The Pat McAfee Show - PMS 2.0 1535 - Quentin Richardson, Mark DeRosa, Sidney Crosby, Daniel Jeremiah, Darius Butler, & AJ Hawk

Episode Date: April 16, 2026

On today’s show, Pat, Darius Butler, AJ Hawk and the boys chat about everything happening in the MLB, the NBA Playoffs in full swing, WrestleMania this weekend in Las Vegas, and more news floating around the NFL as we inch closer to the NFL Draft next week in Pittsburgh. They are also joined by several great guests including 13 year NBA veteran, former 3 point contest champion, co-host of the Knuckleheads pod, and ESPN NBA analyst Quentin Richardson; 16 year MLB veteran, Manager for Team USA, and MLB Network analyst, Mark DeRosa; 3x Stanley Cup Champion, Gold Medalist, one of the GOAT’s, Pittsburgh Penguin legend, Sidney Crosby; and lastly, former NFL scout, LA Chargers color commentator, and NFL Network lead draft analyst, Daniel Jeremiah. 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, we’ll see you tomorrow. Cheers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to our Humbley Boe, the Thunderdome. On this Sydney Crosby Thursday, Info 16, 2026, this program begins now. Sports! You heard it right. Okay. When the intro happens, hello, beautiful people, welcome to our Humbley, blah, blah, blah, and then I get the name of today's program. There we try to put a word that is going to probably encapsulate what today is going to feel like as we're Chichabank.

We've used big-time sports, big sports, sports in different ways, because we know that there's going to be a variety of sports. We've used, you know, moments, events, celebrations, championships in there before. We used Masters, obviously, just a week ago as Augusta kicked off today. Sidney Crosby Thursday. Wow. Sid the kid, three-time Stanley Cup champion. Obviously Captain Canada is going to be joining the show.

He has been a staple in the Pittsburgh region. Ever since I've been a teenager, okay? This guy's number is 87. That is his birth year. I, May 2nd, 1987. The Pittsburgh Penguins only team that I really got a chance to go watch as a kid because we could get tickets to go watch them. And also they go back to back in the 90s.

And then again, so with him there, we are Hockey Town. So the amount of happiness that this guy has brought into my life, the amount of joy in celebration, and maybe some beers. Wade. Jack Daniel. Wade. Tequila.

Wade. Those days, I think we were even doing, what was that weird one? everybody was captain maybe captain morton that was kind of the one i think rum rum roll a little too much of that yuck one fifty one slipped in there a couple of different times that was outrageous that's because of this man and what he has done for the city now obviously alongside of genny malkin and chris letang they've been the three stalwart so the penguins organization but this man was the lebron james coming out of canada whenever he was in high school nobody had a clue who he was uh in the

United States of America unless they were die-hard hockey people. But as soon as he got to Pittsburgh, we thought, well, we got the next Mario the Mew. Turns out he's lefty, but he's damn near the same thing in the equivalent of what Mario was for Pittsburgh, both business-wise and also to the team. He's brought cups there. He's brought pride there. He's always remained loyal to Pittsburgh, even whenever here in the last couple years as he's continued to play incredible hockey, 21 straight years averaging at least a point per game. That is an NHL record. He's been the greatest for the longest in the history of the game. And these last couple years,

our team maybe wasn't ready to go ahead and win a Lordo. So a lot of people are saying maybe Sid should ask for a trade. Colorado, which everybody thinks is a wagon right now with McKinnon. He's friends with him. He should get traded to Colorado. Do it for Sydney. Do it for Sydney.

And then Sid told us and everybody, I'm staying in Pittsburgh. This is my team. I'm only going to be wearing this. Penguins is black and yellow on my body as an NHL. And it has worked out. They got new GM. looks like dumbass.

Yeah. That is not his name. Not even close. That is not his name. Doom us. Okay. They got new head coach, obviously dog. Danny Mews.

Mews is his name. And he is not amused with what has been happening in Pittsburgh over the last couple of years. So I can't wait to tell Cindy again how much I appreciate him. I can't wait to catch up with him. And also, we head into a series that has potentially defined his entire career as a Pittsburgh penguin. The Penguins and the Flyers have a rivalry, naturally, just strictly because it's Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. That's just going to happen. That's just kind of a part of, you know, sports culture.

High school even, you're playing a lot of teams maybe from the other side of the state for state championship. I mean, that is just kind of throughout all of sport, Philly and Pittsburgh always going to have a natural Keystone state rivalry. So Sid has kind of taken that to heart, and the way the Flyers fans have treated Sid is disgusting, like kind of how you would expect them. John's over there to kind of act. And Sidney's just beat the shit out of them. I mean, he has scored more goals against them than anybody else in the history of playing against a team. His series in the playoffs, he's this.

The Flyers have yet to won a Stanley Cup since 1970 something, certainly not under Sidney Crosby's watch. So we are going into a series that starts on Saturday that he is probably very excited about and also one that he predicted last year at Big Night Out whenever he said, we got some more runs than us, don't you worry? We're going to do this for a couple more years. And then he grabbed a football, We didn't know he did that ever in Canada

and throws a million dollar ball through a hole 30 yards away. That's Sidney Crosby in a nutshell, cannot wait to catch up with him. It's not just Sid today. We got Q. Rich joining us here in about five minutes. The NBA playing finals for the East and the West have been cemented. Last night, two playing games.

First one, kind of boring. Philadelphia kind of did their thing. Second game, you fell asleep. Steph Curry and Draymond Green are back like seven years ago, eight years ago. Dremont Green was high. Bopping wood all night. I mean, not just a little bit of bopping of the wood. I mean, he's long bopping this wood. He's going end-to-end bopping wood on Kauai Leonard.

I believe Kauai had like two or three points in the entire fourth quarter down the stretch as, as Dramon Green decided that he was just going to lock him up. And it wasn't just Kauai that was obviously suffering from Dramon Green. Inbound passes were getting deflected. Dremont was everywhere, and him and Steph were running this one, too, like they used to do. And Golden State is all of a sudden a who's who in the playoffs. Steph Curry's going, Choo! Choo! That thing is

absolutely marvelous to watch. A nice trip back in time. Remember just a few weeks ago, Steph was injured. We didn't know if he was going to be back. He comes back. He's gone crazy. And after he shoots that shot, in the Clippers building, the Intuit Dome. In front of the wall. In front of the wall of fans that Balmbert put in there to be home.

That place goes crazy. And then he goes, did that go in? Yeah, yeah, you did it? Yeah. Yeah, it did? Yeah, goes crazy. He's loved there. Okay, now the Clippers, I believe it's like five straight years or something. I'm making it past the first round of the playoffs. And obviously there's a lot of conversation outside of the Clippers that has taken place. Draymond Green affects the aimbound past there because Kauai couldn't get open.

Now they do a layup. I mean, it's just, it was a masterclass by Draymond Green. Really felt like we were in that negotiation office with him for that punked show that Anthony Davis is doing. He was just punching Kaua right in the face. I mean, there was no questions asked. Absolute beast. And now we got a chance to maybe see him. more Steph Curry. The West finals for the

playing game are set. The East playing finals are set. And I tell you who it doesn't involve. Oh. Doesn't involve the Miami Heat or still patent about what happened. We are not. We are not. Oh, yeah. He got fined.

There was also a hey, should have been a, huh? And I'll say you cursed. So we're going to have to find you there. Lamella Ball, it does not face his suspension, but did hit three different fines, I do believe. His team, which is electrified. now advances to potentially go on to play against who? Oh, the Pistons.

Who do the Hornets hate? The Pistons. Who do the Pistons, the number one overall seed? Who do they hate, hate, I guess? The Hornets. We need the Hornets to do something big over Orlando, who, from my understanding, just from looking at the Internet,

does not love their Duke representative as a basketball player. Oh, they don't. There you go real loud, but hey, everything could change tomorrow night. And then Steph Curry, obviously, we talked about that. And the Phoenix Suns, here we go, book. Here we go, book. Ishpia. He's paying hundreds of millions of luxury tax for players that aren't on his roster right now.

That's right. He's bopping wood in the All-Star game. He was very confident in their team. He goes, no, we got a good group. We got a good group around Devin-Boogel. We got our superstar. We're going to have to build this way. We're going to do this entire thing.

It felt like he felt good about the team because they had a bunch of dogs. And for them to be in this position, if they were to go in, I mean, good for them. That's obviously somewhere that they weren't the last couple of years as he has spent so much money. So much money on trying to turn them around. Sports are incredible. We also have Daniel Jeremiah in the second hour and Team USA baseball head coach, Mark the Rosa. Wow. Let's go to the toxic table at Boston Corner at Ty Schmidt. Ty, we're talking to Dero because baseball is having a little bit of a time right now. Yeah.

Superstars night in, night out, having big games. Games being electrifying. We had walkoff. We had dongs. We had everything seemingly happening last night. Yeah, I mean, on any given night, there's probably four or five things you can point to that are very, very entertaining. Like last night, you know, this battle in New York between the Yankees and the Angels where Judge and Mike Trout have gone crazy. They've hit a combined seven homers in three games. They have another day game today at 1.35. But, I mean, that's what it is, you know.

And then late, you know, we talk about walk-offs and crazy stuff that happens. Jazz Chisholm, who's rocking the Jackie Robinson baggy pants, hits a pop-up in the bottom of the ninth inning. Oswaldo Parraza, the third baseman, their former Yankees, who got traded last year, and Zach Netto, they let that one drop, which is just Cardinal Sin. Against good teams, you cannot let that happen. Later in the inning, Jose Caballero, laces one into the gap. One run scores to tie the game, and here comes Austin Wells, the Dominican hero, who just gets in to walk off the Angels. So that was a great game. We had another.

Did it feel like there, Paul? Possibly on that infield fly, you know, just like when we thought Jim Ursa, maybe grab Tyrese Halliburton's brick in Madison Square Garden and go ahead and drop it. Maybe Jackie Robinson just does a little, you know, because the pants. Maybe there is a little magic happening right there, right in front of our eyes. There could have been some sort of divine intervention because, by all accounts, Jazz has not had a good start to the season. He has been very, very cold.

That's a can of corn. Yeah, that is a can of corn. and that should just be the easiest play ever. But that's the kind of thing that can turn your season around. Jazz Chisholm. Exactly. Exactly. So that was an unbelievable game.

We had another walk-off in the Padres and Mariners game. Padres were down six runs late. They ended up coming. Jackson Merrill rips one down the line to walk it off. So that was an unbelievable game. Again, this is kind of stuff that you don't really see. For a casual baseball fan, if you see a game that's like six one or six-nine, nothing going into the last inning.

You're probably just saying, okay, that one's over. Don't need to pay attention to that. But we've had a lot of these this year. And then obviously, anytime you got a guy like Shohei on the bump, which he was last night, just absolutely slicing and dicing, strikes out 10 guys. Totally pitched. Yeah, only pitch didn't hit first time in several years that he's done that.

But to your point in what you've been saying, the stars are starting to perform. So you can cherry pick four or five guys you want to follow a night, and more often than not they're delivering. Yeah, Shoah, I forget the amount of, his pitches are fun. Yes. They kept saying he has seven pitches, seven different pitches. I turned us on strictly because Shohei was pitching.

So I found myself, let's go ahead and watch this game a little bit. That ball's moving. His off-speed stuff is nasty. 73 mile an hour thing he dropped. And that thing looked like it was literally a lolly pie. I mean, it was just like, boom. I went Joe Buck back on the call. He's unbelievable call in baseball.

Yeah, I like Joe Buck. He said he just gave an interview last week, said, I am not doing baseball. And then all of a sudden I hear he's doing baseball. And I'm like, I was bummed when he said he wasn't doing baseball. I think his dad was big time baseball commentator, right? And then he broke in through baseball, I believe, Joe. And he got a lot of hate, right? Yeah, yeah.

Well, his dad was the play-by-play guy for the Cardinals for a long time. So I think for a very long time, like Cubs fans hated him. But then he called every World Series for the longest time. So obviously you call enough of those. There's one team who loses. They're going to hate his guts. By the end of it, yeah, I think he pretty much was hated by damn near every fan base. So I would think that he probably in baseball is like, you know.

He's done it. I've really enjoyed that. I'm very lucky. Obviously, his family has done great. But it sounded like in the answer he gave. I think it was maybe front office sports or one of them, something like that. And he was talking about how like he's done with baseball. That's not really a thing anymore.

And then I heard him on a call last night. And I was like, Joe, I'm happy. Was this a quick, was this like an Orlovsky type situation where he's like, I'm not doing it? And then they're like, hey, actually, do you want? want to do it? And he's like, yes, or was this the last planned one? Or do we have more? Because I love Joe on the call. It felt like I learned a lot.

I felt like he was teaching me a lot. As somebody that's newer to baseball, I assume super baseball people don't necessarily love all that. But to your point, anytime you're commentating anything, you're the soundtrack of either the best moment of the team or the worst moment of the team. So you're going to get hate, and Joe Buck has certainly experienced that, a generational, obviously with his dad being in the game. I like the way he does things.

He's a smooth operator. Yeah. He is a smooth operator. He's the best. And ESPN lost Sunday night baseball this year. It's on NBC now. But I think they still have like a package of 20 showcase games maybe throughout the course of the season. I don't know if it's been confirmed that Joe Buck is going to be on the call for all 20 of those games.

But I wonder if it is something where he may, you know, pick and choose which ones he does want to call. And the more Joe Buck is calling baseball, like I'm all for it. I love when he's on the call. Yeah. And watching Show Hey, Deliver was sick. Yeah. I mean, it was fun to watch. It did put me to bed.

But I enjoyed it. tried to do the prime thing. First game was not as exciting as the second one. Shout to Philadelphia get it big time. Let's go to one half of the hammer. Cowboys AP Tone. What up, dude? I know he's kind of being a bitch right now. What? You'll see.

Michael Cole's Mets, I believe, have lost seven or eight straight. Just on the other side of the show. Hey, I think he just wanted to get that out there. Yeah. Eight straight. Right. He's saying him as a... Shut up. He's being a bitch, right? In my eyes, you don't have to say it. I'll say it.

It's pretty strong. Yeah, you aren't real hard out the gate there. I mean, it's 12-13 Eastern. I mean, that was... Well, if you're not with you, then you're against you. I'll agree. I mean, and that certainly has been noted. The descriptor on how you get in there, you can get in there a lot of different ways.

Also, Lord of the Marks. That guy's being a bitch, too. Yeah, he... No longer Lord. I've noticed him. There's something, Bishop. Do we know this guy? What's his dude's name?

The Arch? There's a bishop, something? You're talking about Bishop Dyer. Dyer? Yeah, what is that? Who's that? Is that a thing? The Yankees sitting coach?

Is that... He was saying something, too. I need that in a main event. Oh, shut up. Who are you? What is that entire thing? We all knew WrestleMania was happening 10 days ago. Sure.

Definitely. Everybody outside of the diehard wrestling people definitely knew WrestleMania was happening 10 days ago, for sure. That certainly was something that was happening. Nine-year NFL vet. Darius Jay Butler is here. On the road of WrestleMania. It's been a run of a road to WrestleMania.

It has. of a road to WrestleMania here. Well, it's been two weeks. Yeah. It's been a lot. More of a sprint. It's been, like a 40 almost. It felt like it was a combine there.

I do wish it was a little bit longer, you know, but there had to be a little bit of, Amelorraine to do what he wants to do. I don't need to step on him. Conversations happen and let him do what he needs to do. Hey, you just got to kill everybody, I think, bro. You know, I think that's what you get. The way he went about doing that, you know.

He actually. Yeah, big time. You know? And then there was the moment of like, all right, let's go. All right, now it's time with St. Louis, perfect time to say, hey. And now all of a sudden they got our photos on the side of stadiums. And I would just like to let people know. What Randy Orton's going to do on Saturday night is something that has been needed to be done.

Okay. And he's going to be the one that does it. And once he saves the business and becomes 15 time world champion on Saturday night, Roman rains on Sunday is just going to hammer home the point. He did boom. There's going to be two nails in the coffin of bad business. Boom. Boom.

And then all of a sudden, guess what's back? Wrestling, baby. Now, let's go ahead and do sports entertainment to the maximum that it can possibly be done. And as a Randy, Randy's been doing that. Oh, yeah. You should hear the buzz when Randy walks into a player. That's the champion. Yes.

Exactly. Superstar. When he walks into a room, they go, That's, hey, that's what a W.W.E. Superstar is. Takes up the whole doorframe. Bingo. Hey, actually, what happened to the door? Fucking Randy Orton, WW champion came in. Oh, I get his shoulders bought the.

Yeah. Fawds look like Redwoods. Exactly. European uppercuts, perfect. I mean, everything about it, that is what it is. So whenever he becomes champion for the 15th time, everybody else can understand what the WVE business is. Just as easy as that.

