The Ryen Russillo Podcast - 15 NBA West Teams in 15(ish) Minutes! Plus, Adnan Virk Talks Oscars and the State of Canada.

Episode Date: February 27, 2025

Russillo starts the show by running through the NBA’s 15 Western Conference teams in about 15 minutes (01:19). Then, he’s joined by Adnan Virk to preview the Best Picture favorites, discuss when people started caring less about the Oscars, and talk about what the 4 Nations Face-Off meant to Canada (32:53). Plus, Life Advice with Ceruti and Kyle (74:14) ! How do I handle being blacklisted from my softball team? Check us out on YouTube for exclusive clips, livestreams, and more at https://www.youtube.com/@RyenRussilloPodcast. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Host: Ryen Russillo Guest: Adnan Virk Producers: Steve Ceruti, Kyle Crichton, Mike Wargon, and Jonathan Frias YouTube Ryen Russillo Ryen Russillo is on YouTube! Watch new videos from ‘The Ryen Russillo Podcast’ weekly. Subscribe now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of the Ryan Russo podcast is brought to you by AT&T. I want to talk about guarantees and the lack of when it comes to windows in the sports world. I love what the Cavs did this year. They know their windows right now and there's no guarantee that extends beyond this year. We think it could, but many teams have done so in the past. History tells us your window is shorter than you think. There are no guarantees. And then there's the AT&T guarantee. It means connectivity you can depend on, deals you want and service you think. There are no guarantees. And then there's the AT&T Guarantee. It means connectivity you can depend on,

deals you want, and service you deserve. Or AT&T will make it right. Visit att.com forward slash guarantee to learn more. AT&T. Connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.com forward slash guarantee for details. It started as 30 teams in 30 minutes, but we're going to do 15 teams in about 15 minutes. The West, we run through all of the teams, just some thoughts, some numbers, and enjoy. At Anberg, we try to keep them in check a little bit more than last time on this one, but we're going to talk Oscars, Best Picture, Four Nations, other stuff, travel, and we've

got life advice, a really long one again for you today. 15 teams in 15 minutes. We may go over. Oklahoma City will go by seeding. Number six on offense this year, number one in defense. They're usually three and a half to four points better than the number two team Orlando last year, number three on offense, number four on defense. The numbers holding up. Okay,

giddy playoff numbers against Dallas plus minus. He started the beginning of the series then was benched. He was a minus seven. The only starter with a negative in game one game two. He was a minus 20 game three. He was a minus seven. The only starter with a negative in game one game two. He was a minus 20 game three. He was a minus one game four. He was a plus six and 12 minutes game five, a minus three and 12 minutes game six plus two in 11 minutes. By the way,

they also gave up 69 points in the second half of Dallas and game six when they were eliminated. The reason I bring that up is that this team will not have those minutes. Somebody that the other team can completely ignore and they try to solve that with some spacing, but the spacing wasn't good enough. Chet, six games back.

Last night against Brooklyn, the best he has looked in his return, 22 and 17. The massive Brooklyn comeback in this one. The at the rim defensive numbers, if you wanna look at field goal and then the differential based on expected field goal. Chet arguably with 250 minutes played as the qualifier here arguably has the best stats in the entire NBA.

So if you take it a step further, they're 47 and 11. Now of the 11 losses, the worst loss of the season based on opponent is at San Antonio. They've had two games that are like, Hey, that they got beat, which is funny enough that part of it would be the in-season tournament that doesn't technically count on any of this stuff. I mean, to think that you could be almost 60 games in the season and have one game that counts be like, Oh, that was a night.

We didn't really have it. That's ridiculous. So I continue to talk about the third guy, who's the third guy in the playoffs. What is Jaylen Williams like in the playoffs? Um, maybe it's check, maybe it's Dorton Caruso giving you spacing and incredible defense. Maybe it's Aaron Wiggins who's turned into one of my favorite role players in league he's on fire in February, 46% from three, they're going to be some options,

but we may not even know what they are like fully formed because Chet has just come back. And like I said, it may be years before we see the best version of what Chet is because of the physical part of it, but he was terrific last night, the shooting, the rim protection numbers, they're already there right now. Weird stat for them. Rebounding rate last year was an issue 28th in the NBA, 21st this year. So still not great, but again, pre-Chet, who knows? Their clutch defense, despite having this defensive profile, they're 25th in clutch D. So the point is like, what does that mean? In the clutch they choke defensively. I think sometimes those clutch numbers can be a little weird, especially when they played

a league low 16 clutch games, which is 20 less than what Houston has played most in the NBA 36. Number two seed Memphis, offense five, defense nine, last year 30th on offense, defense 12th. Um, really the headline for me on them is a bit like, okay, there's a lot you like. Do you take them serious as far as coming out of the West? The answer's probably not. Um, I would put them below Denver. And we'll get to Denver here in a second. The start of the season for Memphis and there's been some in and out rotational

stuff that we've all been aware of eight and seven to 38 and 20 overall records. So this is a team that's been playing at 30 and 13. The shooting numbers. Well, they were 29th in the NBA and shooting last year as far as three point shooting there's seventh this year. And can we get some love for Santi Aldama? The advanced stuff, he's a completely different guy. And when you watch him, whether it's this offense, whether it's his confidence,

all the little stuff that he does, I just think he's a really good player, man. But statistically, the profile tells you he's a completely different dude as well. We all know that I love Jaren Jackson. Ja, it's still not Peak Ja. It's been three years since he's made over 31% of threes in a season. I still hold out hope that we can see some version of Peak Ja, because that changes what you think their ceiling is as a team.

And so I think it's just a point of pointing out what we're seeing now and the hope that it can come back at some point. They're also a team that may have to go small here in the playoffs. There's a lot of teams that I kind of have on the, will they go small with their best unit look and how does that play out in the playoffs? Because if you look at their minute dispersal here, 87 at 20 minutes a game and he's their only big that's at 20 minutes a game. So that's just something to think about.

I like the depth, but the ed part and some of the victory lap of like, Hey, they drafted him. And my thing was like, okay, it's not like he's bad, but you might just be drafting a role player in the lottery and knowing that his ceiling is probably a little closer to the finished product because he's older has played so much college basketball and it's like, okay, but he's big and he can do something. He's averaging 1.6 post-ups per game. Nobody likes to post this league anymore anyway, but if you're drafting him and you're doing it one and a half times, the thing that he was better at

than anybody else in college basketball, there are moments where I'm like, what was the point? Number three, Denver, number two, offense. Number 16 on defense. Last year, number five on offense. Number 18 on defense. I do think it's Oklahoma City, Cleveland and Boston as far as the first tier and then a plus Denver. Cause there's still some Denver stuff that I'm worried about. And maybe I fall guilty or fall prey to guilty of the homes

of like, I can't pick against him because of what Jokic is. and maybe I fall guilty or fall prey to guilty of the homes of like, I can't pick against him because of what Jokic is and is at this point my MVP. The Nuggets are fourth on the title odds for FanDuel if you go to FanDuel Sportsbook as of today. Aaron Gordon though, I think this is important because as Denver was kind of struggling standings wise and Jokic was putting up these ridiculous numbers, Gordon has missed 23 of 58 games.

And then he had games where he came back with a minutes restriction. So they went 14 and nine without him. So there are 24 and 11 with him. Murray's been really good for three months. So after not looking great again at the beginning of the season, whatever that was and the injury stuff,

it'd be great to see some more free throws. But if you look at his shooting splits this month, 55, 52, 88 splits, but it's three straight months of really good shooting from the outside there. Eight and one in Murray games in February. The bench we knew would be an issue. They're 27th in points. Doesn't matter. Maybe not in the playoffs.

New York's last in points from the bench, but when you watch them, you're like, okay, that makes sense. You know, who's fifth in points from the bench. But when you watch them, you're like, okay, that makes sense. You know who's fifth in points off the bench? The wizards. So points off the bench aren't necessarily like some disqualifier. Whenever you're trying to figure out a team can win a title. And because Westbrook has been really needed and important for them to just walk out onto the court and think there's no one that's his equal, I think

it's actually like an important personality to have on this basketball team. Um, and I also think it's the first time that I've seen Westbrook finally be like, okay, like, I know I'm not the guy. And there are times where I think he's almost so in a hurry to get the ball back to Yokochi actually screws it up. So there's another element of this that we saw with that LA game where they were brilliant against Denver defensively, where there's just certain things that other teams will probably ignore. So the playoff stuff for Westbrook, I'm going to look at differently. The Aaron Gordon stuff,

even though his shooting numbers are really good, it's clear that it's part of a strategy for the other team to just kind of ignore him. Um, I'm a little worried about where, where's the spacing, like where are those spacing lineups going to come from when you're running the two man game of Murray and Jokic on one side, or are you just going to have guys on the other side of the paint ignoring everybody else? And if you look at points, percentage of points from three, Denver is last in the NBA on the percentage of their points from the three point line, but when they won the title they were 20 Lakers. Look out offense 10th defense 13th last

year, 15th on offense 17th on defense. It's about the defense holding up because this team is on fire defensively their last 15 games 12 and three number one defensive team in the NBA, which still seems like long-term, like, is this who they're going to be? They're just going to be like one of the best teams on defense. When, when they added, yo, excuse me, Donchich to LeBron and to Reeves, like those are your closing three perimeter guys. So how, how is that going to hold up defensively?

I don't know. Maybe LeBron steps up enough has stepped up. Maybe Luca plays a little bit more pissed off in the playoffs, Reeves at least is in good position. So they were so good in that Denver game. I just can't believe that it's good. Like, I can't believe the profile is this good. The best part about this question of like what is possible for the Lakers

this year is that the Luca trade felt like a franchise reset where you're kind of punting on 25. But if they keep up this defensive run that they're on, which again, I feels a little impossible. But I mean, you know, what's what's wrong with being the six best defense in the NBA since the trade deadline. The fact that we were talking about him as a Dark Horse title contender, I think, is a compliment in itself. There's also some other stuff worth looking at. 66 minutes per game in February of Finney Smith, Vincent Vando and Jackson Hazel. Look who I'm just never going to like.

Catch the lobs and his defensive plus minus stuff because he's just so active and he's a huge necessity based on their lack of depth at the big positions for this team. But this went from, oh, Luca, well, kind of punting on 25 and see what happens. And I'm sure they didn't say internally, hey, we're punting on 25. But now it feels even more real. And Lucas is just going to get better and better because these last two games, he's starting to look like Luke again. and Lucas is just gonna get better and better because these last two games, he's starting to look like Luke again. Houston, offense 14th, defense fourth,

last year 20th on offense, 10th on defense. The defense has been slipping a bit here. So if you go last 15 games, they're 13th on D. Van Vlietse only played one game in February. I love them. It's one of my favorite teams to watch. Everybody already knows that, but this is kind of a weird way when I watch them.

Like one of the things I'll think about, we talk about the two timeline thing. We just had Anthony Slater point that out with Golden State. Other teams have tried to do it in the past. I'm thinking about doing a two timeline deep dive on the rebuilding. Um, not to say that it works or completely write it off and say that it never works, but Houston's in a just interesting spot in that it's supposed to be kind of the Jaylen Green Alpy Shungoon deal, but it might be about a man Thompson who's

become a league pass favorite. How about the shooting splits for him? Granted, he's only taken one and a half threes per game, but he's 52 from the floor, 36% from three, doesn't look good, but it's just so much better because he's more confident all the time. he's getting into this jump shot more and more. So they have a bunch of players that are kind of the same age, but it may be like they have to pick a few of them and go, okay, these are the guys.

