don't know how much they came into the game thinking, we want to win this game. It was more like we have to see what happens. We got to figure some shit out here without Steph. Yeah, I understand. And I think, I don't want to say they punted the game last night because you never want

to say that, but I think they knew when you to say they punted the game last night because you never want to say that but I Think they knew when you when you're without Stephen Curry at Jermon Green Jimmy Baller driving fun of it The rights Batman. He is Batman of this organization of this team you lose Batman You have to figure out exactly what you know who goes where and that's what last night was all about and buddy having the wrong shorts on I mean There's this that's a that's such a cool franchise because of what they were able to do over there. That run they had, historic. They changed basketball forever. I think they changed basketball forever in everything that they've done. And

then you lose the guy that basically did it all in the middle of the series while he's playing his best again. That has to be tough for Steve Kerr to figure out. And the fact that that's the first time that Steph has pulled his hamstring with how much he runs Yeah, he right. That's crazy that that's the first time now Once you pull it, you know, the fear is always that's gonna linger that's gonna linger that's always gonna be there Anyways, Steph, we're pulling for you buddy. We're pulling for you. Well, so Timberwolves Let's talk about Anthony Edwards that ain't like what was that? What do they think is gonna happen there? The guys of freaking Wolverine. I agree. Every timber Wolverine. I don't know if it's like this LeBron James-esque ability that he has,

but like he literally he can have an ankle tweak. He can have like any body part will feel like he just sprained it and he's able to just come back. He goes to the locker room, he goes to the back, he looks like he can't put any weight on that foot, on that leg, and then he ends up coming out. For him to even get back on the floor, much less continue to be as productive as he is. The guy is just tough as anything. He has this innate ability to be on the court and that was a must-win game for them. They took care of business. I think you have to feel really good if you're the Timberwolves. You can see even playing in Minnesota, the fans there are really, really involved. I mean, clearly they were involved with Draymond, Jimmy Butler. He came out after game one, made some comments about how he

feels like the fans need to keep it within the lines of the game. Those fans in Minnesota are really rampant right now. They're going, they're vibrant and what they have in Anthony Edwards is they have a flat-out superstar that they want to come out and cheer for but he he might not want to be the face of this NBA and be the young faces league but his game, his charisma and at the end of the day his ability to stay on the court, his productiveness is what makes him kind of that face of the league potential. Alright so we'll assume that Anthony Edwards is just gonna be healthy somehow okay that's awesome for him I wish I had that ability that would be very cool and

then Julius Randall obviously a trade-over from the Knicks he's three boards away from a triple double last night so when you talk about playing good ball the Minnesota Timberwolves could be the team that maybe surprises everybody and obviously you got to get lucky and Steph Curry getting injured is certainly a little bit of luck in the Minnesota Timber Wolverine side. But on the Golden State side, not great. Let's talk about another series that does have a little luck whenever it comes to injuries on the other side,

but who cares? They were the number one seed in the East. They're playing the Pacers tonight in India. Down 2-0, Tone has a question for you. Yeah, Shams, there's obviously some injury questions with the Cavs. Before game two, Garland, Mobley, and De'Andre Hunter all did not.

They were not present at shoot-around. But before game three here, they all were present at shoot-around. Do you have the status on these three guys for this huge game three tonight in Indiana? I'm expecting, Tone Diggs, I'm expecting Darius Garland to definitely be in tonight. He wants to play. He wants to give it a go.

He's missed, I guess the last two weeks. I think it's been two, two and a half weeks. He's been dealing with this toe injury. He's been out and it's a sprain of the, of the great big toe in, in, in one of his foot. The great big toe. Yeah. There's an average big toe and then there's the big,

great, big toe. Wow. I guess you could say it's the big toe, the great toe, whatever you want to, but he's clearly been dealing with something there. He missed the last two weeks. I would expect him back. The bigger question is Eben Mobley. He was not able to put a bunch of weight on his foot, his ankle after he sprained it. The other night he missed their last game. But all three to my knowledge are aiming to go into tonight's game with the intent to warm up and play in this pivotal game three. I mean at this point I think all three will do everything they possibly can to at least make themselves available. I think that's what the Pacers are preparing for.

And they obviously need all three. And if you can get any type of effort, because they've been competitive in both these games, but definitely they've been competitive. The last game in game two, they feel like they really had a chance to win. They should not have lost that game. The Pacers obviously went out and took it. But as much as you can get out of those three, I think're very hopeful tonight. Okay well good luck to them obviously we want to see everybody at their best you know that's what we want to playoff to be

they're coming in here to Indianapolis though and I'll tell you what the towns are buzzing. Town is a buzz and everybody's talking about how the Knicks and I saw Mike Greenberg put together a beautiful monologue about the improbable run of the New York Knicks okay why don't you go ahead and just talk about the Pacers as well we would just like to take everything that Mike Greenberg said about the Knicks in the Celtics thing and put the Pacers name in there as well. They weren't even on prime time television. They were only on True TV. Turn around. Was it NBA TV or True TV? Which one were you going to say? Both. All the above. Yeah, it was impossible to find them through the playoffs you make it the playoffs

You're supposed to be on TV like that is the purpose of the NBA playoffs NBA TV I guess the four or five seed whatever it is That's gonna happen on a regular basis because they don't want to get the one two three teams not on primetime Okay Sounds good Then they play the Cavs and the opening get the series or whatever and they have it just on true TV and they had iRobot the series or whatever and they have it just on TruTV and they had iRobot on TNT. They had the Inside the NBA kickoff show on TNT and on TruTV. Then they put iRobot on TNT and they put the Pacers game on TruTV and then later that night

Golden State was playing game seven or whatever. It was on TNT and on TruTV and I'm like these motherfuckers picked iRobot over the Indiana Pacers fuckers picked iRobot over the Indiana Pacers versus Cleveland. The number one seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. It's like this team is electrifying. Tyrese Halliburton is a superstar who is loved in this city but not just Tyrese. The entire team is loved here for the way they go about ball. Remember Indiana is a big basketball state and the basketball that they like, they like a team that is, we are passing, we're moving, we're running, we're respectful, we're doing this, we're still a little moxie if you need it, but we're a hard working team. And it's like Carlisle is like the perfect coach for this team.

The team has come together perfectly. And what they started last year in a playoffs that nobody was able to talk about because it got swept by the champion, Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, didn't carry into the beginning of the year either. So like nobody really had respect for the Pacers at the beginning of the season. Tyrese Howliburton played like absolute shit, didn't even make the All-Star game.

That guy didn't make the All-Star because of how he played at the beginning of the season. I think he would even say, did not play good at the beginning of the season. Then post All-Star break, Tyrese was able to sleep on to what the hell he was going on. He comes out of there even better. The team goes and they become the hottest team in the NBA.

And it's like they still get disrespected. And I think it's because it's Indianapolis. He gets voted the most overrated player in the NBA by the New York Times, the athletic. And it's like, I love that for the Pacers team. Like I love that for them. So much. I just hate the quirk that doesn't let you watch the Pacers when you're in Indy for some weird reason. That's what I didn't know.

I didn't like that one. I want to let you know, I got a number that I did not know that worked at the NBA office that sent me a text saying, here's an NBA pass login. If you ever, please, if we could. And I would like to say to the NBA, thank you for that. I think you set up your distribution rights poorly that I can't watch the Pacers in Indianapolis. I assume that'll get fixed. I'm glad they hooked you up. I mean, that's long overdue there.

Yeah, no chance I actually signed into that. I have no idea. I don't even know if my TV is smart enough to have the NBA thing on there. I don't know how that would work. But I do appreciate them hearing our messages of saying that was stupid and then also trying to be like, yes, we're gonna figure this out. I also like that the NBA has been tweeting like six minute videos on X. Like hey here's the final two minutes of this. They need to do more of that because they dominate social and I'm happy to hear they're taking advantage of that. Anyways the Pacers are for real. I gotta add on the Pacers so I'm a nerd you know I'm more of the like the business side

like I'm very interested in the business aspect of this. You think about these playoffs. Indiana and Oklahoma City are the two teams so far that are in the bottom eight in terms of spending. So you think about it. The bottom eight payroll in the NBA. And Oklahoma City's got one max player and Shea Gillis, Alexander. The Pacers have two.

Antares Halliburton, Pascal Siakam. They're a little bit more veteran-laden team. So you think about cost for winning and what that Pacers front office has been able to do to keep the payroll where it's at and to win at that level that they're winning at. To me it's impressive because it shows that you're identifying the players that are dogs, guys that really want to win, that want to compete. You think about Andrew Nemhards. You think about the Miles Turner.

Miles Turner is going to be free agent this off season, Pat. I know you're going to need to keep him in Indiana. That's going to be the number one goal. He's been here a long time. How long has he been here? He just did a nice little tribute article, I think at the Players Tribune. Yeah.

He's been a Pacer for I think 10 years. 11 maybe. He did like a 10 year article. Yeah, 10 or 11 years. And it was a beautiful read, but like he's been a guy that like multiple times, everyone was saying, you know, there's a lot of chatter around his name being traded and he stays in Indiana. He's there in Indiana. He signed an extension at one point and he's going to be up for another contract this summer.

And you think about free agents, he's going to be right up there and the Pacers are going to have to pay him a lot of money to be able to keep them. But listen, you make it to two straight conference finals potentially, if they're able to make it back like, and you're able to do it with this type of a payroll, it's gonna rise, you know, once you pay a guy like Miles Turner. But what this team has been able to do, it shows a lot about their ability, I think, to identify the right players miles and pasco are great, you know, so big so athletic so I Don't say durable. Oh Versatile there it is. So versatile miles knocked out a three anything I mean miles will get out there and knock that and then he's underneath too He's been great for the city

Even though big transition period basically while he's been here and then we trade for Tyrese for obviously from Sacramento spicy pea pasco Siakam from Toronto last year midseason So it's like the moves they've made the people they brought in and the coach that they have in Carlisle I think it all is perfect for the city of Indianapolis legit I think in any time a team represents at Citywell I think that's whenever you have like real magic possible Like I think people will see tonight whenever we have at the home. Like team guys, like Siakam's an NBA champion and he could ask for 30, you know, 30 shots a game, but he doesn't bitch whatsoever.

I feel like that's why it works so well. TJ McConnell too. I mean, yeah. Coming in here. We know that. Coming in here. He signed an extension, right? How many years with the Pacers?

He signed a new deal? I think he signed a four year extension. I think it was last year. Lifetime deal. Yeah, at the end of the the season because he was up at the end of the season and I was I got a chance to meet coach Carlisle at an event or whatever keeping TJ right. Pittsburgh kid needed to keep TJ McConnell around here he's absolute dog. He gave you the word? No absolutely not they said yeah we'll see you know the business thing I go to Tyrese I'm like you gotta be

keeping the Yens here right gotta be keeping the-zer around. He goes I love TJ man I don't you know, he does that whole thing So there's a question on whether or not he was gonna come back and it felt like he fit this team perfect Like it felt like he was I think we have the makings of a good team But so does Cleveland and if they're gonna be completely healthy tonight not completely healthy But if everybody's gonna be available tonight, this should be a great one on ESPN at 7 30 p.m Once again Tyrese's dad not gonna be able to be in attendance, which is a bummer. That will be a missing piece of the building night. We hope he is enjoying this playoff run, especially with how his kid has been performing.

All right, let's move to the other team you just chit chatted about there, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ty Schmidt has a question for you. Yeah, Shams, obviously after game one, you know, where Denver looks great They get the the game-winning bucket from Aaron Gordon. They kind of like the Warriors I mean, you don't want to say they punted but they get beat by 43 and kind of just looked like they were happy to take one Steal one and okay see we've seen everything with joke itch where he's basically he's the head coach now as well as their best player Do you expect the nuggets to bounce back in a big way against the Thunder tomorrow night or how do you think the rest of this series is going to go after these first two games?

I think this series has a chance to go, I mean six, seven games, you know, because Denver is the way they're playing right now. I think they're as in sync as possible and, you know, I don't think they went into game two. I think the Warriors went into that game too. They were scrambling trying to figure out all these different rotations. I think the Nuggets tried, I'm sure, tried to win, but I think Oklahoma City, it showed me more about what Oklahoma City is about, finding themselves because that's the team we've seen all season.

That's really the team that we're known for. Their level of dominance when their games are right. I mean, they've been absolutely killing the entire NBA in terms of their plus minus all season long. You saw in that series against Memphis, they were down like 25 points, they ended up winning that game by a lot in that game three in Memphis. So I think that's really Oklahoma City to me, but Denver is in a great position now to be able to go back home. Aaron Gordon, the way he's playing, Russell Westbrook contributing the way he is, Michael

Porter Jr. playing with a pretty banged up shoulder giving everything he has. It's all at the end of the day going to boil down to though, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. And can those two guys be the best two players on the floor in any given order? That's really what's going to dictate, I think, these Denver Nuggets winning. Because I think the last game, what was it, like six fouls for Jokic, six field goal attempts? Like, you know, that's obviously not what's going to win Denver games. Yeah, I always assumed that Joker understood your team more and more as the series would go on.