And then Roman's going to be like, Actually, let me help out a little bit here. Bingo. And then he's coming in with that. Nine-year NFL vet. There is J. Bother is here. On the road to rest of man. Actually, D. Butt. What are you excited about getting out there to Vegas?

Should be a lot of fun. I mean, the energy is always great out there. Can't wait for obviously what happens on Saturday. And I know you said Sunday's going to stink outside of Roman. I'm locked in the Sunday, too. You know, this is the time of year, the market, it just takes over me. And I turn into a WWE mark. maybe a TKO Mark, who knows.

We'll see this weekend. It should be great. It's always great. You never know what surprises you make it. Obviously, you have shoot sports. You've got the playoffs going on. NHL, NBA, and then you got mine of you, so I can't wait. I like that you're dropping shoot sports in there.

Hey, good for you, dude. I appreciate the mark and you. And I also appreciate the fact that you understand what it's supposed to look like. Yeah, I've been a fan a long time. We understand it. You know, it's just kind of sometimes you've got to remind people. And that's what I've been telling Randy. is, hey, Randy, you just got to tell these people what it's supposed to be, and he's doing it.

Have you got to the bottom of what you're going to do with DeBone? Because I saw the clip. DeBone? Yeah, DeBone, who knows what it is. I know AJ said he was in on it. It's like, you know. Yeah, right. This guy, no way he's thinking past that step right there.

And then. His next meal. Exactly. That step, that step. There's no way. He is a dufus. He will never be left alone, okay, on anything that I'm a part. Ever again.

Smart. But on that note, like, I certainly will continue to monitor the whole maybe he was in cahoots there. Because that's not good for culture. No. Not at all. But like you said. That is not good for culture. His brain's the size of a peanut.

Somehow. Yeah, exactly. Massive, massive head. The brain is the actual size of a peanut. So, you know, and I'm not talking a peanut with a shell. I'm talking a peanut that's been out of the... So do you think he could really, you know, orchestrate? this whole thing or be in cahoots?

I don't know if he could. I think he's too dumb. I think he's way too dumb. Can we see him right now? See how he looks? See what? Yeah. See, that's...

Is that the same shot for yesterday? Yeah, exactly. He's great graphic design. I will say, the guy can make a graphic... I mean, he's an artist. Good thunderball player, too, I must say. Great Thunderball player. I don't know.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He looks like taking pitches, you know. Yeah, exactly. All right, let's move along. Let's go to some shoot sport conversations. Ladies and gentlemen, the last two nights on Amazon. on Prime. We have watched the play

in games, something that has become a little bit of a spectacle to fill in between the end of the regular season and the playoffs to maybe get some more names involved. This year, a lot of names involved. La Mello Ball said, how you doing to the world? Avdia said, hey, rest of the country, I've been over here in Portland, kind of doing

my thing for a while. Steph Curry and Draymond Green introduced themselves back to the world. Paulo Bancato is getting destroyed on the internet, but he can turn it all around in one swift swoop. Joining us now is a man who can break down to playing games a little bit more and also tell us what we need to be watching for in these games. Are we seeing if Steph Curry shooting at a bigger hoop than everybody else?

Because it's starting to feel like he is. And when he was doing that before, I know I was wearing probably a bigger shirt. I was a little fatter probably then. It was years ago, years of years ago. But in fact, that's still in there, I think. Yeah. I think that's still in there. Get you some wins.

And if 36-year-old Draymond Green, I'll punch you right in the face. And he did. Any time? Ladies and gentlemen, Q Rich. Yeah, Q. Rich. That was awesome to watch. Golden State was awesome to watch. I mean, granted, I had to watch it this morning.

Okay, that's 100% on me. I fell asleep. The West shit for the NBA is very difficult. I have a kid. I have a pregnant wife. And I have a full-time job. So there is, it's going to be tough those late-night games, and I will kind of doze away.

But if Steph Curry is going to be playing like this, I will certainly stay awake. You know, the Lake Show was the late show back in the day because Kobe was doing his thing. Steph Curry took that West Coast late night game, kept people up for a long time type of basketball for a while. Is he back? Are they back? And is Jimmy Butler?

How much should I be believing that this is happening over the next couple of months? You're rich? Listen, I mean, Steph Curry, as long as he's healthy and he's able to play and run around, he's always going to be the equalizer with that jump shot and with that three-point shot that he has. He's probably the most deadly guy in NBA shooting the ball of all time. And I mean, whenever he's always, there's a chance that he could hit one and everything changes.

That's the type of player he is. It just takes one to go in. And we saw that exact example last night, and he got going and he carried them through. I mean, him and Draymond's defensive IQ and the way that he balled out defensively and locked up on Kauai, those two dudes turn back the clock and they move on. Okay, so talk about turning back the clock a little bit,

you know, because sometimes for some people that have been through everything before and have experienced all the highs of the highs. Sometimes they need the bigger stages to kind of wake up. Some people, I don't want to say you're waiting for the bigger moment, but certainly turn their entire everything up whenever it gets to a bigger moment because they know that it matters more, especially 82 game season, a lot of different time to have success and downfalls and everything. Do we think that that team is a team that has been to the dance so many times that is like dance basketball is when they're playing their absolute best every year? I mean, I think absolutely for those individuals like Steph and Draymond, they've been in so many big moments and they know what to do and know what it feels like to be in those positions.

This isn't new to them. This is like another game. And they've been in it and they've performed and performed at that level so many times to, you know, overcome those moments. It's like instinct to them. And that's why teams like that with those type of players, it's been around the block so many times and still can play right now. Still can dial it up, but they're always going to be dangerous and he's playing in and playoff type situation. Tell me about Charlotte now.

Brand new team feels like. Miles Bridge has obviously been around, happy to see him have his success. But Lamello, new to the scene. Obviously, Kahn, going to be brand new to the scene as he continues to do his thing. Charlotte as a whole to an entire generation of NBA fans probably new to the scene.

Tell me about this squad and what you like about him and how are their chances against Orlando to move on to take on the Detroit Pistics. Hell yeah. It's going to be a hell of a game tomorrow night here and here in Orlando. And I mean, this team, this team, Charlotte has been

one of the most exciting and fast playing up-tempo teams this whole second half for the year. They didn't have a great start, but they got their chemistry down. They got everything, got their players back. And you're seeing it right now, man. They are, if nothing else, they are extremely exciting. They play super hard. They play together. They defend.

and their team that you never know what's really going to happen because it's like they got they got some wild cards lamello was playing his butt off having a hell of a year the big addition was cobi white i think you saw in that game against the miami he he came in and he pretty much helped win that game for them with the with the points he scored in the run he went on he kept them right there and put them in position to finish off at the end so i think them against the magic tomorrow is going to be a huge game my magic definitely the bounce bag lost last night against philly but they got a chance to sure it up and still make it in.

So I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. Come on Friday, playing championships to get into the playoffs. Sun's Golden State, Charlotte Orlando. Who will get into the big dance? Okay, we had some breaking news this morning out of Sham Sharania's Twitter account. 65 game rule that is coming to play that if you don't play 65 games, you don't get awards, which potentially lead to bonuses and obviously legacy and career and everything like this. This was for load management reasons.

They put into 65 game requirement. Well, now we are learning that you can challenge them. You can appeal the ruling if you don't make it to 65 games. Get to state your case. Extraordinary circumstances challenge is what Luca and Cade Cunningham presented to the NBA. I assume it was a, hey, this wasn't load management. We got actual injuries. Poor timing.

Sorry about this. We still think we should be able to win some awards, especially with legacies on the line and actual contract money. I think Tyrese told us it was like $40, $50 million difference for a title that you didn't get or that you do get. So this is a massive ordeal. Happy to hear that there is a potential way to appeal it if something actually happens. Anthony Edwards did not got denied, I do believe. He did the same thing with the extraordinary circumstances challenge and had it denied.

Cade and Luca get it passed, so they are up for the awards. On that note, Debutt has a question for you. Yeah, they are up for the awards, but pretty long shots on a draft king. But the favorites, three favorites. SGA is the favorite, Wembe and Joker, who led the league in rebounds and assists first time ever. If you were picking, if you had the one sole choice to pick this year's MVP, who would you go with?

I'm going with SGA. SGA, I mean, he's done it back-to-back years. His team is the number one team. I mean, and I don't think it's a diss to any of the other guys. I think any of these guys in any year could have been an MVP, all the way down to Luca, K, and obviously, you know, Joker and Wembe. I mean, those guys definitely will be first team all-N-BIA,

but I just feel like what SGA has done, the run he's been on, the resume he's put together, the all-time records that he's toppled this year and passing up, Will, join in MJ with four years straight, averaging 30, shooting 50, over 50%, I mean, he's the man right now. Like I told you last time, he scored 20, he hadn't scored 20.

The last time he didn't score 20 was December 2024. I think that's a certain your dominance on the league and letting everybody in the world know that literally no one can guard me. No one can stop me. The way he walks and dresses too is just awesome. He knows

it. He knows it. He is a hundred percent certainty he is. He is exactly who he is. I walked out of a hotel elevator at the SPS. And he was just like chilling on the wall on the side. And he like was dressed so cool. And there was like two people around him that they were having a conversation.

I like looked to my left. It was a fucking movie scene. I'm like, good for you, man. Literally what I said and that I just kept walking away. Leg up. He had like a baggy suit on pant. So cool. Fur. At the SBC. Yeah, like a full length.

Fur. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This was elevator. Swag is crazy. Swag is crazy. Crazy. This was elevator the next day. It was like loose suit pant. You know, I'm talking about high black sock dress shoe, I think, like up there. And then he had like an over thing on and sunglasses.

And then there's two guys talking to him. And I just literally pop out of the elevator. Who knows what my altitude was at that exact time? Walk out. I'm going to try to get out of here without seeing too many people. Where the fuck do I go? Speaking of the dresser, okay, you see I with my Jordan T-shirt today. Because I took a lot of flack on social media for Sandy,

MJ was a goat as if people would expect me to say something different. I don't know why. I'm a kid from Chicago, Southside Wild Hunts. I watched every move this man made, and I ain't seen nothing like it since. And there's no disrespect to nobody else. There's no disrespect. We all are giving opinions. I get my whole social media flow.

Oh, you got killed, huh? You wasn't that. I was like, I don't care. I'm not about the finger battle with you Twitter people and all of this. like I said what I said and I stand on it. MJ to go. Okay, I like what you did there. I appreciate what you did.

I also like, you got murdered out there. It was hot. It was hot in street. It was hilarious to me. I just enjoyed it. You know, I don't really, that doesn't round me up. Like, those are just people somewhere behind the screen. I'm not, I'm not really affected by it.

I find it kind of funny. And it's still like, it's literally still going on right now. Before I battle and got me in the comments. Like, it's not even about me anymore. It's just them going at each other. and I'm just looking at it laughing. Like, it's hilarious. So this is why sports television,

I'm not going to blame anybody, this is why sports television did LeBron versus Jordan for four years straight every single morning. Pingo. Got to have a conversation. Still doing it.

Because it just goes crazy. It just goes crazy. He just led the league and fast break points, by the way. At what age? Year 21. Oh, he's cherry picking. Oh, cherry picking.

Fast break. No. It's the opposite. Cherry picking. No, but on that note, four years straight, maybe longer. every single morning, every single one,

there had to be at least one discussion of if Jordan would have done something differently than what LeBron did the night before. Or if coming two days from now, what would Jordan be able to do against his team that LeBron probably won't be able to do? Like that was literally every single... The reason why? It's because of his comments right now.

It is very rarely do you have two people that are like representing a generation? You know? Definitely a generation. and like my entire adulthood with a brain and memories is watching this guy just crush forever. And it's like during the social media age, during the things where you learn about the type of person,

you can get literally caught doing anything at any time seemingly. You have to be super guarded. He put his entire family and friends on. It's like, I don't know. I don't know. It's a little bit of a different era. So it's tough to judge. Like, important.

But if I was from Chicago and I had a Jordan candle saying right next to my computer, I understand that I would say, and also if I played basketball in my whole life, like you did, who have a much better opinion than I would have, I like that you've kind of dug in there. It's going to be loud, though. And it's not just because I'm from Chicago. I could have been from Antarctica, and I would still believe in all the same thing. It does, like, that's just more pointed that I'm from there where it all happened.

But I could be from, I could be from South Africa, West Indies, and it's still the fact. That is what it is. I'm a Jordan brand athlete since 2000. Michael Jordan handpicked me. I saw a lot of that in my comments. He handpicked me. Yes, blessed and all of that. But still, those facts remain the same.

The fact that I'm a Jordan brand member has absolutely nothing to do with my opinion on who the goat is. It's the timing, too. If you are a teenager or a young kid, like when I saw Dion Sanders, it's going to be hard for anybody to ever be a better. And seeing Michael, I had an older brother six years old. me so he made me sit down and watch my and you like like you just said you never saw nothing

like it before and you still haven't really seen anything like it since and i i'll admit i was brainwash and i would never say anybody was to go outside of the black cat so i mean it just is what it is but lebrun mitt you know you're growing up in this d bone like guys who have grown up only seen that it's going to be hard to convince them anybody 20 years from now ever be better and i'm not trying to convince them dd i'm not trying to everybody's entitled to their opinion I'm not like, like, I'm not taking anything away from LeBron. Like, anybody who will ask and see what he's done has been nothing short of amazing. To come in with the hype he had and everything that was expected to over,

overshoot that and jump over what people were expecting. And still, year 21 to be doing what you're doing. You can't take nothing away from him. If you try to, you hate him. But that don't mean that he's better than MJ. That's all I'm saying. See, we just did. We did it.

Oh, yeah. We just did it right there. Once it comes up, you got to have a couple of things. We just did the whole thing. All right. We got 364 more days this year. Yep. And then we got to hit that three more years after that.

Okay, let's make sure we hit all this shit. Okay, I'm sick of it. April 16th. I'm sick of it. Okay, let's get back to the playoffs, which is obviously everything that everybody's going to be talking about the NBA until it's over and then it will all be drama about everything else that has happened around the NBA. So let's talk about what's going to take place over the next couple months.

Go ahead, con man. Yeah, Keirich, big conversation with the playing games. It's like, hey, congratulations. your season's over. You get to go play the one or two seed in the east or the west. When you're looking at those other series, LeBron Lakers going up against the Rockets, nuggets going up against the T-Wolves, Cavs, Raptors, Knicks, Hawks. Do you see any underdogs making it through on Draft Kings? The odds prices for the series are pretty lopsided towards, you know, the favorites,

the Lakers kind of being the only one that is the higher seed that doesn't favor in the entire series. but any of those do you see coming out? And then also there's no chance the Trailblazers can get it done versus Spurs or any of those other series, correct? Should we just assume it's going to be one, two, three, four across the board? Yeah, well, I don't know.

The ones that I will keep my eyes on, like you said, the Lakers and the Rockets, I'm interested to see how that series goes. The Timberwolves and the Nuggets as well. Like, you know, I know the Nuggets haven't, I mean, the Timberwolves haven't been trending that way as well as the Nuggets have, but we've seen what they've been able to do the last two playoffs,

and they got Ant Man, so I'm never going to count him out until they literally out. And then I got to look at that Knicks Hawks series, man. The Hawks can't just, you know, you can't just dismiss them like that. And I think they're going to come out there and they're going to put up a big fight in this series. I don't think it's as lopsizes as it seems. I won't be surprised if, you know, the Knicks go ahead and handle them, but I also won't be surprised if they give the Knicks a hard push. All right, Keelrich.

the West is just dominant at the top Yeah, I believe that I believe the The thunder, the spurs And the Nuggets It's tough Even though I like I say I don't shut the dawn of Timberwolves

But I think the Nuggets could You know, they I feel like I would not be surprised If the Nuggets beat the Spurs in the series Or the Thunder in a series at some point This postseason I think they I think Joker and them are

They can be that good. It won't be shocking to me if that happens. Celtics nugs. Ooh, that'd be fun to see Joker back on top, especially what his brother's been doing. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Sit on.

Mm-hmm. Sit on. That guy in Boston would be great. That's what I'm saying. That dude looks scary sitting in the crowd. I wouldn't want to be nowhere around his area. What is he, 6-8 or something like that? Fully-catted. Jack?

He looks huge. I don't know. He looks huge. Not only tall, but, like, wide. and huge and like, wait a minute. Two of them, two. Not just one. That was just the one that was on the video. The other one, I believe, is taller, not as wide, kind of in between Joker and the mountain, basically.

How many more these are there? I can't even imagine what his Papa looks like. Oh. They look like some, they look like some dude that was like, remember the movie Triple X when they had them do. They looked like they could have been some extras in Triple X, but those dudes are huge. Yeah.

And I'll tell you, But if you're chirping and they don't like what you're a great, great reference, if they don't like what you're saying, they're certainly going to let you know, and they know what they look like as well, I think. That one guy turned, ah, turn around. Sit down. Holy shit, what was that thing? Did the Homer Simpson just went into the grass and to the wall?