And Jaylen Green still going to be the closer for them. Offensively at times, you know, we know the clutch offensive numbers are not very good, but they have a really good clutch record. I wouldn't give up on Jabari. I think since he's come back, he's actually looked a little bit better with the basketball. There's some defensive rim stuff with them where I think it's not good, but then maybe it's because of the help and all of their athletes because those numbers are actually pretty good that aren't showing up in the overall defensive numbers. The one thing that I was looking at here was like when it comes down to it in a playoff spot, is there something that you're imagining right now as you've watched all these Rockets games? You're like, this is what it's going to look like when they're closing out a tight playoff game that's only a couple of points because there is a lot of ball stopping with this

team. They're last in average seconds per touch in the NBA. And that actually makes sense, whether it's Jaylen probing or Van Vliet trying to find that angle, but a man is going to be taking more and more of those possessions, even though Shungun leads the Rockets in fourth quarter scoring at five, just over five points per game, which is actually only 48th in the NBA.

So is that a team that is actually better having somebody be a more defined go-to guy is the depth hurt. Is the depth that we love so much actually hurt them a little bit into whose turn it is at the end of a close game and then ultimately a playoff game. All right Clippers, this is a great story and another one that I kind of can't believe. Offense 21st, defense third, that probably surprises some people. Last year offense fourth, defense third. That probably surprises some people last year offense for defense 16th, but they're getting torched here in February. Opponents are shooting 41% on threes in this month.

The bigger story of the year, at least at the preseason over under, there were 35 and a half wins. They're 32 and 26. They're on pace for about 45 wins. They've done a great job. Lawrence Frank and the front office and Ty Lue. They do a really good job. They identified like better needs defensively for some of the perimeter matchups, certainly

to try to protect Harden there a little bit as well. Zou is one of the most underrated guys in the league. They've done this without Kawhi for 41 games. I think he's looked pretty good in the games where he's played 30 plus minutes. They're four and six in our last 10, but Norm hasn't played since February 13th. So I'm impressed with what they've done. They've exceeded my expectations. They continue to bring in all these players who I cannot stand. And Ben Simmons had an aggressive and won the other night. Congrats to him.

But I'm just not going to pick them against anybody because I just think they're going to be a bad playoff bet because of Kawhi's health and Harden's track record, something with Harden that I've noticed this year too, tight spots, fourth quarters, turnovers, it's a problem. If you look at the top 50 players in usage in the fourth quarter, only, only Ja is worse on the turnover ratio. Yoko Trans don't look at his. Minneapolis, also known as Minnesota.

Hi, I wasn't trying to be clever there. I have it written down as Minnesota. All right, this is what we got. An offense that's 12th, a defense that's six. Last year an offense that was 17th, a defense that was first. Whatever the defensive issues were, very, very early in the season, theyth the defense that was first. Whatever the defensive issues were very, very early in the season,

they're just not an issue anymore. You could point to the second lowest contested three points per game, but Orlando's last. So that's two teams that we really like their defenses overall. Those defense numbers are really good, so that number doesn't really show up

as being that much of a detriment to the overall stuff. The biggest thing overall is what's Finch going to do with Randall Conley and Rudy in a playoff series? Rudy's still the best bet out of that group. Randall might become a 20 minute at night guy because he just, I think everybody has to come to the realization of like,

whatever his numbers are and his skill and his shooting and his passing and some of the rebounding and all that kind of stuff. It's just, he's sort of out there on his own. He's going to get his numbers, but what about the other stuff? Are you going to get back on defense consistently all night long? Conley doesn't really even shoot anymore. And the comeback against Oklahoma City, I think he was under 15 minutes in that game. And defensively, he's going to be a target all of the time. So with McDaniels and Ant and Alexander Walker and

Shannon and Clark, like I think they're going to be going defensive numbers there only because you would think Conley is better offensively to balance out some of this stuff, but it's just not much of a threat and certainly a target on defense. And I feel like there have been games where Finch has decided they're better without Rudy out there. so that'll be a matchup specific thing. McDaniel's who I haven't always loved on offense, which I think is completely fair. Just a complete breakout February here. He's been lighted up scoring wise without actually shooting it that well from three, which is actually kind of more impressive.

Ants points per possession on ISO is too low, but I still love them. Golden State, offense 16, defense eight last year. Ninth on offense, 15th on defense. So this team has kind of flipped their profile here. This is AB, right? Everything is AB after Butler, six and one since the trade.

In the six wins, beating teams by an average of 18 points. Since the deadline, their fifth on offense, second in defense. Steph is at 27 a game on 49 and 38% splits with Butler. Pajemski's plus 19, a team best plus 19 net rating since Butler. So yeah, small sample and will they survive small because the top six minutes are all smaller players and their most minutes per game for a big right now is Quentin Post at 15 minutes

a game. So it actually feels a little Lakers like, wow, this is awesome. But is there enough here? I need to see more, but it just, I'm hoping at least to see Steph have some kind of playoff appearance just because it's more fun with Steph. Dallas. This is a bummer. Eighth on offense, 14th on defense. Last year they were eighth on offense and 18th on defense. But remember after the trade deadline, they were a much better team.

Um, so some of their overall numbers are kind of just pointless. I liked this group a lot. I thought they were better this year with Luca than what they were a much better team. Um, so some of their overall numbers are kind of just pointless. I liked this group a lot. I thought they were better this year with Luca than what they were last year. The Grimes trade doesn't get talked about a lot though. Um, I would have put them on the Denver line. So if it's Oklahoma city with Cleveland and

Boston, and then that plus group Denver, healthy Dallas with Luca, everybody coming back and the improvements off of last year, better spacing options, um, I would have put this team on the Denver line. healthy Dallas with Luca, everybody coming back and the improvements off of last year was better spacing options. I would have put this team on the Denver line. I wouldn't have cared about the record at all. But this is a team that has to play small out of necessity, not preference.

Healthy AD, I'd probably put them third behind Oklahoma City and Denver because Kyrie has been so good this year. Clay's been really good. The nausea Marshall fluke three point shooting season last year in New Orleans is probably a fluke Hardee's out of the rotation. Christie is good, but I thought he got hunted a lot in the last Lakers game quite a bit, even though we'd look at him as, as a defensive guy before he's an

offensive guy, um, really, I think it was just maybe a body match. Maybe they just, sometimes I wonder if teams don't hunt Kyrie because they're like, man, that guy just gets it. All right, so look, there's really not much to talk about with this team because there's not any statistical thing because Anthony Davis didn't even play the full game. But I still have some hope that they could, they could cause some noise with 80 back in

it. Um, but you'd have to have clay still playing like this. You'd have to, you know, you'd have to kind of figure out what your closing group and what you're willing to give up offensively or defensively and how much 80 would, would hold up for a lot of that stuff. Um, 19th toughest remaining straight schedule. So maybe some ground to make up there, but the 80th thing, like, look,

there's just not a lot that I'm gonna have that's all that insightful that you don't already know on this. I would add this, if the Lakers now make some kind of run, a trade that we already know is historically inexplicable, it's gonna be so much worse for UMass fans. Like imagine Luka in the Western Conference Finals. Okay, Sacramento, number seven on offense number 19 on defense 13

on offense 14 on defense. So when they made their move into this season, I've always felt like hey, they're replacing Harrison Barnes and Demar DeRozan DeRozan's just still impossible to stop in some of his offensive pull up stuff. They're going to raise their offensive ceiling, raise their offensive floor, and just hope they can outscore a bunch of teams. Look, they were stuck on the Fox thing,

so they're gonna be worse. Levine's got his 23 game, cool. It's nice to see Keegan put up two great months of shooting after kind of a rough start there. And looking at the rest of this, sub bonus is stuff, you know, the box scores, when you look at them, if you didn't watch the game, you look the next day and you look twice that they're so

impressive, but there's usually going to be some kind of matchup that he's going to be exposed against. Um, there's good. There's usually just going to be something there. Demarra's had an awesome February, but I think the most telling thing for Sacramento and it backs it up when you watch them play. If you go through the 10 teams in the play-in,

and obviously for the playoffs, they're 10 and 18 against teams 500 or better, which is the worst of any of those 10 teams. That's kind of what I expect. Phoenix, it's bad. All right, overall numbers aren't as bad. Yeah, 11th on offense, 27th on defense. Last year they were 10th on offense, 13th on defense,

even with all the injuries. Their 27th on D number, well, they were last in the NBA in February. They've gone two and nine. So last in the NBA in February defensively. Last year we kept saying, if all three guys, if all three guys, I was guilty of it, the matchup with Minnesota,

look how it played out in the regular season. What I don't think I realized at the time was that they were killed in that Minnesota series, all right, and they've just been weakened at Bernie's, like that's what this whole season's been. And I've been dumb enough at times this season to be one of the guys at the party thinking Bernie's still alive.

I don't know how it all just turns around now with this team. I can't believe they're this bad. February, look at the rebounding numbers, they're 25th, they're 29th in offensive rebounding, because they start to like look at things like what are older scores more likely to do, like get to the free throw line less,

get to the rebound numbers that you'd want a little bit less. They're getting 78 points per game combined from the three guys in February. And that's kind of the point is those guys get their buckets because there are nights where they were just elite shot makers and the ball's going to go in. But there's just a lot of that. And then not as much that you need the rest, uh, from the rest of the game, not just the rest of the group, the full compliment of the game that you need to be taken seriously in the West.

And I don't do it anymore with them. And I cannot wait for Kevin to rinse off season Portland. One of my favorite teams late here, little Portland push offense. Number 24 defense, number 23 last year, offense, number 28 defense, number 23, but defensively they were ninth in the NBA in January, they're eighth in February. That's been a big part of this turnaround. So they're a rebuilding team,

but I think the most concerning thing is all the cracks that you get at it, do you have a potential star on this team? It's certainly not DeAndre Ayton, who they've gone nine and 10 without. Think about their record of that they're basically a 500 team with Ayton, who they've gone nine and 10 without. Think about their record of that. They're basically a 500 team with Ayton out of it. So even with his stats at the end of last year and his talent that we certainly

know, not a winning basketball player, it's probably a build around sharp thing. I think he's probably your best bet. And he does have those moments. I mean, he had a dunk last night that was ridiculous. I think Denny's a nice player. Simon's is a nice player. Simon's is a nice player. Kamara's a nice player as well. I would get Grant out of there.

And Scoot is much better, I think, than he was last year, but certainly not where I'd hope he'd be at the end of year two. This is kind of my favorite Cooper flag team, but with this winning streak, I'm not winning streak, but this team that's just been so good now defensively and some of the Chauncey minutes that, you know, who he's rewarding with minutes here, uh, because of how hard they've played on defense, their 10th in the lottery odds. So maybe they're my second favorite Cooper flag thing, cause that's not even close to happening. San Antonio, offense number 17, defense number 17, San Antonio, you know what you're getting. So Wemby's the headline. They're minus 7.8 points, I believe.

I don't have last night's numbers in there, but there are seven, eight points worse with Wemby, not in the lineup. But at least this year, they just look so much more organized, even with a diminished version of Chris Paul, right? I'm also comparing this year's level of organization to the lack of organization.

Last year, I know people argued the lack of organization last year. I know people argued the so hand point guard thing of like giving him the opportunity to grow and you know what he also did? Did you wasted a million possessions having a guy who didn't know how to play point card, try to set up these other dudes. So I'll never understand that one, but they tried it, didn't work. They were also tanking sort of not tank, whatever, but there have been just times this year, at least with the Wembley lineups where you're like,

hey, this team actually looks like way more organized. Here's the first action, here's the second action. This is what we're gonna do here. They don't shoot it well, right? They're just, there's just not enough shooters in these lineups. I think the best part is that Castle looks like a real win and that the Fox acquisition reminds me a lot of the market for Donovan Mitchell, where even as great as Mitchell had been statistically and his scoring ability and some of those massive playoff games were just huge, huge output. People around the league be like, you know, he's really good, but he's not this guy. And I think the Fox conversation could be a little similar. It's like, oh, do you want to

pay that guy? Well, you know, waiting around for perfect. Sometimes you're going to be waiting forever. So I feel like those both, both those acquisitions, and it's, it's easy to say that after the fact now with Cleveland, what Mitchell's been able to do, but I think it's, it's one of those deals where it's like, Hey, we might not be able to do better than DeAndre Foxx right now. So if he's available and you're not giving up a ton of assets, like it's kind of a no-brainer. So they'll go back into the lottery with their pick. Right now it's ninth. Also there's a bit of a Kendall Johnson thing where I was probably lying to myself for a

little bit because he looked in better shape and maybe made some shots the first two months of the season, but that's fallen off. And then we know Vasell is going to take less shots now. But on the lottery part of this, don't forget their pick, which sits ninth based on records and Atlanta's unprotected pick from the DeSante Murray trade. That pick is unprotected for 25.