That's just kind of how I thought Joker was. So to watch how this game went, it was very, like, I don't want to say alarming, but it was like, oh, I didn't expect that. But I think what Oklahoma City people are saying is, we played terrible game. This is just who we are. And this is why everybody thought Oklahoma City was gonna win this series when I was like,

so you're telling me Joker is not the favorite? It's like, this has been the Oklahoma City team all year, right? This is kind of, they've been dominant. They have been the best basketball team in the league on numerous different occasions, right? This season. Yeah, they've been the best team in the NBA. I mean, you think about the only thing that would hold this team back is they haven't been there, done that. Like they haven't, they got to the second round last year, but they haven't made a

deep run to the conference finals or the NBA finals. So even like Oklahoma City in a lot of ways, they're still young, they're still building the right way. They only have one max player in Shea Gales Alexander, now Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren. Those guys are all going to be up for extensions this summer. So that's when decisions start being made. But this is still a pretty young Thunder group in terms of what their experience is like going down in the playoffs.

Thunder, thunder, lightning and a thunder, thunder, thunder. Do they play that? I assume they got to play that. Half. I assume they have to. All right, let's go from Western Conference, best team in the West. Let's go to the reigning champs in the East. Start spreading the news.

Yo, hand the camera to BC. And the east starts spreading the news. They're leading. Yo, pan the camera to BC. We gotta pan the camera. How's that guy doing? He's not scared. It feels like he's in a position. He's wearing a Patriots jersey. I thought he was gonna come in here today before a big game three at the Garden.

I thought he was gonna be wearing a vintage KG Celtics jersey or something. Well I think the jerseys he's wearing is in the trenches jersey that is an offensive lineman's jersey who just so happens to have the same last name as Connor but with that being said it feels like Joe Mazzola needs to dig into the trenches a little bit and figure this out. Connor does have a question for you about what's going on over there in the east. Yeah, sure, I do have a question and before I get to it I will say, you know, I am not worried just yet. I've told the boys and Pat, I've opened the door of where the panic button lives and I've

looked at it but I've not taken it out and I've not thought about pressing it because to act as if the subjects can't come back from down 2-0 is ridiculous. They've been down 3-0 and they forced it. Of course, of course. So all this is very possible. Now, being completely healthy would help a lot for the Celtics. Obviously, Sam Houser, we all saw it. Ankle, that's a clear cut injury.

Who knows when he's coming back. The poor Zingus illness, sickness has kind of just been confusing from the beginning. He missed a bunch of time during the regular season No one really knew what it was all about game one. He leaves at halftime doesn't come back with with some sort of mystery Sickness illness. Can you put any insight into that and because game two? He's coming off the bench still doesn't look like himself. What what is this entire? Illness sickness and will we expect him in the starting lineup for the rest of this series or playoffs?

So Christophs Porzingis, my understanding is he's been dealing with a lingering of side effects from the virus that he had in March and it's something that has zapped his energy. It's drained him. He's had to rely on getting a lot more sleep over the last couple of months. He's had to take IVs, immune boosters I'm told. So he's tried to figure out ways to mitigate it. Obviously, they've run him through a battery of different tests and they have not been able to, I guess, completely identify which virus could this specifically be but he's gone he's seen doctors he's gotten tests

done and to their understanding the Celtics the doctors Porzingis it's just been these lingering side effects and it's it just imagine being the competitor he is and Pat this is and knows this, Porzingis played through a leg injury in the finals last year that needed what, three, four, five months of rehab before return. This is someone that has already shown that he'll put his body on the line. He's a competitor. When he came into the league, he had such high expectations, made it an all-star team.

And then he played for the Wizards, the Mavericks, and then I think the last couple of years playing for Boston, he's been their missing piece. Because when he's on the floor, that's an element Jason Tatum, Jaylen Brown, none of their guards, they can't do, no one can do what Cristianos Porzingis does. So it's been a tough blow to this team not to have him 100% but that's my understanding BC is it's been lingering effects from this viral whatever bad viral bug he had. That's I couldn't imagine that lingering for that long. I'd be so mad. Yeah. Think about

how mad you would be. I had a cold not comparing. Okay. I don't know what that is. But I had like a cold for like what felt like seven weeks, like just a couple weeks back. I had no idea. Every day I woke up, I'm like, this has got to be over. Like it's got to be taken shit for it. It's just still there. I was so pissed. I couldn't even imagine a guy in the best shape of his life missing this type of game because of lingering effects from a viral like this long every morning. And I don't know what this is, obviously morning you probably assume I'm gonna be better like you're going to sleep at this day like I'm gonna be better I'm gonna be better and it just continues to go that sucks hey keep piling through brother sounds like mono like yeah actually it sounds like something that is that does I mean I haven't heard of anything that lasts that long you see I asked about that. I was told no. Not mono. Okay, sounds not COVID. Not, I mean, no. They tested for COVID. They tested. I think they've done a bunch of, I think they've tested on everything you possibly can. And there hasn't been anything that's showed up. That's like, you know, you do X, Y, Z. But a few weeks ago, it seemed like he was over this, you know, all the things that he was doing the sleep pattern

IVs the immune boosters that all seemed like it was working and for whatever reason he spoke to a little bit after game two there's some kind of a crash that that he that he's kind of had in the last couple weeks of last week and Doctor saying yeah, we have no idea what that'd be a little bit of a hey we're pulling for you Doctors saying yeah, we have no idea what that'd be a little bit of a hey, we're pulling for you We're pulling for you up there in Boston great facilities from everything that we've learned art at this moment Who's winning the NBA title? Pat you know, I don't do picks. Come on. We've been doing this for six years. I don't do big Yeah, who's till today? Let's make a show

You you look at this group, I think Oklahoma City, you know, they've been so dominant all year It looked like you know, obviously big big big game to win Great big game to win. So we'll see how how the game three goes in Denver But listen, I think a lot of people around the league still feel like the Celtics are going to be able to turn the corner. I mean, even though they're down 2-0, lost both games at home, you know, it's crazy. I think the Celtics have done this before. BC, if you remember, the team with Isaiah Thomas on it, they went down 2-0 to the Bulls. I think it was the Jimmy Butler Rondo D. Wade team.

They lost both games in Boston and ended up winning that series. So it's never not been done. The question is just can you beat a team like the Knicks where you think about the Knicks starting five, that's a really formidable group. And now you seem like they're, it really seemed like they're clicking, they're all coming together and I think that's what everyone's been waiting on, especially with the Knicks. I forget the stat. What is it like 14 to 12 Jalen Brunson points in the final 30 seconds or minutes of the game.

I mean there's just no way Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum are shooting like 32% from the field like for the entire series. They missed what 75 threes? Yes, Q Rich laid it out well 45 wide open shots threes that they have missed. The stat I think you're talking about is that the Knicks are outscoring the Celtics in clutch time 28 to 12 in the fourth quarter I think they're outscoring them like 55 to 30 so it's not just like they think Brunson has more points than the Celtics in a super duper close crunched I forget how Greenberg described it him and him Bo went to work on a monologue and it was like Jalen Brunson has like 14 or 13 points in like maybe the final

30 last yeah and then they the Celtics has a total of 12 yeah like he is just it was like Jalen Brunson has like 14 or 13 points in like maybe the final 30 seconds. And then the Celtics has a total of 12. Like he is just out, like let alone the entire team. There's all these clutch stats that are coming out about this Knicks team. And if you're in a playoffs, like that's in basketball. That's all about. That is the shit.

And that's where the Celtics, this is very abnormal for them just to go absolutely ice cold at the end of games because that is why they've been great. That is why they are currently our champs. Yes, that's it's old Celtics like back when they were a younger team, when they were trying to make the finals trying just to get to the Eastern Conference finals, this is the shit that was happening.

Like they were down three, two to the bucks and they had to go to Milwaukee and win game six and they did. That's why I think a lot of Celtics fans have faith because they've been there. They've won in these high pressure moments. I mean, I remember the heat Celtic series where Derek White or maybe it was Marcus Smart gets a tip in at the end of the game with 0.01 seconds on the clock. And so I think that's why there's a lot of faith there from being down and

coming back. But I mean, when things aren't going your way They're not going your way and it was just like the Pacers Celtics Eastern Conference finals last year where the Pacers are winning the entire Game and then the Celtics won the games But now it's the Celtics are winning the whole game in the next or winning the game in the end Here's the stat. I just found from Greeny's monologue I just went to his Twitter account because I'm happy he posted this by the way This is very well done with a lot of stats and greenie delivered in a great way

He posted it so in clutch time points in the Eastern Conference Semifinals Jalen Brunson has 14 points the Celtics have 12 in total. So what is Like we know the reds that there's a high red zone. Then there's the red zone We don't know what separates clutch time to so I believe quite on two minutesutch time is like when the game's within five points or within a certain number, whether it's one possession or two possession games, like that's clutch time. Final minute, and then I think they had,

although they're undefeated on the road, five wins on the road or something. Five straight by. Three points or less. Yeah, boom. So it's like this team, whenever it comes down to it, final cup on the table. Yeah. I mean, you know

The Knicks are gonna knock it down. That's just what it is. What are you gonna say there tone the There's been 12 minutes of clutch time in the two games so far. I found that not sure exactly what the definition is But I know there's been 12 minutes of clutch time in the first and Jalen Brunson was voted what? Yeah, most clutch player of the year. Yeah, And then so you would think maybe those awards are accurate sometime. And then you're Tyrese Halliburton's best ever player in the league and then he's all over your city. There's just no way Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum aren't going to be able to turn the corner to some extent.

We thought that last game, didn't we? We thought that last game, we thought. But over a full series, like I actually see Boston Connors perspective right there. Like they, we thought, you know, they were potentially over this after you win the championship and no one's going to take away that championship away from them. But you know, to be coming down to this series in round two, this is a team that has championship aspirations. This season is not supposed to end in the second round by any means. And so I think having faith in Jaylen Brown, Jason Tim, they've been there, they've done it, the amount that they've won

at such a young age. But again, this is not a series where they can afford to have another bad fourth quarter. They just can't. Yeah. And I believe in Joe Mazzullo. Big time. So I believe in Joe Mazzullo. Big time. So, I believe in Joe Mazzullo. Okay, I do. Yeah, me too. I do believe in Joe Mazzullo. All the boys. And I believe in, yeah, I believe in that team after watching them and having to experience it

alongside of you and watching what they did to Indiana whenever they were here, whenever they were down a lot of those games and they were coming back into clutch time to win last year during their championship. So I believe in them, but it's hard to just think that this guy's just going to give it up. You know, like this guy's, hey, he's special.

This guy is- He's unbelievable. His mentality is special. And then you listen to his podcast and it's just like, he's like a casual dude. And then he gets on the court and it's like- Killer. Absolute killer.

Yeah, what a series. Chicago's finest. Okay, that makes sense. Well, there's a Pope now. There's a Pope now from- Brunson. Brunson? Shoms, you know.

CM Pope. Pope Leo, CM Pope. Yep. All those things. That was a great comment. Somebody left a comment in, so our pope coverage yesterday, Shoms, I don't know if you know this.

I saw, I was watching. I was getting all my information was coming from you guys when I was watching PMS. Okay, you weren are the only one. I got a lot of messages yesterday from a lot of people that I did not expect to hear from out of nowhere saying, hey, Pope coverage today, phenomenal. I would have never known. And it's like, well, we had no idea, obviously, clearly as we were going in there.

Then as we start to learn, like, wait a minute, America's got a Pope. First time in two, he's the 267th pope. Okay, so I got that number wrong 266 I said yesterday 267th pope. It started at 30 AD. Between 30 and 70 AD. The amount of things we learned about popes yesterday I think a lot of people potentially learned alongside of us. I'm really I'm appreciative of you Ty and our pope coverage yesterday You became like an authority. Yeah in the middle of one of the big and then Shragg's getting inside messages as it's all coming down I enjoyed the Pope coverage yesterday I mean it really was like if you aren't Catholic then it's maybe whatever like that was a massive deal like that is something

Like in like we'll never we'll never see that again in our lifetime I don't think I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime Like when you look at like the events of like the last a hundred years You know are like when things started being covered like this like this was a Massive massive deal. We missed a terrible towel that was waving in the crowd. That's on us We apologize because we're so in the moment trying to learn about it And I I even had some Catholics who obviously a big deal had some Catholics American Catholics Send me texts that said you even covered up being a scumbag Catholic hater

whenever you were talking about it. Thought we had pretty good non bias. I'm not a Catholic hater, you didn't pick Notre Dame. I was told, okay, okay, that is not what that means in this entire thing. But with that being said, I do understand that it was a huge day, and I appreciate us all learning about it.