You're the man. We appreciate the hell out of you. Ladies and gentlemen, hey, we're excited for the playoffs. Maybe you won't be as biased as you are with your whole Chicago, almost three decades being a team Jordan member. Yeah. Say, eliminate that. Shit.

Eliminate that. Eliminate being from Chicago. I'm telling you, you could take the bias out. It's still MJ. Go ask somebody who's not Brian Jordan for 30 years and still been watching what I've been watching. They'll tell you the same thing. Yeah, we've heard it a lot. I've heard it a lot just because I don't really know bull I get.

And I saw LeBron in high school beat the entire Pennsylvania State All-Stars. So I said, that's going to be the one right there. And then I watch the last dance. A lot of this shit. Uh-huh. A lot of Zach Brian dribbling in the last dance. Yeah. Cut it out.

Stop it. Oh, the Zach Brian dribbling in the last dance. Okay. Most points. So, I don't know. What do you play for? He played for the L.A. Fitness in Omaha. Yeah.

Yeah. That was yesterday. He's the orange. He's a country singer. Oh, something in the orange. There it is. Incredible. Revival.

Revival of the moments that he has. I do not know as much about him as I should. I believe he's a military member. He needs to stay away from basketball court and cameras. Certainly. He should be on basketball court. That's good cardio. I like what he's doing.

That's great cardio. Somebody airing him out like this when he was on a fast break is unbelievably rude. This was the last dance, though. I saw a lot of this in the last dance. I didn't watch basketball back then, but I saw, I saw, well, Lampier was clothes-lined to people. It was like the Lampier was also dribbling that shit over his ear. So I think that's where they could get up.

So let's relax. Oh, man. You're the man. I appreciate you. Ladies and James, Kouridge. Yeah, so let's just make sure

we're all kind of understand. Oh, yeah. That was my first time watching that generation of basketball. And that's where my take was like, hey, hey, this is two very different sports.

Stop it. John Stockton. Tone Diggs was playing. He was four of the guys on 15 rosters in the NBA. I don't know how to take it. Those are just a couple guys, though. just a couple guys.

You guys are watching it with your brawl goggles on. Guys off the bench now. Go back and watch the clips. I'm going to have to go back and get eyes on basketball. Dan Marley? Yeah. Jeff Hornsack?

I was respectful. I mean, Kuzzi. Okay, now let's go. We got a full league here still. There's still some others that we need to fill the positions of here. And I think they're Tone Diggs, Boston Carter. Oh, yeah.

I think I saw Bruce Brown. Jim. I think, uh, I mean, that was kind of a takeaway from the playing game. It's like, gosh, these are the nine and 10 seats. These guys are so good at basketball. A guy threw a pass off the lady's head last thing. He died. He was paid fire on the team.

You're carrying water. What I'm saying, though, is it's two different sports. The game has evolved so much. Yeah, of course. Like, the game has evolved so much. It would be hard to actually say. Well, who leads to the entire issue of the league and wins, points, rebounds, games? The guy that's played in a soft league for a long time.

Okay. What? Because Bill Lambere ain't gone there, close on the people. I was here about Bill Lamb's 19. his whole career. Lampiers is a goat. I would like to be with Bill if I ever popping off in a wrestling event

and somebody like to fight me. I would love to have Bill Lamperey like, like I would definitely like that. But when we're talking about just, Jordan came in and did things that we've never seen. And thank God he did. Because basketball would have been dead if they would have continued to do what they were doing.

If they were doing this type of stuff while they're dribbling the ball. No doubt. But it's 2026. You still don't see anybody that moves like Jordan. Okay, so athletically we're talking. Yeah, but LeBron's 41. Like we just talked about.

how LeBron is 41. He leads the league in Fast break. I'm doing it again. This is a challenge tomorrow. I grew up hating that guy. I grew up hating him. I'm from Massachusetts. We hated LeBron more than anything growing up. And then eventually gets the part where it's like, holy shit. How's this

guy doing? Still what? Yeah. You can brainwash. Okay, we're done with it. That's four days worth. Yeah. Too much. We didn't talk about Kobe yet. Rest in peace. Rest and peace. Unfortunately. Now is not the time. It's a two-man race.

Ladies and Jeff, no, it is not, because that is... If we're trying about COVID, then we've got to talk about Tim Duncan. I'm sick at Tim Duncan. What about Steph Curry then now, too? What about Will? You know, you're going to go through... You want to leave Larry. I don't know if we have to talk about Will. Larry Burr? Bill Russell?

Larry Burr, the only guy to win three championships. All right, let's move along. Ladies and gentlemen, a sport that we have recently fallen in love with. Fallen and like with. Love. We were in love. It is currently in like. It will remain in like until we get back to maybe the fall, I think,

is when it really starts spruced up. After Memorial Day. After NHO NBA finals. Ladies and gentlemen, joining us now to talk about baseball. A man who played in MLB, we think, we did the math, 16-year vet. Been there, done that for every team. Somehow not the Pirates.

Don't love that. The Italian Yenzo, would have loved his presence. He's Team USA's coach. He's also the host of MLB Central on MLB Network 10 a.m. to noon every day. We watch. Fantastic. We do.

This guy. Detective D.ro. It's my favorite. Detective D. Rowe. How about Back Class D. Row? Then he put him in the fire. He had a fire thing on at one point. And I will say this, this guy, greatest visual in the history of sports with a National Anthem Human Edition.

You know, because like the beast. BOMmer, certainly much better than any human could be. Some singer singing it very well, some symphony. That shot that we saw recently of the guy getting both flyovers. Bingo, yeah, that's a great. Like camera. We're just talking humans. When humans are

getting shot during national anthems, you know, the best in history. We're talking real baseball classic finals. He had a jawline, pure, hair, perfect. Hat gripped perfectly. Right over left chest, which I learned,

as an adult, the heart is actually more so in the middle. So we've all been doing this one here because I think that's what we were taught. Is that fake? I don't know why that happened to all of us, but the heart, I guess, is down here. He had that thing locked in right here,

and somehow there was a perfect uplighting, and they had this 8K shot on the jumbotron, 35 seconds of the national anthem, maybe. I've never seen anything. So I felt fucking alive. I hope he has that on repeat in the bedrock room in the living room and in the kitchen. Ladies and gentlemen, fresh off the hot stove.

Coach Marta Rosa. Yay! Do you have that picture? What an intro! Do you have that picture? Oh my, I know exactly what you're talking about. If I could tell you what I was thinking in this moment, in that moment, I was looking into the stands going, wow, this thing got big.

Yeah, this matters. This got big in a hurry. Yeah, this matters. They were lied. Their fans were lied. It was obviously, you knew you guys were going to be outnumbered, I think, in a couple of different places. And us getting a chance to experience the ponche and the culture and just the vibes. And obviously, them going on to win is gigantic.

But showcasing all of Latin baseball, it felt like, is what that really was. I want to go down there and watch these games now. You were removed from it out. Did that really happen, Pat? We didn't win. I was there. I was there. Dero?

Dero. I'm still pot. Yeah, you are still pot. It was a tough walk out of that state. I'm going to let you know. I know you guys had a tough one too with the silver medals. Obviously, we were there. Yeah, miserable.

We're going to talk to some people. We've got to rework that. We can't be getting silver medals on the field. And then I had to hang in there and give the fake hug to everybody after. Like, way to battle with me. This is rock bottom. Yeah. On the field.

You're on the field, too. Everybody's watching you. We were watching you. We were about 30 feet away from you giving them a hug, because they would meet you and then they'd go down in a dugout. A couple of the boys kept the medals on. A lot of the boys took the medals off immediately because it wasn't what they wanted.

But let's talk about that experience as a whole. Is that the best one that we've, World Baseball Classic, that there has been? And I feel like it was good for baseball as a whole. Would have loved to win, Dero. I think you obviously more than us at this point, especially with what you were hearing from everybody in all walks of life, people that don't know baseball either

were calling for you to not have your morning show anymore. Oh, my God. You're great on your morning show. I'm happy that doesn't happen. I'm back, though. I'm back. Yeah, you're batting a thousand over there if I can watch. But on that note, what do you think of the World Baseball Classic now looking back?

I think it was great for ball. I think it was great for ball. Yeah. So many thoughts. Played in it in 2009 as a player and we didn't know what we were getting into. They managed it in 23 and could kind of start the field the groundswell from Japan and the Latin American countries. And then you couldn't deny the passion of it this time.

I mean, that thing was all-encompassing. The game against the Dominican, when I took the lineup card out with the umpires in Albert Pooleholz, I played with Albert in 09. We're good buddies. We locked eyes with each other. And it was like, hey, we're good buddies, but this is on tonight. Like, you could just feel the tension in there. For me, what I take away, the growth of the WBC, the growth of baseball, how I got those guys to buy in and love each other for two and a half weeks and try and create just an unbelievable experience for them.

The bottom line is Venezuela outplayed us that night. We didn't get the offense rolling. The offense never really got rolling the entire tournament. And that was strange coming off Arizona, those two games we played in Arizona where we were. were just rolling. So, yeah, I walk away. I'll never get over the fact that we weren't able to get across the finish line. But man, God, friends for life, band of brothers being in that dugout with those guys

and honored to be able to manage them. Yeah, it was an incredible run with you guys. And when he hit that two-run shot right there, I don't know if you've heard me talk about it and how I experienced that. that was like the best moment I've had at a sporting event as a fan. Like it was, I was jumping up on my seat because not a lot of people in Venezuela

have a clue who I am, which is good. And the game, they figure it out. Well, by the end of the game, they figured it out. Yeah, by the end of the game, it kind of got figured out. But for most of that game, I was just, we were just kind of in it. It was DeBott's birthday the next day. It was turning 40.

I mean, we had perfect seats. We were in Miami. I mean, we were having a good time in this entire thing. And I lost my mind. I absolutely lost my mind when that thing. I blacked out too. I gave me huge chest bump. And then my pitching coach is grabbing me going, who we getting going, who we getting going?

Listen. You got tighting up, Dere. We got to get back in there. You can't be riding the highs like you're me in the crack, Dereo. I have a tendency to ride the highs. In that moment, listen, there's so many things going on. And I know we took a lot of heat for decisions that were being made. We were losing two nothing.

In that moment, Garrett Clevenger's warming up for the raise. if we're still down to nothing. Before the game, we kind of, you know, made some deals with some teams to keep their players healthy, and we were not going to bring Mason Miller into a game that was tied. And that was kind of what we worked out with the Padres. Garrett Whitlock had thrown the heck out of the ball for us

the entire tournament, and he was, you know, phenomenal. But big ass right there, three out of five days. He didn't have it. Also, the behind-the-season, scenes if you're having to deal with all of that. We don't really learn that until as the days are kind of going by on what all limits are. Like Mason Miller right now, he's potentially what, Cy Young? He's having his best season. So the Padres obviously knew that. He's a Pittsburgh kid, so I assume he wanted to go whenever you needed him. But there's a lot of things happening

between the people that are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to some of these guys for something that they're running, right? MLB's running as well. So how do you balance that with how serious seemingly the world started taking it? but then realizing like this kind of has like preseason vibes a little bit with who's allowed to go when. How do you kind of deal with that? And do you think more people should know that going into World Baseball Classic so they don't just kill you, kill you immediately for everything? You know, it's funny if you say that, Pat, because I looked at it after I got done and I'm like, should I be eating all this grief if people truly knew, you know, kind of what goes into it? but then that kind of downplays our place in the tournament and how we go about it.

So I'll never do anything to downplay the guys. The fact that the 30 guys, I mean, that's one of the greatest teams that will ever be put together, just super talented players, super talented human beings. They're coming in knowing that the 162 matters more. I think for me, what people got to understand about this is growing up in the United States, the World Series is always going to be the pinnacle. Like every American-born kid wants to get on a big league team that plays baseball and win a world series. If we happen to walk into a WBC, that would be fantastic as well.

I think if you look at it from the other countries, a team like Venezuela, a team like the Dominican, they come to our country and play. They hear our anthem every night. So for them to be on our soil with their countrymen hear their anthem, it's got to be an out-of-body experience for them. So they're going to act and portray a different way than I would say the American. We cared just as much. We had just as much fun when we were letting it out. I just think that whole narrative kind of got skewed.

No, I'll eat a lot of the pitching stuff. I would just say to the people at home, if it looks fishy, it is. It is. You know, like Byron Buxton stayed in center field and I would move P. Crowe, Armstrong to the corners. That wasn't because I thought Byron's a better center fielder than Pete. That's because we were in an agreement

that Minnesota didn't want us moving Byron around. I couldn't put Gunner Henderson at second base. There was things that were not going to happen. Okay. So I don't think the entire world needs to, like Ryan Yarbrough was going to pitch against Italy no matter

what. He had to to cover the innings. You might not have liked when he came into the game, but he was coming in. Yeah, I killed you for that. I know. But I also kind of knew all this stuff. I didn't know any of this stuff.

So he's killing you on this. I thought it was just pitching. I didn't know it was also outfielding. I'm growing to game, Pat. I got to eat a few. I don't want to know any of it. What? I just want a gold medal.

Damn it. All right, yeah. Which is what he knew. Why? Yeah, amen. Okay. All right. Let's move off the World Baseball Classic. I feel like we're much more informed.

I think it was great for. for baseball. And I think it was an incredible start to the season. Go ahead, Dibut. Absolutely. I think you're incredible for baseball, too. Love the Detective D.Rose said a couple weeks ago talking about my Marlins. But you mentioned you played in 2009. And then obviously I've been

following, I guess, a little more closely, the guys that played in the WBC this year. How did that impact Jew as a player? And how do you think it's impacting the guys that played this year to start this long MLB season? Yeah, I think for me, first, I got to share batting

practice group with Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins and David Wright. So I'll never forget that. That was two and a half weeks of the most fun in my life as a player. I think how it impacted from a position player standpoint, it's a no-brainer to play in that thing. You're getting playoff at bats in March and then it rolls right into the season and you're ready to go. From a pitching standpoint, you got to have the right mindset.

You got to come in with the, because you've got to change. change out. You've got to ramp up quicker. You got to understand that once you get in this environment, there is no governor on anything. I know you can, you think that you can kind of tone it down. You can't. I mean, you've felt that room against Venezuela. It's too much. It's too big. There's guys on that USA roster that'll never play in games like that in their career in the big leagues. So it's tough to turn that off. You got to be willing. And that's why Andy Pettit our pitching coach always said if they're on the fence

I want the guy who wants to be here not the most talented guy per se and that's why Skeens is such a unicorn he was my first call on the pitching side and he goes I'm doing this for every service man and woman in the it's like all right dude

I'm like I'll go to war with you you know he certainly did out there and then Venezuela came back and I'll tell you what they had an army That place, you talk about the magnitude and how it felt in there. That was special, man.

It was cool that your sport was bringing that to the world, but also just getting a chance to be in there with the Venezuelan, celebrating how emotional they were, how happy they were. They were great shit-talking sports fans, I would say. Maybe the most friendly. Yeah, clean. Yeah, I got a lot of love for Venezuela. I played winter ball there coming up through the minor leagues.

and spent a lot of time over there in Caracas and made some great friends, the Bobby Abraeus of the world. Legend. Yeah, legend. A couple other guys. So the Venezuelan, my Venezuelan teammates in my big league career, I always had a little kind of special bond with. You speak Spanish?

No, I don't. I don't. How many years are you lived on? I could say the bad words. Okay. So you can fit in a little bit, but then you drop one of those and they go gringo. Yeah, I can understand what. What they're saying, it's just the speed at which they say it.

I can't pick up everything. Yeah, we're trying, though. You know, I see a Spanish sign. I try to learn the word. You know, I'm trying to pick it up. I'm not doing Rosetta Stone or that other one. I think there's another one. Duolingo.

There it is. I will at some point try to learn it all. 2081 day straight. You are? Yep. Really? Which language? I do most.

I do Spanish. I do chess. Oh, so you're dicking around there. And I do math. You're doing 281 straight days of math? Math, chess, or Spanish? Oh, so you just keep the, you know, you got to keep the Melvin sharp, man.

You don't use it, you lose it. Yeah, you're right. And if you don't reuse it, you never had it. Mm-hmm. You know what I mean? Well-said. Yeah, the issue is, do you feel like you could speak Spanish right now? No, I can understand it, though.

And then it's different dot. You got Venezuelan Spanish, you got Puerto Rican Spanish. You got Dominican Spanish. Well, I'm down in Miami, so it's Spanish, Spanish. Cubans, you know. So maybe you've got to learn Latin So then he can just learn all the languages. Latin helps all the languages.

Why don't you drop that one in there? Maybe drop math out of the equation? The dead language, Latin? Latin, chess and Spanish. I've got the Game of Thrones language on there. Oh, Italian. Okay, let's go back to some baseball, shall we? Thank you, Dero, for enjoying that conversation with us.

