1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,800 Speaker 1: Joining us now on the show, and I'm sure thrilled 2 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: to be doing so. From ESPN dot com. Stephen Holder 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: is at the NFL owners meeting. Stephen, all I know 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: is this the meeting. It's the owner's meetings are in Arizona? 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: Is that correct? 6 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 2: That is correct? Okay? 7 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: Now where exactly the state? So where exactly in Arizona? 8 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 2: We are in Phoenix at the Arizona Biltmore, where I 9 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 2: am not staying because I don't have that big inexpense report. 10 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: But it's it's phenomenal, I will tell you. There are 11 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 2: I think four pools. It's pretty cool. They're all amazing. 12 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 2: It's waterslide too, apparently in the kids pool. So yeah, 13 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 2: you know, i'f're looking for some spring break fun and 14 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,319 Speaker 2: you got twelve hundred bucks a night to spare. Come 15 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: on down. 16 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: How's how's putt putt at the Glendale Howard Johnson. 17 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, they don't give Mary out points over there, but 18 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: they do it the Renaissance, so so I'm making do there. Yeah, 19 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 2: they have a they have an executive lounge though for 20 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 2: preferred customers, and the croissants were okay, yeah. 21 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: I'm looking up right here. The Arizona built more hotel 22 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: and resort in Phoenix, Arizona. It does look like a 23 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: nice place. Do you think is this the kind of 24 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: place where they list the the rates on the web 25 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: or is it like a call if you're interested. 26 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 2: I think this probably depends on the room you're seeking. 27 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 2: I think if you want one of the many villas 28 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 2: that are available, you may have to call for the 29 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 2: special arrangements on those. 30 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: I'm looking right now in November. It doesn't look like 31 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: to And this is interesting. As soon as I put 32 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: it in, it says sorry, nothing available. Clearly they've got 33 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: some sort of a spyware on there. Okay, So Carli 34 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: orse Gordon has spoken, Chris Ballard has spoken, Shane Steichen 35 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: has spoken. If you could summarize if there was one thing, 36 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: Stephen that you would say was a theme or a 37 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: message that if there was one thing that you thought, wow, 38 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: they us have all gotten together at the Continental Breakfast 39 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: to make sure they were on the same page regarding 40 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: the messaging of something. What would it be? 41 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 2: Well, look, I mean I think I would just say 42 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 2: that they all suggest that they're very comfortable with where 43 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 2: things are at right now, because I think a lot 44 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 2: of fans seem underwhelmed by this off season. I asked 45 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 2: them about that in many different ways, and the reaction 46 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 2: from them was essentially, we think we checked our boxes 47 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 2: this offseason. They feel like they have accomplished what they 48 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 2: needed to do this offseason. I think the counter argument 49 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 2: is that, well, you just got back to like a 50 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 2: base level, and so I have you know, proceeded to 51 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 2: counter you know, is that enough? And you know, I 52 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 2: think the answers we'll see. I don't think they have 53 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 2: a great answer, particularly on defense. They don't have a 54 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 2: lot of great answers in terms of what they have 55 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 2: or haven't done. They've done what they've done, and they 56 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: are where they are and they seem confident or seem 57 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 2: comfortable with it. Whether that's or not, that's what they said. 58 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: I thought. Carl Er say, Gordon Stephen Holder is my 59 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: guest ESPN dot com. By the way, Steven, if you 60 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: want to go there in July, i'd take one hundred 61 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: and eighty degrees admittedly, but if you want to go 62 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: in July, you can stay at a resort room with 63 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: two queen beds for one hundred and seventy eight a night. 64 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: It's not terrible, right. 65 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 2: Oh, that's amazing actually, but it's also July. 66 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: Right, November three, November three sixty a night. 67 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, well that's also not the week the NFL owners 68 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 2: take over the place, so that's probably has something to 69 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 2: do with it. 70 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: You know that that checks out. Let me let me 71 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: see what it would cost if you did it right 72 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: now now. They're probably they're booked though right now. 73 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,839 Speaker 2: Right presumably we also have the Women's Final Force coming 74 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 2: to town too, apparently. Let me see here what that 75 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 2: is adding to the demand here, Yeah, in town, all. 76 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: Right, I'm checking rooms right now to see what it 77 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: would be this weekend if we just decided, let me know. 78 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 2: Maybe maybe this was a missed opportunity by me miss 79 00:03:55,280 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 2: test eight nine four a night. Then you oh, okay, 80 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 2: not quite twelve hundred, but close. That's good. 81 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: Well, that's and I'm talking about what I just mentioned. 