So I do appreciate you, Ty. You were kind of put on our spotlight there to give us the right answers, and then working alongside Google. I feel like we did, I think we did a good pope government. I think so too. This is an open-minded for the people for everyone show. Inclusion is very important. Amen. And also like it's happening in everybody's world this piece of news. So we owe it to people that are watching to be like hey heads up big fucking deal just happened. Yeah with the CM Pope. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Internet did great too. That's off. We got to take him to a Cubs game though

Do a little research on the Pope brother, we don't know that yes No, I agree, but I need to we need to see if we can convert him to the Cubs or go to a White Sox club. You think the Pope is going to be disloyal to the team that he's been. Okay, I appreciate that. Ladies and gentlemen, we didn't do good enough coverage yesterday, obviously, joining us every single week seemingly to keep us informed on what's happening in the NBA for the last few years, even before he became Mr. Big Time on ESPN. We appreciate

the hell out of you, man. Have a great weekend. Appreciate you guys. Thank you. Let's get some more answers. Ladies and gentlemen, like who's going to win the title? Shom Shurah I don't like that he won't make a pick. Me neither. Yeah, he's the worst when it comes to that stuff. I don't like that at all. Well, I don't want to upset anybody on either side. It's like, I get it. It's like when Herb Street on game day, I'm calling the game so I can't make a pick. It's like, okay. It's journalism. Good gimmick. It's not live or die. We're, you know. You can say who you think is going to win. Yeah, we're trying to figure out who's going to win a basketball game. And I used to, I used to like making those picks on game day because you're in a big spot there. Yeah.

And when you pick against a team, these teams, especially in college football with the passion that they have, these teams in their fan base, in their alumni, in their current students group, and the current people that just live in the area, and the people that used to live in the area, that's a large number of people

that feel like you're picking against me. Oh yeah. Like that's... Notre Dame people felt that way. Yeah, for sure. They're like all of Catholic. Michigan. Especially me being an Irish. Yeah.

Okay, they're like, you son of a... How could you do that? It's like, I'm just saying who I think... You live in Indiana, what do you do? I'm just saying who I think is going to win the game. I'm not picking against you. I am picking that this other team might be a little bit better in a couple matchups that I like And they're gonna beat you in the game

It's like so you just got to get past the point of people being mad whenever you say that You think one team's gonna win so at the beginning whenever everybody was crushing me for picking these games. I'm like I hate this I don't like that. This is what comes from this but it just is a part of it And if you think somebody's gonna win a game you just you have to understand you're gonna piss people off on the other side and it's like that's why sports are awesome and guess what the next week if you think their team is a better matchup some of them might hear you but most of them they're gone most of all they don't care they do not care so you're gonna lose a lot of people Shams and we understand it but you know ball-bearer

enough Shams you know the inside information it's when you ball bearing, now Shams, you know the inside information. It's when you're giving pictures, helping out the people. You know, and that's why I have to frame it. It's like I'm trying to help out people with my thoughts. Even if they think I'm a doofus and they want to pick against me. Here's my thoughts. I'm trying to help out, but you're going to get it

on the shins from a lot of people whenever you pick against them. And that's the thing is you're not going to hear any of it, but like the team that you're riding with, like they're like, oh hell yeah. McPhee's rolling with us. You not gonna hear any of it but like the team that you're riding with like they're like oh hell yeah Macphie's Macphie's rolling with us then never hear you're never gonna hear it but that there's plenty of that out there too yeah but for shawms we need to tell yeah yeah like and for her be like right her we you're just saying who you

think is gonna win a game then you can even carry that into the broadcast but I guess it's not professional you can say to be honest I mean I said it this morning I thought this team was gonna bow bow bow you can just kind of have it but there is a chance. There is a chance, especially if you think about how these people think, that they'd be like, we're incredibly kind to you. We let you in our building.

We took, we showed you around. Took care of your family. We did everything. And you just, so you saw what we did and you think this team stink. You think we're going to lose to the other team. You can see how people get offended. I assume that is what happened.

Nevermind Herbie, Herbie should not be making that. I mean the Ohio State coaches at the Rose Bowl. Oh yeah, when they were skating. Yeah. Yeah, that was awesome. Or the Texas fans when you hit them with the horns down, that was all time. Yeah, that was a good time.

That had to happen. But that was disrespectful by me, but there was a lot of disrespectful shit being said. And not everybody sees the disrespectful stuff being said to me, like you know me and Like a few others see it So whenever I potentially respond a little bit of a fashion to a school with a little bit more juice You know, it's like a lot of those people that are out there don't they haven't seen all the other things

So I'm just the ass it's it's an interesting game eat picking games because really college game day Obviously, it's three hours or whatever it is early morning on Saturday very early especially on the West Coast early call time that is in early morning eating that cow forgetting how dark out it was Monday through Friday show okay then obviously have to watch ball all day Sunday and all day Saturday afternoon so that's a lot of days of having to do stuff. Lucky to do it, but that's an early morning. That is an early morning. Especially after, that's an early morning.

Not really a morning guy. Never have been. Have become an espresso shot chugger though, I will say. Because I know what I'm here for. You know, I know in an early morning, I know what I'm here for. Can't really lay an egg either. Yeah, yeah, never.

Never can, okay? Never will, hopefully. Just try to work my ass off to do all that thing. Late night too, learning a lot. Sure. Late night learning a lot, early morning, and that entire thing. But it's all leading up to those picks.

So the most amount of people are watching you make those picks. So now, not only did you potentially compliment that team in the first hour of game day, okay, like huge, put them over in a massive, massive way, like, hey, showcased a lot of things. You just so happen to think that another top five team might be a little bit better. They had no idea that you think anything is good to that team. That just comes with it, Shams.

That just comes with it, Shams. Every once in a while you're just going to have to piss off an entire city. Exactly. I understand why it doesn't. Even when you pick them sometimes they get mad because I remember week one last year you went A&M against Notre Dame and then you guys did a bounce back segment in week two and you're like, oh, Notre Dame is going to blow out Northern Illinois and they didn't and then they got mad at you for saying Notre Dame was going to blow out Northern Illinois.

Yeah, it's just the Michigan people at the end of last year, don't you even think. The whole year. About picking us. Don't you even think about it I'm Like Jesus you guys are paying attention. Oh Yeah, we're paying not for you most of because the guy that's next to me. I mean, how was Nick say how was Nick Saban? I'm picking her. Yeah, I don't know. That's a great question. I wonder how it is. I'm good. Yeah, I would too I don't know. No, cuz I mean well

Miss Amy Miss Terry miss Terry. I don't know why I said miss Amy Well, miss Amy is a massive piece of the same great team miss. Amy's awesome, by the way Why I've been talked to her she reps Jackson Darn, I believe. Oh, yeah, I believe I believe she is she's a wet Miss Amy's an absolute dog. Oh, yeah, angry. Yeah, just start the draft everything then coach statement has around him is The best of the best. I think he is an incredible. That's why his coaching staff are so good. He's an incredible like I Think he has a good eye for talent

I think he has a good eye and judgment for talent and then he that's in every that's not just in the coaching business That's in all of his car business great business. Yeah that business I read an article on that. That is I would highly recommend reading that coach Saban and his ability to read people, figure out what and if and then make the decision and do it and then take care of those the amount of time he invests in everything. I know he was a incredible coaching invested a lot of time in Alabama and I assume he would. And then whenever he retires, he has a little bit more free time. I think all of his businesses are

also starting to all all the other yeah yeah all the others that are that dude special Coach Saban is a special special person that's why the rumors that are coming out about him potentially being a part of it I don't know if that is a hundred percent a thing I have no idea I've not been able to you know kind of and have chose not to reach out to him he's got a lot going on I assume in his life I don't know if that's official but if this was to happen this thing there would be no better yeah then this guy and I think everybody feels that way that's why whenever this gets reported everybody's like oh yeah definitely I don't know if

this is a I'm not sure if this is a hundred percent of thing from what I'm hearing we hope it is but we all yeah hope fingers sure if this is a 100% of thing from what I'm hearing. We hope it is. But we all hope. Yeah, fingers crossed. That it is a thing. But we do understand that that might be an impossible task too. Like that's a lot of, that's a huge undertaking that you are trying to do with college. That's a huge job.

So I just like the fact that that's being thought about. Like the news, if coach is a part of it, which maybe I've no I We're not hearing it's official But if he is a part of it great, but the fact that they're thinking about trying to figure this out That's the big news. I think that's good news Rapper Sean Diddy Combs was a kingmaker. He had wealth, fame, and power. What's up? Welcome to New York! Until it all came crashing down.

Federal investigators raiding two homes owned by hip-hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs. I'm Brian Buckmeyer, an ABC News legal contributor. As Diddy heads to trial, we trace his remarkable rise and fall and what could be next. Listen to Bad Rap, The Case Against Diddy, a new series from ABC Audio.

Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Brad Milky. You may know me as the host of ABC Audio's daily news podcast, Start Here, but I'd like to add aspiring true crime expert to my resume. And here's how I'm going to make it happen. Every week, I'm going to unpack the biggest true crime story that everyone is talking

about. ABC has got some unique access here. So I'll talk to the reporters and producers who have followed these cases for months, sometimes years. We're bringing the latest developments and the larger context on the true crime stories you've been hearing about. Follow the crime scene for special access to the people who know these stories best.

Sports! Are they greatest? Yeah. We should take a moment and really acknowledge that. How about last night? Overtime game between two teams that are in cities that are far away from where I am. This morning had me thinking to myself damn that's awesome. A guy who I've never met before goes by the name of McJeez is playing a sport on ice that I've never been able to skate on in my entire life does something and the next

morning hours after it happens I'm thinking to myself that's marvelous this marvelous McJeez's fella is magic on the ice and this Vegas Golden Knights team is obviously special and Jackie Aces the guy that just got across the hell and back right there Had an incredible game last night. He's a great player, but that can happen when you live in a paint every once in a while You're gonna get dunked on whenever you're on the ice with McJesus. There's a chance that you're gonna get Especially in overtime and then go on to lose it Jackie Aces will respond The Vegas Golden Knights will respond and that's kind of the story of sports is there's gonna be another game

There's gonna be another day. You have to answer the story of sports. Is there's going to be another game. There's going to be another day. You have to answer the bell. Why? Because the game's going to happen. That's what we're experiencing right now. There's massive upsets potentially lingering. Historic.

Historic upsets, which also means historic runs. Impositive. Cities coming together more so than they've ever been in the past. The city of New York coming alive around this New York Knicks team. And it's improbable run. I've got a chance now to city of New York coming alive around this New York Knicks team, and it's improbable run. I've got a chance now to be in New York multiple times during this run. Place is going crazy.

The energy, the vibes are insane. People are more unified feeling than ever in the past. And that's what sports can do. And that's what sports are happening right now. The NBA, the NHL in the middle of their playoffs. It's awesome. The NFL has got drama. College football has got drama.

And we're all tuned in because sports are the greatest. The Pope is a sports fan. Amen. Oh yeah, big time. At the highest of high levels, sports are what make people forget about everything else that's going on and feel like they're a part of something special.

Shout to sports and let's feel good Friday. It's not just me. The Talks at Table's here at boss Connor and that's how she made one half of the hammer Cowboys AP tone is here and joining us live from an attic in Ohio is a man Who has won a college football national championship a Super Bowl championship? He's been a Ryder Cup winner all the other team lost, but he won he contributed we think that means something He doesn't like that we say it because the team lost. We just mean he beat Europe in golf.

Yeah. AJ Hawk. Yeah. You did it. Yeah, Rob Rigle and myself, we were able to, you know, squeak out a victory in our match, but yeah, ultimately they were too much for us. Save Malfoy though.

Yeah, you did. What's that? You saved Draco Malfoy. Saved his life. On the course. Oh, not me, Kelly Slater. Honestly, you did. What's that? You saved Draco Malfoy. Saved his life. On the course. Oh, not me. Kelly Slater. Honestly really did, I believe.

Yeah, I was scared of the situation after that. Yeah, happy everybody's okay. Yup. And on that note, AJ, you're a winner. That's what you are. You too. That's what you've done at all different stages of your life.

This guy was even an Allstate punter, I think. Yeah. In high school. I know you stayed up last night for that Golden Knights Oilers game. What are your thoughts on Conor McDavid and how he is slicing and dicing at the right time for the team from Edmonton? I tell you what, playoff hockey is different. Playoff hockey is, it's amazing to watch. Now, unfortunately, this one, I watched the majority of it the following morning early this morning I got to see a lot of the clips a lot of the highlights

But I wish I would have been up to see this one I really do but just my time zone kind of messed me with this one unless you're a Golden Knights fan Ty Schmidt last night Was everything that was spectacular with playoff hockey, you know the playoff hockey I think in the broader sense doesn't get talked about enough, you know And on this particular channel, which we appreciate for licensing our show ESPN, I don't think there's been a lot of hockey talk for a long time. I don't think the playoff hockey has gotten

like kind of eyes on it for one reason or another, because it's on another network. There's no relevance to the conversation in there, whatever the case is. But now it feels like you can't help, but just respect what's going on in hockey. Every night there's a banger. Every night there's something special.