We're trying to learn Spanish. This is what we're trying to say. We're trying to get into the game. Big conversation around baseball has been fun. For me, I don't know how the purest feel. Go ahead, Tom, man. Yeah, Dero, feels like the ABS system has been a massive addition to the game. I saw the percentages that have come out.

The catchers are absolutely crushing umpires, pitchers and hitters kind of trailing behind him a little bit. How do you feel about the ABS? Do you feel like it is kind of taken out a part of the game, the framing, the, you know, each ump having their own strike zone type of thing? And do you also feel as though the umps, at least behind home plate when it comes? comes to strike zones and, you know, plays at the plate might be on their last legs. Like, we might not need them anymore if we have a set strike zone for every single night. Yeah, that's the fear, right?

Like, if you can get every call right, why don't you do it? I'm still, I'm still an old school purist. I do love the ABS. What Rob Manfred did a couple years ago, putting the pitch clock in, you can't deny it. I mean, that, that's game changing. that basically saved the game from an entertainment standpoint. I know when you play, you're not worried about that stuff. But now being on this side of it, it matters.

I mean, you know, watching. So in on the pitch clock, in on the ABS. I think that the interesting part for me is watching how certain teams, it appeared. Certain teams had meetings and how they're going to deploy it and when they're going to use it. and other teams were just going rogue early and just challenging whatever they wanted. And I think as the season progresses, I think you're going to see a lot more guys hold it

to high leverage situations and kind of... I think the catcher would be... If I was sitting there, I think the catcher would only have the chance to challenge on a team that I was around and then the hitter... Yeah, hitter... All hitters? Or just first four, probably, first four guys that probably have a good eye.

It'd be hard for me for my eight-hole hitter to lose a challenge for us. That would be tough. You would get killed. Could you imagine? And I'd hit eight. I'm not using the challenge unless bases are loaded. But even if so, I mean, the thought of Team USA have an ABS in World Baseball Classic going forward. And I know you have said that you would like to be coach going forward.

We hope that's the case. Obviously, we want to see you get gold as the skipper out. Pat, what am I going to say to that? Of course. Who doesn't want that? I agree. I don't know how you. We want you to.

Do you want to be the coach of Team USA? Nah, actually, this is kind of... Nah, I'm good. Cool. A couple other countries calling, I think we'll try. Yeah, the environment wasn't that cool. I was trying to get over there. I'm going to try to...

ABS is going to be in there, though. And it's some inter-opportune time. One of your guys is just going to naturally do one of those. Yeah, and you're going to... It's going to be wildly wrong. Then they're going to have a zoom in on your face. That's the hardest thing, from the manager's perspective, from the dugout,

is knowing what a ball and strike is. You can get the height of it moving past you, but you had no feel for East West. How come you didn't let any of these Ups know during the World Baseball class? I didn't see any of this. I didn't see any of the dust being kicked. I saw one guy turn his head around an Ump's hat the other night.

John Schneider. Toronto did this one right here, make sure he were getting beat to beak in there. They could do that entire thing. You baseball folks, really. You really turn it up a bit whenever you're getting after it with the ups especially. In 23, when we did it, I almost went. Dan Bolino was behind home plate, who's a great, great umpire.

And I just, he called a pitch on Kyle Tucker. And I turned to Brian McCann, my boy, and I go, should I go? I just want to go. And he goes, no, no, no, we need you. Shoulda win. This year we didn't have any plays that really warranted it. I'm sure there was some pitch in there somewhere I didn't like you. Yeah, we could find.

Oh, actually, we actually... Yeah, we had the generous strikeout against DR. Which, by the way, hey, if you don't like... Come on, that's a strike. I agree. I agree. Not today. Ponche, pal.

They had the Presidente cans, the Dominican Republic beer of it missing the zone. How great. How great, though, did Perdomo and Albert Pooholz handle that moment afterwards? Yeah, that was cool. They could have made it a whole thing. And in the moment, again, from my vantage point, it looked like a great pitch. Yeah, of course it was a lot. Yeah, it was a little.

Yeah, from my vantage point, it was fantastic as well, because I got to go experience Poncha, Venezuela, the World Baseball Classic Championship, and it continued our friendship with you. We appreciate you join us, even after Ty, just absolutely sod you down a little bit. No, I love it. I love it.

I had to, Dero, listen, and I knew a lot of the stuff about, you know, you're basically being hamstrung with a lot of these guys. Just as a Yankees fan, I just knew that just wasn't the moment for Ryan Yarborough. But what are you going to do? What are you going to do, Amy? You know, your hands are tied. You got it. You got to fire them when you got them.

So I hope you're back. Exactly. Hey, we appreciate you, Dero. You're the man. You guys are the best, man. Watch all the time. We watch you every morning. Got a TV?

What do you think? Great show. I love it. Your O'Neill Cruz breakdown was unbelievable. Great show. Good, high quality. I think you got good LED board. Seems like the stage is good.

Everything's good. It looks really. You never being around your phone's crazy. I've tried to FaceTime you during the show so you would be forced to answer it. You never have your phone. You're super professional. Once again, University of Penn guy. He's an U-Pen guy.

This is an Ivy League guy out here doing it. We appreciate the hell out of you, man. You guys are the best. Thanks for having me. See you, ladies and gentlemen. Anytime. Yeah, D-Rowe. Show's good.

Yeah, awesome show. Show's good. Learn a lot. It's good morning football. Yes. For baseball. With that guy. With him in different settings.

And he's always handsome. Yeah. Yeah. It's unbelievable. They got good sets over there. Oh, yeah. Good gimmicks, too. Yeah, a lot of gimmicks.

They're doing a lot of gimmicks. We're doing a lot of gimmicks. We're doing a lot of baseball. We're back on the other side with Sidney Crosby. What? What? Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network in service.

And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the It's all the BSPN app. It's all in one place. Sign up or activate now. 9-1-1, where is the emergency? It's the middle of the night in a small town on the Jersey shore. Someone reports an abandoned car on a bridge. A search gets underway for the missing driver, 19-year-old Sarah Stern. Is it a missing person? Is it a suicide? At this point, nobody knows. Old friendships, buried cash, and a sinister. plot that was once pitched as a movie plays out in real life. I'm Jiu Chang from 2020 and ABC

audio. Listen now to Bridge of Lies wherever you get your podcasts. Are the greatest stand. We are about to enter playoff season for the NBA and the NHO. And if you're not a hockey fan or from a hockey town, I do have great news for you. If you've never seen the sport, what's about to happen in the sport is the most dazzling thing in all of sport. I was very lucky to graduate high school from Plum High School in 2005. That is in the East Hills of Pittsburgh. The man that is about to join us right now got drafted with the first overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005. Now, he and his boys, Evgeny Malkin and Chris Latang followed Mary O'Mew, Yager, Ron Francis, Tommy Barrasso,

and a litany of other legends in Pittsburgh that make us the hockey time. Easy. That's a Detroit Red Wings fan back there. Nonetheless, I am from a hockey city, and I am lucky for that, that this man has led us to so much happiness, so much success, and he's the only dude to have 21 straight years

of averaging at least a point per game. An absolute stallion, a consummate professional, for the first time on this program. Ladies and gentlemen, Sidney Crosby. Stuff, guys. Okay, I watch Mighty Ducks. Is this where we're sharpening the blade?

is that? Is that where are we at in the room here? This is the equipment room, yeah. This is where all the work gets done. This is Tags' room, our equipment. Okay, how long has Tags been there? How long has Tags been there? His first year was my first year. I think he was the third guy then.

So he was, yeah, he's been around for a while. He's the head guy now. He started off as the third guy. Oh, he worked up the lines. Okay, this guy, okay. He wasn't Apple at one point, you know, and then he puts the C on the chest. Let's talk about your run.

since 2005 in Pittsburgh. Obviously coming in to the NHL, we found this out in Pittsburgh as we're learning about you becoming the next superstar. So highly hyped, highly regarded. You know that. Obviously, you're super duper humble, which is why you've been able to play for so long. But whenever you get to Pittsburgh, did you feel the magnitude of the city and how much they appreciated hockey? And through this run, why have you remained so committed to the city? Because obviously, over the last couple years, there's been a lot of people saying maybe you should go elsewhere, maybe you can do that. You've remained very, committed to Pittsburgh. Can you tell me a little bit more about that and maybe tie it into your

hockey life over there? Yeah, I mean, it couldn't have been a better place to come just for the fact that it's an unbelievable sports town, but also because we were a group of young guys kind of coming up in the league together. So coming out of the lockout, there's obviously a lot of pressure, you know, being a first overall pick. But to know that you were sharing that with, you know, a ton of younger guys that were excited for the opportunity, wanted the responsibility to be a part of this team and to grow it. And with the fan support that we have here, it's just a place that, you know, at the time, I think thought was going to be incredible and it's worked out to be, you know, even more looking back. So, you know, I think just from the day I showed up at the airport, you know,

it was packed. It was more than I could have ever imagined. to think 20 years later, here we are getting ready for another playoff run. I probably wouldn't have believed it at the time, so I'll take this any day. Yeah, and we'll take it too, pal. Okay, you say you thought it would all work out or whatever, you know, with the language that you guys speak.

It has certainly worked out. And now that you know Jensers a lot better at this stage of your life, think about that airport being packed for you. Think about how much shit was said to go, all right, we'll go, I guess we'll go get this guy. You know, like think about Jensers. Think about that now that you know kind of the culture of this city.

We are excited for you. And obviously everything you've done for us has only been a good time. Now let's talk about the good time now. Whenever we chatted with you last year, a big night out on stage before you threw a football for a million bucks, didn't even doubt it. Okay, unbelievable effort out of you. Had you thrown a football before? Oh, yeah. Yeah.

In Canada, you guys do that? I didn't realize it was going to be that far. I was told it was going to be like 10 yards and ended up being a little further than that. Well, I had to put a little heat on you. you know, I talked to you the night before. I said, hey, if I ask you to throw a football through a hoop for a million dollars, you think you'll be able to do that. Gino and Latang immediately go, he'll make it.

You know, with different accents, they'll go, he'll make it regardless of whatever you're doing. And then you asked me for some info. It did end up being about 15 yards longer than what I told you. Okay, so I apologize for that. You threw a seed, you delivered for the city in the arena in which you've done so much. But during a conversation with you there, I try to get you to play for Team USA. I'm not going to say anything. I'm not going to say anything.

I'm not going to... Don't go there. Don't go there. I mean, we could. Sorry. We didn't play. I'm not going to say anything. I'm not.

Congratulations to you guys. Congratulations to you guys. Still top two in the world. Still top two in the world. That's good. Okay. Man, I did not. But then the next conversation was,

hey, like, what does this all look like? And you immediately mentioned to them, we want to do a couple more runs here in Pittsburgh. And I think a lot of people potentially doubted that with how old you all are now. You know, you, Gino, and Chris. How has it worked out this year? why do you think you've been clicking and how do you feel going into the playoffs?

Yeah, I mean, I think we just, you know, with so many changes in the off season, I think we came into camp. Just short term, we just wanted to have a good start, get things organized and try to get on track. And we had a great start that really helped. I think a lot of guys that came in had something to prove for a lot of different reasons, whether it was a young guy, whether it was somebody getting an opportunity that hadn't really, Guys on one-year deals, they want to prove themselves, a lot of different things. So I think we came together as a group really quick, saw that we had some success.

And, yeah, Hasey says hi, by the way. Hey, what's up, dog? How you doing, brother? Hey, baby, Hasey. Hey, Hazel. Hey, oh. And, yeah, from there, we just kind of, you know, we got some momentum and started to get some belief. So of all years, this was a pretty tough one with, you know, how competitive it was to get in.

So it's a good first step. Yeah, it's definitely a good first step. We're expecting our Stanley Cup, obviously. Yeah, that's what we want. No. It's here to be here. Yeah. Congratulations, you guys got back to the dance with Sidney Crosby.

No, on that note, very pumped to see you guys back in the playoffs. Also, very pumped to watch the way you guys were playing this year. Felt like we can go on to win it all. First round against Philadelphia Flyers, listen, I've been in Philly whenever you played against Philly. Okay, I have, I don't want to say taking some. Shrapnel in your name in Philadelphia at a Penns Flyers game there. We understand the relationship between you, their fan base, and their team. Why is it special to you?

Is it because of how they treated you whenever you were young, or is it because it's the Pennsylvania thing? Why is this one a heightened rivalry, do you think? Well, I think it was there, you know, before I started playing. So I think I was told about it. I heard about it, but I hadn't really experienced it. And then, you know, my first game, I got to figure out pretty quickly what it was all about. So I think there wasn't a much of a feeling out process there.

I think it, you know, it was everything I expected and more right from the start. And then you throw in the playoff series and you throw, you know, the history that's been there for so long. Yeah, just exactly what I thought more. You're a little menace, bro. You know, like for being, you know, there's a couple moments obviously the mean. and the gifts will make their way around here as the pens and flyers series takes place. But I always thought we needed goons around you, okay? Because there is numerous years where you were the one fighting people, okay?

Have we put that to bed now? Are we still doing face washing with people when maybe somebody else could potentially be doing that? And how important do you think that is for you to set an example for the rest of the team about like, hey, sometimes you have to really throw, you have to throw, like sometimes you you have to do that. Because that's a weird thing for me whenever I watch you throughout your entire career. I don't say I hate it. I actually kind of love it, but I think why is this happening, if that makes sense?

Yeah. Well, I think early on, too, I was a smaller player. I think I wanted to show that I wasn't going to be pushed around and that I could handle it. I could handle it if it did come to that. I'm probably not one of the smaller guys as much anymore as I used to be then. So I probably had a little bit more of a chip over my shoulder with something to prove. and probably overdid it. I probably didn't need to do that at some points,

but it's part of the game, and I think, you know, as far as the playoffs go, you try to stay out of that stuff and just focus on playing, but yeah, I'll do my best to stay out of it. Yeah, thank you, please. And I can already see it. We'll just leave at that.

Yeah, you'll try your, yeah, exactly. I already see you in the first period. You're grabbing somebody's jersey, obviously from the back. You're in the middle of it. It's like, get 87 the hell out of there. Why is he in there? It's a beautiful thing.

I think it's one of the reasons why Pittsburgh absolutely adores you, man. There's not a lot of people that come through Pittsburgh, even people that have had success there, that are universally beloved. Pittsburgh people are natural, nah, don't like that, hate that. You beloved by everything.

Even whenever you're winning a gold medal for Canada. Well, that seems like forever. I was going to say, that's most watch market because of it still. Yeah, do you see that? You understand that. Pittsburgh's the highest watch market in the United States of America anytime USA plays Canada because of you. Like, you know, like the place absolutely adores you.

And you scrapping, I think, is a big part of that. Tone actually has a question for you. Yeah, Sid, you talked about earlier coming in and you guys being so young, you and Gino and Flower and Latang and Stalzi, like it was all of you guys being super young. But then there was the stories and you living with Mario and him being such a huge role model for you guys. And then kind of him being the owner and you coming in kind of saved hockey in the city.

what was it like you guys all being young but having Mario Lemieux? And then are you guys still talking, you know, constantly coming into this cup run? Yeah, I mean, you couldn't have picked a better role model. And I think just for seeing someone day to day that's so even keel living with them, getting away from it, you know, away from the rink, just being around his family, not having to worry about all the little things when you're in your first year. But I think, you know, having each other as far as being the young guys,

I think that took pressure off, especially with the impact that all those guys had. They weren't guys just kind of coming in and getting their feet wet. They were thrown in some pretty big roles right away. Flower was playing a ton, even at an early age. You know, Gino came in, was an instant star. So I think just having that group and then even the extended group around that, younger guys, but character guys, big personalities. We had a ton of fun, but we knew that.

position we were in and obviously having Mario there, you couldn't get a better role model who's somebody that, you know, I could relate to. It's gone through a lot of similar things and the ways handled it. So, like I said earlier, you couldn't get a better situation as a young guy coming in. Yeah, but a lot of young guys could potentially completely shit the bed with everything, you know. Like the way you've been able to handle it with so much humility and grace while working your ass off. And you talked earlier about being smaller whenever you first got in the league.

Now, you've got to have the biggest squads. I mean, those things are outrageous. As a man who has larger legs, I have larger legs. Used to, wait until you see the stuff that your legs will do whenever you retire. Actually, you'll probably... Oh, I don't even want it at all.

Yeah, yeah, you're right. You're right. Nothing's good when you retire, bro. Play forever. Everything sucks as soon as you retire. There isn't magical new science that you'll be able to... Nope.

That doesn't... You don't want any of this shit, man. You don't want to play forever, but. Yeah. Your guy, can we talk about the amount of, like, hockey conditioning? Are you in shape? Is there an off-season? Are you working out all year?

Do you guys ever stop? It's pretty short. It's pretty short, but yeah, I think as I get older, I feel like it's something that it's harder to take time off. You know, the better, you know, that's better if you can just kind of stay in it, at least doing it a little bit. The month, two months off. off straight. Those days are over.