82 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: By the way, comes with a cot and then an 83 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: ice bucket. That's it. So yes, I would imagine a 84 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: legit room, probably two grant they Is there the possibility 85 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: that Chris Ballard even knew and I've I've broached this 86 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: subject before, but maybe now we have a little bit 87 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: more clarity. Is there the possibility that Chris Ballard knew 88 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: and Carli Ersa Gordon knew that with the unfortunate passing 89 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: of Jim, irsay that the first year that his daughters 90 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 1: would be in charge would literally be a year of 91 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: financial inventory and simply figuring out the taxes that are 92 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:55,359 Speaker 1: going to be do, the the valuation of the franchise, 93 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: the numbers, all of it, all of the business operations. 94 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,600 Speaker 1: Learning and tiptoeing through that for the first year would 95 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: prioritize then over. Okay, now that we understand the business 96 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: aspect of it, let's get down to the brass tacks 97 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: of the football standpoint, and that that gave some flexibility 98 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: even to Chris Ballard, of understanding and knowing that everything 99 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: was kind of set aside for a year or so to. 100 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: Speak, well, I would say, I would say probably not. 101 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 2: I don't know that I agree. And here's why, because 102 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 2: let's go back to last spring around this time. Now, 103 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:35,359 Speaker 2: Jim Mercy was still with us at the time. But 104 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 2: you know, we don't know what his health was at 105 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 2: that time. It does not appear that it was great, 106 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 2: although I won't go further than that because I don't know, 107 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 2: but it does not appear he was in great health 108 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 2: at that point. So I say that to say curlier, 109 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: say Gordon was in a very influential position at that point, 110 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 2: and they had I thought that their most aggressive off 111 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 2: season in many, many years in terms of their free 112 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: agents spending. And then I fast forward to this offseason 113 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 2: where even though and Chris Ballard made this point yesterday 114 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 2: he said, look, we didn't go out and sign Mooney, 115 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 2: Ward or Cambinen or those types of guys this offseason, 116 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 2: but he said that might have had something to do 117 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 2: with us spending forty four million on the quarterback in 118 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 2: twenty eight million on a wide receiver, speaking of Daniel 119 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,839 Speaker 2: Jones of course, and Alec Pierce. They're in house free agents. 120 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 2: I mean, that's a massive amount of money that they 121 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 2: had to dedicate to two players, so effectively, whether you're 122 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: spending it inside or outside of your building, you're spending 123 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: a ton of money. I would argue they're spending. Spending 124 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 2: is not their problem right now. Frankly, spending is not 125 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 2: their problem. I think I think their issue is they 126 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 2: have some holes in the roster that just have not 127 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 2: been have not been filled, or at least the appearance 128 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 2: right now, something outside looking in is that they have 129 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 2: not filled them. Time will tell. 130 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: Are there any topics of discussion or question marks or 131 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: holes that need to be addressed within the league itself 132 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: that have been discussed at these meetings that you did 133 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: not anticipate going in. 134 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 3: No. 135 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 2: I think there are some predictable things that did get discussed, 136 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 2: but I wouldn't say there were any surprises. I mean, 137 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 2: the thing I want to see here in a little 138 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: bit when we hear from Roger Goodell. The issue that's 139 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 2: simmering that we're probably not talking enough about is what's 140 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 2: going on with the officials. They are they're in a 141 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 2: potential lockout situation if they don't get a deal here 142 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 2: with the union that represents the game officials. And so 143 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 2: if that happens and they have a standoff and they 144 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 2: don't get a deal, you're looking at You're looking at 145 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: replacement referees, and they have already started the process of 146 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 2: hiring and vetting replacement referees. That's not good for anybody, okay, 147 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 2: and they should be feeling a lot of pressure about this, 148 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 2: but they seem willing to move forward with replacements if 149 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 2: need be, so I'm interested to see how that goes. 150 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 2: A fancy motorcycle is riding by me right now, so 151 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 2: it's gonna be a little while. 