Every night there is highlights and last night Capitals get a massive win over the Hurricanes. The handsome menace Tom Wilson not just an apple and the goal, empty netter nonetheless, doesn't matter. On the score sheet you just keep it moving and that whole thing. It's like hockey always delivers for us AJ. It really does feel like that. As sports fans, it feels like playoff hockey always delivers for us. Well, don't you feel the thing about playoff hockey,

has it always been seven game series? Like playoff hockey is a whole nother season. Obviously the regular season is what it is, but playoff hockey, it's like two, three months long, it feels like that's what makes it great. All these games mean so much for us. And that's just like the NBA. it is a whole nother season. Yes as like a outsider of the NBA fan

But lifelong NHL fan the NBA is the same way the playoffs are the only thing that really matters to the grand conversation of the entire sport in the entire league because the best of seven series is are so long and that's all eyes are on it. It's whenever the league is the league basically for some people and I think if you only tune in during the NHL playoffs I think you are watching the best obviously in the world but also the best act outside of I mean there was a couple even playoff football games that weren't that I'm trying to great playoff football. Impossible to be okay. In our eyes, in our especially if your team's in it, I mean, a whole different animal, but playoff hockey, if you have no rooting interest, you just tune in, you're going to be dazzled. It's going to be

spectacular no matter what. So I appreciate them showing up in last night's game going very late, but also being very great. Yeah, it's the best and hockey. It feels like is the only sport where the bottom seed can go on a run and win the entire thing like even in football. You can see the seven seed making it to the divisional or the NFC championship, but they're never going on to win the Super Bowl basketball is kind of similar. But it does kind of give you an insight on the 82 games. Like we're talking about the Pacers and

how after the All-Star break, they got so hot and it's like you kind of give you an insight on the 82 games like we're talking about the Pacers and how you After the all-star break they got so hot and it's like you kind of need those 82 games just so water does find its level and then once you do get to the playoffs Those teams are going up against each other are the best like the East is now You know one verse four two verse three in the West you have a seven verse six matchup and a one verse four matchup But now kind of looking back on it with how much we do Shit on the 82 games and this is too much and you don't need to play this many games It's like you kind of do and then the level of play that happens after those 82 games is so much higher Because they've kind of every team has found their rhythm a bit. That's a long season.

It's long as hell. I mean, I don't even want to get into baseball right now. It's the same thing though. Baseball, they need to have. Exactly. A thousand and four games. 162, you have to because it's a big like the with the COVID year when they played 60 games, like you could argue like the best team didn't win this year.

Got it. Because like that is that's what they've done every year. That's the whole point is like, can you go through the mental and physical rigors of like an entire summer and kind of find your formula or your right roster by the time the playoffs? So it's just like, you know, and I guess it's in the sports world. Interesting metaphor. We'll see how it is received.

Soccer's 90 minutes and I think think it's not. Kind of. Yeah, you're talking about the extra stoppage time that we never know about the extra time that one person gets to keep the extra time. I would imagine they can manipulate the game. They put the sign up, they go four minutes, three minutes at the start

of the extra minutes, but you don't know until after the night. It's like the 88. They put it up. Yeah. So he is right. I guess. I would just like to say that is kind of new though back in the day They didn't do that and it all was just like a how much time. Yeah, I will tell you when this

How much power that person's got a lot of power? Yeah, you literally asked like hey How much we thinking here and I'll let you like if my team's up one nothing. Oh, sorry, bud There's no extra time today. We're going we're right at 90 But anyways, they've evolved that a little bit, but 90 minutes is a long time. Golf, 18 holes, that's a long, that's a really long time. And in the modern world, it's like, can we bring that down to 12 holes, 13 holes?

Can we do that? Just make golf a little bit faster, more efficient. Soccer, can we get that a little bit more active? You know, and it's like, this is how it's always been. If you want to compare yourself against all the times to play the actual sport, we got to play 162 games. You got to play a long ass golf round and you gotta go 90 plus minutes to survive this thing

and probably run six, seven miles. Can we drop that down, make the nets bigger? Can we make the game a little bit? Well, that's not the sport. It's been this way since the beginning of time. And that's another great thing about sport, tradition. I think it's still a meritocracy, I believe, in a lot. I think it's a beautiful thing.

But I think these NBA and NHL playoffs right now, I'm more invested now, because we obviously have an opportunity to showcase their highlights and to meet people from their leagues and everything. It's like, I'm captivated every single time, and I've never really been that invested in the NBA playoffs or the NBA at all.

Super captivating, but I'm on the other side. I wish these were 11 game series. I wish these leagues played 100 games a year. I wish I wish I wish you with these were 11 game series I wish these leagues played a hundred games a year I wish golf rounds were seven eight hours soccer games four hours the more they are the more things that no I mean like you said 90 minutes. I want the runtime. Oh play time. Yeah, I want 180 minute Okay, cuz cuz if not if these alright say they were 40 game seasons We'd have so many days where we had nothing on and nothing to do. Well, you know, I agree.

I guess we could just watch a very boring thing for a long time. And we certainly will. And that is our life. But there's a lot of things changing in sport as well, especially at the college ranks. Joining us now is the senior insider and the authority on college football and basketball.

Ladies and gentlemen, from ESPN's College Game Days and the College Game Day podcast with Reece Davis, Pete Thamel. Yay, Thamel! How you doing, Pete? Great, Pat. Coach Rodriguez told us on the College Game Day podcast this week that you did not have a curfew at West Virginia

because you were so reliable on the field and maybe not so reliable with curfew. He just wanted you to make sure you showed up when the game started. Is that true? Well, I was an insomniac, you know, so what's that? Why am I being punished? I can't fall asleep, so I'm not allowed to do it.

Everybody else that's able to fall asleep has to live by the same rules as me. No, me and Coach Rod had a hilarious relationship, I think would be the way to describe it. And he taught me a lot about life, man, legitimately, a lot about life. And I find myself, as I get older in every situation, I think back to something that Rich Rod either yelled at me

or tried to get into our brains, and however he did it, every, I would say at least every day, every other day, I think about Rich Rodriguez. I'm happy he's back in West Virginia. How do you feel about it? How do you feel about the conversation with him? I think we're about, got to make some big turnover I think I think we're gonna be in a good spot, but it might take us a little bit, right?

My tickets is that what you're feeling? Yeah big big turnover numbers wise This year for for rich and we'll see if your friend Nico fits what he wants to do long term, right? I think Nico be a very good player and a good starter there But we know what we know how rich wants to go has term, right? I think Nico will be a very good player and a good starter there, but we know how Rich wants to go. 10-4-1. Has that been announced? Is that the starter? Did he tell you that Nico's the starter?

He did not, he's just the incumbent on the depth chart. He started some games at the end of last year. I was about to say, holy shit, that's big news. Nico's the starter, because I love Nico Matsara. I love him. I love that he stayed too, right? Vastly different styles of culture are happening between Neil Brown and Coach Rich Rodriguez. So him staying I think was like respect. Every time he played respect. But I didn't know if they named him. That was because that you just kind of got me pumped up there for a second like, okay, Nico's our guy. I'm excited for the big Italian lefty

to kind of do his thing. And then, you know, you're just telling me, okay, you don't have any information that I don't have at this point. Good, happy to hear that. No, I think you should have all the West Virginians that information, Pat. I will say this, sitting here on May,

whatever day today is, you would be very hard pressed to get a college football coach to tell you who their number one is, if it's not like an incumbent thumper starter because the quarterback market is so fickle and guys leave so soon that I you know if I ever mentioned to a coach coming through through spring hey you know this guy hey equal snaps equal snap everyone's got a chance you know because everybody they don't want to show their cards to have guys leave so it's the games the games the gentlemen play yeah and the game might

have been played there whenever you said nico was a starter because we got some dogs behind him that we don't need to leave. Okay, we we got some guys. Hey, I don't think the starter has been named yet. But let's talk about what you just chatted about there people leaving and everything. College football is obviously in the middle of a wild change college sports as a whole. We all heard the announcement about or read on the, the announcement that I think mutual friends of ours say that is not official, but would be cool if it was to happen. College commission happening,

and like getting rules and regulations on this. For the people that you talk to in the sport, are they all assuming that this is gonna happen? And are they thinking it's gonna be sooner than later? Like, what do you think about the guard rails that we're all kind of hoping for? What are the people in the world that you talk to thinking about the realistic expectations of that?

I think realistic expectations, Pat, is a great way to frame it. We all sit around and talk a lot about the issues and the problems, and they're all pretty obvious with college football. And the goal of this presidential commission that's supposed to come together sometime in the next few weeks would be to really sit down and try to solve that.

If these were easy issues to fix that didn't weave through labor law and weave through billion dollar television contracts and weave through higher education, they probably would have been fixed by now. So I have personally lived through a lot of commissions that were supposed to fix college sports or some aspect of college sports. And I can't tell you right now whether this one, even though the president commissioned it, is going to be more or less qualified to sort of find a place to go for a smooth path forward for college athletics. What is known already is that this commission is not going to all of a sudden be gifted unilateral rights to like change the whole landscape

Congress would still be needed to to use the use the great buzzword codify What they're hoping to have happen with the settlement There's gonna be some antitrust help that's gonna be needed there There's a lot that is needed and the commission in a linear fashion is not going to be able to just sit back and say This is what we're doing. Let's execute it. Yeah This is what we're doing is gonna be a hard thing to get to too, like what's the right answer? You're figuring out the right answer and getting everybody that's on set commission

to believe that that's the right answer. Then if you think that's the right answer, getting everybody to approve their portion of the right answer, which is gonna involve a lot of money, lot of money, lot of people, lot of, I assume lawyers, if I had to guess, because there's potentially money being taken lot of money, a lot of people, a lot of, I assume, lawyers, if I had to guess, because there's potentially money being taken away from employee. I mean, there is, this is a huge order. This is kind of where we always end up back at on this particular program, whenever we

talk about the college guardrails everybody talks about. The amount of things that have to get fixed, that is, if somebody was to sign up for that job, that's it. Like that is, if somebody was to sign up for that job, that's it. Like that is a full-time thing. I think this commission might be tough to find. I think it's gonna be tough to find who's gonna wanna do this.

I would just say this, Pat. It's a multi-billion dollar business that is an extremely important part of the fabric of America when you talk about college football especially, but college athletics in general. And that multi-billion dollar business sitting here on May whatever today is, doesn't actually have rules in place

for when it's gonna essentially restart at a high level in late August. Like there are no, there is not a system and a paradigm set up yet for how this multi-billion dollar business is going to grow next year. So it's a very weird moment in time. That's good. That speaks to how sort of fraught and complicated the issues are. Paradigm. Good word. You've been dropping on codified paradigm.

I love every time I talk to Pete Thamm I feel smarter and in this particular case you feeling smart you got to have the qualified right people in this position too because if if they don't know ball or the reality of what it is, it's never gonna. I hope, hey, good luck, whoever does this. We need you. We need you. Go ahead, AJ. I think you have something on it too. Yeah, Pete, what would you say is the most like pressing issue that this committee or these guardrails are going to be put up? What's the most pressing issue when you talk to coaches and administrators that you think needs to be figured out before anything else? Yeah, that's a really good question, AJ.

And I think there's a ton of macro things that need to be resolved. And then there's obviously gonna be some micro things. But I think how they're going to treat the athletes moving forward is probably the most vexing issue. I think we all know it's going to get to some collective bargaining moment in time here. And there's a lot of pushback from that, from campuses, from presidents, employee, non-employee, like all those issues.

If they're not going to be employees, do they have protections? I think identifying what college athletes are in the future and how they're going to be treated is probably the single biggest issue going forward. Can you somehow fast forward through years of pain, which we seem to be on the precipice of, and get to some collectively bargained solution? I think that would be the the biggest most complicated macro issue. For those that are not great with context clues vexing means causing annoyance frustration or worry which is what he was just referring to right there and at a high level the macro

views involve a lot of lawsuits. A lot of them. What do you say, taking care of the players? All those players that are making whatever or are supposed to make whatever, and then if they put, just this one generation, because the next generation will understand these are rules, like it's when there was a new CBA for the draft, like when AJ got drafted, these rookies getting drafted, never played a day

in the NFL, were getting paid more than 15 year vets with their assignment. Matthew Stafford got like 60 million or something in 2009 guaranteed whenever he was the number one overall pick. It was the same draft class as me. I got 45,000, picked 222. Bought an Escalade, didn't get the money for three months, almost got Escalade, repoed.

But nonetheless, that is a lot of people that are gonna be losing money potentially whenever these things come in. And there's gonna be lawyers that are gonna be like, we should definitely think about figuring this whole thing out. Who settles that? Good question.