Yeah, well, tell me about you skipping the All-Star game, pissing everybody off and playing on a lake in Colorado. Is that what it was? Is that what it was? Hey, Tanger! Tangers in here now, too. He's super handsome. Wait till these for people that don't know, the guy in the background right there, ridiculously handsome.

I mean, just like, yep, there he is. Yeah, there he is. Oh, like, that's exactly what he wanted to hear. That's like the worst. Hey, Tangor, thank you. He loves getting his tires pumped right now. Hey, Tangor, thanks for your service to Pittsburgh, pal. You're welcome. Hey, you brought some record.

Yeah, of course. Of course. Keep him happy right now. Yeah, I respect that. Are you going to sharpen the blades there, Tanger? Is that what you're about to get? Yeah, or trainer at Tags is not really on the job right now. Time off.

He started as a third liner. Tags started down low in the bench. You're saying he's already taking time off. This is what happens, Sid. whenever greatness is around, people start getting comfortable. Can't have it. We're going into playoffs right now. Get Taggs his ass back in there, Tang.

Yeah, I'll get him. I'll get him. Thank you. Thank you. Uh-oh. I don't like that one bit. Not at all. Hey, you tell Tags, he needs to tighten the fuck up over there.

You hear me? You tell Tags, we appreciate his service. He'll be in here any minute now. That would be seeing this. Tag's a good man. Whenever you talk about, like, everything you do gets judged. like that All-Star game thing was tough.

But then what I learned is you were playing hockey and some, you found a rink that you could display. Is that like what you do? Like when you travel or do anything, you have to find ice to train on. Is that the life of your, like, is that your life? I like to know, it's not a must, I wouldn't say, but I was in Montana during All-Star break,

and we didn't have that much time. So I was trying to balance, get into rest, and then be able to jump into the game and be all right. So skating outside seemed like a great idea. so it was nice to get out. There's nothing better than being out an outdoor rink. I've never done it, actually. You should.

I want to see that. Yeah, I can't skate. Penn Hills Deck, you were doing it, ball hockey? Yeah, ball hockey. You played, obviously. Is this you in Montana? This is the video I saw of you? Yeah.

And is this just some kids' rink on his backyard? No, this is just at like a park in Big Sky. They just have an outdoor rink there that they set up. And you knew this guy was sniping you, right here? Did you know this camera was out? I think I met him after the fact, but yeah, I was just, I think there was only one or two people

there, so I drove by it, saw that it was open, had my gear, and gave it a whirl. That's awesome. That's awesome. See a rink? Oh, got to skate it. Yeah, I got my gear here too. We put all this shit over it. I've been that guy recording. Who's that? Oh, I got a kid out on the ice. Holy shit. Pretty good. 87 helmet. Oh, my God.

Growing up, what was the story. Mariel Lemieux like iced out his living room or something like that so he could skate in there. You Canadians do absurd stuff to get better at hockey. Where were you a pond hockey guy? How did you kind of come into the sport? Yeah, I mean, the weather wasn't

quite as cold, so if we got cold weather for long enough, we were on the lake or on the pond for sure. But mostly ponds. We played a little bit on the lake and you know, hockey was, we practiced twice a week, one or two games. It wasn't an everyday type of thing.

when I was growing up. So, you know, you just love being able to get that extra time in playing, whether it was on the lake or whether it was playing street hockey, any chance you could to play a little bit more because it just wasn't as available, I don't think, as it is now. So, you know, that was a big part of it, too. You know, they call it like, there's a book called The Outliers where all the people that are the most successful in their business were either around it at some point and introduced to it or they just so happen to be completely obsessed with this particular thing.

Sounds like you were that way with hockey since the first time you laced your skates, I believe, is how you would describe that? Yeah, yeah, I read from day one. My, I think I started skating when I was three. My dad played. My mom has a big, big family, and all my cousins played. So we, you know, it was something that we all did and we all followed one another to the rank. I used my cousins hand-y-down gear. You know, it's just something that brought us all together.

So it was great way to grow up. Then the photos come out of you just banging a dryer or something in your house, I believe, is there it is. Yeah, that was, that's where I shot Pox was in, it was an unfinished part of the basement there. And that dryer was to the left of the net behind it. So if I missed outside left, that's what, that's what happened. So I wasn't aiming at it, but as you could see, I missed a fair amount there. We would like to thank this dryer. I don't even know how that was used, but it actually held up for a long time.

somehow. The thought of just bang happening. That had to be so loud those bucks cramming off them. The dents and the wounds. We'd like to thank this dryer for its service for the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We would really like to thank you kind of getting tightened up.

Okay, let's move along in the hockey conversation about legends and goats, especially one that you know well. Go ahead, Conman. Yeah, Sid, it was a pretty cool moment seeing you, Gino and Ovechkin after that last game. Not sure if it's Ovechkin's last game. yet, but how has that relationship been

throughout your career? It feels like over the past couple of years, we've seen you two specifically much more kind of in the public light. I think you guys got him a watch after one of his games and he got you guys a gift. What has that relationship been like? And do you two kind of share

moments just because you've gone through some of the similar things being the number one picks? Hey, Gino! Hey, speak some Russian real quick. We're doing the, we're doing actually... He's already gone. Oh, we're doing OV talk.

I thought we'd be able to drop a partner. That's Gino. Yeah. That is Gino. Yeah, you know what? Just like I think early on just with how we came in and the rivalry and everything was built, you know, for each of us to be, you know, against each other. And with the playoff series and everything, it was just pretty natural for that to happen.

But I think over the course of the years, getting to know him better, you know, get to know his family and just playing against each other for that long, and I think there's just such a mutual respect there. So it's been pretty cool to be connected that early, to play as long as we have and to see the career that he's had, the expectations are so high, but to be the greatest goal score of all time and to come in with the expectations

and to see that up close and to be able to relate to it a bit. Yeah, it's kind of cool the way it's all worked out. Are you and him similar? You're just drinking Coke, just ripping off Dr. Pepper over there on his side of that. Some way. I wish.

I wish. I wish I could do that. But yeah, he's, he can do, he can do that. I think it hasn't affected him one bit. No, he's still filling the net. He might be the last of a dying breed. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Actually. You know, like actually. Because the way he's, they bring him sandwiches and it's like multiples. And they're like, here you go. And then here's a Kool-Aid size bottle of Coca-Cola. Hot Cheetah. And Algos. That's a nice program.

That is. How are you? You're super, are we weighing food and everything like that? I mean, I try, I try to keep an eye in it. I love sweets. I wouldn't say I'm super dialed in, but I'm much better than I was. I wish I would have known a lot of the stuff when I was younger, for sure. I didn't quite follow it as close then, but.

It's okay. 21 straight years. You're right. A few cups. I think you're doing A-OK. On that note, D-Budd has a question for you. 21 years is nuts. We were actually talking about LeBron and Michael Jordan early.

We'd love to hear your opinion on that. But dominating for so long, you've won Stanley Cups, you've won MVP, you've won gold medals. What, I guess, still drives you. What's kind of at the core of that motivation for you at this point in your career? I think this, you know, playoffs just competing in, you know, big games, meaningful games, the camaraderie with the group. being part of a team, that does never get old. But I think just, yeah, those two things stand out the most to me

is just the competition, you know, everything that goes into that and being part of those big games and then just being part of a group. I love coming to the rink every day. I love being around the guys. And we got a great group here. So it's been a lot of fun. You want to keep that going. So I think that's, you know, those are probably the two biggest things.

and as far as what's the other part you had for me, MJ or LeBron? Yeah. Oh, whoa, okay. It's the fourth time we've done this on this show. That's why I want that you know that. I got to go MJ just because growing up, I was a huge Bulls fan. And they were so good growing up.

And then I got a chance to watch Last Dance. And I had this image of how all these guys were going to be. I had no idea. I had never seen much of them growing up. And then I see Last Dance and they're exactly what I kind of envisions that in my head growing up. So I think that, you know, that probably solidified it for me. Probably, probably MJ. Wow.

Bit of a runaway. Yeah. Everybody's saying the same answer. All the goats do you. Where are you from again? What town? Cold Harbor, Nova Scotia, East Coast to Canada. That's way up there, right?

Aren't you guys way up there? Yeah, we're pretty up there. Not by Saskatoon. No, it's nowhere near Saskatoon. No. No way other side. No, and it's nowhere near Victoria. Manitoba.

No, Manitoba, no. He's been to the social club a few times. Where in Victoria? Yeah, Crosby knows. That's a Canadian, by the way, back there. He's from Victoria, Western Canada. He's a Dallas Stars fan. That's nice that he followed you up there.

Gumpy, got anything to say to Sydney? No, congratulations on being back in the playoffs. Let's go on a run here, brother. Thanks, I appreciate it. Gumpy, how many Golds has Canada won in hockey? All time and everything, probably like 56, I think. How many are we behind you? You get like 35, 40 more.

You'll be close. What about like the last two years? Who's in first? That's not disrespect to Mr. Sting. Oh, sorry. I'm trying to go. No, it's not Sidney. Okay.

Don't put Sidney on the screen. This is strictly for Gump. And this is what happens, by the way. He's the only Canadian in here, Sid. This is what happens. So, yeah. It is tough. I actually almost went back on everything that I said about

NHL players playing in international games whenever you got, as soon as you got hit. in that game? I really was like, why are these guys playing it? Why, why are these guys playing it? It does feel like your sport, the international, we were just talking to D-Rowe about baseball with the World Baseball Classic, feels like your sport is getting very much like the Four Nations as the All-Star was phenomenal. I think we all thought. Obviously, the Olympics captivated both the women and the men captivated the entire globe. Why do you think there's so much of like that type of feel for that sport? I guess you go all the way back to.

whenever we beat Soviet Union or whatever, the miracle and ice. Feels like hockey always has that. Why is that, you think, Sid? Yeah, I think just big sense of pride when guys get to play for their country. And you think about it, guys, guys leave their home and they go play in a new city for a new team.

Don't really know a lot about what they're going into. And then when they get to play for their national team, you know, it's just so much pride, I think, that comes with that. And you never know if you're gonna get that opportunity. So I think you just, you see that on full display when guys, you know, play for their country. You see guys, you know, the desperation and you see the intensity and you see the fans, the way people get behind it. I think, you know, we as players feel all that and you look at foreign nations.

Nobody knew really what to expect. And, you know, you're playing the Bell Center first game and just the atmosphere. And the way people got into that, I don't think anybody could have drew that up. You know, that was special. So I think we all feel that. Yeah, you want to take the attention back to Four Nations for sure. I know. Yeah, you know what I'm doing.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He gave a bond in a Cajuck recently. And I think it was a huge ordeal, by the way, that you guys won that. And I think you guys know that, too. At the time, there was some loud. It was really loud. Sociopolitical implications. Canada wins, and it gets quiet real quick, and it's like,

holy shit, did a hockey game just decide? And it did. It felt like it did. And sports, by the way. The greatest of all time. Speaking of sports being the greatest of all time, you know, one generation to the next is kind of how it goes. Go ahead, Ty. Yeah, Sid, when you got drafted, a lot of the, and I can't really remember if this was a thing before you,

but everyone was pointing to you saying, hey, he's the next, this guy's the next Wayne Gretzky, you know, and then as your career has kind of gone on, we've had a bunch of other guys come up, but now that narrative's kind of changed to, hey, this guy's either the next Gretzky or he's the next Crosby. have you had a chance to reflect on that over the course of your career? I guess hockey culture might be a little bit different. Maybe you don't have guys coming up to you saying like, hey, you were my favorite player growing up as a kid. But have you had a chance to kind of think about how crazy

that whole full circle thing has been or is a little bit hard when you're still dominating at your age this late in your career? Yeah, it's hard, but I think you do start to realize it. I mean, you know, whether it's you're playing against guys, kids that you played against now and you know things like you said where you're you're a young guy saying that you know you were his favorite player stuff like that so I think that it's not something you typically ever get used to but it's it's a little more common now and I think you know being in this position the more you can help I had so many guys as a young player

that helped me so I think that's something I try to remind myself of And at the same time, you're still out there trying to compete. You're still trying to play at the top of your game and try to balance all that. So I guess it's different in that way, but it's no different than the challenge you have coming in as a young player with something to prove, not knowing much. There's challenges with that, too. So I think they just change, you know, the longer you play. But that's something that has definitely been a lot more common, you know. Yeah, you get old.

Yeah, your old-ass man. It's been fun to watch and you're still playing at such a high level. I assume that's a treat for all the young dogs out there. Every once in a while, they still have to catch a stick to the mouth, though. You know, every once in a while that's going to have to happen. It's hockey. How do you feel about the state of hockey right now? You talked about coming out of the lockout, being a lot of pressure for you and the boys.

But then some rule changes happen to kind of open the game up now. How do you feel about where hockey is being played right now versus maybe whenever you came into the league? Yeah, I think there's a lot more emphasis on skill and speed. And I think, you know, you look at teams' lineups, and they dictate that a lot. you know, based on how teams are made up and who's won and what's made team successful. I think you still look at teams like Florida who've had a ton of success the last few years. You know, they're talented, they're skilled and fast, but there's still a lot of grit to their game. So I think that that element is still there, but maybe a little bit less emphasis on, you know, the physical aspect.

then maybe, you know, when I first came in, you'll look at defensemen. They're a lot more mobile probably overall, you know, right through, you know, all the D-Men. I think there's a lot of focus on being able to move the puck, being able to skate, join the rush, create offense, not necessarily as much maybe on shot blocking and things like that. But that stuff still super important and has a huge, you know, a huge bearing on the outcomes of games. So you'll see in the playoffs, that stuff's magnified. more and but I think yeah that the skill and speeds kind of just gradually got more and more can you say outcome again I never heard that I don't think in a Canadian accent that's that's both of them that's a

compound Canadian yeah outcome need to add that into the repertoire whenever we're doing sorry sorry outcome is you know I'm going to do all that I like that you said you know it's a little bit more speed and skill that's our game too football is like speed skill we need to get highlights we need to do that you have created them for so long not scared to be the pastor. You know, that's why I thought maybe LeBron would be his guy. Yes. You know, because... That kind of been dominated throughout the same same era. Exactly.

So it'll be a little bit of younger kids who see the LeBron's last dance and then that's one it'll kind of take. Or same season. Sid hasn't seen enough LeBron because he's been doing his own LeBron thing. While LeBron's been doing his. Plus he's out there in Montana. There's no service. He can't see you know. Yeah. I don't

know how he's still doing it. It's absolutely incredible what he's doing. Yes. Same. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, talk to the mirror, brother. We appreciate the hell out of you for everything you've done for Pittsburgh, but also the game. Thank you for operating in the manner in which you do on the ice, off the ice, as a leader, as a person in society. We genuinely appreciate the way you've done things. And you tell Tags, get his ass back in that equipment room.

We need to win a series against the Flyers. I'll let him know. Thanks a lot, guys. I appreciate it. It was fun. You're the man. Ladies and gentlemen, Sidney Crosby. Yes, shit.

I don't know if that's the most he's ever spoke. That was sick. The most I've ever heard him talk for sure. As we're in the middle of it, I'm like, well, we should get some life stuff here. I don't know how many people are going to be able to hear from him ever again. First time ever getting talked to him. So pumped.

Thought it was never going to take place on this particular program. The fact that him, Gino and Tanger showed up at Big Night Out. Now they said, you kind of forced us, right? It was we were going to be home. But then they showed up right there too. Like, they're just always around each other. It's unbelievable. It was great shit talking with them and learning about them.

been around each other for so long and obviously I've had so much success. So anytime you have that, obviously great camaraderie. Hockey is an incredible culture. It's an incredible sport. And the playoffs are ridiculous. And Sidney Crosby is back in there and it's a problem. Because much like everybody says, you know, Steph Curry, he can get hot and go. Penguins can go. Now, everybody's talking about that team right there being the one. They're saying Colorado's a problem. They're saying they are an absolute problem. And that's what everybody's saying. But we shall see. The NHL playoffs kind of figure itself out as it goes. goes on. And people get injured, we'll never know.

Somebody will have broken back out there. We'll find out afterwards that they actually had to pick his ass up and shove him onto the ice and he couldn't sit down on the bench because he actually had a broken tailbone. He played for two and a half periods or whatever, just couldn't finish the game. It's like that's what hockey culture is. It's crazy. Florida has owned hockey. Yep. This year will be brand new.

That we rest. Hopefully. As Sidney Crosby, yeah, Tampa. Sydney Crosby brings it all the way back. Let's pivot from Sydney Crosby to another goat. Ladies and gentlemen, a college football national champion, Super Bowl champion. Ryder Cup winner, AJ Haw.

Yeah. Oh, he's glowing for mania. Are you heading out for WrestleMania out there in Las Vegas, AJ? Yeah, I don't know. After I saw what Cody did to the Thunderdome and what DeBone actually may or may not be a part of, yeah, I don't know. I'm thinking about it. You kind of put me through a loop.