Two more teams, New Orleans, 26 on offense, 28 on defense last year, 11th on offense, number six on defense. These guys balled last year. Then Zion got hurt at the worst possible time. All right, so here's what we already know. This team is fucking haunted. Zion's played, well, he's missed 37 games. Ingram played only an 18 before he was traded. Dejante tore his Achilles right when they had gotten back. Herb Jones missed 38 games. People don't even remember, people forget Herb Jones missed 38 games.

CJ's missed 14, Trey Murphy's missed 16. So I feel for this front office, I've said it numerous times, it feels like every year they do their job in the draft. They do it as well as anybody. Yves Meesey, loving little Yves Meesey. But, lovin' little Yves Misi. But, you know, their guys don't play. So there's two positives of the last month or so.

And Trey Murphy's been more than a positive than just a month, but he's gone 40, 37, and 39% from three in the last three months. He's 23, six in six on 40% three-point shooting on eight attempts per game here in February. He's a top 25 scorer in the last three months. He's 23, six in six on 40% three points shooting on eight attempts per game here in February, he's a top 25 score in the league. Trey Murphy is so good. I enjoy him so much. He is so good that I sit at home and I'll wonder sometimes, but could he be a guy

you run your offense through on a good team? Certainly bad team. You could do it because bad teams have to have good players or bad teams have to have leading scorer is the rule. Remember? Yeah, I'm talking about like a good team, not a champion. Like I just, I allow myself some Trey Murphy fantasies phrasing Zion. Since he's been back, he's been good. He looks great. He's played really hard. He looks like he's pissed off the Dallas game. Yes, I know they lost. He was pissed off.

He had a monster night. I think it was against Sacramento. The best outcome here is that his market. Rekindles a bit because of recency bias from other teams watching this. I would not, if I were the Pelicans going to next season with Zion, you just can't do it. Can't do it again. But it reminds me a bit of Anthony Davis and that Anthony Davis, when it was bad

and he was hurt all the time here in Los Angeles, people were kind of speculating like, man, do you flip him? Like, what could you get for him? Now, I don't think you can flip Zion for Luca anytime soon, but if there's some way to salvage the value and you feel like his market has been resuscitated somewhat this summer,

then I would jump on that opportunity, reset it around Trey and Herb Jones, whatever else you want to do. And then maybe New Orleans is my Cooper flag favorite. But the problem is Zion stayed though, they could talk Duke. I'm kidding. All right, Utah, they're not good and they have a lot of guys that think they're better than they are. This is a collection of dudes that hate passing at certain times.

Larry Markkinen, unfortunately, now is on a bit of a stretch here where you're like, where's the real guy? Is it the guy that took forever, the guy that had these peak years? Is it because other guys don't wanna get to him? Is it that we're never gonna see that again? That's probably a big part of he already got the contract and they did the contract a certain way where

he's going to be traded anyway, but you know, he's going to have to be better if he actually can be the lead guy for a not one of the best teams, but somewhat of a competitive team. Not only are they just atrocious on defense, they're 19th on offense, 30th on defense. Last year they were 30th on defense. So that's a back-to-back run of this. But the points off turnovers that they forced, their last, the opponent's points on turnovers that they give up, their last,

it can be a really reckless crew at times, but they have a great structure between ownership, front office, and my favorite NBA head coach, Will Hardy. So there's some pieces in place. They just need one of these players to kind of pop value wise. They have the assets. Unfortunately, they're not a destination. I'd rather live in Salt Lake than a lot of NBA cities, but I'm also old. Um, there's not much to add to this other than playing hard, cannot solve bad shot selection, 15 teams in just over 15 minutes. When the game tips off, the NBA action is just beginning on FanDuel,

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just visit fanduel.com slash Orion, R-Y-E-N to join today. That's fanduel.com slash Orion, R-com slash Ryan Ryen for your shot at $150 in bonus bets. Make every moment more with Fandl, official sports betting partner of the NBA. Must be 21 and older and present in select states or 18 plus and present in DC. First online real money wager, only $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued is non-retributable bonus bets which expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply, See terms at Sportsbook.Fando.com. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com. People wanted him back. Saruti wanted him back. Maybe even more than I wanted him back. Adnan Virk joins us. The resume, MLB Network, NHL Network, host of Amazon Prime,

Monday Night Hockey. I am so happy for you, man, having another outlet and host of NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers. Yes, Jason Demers, yeah. Demers, oh, see, I thought it was gonna be, so he's, I thought it was gonna be a little Quebec. No, no, you're absolutely right, Ryan. So Jacques Demers, of course, was the great coach. So it should be Jason Demers.

Underrated in my book. But as always, I listen to someone pronounces her name and I know what she says. Demers. So I asked him, I go the French Canadian would be Demers, but you're, you're Americanizing that for our audience. So it is, you're right. It should be pronounced Demers. He's going with Demers, but let's get into this. Love the fact. And I sat through a ridiculous amount of pre-bowl coverage with the super bowl of my beloved Philadelphia Eagles. Amazing job by you. The post game recap, especially explaining how Kelsey didn't block sweat when they were down 10, nothing.

The only guy that mentioned that and how good was Trent Dilfer explained the cover for like I've been raving about Vic Fangio and he, you know, everyone just knows they're bringing pressure from the front for the way Trent explained on your podcast, all the Eagles hands who haven't listened, listen to TD with Ron explaining how all those eyeballs look at the quarterback home homes, like to step up Ron explaining how all those eyeballs look at the quarterback. My home is like to step up and then step out. Can't do that. Cause the coverage is amazing.

And every day I've got a problem. I'm buying more and more as you can see, I know we're on video. So what do you say? So I've got my, my Superbowl sweatshirt here. I've got a Cooper, Dejean Jersey dude. It is so sweet when you see it like bro, that's a pretty sick Jersey. That's exactly what I'm going to say. Going with the rookie DV, the polls off a pick six against my homes.

It was the signature moment of the Super Bowl. It was so awesome. So kudos to you and Trent Delford. Let's get into Sphere. I think this is at least a year ago, you had texted me and go, dude, Aaron Ofsky, Sphere. I'm like, yeah, at some point, I'd love to see it. So the Amazon Prime game has been awesome. And thank you for the kind words.

For those who don't know, I fly in Sunday to a Canadian city, going back to my hometown of Toronto this week. And I was just in Winnipeg, not as great. Montreal is obviously a great city, which you know, Vancouver, Break them quick. Winnipeg, Toronto, yeah, Toronto, Yellowknife, Toronto.

I'll say this, as a Canadian who's now lived in America 15 years, I'm really patriotic, but I gotta be honest, man, there's like four great Canadian cities. This is gonna offend all our Canadian listeners. It's Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec City, maybe Calgary, whereas in America, you've got like 50 great cities. So Edmonton's out. Oh dude, I had never been to Edmonton,

and you were one of the few that I- I'm going. When? You're not going to Edmonton? What is that? Yeah, I am. I am. Jesus, you're one of the few people that pays attention.

Remember the time we were doing, I was filling in for Van Pelt, we were still, it was after the Leafs gagged and lost against the Bruins. It're one of the few people that pays attention. Remember the time we were doing, I was filling in for Van Pelt with Rossella. It was after the Leafs gagged and lost against the Bruins. It was one of the funniest things. Each person that came on would say, no, I remember that. It was Tuesday. Yeah. And I go, hey, hey, Burke, sorry about your Leafs.

And Ryan's like, from the first day I met this guy, he told me he was a Flyers fan and an Eagles guy. Like he's been very clear about that. People are just stipe casting because he's Canadian and he loves the Leafs. Andy Katz is in the middle of his March Madness. Sorry about the Leafs, by the way. The point is, as a kid I loved the Flyers. Those who don't know, because my brother was an Oilers fan.

They had Gretzky, Messi, Curry, etc. being a front runner. He cheered for them. I cheered for Philly because the Oilers played the Flyers. 85 and 87 cup final. I go to Edmonton, Ryan, for the first time December 16th. Oilers, Panthers. Cup final rematch. So imagine someone like you, if there was something as a kid, you're like, oh my God,

I cannot wait to go see this. And you can trump your brother. I'm telling my brother, hey, I'm going to see the Oilers game before you. Bro, the best thing to say about Edmonton is that you don't have to leave the hotel to go to the arena. Think of that endorsement.

They go, yeah, you can just literally go indoors. There's a couple of tunnels, like tunnels. They go, yeah, walkways. You go right to the arena. The arena is awesome. I recommend the game, but outside of that, Edmonton is not a place you should visit. I'm stunned you're going. Go to Calgary and go to Banff.

You'll love that. I'd be I'd do great in Edmonton. I'd do great in Edmonton. Please don't go to Winnipeg then. How about that? If you want to go to Edmonton, fine, I'll give you that. Don't go to Winnipeg. I did go to Vancouver. No, I didn't.

No, yes, I did. Oh, my God, I just forgot. Yeah, I finally made it to Vancouver. So you couldn't remember. Yeah. It's beautiful in the backdrop and the setting and then like second Vancouver behind it, which I don't think is technically what it says on the map. A lot, a lot of drugs, a lot of CD underbelly of Vancouver.

I was good with it after a couple of days. Yes. All right. And then I just worked my way north. I went up to Squamish. Then I went up to Whistish. Then I went up to Whistler. And then I went like another few towns north of that. And I was kind of like, how far are you going to go, dude? And then I was like, you know, sick Whistler. I'm just going to go back to

Whistler. And I loved it. I absolutely loved it. I went to Calgary, we had a flames game, November 4th. And I landed, I don't know if you're like me, I asked the customs lady, I'm like, how far is Banff? She goes, hour and a half. She goes, but I go, what? The Eagles were playing that day, whatever, it was like a 425, the Eagles, Cowboys. And I was like, well, I'm going to go to Banff, literally, I just want to see it and then come back. She says, you need at least three days there, sir. I go, hang on a second. If somebody flew into Toronto and goes, I have an hour to go see the CN Tower. I'm like, yeah, go see it. You have an hour, see it, you're good. So I get a rental car, 75 bucks, drove there. We're still, it will blow your mind.

I'm telling you, I was there for two hours, just in- When were you there though? I was there early November. And then they told me- Yeah, see, I think- Yeah. I think the problem with it is that it's such an Instagram destination now

that if you go July, August, you know, like who wants to go to post, like, you seriously want to go to Post-itano late July, early August now? No? The weather is everything. Like everyone's like, I'm like, it's not the weather. It's just, there are certain destinations.

Like, and I've gone to plenty of the Instagram destinations over my lifetime. And you show up and like you're walking through Tulum going, there's a hundred fucking people waiting in line to get their picture taken in front of this stupid thing. And in Tulum like you're this close to getting hit by a car every five minutes. You're like, well, this looks like a good idea.

Although I did do the outdoor gym. Shout out to those guys. I love the Rosillo solo destination. So buddy of mine, Jason Robbins always listens. He goes, can you find out the numbers? I go, excuse me? He's like, I want to know how those do. And I go, so I texted Shorty one time.