Well, we still have to settle the settlement first, right Pat? And that could come as soon as next week, but one thing I've learned on legal issues, this is from Judge Wilkins courtroom in Northern California. One thing I've learned about following enough of these legal cases over the years is they

don't tend to happen quickly, but this one seems to be on the cusp. Everyone I've talked to in the industry is waiting for the settlement to happen. I don't think there's a plausible chance that it won't. You do talk to some extremists, however, who are almost rooting for it not to happen because then they would actually just have to figure out the rules. The settlement is it's almost like a 10-year pause to like, okay, we messed up all this stuff in the back. Let's back pay and fix that.

This gives us rules of engagement for perhaps 10 years. It is the most temporary of fixes. To think again that a multi-billion dollar business is relying on the whims of a judge in a Northern California courtroom, who, you know, whose rhetoric indicates she probably doesn't have like 98th level like expertise on how college football and how college sports work. It's a, it's a really bad place to have your bill billion dollar business when it comes down to it.

Yeah. I'm excited for that. Um, ruling, wasn't that supposed to be in April or something? Did I get punted? So yes, everyone was expecting to and quite frankly the market acted like it was supposed to happen in in April. It was April 7th. There was a day of the national championship game. There was some cool kind of confluence of this is the most important day of the NCAA calendar because obviously CFP is not under the NCAA umbrella and here's this this month but it was just a hearing. It wasn't a ruling and I think people knew that that hearing would give some clarity in the future,

but it has given way to more hearings and more filings, and perhaps, perhaps next week, a ruling. Okay, shout out to any billionaire that would like to adopt West Virginia. It feels like we're gonna at least have another season of what it has been, at least another season. Because when you talk about like all we really know from outsiders of the law world is that it takes forever. Right? Isn't that

like the only thing we really know about? And it's like they're not fast passing college football either for everything else that is happening. It's like this is a law, rule of law. I'm intrigued by it all. How does it end up panning out? we thought last year it was gonna get ruined by everything and it was big It was very big obviously the college football playoff bigger than it's ever been before people loved the ratings I think we're up on everything It's like college football is great but we'll be able to sustain years and years and years like it has with the way it's going with the Who's where who's what and then how much everybody's in does this school is booster not want to do it anymore

So now they fall off complete. It's like there has to be something but there's so many questions now Let's talk about the college football playoff tie has a question for you Pete because there's a some lingering change happening there as well Yeah, Pete listen we we've heard that the SEC commissioner and the Big Ten, well the conference commissioners, what have you, they're gung-ho about, hey, we need a 16 playoff. Now to the layman, you might think the CFP committees kind of put themselves in a bit of a quagmire here because we were just at a 12-team playoff, now we're going to 16. Do you envision that this is going to shit at 16 and kind of just stay there? Or are we going to, you know, in two, three years from now be saying, hey, we have the

NCAA basketball tournament for football, we're going to have 64 teams in here. We obviously know the economics of the situation are at play. So what's kind of your take on this whole, you know, or deal with the playoff, if you will. Yeah, Ty, good question. I appreciate a good quagmire, as you know. So where we are right now for the playoff is year 13, they call it, 2026. We're going into year 12 of the first 12-year agreement for the playoff.

This is the final season, we're gonna be at 12, and they've kind of soft-agreed to go to 14 for the next iteration of the playoff. I believe it's a six year run from 26 to 31. As the discussions have been honed in on that, there's been recent momentum for what was expected to be and thought to be a 14 team playoff to go to 16. And a lot of this comes down to automatic qualifiers. Automatic qualifiers are controversial in some sense because the Big Ten, the SEC are likely to have double with the Big 12 and the ACC have. So there's been some pushback on that.

But as it has gone forward and the conversations have have continued, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petiti has been very bullish on automatic qualifiers. Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, has been a little more guarded in revealing what his hand is, but the notion that I've gotten, especially in like the last week, is Sankey has started to align himself more with Petitti on the potential of four and the compromise of all this is to create more spots for the college football playoff, which is why 16 has really has really come into focus. Now what the 16 team playoff looks like, how it goes, how the automatic qualifiers end up being determined.

Do you have conference championship games? Do you not have conference championship games? Do you have like a 1-8, 2-7, etc. SEC Big Ten play-ins? Do you have the two teams who the one and two, play each other? They each play for the Conference Championship game but are also given automatic bids. How all that gets hashed out, we've probably got six weeks, two months

before it all comes together. But I do know this, in the SEC especially, and in the Big Ten too, the coaches are pushing, they want automatic bids and they are pushing more towards it. And if the SEC is going to go to nine games, which is appearing a little bit more likely, they want that extra protection that they don't want a conference loss to X them out. And this would essentially keep the top half of each league in the playoff conversation for the entire year.

And Petite has a background in the NFL. That's always been his thing to have a Minnesota Rutgers game where they're hovering around 500 have playoff stakes. It's like having the seven and eight Jets play the eight and eight Patriots or whatever. And there's a wild card bid, seemingly, on the table. Got it, okay. Whenever they think about these college football

playoff changes and maybe playing games and everything like that, do they think about how all the teams that had a bye hated it, right? Didn't that kinda, with how long everything's kind of expanded and extended, it's like the teams with the bye were not, I think we were all even talking at the time, like they were off for three weeks before they had to play a game.

They might've lost everything. It seemed like it was rust, not rest, or maybe it was just worse teams, but whatever the case, I think that all kind of was too, I don't think it was beneficial. I don't think it was beneficial. So they're gonna have to figure that out if they're adding play in games.

That's another week of a week of a week. Well, that would be championship weekend Pat. Oh, okay Well, what a lot of weeks left on the calendar and the NFL calendar I know you guys have talked about this as you know, there's there's some collision and crossover collision and crossover there With that but it would it would be you play your championship game and then have playing games that same day Or you would have four playing games could be two playing games SEC in the SEC in the big 12 So yeah inventory is as usual on the spike. I love it. Maybe they'll spice up that day Maybe that day gets even more loaded

I guess right that becomes a must-watch day like wild card weekend kind of has become for the NFL Okay, let's talk about some of these teams that are going to make it. It feels like if you got the cash, oh, you got the key. You're going to be in a good spot. I mean, I just tried to summon a billionaire who still would like to make the offer on the table.

If you have a lot of money and you're interested in college football, West Virginia would love to have you. We'd love to have you be a part of the Mountaineers. And we're not trusting climbing anymore. We've got a hard edge. We are, we're going outers and we're not trusting climbing anymore. We got a hard edge. Okay, we are. We're going out there.

We're not climbing. We're trying to go fight some people right now. There is a team though that's going to be at the top seemingly for a very long time because there's a lot of interest around the university. Go ahead, Con Man. Yeah, Pete. Reports are coming out saying that Texas is spending $35 to $40 million on its football team.

I assume they're not the only team, but for some reason they're the ones named in here. Are you hearing these are the numbers basically for a lot of these big programs spending money and did this happen because the hearing got kind of pushed till next week as you said and that maybe some money was promised and then all of a sudden, oh shit, we actually have to pay the piper on all of a sudden, oh shit, we actually have to pay the piper on all of these deals that we made. Yeah, we are in a quintessential college sports moment right now where everyone is in a hurry to front load. So when the settlement does happen, as we're assuming it's going to happen relatively soon, that the amount of money spent against the

cap, which is going to come, if you spent it already, it wouldn't count. So there was basically like a fake market, Pat Revenson earlier, like April 7th, we need to bring back April 7th. So there was this huge push, both in football and basketball, to get all these deals done. I had agents, I was at a pro day,

one of them came up to me, he's like, I've never negotiated with someone before, who's like, no, no, no, we wanna pay you now. No, forget later, we'll pay you everything up front which is obviously counter to usually how negotiations work so player I think in the In the realm of like Texas and high-end schools in the high 30 million range That's not shocking to me like that's that's in line. We were in the 20s last year So with this for a window to be exploited, it's not surprising

Texas is there USC is spending a lot of money in high school recruiting right now. They have the number one class in the country and that's clearly another team that is going all out now until the paradigms are put into place. In basketball, there's rosters that are in the neighborhood of 20 million. So they only have 12, 13 guys on them. So, it is a weird feeding frenzy right now that's flying around. Once again, if you are at a university, this is the time where your alumni

to really showcase themselves. And there's a lot of these schools, you talk about USC going, USC wants to get back to glory days. Remember what USC was whenever they were flying around? Obviously their alumni want LA to be a USC city and everything like that. Penn State, Penn State's had to sit,

all their alumni, a lot of success, lot of success. They have the most CEOs out of any university in the country across the business world, Penn State does. I learned that this past year, whenever we were up there for game day, all those CEOs get paid a lot of money. People get pissed about how much CEOs get paid, okay? That's like an actual thing.

So they all have a lot of money and they all like ball. Like they all like ball. And their athletic director is like, I've learned this pretty quickly here that everybody likes ball. They were able to just drop what, 700 million or something on stadium renovation. Boom, and then they were able to bid for whatever.

It's like these schools that have an alumni that are ready to roll, they're certainly gonna benefit from that. Now, with that being said, Ohio State Buckeye, AJ Hawk has a question for you, Pete. Yeah, Pete, actually, I wanna know, what do you think the max number is that we see in the college football playoffs?

10 years from now, what do you think? Like, are we gonna get up to like, I guess the other Pete said, a 64 team football playoff eventually So if we get to 16 year which I would say is a high probability at this point AJ I have a hard time seeing it jump up from there again. There's bracket creep It's always a match back in the history that's a basketball tournament It's always grown and there'll be another conversation about a growing next year in hoops

I would think 16 you'd have to stay static there for a relatively short period of time now 20 years from now, I don't know how it all how it all works But I would think there's already resistance You know from going 14 to 16 in a lot of ways. And a lot of this comes down to TV windows, guys. Like, we saw the overlap last year with the College Football Playoff and the NFL, and there's not a lot of places to put these games right now.

So the appetite for fierce growth TV-wise is likely not to be that high, just because the windows to showcase and maximize them financially aren't there. College football's got a lot going on. Yes it does. College football's got a lot going on. A lot of big decisions need to be made.

Somebody needs to step up and decide them. Now, somebody also needs to step up and be the brand new face of college football. Tone, has the last question for you here, Pete. Yeah, Pete, we talked a lot about the beginning of this conversation about quarterback depth charts and how coaches right now are not going to talk about that.

But there are a lot of big programs who do have quarterback battles. Michigan's obviously got one with Bryce Underwood and Mikey Keene, the five star coming in there. Oregon's got Dante Moore and Austin Novasad there. Alabama's got Ty Simpson and Austin Mack down there. Have those big schools, have any of them leaned in any direction as far as who's gonna be the face

of their program moving forward this year? Good question, Tone. And I think at least two of those schools, I feel like who starts the season may not necessarily end the season, if that makes sense. You mentioned Ty Simpson. I would think he's the experienced, safe, son of a coach kind of guy who can who can roll out there week one that the name at Bama That's got some buzzes Keelan Russell

He was the number one quarterback recruit in the country Is he the kind of guy that can show the coaches enough where he could eventually he could eventually end up taking over up It'll be really interesting for for Michigan as you mentioned obviously Bryce Under's there. Mikey Keene's played a lot of college football. You go to Oklahoma week two. Is Mikey Keene the starter there, or do you let Bryce Underwood rip? Remember, there aren't a lot of, there's not a lot of empirical evidence of freshman quarterbacks leading teams to conference titles. So you don't, and look at Dylan Raolo, for example,

like he struggled that times last year straight up. So when to break the quarterback in to not curb his development becomes pretty interesting. And I think for Oregon, I feel pretty good about Dante Moore, you know, being the starter there with no super inside knowledge. Oregon had chances in the portal

to go get higher end players. They've had Dante Moore for a year. They seemed to like what they have there. He was obviously the number one quarterback recruit in the country coming out of Michigan two years ago, went and played for Chip Kelly at UCLA and then transferred up there and kind of took a red shirt season last year. So yeah, those are all going to be interesting summer So yeah, those are all going to be interesting summer summer battles that were falling. I love That you brought up Dylan Raiola who's a son Son of a coach. Okay, so he you know, he works his ass off I seen him at raw the other day in Omaha looking good strapping big son coach Matt rule Obviously vibes high hanging with the boys and then E Money Emma Johnson the running back

His aura was immaculate like a confidence that you know, I think you can't teach I'm I'm high on the Nebraska Cornhuskers after getting a chance to meet these boys and chit chat with them One-on-one post Monday night raw on the back now because I did enjoy the conversation with them for so much I hit all the traffic. Sure. Out of 11,000 in Omaha. Okay, that's all leaving at the same time. So I did think about the conversation we were having while sitting in traffic in Omaha for a good bit there after the program. And I would like to let the Nebraska Corn Husker boys know, I said, worth it. It was cool to meet them. That Dillon kid was, that was great.

Like he was, I enjoyed the way he was operating. Like I enjoy, he just has like a star kind of vibe about him and then E Money right next to him, do a great nickname. Soon as I saw it on his chain, I'm like, E Money here, dude. I didn't know who he was. I've learned, Edmond Johnson's a dog.