I didn't even once think that he would be able to, boom, bang. Well, you guys, the fact that you said he has the brain of a peanut. And Ty says, no, not a shelled peanut when you take the shell off that small. I didn't take that into account. I thought, I give DeBone some credit. I think he is smart. One of those Chinese? Finghammi?

Oh, yeah, the Russian nesting doll. There they are, Russian nesting doll. What? Yeah, the Russian nesting doll that sits inside of the other one. Yeah. You take it off, you pull the smaller one. You pull the smaller one. What I was trying to say with the unshelled nudge.

not he's talking all those exactly we're getting way down in the bottom of that day yeah yeah that's that's what's connected

to his spine and I'll tell you incredible at graphics but there's no way he set this up and knew this was gonna happen now on that note

I don't like the Cody did this no not at all I saw a picture last night of bone hugging Cody so and he liked one of Cody's photos that Cody posted had this strap with Wayno

and he liked it See, AJ, what you don't know, everybody in here wants, everybody wants. Okay, that's what everybody wants. Suspension, maybe. Not fire, suspension, maybe. Suspension. Leave of absence. If we all fill up a pillowcase with Rock and beat the piss out of them.

Just get them back. I don't think we can do it. A little bit. Firing squad. Sox and batteries. Cody, I mean, that was good for Cody, though, I would say. Like, good for Cody. Now that we're kind of emotionally out of this particular situation,

because it's been cleaned up, still got the... Whoa. I mean, that's some pretty damning evidence right there. was that for the night? Boney Oads. This AI. Oh, man. No, that's not AI. That's Bill McComers'

his photo. Can we move along? Please. Can we move along? I don't like thinking about that. Did he go to dinner afterwards? And is his name actually DeBone? And we didn't even know it until now? It's been a plant.

I don't like the way he just casually walks by him there. And then... Not even a reaction. Not even a... Was that a thank you with the computer spike? Yeah. Like, did he say, thank you? Thank you, Thabone.

While he did that, maybe. We don't know. Actually, that's my assumption. And now, and I asked yesterday who Wayno was on. Remember I actually said? I wonder who side Waino was on? A great one. Look at that.

Cody's smoking Sigs. Well, guess who's got Sid? You do. Yeah, you're right. Well, I don't know if Sid knows anything about any of it, but I would hope he'd be on my side. He is. I hope he'd be on my side.

He's a huge, Mark. Yeah, he's, yes, he is. He has time for all of that. He certainly has time for all that. Okay, we got some bad news. for next NFL season. Feels like the replacement refs probably going to happen. Yeah.

We've seen a song and dance before, AJ. You closer maybe than anybody else, but this is not good news. Now, granted, everything is posturing. Okay, everything is leverage, especially whenever there is negotiating, taking place, especially whenever it's high leverage negotiating, kind of taking place.

The officials of the NFL understand they are a very crucial, crucial part to the game. They also understand that they are a tight union. Okay, that is a tight union. So what the NFL has to deal with is how do we modernize what we are expecting from these officials, with these officials being a very tough negotiation regardless. Pool reporters after games that get typed up is really the only accountability that officials have ever had. And there's no follow-up, there's no real anything, there's no face of the music,

there's no admission of anything, there's an email that gets sent to each team from the head. It's like, I think we all are looking for some things, but those things have never happened before. for the officials. So there's never been precedent in the negotiation for it. Anytime you're adding things to negotiation or an agreement, going to be tough. Going to be tough. And especially with what happened the last time this all took place, the officials ended up with all of the leverage. Okay. It was kind of like, oh yeah, is that right? That's what the official said. Whenever the NFL and the players had the lockout situation, the NFL had the overwhelming mindset that these players will run out of money and they will have to negotiate with us.

Okay? For the refs, it's not the case. They're not full time. They have other jobs. Most of them, very, very successful other jobs. Lawyers. I think there's some accountants in there. I think there are some business owners. Financial advisors. Like they're very, these people are going to be able to remain tight and they're going to have money. All they are going to have to do is wait out the bad replacement officials embarrassing the game and then they will find their position of leverage back with the NFL. So the NFL said we have to learn from that. We have to get the ass officials. and make them not as ass. So they are starting to do that process right now, A.J. Hawk. Remember, my final point here as I continue to ramble, because this is a very important thing, the refs that we're going to get for replacement refs are refs that think they'll never have a chance being NFL refs, because if they ref in the NFL,

they would technically be considered a scab to the NFL as officials organization, and you don't want it. So we're talking ass of ass with no. chance of not being asked signing up to be refs when we don't have refs. But they're trying to teach them how not to be asked. I think that's good news. But inevitably, this is going to be a bummer, I think, AJ. Yeah, I think it's good news you're trying to get them better. Get them out

there during OTAs, get them around the NFL game a little bit. But my question is, who are these reps? Because if you are an official, you are most likely already assigned to a crew and have a job next year. If you're a college official, right, I would assume you know what you're doing next year. This is like high school guys. Is that people that want to try? D2, D3. Who is open to it?

First time. I, I, I, I don't. What do you do? Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Call him. We need somebody, at least with some conviction. Now, I've seen some of the games that he reft and there were some terrible calls being called, but they don't have cameras. They don't have technology.

He has the moxie, though, to deliver what we need. That's a whole first time. I love everything about him. We need to find that as well. They need to be teaching that because those replacement refs getting out there and, personal foul defense number 27

there's no 27 on the field is this thing on still they can hear everything I'm fucking saying we don't need that no and that's the least of our worries yeah but that can be the worst but that is an actual worry yes everything about it spotting the ball in the right hash instead of the wrong hash what ball is in play where

every little thing, these officials who are currently negotiating with the NFL, know what they do. They, AJ, we cannot be doing a replacement stuff. Also in NFL news, YouTube, who lost Sunday ticket to Disney through YouTube TV, will be at Disney and ESPN next year. They have negotiated a deal to get five NFL games. Are these the games that were from the double headers? Potentially, yeah. That became available. YouTube, who has been investing into the NFL over the last couple years, had a Christmas game. Mr. Beast did some stuff. They really unloaded on it. I think they had a lot of streamers. I think they're excited to be in business

with them. And I think the NFL is excited that YouTube is now a part of this as well, AJ, in a bigger way. Yeah, so where it says at the bottom, the league had additional inventory to sell after eliminating Monday night football double-headers. Did they do that just to do this to open up another revenue stream here with YouTube and things like that? Yes, and I don't

know. We're not privy to the conversation, but remember ESPN and Disney purchased NFL Network, right? So they pick up more games naturally because NFL network has games. So we don't know, let's say we, in their mind, doubleheader Monday night football, none of us really. So that opens up some games. So now they're able to resell those things. So the NFL is looking for games to open up. Okay, they are looking for games to open up currently. Remember there was going to be like a bid, like an auction for some games.

Yes. Yeah, it's a crazy time to be the NFL good for them. Joining us now is the man who knows the draft inside and out. He's the voice of the combine here in Indianapolis, color commentator for the Chargers. Ladies and gentlemen, let's move the sticks with Daniel, them on. Yay, DJ. How you doing? What's up, boys? I'll tell you, I guarantee you there's some high school

refs right now that are at the gym, curls and forearms. They are getting ready to put that little medium outfit on and go out there and just flex for the universe. That scares me, DJ. That scares me. Honestly, with where the game is, with how many people are watching, with how much money

is being bet on these games, and from what it was with those replacement, just my own personal experience with the replacement refs. Everything was bad. You're not a big fan of one going like this, and then one going like this. That's what I'm saying? Everybody remembers the fail, Mary? There was, what, 82 other plays in that game? Where there was probably a lot of stuff.

And the refs matter. Man, it really matters. So I like that we got New York potentially, and we got more cameras. But who's doing it in New York? Because those people are officials. Let's move along. Let's get to the draft. Okay, let's talk about next week in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

We cannot wait to celebrate the next generation. For you, what's the big conversation you think about this draft. Number two? Because I heard David Bailey did not take a visit to the Jets in their top 30, but he could potentially be number two overall. They're going to go with a defense guy at number two. There's not going to be another quarterback

until maybe late in the first. Fernando's a lock for the Raiders. What is kind of your storyline that is brewing as we're about a week out from the first round of the NFL draft? I mean, I think it starts too. We don't know what they're going to do. I've been leaning towards Bailey later in the process,

but that's not based off like some rock solid intel, just kind of reading into the situation and talking to folks around the league, that seemed to be a little bit more of the expectation. But we don't know. So that's wide open. I would say, and just talking to the GMs around the league over the last couple weeks, that the positions getting heat are the tackle position and the receiver position. Those are the ones you're just hearing like the run could start early and it's going to go. Those guys are going to all fly off the board. So that can inform some of the decisions for the teams that have two picks, Cleveland being one of them there at six.

if you know they need both those positions so you know there's a chance they're going to miss out at 24 on both of them in terms of the premier guys so what's the the greater need there that's why i've been leaning more towards the tackle uh for them early but yeah there's uh there's fun conversation i mean i was talking to uh someone the other day pat that was telling me you know on the agent side and they've talked to this team and they're dialed in with this player in this team take it to the bank and then talk to a position player at that team later that afternoon and he's like there's no chance. We're not we're not doing that. So like it's like it's all over the map right now, dude. Yeah, DJ, I had a follow up on that because I was just listening to everything,

hearing the same thing like the run on tackles is going to be the story of the first round. The over under is set at seven and a half and I believe seven of those will be tackles. Then you'll get the guard from Penn State who would potentially be eight. I heard you and Bucky breaking down numbers the other day as far as position groups and averages and who's going to go where. Do you think we are. going to get to that eight offensive lineman in the first round. And who would be the last, who is going to be the offensive lineman that we're waiting on potentially as that last one in the first round? Yeah, I think it's Ihanachore, the kid from Arizona State who's new to football,

you know, moved over to America from Nigeria at 13, didn't play high school football, you know, junior college goes to Arizona State and it's gotten better and better and better. And has like first round ability in his body, it's just, you know, getting a little more consistent. So normally that's a second round profile, but there's just so many needs that I think he's got a chance to get into the bottom of one. So him and Lowe move from Utah, the other tackle at Utah would be the two guys there. But I mean, those other guys are, those guys are going, man. You can take that to the bank. DJ, I definitely didn't just run to the bathroom while you were giving your answer there. But I heard you say my name in the bathroom. I just want to let you know, I appreciate you

talking about how you're hearing one thing and you're hearing something completely different. There's something that's completely different that could happen in this particular draft. I think it's only happened one time in the past. In 1967, do you know that the Michigan State Spartans had four players drafted in the top 10 of the NFL draft? The Ohio State Buckeyes could tie that this year with a defense that is absolutely stacked, historic, in a wide receiver class that hasn't really been chatted about

that much other than is Jordan Tyson healthy? I don't know. Now we got a chance for a record. breaking type night for the Ohio State Buckeyes. AJ has a question for you on that note. Yeah, DJ, of course, you see the four guys from Ohio State we have up on the border. Is it possible that the Ohio State has five guys go in the first round? Do you think of this will happen where you have these four guys go in the top ten?

Well, I mean, look, I think Reese Stiles, and I would put Tate in there. I feel real good about those three. And down, obviously, he's a top ten player, it's just a position and, you know, how that sorts out. as we go through the top 10, I would say greater the 50% chance he goes, but he's kind of the one that would be on that borderline, just off the position. And you mentioned five. Caden McDonald's going to go like 25 to 35, in my opinion, the detackle. So, you know, there's a very real chance to see another Buckeye come off the board.

Man, that's a heck of a group there. The one that I'm most intrigued by of where he lands is styles, just because, like, I love the fit of him with the Giants. I know the Giants can go in a lot of different directions. but when I look at that division and you look at Jaden Daniels specifically, like is there a better human being on planet Earth to try and defend Jaden Daniels than him? I mean, to be able to run sideline to suck him up if you want to suck him up, he wants to run.

And then have the length. You want to run RPO's. He's got the length to be able to cut all that stuff off in the middle of the field. So I would love him there. Okay. On that note, DeBund has a question for you. Yeah, he's perfectly sets up kind of this question right here. Jeremiah Love is well, who I think is the best player in this draft.

in my opinion, is a positional value kind of changing or kind of thrown out the window when it comes to this draft? You told my Sonny Stiles there, offball linebacker, Caleb Downs, safety, and then Jeremiah, I love running back, typically positions over the last few years that don't go high in the draft. That's kind of out of the window with how this draft lines up. I think so, D, but I think the smart teams will view it that way. You know, look, I'm all about the premier positions, and I get that. You prioritize that if you're similarly graded. but I have a hard time passing up a player you've got a 7-0 grade on and just placing somebody else above them who's got a 6-4 or a 6-5, you know, the grading sale I used to work in.

Like, I just don't think that's smart business. I think you want to, you know, take great players if you have an opportunity to do it. The running back is the one that's just a little bit different just because of the shelf life. So you want all those carries to matter. You know, I've been preaching that over the years. But to me, the gap between him and some of the other guys, like if you're the Tennessee Titans, maybe you're not. fully equipped to show him off in year one. But I think, you know, another offseason, you would be in that situation.

So I think you would see a good Jeremiah Love in Tennessee this year. And I think if they continue to add pieces, you can see an elite Jeremiah Love in 27. DJ, we all got sources, don't we? Uh-huh. Well, according to my source, says, there's a chance somebody goes like 11 or goes 24 and goes like 26 and maybe goes like 12. Do you think that's true? And what do you think that means for draft night? Yeah, it's going to make it fun and interesting because it is, you know, there's wide ranges on some of these guys. Like I love, like one of my guys is I like the Toledo safety. I'm a big

fan of McNeill Warren. But there's teams that have him in the middle of the second round. There's teams that think he's a top 15 type player. So that's going to be a fun one to follow on draft night. Where does he end up going? Mesodores is wildly pulled. He's a little bit older. And he's someone, you know, a lot of his wins come inside. You know, as an edge rusher, you know, he's out there, but a lot of those wins come over guards. I really like him.

And I think in a draft where we don't have a lot of interior pass rush, he might be the best interior pass rusher in the draft when you kick him in there. But other teams, ding him, you know, like, well, I don't know if he can consistently win on the edge at the NFL level. And then he's a little bit older. So, yeah, I mean, these guys, I'm serious. It's like top 15 pick, middle second round pick. I've heard that more this year than any other year.

Okay, so our source, I assume that we are talking to different people, I would assume. It feels like everybody has their own world in this. Everybody's trying to go off their own judgment of everything. And from what we're all hearing from outside with the sources inside, it's like, I don't know if anybody really knows who's going to be available when. I think everybody is very much wondering who's going to be available when. And on that note, as we wrap up here in two minutes, go ahead, come, man. Yeah, DJ, in recent memory, is this the most kind of all over the place, unknown draft that you've been a part of? like it feels like normally, at least when it comes to player grades from teams,

they are in, you know, a similar range. But, you know, I've heard you talk about Jordan Tyson. And I've seen him up in the top 10. And then I've seen him in the second round. Like, does this feel like the most, hey, I have no idea what's going to happen a week from now, aside from Mendoza going one overall? Yeah, I think there's a lot of good players in this draft, but there's not a lot of really clean players, you know,

when you talk about Bain and the arm, like Messador and the age, Jordan Tyson's had the injuries every year. So, you know, how do teams view that? I think they all view them as players the same, like in terms of how they would value the talent. It's just about how much they value the risk associated with it. So that's where you get a lot of fluctuation. And the other thing I would say is when you have, you know, really kind of the one premier quarterback, you know, the quarterbacks kind of navigate everything. Everything kind of moves around them.

The trades kind of move around the quarterbacks. And right now it's Mendoza 1 and everybody in the league expects Ty Simpson's going to be a cardinal. When the draft's over, it's just a matter of where they're. they want to, you know, pull the card. So with that kind of removed, it takes away some of the certainty in the draft and changes things up. I can't wait for it. Thursday night in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

When are you getting over there? Sunday, Sunday night, man. I'll be in there all week. By the way, real quick, I think you and Dan are in a good place now, and that makes me happy. I'm glad that you guys are in a good spot. I don't know if I told you this, Pat, but right when that whole thing was going on, this is in the too much information category. I went to the podiatrist.

I had a foot doctor appointment. The podiatrist walks in, the foot doctor walks in. He goes, he sees me. He goes, oh, you're getting excited for the draft? They go, yeah, yeah, I can't wait. He goes, man, Orlovsky really loves Ty Simpson, huh? And I'm like, gee, many Christmas, my podiatrist. That's the draft.

It's always excellent. We continue on the other. Yeah, I think I, I think, yeah. Yeah. They don't know what I was going to say there. We're still live, DJ. We are still live. We just wrapped up on ESPN right there.

We're still on ESPN Plus, Disney Plus. YouTube, TikTok Live and X. Nice. There's still a lot of people listen to everything. You're going to say, way to land the plane on the podiatrist. Yeah. Did you see the countdown? Did you see the countdown?