I go, how do those do it? He goes, I don't know. I can think Ryan's NBA playoff stuff does better, but there are people who are huge fans of the Ryan Rosillo travelog including, I believe, Diana Rossini. Like she can't get enough of it. It's like, you could go like 220 and they're like explaining Cyprus in the gym and playing three on three yeah I'm I'm very

thankful that people people like them that much uh I do want to start the podcast let's go back to sphere because this is my point so yeah back to every week I'm traveling somewhere cold so I said to my wife and kids can we please go somewhere warm during this four nations break and I was pushing pushing hard Miami or Puerto Rico, but they're like more West Coast people regardless Vegas and SoCal was the option. My wife has family in Southern California. So in Vegas, I go, we got to do sphere. I'm like, what? I go, Rossello said it's awesome. They go, what is it? I just, we got to do sphere. Are you kidding? I know UT is not, UT is not playing, but the NHL draft is here. And Rossello told me it's awesome. I told him, Aaron Oski, come on,

the wrestler. Like, it's like, yeah, $94 a ticket, plus I think a $16 charge. And again, for those who aren't aware, my kids are 16, 13, eight, and six. So I go, Aronofsky, they have no idea who the hell I'm talking about. So I gotta tell you, man, I thought it was awesome. Like, it is an incredible experience.

You didn't go into detail. All you told me was, bro, Sphere, Aronofsky. I'm like, yeah, I'm in. It's 52 minutes, planet Earth documentary, close up of a trunk from an elephant. But afterwards we walk in, my wife goes, are you joking? We just paid $600. Like we're going to see a Cirque du Soleil show. And I go, that's a glorified National Geographic video. I say, but we're in Sphere. It's like a planetarium atmosphere. This is the biggest screen ever. I mean, I'm sorry you didn get to so see Britney Spears here, but I still think it's an amazing experience.

So can you please back me up? Spear kicks ass. Is it over? It's unbelievable. It is. It is worth just experiencing anything in there. I've been lucky enough to go a couple of times now and like even the first time I was there for you too.

And granted, yeah, when I was a kid, I loved him. I was certainly indifferent to do I and granted, yeah, when I was a kid, I loved him. I was certainly indifferent to, do I wanna go see U2 now? And I think I might've even said no. And the person that invited me was like, are you seriously turning down this U2 lineup? And I was already in Vegas.

I mean, it could not have been easier. And the guy's like, we have a suite in Sphere for you too. And you're saying no? And I went, you know what? That's a bad no. I go, I'm gonna turn it around. And it just, it was so incredible. So look, again, anybody, if you have the chance

and you're in Vegas to do any of those things. But I think it's kind of funny that your wife, like you tried to kind of use me as an influence on this whole thing for your family to spend that much money on this experience. But I know you well enough that it was just all, you were in at Aronofsky. He could have done a fucking cartoon.

Right. Ha ha ha ha. That's why the sell on them wasn't working I got like the Aronofsky like the rest of them like huh I don't know like it's supposed to be incredible it's gonna blow your mind but you're right I'm already in he could just be doing like anime I'm like I'm in right did you not say the whale no but you did you hate it I you and I disagreed on that I liked it you hated it you thought it was an a24 just searching for an Oscar, speaking of the Oscars. I do think there's, I was at a fancy person dinner

not that long ago. There was an Oscar award winner at the dinner. Another guy who has- I was gonna say Hilary Swank was my guest, but go ahead. Incredible run on HBO. One of the heartthrobs of American cinema of the last 20 years. So it was a big boy dinner.

Conohay, okay. It wasn't a Conohay. And so somebody had said something at the table that to this day I just love. And however they told the story, it's certainly better than what I'll do right now. But over the course of a few drinks, maybe some small plates, and the guy was like, yeah.

So he goes, and then we're at the screening. And on the screen pops up A24. And then he name drops, turns to me and goes, this is gonna be good. Which was like the best, it's a compliment to A24, because A24 is doing movies that I'm afraid have been lost. So like, I love A24, I'm as guilty as everybody else of when they come out with something, I'm like,

all right, I'm gonna give them a chance. But that joke is also the perfect joke of kind of where we're at right now with any A24 product. So my biggest thing with The Whale was, I don't think I'd been in the theater in a really long time, right? It was the COVID stretch because of Aronofsky, because of the buildup.

I also think the trailer was really good at kind of getting you in, but without a trailer, I don't even like looking at trailers. With Aronofsky and the whole thing, I would have done it. And my hopes for it were, were so high that I was a little frustrated. And I think endings are the hardest thing to do ever.

So there's so many great movies and great experiences throughout the movie and characters that I'll care about. But even if the ending, like it's just hard to have that ending where you go, holy shit, like that really delivered. I mean, think about it, even all the movies that you love, there's, you know, there's just hard to have that ending where you go. Holy shit. Like that really delivered. I mean, think about it.

Even all the movies that you love. There's you know, there's just not a lot of Kaiser. So say moments. Maybe we don't want Kaiser. So say moments anymore. Yeah, we definitely don't want Kevin Spacey specifically after his. How about that guy trying to just tweet through it? Well, I was unbelievable.

I was like, wait, he's going at somebody. I'm like, all right, you know, all right. Anyway, go ahead. I was just going to say on A24, for those who are wondering why it's such a great production company, Ryan and I grew up with that great 90s independent movement, you know, movies like Fargo and Sling Blade that we loved. And now, as you and I know, it's all just Marvel movies or movies being made for a million dollars.

So A24, for those who don't know, they're like the one independent film studio. They do everything everywhere all at once, uncut gems, Midsommar, Moonlight. So that's where your buddy was like, hey, 24. It's synonymous with a certain pedigree. But I hear you on the way. I'll maybe be in a mixed bag. But I do want to talk about the Brutalist because I love Guy B. Let's go.

Yeah, I love Guy B. So the Brutalist is one. And I'm with you. I rarely watch trailers now. I used to love watching trailers. And I go, all I hear is Brutalist, Oscar contender. I'm in. I don't need to see the trailer. Killer's the Fireman. I'm already going to watch it. Why would I watch a trailer? I go, all I hear is Brutalist, Oscar contender, I'm in. I don't need to see the trailer.

Killer's the five, but I'm already gonna watch it. Why would I watch a trailer? I'm willing to see the movie. The trailer's just to entice you further. So the Brutalist, I go in there, Ryan, and I go, oh my God, like, it's so funny. The majority of people are not like us. They go, oh, it's three and a half hours?

When's it streaming? You and I go, no, no, like, I'm clearing the schedule. Like, I hope it's four hours. There's an intermission, let's go. I'm locking in the phone. I don't ever say I hope it's four hours, but yeah, I get your point. But you get excited for a movie that's an intermission. Let's go. I'm locking in the phone. I don't ever say I hope it's four hours, but yeah, I get your point. But you get excited for a movie that's an event, right? You're not

bemoaning the fact that it's a movie. I love, I think fantasy is like one of the best voices at our company. I love Sean fantasy. And when he drops the stop what you're doing this year and go see the brutalist. That's all I need to know. Yeah, he's so passionate. I love listening to him. And obviously, when you pop up on the rewatch, as well, by the way, hilarious.

I don't think it's worked yet. But the new segment, they listen to the mail bag rewatch was and one of them was, well, just call Riscilla randomly. So I don't know what part of this and they called you didn't answer. Have you answered all those where you did? Don't tell me which one I I'll go back and listen. I've not, I've yet to, yeah. I changed up my phone setting,

I'm missing every single phone call now, everything is, and everyone is sent to do not disturb. I'm not getting any calls. And so I think two of the three times, I'm really upset I missed the Blues Brothers. Like I had just missed it and then I texted and said, hey, did you call the bill? He goes, yeah, we're doing the rewatchables gag.

And I went, oh, what movies? Like, Blues Brothers. I was like, all right, I'm ready to go. He goes, it's done. We're done. So I was like, all right, fine. No problem. One day.

Full medical, for those who want to listen about Ron, and I don't know if you've changed this habit, I always found it to be really curiosity about you, but I liked it. You never saved anyone's number. You would just have the number and through texts, would able to discern who it was. Because I said, but I liked it. You never saved anyone's number. You would just have the number and through texts would able to discern who it was. Cause I said, I don't understand.

So if I text you, it just comes up as an 860. You're like, yeah, but I know it's you. I'm like, what do you mean you know it's me? I'm like, because you're texting me about something related to the show. You're filling in Eagles fires, et cetera. Like you wouldn't actually save numbers. Is that true?

You wouldn't put a name for the number. I'll save a few, but there's a lot I don't. But I just feel like no one ever remembers anybody's phone numbers. Is that true? You wouldn't put a name for the number. I'll save a few, but there's a lot I don't. But I just feel like no one ever remembers anybody's phone numbers. So now I've memorized so many of them that in case of emergency, I have contacts worldwide. It's a great skill. The only one saved Stanford, Steve's, Rudy, SVP,

it's about it. Brutalist, three and a half hours, Brady Corbet, who was a former actor turned director. And all I heard wine was they go it's calling through will be blood I go well, don't don't that's a king. It's kind of he's a young dude. I was I was researching him this week, man What a run what I mean what a what a project go ahead keep going No, but to your point if someone says it's kind of like that with but that's the same. Well, it's kind of like citizen Kane Well, she's like, that's a high bar. They're only black. Well the best ways last 25 years I hope it's kind of like throwing blood.

What I loved about it was it charts the rise and fall of a regular guy, a guy escaping the Holocaust, immigrant played by Adrian Brody. He gives another excellent performance. I'll say this. I'm kind of cheering for Chalamet because Brody is on the verge of winning a second best actor

Oscar, which would make him one of the worst best actor Oscar winners ever two times. To this end, Pacino- Why the worst? Because his resume, if you look at the career filmography, he doesn't have a lot of hits. He was the star in King Kong. He's in a bunch of Wes Anderson movies. Look it up. If I told you Al Pacino, you know how much I love Pacino, he has one best actor Oscar

win for Sentimental Woman. Asian Boy is going to have two best actor Oscar wins for The Penist and The Brutalist, playing, if I may say rather similar characters Both guys are Holocaust survivors. Both have been beaten up by life and both of them restraining for kajulia It doesn't mean he doesn't give a great performance. And by the way, I think he's a really good actor I've listened to my podcast. I think he's very engaging guy. Hey, who doesn't like him as Pat Riley and winning time But if you tell me age your body's gonna have as many he said more best actor Oscar We have't like it.

He's gonna have more best actor Oscar wins than Robert De Niro. De Niro won one for Adrian Brody, Adrian Brody has two. Anyways. So this is kind of like you rooting against Kyrie Irving's championship ring. This is what I'm saying. When people didn't want to vote for

Jokic at the 13th, they gave it to MB to go, wow, is he really a three time winner? I'm like, yeah. I mean, sometimes this is how bias comes into it. Back to the movie, capitalism, rise and fall, love Guy Pearce, I loved Corbett's direction in the cinematography. How about that score?

Daniel Bloomberg's score is haunting and unbelievable. And again, back to Pearce, I've always loved him since Memento, since LA Confidential. He's got a little John Huston thing, oh, the voice, got the Clark Gable mustache. He's like one of these characters from the 40s and 50s. I thought he was fabulous. I thought the way was great. I've heard some people say.

I think you come this weekend. Yes. What did you think? I don't want to give away any story. There's a particularly strong. Well, at this point, like spoiler alert, we're going to talk a little bit about it. Guy pierced it to get an Oscar nomination to rape another man. He sexually assaults Adrian Brody in a tunnel.

I don't think you saw that coming, Rossello. What was your reaction to it? You're a tramp. I'm going to teach you a lesson. I was confused at first because it's happening in front of you, but it's kind of vague. And then you go, wait, this is taking a turn. Metaphor for how people rape the artists. I got it. I'm not sure if I needed to see it. It says this is the most notable male on male rape in a major motion picture since Pulp Fiction. Right. But as you said, in Pulp Fiction, it's very overt. It's like there's no subtlety to this.

Deliverance is even more overt. Deliverance is unbelievable. Squeal like a pig. This is a problem, it's dimly lit. You go, what's happening right now? And then there's no aftermath. It just cuts to the next scene, like in the mountains. Like, didn't he just, like.

I think they did that so that the, when the wife confronts Guy Pearce, there's a bit of shock value in the delivery of that kind of, yes. I can't even say the final scene, the penultimate thing. Penultimate scene, I'm here to charge a rate. Yeah, yeah. I thought it was a bit more of a metaphor.