All right, I think Dillon Rayleigh is gonna be a star next year, freshman last year. He said straight up didn't know who he was. I've learned. Emma Johnson's a dog. All right. I think Dylan Rayleigh is going to be a star next year. Freshman last year. He said straight up didn't do well. Exactly. Guys playing for Nebraska as a freshman. What are we? What? He's huge.

No, listen, I love the hype. You have to do better than six and six next year. This is the big 10. Okay. We're not playing in the wax. Did you see him at the end of the season? Did you see him at the end of the season? Yeah, I did.

He looked like shit against Iowa. Okay. Okay. He actually fumbled kind the end of the season? Did you see him at the end of the season? Yeah I did, he looked like shit against Iowa. Okay, okay. He actually fumbled the old kind of end of the game. Listen, he's a great player. He learned a lesson. He did. He's a young guy, just wait, let's see what Iowa is. You know, going home.

Oh he will. We got Mark Gronowski, we got the... Oh I forgot, you got Mark Gronowski. Yeah, we're gonna be just fine. I forgot about that. All right, hey Pete, we appreciate you man. Thank you for taking time. I called you very last minute to join us today

and you picked up the phone and delivered. We appreciate that. Thanks, Matt. Thanks, guys. The authority and host of the College Game Day podcast, Pete Dammel. Yeah, Pete! Why do fintechs like Float choose Visa? As a more trusted, more secure payments network,

Visa provides scale, expertise, and innovative payment solutions. Learn more at visa.ca slash fintech. A lot of words in there out of Pete. Yeah, holy hell. It's hard not to hear just Ty. Every time he speaks, it's hard not to just hear Ty. Well, you should see Ty when he's talking.

Ty is watching film as he, whenever Pete's on the big when Pete's on the big screen there it's just him. Yeah Ty's like very intently watching and then you're on the backboard here we can still see you whenever you're not on camera you're like next to Pete. Your reactions are our reactions at the same exact time. Yeah everything you're doing I think you've even heard us one time into the mic we had to like step away cuz like jeez like cuz the son of a son of a coach That's like a coach's kid is what I always said he said two words back-to-back times I came over what they were vexing came in it came out of nowhere. That was certainly one

codify yep codify was something which I still don't know if that's certainly one, codify. Yep. Codify was something, which I still don't know if that's codified. Every sentence has a few of them. Every sentence has a one or two words like, wow, I would not have thought that goes there. That was Andrew Luck too.

There was times where I'm like, my context clues, abilities helped me out immensely here because some of these people are just speaking a different language. Different words. Of the English language and I don't know them. You know, and I tried to do the dictionary.com word of the day thing, trying to get better at this.

Turns out I'm not that interested in it. I just stopped doing it, turned off the notifications. I'm like, this is not helping, because they'll give me a random word of the day that I would never be able to put that into my life. But somehow Pete figures out a way to get these words in. And Ty, I think he respects the ability to match them with his brain and his wits and I enjoy watching it literally you watching film on him is fucking sweet. As

we go through here. He gave you a lot to work with today. He does every single time you know I mean he's reading these these you know legal speak documents that are 60 pages so I mean his vocabulary is is you know better than most if not better than all but you get those sweet little moments where AJ is trying to you know get a clarification after his question and Pete doesn't hear anything he's saying he's so locked in just completely ignores him and keeps answering the question that's why he's the authority. Joining us now ladies and gentlemen is a man who's a two-time NBA champion a former sixth man of the year that's why he's the authority. Joining us now ladies and gentlemen is a man who's a two-time NBA champion a former sixth man of the year. He's obviously had an incredibly successful career in NBA he's also a dog on the golf course. Ladies and gentlemen, host of the par three podcast JR Smith. What's up, man? What's going on?

What's going on? Hey, I watch you react to the Knicks, obviously. I've heard you chit chat about it all. Cavaliers, obviously a team that you're close with, also the number one seed. They're on a complete opposite end of the spectrum. What's going on with the Knicks? Are you enjoying the playoffs right now? Loving it?

How is your vibe towards what's happening in the NBA right now? It's ups and downs, man. You know, I'm loving it for the Knicks, I'm terrified for the Cavs, numbers, the series looks crazy. So I got three teams that I'm really pulling for, obviously only one team can win so it's going to be interesting, it's been fun so far. I've enjoyed you know recapping as we heard there was a chance you would be joining us today which by the way we're pumped about. You need to be talking more. You know that. You know that.

I appreciate it, man. Yeah, no problem. Especially with who you are, your resume, everything. And what you're doing, like everything you do, we are massive fans of. You just need to know. All the way back to the COVID times. I mean, there was... We are, everything you do, we like. Just you need to know that. So anytime you come out and start speaking we put requests and thank you For joining us, especially in the middle playoffs in a very busy time for you You have so much experience in the playoffs and in big games obviously whenever teams down to oh

What is the conversation in locker room like right now? What is Boston saying? They're obviously championship pedigree. They're down to oh Cleveland They're number one team in the East this year. They're down 2-0. Is there panic? Is there an understanding that there's an urgency that's needed? What is the conversation in those locker rooms? Well, I mean, for a team like Boston, I definitely think there's panic. I mean, everybody's healthy for the most part. We just don't, the ball's not falling away.

They're shooting a lot of threes, and that leaves opportunities for teams to come back like the Micks have been. Not discredited the Micks, but in certain situations, especially in the playoff basketball, you got to change your style of play. Play-along is a different scenario. There's Garland's out, a big hitter, Mowbray missed the last chance, defensive formative for an active defensive player of the year.

So obviously you want to take some hits to your ego and to your pride, but you got to figure it out. It's playoffs, man. Ain't no excuses. And you got the next man up. Well, when Tyrese is going big ball of Burton on you, you know, that's in your town. I mean, he's just all over it.

What a time. Macy's, we've been able to pay attention obviously because we're in Indianapolis. They've been a very good team that nobody's really talked about. And I understand that Cleveland Cavaliers are also a team that was very good all season and not enough people talked about because of the smaller market situation. I assume this series is gonna get very, very, very good.

We all expect that. Go ahead, AJ. Yeah, when you watch this Warriors team, do you think they have a chance to beat the Minnesota? Obviously without Steph, it sounds like he'll be out this whole series. And what do you make about Draymond's play? And do you think he's going to,

he's gonna make it for the rest of the playoffs and not get booted? I mean, to first answer your question, without Steph, I don't see it happening. They don't have enough people who can create their own shot and get other guys involved at the same time. Steph created so many eyes on him at one time, it allowed a lot of guys to get off, especially with an addition of Jimmy, who's a great, great two.

I mean, he's not a bad one, but he doesn't do anything spectacularly well on the offense events where it's like, okay, we can throw it to Jimmy and get a bucket. So he's a great two, but without Steph, I really don't see it happening. Dreymon, I think Dreymon, he could possibly stay into it. It's just a matter of his frustration level with the team,

with the fouls, being in the situation. Obviously, we know he's liable to do anything, but depending on the frustration level and depending on how, you know, Ant can beat Ant and playing the way he's been playing, he could probably get under your skin a little bit, I wouldn't be surprised. Tell me about Ant. I assume you're a big fan of the way he goes about his business.

We are, we love the way he plays. I love the way he acts. Now granted, him taking a victory lap, awesome, love everything about it. Then as soon as he has a bad game, he's opening himself up to get absolutely murdered, but I think he's cool with that. I think that is who he is. What do you think about Ant Man? And what do you think about the think he's cool with that. I think like that is who he is. What do you think about Ant-Man and what do you think about the run he's on right now?

Yeah, I think Ant is incredibly talented, not only on the court, but off the court. His personality is second to none. He's a kid who's just a complete star. He shines and bright in every, you know, circumstances of his life. You can see his commercials, you see him online, you see him playing video games. You see his commercials, you see him online, he's playing video games, he obviously seen him playing basketball.

So, I mean, it's pretty remarkable where he's been able to do with the age he's at. And to see him, I think this is what, third year to be at the level he's at so fast. I mean, literally, I think he's the best shooting guard in the game right now. And we haven't said that about somebody that early in their career since, I mean, easily told. He's old, he feels like an old school player too, do you sense that? Is that kind of the mindset, whenever you gather around all the OGs of the NBA that you chat with, I assume?

Yeah, 100%, I mean, he's a dog because he wants to, not only to contact every play, but he wants that problem, that friction with the other star player. And he wants to guard him. He wants them to guard him. And that doesn't really happen because he's playing to so many matchups and load management and stuff like that. It takes away a lot of the men and men, you know, ego and pride in the game. So to see him take that challenge head on, night in and night out,

especially with the Phoenix last year, I mean, it was just, it's amazing to watch him and still have that almost 90 type, 90s type dog in him. Yeah, I just, you mentioned the Sun series, him and Durant, obviously, and Durant like laughing about it at one point, because I think Durant also has massive respect for what's going on.

All right, let's chit chat about the playoffs as a whole. JR Smith, legend, joining us. Go ahead, Con, man. Yeah, JR, it feels like there are some younger teams like the Thunder, like your Cavs, even the T Wolves have some young dudes on it that almost have inexperience. You know, the Cavs, they were out in the second round last year. Right now they're down 2-0. Thunder were a second round exit last year, I believe. That series is tied up. How much is the playoff and experience like a benefit for some teams where you know the moment's not too big for them that they

don't know it? And then sometimes how is it you know almost too much where they don't know how to handle themselves throughout a seven game series? And do you think either of those teams are trying to kind of grow through that inexperience to get to kind of a more vet level headed team similar to how you know the Celtics kind of grew over the last five years ultimately leading to the championship last year well I mean definitely plays being an inexperienced plays into so many times you've been out of fin of the game the lights are brighter the playoff basketball is completely different than a regular season every position counts

On guys or in a game when you know the game screen and playing a game plan gets tighter around you and what you do and around the team is You know, it's not easy. It's definitely not easy You felt learned since a matchup team and some series where it's just a bad matchup. So for inexperienced guys to to not understand where to go with Nick, how they you know being guarded and trying to add more things to the game while the series goes on or even just dissect the thing. A lot of season vets, I mean guys who aren't playing the quote unquote UDs of the game, the PJ Tuckers now, I mean those guys are the guys who are really important in film room and

communicating between barriers of coaches and players because they've seen it the most. They understand a different perspective and they're watching the game from a completely veteran eyes and who played in numerous experiences. So but the downfall to that is being having over experience and saying too many things and not being able to get an over coaching to a lot of guys, especially like I can throw line, he can get to the mid-range game. Him to shoot 12 to 15 threes a game, he's just diluting his pure talent. Okay, so let's talk about, shout out to Amambi and the dog, but let's go to Boston then. What about that team that's very experienced and then for some reason now, down the stretch

in the biggest moment when you think experience would help you, it's going the other way. Do teams just get cold? Shooters get cold? What happens? You just turn the lights off at the end? Why do you think what's happening to Boston is happening to Boston? Shooters definitely get cold.

I mean, you can live by the three and die by the three for sure. That's one of my models. I love that style of play. Trying to shoot 50 threes a game, definitely up my alley. But at the same time, if you're not getting stops and you get long rebounds and you're consistently put in transition position, especially being an older team and younger team can run you out the gym. A team like when you got guys like Josh Hart and Bridges who really, you know, just get extra possessions and literally wear you down. That takes a toll on you, especially when you lose to it at your home floor.

And you see that happen back to back and then coming back from big deficits. I think that can, you know, striking a major shank in your armor. But the only thing about one thing I can say about Boston is they have, they have, they definitely have the pedigree is just, I don't, I don't think it's the lights is too bright. I think sometimes they just over, they overplay they play the game or they play the they play the clock and they play the score opposed to playing the game. That's a bar right there at the end absolutely. You think Boston's gonna figure it out Conn man? Oh yeah I have full faith. Still the favorite. I have the utmost faith in in the Boston Salters beat in the next in the series. I have the utmost faith in the Boston Saudis being the next in the series.