152 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: How fancy, like I'm staying there in July fancy or 153 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 1: staying there during the NFL owners meeting fancy because there 154 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: appears to be a significant difference. 155 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 2: A good question. I'm not a motorcycle guy. I know 156 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 2: it's not a very manly thing to say, but I'm 157 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 2: not a motorcycle guy. I don't know much about bikes. 158 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 2: I know cars, but not bikes. 159 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: I've always wondered this. I've asked this before. Why do 160 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: we say bicycle but motorcycle? 161 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 2: I work with words, but I don't have an answer 162 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 2: for this one. 163 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: I mean, all your changes the prefix, why are we 164 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: changing the pronunciation on the suffix. 165 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 2: That's a great question. I actually real quick. I just 166 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 2: thought about something you asked me, you know, about financial 167 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 2: flexibility and things of that nature. I did get into 168 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 2: a conversation with Carli Ersa Gordon the other day that 169 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 2: I do want to I do want to reference stuff. 170 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 2: I think it's relevant to your question. I asked her. 171 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 2: You may know, if you, if you follow the business 172 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 2: side of the NFL, you may know that they had 173 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 2: to vote to affirm the right to have private equity 174 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 2: investment in your team if you so choose as an owner, 175 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 2: which you know private equity is a controversial topic in 176 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 2: every industry. 177 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: Steven, let me let me stop you right there, and 178 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: I'm to put that in a more simple term. Basically, 179 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:27,559 Speaker 1: what that means is the NFL owners are voting on the. 180 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 2: They've already voted. They did this this in a prior year. 181 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: But so they have cleared the way for if you 182 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: so choose to basically go out and find people off 183 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: the street to invest in your franchise. Is that essentially 184 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: what that means. 185 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's like these Wall Street firms that basically go 186 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 2: out and invest in various industries or businesses and reach 187 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 2: the profits from it. And so it's it's not as 188 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 2: wide open as it sounds like that you have to 189 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 2: be an approved firm to do this. They vet you. 190 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 2: You know, there's only a handful that are even allowed in. 191 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 2: But it is allowed right and this and it hasn't 192 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 2: for a couple of years. There are three teams, one 193 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 2: of them being the Miami Dolphins, and a couple others 194 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 2: that absolutely have already taken advantage of this. So I 195 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 2: asked her said, you know, obviously it's a time of transition. Uh, 196 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 2: you know, do you have this this opportunity available to 197 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 2: you if need be or if you so choose, has 198 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 2: that Is that something you consider? She said that she 199 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 2: and her sisters discussed it, but they do not feel 200 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 2: the need to access that capital right now and they're 201 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 2: moving forward with full ownership of the team. So I 202 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 2: thought that was a way of her maybe signaling that, look, 203 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 2: we're here for the long haul and we're all in. 204 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 2: So yeah, I think the thing to keep in mind, 205 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 2: she said this that Lucas Oil Stadium is reaching that 206 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 2: twenty year old mark now I think next year, and 207 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 2: as you get to that age, you're going to start 208 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 2: to need massive upgrades and that's going to cost probably 209 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 2: into the hundreds of millions of dollars. She said. They 210 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 2: will reevaluate at that point when they have to do 211 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,839 Speaker 2: stadium renovations. They may or may not access private equity 212 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 2: at that point. Keep it. Last thing I'll say, if 213 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 2: you're a fan and you share that and you get 214 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 2: freaked out, I don't blame you, right because private equity 215 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 2: on Wall Street. You know, if you pay attention to 216 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 2: current events, a lot of times that ends poorly. The 217 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 2: key is the NFL only allows up to ten percent investment, 218 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:26,319 Speaker 2: so that no one else in terms of the private 219 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:29,440 Speaker 2: equity world, can own more than ten percent of the team. 220 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 1: Does that mean okay, and pardon my ignorance here, Steven, okay, sure? 221 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: Does that mean that no one person or no one firm, 222 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: no can buy more than ten percent or no more 223 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: than ten But hold on, does that mean that no 224 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 1: one that the maximum you can buy in is ten percent? 