I understand what you're saying like of the artist. I thought it had to do more with like ultimately Adrian Brody's character. They were always going to be second-class citizens. They were always going to be taken advantage of the same way his art was taken advantage of. Um, I thought it was shot brilliantly. I thought the score was great.

I, I think the location and the, the build to this monument that Toth is building, um, all of that stuff was, was really cool. building, all of that stuff was really cool. I don't know that I cared about the characters enough at the end to feel something that would match how dramatic all of it was at the end. It's an excellent point. It's not a four star, four maple leaf movie. It's a three and a half.

What is the point of the last 15 minutes? After the wife charges him, I like that scene. But I don't understand, what am I supposed to feel after the last 10 minutes? Like he had all this architecture, he overcame adversity, like what? I was a hollow feeling I had at the end. Yeah, and I guess I felt guilty.

And maybe again, it was expectations of people talking about like, this is one of the greatest films they'd ever seen. I didn't know if they were tricked by the overture, perhaps, where it was like- I think that where I was like, the intermission of like, hey, we got a little gone with the wind action here. It's a little portentous having an intermission, but go ahead.

It is a really good movie, but there was just, at least for me personally, my experience at the end of it, I don't know that I cared enough about any one person to feel something the way that I think it was intended. No, I think it's a fair point and not quite Sophia Coppola, but there has to be a weakness in the film. I know Felicity Jones got an Oscar nomination. I thought she was miscast. Kind of an odd role and an odd performance. Yeah. I mean, that was kind of a tough spot all along. I love the beginning. I love the guys coming over on the boat.

I think it was really cool how they kind of planted the seed that like this guy's not afraid to party like right into it. By the way, there's having sex with some suckers. Yeah, who's then like it's almost like they have to address Adrian Brody's nose. She's like, you have an ugly face. Yeah, all right. You know, what are we going to do while we're here? OK, next film.

Anora, of all the Oscar contenders, that's the one I'm rooting for. Sean Baker's a great director. He makes movies about marginalized communities. The Florida Project he made back when we were together at ESPN, 2017. I interviewed Willem Dafoe in Sinophile. I love Willem Dafoe.

Who doesn't? And I thought the movie was great because, and you haven't finished it. You watched half of it. I'm gonna guess it's the first half, not the second half. But while it's overt, yeah, while it's overt sexually. And by the way, if it wins Best Picture, and it won the PGA, the Producer's Guild Award,

so I believe it will win. And Sean won the Director's Guild Award, DGA. So I think he's the favorite. Him and Corbett are basically a toss-up. Corbett won the Best Director of Golden Globe. But it's a movie about a sex worker who falls in love with a son of a Russian oligarch. And it's kind of this pretty woman vibe.

Like, oh my God, she did it. She's a stripper, but she married a guy and she's gonna be rich and loaded and flee this life. And then all of a sudden, all hell breaks loose, the great Karen Kugulian, who's playing a guy who's baptizing a child that gets the call. Like, wait, what? Shows up with these Russian hoodlums,

Armenian, one of them is Armenian. And you go, where's this story going right now? It also becomes farcical and silly and a comedy, and it's kind of all over the place. But I love its unpredictability. I love the performances from Mikey Madison. And again, you haven't finished it yet, but I really thought it was something special. for that opening montage is one of the most realistic and believable performances by any actor I've seen in a really long time. Like I'm watching that going, she has this, like, you know, look, so there's just so many great people

out there performing these roles, but like, is it believable? And maybe it's because the audience isn't as familiar with her that makes that work. Like some of those battles that you'll have in casting performing these roles, but like, is it believable? And maybe it's because the audience isn't as familiar with her that makes that work. Like some of those battles that you'll have in casting where it's like, okay, you know, I always kind of talk about like movies where people will say, you know,

what's the first thing when you tell somebody they should see a movie? It's like, well, they'll say who's in it, you know? And that's why casting is as powerful as it is. But a lot of writers and directors can sometimes be like, I don't want somebody that's almost like too distracting from my words and the story that I'm trying to tell. So I feel like Sean Baker like nails that,

nails that combination of the casting because she is so good at the, you know, she does a really good job of desensitizing what her day at the job is, despite what she's doing, giving lap dances and basically trying to get guys to hand over their money. And from that point on, you're all in. You were 100% in.

And even though it gets like crazy in the middle of it, I thought she was terrific. I'm so glad that you agree because I got it's an authentic performance. I guess headquarters is actually a gentleman's club, allegedly in Manhattan. I would know this, but she she went there learned all the training because you're right. That whole idea of a stripper is like you're trying to extract money from people through whatever means possible

being friendly flirtations, etc. She got the Brooklyn accent down and it's an interesting race for me and Demi Moore are for best actress. And I really want you to watch The Substance. I'm disappointed to have not seen it yet, because it is truly love or hate. I think you might tell me, Ferg, I thought it was awesome. Or like, you're out of your mind. How the hell did we get nominated for best picture?

And I'll tell you this, Mikey Madison gives a better performance. And Demi Moore wins. You and I both know it's a lifetime achievement award. Doesn't mean she's not a great actress. Doesn't mean she's not really good in the substance, but Mikey Madison should win. Okay, so this is something we were talking about before you came on and I don't know when it happened, but whatever was nominated for Best Picture, like whenever I would see the list, I go okay, you know, I've seen every single one of these movies. Maybe there'd be the random one that was out there or and then maybe I'd feel like I had to go ahead and check it out. I don't know when the time, maybe I just go

back through each year's nominations and find, be like, oh, that's when you started falling off. And that very well could be a me thing. So I'm not talking about it like as an industry thing. But I guess I feel, and I wonder how many people agree with me, when I look at the collection of pictures nominated for best picture, like I've, what? What is that? I didn't see that at all. Like I'll definitely never see that. Is that fair or is that just me being detached from it?

Completely valid, it is not a you thing. When you and I were watching movies in the 90s, which to me was the last great golden era, you know, when Titanic was nominated, 50 million people watched the Oscars. Like that's, what is it now? I guess by those terms, 100 million watches were also half of that audience, but still it was a massive number. Now we still get 125 million watching my Eagles win. You're going to get maybe 20 million watching the Oscars, like a six to one ratio. And I love Conan O'Brien. I think he's going to be hilarious, but he doesn't fit that Academy view, right? Zingney, quirky. He's more like a letterman who, again, I think

history of views that are favorably. I actually thought he was pretty good as the ostrich host. Most people think he bombed Dave himself, criticized him, thought he was sucked. But the point is in the past, there was only five nominees for best picture. And you and I, if you'd seen four of the five, let me just watch the five and then I'm a completist. Now they expand it to 10 because of course the old Dark Knight controversy, one of the Surrey's favorites, Hans Zimmer did the great score.'m a completist. Then they expand it to 10. Because of course the whole dark night controversy, one of Sruti's favorites, Hans Zimmer, did the great score. Doesn't get nominated, let's make it to 10. But it backfired.

They said, oh, this will include more of these big budget movies. Well, yeah, you'll get Dune II in there, but you'll also get this Brazilian movie, which no one's even heard. Like, wait, what is this? I'm still here? Like, oh, it stars Fernando Torres,

who's this Brazilian actress, and then she wins the best actress Golden Globe. Like the average audience is not going, oh yeah, great. So by expanding from five to 10, they thought they were being more inclusive. They've actually become more elitist and nominated more movies that again, the average fan does not watch. I think honestly, Ryan, it depends on the year. Last year, I think was a genuinely great year for movies. You and I both loved and raved about Killers of the Flower Moon. David Graham is a fan of your podcast. He came on Sinophile. He's awesome.

I think Oppenheimer's a great movie. I think Barbie, I don't think it's a great movie, but it certainly was a great conversation talking point. Made a billion dollars. People loved it or hated it. It certainly was polarizing enough to watch people watch it. Again, this year, I really liked D'Oro and The Brutalist, but 10 years from now,

no one's gonna be talking about a lot of these other films. No one's gonna talk about Amelia Perez. Like if that movie wins best picture, you're never gonna watch that movie. I'm like, what is it about? And again, I give it credit for originality. It is about a Mexican drug lord who undergoes a sex change

and then wants to see her children. And she's married to Selena Gomez and it's played by the first ever nominated trans actress. And by the way, it's directed by a Frenchman and it's a musical. So if you want something original, different, yeah. Imagine that ditch. If you want something different, yeah. But the average fan is not going to go, that I got to see. Or do you go populist? Let's just give it to Wicked. Well, no, Wicked's not the best picture of the year. I thought it was

pretty overrated, so I don't want to give it to Wicked. So you're really kind of stuck as where the Oscars are supposed to do. You never go most popular movie, but is it truly the best movie? What I'm curious is I want you to go right now. You never go most popular movie, but is it truly the best movie? What I'm curious is I want you to go right now. You got your computer in front of you. Go through the recent best picture winners. When did this start to tail off? Because my best assumption, it's going to be around 2017.

Because 2017 to me was still a great movie. I know you and I both love three ballboards outside of Missouri. I love the shape of water. I know Mike Gullick did not. He was very offended by my loving it. But I think it was the last seven years. It was pre-COVID that I believe you started to dip as did most people. If you go outside, you and Seruti and

Mike Wargon asked me, hey, do you know the Oscars of this Sunday? Only three of ten people will know that. Whereas ten years ago, most people knew the Oscars were coming up. Okay, this is a good exercise because I do have it in front of me right now, although I still can't believe Picnic didn't win in 55. I thought 12 billboards was a little slow. Three billboards, okay. You love rock.

Three billboards, 12 years of slave won in 2013. Not the same topic. I love Birdman. I love that it was made. Remember that? I love Spotlight. That year that it was made. Remember that? I love spotlight that that year was loaded. Spotlight is great. Remember you want to come on the air?

You started doing like a rough low impression. I don't know if people had seen spotlight enough. What do you mean? You had you had the room. You start doing the rough like I don't know. They always get this, but I can't do it. I was just thinking about if I could try to do it again, because Ruffalo's incredible in it,

because he just plays this sort of unassuming guy who's actually incredibly annoying. Well, I'd have to be in character. I can't do it. I haven't seen the movie in a long time. But you can speak to this line specifically, which a friend of mine once said to me, he goes, that nails Boston.

Remember he's talking to Stanley Tucci, and Tucci goes, what are you, Italian? And Ruffalo says, no, I'm Portuguese. me, he goes, that nails Boston. I remember he's talking to Stanley Tucci and Tucci goes, what are you Italian? And Ruffles is non Portuguese. And Tucci goes, I'm Armenian. They don't want us here. Speaking to the parochial nature of Boston. Yeah, I don't know. I think Boston gets a bad rap on a lot of that stuff.

I've been to a lot of cities. No, look, I've been to a lot of cities now. I've been around. By the way, love your appearance in Philadelphia, the Moses Malone Jersey, fantastic. Oh, thank you. All right, yeah, Spotlight, Big Shore, Mad Max, the Martian Revenant Room, Bridges of Spies.

What a loaded, what a loaded year, 15 was. What year was that, from the perspective, 2000? That's like the LeBron draft. Okay, let me see. That's 2015. So then Moonlight 1 in 16. That was your Manchester by the sea should have won. I love that Kenny Logging great script. Half like Lindsay Oscar. The next year was the three billboards in shape of water. And yeah, this this might have been it. Yeah, 2017

might have been it. That, 2017 might have been it. That's a lot of demarcation. 20 Larry Bird was nominated. Well, you and I love the Irishman 2019. Actually, I'm excuse Lady Bird. I thought Lady Bird. I liked Lady Bird better than a lot of those movies. Dunkirk. I mean, Nolan, I'm just going to be way too biased.

I love the Phantom Threat. Yes, I love it. I did. And then 2018. Yeah, I think it started happening around 17 for me. Correct. So the movies themselves just weren't as strong. You're like, okay, I got other things. Parasite's incredible, though. Yeah, I'm telling you, I think it was still strong in 2019.