J.R. when you got cold did you change? No way. How did you? No way. J.R. when you- No way. Did you ever have a streak where you got cold? Where you wondered maybe you should change your shooting style or

anything like that? Oh, shooting style? No. I've definitely had streaks where I've gotten cold, ice cold. But I'm gonna shoot, for me, my mindset, I'm just gonna make it next one and if I miss the first four, I'm gonna make the next six So I'm gonna keep shooting that thing. You're gonna take me out Ty is a question for you JR. Yeah JR when you look at the league as a whole right now You know everyone's basically saying like hey Durant is done with the Suns

And then there's been a lot of talk about Janice being done with the Bucs. In your opinion for both those guys, what do you think the best landing spot would be for them to be successful if they are both to leave their teams? Oh man, I haven't dissected it enough. I don't watch the basketball. I've only watched the playoffs. I mean, KD can fit anywhere. I mean, he's obviously, you know, to me, second best scorer in the league right now, behind Kyrie, but I mean, he can go fit in any system and play any type of style he showed us that would go and stay. Obviously, OKC, they play a totally different style of play. So for him, I mean, he can go anywhere. Giannisis is obviously it's a little harder because he's not as well of a score as

Katie I would say as far as shooters, so he needs space in these shooters around them But I would love to see Yannis in a big market city I would definitely love to see Katie back in a major market seat Whether that be in New York or LA or something like that I don't know about that one. It's a little stretch. But I definitely think that that's what the game is definitely missing and I am happy about the Luca situation to where he gets to a major market to see where his start on clearly go. How do you feel about Luca LeBron? Obviously LeBron comes out on his podcast,

Mind the Game, and says like, yeah, I don't, basically says, there's a lot to talk about as opposed to just me and Luca taking a full blame on, is what the point he was trying to make. How do you feel about that pairing? What do you think about, obviously as somebody that's had success with LeBron, a lot of it,

what do you think about the pairing of Luca and LeBron? And how do you think next year is with the full off season together? Well, I think it's a great fit. I just think for me, because LeBron is where he is, essentially passing the fees down, it's interesting how they will do it in the clutch moments. During the first of the game, three quarters,

I think it's easy because they'll alternate on who's on the court and doing's easy because they'll alternate on who's on the court and doing what. And because they pretty much, you know, they have a lot of similarities in their game. We're just filling the stat sheet as a whole and playing pick and roll and finding guys. So, for me, it's interesting to see it down to the stretch because obviously Luca is, you know, a bit of a poser and LeBron has been there his whole career so to see him get off of the ball and you know figure that position out like like I was in a lot of the times it'd be interesting.

Have you talked to him about playing off the ball being a guy because we talked to Rich Paul after it happened and Rich was talking about how LeBron now can do what he was hoping other people would do. He almost has an advantage becoming the off the ball guy because of how ball dominant he was for so long of his career. Do you agree with that sentiment and how do you think that plays out in the long run? 100%. I mean for a long for the longest time the main knock on LeBron was always quote unquote a shooting and now he's become such a dynamic shooter

with catching shoots and off the dribble shooting. You can, he can really get off the ball. And I know obviously he was pretty damn good with playing pick and rolls and having the ball in his hands. But earlier on in his career, they put him in those positions mainly because they didn't want him to be a catch and shoot guy. But a guy like Luca with bronze slashing, back door and calling things out from the weak side offensive side and not just the defensive side I think it's a dance special. They say he was at the Olympics or talk about LeBron at the practice

Yeah, how the entire is that how he is all the time from what we heard practice We're loud. We're the every minute basically of practice. LeBron is active, vocal, and very communicative about the whole thing. Yeah, 100%. Every practice he's like that, it's pretty remarkable because he's still doing it and still at the level of excitement every single day. And for me, I know how the Dancer got burnt out

talking to these young dudes, especially here in certain situations, in certain series. I know how the Dancer got got burnt out but I'm glad he still has that joy that he finds every single day because he doesn't do it. Yeah he's uh I mean just an absolute anomaly who knows what happens in the future he might play with two of his kids two of his kids he might play with that's absolutely absurd whenever you tell the story of sports in history. All right last question here not about basketball AP Tone has one for you. No, JR, it's real simple.

When are you going to qualify for the US Open? What are we planning on doing that? Next year, next year. Oh, yeah. Right now, I'm getting to very close to a zero. So when I get on the other side of that, I feel more confident about being able to qualify. OK, so I was just trying to look this up.

I didn't remember the exact school. North Carolina A&T State University You what sir you want to play? Are you still there right now? Yeah, I got another year eligibility. I graduated in the spring Okay, so you in class right now. Is that where you're standing? No, I'm in the damn airport, man I'm trying to get I gotta get to the gate. Okay. All right. Well safe travels. Hopefully commercial Airports and travel certainly care about that, you know, they will get to the bottom of it. They will take care of you

Yeah, I was watching you on game day mess in that plane down here Hope he's not finding newer yeah, yeah, I guess there's a lot going on. Yeah. I guess. Outages with air traffic control. They're still understaffed. Yeah. So it, and that's why it's the way.

Oh, I didn't know that. Could be. For sure. The plane world is crazy. It is crazy. All the things happening. Oh yeah. Like if you ever just see like a map

of all the planes that are in the sky and then all the things that can go wrong, I assume you ever just see like a map of all the planes that are in the sky, and then all the things that can go wrong, I assume. You know, we've kind of started seeing there for a little bit, which I don't like at all. It's a wild world. And he has no control over if that plane's taken off in 30 minutes, or if that plane's taken off in 10 hours. Because it's the flight before you see.

It might be in two different cities before it gets to you. And it's like anything can go wrong in any of those places so fickle the fact that we had a time where it was like smooth seemingly that seems like that was out of control yeah and they also don't give a shit like they probably know right now whether or not that flight is just going to be canceled but like they will delay that thing a hundred times until it gets to 930 kind of keep your prisoner at the airport and then at 930 be like it's cancelled we got one taken off tomorrow sorry we're here all day figure it out yeah and also we don't have a full plane available tomorrow because obviously there's

been seats yeah yeah so you're on you're potentially getting there it's like okay all right yeah that's good so what should i so do i stay well if you want to get there you might want to rent a car and start driving yeah i wouldn't have been scratch though. Yeah. Getting close to zero. One more year left in North Carolina, A&T state. Whenever he did that, I thought it was so cool. Like, cause he's going back to school or he's going to school, didn't get, you know, to

finish degree, due degree. So goes to school on a golf scholarship, getting good down there. Yeah. And now he's getting close to zero. Those teammates, how sweet that would be. JR Smith's our teammate. Yeah. He's going to be captain of his team next year. He's a senior next year. Going to, how sweet that would be. JR Smith's our teammate. Yeah. He's gonna be captain of his team next year.

He's a senior next year, gonna be a captain of the golf team down there. Getting close to a zero. He loved the game, right? Before he went to, obviously that's a reason why. Did he grow up playing? Like I was gonna, I don't know what his background was playing golf.

I don't know, I wonder. Guys, slow. Like he and Steph, the fact that he and Steph are so good. Both good shooters. Yeah. I wonder, I heard somebody say shooting a basketball's in the shoulder, like you could tell by loose shoulders,

like how are the shoulders going? I wonder if that helps out like Ray Allen also. Yeah. Oh yeah. You know, like. Reggie. Yeah. All of her super smooth too.

All very smooth. Swings shot. All. Have an incredible weekend. I'm all big fight tomorrow night. Yeah. At WWE Backlash. We'll see you for our reaction Monday. Have an incredible weekend. I'm all big fight tomorrow night. Yeah. Hell yeah at WWE backlash We'll see you for a reaction Monday. I feel like I really nailed that you did

Oh, yeah, available do show Monday. No kid. I know shit. Hopeful available Right about that most violent champion. You might be in jail for murder. Yeah, okay I don't think I've ever seen that I do that. I realize I Started watching, you know film on good sir. I realized man my voice is on a lot of the I've ever seen that I do I realized I started watching you know film on good sir I realized man my voice is on a lot of the I've watched a lot of good sir You know I've watched a lot of way back. Yeah from all the way back whenever he was Walter Yeah, ring around I've seen a lot of a lot of good sir. I'll tell you what he is a tough Austrian Asshole yes, he is but you know what?

Come get some that's right exactly. Pittsburgh pies on. Yeah, exactly. Tough Pittsburgh pies on. I gotta do what I gotta do. Okay, we all understand this. I gotta do what I gotta do for Michael Cole. I just can't be the person that just sits there and then say like, you know, I'm friends with Michael Cole and then watch his ass get snatched, you know? And then just sit there and do nothing. What am I gonna do? Sit there and do nothing? Then I got to live with that for the rest of my life? Oh, I just watched Michael Cole get punked out in front of everybody. Never going to do that.

Never going to be that. Can't be that person. Can't be known as that person. Now there are people that potentially don't have the physical stature to be a person that could stand up for a friend. I understand that. But got to be a person that's known. For if your friend's going to get punked, you got to show up.

Even if you get, hey, even if you take an L. Yeah, that's known for if your friends going get punked you got to show up even if you get hey even if you take an L yeah that's right on film you got to be the person running towards the fight not the person staying away from the fight that is just a must you know I think I might have learned that in football I think I grew up with that mentality but in football that I've never seen something more obvious whenever the film would be shown of a fight and our teams that I was on They get into it every once in a while. We were uh, we were a chirpy bunch I think we had some of the greatest of all time potentially in the shit-talking world and there would be a scrum nothing ever really

You know big couple of times every once in a while But you can get ejected for the game before the fight even starts But normally there is a push of yell Maybe a little bit aggressive. And we would see that, everybody would see that. And it's like my personal opinion, whenever I saw somebody see it and not move towards it, I was always like,

yeah. Oh yeah, you're judging. I mean, not even judging, you're kind of making a decision about that person for the rest of their life. Boom, that is exactly the case. So if anything was ever happening around me, punter, kicker, whatever it is,

I'm bottom of the totem pole here. I would like these boys to know that, all right, I'm probably going to get my shit kicked here depending upon who this is, but I'm going to go ahead. I'm in it. I'm in it. You know? And in this time, you know, I feel pretty good. You know, he is big. He's a lot bigger than a lot of people.

I mean, I'm 6'1", put those shoes on, 6'2". I'm 2'45 right now. You know, I'm like, all the things I'm looking at, it's like, yeah, I mean, there's a chance that this goes really bad. There's a chance it really, but also there's a chance that I've, you know. The big tree falls.

It goes really good. What do you mean? Yeah, there's a chance. Yeah, there's a chance. I think I saw some odds have been placed on the internet. Okay, that feels good, too That feels good, too. I think he's like minus a thousand or something like that. Okay You're in a great spot. What a good spot. You know, it was plus five thousand. Who's that? Oh Leo

You're right. And then what happened? Yeah, you're right that white smoke came to see him Pope in out He came to the see him. Oh plus 550 going through minus a thousand is from battle online I believe you can't do this on actual It hasn't gotten it hasn't gotten Yeah, I was gonna say I didn't know you could gamble on these hasn't got legitimized yet You would have to find illegal sportsbook, but this is just more fantasy booking purposes. Sure. Sure and conversational purposes Things yeah, I'm plus 550s minus a thousand all right all right

I understand that by the way if I was outside looking in I'd be thinking the same thing I just put the village on it. You know else was minus thousand Ryan Garcia Good point, and that was the sweet science How about that weekend having the least amount of punches thrown in the history of boxing or something like that? Yes, that's. That's tough. But they were so good. You know what you want. I think it's because they were so quick. I'm gonna have to, I'm gonna want to miss some of his. Yeah, which you will. I've been, I've been thinking about like, does he have any giveaways, you know, when it's coming? And it appears as if there is a little bit of a tell and it's whenever he does this There's a big one coming. Yep. Okay, so I found that out through the film study detailed film study

What he do right here? He might be standing like this looking really intimidating Then he will turn just a little bit like this and that's not because he wants to give you the side profile Although it is he is a large large man he's he's it's there's a whining up there's a womb coming and that thing is shattered yeah you know and do a lot of push-ups try both these bads I'm not known to have like the biggest chest in the history of the world not really my you know so we're trying to get a little because I mean, he could break my entire sternum. It could break my entire sternum with the way he does what he does. I know

that. You don't think I'm getting ready? Well, we turn to fuck. Oh, stick and move. Oh, maybe foot to the thing. Oh, imagine break his little fingers like he goes that slap you and you kick his fingers. Oh, big, big stomp on the fingie. Yeah, cause hurt is, yeah, that's what I did. Hey, I like this. This is what Bill Belichick did when he was with the Patriots. He, you know, all the way up to game time,

we got a film study here trying to figure out what we got to do. Fingies need to attack, dump that so he can't see this. Yeah, dump that so he can't see this. Remember Poirier? Yeah, exactly. Pull that lever. Yeah, see this member. Oh, yeah. Yeah exactly Pull that lever Why is this guy laughing I don't know I don't I am I just thinking of thinking that I mean you had him you did have

My was in a big I was a big jacket cuz I'll call it was yeah, but you saw me I was I was bollock and strick during I just didn't get all the way in cuz he was a guest of the show right? And then he was gonna he was gonna steal my watch you remember he was trying yeah, yeah couldn't yeah Imagine how quickly he could have just broke every bone in my body right there his ears tell me that he walks onto the set his Ears tell me this guy not only all of his fights obviously and I'm pumped to watch his final fight down there in New Orleans But him he could just Right on television there two broken arms and choked out diamond dust boy, which is why I'm happy you trained me a little bit Exactly. You're pretty tight with catering right? Yeah What if they were to bring a big plate of sausage and sauerkraut out during the match imagine he was just so distracted

I don't think that would distract. I don't know if it's sausage and sauerkraut would get him He oh, I understand a Walter comes out. Well, I was thinking of Visine. Yeah. Yeah. Does that really work to make people dump their pants? Oh, it works. Enough of it. I don't know.