No, did I get it in? Yeah. Perfect time. Come a second. Three on the clock. Okay. How's your foot? America almost missed out on that little nugget.

That would have been. That would have been. AJ, thank you for saying that we care. That's a good question, AJ. How's the foot? How's the foot? Or both feet? What's going on?

Oh, man. That's what separates him, by the way. It's not just the tan. And it's the heart that he possesses. Yeah, I had a cyst that they drained. It's kind of gross. But they, yeah, but it's good. I'm good now.

We're going to be fine. We're going to be draft ready. I'm sitting down the whole time. We're good. What are those things called on the outside? Corns? Bonions? Bonions?

No, no, that's gross. No, this is not that. This is just like, this is like on the side of your ankle. Like you'd get a cyst anywhere else on your body. Like a blister? They stick that big needle in there and just. Are you talking about a blister? No, no.

It's like a, you've had a cyst before, right, Pat? A blister? I've had a blister. It's similar, but not phenomenal. Like, I watched a, the... It's like a nodule. Use words that we know, man. It looks like a big knot.

It looks like a... It looks like a little pellet. It looks like a little pellet. Not like that. Live Morgan's for. That's your foot, DJ? DJ. Bro, that sucks.

What are you doing to me? That's just normal for you? You're like, you've never had one of these? This is the problem. This is the problem with the problem with the drug. See your foot. Hey, put both feet up there. That's not an accurate.

It's not it before. It's the draft, baby. Yeah. No, it's, it's, come on. It's like a little pee. It's like a little pee. It's like a little pee on the side of your ankle. It's gone now.

And what happened? It was just a little uncomfortable. It was just a little uncomfortable with the shoe. So I got it off. I don't think I've ever had that. I didn't know. Is it going to come back now, though? Like, can they guarantee you it won't come back?

Bunges. They can't, they can't guarantee it, AJ. That's a great question. They can't guarantee it. But they also, the doctor also did me a solid and then got some cortisone in there afterwards. Like even, you know, if it does, but you're not feeling anything. That I felt amazing. How many of these have you had?

Because you did ask me as if I didn't like just understand. This is a normal thing? I've had, I've had other cysts, but that, you know, it doesn't, not a big deal. Like you go to the dermatologist. I had one on my head before, which was kind of weird. So you're sitting there and it, they just took the thing. That one, they did the little incision and they're just going to take the cyst out. Okay, so is it a removal? Like I had a skin tag, I think, down here one time.

And they like, yeah, but this is under the skin. Yeah, this is under the skin. Okay. So are they popping it like what's that stuff? Like test them make sure like like cancer free and shit. Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, they've. They've done that before. My podiatrist did not. Gosh, I hope I don't have foot cancer. Now you got me. Your biiatrist sounds like I'm okay. Well, your podiatrist's worried about a Rolanski. Let's start reading some fucking footbook. Please, man. Do your job. Good God. He had good degrees. He has good degrees.

He has good degrees. Yeah, his chat. He has BT and his phone is what he has. Yeah, yeah, that is. He has played a lot of good golf courses. That's how I do. Oh, yeah. I want that tells me that he sounds like a dickhead.

Listen, I don't know him personally. Unless he's watching. If he serves. Everything I'm hearing about him. He's a fan of the show. That's why he knew about Erlowski. He loves you guys. Oh, so he appreciates.

So he appreciates what you're saying. He likes that. We just cooked it immediately. Thank you, Doc, for doing all that. And now he is thinking too like. That's this now for DJ. Yes, he certainly does. Okay, Ty has a question for you, DJ, about the draft coming up.

Yeah, DJ, it sounds like it might be a crapshoot and it's pretty polarizing. But this late in the game, which guy or guys are really flying up the board, or at least on your board? I saw a lot of mocks, you know, early in the process, Caden Proctor's, you know, late first round, maybe second round. and I think it was either yesterday morning or something like that. I saw that they had him going maybe in the mid-teens. Are there a couple guys who are really starting to kind of fly up the board as we get closer to the draft? Yeah, I would say more kind of in that back of one and then really in that second round is the names you're hearing a lot of juice and buzz. Malachi Lawrence from UCF to edge rusher, everybody loves him.

When you talk to a bunch of teams and they all saying we'd love this guy in the second round, when you get enough of them that say that, you're like, oh, okay. maybe somebody just wants to jump the line here, and he surprises us and sneaks into the bottom of one. So that would be one. Trading Stoaks from Arizona, because he's got the nickel safety flex. He's super athletic, smart kid.

He's been great on the interviews. He's another one kind of in that early second round range. Stribling, the receiver from Old Miss, has, you know, the tape's good. He ran fast, and then the interviews and the meetings with teams have gone exceptionally well. So I thought he was like a third round guy. and now I'm beginning to think he doesn't get out of the second round. So those are three names that have kind of caught some heat here at the end.

What's your plan for Pittsburgh? Sunday through Sunday. That's a long time. We got any plans to go anywhere? There's got him Frank out there. He's open arms. I think he's cooking for everybody. Beast.

I saw him. I don't know if you got a chance to see him on the internet. This is he. Okay. This is him right here. You got to check him out. He's got all the answers. He echoes the sentiments of thousands of old Jensers around.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But what he said... He looks like the drummer, like a drummer and a band. Chad Smith. Could be. Honestly. Could be.

We have no idea. Yeah, like the chili peppers, right? Is that where we're thinking? Yeah, it's Chad Smith. I think he's going to be pretty pissed that he said that. He's Wilfellow, right? Yeah, he's that as Wilfarre.

Yeah, that's well, right? I don't know if Frank looks like Will Ferrell. And to be honest, I don't know, Frank's pumped up about you saying he looks like Will Ferrell either. But on that... Just the hat backwards. Yeah. Chisled jawbone there.

Like, that's a good look. You get in. You got two lanes in. You got two lanes out. And then they said, well, just go downtown, take the bus, park somewhere else, get a hotel. I looked it up. What's it? The Regency or something?

$800. For what? For what? To stand next to people and pee all over each other? It's going to smell that he is a generation of the end. I got to look that up. I got to look that one up. He's got to generate.

By the way, great promo out of this guy. I would assume he is a very. chirpy fella, and I assume he brings the noise whenever he, I assume at parties, that guy is awesome. We appreciate Frank, because he is echoing the sentiment of a lot of older gensers that we also know, talking about the hassle that it's going to be to get down into the draft. But with everything we've seen, it looks like it is about to be a phenomenal time down there. No, I can't wait, man. I think so. The way the NFL has grown this draft is special, I think. I genuinely think it is a special thing, DJ. Obviously, you've been a part of it since the move and

everything that's happened, it's become a really cool, cool time to be a football fan there. It's like a traveling, you know, rock show to use the same analogy. It's just that the crowds are massive. And it's all like, I don't see fights at any of these things. Like everybody's just having fun. They're having a good time. Well, well, they're thinking of Philly. No. I'll tell you what, though, I'll tell you what, speaking of fights, I mean, my Padres, A, we don't lose. And I mean, we're fighting for puffer jackets and on the way into the stadium. And like, there's a good intensity going with our ball club. What's going on?

The Padres had a giveaway, like first, you know, 10,000 fans get like a Padres' puffer jacket, and people were just beating the shit out of each other trying to get them. And then the Padres go on to, we talked about it earlier. A massive comeback in the ninth inning to beat the Mariners. On puffer night? By the way, I was on the plane coming home late last night, and I'm watching this game, and everybody in the plane, it's like almost midnight. everybody in the plane is asleep.

So they win, and I'm friends with Heward and Salk, the radio guys up in Seattle. So I wanted to send them a picture of my reaction. I didn't realize, I don't do a lot of selfies. I take the picture of the flash. I think I woke up the entire cabin. It's not a good look. Dan.

You always look like big time asshole whenever that happens. It's even worse whenever you know, you accidentally hit the camera thing, and it's out. And the flash goes. And I'm only saying that as somebody that, We've had that happen to us plenty of times. We're just kind of standing somewhere.

And then all of a sudden, a flash is to our side. And we look, and it's somebody just going, oh, shit. They're trying to sneak one by the goalie. It's like, hey, do you want to take a picture? No. No. No.

All right. You sure you want to stick a name? You sure you want to have to try to use footage? I've never been on the receiving end there, Pat. You will, though, DJ, especially in Pittsburgh. You're camping out there for a week. That's a long time. Will we see you Wednesday night?

I hope so. to do my final mock draft Wednesday night so that's the show we got to do but i'm going to try and get over there after that's over okay cool yeah please do yeah it'll be a good time i the people at the cayman science center miss stacey okay miss lizzie with the catering mm-hmm miss lizzie with the catering at the cayman science center uh they don't normally bring food from outside the science center in sure sure so miss lizzie has been a lot of extra work here okay to get dallas aliz in there Get Rudy's in there. Have to.

Get Permanis in there. So Ms. Lizzie is an angel. We like to say thank you to her. Miss Stacy. Legend. Okay. This is kind of her event. Oh, yeah.

It's kind of become her event. And it's not the only event. Miss Stacy's setting up another event over at the Warhol Museum as well. She's a weapon. A lot of events. A lot of events happening around the draft. But the Wednesday one, basically the reason why I wanted to do it is because the NFL film is the football town.

The thing, 53 minute video, 54 minute, I forget what is exactly. But it basically just explains Pittsburgh. From the voice, I haven't seen it yet. It was going to be the first time I was going to see it was during the draft. And I feel like the people that are going to be on air for the next four days talking from Pittsburgh. It'd be a cool thing to know, like it's a lot of information that's going to come through as you're on the air. And the fact that I was lucky enough to be a part of it, incredibly dope. But I feel like it's, it should be a super.

super casual, like you're going to get food from around Pittsburgh. It's just like a welcome to Pittsburgh type event is kind of what it is. And then we're going to watch this thing. I'm going to watch it for the first time. And then hopefully we have the greatest draft of all time. And I'm excited for it. Yenzers are going to be pumped about it. Oh, yeah.

They've looked up a lot of negative things for them to get mad about. Cheers, baby. But they are going to be pumped. It's going to be special. And Daniel Jeremiah, I can't wait to watch you work, brother. I appreciate it, man. Hey, is, by the way, are you guys having Rogers on for an announcement or anything before the draft or what's the deal there? He's busy.

DJ. No, he's working out. Why don't you fuck on? What don't you fuck on? You know, why don't you fuck up? Good night. That's a reasonable question. It wasn't.

We got a lot going on over here. Okay. And do you think it's on us to tell a man who's committed his entire being to football that he needs to make his decision? He does. Some people would say yes, actually, at that draft. If he was to walk out at that draft, draft with Goodell at the beginning and just do all. I'm coming back. I love you all. It's been an honor to be here.

And then just walks off. A mixed reaction, I think. Tony. Tony, maybe from you. It's right before the draft. He's given his answer. That's exactly what he was supposed to do. I'm just saying I've seen polls on Twitter and stuff like that.

I think it would be a mixed reaction on people. What is Dan Dawkins say about polls online? I don't know. You do know. Unless they got a GAP. They're not real polls. Yeah, they're not taking polls. Yeah, that is what he said.

They're not taking, who's taking polls online? Just saying, I'm just trying to relay information here. It is kind of an interesting situation there. Rogers? Online polls? He's not making a decision until all the bodily fluids in his bean bag have been depleted. Okay, we've talked about this. He basically told us that last time he was on.

If he's still got juice in there, no decision. Once the spick gets dried up, he'll decide. He said it. And Big Mike gets that. DJ, I don't know if you listen to our conversation with him. He does understand it. I don't know if you heard our conversation with him. He gave us nothing on anything.

Because he looked like he was in incredible shape. So I was like, okay, I can ask him a question here. We're at least going to have to get something. Hey, you're staying in an incredible shape. So are you working? Like, what are you doing in there? And his answer, I don't know if you saw this was he's staying in shape so he can have sex with his wife. That's what he said.

Respect, Jenny Rao. Yes. Rude Bud. Make sure you put that in your write-up for the draft. And he is jacked. And he is very jacked. So that is a part of the story. So there's a chance

what Ty said is accurate there. And we're just kind of waiting on the day. There's no more. No more Rogers. I mean, I was just, I was just curious if he was going to come on and say he was going to play or not. But I feel like I did gather a lot of extra information. Yeah.

Welcome to the program. And the Steelers like Woolhaired. Okay. What's another year of Will Hired behind Rogers would. would kind of put them on the Jordan Love perfect trajectory. Yeah, did they have that poll out? Like, do you think it would be a good idea for Will Howard to get another year

in Mike McCarthy's offense behind Aaron Rogers? Did that, was that a poll? No, the poll was, do you like Aaron Rogers? Do you want to be your quarterback? It was overwhelmingly, no. Who put the poll out? Who put the poll? I believe it was 93-7 fan.

Oh, okay. Oh, what the fuck do they? That used to be B-94, and I'll tell you what, I learned about the Backstreet Boys and in sync through them. Now they're out here doing these types of polls. can't wait to get back to Pittsburgh. I love it to stirring it up. DJ,

Fernando Mendoza, I don't like that he was on the cover of a magazine and it says perfect across him. What was that today? We saw a picket. Yeah. But the full sentence was the perfect plan. Yeah, but I don't like that they put perfect right across him. As somebody who is a massive right here, I don't like that.

I don't get a screenshot if you're in the game. Yeah, it's a lot of pressure. And obviously Fernando doesn't hear the outside noise. He's locked in. I mean, he wins a He wins a Heism, and he wins a national championship in his hometown. He takes Indiana to places that they've never been. So let's just assume that this is not something.

But in the past, this is a setup. Yeah. This would be what we call a setup. How do you feel about Fernando after kind of your final evaluation? Or have you just kind of decided he's number one overall pick? Let's move to learning about everybody else. That's also going to be taking up night one of the NFL draft. Yeah, he's been in the books for me.

I think if you took that little box that was over the word perfect and put it over the word plan, I'm in agreement with it. know, like it's, to me, like it is. I love the plan that they're doing. You go out and get cousins. He's going to be able to learn from him, watch him a little bit. You're not going to, you know, put him out there until he's got the complete understanding of this offense, which is going to give him a greater chance to be successful.

You go get Linderbom. I think he'll do some other things in this draft to help that offense, get, you know, get a big ex-receiver out there, another guard, get Colton Miller back. You bring in an offensive coach. I do think the plan has been really, really good there. He's not a perfect player. Nobody is. but I like the way they're approaching it

and he's been, Hay's been in the barn on him for a long time for me. I saw what I needed to see. As Dan, Dan's got quiet, right? Has he about that whole thing? Yeah, he's just waiting for drafting that. Basically because every single person has been like, yeah, no, everyone just stopped listening.

He's still saying it. No, but to be clear, I don't think anybody knows. Like, I think there's a lot of, I think there's a lot of different messaging going on. Because Dan's going to say that because he hears it from somebody. Yeah. Like, right, we assume Dan heard it from somebody. Or 12 to 15.

GMs. Yeah, 1215 GM said like, I don't know. That was a little, I think that's kind of what, you know. One and also what big games. That too.

I think he did he say, I'm gonna, I think he said like coaches and decision makers. I don't think he said specifically GM. Did he? But, you know. Yeah, but he does.

I mean, he's in private and you guys have talked to him. Like, he's the Ty Simpson guy. Like, there's nothing manufactured about it. He's all in on it. So he's going to be,

I mean, I believe firmly he's going to be a Cardinal. You guys think that any other teams come into the play there? I just think he's a Cardinal. Stilers? Absolutely not. Steelers? No. I don't see it.

We already did that with Kenny Pickett. I don't know if he's big enough. Better than Kenny. Pittsburgh is going to want a big guy, I think. And Mike McCarthy wants massive hands. They brought in Carson Beck and Drew Aller for their top 30 visits. So, yeah, that's not their type. But DJ, I do have a question.

After Ty, who do you think the third will be? and what are your thoughts on Cole Payton as the third quarterback potentially? Yeah, I think it'll be back just because of, you know, the resume, you know, the number of games, big games, the size, the kind of the prototypical stuff that he possesses. I know, you know, the knock on him was kind of the, just like the attitude and people didn't necessarily love the kid the Georgia period of time, but it sounds like he's, you know, he grew up over his time at Miami. So that's, you know, he's helped himself in the visits. He's been solid on all the visits. He's got good football intelligence. So he would be the one I would, you know, if I was going to guess, I think it'll be him.

Cole Payton, he's fun. I mean, he's a fun player to watch. I think he's got somebody fun to work with. I'm just curious how early you would, you know, go there. How early does that ride start? I would say it's more like the fourth round would be my guess. But, I mean, look, you know, we can do this. You can talk to 29, 30 teams and get one answer.