Right around COVID, that's off. Because 2019, you get Parasite, Irishman. Awesome. I'm telling you, I think it was still strong in 2019, right around COVID, that's, because 2019 you get the Parasite Irishman, awesome. Yeah, what's upon a time in Hollywood smokes the Irishman, no offense. But you still like the Irishman, like let's be honest. It's okay. No, you liked it more than that. People were like, oh, it's too long, do I got it done?

It's pretty good, yeah, you liked it. Yeah, I think it's right around 17. It's kind of when, but it also could be when I moved to California. I just had more shit going on. But my point is that you didn't say when everything ever all at once won Best Picture, you did not pump your fist with glee. You just go, huh, looks like a weird movie. I'll get around. I watched it. Yeah. What do you think of it? Strange? It was strange. Yeah. But I mean, you know,

824 is doing some amazing stuff. Exactly. This is going to be good. As long as it wasn't another one of those Baz Luhrmann fever dreams. Great catch. We weren't a big fan of. No, because it was a different movie. I was, I've told this story before. I woke up after like a three day run in Vegas. And then it was like the Sunday night back in my apartment in Boston.

And I left the TV on when I fell asleep and I woke up to a Baz Luhrmann movie. And I thought I was hallucinating, dying. And it was like all of these sensations at the same time. I'm like, what the hell is that and what is going on? I'm like, is that, is this a dream? Is there someone in my room? I was like scared and it was him. So it's personal.

His movies can do that. Although I do like Moulin Rouge perhaps more than the average. There was Moulin Rouge by the way that I woke up to. It's probably Jim Broadbent just screaming in your face. Do the camera man., it was. And you're like, what the fuck is going on? That's exactly what it was. I'm like, this can't be a show, is it? Like, this is a, I'm like, turn off the TV, grab an ice water buddy, reset. One more basliment thought for you. Elvis was a hero to most. Austin Butler, fantastic in the movie, but Tom Hanks for a great, legitimately great actor,

by all accounts, a wonderful guy. One of the worst performances of a major motion picture the last five years. Tom Hanks is the Colonel in Bazzler and Elvis. It's just dreadful. Yeah, no one, Tom is at the list of accomplishments, kind of like Malkovich, where you just can't say anything. You can't say anything to Tom Hanks about his accent right like and

this goes back to your point with the casting right somebody said to Baz Lerman hey I need I need 60 million to make Elvis and this guy Austin Butler's gonna be in it who well they're gonna need a star to bankroll it don't worry I'll get Elvis Elvis to play the Colonel great he'll be fat and disgusting and like you know legal their own out Tom Hanks and the accent. What do you think guys? I work small Tom go for it, and it's just an odd distracting performance the entire movie Yeah, you're at a certain. I don't know how it works in Hollywood But once you're at a certain level of accomplishment, no one can ever say like hey, what are you doing with that accent?

So we're starting casting. You're going to love this. I know you haven't seen a complete unknown the Bob Dylan biopic. I thought it was all right. A little over. It's definitely the mad dog. Russo's who are pushing that both all the baby boomers. Oh, how great still.

And it was kind of just like Timothee Chalamet sings Dylan, which he does like a well accomplished like a concert film. But this James Mangold story, you're going to love Mangles. Of course, the director for a completed no, it's his first ever best director nomination. He made a film. You and I both love, Copland. He's telling the story of how Stallone was cast. And I just always assumed he wrote it for Stallone.

He was like, oh, this would be a great comeback vehicle. But no, he'd written the movie. And then the studio was like, hey, Stallone wants to do it. He goes like, absolutely not. That guy's terrible. And they go, great, you can tell that to his face. You're having dinner with him tomorrow. And he said to Sly's face, aside from the first few movies, don't care for your career. Don't think you're right for the role.

If you do, you got to put on a ton of weight. I like, I've got Dinero, I got Keitel, like you better bring it. And Sly's like, oh, girl, smumbling away. And Mangle read the riot act to him. And I guess Stallone wanted the role so bad, he was able to play ball. But it was stunning to me. I had another example of someone thinking, oh yeah, that comeback vehicle, everyone's all in.

No, no, nobody was all in except for Sly Stallone wanted the role so bad, he was able to play ball. But it was stunning to me. I had another example of someone thinking, oh yeah, that comeback vehicle, everyone's all in. No, no, nobody was all in except for Stallone. And I thought he acquitted himself actually pretty well in the movie. I love that Stallone being like the underdog again, all over, you know, 25 years later. I love Copland.

Copland is a good rewatchable. Oh man. What is penalized cash? You got Robert Patrick, Ray Liotta, Peter Berg, De Niro, Keitel. Like there's so heavy hitters in that movie. Michael Rapaport? Yeah, my favorite.

Big Knicks guy. Yeah, no, no. Help promote his movie, then he starts motherfucking me. Cool, man. Oh, geez. Let's see movie, then he starts motherfucking me. Cool, man. Oh, geez. Let's see here. Let's end on this. Speaking of hostilities,

where are we at with you and your country? I'm worried a little bit. I've had my issues at times. Maybe it's because I got lost in Parma court one night, but, you know, I didn't love, you know, some of the superiority stuff you guys would throw at us. Like, you know, I think a lot of you guys move here though, to be honest with you, but I don't know

what those numbers are. Maybe the total number is misleading, like sometimes share versus actual Nielsen rating, or what does the Nielsen rating even mean anymore? All right. So between the tariffs and the foreign nations, I feel like you guys needed it more than we did and I'm happy for you and I'm happy for McJesus. Yeah.

But David's great. This goes back to, I don't know, this was maybe a year ago on the pockets. You guys were discussing immigration at some point and somebody said, you can add me in on. It's one of our favorite topics. And Sruti goes, what do you mean? And Sruti's like, well, I mean, he's Canadian. He's like, well, he's technically an immigrant. Sruti's thinking, I don't really view Canadians as-

He's almost deported before Trump. Exactly. You know? Your favorite part of that story, Mark Gross, the executive told me, your wife and kids can stay, but you have to leave immediately. But after the show, finish baseball tonight, and then at 1 a.m. get in your car and leave. Because he thought we all had to leave. But after the show, finish baseball tonight, and then at 1 a.m.

get in your car and leave. Because he thought we all had to leave. I go, no, my wife's American, my kids are American. On that case, just you. Get your ass home. The green card's been, not the green card, but revoked by O-1 Visa. We definitely needed more than you guys. I said there's no more.

But we need, can you get us into twins wraps? I just stuttered like a crazy person. Let us know what happened with Joe Maurer and Justin Morneau. Then you can go back to your country. We'll let you know. We definitely needed it more than you guys. You kidding? Trump's baiting us and taunting us.

51st state mocking Trudeau governor Trudeau. I'm like, Oh my God. And then the USA plays a great game in Montreal wins it for one Bennington bad goal. That second goal, the Kachaks are fighting. Okay. And Canadians fight. Come on. Americans don't fight. What is going on here? We absolutely knew that that win. And I was thrilled for Connor McDavid, who was rather quiet in that game until that moment.

Austin Matthews should have had him covered, but make David gets just enough space to shoot it. Bennington was great. No overtime. Of course that that glove save and the blockers save of Matthews will live on forever, but there's nothing more pressurized Ryan than a Canadian living in America. Because I know if Canada loses this game, the heat that I'm going to face, the tautic, is going to be out of this world. So thank God we won.

We absolutely need it more than you guys. And hopefully we'll rematch at the Olympics. But you're right, the geopolitics of this definitely made things a little more heated. Booing of anthems? Whoever thought that would happen? And you've been a guy who's always been rather pro-Canadian. And I'll say this for Americans. Like, anytime I tell someone I'm a Canadian, they go, oh thought that would happen. And you've been a guy who's always been rather pro Canadian. And I'll say this for Americans,

like anytime I tell someone I'm a Canadian, they go, oh, that's so sweet. Like I have a, I've been to Montreux Blanc. Like there's always some relation that American will make. Like, oh, I knew a Canadian in college. Van Pelt will say that. I knew a guy who was a big Leaves fan, Walt Podobny, et cetera.

Whereas right now in Canada, if you go, all my friends American, they go, like they just start bearing their fangs at you. Go, hey, not all Americans are Donald Trump. Not all Americans hate Canada, et cetera. So not yet. No, you're right. But I'm grateful to be here. 15 years. I've now lived in this great country, but I still always rep Canada. Thank God we won. It was a hell of a game. Sean McCullough. This is the flyers. Yeah. How about Sean? No, no, no. We, no needed this. I just have to mention McDonough. Good luck charm. CBS called the World Series. 1993 Blue Jays went back to back calls of

four nations. Canada wins. McDonough Canada. Good luck Trump. Go ahead. Okay. So if you look at Trudeau's approval, disapprove numbers in trouble, this is hey, but December 24 was at 74% disapprove. Okay, you wanna update that post the Four Nations? We're at 58%, approval rating from 22 to 34. 34 is, well, 34 is still on the lower end for where he's been at since what, 2014?

The time is like nine years. I mean, if you go back. Yeah, even longer. So yeah, look, I just. People loved him. I think people in Canada need this and between just some of the Trump stuff, like that's, the four nations and Trump's

the best thing that's ever happened at Trudeau. Because it has nothing to do with whether or not anyone likes him. Yes, yes. It's just like, hey, we beat those guys, thank God. And you know, it's been a bit of a deflection towards who are you really mad at because it's gotten a little hostile. Look, I've been along those borders. I know them well.

Think of the times at UVM you went and visited Quebec. You were basically an honorary Canadian the amount of times you went. We used to have property on the border of Canada in Holland, Vermont, which isn't even a town, I don't think it sort of is, but it isn't, but it's part of something else. So the border of the town of the property that, again, this is like 40 years ago,

but I still remember it, was Canada. So if you jumped over the fence, who knows what was gonna happen to you? I know where that, but that's why I don't want anything to get too hostile because like I know the weak points. Yeah. I know where that access is. I know that that station has been manned in 38 years.

But I love the fact that you would know more Canadian shows than other people because of that proximity to Canada. Like you were dropping like red green references to me. Yeah, never left, never left. Never left. Oh, come on. I would watch in amazement to go. And I'm not even talking about him specifically,

but I would watch the Canadian lineup of comedy shows and just go, what the fuck? But then SCTV was terrific. Yes. Right. So, you know, all the standards. At your point, McCain's always leaving. When I met Norm MacDonald years ago to ESPN,

and Norm was originally, I think, born in Quebec City. His brother still works for CBC in Ottawa. And he goes, oh, I can't do it, Norm. He's like, yeah, I heard you're Canadian. I'm like, yeah, it's so great, man. He was all, he's like, what's so great about it? I go, what? Canada, he's like, we all leave.

Like, what's so great about it? To the Norm's point, a proud Canadian is one who leaves and then says, ah, Canada's the best. Yeah, but you left. It's still great. It's great to see you, man. Where can we hear you? Yeah, MLB Network, NHL Network, of course,

Amazon Prime, Monday Night Hockey, every week traveling to Canada. And NHL Unscripted, please do support NHL Unscripted. You know me, I'm still working on the movies. We're still talking. So the file within the framework of this podcast. And by the way, this, this Amazon Prime has been so much fun. I know you're close to a course of Thompson. We're now colleagues here at Amazon. So I hope, yeah, I hope that I see Chris at some Amazon, uh, Amazon meetup. I'm like the first pops of Canada except shorter fatter, darker demand. Other than that, thank you for leaving your ad

and rolling credits until the end. Cause if you had started the pod like you did last time with seven, eight minutes straight of shout outs, we would have, we would have cut it out. Probably. Um, you're the best buddy. Good seeing you. Great seeing you too.

You're the best. You want details? Fine. I drive a Ferrari, 355 Cabriolet. What's up? I? Have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine and best of all kids. I am liquid So now you know what's possible. Let me tell you what's required The email address as always like adviceiceRR at gmail.com. We've got Saruti Kyle, Oregon on call.