I don't know. Like 10 bottles. You're right. Venetary was always like, I don't want to go eat anywhere in the city because all I need is one chef to know who I am. And he doesn't need to kill me or anything. He just needs to make me feel like shit tomorrow.

There's a little bit of an advantage. Accidents. It's true. Maybe we need to call around St. Louis. See if anybody sees or in general I'm not above taking these steps taking that he's in his prime. Yeah. Yes. Yes. This guy was a world champion What two or three weeks ago violet? He's most violent. Yeah, most violent. You'll see he's most violent champion all time by far Okay, not tomorrow night okay okay maybe you were in the deal underneath your stuff I remember you said it really pulled you tight we'll see we'll see don't be giving away too much yeah no no we couldn't we didn't get to see it but we just you said your undergarments were pulling up through your like really

putting pressure on you Yeah, you're right. I did get a new pair of that. Okay. I was I wish you would have reminded me that earlier I should have because I must say Amazon's fast But it was there was only limited options when I thought of this last night here. I thought that last night. I was like, oh, yeah Is it yellow? What is it? What colors? Don't worry about it. You're gonna be able to see when you see you're gonna say that looks cheap Well, it was the only one that was available in less than 12 hours Yeah, get it get it fast. You gotta quick get it faster. Get it today. Yeah, exactly They spent a lot of time on the gear. Okay strictly because

I'm here fight for it. What's right? Yeah, we're gonna body Yeah Type of body your head head body body mixing ahead please do a bang work the body you gotta work his body you have to you gotta slow him down and I'm about when this bad boy comes thing work the leg kicks too hey yeah Chandler Jones exactly chop that tree you go a little like Bruce Brown Bruce Brown is the yeah. Yeah Do one of those though, yeah, yeah exactly Don't celebrate right over your head he's gonna be sweet when he swipes right over your head

You're gonna stop and pause and look around when you know, it's screwed. I didn't even think about Me actually just ducking right into a total facial You're getting bonked on the head like he's a Rudolph. Oh, no No, it's right in the forehead. It's not giving away too much dump all this and go through doesn't see it. Yeah dump it all Do you feel that? I mean, it looks legit. Like it looks legit. I don't feel that.

Did you feel that? I did. I don't want to eat those shots. No, I'm not taking that. Absolutely. The issue is I'm doing this. There's nobody on the other side. Not yet.

Not yet. Visualize. He's going to do one of. Not yet. Preparing. Not yet. Visualizing. He's going to do one of those. Yeah. Liver shot. There it is. There's that tail.

What would you say his weak spot is because you guys come from similar descents. Yeah, what would you say his weakness probably is AJ after watching a lot of Goon 3rd film on the week? Goon 3rd? Yeah. Democracy? Geez. I'm telling you.

Whoa. I don't know about that. I'm telling you I think you should wear is this a sanctioned match Yeah, but yeah, it's sanctioned match. Wake up! We can still put the rules right though like we can we can the ref can turn the other way Can we wear our spiky chest pad that bodies his hands early? So the issue with the spiky chest pad is I guess others have thought of this in the past against Gunther and I was told Directly that it is in the rule book So it's not hardcore match. Yeah, I mean this was a street fight. Yeah, I say Louis Street foot

I would be the better amount I think you could tire him out and frustrate him just circle circle circle jab jab and then circle You could tire him out tire him out guys in the making make it a 50-minute match. Oh, yeah, that's what I want For sure. That's what I want Look out like you're moving around you look like bill These are brand new Air Force's to shout out to the dirties. Give me these they're a little heavier than what I'm gonna be wearing And you know, I mean, maybe I wear the rock climbing shoes In the eye with your toe toesies, please do it in the eye with your toes. Toes especially.

Please do it. Please wear the. You get up on the top rope and run all the way around the ring a couple of times. No problem. Cuz the traction on those. Yeah. Yeah. I put my.

You'll just be so. You'll have no idea what's going on. What the hell? These are all possible Gunther if you're watching. Should be. Formal world champ. Just for you. Don't put a.

I mean if you put another ball into his chest like you did mr. McMahon he might die mr. McMahon did that to me thank you are you okay you still can't breathe I heard I had't hit you I'm not joking it looks good like you look good yeah I just jumped back and forth there 15 times how many times did it look for yeah yeah yeah that was 15 all one yeah and if you're if it looks slow it's your internet okay fucking figure it out all right we're gonna head into the weekend I hope you guys have a great And if it looks slow, it's your internet. Okay, fucking figure it out. True, true. All right, we're gonna head into the weekend.

I hope you guys have a great weekend yourself. Massive lineup tonight in sports, which will obviously set the tone for an incredible weekend. Tonight we got NHL, tonight we got NBA, tonight we got Cavs Pacers in Indianapolis at 730 on ESPN, Oklahoma City, Denver Nuggets at 10 p.m. back there in Denver.

Excited to see how Joker and the boys respond. Maple Leafs up 2-0 over the Florida Panthers at 7 on TNT and TruTV. Convenient. Didn't do that to the Pacers. Cavs game one, I don't know what that's all about. And then game two, Texas hockey taking on Winnipeg on TNT should be a great night obviously Friday night smackdown obviously on and then tomorrow there's a whole ass of shit starting at 330 as the Celtics take on the up to New

York Knicks both wins coming in Boston stealing home court advantage of the series against the reigning champions They'll play tomorrow at 330 then Timberwolves Golden State Washington Carolina Vegas Edmonton after an overtime thriller that took place until 2 a.m This morning. All right, let's enjoy the hell out of all of it great Jersey on you. Thank you very much It's all about the trenches, baby. So about the Campbell's Mike Rebels first pick. That's right. All the numbers are out right in the NFL. Yeah, yeah. Abdul got 51. Is that what I saw? That is correct. I don't know who that was. It's always him. I'm excited to hear the reasoning. Is that always you? Yeah. Okay, you're the fart one yeah okay because

it's you can't okay people don't probably think that I would know who that is I do not sneak them yeah it's a hard to decipher yeah it's hard to decipher sorry I wonder what the reasoning behind it is I got I'll be excited to hear the reason why maybe Maybe he hasn't selected a number yet. We got turned down. Yeah, they change a lot of times. Like even the rookies will change the numbers after the training camp.

Yeah, so 51 just happened just for this. And then obviously he'll have whatever he wants. Or there's a reason behind 51 and that's his thing. But this has been a talking point and has taken away from the fact this dude is a dog. This dude is very good at football. This guy is a dog. This dude is very good at football. This guy is a stud. We watched his interview with Joe Shane and Coach Dayball

and the defense coordinator, I believe, over there, and the answers he gave, Dayball asked him just rapid fire questions. He's getting rapid fire questions. And Dayball goes, what's your least favorite thing about football? And he said, I don't think there's anything I don't like about football.

Just like immediately back. And then he talked about his game and what he can do It's like this guy's a guy this is this dude's gonna be a stud in the league 51 don't look bad Doesn't look bad. Oh good jersey swap there. Is this a D bone production at a baby D bone D bone production and if that's his number I can't wait to see what he does and if he changes his number which at this exact Moment in time before knowing anything we assume it's gonna change yeah we assume it's gonna change but maybe 51 is locked in forever good number he's a beast so as well Campbell amen I got you how about the center from the Raiders you see him walks up to

Ashton Gentry I'm'm Jackson. I'm your center. He's wearing like Crocs or whatever. I love you. He's got those shorts, yeah, love you. Love you. Big hug, whole thing. I'm like, I love that. I love that the vibes of that team are probably that exact thing.

Then Pete Carroll is in there now. Chip Kelly's in there. It's like all these behind the scenes videos we're seeing from draft and from like first week into building. Everything's good right now. Everything's good right now. Potential Hall of Famers littered on buses and cars going into facilities

right now. Good luck to all of them. All right AJ, we appreciate the hell out of you. What's this weekend look like? You coaching stuff? What do you got going on? I don't coach much lacrosse so that's yeah we got a lot of lacrosse stuff happening. That's this time of year. AAU, all that stuff, basketball. So you got basketball, lacrosse, FOS. I think FOS goes to six soccer games each Saturday and each Sunday. Do you follow along with his IG story? Oh yeah.

It's awesome. He's got what, five kids I think. And they're all at the age of playing sports. One of them's a menace too. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, he's awesome. Absolutely. But it's like, I don't know how parents keep up with that.

Since beginning of time, I have no idea how you have enough time to do all that so shout out to parents making it all happen and Shout to all the young kids chasing dreams. Maybe lacrosse Olympians someday playing this week across That Spencer on the Warriors helps it out people love that guy obviously He was the best lacrosse player in the country in college. Is he 61 or something? 61. Yeah. Which is sweet. Keep it.

It's been joked about too by Draymond and all of them. Like yeah, he's awesome. He's incredible. His number stinks, but he's just rockin'. Needs to keep it. Yeah. National Championship chase that starts this weekend. NCAA tournament for lacrosse.

I believe Notre Dame is playing actually the Buckeyes. Sunday at noon on ESPN2. Okay. Who's favorite this year? Michigan? The Buckeyes Sunday at noon on ESPN2. Okay who's favorite this year? Michigan? The Buckeyes are the four seed. What happened with Army? Army didn't get in the tournament. I saw a lot of people some Captain Collins get mad about that because they're like the number one team in the country or number two team in the country. They lost to Colgate. When you're in a conference like that Fairfield's not in it. When you're in kind of one of the worst conferences you got to

win your conference tournament. They didn't win. I think Fairfield was number one in the country at some point, wasn't it? So they never got up to one, but they were the last undefeated team. And then they lost in the first round to Drexel. So when you're in a smaller conference, you must win your championship to get in. Yeah, have to, because I think it's only 16 teams. Got it. Cornell is your heavy favorite to win the last round. Oh, the Ivy League's back.

Plus 150. Wow. This is the combo with the Ivy League's back plus 150 this is the combo with the Ivy League see if they win it or no they just had the number one picked and yeah cursed he the youngest brother on PLL draft no no CJ but yes the Ivy League I don't think they've wanted since Yale in like 2018 I don't know yeah and I know it's a big conversation we've learned it over the last few years following the Cavanaugh boys, through their national championships up there at Notre Dame

and then a conversation about the ACC, the Ivy League, the Big Ten, everything like that. They all seemingly take shots at the Ivy League. Because I think everybody nationally thinks lacrosse, we think a little uppity, which would be Ivy League, I think is what everybody thinks of thinks of and the ACC boys We got the best conference and then the Big Ten. I think they think they have the best conference It's like lacrosse college. I think college lacrosse is getting better. I think just from our

Viewpoint of like watching it. I think there's a lot of Bobby Rood's kid. Yeah for Michigan Yeah, his kid scored broke his thumb in his hand in the same game. He scored a game-winning goal or whatever. It's like I followed their season with him. It was glorious. I enjoy lacrosse. Playoffs are definitely much better, I think, than a regular season. It'll be tough to get me a door in a regular season.

No doubt. But definitely during this playoffs run, I think I'll watch a couple of these teams have some dreams come true. Yeah, like Ohio State, they're kind of a new team to be a four seed. That's very high for a program. You guys spending money on the crossover there? I assume, I mean, they got a sweet facility now. I've been to games there and like tickets are not cheap.

I believe the game is Saturday, Ohio State, Notre Dame. And I got my, one of my sons is going to go with somebody else. Tickets are not cheap at all. They weren't. Connor saying it's on Sunday. I think it's Sunday at noon, I think. But also if he's going to be putting notes.

I actually hope it is, but yeah. I thought it was the 11th. If you but also if he's okay, I hope I actually hope it is but yeah If you want to get a ticket you need to go to Seekik the greatest ticket buying platform on planet earth and Right now use code Pat30 you get $30 off tickets to any live event in Seekik has tickets to every live event They have anything you could potentially wanna do. They have the ticket for you, and right now you can get $30 off with PAT30. Doesn't matter if you're new or returning customer to

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Obviously some restrictions apply on a $30 off thing. Like I think if the ticket is less than 30 bucks PAT 3-0 will not work. But if This is for the Cavaliers in the Pacers game this evening, secondary ticket market still available. Let's go. $30 off any of these tickets go watch the Indiana Pacers and the number one seed Cleveland Cavaliers tonight kick off a great weekend of sports and entertainment. We can't thank you enough AJ you're the man brother. Hey, good luck tomorrow night, man.

I cannot wait to watch you put all that into action. Thank you, me too. It's gonna be sweet. Everybody has a plan, they say. Until, uh. Until you kick him in the head. Boom. Great work in the back this week.

Great work to everybody. Thank you all so, so much. Thank you for allowing us to do this for a living. You're the greatest people on earth. Be a friend, tell a friend something nice that might change their life. We're in this thing together. Team on me, team on three.

One, two, three. Team. Team. Team. Goodbye.