225 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: Or does that mean the maximum you can sell out 226 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 1: if you're the Colts is ten percent? Could they have 227 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: five different people that they sell ten percent each? 228 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 2: To My understanding is that that private equity in total, 229 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 2: private equity investment in total can be ten percent. That's 230 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 2: the way I understood it. And by the way, keep 231 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 2: in mind, you can, you could, you could sell, you 232 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 2: can have minority ownership, and that you can do whatever 233 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 2: you want theoretically. There. 234 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 1: Just to be clear, I will warn you, Stephen and 235 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: everyone else listening if at any point the Colts the city. 236 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: I guess the city more than the Colts. Here, If 237 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: at any point anybody comes to me for a single 238 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: dollar for Lucas Oil stadium renovations, I will absolutely scream 239 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: from the mountaintops to the point where probably it would 240 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: even like put me in jeopardy here because no, I agree. Now, 241 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: I am old enough to remember, like it was yesterday, 242 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: Like it was yesterday, I'm old enough to remember that 243 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,559 Speaker 1: when the city of Indianapolis fleeced the taxpayers of this 244 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: town for seven hundred and twenty million dollars of like 245 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: one hundred ninety million I think of, which originally was 246 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: going to be the number, and it kept going up 247 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: on what we were going to pay. But the most 248 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:08,599 Speaker 1: highly publicly subsidized sports building in the history of the 249 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: United States, one that has more tax dollars in it 250 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: come than Arizona, Dallas, and New York combined. Okay, And 251 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 1: at the time that we all agreed to bend over backwards, 252 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: reaching our wallet and hand it over to the city, 253 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: we all agreed on it because we were told this 254 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: is a one time deal, You're not going to have 255 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: to do it again. This is a stadium that is 256 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: going to then the bonds are going to pay for itself. 257 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: This is a stadium that is going to bring all 258 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 1: kinds of bookoo bucks in and all kinds of events 259 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: that are going to come here and is one size 260 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: fits all. This is a one size fits all stadium 261 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 1: that's going to do everything and answer every question. And 262 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: I know it's a big sacrifice, but you're only going 263 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: to have to make it once, and I'm going to 264 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 1: hold them to it. I'll see you said, and I 265 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: think you're right to do that. I think you're right 266 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: to do that. Listen. 267 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 2: Since that time, I think in the last two decades, 268 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:05,960 Speaker 2: attitudes toward public financing of stadiums has I think certainly 269 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 2: gone the other direction, on the other direction, and a 270 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 2: lot of teams now they don't even go there, you know, 271 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 2: because they know it's a it's a non starter. It 272 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 2: depends in your market. There still are teams obviously doing it, 273 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 2: you know. I don't know what's going on, like for example, 274 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 2: the Chicago Bears. I don't know if they're looking for 275 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 2: public financing, but uh, but they certainly are in a 276 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 2: in a strange situation with their stadium. But my point 277 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 2: is there are a lot of teams now that they 278 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 2: just they literally do not go there because it's such 279 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 2: a toxic subject for the fan base that even even 280 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 2: fan bases that are you know, certainly deeply invested in 281 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 2: their teams. They still don't want to hear it, you know, 282 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 2: and so I get it. I'm with you. I I 283 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 2: think just as a just as a as a citizen, 284 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 2: as a voter, I am. I am staunchly against that concept. 285 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 2: And I will say you've seen it now, like for example, 286 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 2: the Miami Dolphins, if you've been to hard Rock Stadium, 287 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 2: that stadiums come a long way, well, that was pay 288 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 2: for out of Steve Ross's pockets, their owner, like a 289 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 2: two hundred and fifty million dollar renovation, and the culture 290 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 2: are probably gonna end up having to do the same 291 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,119 Speaker 2: thing when the time comes at Lucas. 