Uh, what's good everybody. Nice Johnny's win. You wonder emotionally, Kyle, you wonder post another Yukon victory if there'd be a little bit of a let down against Butler, but, uh, figured they'd have to drop one, but just a couple of big East champs hanging out in a zoom call. Feels pretty good. Feels real good.

Okay. Moving on. Let's see here. Uh, we had a follow-up or two that I liked. We had a lot of lab lab people checking in. Dude. Um, what kind of sorority? It just, it's, it's a, it's a brutal scene on my elbow today.

Just, how is it? Can we see it anymore? But it just looks terrible. It looks awful. Like it's, it's, it's like a good, you know, inch and a half diameter, nasty, purple, black and blue situation. Okay. Well, we have, um, a doctor checking in.

We had a few doctors checking in. I like this one. We're gonna be ready to go just in case. Okay. Well, we have a doctor checking in. We had a few doctors checking in. I like this one. We're going to be ready to go just in case. We need some sound effect, but I don't have any buttons to push. Sports medicine physician here. So I feel uniquely qualified to provide feedback solicited and unsolicited regarding the life advice for the pod from February 25th. Saruti. Yes. Some lag lab techs just suck at their job.

The only way they get fired or reassigned is if enough people complain about terrible lab draws like what you had. It's what we call blowing a vein. In short, she went through your vein, not into it. If they emailed you asking to fill out patient surveys, I would definitely bring that experience up. You're not going to do that though.

I don't think that's a serious deal. There's a difference between like bad food and blowing a vein. It just sounds way worse than bad service at a restaurant. So I don't know. I think there's a line somewhere. I don't know where it is. The other issue is that I forget if I tell you guys this,

I get a call the next day or whatever, and my doctor's just like, yeah, all looks good. Cholesterol's good, all these numbers. There's a little liver thing that's a little bit weird. We want you to just redo it. We don't think it's anything, but we want you to redo it. So I have to go back in a month. Can I go to an urgent care or something?

Worst case scenario. But maybe, hopefully I still have the bruise. I can just take my arm out and be like, this is what happened last time I was here. What do you do if you walk in there and it's the same person drawn the blood? You just pass out Oregon style. Yeah.

I kind of want it to be, and I want my arm to look like it's like been mangled because that's, I want it to be like, ask me what happened. Like, well, funny story. You should punch your arm again the night before. Maybe two days before. Okay, moving on. number two, Oregon. I'm sure I'm fucking up that spelling, sorry dude.

Please don't get cortisone shots in your legs for shin splints if you decide to run full half marathons again. It calms the pain down, but weakens your bone. Kevin Ware was getting cortisone shots for shin splints before disaster struck for him. Maybe a good thing your illness slowed you down. Wow.

You know, I do it over the doctor tells me. That's all I got on that. Doctors disagree. Doctors disagree, believe it or not. According to my fiance, that doctor was a hack. So maybe this guy's right. Hmm. Against one.

Yeah. Okay. Number three, calling about lab results. Maybe this guy's right. Hmm. Two against one. Okay. Number three, calling about lab results. First off, usually the only time we have to call lab results is the only time we have to call about lab results is at the end of the day when we're done seeing patients, so if you don't pick up, it'll inevitably get pushed to the next business day as the last thing we do before leaving the office.

I don't know. Could you change that? Could that be an industry change? Well, it was, it was even, it was the time thing, but I don't know, could you change that? Could that be an industry change? Well, it was even, it was the time thing, but you're also like, could you just choose your words a little more carefully, maybe give us a lean, like without spilling the beans on exactly what's in the results, you know?

By the way, the second time it happened to me, it was very earlier, but I was on a plane. So anyway, we also can't say, hey Ryan, this is Dr. Snow and so calling about your lab results and just leave a message with the results, unless you give us permission to do so. Some offices will have you fill out forms or document this. This is the case because enough patients will accidentally mistype their phone number by a digit. Then you're sharing confidential patient info with somebody who isn't the patient. A big violation. Most people also don't have. Hmm, I understand that case. That doesn't mean that you can

just like be purposely really vague and ominous about what the results are like. You can kind of give a lean be like, hey, got your results. Everything mostly looks nothing alarming. Yeah, yeah, nothing alarming. It sounds good, right? Totally also, I think know your audience. Yeah. Like, will this freak this dude out if I say it this way?

But then again, it's not even an age thing. Who doesn't get freaked out with medical advice? Yeah, like if anybody says something to you that's like slightly concerning. There's dudes out there that don't care, right? Like whatever, we going out tonight? Most people also don't have personalized voicemail greetings so you can't be confident.

You're leaving a message with the right person. This is why most doctors when calling you will have you verify your date of birth before sharing any info. I handle this by just being as vague as possible. See, maybe it's back to the vague thing. I don't know, man. Don't love that.

Well, he gives an example. Hey, just call me about your labs you had drawn this week. Everything looks great. See, if you had said everything looks great. That's the golden ticket right there. If there's something concerning, I'll just recommend they call back the next day with times that work to talk

and build that call into my schedule. Last point, most assistants are not allowed to give interpretations of lab results because they don't know what they mean or their significance. So out of an abundance of caution, most offices won't let them offer interpretations as they're wrong often enough to create massive headaches.

Yeah, I understand that. Makes sense to me. Yeah, but again, sometimes their tone, you interpret their tone as being negative. This is all, I'm not saying this email isn't correct in all of these points, but that's not what's happening here. This doctor.

Calling at 4.30 on a Friday would say, hey, your lab results came back, give us a call ASAP. That's insane, that's insane behavior. That's a protocol thing. Call Monday morning then, if it's not a big deal. Well, if he said, if he put that little,, you know, put that little, you know, all looks good, just call, call back at your earliest convenience. That's fine. Right. Okay. That's still kind of as soon as possible, but he threw in the, don't

worry. You can sleep tonight. Fine. I think the 4 PM Friday call voicemail, Hey, you need to call us is a bad move. Yeah, personal experience. All right, we'll leave it at that. Seems reasonable. How are those shin splints work on? Dude's are banged up right now. We're blowing veins. Playing her good. Yeah, pretty much.

Never questioned the toughness of this podcast. I gotta get my tumor re-imaged, make sure it's not growing. Other than that, we're good. What? What the fuck? Yeah, I do know this story than that. We're good. What what the fuck? Yeah, I do know this story. Yeah, no this yeah, it's wrong dude. They image they had like a little thing in there Is it bad to ask where it's being a purposely made in Wow

Bad to ask in where is that how they said it to you? They don't know if it's shin splints or that causing the problem. Oh, it's in oh, okay It's in my leg. I got it. Got it. Yeah, but it's not like It's it's malignant. Is that the yeah The not bad one. Yeah, it just but they can't remove it Is that you told me this like a month of good? Good. They just got to make sure it's not growing Okay, yeah Give me this like a month or two. Good Hodgkins. They just gotta make sure it's not growing. Okay. Yeah. Organ has the biggest smile on his face ever

and I can't stop laughing while he's also talking about a tumor. So I don't know what to do right now. But I think, I hate to admit, I would think I'm aligned with Kyle in that as soon as we heard it was a shin tumor, Kyle and I looked at each other like, oh, all right. So yeah, this is sorry, man.

I thought we talked about this when we were having those cores, man. We each had one. Maybe, maybe you guys forgot. That was a lot for me. Yeah. Jeez. Now we feel bad. Even worse if it was our, we already knew.

Should we read an email? What do you think? I'm so excited about the golf clubs. Maybe that. There you go. Yeah. Could have been the golf club transfer. And then we just kind of like, what did Oregon say?

I don't know. It was all timing for me. It's like not serious at all. Yeah. All right. Good. All right. Okay. All right. Little bit more feedback. How about we go with it?

Love the pod, former baseball athlete, link below. Okay. Body type, currently a young big baby Davis with a pickup rebound game to rival Westbrook triple double season. I work at tech media platforms and please advise is 100% of fuck you. I don't know anyone who sent that

without angrily typing their keyboard and sighing. Huh. God. Um, so he offers up some substitutes. Good. Would love your thoughts. That's good. Do you have any builds edits, changes, et cetera?

Okay. Um, but again, she probably can't say that every time. So I think one works. Need your two cents before we move forward. No. That's such a no. No. I can't even tell you why it's a no, but it's just a no across the board.

So Rudy? I don't like two cents. I don't like two cents. You know what I was thinking? This has been done in ringer circles and actually it does work. If you put in the title, like reply needed, you know, like in all caps or something.

Cause again, you get a billion emails. Sometimes you read them, you don't necessarily reply. If I know that I need a reply, that to me is not a dick move. Yeah, that's good. It's a little alarming going across the top banner. But yeah, but it's good. I reply. That across the top banner. But it's good.

I reply. That's the job. Keep me posted on feedback. It just feels like office lingo. That doesn't mean anything. Yeah. Circle back. Circle back.

Next week. Destroy that one. Hope the new year is treating you well. Hope the new year is treating you. Put a pin in it and it's fuck off, right? That's exactly what that is that's like yeah, thanks for thanks for asking but no probably not necessary. Yeah, I Like the would love your thoughts you got to remember it needs to play it needs to play multiple times the two cents thing if you Ended every email with I need your two cents. Yeah, you have a new nickname, right? People we can't have sense. We can't have a new nickname. Right. People are gonna love that.

We can't have that too, but like our female submission here. So, I like the first one. Yeah. I like this guy had a lot of ideas. He was just throwing a lot of stuff out there and I think the first one works.

Okay. We have another one here. Cause trust me, I think we have another 15 minutes. We'll be alright Josh Allen's or whiners try being tall six seven two twenty. No gym stats would have gotten into distance running ran first Marathon last fall training for the next one early this summer basketball compass poor man's Aaron Gordon jumper was broken But I caught a few bodies in my day Although Aaron Gordon shooting numbers have been terrific this month

But I guess the email is probably like oh, I wonder if her silhouette is day. Although Aaron Gordon's shooting numbers have been terrific this month, but I guess the email is probably like, oh, I wonder if Riscilla's gonna throw me Aaron Gordon's February splits. Ironically, he might be the best shooter on the Orlando Magic, but story for another day. Yeah. Boy, can that team not shoot.

I don't even wanna talk about it. You guys suck at shooting. Yep. I think I looked at it, let me double check this right now. Sorry, I have to do it. Yeah, it's bad. Now think I looked at it, let me double check this right now. Sorry, I have to do it. Yeah, it's bad. Now I'm mad at myself, honestly.

Do you know what they're shooting as a team from three right now? Ooh, man. High 20s. Yeah, it's 30, 30.4. Johnny's number is right there. We should get right down there. They played the Hawks the other night and the Hawks, I think every single person on the roster, it was a better three point shooter than anyone the Magic had.

Like I'm going to go back through it. Cause this guy's the NBA cop. I don't know the last time a team shot 30% from three on a season. Usually it's like 32 is last. And I mean, I'm scrolling through it right now as we're like talking. I'm already 10 years back and I haven't found anybody with a number that bad.

When they suck on offense, the Orlando Magic are unwatchable. Yep. Number two on defense though, so. Yep. Very good. I was doing some of my all offense. I think it's number two on defense,, so. Yep. Very good, I was doing some of my all offense. I think it's number two on defense, number 28 on offense.

I don't know that there's another team has that wide of a gap between those two categories. But it's been like that. This is nothing, I mean it's worse this year, but it's- It's good that KCP though was brought in to provide some spacing, so. 30 mil a year, let's go. Okay. Next week, I'll cover this next week in our East 15 and 15. Yeah, year, let's go. Okay.

Next week, we'll cover this next week in our yeast 15 and 15. Yeah, right, we'll get to that. I'm using some of my yeast stuff already. I'm gonna stop. Okay, so back to our tall guy, who's like, what happened to my email? The recent writer's complaining about

being named Josh Allen can suck it. People at least have to find out their name before they can make the bad jokes. And once Josh Allen retires, although dude, that's not gonna be for a long time and he's awesome, the comments will be fewer and fewer. I mean, you're telling the Josh Allen's out there, just give it 12 to 15 years, don't worry about it.