It only takes one. And then, you know, all bets are all. off. You're talking to 2930 teams like Dan Rolowski? No, I'm saying you could, theoretically. Okay, I didn't know. I didn't know. I was like, holy fuck, that's a lot of conversations.

No, I don't have that. Yeah, I don't have that. I don't have that going on. Yeah, the ability. That is an ability that only the insiders possess. Shallow enough conversation to keep the conversation going, but depth that feels like it's a relationship on both sides. And then also immediately available all the time.

So that is kind of the difference, I think. You know who the best guys? You know who the best sources are on this stuff, by the way? I don't think you guys would be surprised by this, but it's coaches outside the building. Like, if you go back and look over the years, like the good stuff that you get, it's from a coach who has a relationship with a coach because they talk about everything. Whereas, like, the personnel guys are a little bit more close to the vest. It's a little more guarded.

The circle's pretty tight. But you get yourself somebody who's best friends with the defensive coordinator or offensive coordinator with another team. That's where the good stuff comes. Yeah. Equipment managers are normally going to. put you over so they're not going to say anything bad strength coach is around all the time but nobody's going to say anything bad security guys are great rats because you go you you get the security if you have relationships with security guys because they're having to do all the late background work because

gms are paranoid so it's like hey just double check on this kid make sure there's nothing that you know we don't know about that happened in his past and so uh i don't know this one anymore there was I only had one that I had a good deal with, a good relationship with, and he would tell me, like, man, I just did a lot of homework on these two guys over the last week. And I was like, oh, the security guy making 25 bucks an hour. Well, big dumb. I mean, no, these guys, these are these. You mean like the big doms in the world. Big doms.

Yes. Big doms are the leaks of information? No, I'm just, there's some people that were in that role that if you had connections to them, you could get some good stuff there. I don't like that one, but you're supposed to be. the most secure. Hello. Lock it down. That's your whole entire purpose.

The guys are in the background checks. Yeah. DJ did you say pretty matter of factly on one of his shows that AJ Brown's going to New England. Oh, what security guys? As he said, Gratia. How about that?

Yeah, right. Dom ain't talking to nobody about nothing. No. No, no. Yeah. There's nothing. Nothing comes out of it. That is, that is some of the, that is some of the, just, you know,

paying attention to what's going on there. and then looking at the additions that they've made and knowing that's kind of, that's how the Eagles operate. That's more their jam. On the AJ Brown thing? Yeah, I'm not talking to Dom, but if you look at everything they're fucking doing. Yeah.

Pretty safe to say A.J. Brown's got a new team coming around. Is that going to happen draft night then? Is that what that happens? I don't think so. I think it's a June deal. So dumb. A designation. Haven't you done this in a past where they just designated for that time?

Yeah, the information guys would have better scoop for you on that in terms of how that works. I don't think that they could. I just remember there was another. There was another deal that happened in the last couple years where I was talking to a team about a player and they said, well, we don't need that. We've already got something kind of cooking for June. So

they had to wait for that. All right. Well, the post-June 1 designation is obviously a special time, as is draft season, especially for you. So thank you for taking the time. Will you join us on Friday live from Pittsburgh? Absolutely. I love to. Do you want to go? Do you want to go So what time do you want to be on?

Do you have a preferred time? Noon to 2 Eastern on ESPN, noon to 233-ish digitally. So what time would be good for you? I have no clue what my schedule is, Pat. But I will make, we'll work it out. 1210's taken the commissioner of the NFL will be on. Yes. I'm going to lose that one.

I feel like you have a history of doing this to me, by the way. Like Olympic gold medalists, like just coach K. like can we just can I just once follow somebody that's I won't say on the same level but not so far above me like can't even see them you know that would be I was trying to get you to say like man

the noon hour would be great so then I could go oh it's going to be tough that's what I was trying to do right there and you didn't fall for it I appreciate you doing that I genuinely appreciate that you're the man yeah not a surprise you guys are the best man I'm just excited for this thing to get here and I'm excited for Pittsburgh to kind of show off a little bit

I think it's going to be awesome hell yeah did you see the colors of the draft on all the logos everything. It's nice. Like diary green? No. Yellow. That is not the color. Pee and poop green and yellow. No, that is not the color. It is a interesting blue mix with a yellow. Wasn't there like a magenta and orange one too that's? There's a pink orange and yellow. Sure. One that we saw a bunch of different signs and logos. The whole city is black and yellow. It's kind of it's built for it. Hey, is O'Neill Cruz catching the ball now since we last?

Oh, yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, this guy's an asshole. Daniel Jeremiah. Thank you, DJ. No reason to bring up the bad times from the first two games. Yeah, he has been flawless since. Yeah, we're in the good times right now. We're hoisting cones.

He's swinging a cone. He's donkshot and everything. I'll tell you what, Thunderball has gotten interesting. It's gotten us more into baseball, I do believe. This just happened. Pittsburgh Pirates just hit this. Yeah, three-run, Jack. Goodbye 4-4 in Pittsburgh.

Point that, son of a bit. Da-da-da-da-da-ta-ta-ta. Oh, mama, I'm in fear. Oh, my life of the law. Am of the... Yeah, the big bear is coming out of his slumber, so that's good to see. He's a big bear? That's the big bear.

Dancing bears is about to come fuck everybody up. Don't you worry about to think of this? He's the leader of the squad, as far as, you know, hitters is concerned. Okay, so Sching's got the highest ERA on the team I've seen. Yep. Okay, that's because that first inning was tough. Great news.

That was tough first inning. He's only going to get better. He's the ERA. He's going down as he continues to roll and continues to. Have we done the bounce point? Yeah. Has he done that yet? Oh, yeah.

He's done it? No, no. He held it. But, you know, he's hitting that balance point. I thought I potentially missed. I felt like pitching ninja would let me see that if he did one of those. He had an 18-incher. Is that what that thing was?

Yes. 18 inches of, The one he's throwing or the one he had? He had an 18-he has an 18. He had an 18-in-jure sweeper, I think. Yeah. Foot and a half, Dibut. That's what we're talking about around here.

That's Diesel. I think it was, yeah, I think pitching ninja said, yeah. That thing was 18. I don't know how you. He's pitching. That one's outside the plate, and then it's on. Yeah. That's a foot and a half movement, brother, horizontal.

And then he's also got the vertical movement, too, if you fucking wants some. Yeah, change-ups devastating. Show Hey, Otani's putting that ball, where the fuck he wants them. has been fun to watch. Yeah, I mean, once you kind of watch baseball more, you do realize, like, okay, quarterback's hard, left tackle's hard, hitting a baseball, I mean, it has to be the hardest thing.

Throwing a strike. Throwing a strike, shit, yeah, Thunderball. You heard Bryce Harper on the show like, oh, you can know what's coming, still not going to hit it. Yeah, that's... I mean, throwing a strike so hard. Yeah. Okay, so hard with the batters in there, obviously, just trying to...

And then hitting a baseball, yeah, right. Man. With the limitations on where the first... Fuck, that thing has to, yeah, you know, I'll get on top of one a little bit. I'll tell you what, we were creating rules as we go here with Thunderball to try to make it as good as possible. Just doing me, Paul. Yesterday we had. How do you get them out?

Is it all force outs or one? Mound. Back to the mound. Or peg. There you go to talk running. Yeah, talk ran into the wall a couple times. Fuck, did that get out? Yeah, that's big fly for Foxy.

I'll tell you what, we lost to, uh, D butt dirty and, and bone. Oh, South Paul. Yeah, well, he's actually him from both sides of the plate. It was actually. absolutely no reason. A game winning RBI that fucking New York tried to look your right hands clean. That's gone.

Wow. Yeah, I mean, this team very young. Okay. Yeah, that's a hum-rody's a problem. Dirty's a really good player at this game. D-But also from the right side, much better than he is from the left side, but kind of does his thing. Right for power, left from. Bye. Yeah, that one felt pretty good.

It's not so much the hitting that's my big problem. It's the pitching that I can't find a fucking shot. You can't move it. I mean, we're playing some real thunderball in here. DeBone's throwing some meatballs right there. DeBone fucking hits Grand Slam here in a little bit off of somebody. I'll tell you what?

Out of there. DeBut left me hits a thinger. And was that a strange? Yeah. Change up? Yep. Grand Slam out of the bottom. If Bowden touches it, it's gone. It's the summer slam. Yeah, Bowen is a problem

in the batters. Boxing you don't like swinging a bat. No, he doesn't. We got a lot of guys who don't like swing the bat. That's dirty. Dirty started really dealing. And then talk on it. in there and they don't yeah I mean that was great play right there that was a out I felt good about that and oh yeah yeah it was a good game this thing takes them forever to play but it is a lot of fun save got to tweak some rules it's only made us it's only made us appreciate baseball even more game time I was a walk off right there

was your guys team name uh yesterday we were team jack robs happy jack robinson congratulations team jackie robinson uh d bone was on that team dirty was on that team and And D Butt were on that team. Boom. So it's almost the Jackie Robbins. Yeah. Yeah. They were a good team.

Three and D. And they were kind of fucking, you know, dancing with how the game should be played or not, you know. Yeah. Rolling into beans. Rolling into. No. Trying to get hit in a wufball game. You're trying to get hit in a wiffball game.

You don't get your base. You don't get your base. We took it out. We took it out. We took it out. Hey, I tell you what, it was a hot. Hostel environment for being dirty. What do you mean?

It was an hostile environment. We had brown balls getting kicked. Why for just you and dirty, though? It was tough. It was telling you. It was tough. It was jacked your eyes and David. The other team had to wear the 42 jersey.

He had the battle. It was a... Got reviews getting sent in. Fucking three hours later, pool reports. I'll tell you. I saw the chatter. I saw the chatter afterwards. The chatter.

Me too. I was pretty excited to see that a couple hours after the game. He was still fucking reeling from the loss Trying to find the footage To see if we got somebody or not Talk goes downward dog He's clearly out Zoom in on top

Talk has the ball Foot is not on the ground Review says You're out game should have been over Instead Gertie went up and hit a walkoff So you guys tell me That's the pool report We're up one in the bottom of the third

Okay in the rule that we had yesterday three people teams. Each person has to pitch an inning. Adboro. Okay, five runs per inning is max. And it was nine, eight in the bottom of the third. We had two stingy outs. I mean, we were playing real stingy defense.

We had talk in their closing because that's what talk does. Then all of a sudden this play happens. And I don't, I mean, we got, Foxy's on the ground. This is a third out. Yeah, we got, I'm jumping in the air. I'm so happy.

We did it. I think he's, I think he might be out. All the sideline gave us the safe call. No, we did not. We did not say safe. We said we didn't see it. No, I saw Safe call. We have the video.

Thank you. We have the video. See what you're talking about that day? Chill it. Should I'm talking about. Yeah, I can see it. You're up against it a little bit, D. Up against it?

We got screwed! Yeah, they want. What are we even talking about? This is sports, man. And I think Dibon is forgetting. This is a New York review. New York holds all the power. So what everyone says on the sideline or in the game,

doesn't matter. New York says, You're out of here. pal. That's post game, New York says he post game. The post game pool report came in, sorry. Yeah. No, New York. You reverse that. Remember, in the fun of all, we're kind of making the rules.

Yeah, post-goat, pull report can actually say if it would have been the final out of the game and we would have won? Yes. Yeah, we win. Across all sports, besides F-1, once the results are in, and we leave the fucking grounds, that game's over. Exactly. You want this to be like F-1? See you in the gym? Exactly. You're right. See you in a championship game every day.

Congratulations. It was a great game. You won a second game. We have a lot of real. Well, we could only play two innings because you guys' game took like an hour and 15 minutes. So we had it. It was so long. You know.

But we did. Tony, you didn't walk off Jack as well. The pitching in the second game was light years better than the first game. That's good. Yeah. It felt like that was going to be a downfall

of some of the guys, myself included. I can't fucking hit that thing. I think we, I think we need to entice action in the batters box. Yeah, I agree. Got to start with 01, and then maybe two fouls with two strikes would be out. I think you can take two walks an inning because you still like, you know, you can't.

It's bullshit if someone's not throwing strikes and you have to swing at it, but you also, we're playing wiffleball. This isn't fucking game seven of the World Series, all right? Don't go up there looking to fucking walk. That's a jackass move. It's been happening. It's been creeping into the game. Yeah. That was my strategy the entire time.

Exactly. That asshole, right? He's on your team. He's on my team. That's your team. I heard you say to him, Hey, Fox guys, look for a walk here. I'm trying to win.

Are we not trying to win? They were doing it to us. They were doing it to us. I knew what it was like on the mound when I couldn't fucking find it. It's like, hey, there's no way they're going to be able to throw three strikes before they throw four ball. Let's just try to sit there. I was playing the game how the game was being played against me. And there's two types of players, too, like, good-eyed Gump's knows where his pitch is.

What, do you want him to swing at something low, something an eye? No, Gums is going to get on base and get home. Oh, they're saying Gump's got an eagle eye out there? Yeah, he knows exactly. were the balls. I get my accent. ABS? What are we doing? We're just watching? No, God's sway for his pitch. You bet the two all your whole life. You know

what you're doing. Yeah. Somebody's going to pull a hamstring for sure, getting the first. Yeah, left knees. Left knee. There's a good chance I'd go in and roll out of me. Okay, so, all right, so everybody's banged up. Okay, good. We got a little thing. We're missing MVP yesterday, too. Yeah, Nick.

Yeah, skates. That'll change. Nick, I was told you went four or five. I thought you went four of four with four home runs and a grand slam. I didn't know you had a... No, Bruce threw me when I chopped it back to him. And before I could get the first, also pulled my hamstring. I was out. But I don't know what it's like to be on base.

I either fucking touch home or nothing. I like that. You haven't been out here on this piece of tape out here. Yeah, it's right. Careful. It's a different ball game. It is a little different out there. It's a good sport. I also thought about it last night as well. If you're a lefty, that thing being closed doesn't help us at all. Okay, if I'm trying to rip one into the gap, it's coming right back to the... Yeah, but you guys get more room here. Yeah, sure, but you get plenty of room over there too

And you're trying to get it through that door You get way more room this way Hey, it's how the stadium's built, man That's true Okay, fine When I fucking rip one through that door And walk home later, it's not my fault I'll tell you what, if you're pulling through that door

Yep A grand slam no matter what I'm propping that door open It's tough to get on the part, AJ It's not a bad idea Yeah, genius I just thought of the nose I didn't say that

Above the black rolling like where the jerseys are and then brick walled, brick pillar to the left is the start of the foul line there. Okay. But if it hits anything like up top

like lights, the thunder dome shit and it comes back down and it's in play. That's not. Oh, okay. Yeah. I lost my shoes there.

Yeah, I forgot I had to run. Yep. That was part of like life now. Like, oh shit, I'm actually trying to run here. It's been fun. I wonder how long this will last. How long?

We'll see. I might actually stream this one. This one might actually make it to like live. More fun than watching pickleball. I think. Definitely. One different, Agassi was great.

Actually, I saw some of Agassi last night. It was good. Him and James Blake, that whole situation was fun to watch. Anna, Anna Lee Waters, beating James Blake in straight sets and pickleball.

Good for pickleball. Mm-hmm. Yeah. James Blake and Andre Agassi just winning straight up. Yeah, against Anna Lee and Jeannie Bouchard. I think that'll kind of just, I think Andre Agassi's only going to get better.

Yeah. Yeah. I'd like to see him maybe play Anna Lee. That's not a bad idea. Oh. She's on a game. not a Q yeah I don't know how

AQ he said he had like a 4.9 right that's not even close to them bless you pretty high right man I don't know why I just he had his own bag with multiple paddles yeah and a backpack yeah he had a backpack

yeah with the paddles coming out like it's a quiver yeah I do remember that no way yeah he's kind of skipping in he had his hook as you remember yeah I told us all the rules they were rolling and he had his hands in a little sack

I was skipping it actually I can see him now in the Arizona back backyard just walking in a couple of pickle balls on the right side here where like a couple holder would be on a bag fucking quiver on the other side he come out this way got a shoes on this side yeah rating score right on the back in the front pocket yeah i fucking jock strap with a cup you wore a cup because he said oh yeah on the outside of his shorts yeah short shorts yeah up had to let people know what was going on when you come into this kitchen know that it's big that's what a Q's doing

yeah we got to get out of here be a frontal for someplace i change your life win this thing together Team on me. We'll see you tomorrow. Hey, mania, let's go. Get your ESPN plus premium super duper now. Start now. Get done. Unlimited.

Get it now. That's a note to me, too. I need to get it now. Let's all do it. It's going to be a monumental evening in the history of sport Saturday night. And then Sunday is going to spotlight the business even more. What a time to be alive. Hell yeah.

And if I see you in Vegas, Fuck off. All of you. Except for Randy Orton. Of course. Of course. The goat. He's saving a business.

He's winning the 15th world title. Be a friend to have friends. Something nice. Might change your life. We're listening together. Team on me. Team on three. One, two, three.

Okay. Goodbye. Bye.