292 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: Oil, Steven Holder down in Arizona, NFL owners meeting all 293 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: the coverage ESPN and ESPN dot com as well. Go 294 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: get on your fancy motorcycle and ride yourself back to 295 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: the hojo. 296 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 2: All right, brother, I'll see you. 297 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: I appreciate Steven Holder joining us on the program. I 298 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: love everything about the Final Four. I've always loved the 299 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: Final Four. I love the the trivia of it, I 300 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: love the history of it. I love the random nature 301 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: of an LSU in eighty six, or South Carolina a 302 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 1: few years ago, or George Mason, you know, just the 303 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: the fact that there's always a Cinderella story in the 304 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: Final four. Maybe not so much this year, but stars 305 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 1: can emerge in the Final four. I've just always loved 306 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: everything about it, the fact that it's the turn of spring, 307 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: and as an Indianapolis native, it is surreal. Two things 308 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: about the Final Four to me are surreal. One of 309 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: them is that Indianapolis has become one of the regular 310 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: rotation homes of the event, because I remember just what 311 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:18,160 Speaker 1: an absolute thrill and honor and it was to think 312 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: in ninety one that for the second time Indianapolis was 313 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: hosting one and the world was looking at us the 314 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: other thing, to be honest, and I'm not just saying 315 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: this because he's our next guest on the program, but 316 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: you know, in reading about and learning about and just 317 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 1: always anticipating the Final Four, I really don't think. I 318 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: guess two people that come to mind. John Feinstein always 319 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: came to mind to me, just because of a season 320 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: on the brink and then seeing him at Final Fours. 321 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: But Mike DECURSI I think, from the standpoint of writing 322 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: about it, has done as much to champion and celebrate 323 00:16:55,240 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: and grow and spread the enthusiasm of this event, I 324 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: think as much as anybody that you can find, certainly 325 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:06,120 Speaker 1: in the written word, but in the word in general 326 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 1: about the Final Four. And to know that he's become 327 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: a regular guest on the program to me is also 328 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: again surreal. But I loved reading recently that Mike just 329 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: wrote about his favorite Final Four memories, and Mike, that's 330 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: because an illustrious career and covering the event that You've 331 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,199 Speaker 1: decided for the Sporting News that this one is the 332 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: curtain call in terms of your Final Four coverage. Is 333 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 1: that correct? 334 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 3: Well, particlarly, maybe not Final four coverage, but the rest 335 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 3: of the year coverage is going to kind of be 336 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 3: really scaled back a lot. I'm going to retire from 337 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 3: the full time employment situation with the Sporting News, and 338 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 3: I still intend to do, hopefully a lot of the 339 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 3: broadcasting work that I've been doing over the last couple decades, 340 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 3: and I'll still maintain some presence at Sporting News, including 341 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 3: we are one of the four components of the consensus 342 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 3: All America team, and I take great pride in that, 343 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:13,400 Speaker 3: and I assemble a group of esteemed veteran basketball journalists 344 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 3: from across the country to put together our team, and 345 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 3: I will continue to administer that at minimum, and so 346 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 3: it's possible I'll still be doing some NCAA tournament coverage 347 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 3: as well. We'll see about that. Exactly what form it's 348 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 3: going to take, we haven't really decided upon. But getting 349 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 3: up in the morning and going straight to my desk 350 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 3: every day, it's time for that for there to be 351 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 3: some alternate to that routine. 352 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: How much of that also is Mike and I think 353 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 1: that we've all been like bracing for this, and I 354 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,959 Speaker 1: don't think it's bad. I think it's been actually, in 355 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: some ways maybe even more refreshing than I anticipated. But 356 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 1: how much is college basketball different than even say, five 357 00:18:57,800 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: years ago, and the way that it may look for 358 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 1: five years from now, Well it. 359 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 3: Looks a lot different, but in a lot of ways 360 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:09,639 Speaker 3: that aren't appreciated, it looks better. It's a better game now, 361 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 3: first of all, in the way the rules are administered, 362 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:18,120 Speaker 3: the elimination of I never take credit for this term. 363 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 3: I love it, I can't take credit for it. Brandon Prunty, 364 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 3: former sports writer now pr executive in New Jersey, used 365 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 3: to work for New York Star Ledger and cover the 366 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 3: Rutgers and Seaton Hall and those guys, and he came 367 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 3: up with the term charbage, which is an amalgamation of 368 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:41,120 Speaker 3: garbage charges. And that ruled basketball for the better part 369 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 3: of two decades, and it made the game stagnant and 370 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,880 Speaker 3: less interesting than it should be, and