Try being tall, everyone has a comment or joke and don't need my name to make it. You're tall, oh really? You should play basketball, I used to. Do you hit your head on the door frames? Not usually. The standard door frame is 6'8", so I just slide through. I love that we now know that the standard door frame

height size is 6'8". If we do nothing today, we've done that. I'm only 6'7". I sympathize with others that are taller, as it only gets worse. No need for advice, except to advise Josh Allen to suck it up. He's not wrong about any of this stuff.

People, people lose their fucking minds at, um, I would say like six, seven and higher, six, eight and higher is when people start to just, they think that you're solely there for their amusement. And you're right in a way you don't even need the name to start it. Again, good friend Chenoweth, a monster, you don't even need the name to start it. Again, good friend Chenoweth, a monster, a beast. I've seen it happen all the time. People will come up to him,

like he's not even a real person, and like grab the kids. They, hey, come look at this mutant, Toby. You know, a girl. But they do it in an impressive kind of way. You know what I mean? You could, if comes like you could you're basically a mythical creature. You could make up any story about yourself. Not that you you know, not that that's what's important to to lie about your past and anything like that. But it's coming from like an impressive thing.

They're like, holy shit, dude. I mean, that's that's better than being like, wow, your name is Josh Allen weird. I don't know. I think it's I think it's cooler outside of like planes and, you know. Would you want to be seven foot one? Dorm room beds. Seven foot one is way different than six, seven though. Okay, but what about seven foot one?

No. Would you be right now? No, there's a limit for everything, but I'm just saying six, seven, you know, a lot of guys are like, that's fucking cool. I think it's like, it's coming from a place of wow, and not a place of like weird. So I don't know. Where's the line though? I, coming from a place of wow, and not a place of like weird. So I don't know. Where's the line though?

This is a whole different conversation, but like, would you rather be seven feet tall or five eight? Seven. I mean, don't even bother at, I mean, come on. Seven feet is so ridiculous. Seven feet is ridiculous, man. Your life is so inconvenient. And if you're not an NBA player.

And wait, do I have my basketball skills? Because then people like, they're like, what a fucking waste. They're like eight. Yeah. You're huge. But you're seven feet tall. So that's the thing. Yeah, but you're not in the NBA It's right. You might still be in the NBA even with your basketball skills. Yeah What is it like 20% of people seven feet or taller in the world were at least at one point play in the NBA Is that true? That's true. I that could be a sad I made up percent point play in the NBA? Is that true? I don't think that's true. That could be a stat I made up. I thought I found it somewhere. I think it's closer to like 30%. Wait, 20% of earthly seven footers have had a jersey

at seven footers, or been on a two way at least? Come on, that seems even higher. The Chinese. First thing I read at nine years ago, busting the myth that 70% of American seven footers play in the NBA. Yeah, so that's probably not true. Sounded like, it sounded like a cool fact though.

How about this dream height? Let's go around the horn. Wargon your first. Six, four. I like it. Six, five, six, two or six, three debatable. I'd say six, five. Just, yeah.

Yeah. Man, I'm two inches from the dream. I'm like five, six. Okay. So you're close. You're close. Yeah. Man, I'm two inches from the dream. I'm like five, six. Okay. So you're, wow. But you're so, I don't like that. Wow. You look taller.

No, I thought you were taller. Thanks, appreciate that guys. And I've seen you in person. That's very strange. I just, I didn't, I didn't, yeah. Five, six, six. Is it the shin splints? No.

You think they're adding some height? I don't know if it's messing with the final number or something. I'm five, 10. I, six or something. Uh, I'm five 10. I six four. Yeah. Probably six four. I dream high.

Like what, what, I don't know. I six two. I don't want to be too tall. Am I just my normal self? Six two is fine. Skinny jeans are going to be tough. A lot of that Euro shit that you try to pull off six six probably couldn't do it. Yeah.

The J crew scene probably wouldn't be as good for me at six four as it would be at five eight, but you know, it's all right. Chalmers big and tall. I think I go six, six. I think six, six means you're it's, it's not freaky tall. But you're like, well, that guy's tall. Yeah. And you probably, I think you do something.

I think at some point, like in another life, I would have liked to play basketball professionally in like Switzerland or something. Six six. I probably could trick some guy into giving me a contract. No. Well, don't people around Manhattan beach think you play hockey? You're an ex hockey guy. Yeah.

I had, uh, I had lunch the other day and she, she was asking me if I missed it. You're what? Bristol? It's like, you know, I haven't seen you around a lot lately with the guys. And I was like, oh yeah. What's up? She's like, you miss it? And I was like, how much do you love that? It's a nice compliment. Yeah. It's a nice compliment. I mean, this one place, I've tried to tell him so many different times

that I didn't play hockey, that I just gave up. All right. I love this last email. Building towards the end here. I guess we never really read any life advices. Yeah. This would be the first. So let's, let's read up.

It's just an awesome one. Okay. Um, this guy sent it in twice, which normally is a turnoff, but we love it. 35 years old, six, three. Pretty close. Pretty close guys. Two 20 NBA com Tristan Thompson, a life long undersized center who will win every one-on-one rebound battle. Need me to do anything else? You're screwed. I played in an adult softball team

for the last three years in San Diego, but moved to Portland earlier this year. So my time with the team is done. Side note, we went to the championship five seasons in a row and lost all five times. Brutal. I got to the softball scene by meeting a guy named, no, he gives his name here. Is it unique? It is. And it's, see, let's just call him Lester. Uncle Lester?

Yeah. Nice. You can't make an omelet without cracking a few Craigs. Tomlin. That's right. Yeah. All right. By meeting a guy named Lester who eventually invited me to play on his organized team through

the years, players would leave the team because Lester was rough around the edges. He and I became pretty close friends and he actually opened up to me about his struggles with Asperger's and his inability to understand how to have interpersonal skills with most others. Everything was fine between him and I until December when he called me asking if I would be willing to put $50,000 into an E-Trade so that he could use the money to short stocks. Lester comes from a Wall Street background and told me for years about an algorithm that he invented to do quite well in shorting. Here we go. had told me for years about an algorithm that he invented to do quite well in shorting.

And here we go. However, at this time, Lester was being sued for said algorithm and was legally prohibited from using his own money to invest, but was told by his lawyer that he could still use the algorithm to invest other people's money. Several of our softball teammates, whom I also was becoming good friends with, had been speculating for months prior to this that Lester was having money

problems. I knew his proposal was insane but I wanted to initially give him some benefit of the doubt so I asked him for the details of his plan his answer if I agreed he would be taking 50% of the profits leaving me with the other 50% a 50% management fee that is high. I asked if he'd That is high. I asked for his trading history and what he sent over was a spreadsheet of four successful shorts he executed along with the proper percentage that he took home. That's it attached. I opened the attachment. This is so ballsy.

Dude, it's a spreadsheet titled historical data. It just, it just says like, he doesn't have any trades in it. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. And then he just puts the profit off of the different symbols that he shorted. He even says he called the Silicon Valley bank bankruptcy. 100% position. He said, He even says he called the Silicon Valley Bank bankruptcy. 100% position, he said.

Okay. And then he does a service agreement that I read through. And it's like, I don't know. I, I just, whatever. The guy just wrote it up on Word and was like, here's the agreement. Um, seems official. It was a service agreement that literally nobody should ever agree to attached. So, uh, it felt like he was taking advantage of our friendship, needing

more time to evaluate how I felt about his actions. I told him I wasn't in a position to do this, so I need to wait until the new year before I even have the funds to commit. I realized this was a mistake. Because now it's February. This is a little bit like I Love You Man, right Kyle?

You like that movie. I don't remember that movie, that was Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. Yeah. I like hated that movie when it came Paul Rudd in Jason Segel. Yeah. I hated that movie when it came out and then it grew on me and now it's one of the best comedies of that era. Wow. I hate to one of the best.

I know. I changed my mind. That's like McConaughey type turnaround. Good for you, man. Okay, long story short, I never agreed to do this and Lester kicked me off the softball team. Pfft. Ha ha ha.

Honestly, that's a win for you, dude. I know, it seems like a good, I don't have to do it. When teammates asked me about it, oh, when teammates asked about me, better said, he said I wasn't on the team because he couldn't get a hold of me and then started telling people that I asked him

for a $50,000 loan for my company. And when he said no, I stopped talking to him coming around. I'm still close to some of our teammates and have a prideful reputation that I would like to uphold to everyone else on the team that I spent years of great quality time with. Even though I've moved to Portland and will likely never see most of them again, should I call out Lester out in front of everyone via a group text or just move on with my new life in Portland? He's full of shit and is impacting my reputation, but will addressing this really do

more good than harm? Thanks, you guys are the best. Fuck him. He tried to steal your money or he thought he was going to make you money and then when he lost the money, he was going to say, sorry, dude, you saw the agreement. Sure, I think a lot of people would listen to this and say, who cares, you moved to another city. As he states, he's likely never going to see most of these people ever again. If he is lying about you, now you could say,

hey, this guy's super unhinged, don't even get into the whole thing. That's why so many of these people get away with this stuff because nobody ever says anything. Cause it's like, oh, I'm just gonna move on. So my advice to you very specifically would be like, yeah, I would look forward to sending that text. Are you kidding?

I wouldn't be able to sleep at night the night before to be able to go back to the softball group texts and be like, hey, Lester, did you actually tell these people that I asked you for a $50,000 loan? Hey, Lester, did you actually tell these people that I asked you for $50,000 loan? Okay. Are like, are you serious? Do you want to do this? Do you want me to share your spreadsheet?

Your manifesto? Yeah, I think I'd just, I'd pick one person, send it to the mouthpiece of the group, you know, just like, Hey, you know, I'm not here anymore. I've just been hearing a bunch of stuff. I just, just want to set the record straight. And like, you don't want to put too much energy into group, you know, just like, Hey, you know, I'm not here anymore. I've just been hearing a bunch of stuff. I just, just want to set the record straight. And like, you don't want to put too much energy into this, you know, like cold calling people and just be like, Hey, you have time to talk about it. But maybe, maybe I would just tell the one guy who's like, you know, who actually does get invited to go to drinks or whatever after you guys lose the championship again. And like he'll maybe that's the one who gets

the information. Well, he said they're like perennial runners up for like five years in a row. Just wanted to show that I retained some of that information. So yeah, I think I would just tell the one guy who you could trust would get this out to the people who need to know it. See the thing is though there's a good chance everyone on that team or at least like 90% of the people on that team know that Lester's full of shit and lied to you and he's lying about this and your reputation is probably fine. This is just more about you publicly shaming Lester in front of those people. I don't think there's any downside to it.

I would totally get why you want to do it. I probably would do it myself because there's just something about putting someone in their place in public. Even if people already know the guy's full of shit. So I don't think that I think your reputation is fine either way. Like there's no way these guys are like, Oh my God, I thought Lester was a shit head, but it actually turned out it was this guy. No, that's, that's totally right.

That's not what happened. So this is just about whether or not you want to really be a dick. And it's not even being a dick. You want to just really, you know, make sure you put this guy in his place and I would fully endorse it if you wanted to do that. Side note, Asperger's unfortunate name for a disease or syndrome. It's not great. Yeah.

The first time I heard it, I was like, are you kidding me? I think I Googled Asperger's. Same. I was like, is that spelling? What's going on here? Just a ASP, if anyone's new to the word. Well said. Okay.

Thanks everybody. That's an episode. Thanks to Wargon. Thanks. Thanks everybody. That's an episode. Thanks to Wargon. Thanks to Saruti. Thanks to Kyle. And John Frias, who is helping us put together the video side of the podcast, which is available every time you open up your Spotify app now so you can watch the whole show and you can watch it on YouTube as well. So please subscribe. Ryan Risciolo, Podcast Ringer Spotify.

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