it rewarded bad defense, 371 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 3: and we fought for years to get rid of it. 372 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,159 Speaker 3: And the late great John Adams, who was such a 373 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:57,679 Speaker 3: good friend and did so much for my family that 374 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 3: a lot of people don't know about. He ten years 375 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 3: ago tried to get that rock up the hill and 376 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:10,200 Speaker 3: it didn't happen, but the force of that launch eventually 377 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 3: took place. And now you see, I mean, how much 378 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 3: different a player would y Exel Lendeborg be if you 379 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 3: could I don't know that anybody would want to, but 380 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 3: if you could just jump in front of him anytime 381 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 3: he got going and fall down and get a call, 382 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 3: Yax is going to be on the bench half the game. 383 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 3: And that's not the way it should be. The game 384 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 3: is supposed to be dynamic, and it is again. And 385 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 3: so that's the first part of what makes it better. 386 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,160 Speaker 3: And then the other element of what makes it better 387 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:39,680 Speaker 3: is the number of players who now are actually I'm 388 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 3: not in favor of the fighting part, but the idea 389 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,360 Speaker 3: that they want to fight to stay in college. Whereas 390 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 3: even six or seven years ago, or maybe even five 391 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 3: years ago, players who really would prefer to have stayed 392 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 3: in college because they knew they weren't necessarily ready for 393 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 3: the NBA or ready to pack up and go to 394 00:20:57,680 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 3: play in Europe, just had to make some money playing 395 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 3: the game. They just couldn't. They just couldn't keep not 396 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 3: making six grand a year on cost of attendance and 397 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 3: all of that, when their skills were worth more than that, clearly, 398 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 3: and there probably would be somebody that would pay them, 399 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 3: if not in the NBA. And so those players are 400 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,159 Speaker 3: staying in college now, so you have better players playing 401 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 3: the sport. And if you want to add in the 402 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 3: Illinois circumstance, players who before would say, okay, like if 403 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 3: I go over there and play, when can I enter 404 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 3: the draft? And how well, yeah, and I have to 405 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 3: give up what money I am making and all the 406 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 3: rest of that, they would they would stay in Europe 407 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 3: and then they file for the draft and then maybe 408 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 3: the team would take them at stash them in Europe. 409 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 3: They and we don't really need you now, and now 410 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 3: they come here and they make better money in some 411 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 3: cases than they would have made with their clubs in 412 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,440 Speaker 3: the in the in Europe, and they get themselves better trained. 413 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 3: I don't care what anybody says. The best training in 414 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 3: the world for the NBA is college basketball. Okay so 415 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 3: Yan and a few others, Jokic, those guys went through 416 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 3: Europe the system. 417 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 2: But MJ. 418 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 3: Magic. You look at Paul Pierce, the best players in 419 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 3: the history of the game went through college. Larry Bird, 420 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 3: of course I should have certainly mentioned. 421 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: That, Chamberlin Russell, on and on right. 422 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean they went and you continue to have 423 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 3: this incredible resource of Tom Izzo and Bill Self and 424 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 3: John Calipari and Rick Patino, who are unbelievable teachers of 425 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,399 Speaker 3: the game. And you can get that, and now you 426 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 3: can get paid to do that, and you can get 427 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:45,640 Speaker 3: yourself ready for the highest league in the world. There's 428 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 3: no better place to develop NBA talent than there isn't 429 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:50,200 Speaker 3: in American colleges. 430 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 1: Mike, when you look at Mike de COURSI is my guest, 431 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: of course, Sporting News, Big ten Network as well. When 432 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 1: you look at this final four, you know I was 433 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:05,399 Speaker 1: looking this up yesterday. Everybody amongst these four teams, they 434 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,919 Speaker 1: all shoot the three pointer in terms of shooting percentage 435 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: at a pretty even clip. It's pretty even amongst the four. However, 436 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:17,360 Speaker 1: the volume is different. Illinois obviously shoots nearly double over 437 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: the course of the year than did Arizona. Whenever you 438 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: get into a Lucas Oil stadium. And I know this 439 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: sounds crazy and it doesn't mean for the totality of 440 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,639 Speaker 1: the game, but sometimes early in the game it takes 441 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: shooters a minute, and I know they have walked throughs 442 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: and practices, but the depth perception is just a little 443 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 1: bit different. Okay, Is this a Final Four that can 444 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: be won by an Illinois, for example, by simply out 445 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: three point shooting everyone, so to speak? Will the three 446 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:49,400 Speaker 1: be a prevalent part of the storyline within this Final four? 447 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 3: Jake, I've written multiple times over the years, and more 448 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 3: so even than me, there have been statistans. I believe 449 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 3: Ken Palmroy has done this. It's actually not as much 450 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 3: impact on the performances as people think there are. And 451 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 3: one of the back when they used to put the 452 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 3: regionals on occasion, what they would often do is use 453 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 3: the regionals as a trial run for the following year's 454 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 3: Final Four. If the Final Four was coming to Indy 455 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 3: one year, let's say, let's say it was come in 456 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 3: twenty ten, they would put it in the in the 457 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 3: in Lucas Oil in two thousand and nine. 458 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 1: Well, the regionals, we're here last year, right at Lucas Oil. 459 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 3: They don't. They no longer feel compelled to do that, 460 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:34,160 Speaker 3: but I believe that they did that a year ago 461 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:36,959 Speaker 3: in a lot of cases. But anyway, back when they 462 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,359 Speaker 3: used to do that, we would have games in like 463 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:44,359 Speaker 3: traditional domes like the Alamo Dome, which they've now retrofitted 464 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 3: in a way that they can use the Final four 465 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:47,879 Speaker 3: set up. But back when they used to stick the 466 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 3: court in the corner and then block off half, and 467 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 3: then we had the basketball arenas like say FedEx down 468 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 3: in Memphis, and then you would have the real the 469 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 3: stadium looked that they would use, like at Lucas Oil, 470 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:01,639 Speaker 3: that like they'll use this weekend. And so you could say, Okay, 471 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 3: what were the shot numbers here, there and there? And 472 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 3: I was able to look at that, and there really 473 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:08,119 Speaker 3: wasn't any difference as a matter of fact, in the 474 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 3: year that I checked, and it probably had something to 475 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 3: do with the teams, but I think it said something. 476 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 3: The year that I checked, I believe was two thousand 477 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 3: and nine, the worst shooting performances were in FedEx in Memphis, 478 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 3: not in the domes. So it's I think what you're 479 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 3: seeing in those early parts really is they're nervous, right, Yeah, 480 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 3: it's that simple. They it's the final four man. It's 481 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:33,360 Speaker 3: as big. 482 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 2: As it gets. 483 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 3: And yeah, okay, so the seventy five thousand people thing 484 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 3: probably makes a difference more so than the shooting background. 485 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 3: Kids grow up even now, playing on playgrounds where the 486 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 3: with metal rimstal, metal nets and metal backboards and on 487 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 3: occasion maybe not even a net. Remember those days where 488 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 3: you'd hoop and you wouldn't have met the ball. 489 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 1: Comply would throw you off too. It was like and 490 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: it was like watching Trey Kaufman Wren's put back. You're 491 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: like waiting, did that go in or not? And then 492 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,159 Speaker 1: you know, oh, my gosh. 493 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:07,440 Speaker 3: I thought I thought that ball, I thought he missed. 494 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:08,360 Speaker 1: I thought it was a spare ball. 495 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 3: It went so clean through the hoop. I didn't think 496 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:12,880 Speaker 3: it went in. That was the most amazing thing. 497 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I listen back in the day and now we 498 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 1: sound like, you know, the two old guys at the 499 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:21,840 Speaker 1: end of the Muppets, But the two biggest like discussions 500 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:24,160 Speaker 1: that would take place on the court. One was whether 501 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 1: or not you could actually technically call a foul right 502 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 1: when you shoot a ball and come ouside a foul. 503 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:30,200 Speaker 1: And then the other would be that like it, did 504 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:30,879 Speaker 1: it go in or not? 505 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 2: Right? 506 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: I'm telling you went through this particular final four, Mike, 507 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 1: what's your favorite storyline maybe that you know obviously we 508 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: know the big storylines, but is there anything that jumped 509 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: out at you where you thought to yourself, if more 510 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: people knew the story of that kid, or that coach 511 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 1: or that team, they would fall in love with it. 512 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:51,359 Speaker 3: Well, one of the things that I really fell in 513 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:53,199 Speaker 3: love with through the Sweet Sixteen. I mean, I have 514 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 3: no bradder Underwood for twenty years since he was an 515 00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 3: assistant for Bob Huggins at K State. That's where I 516 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 3: met him. He came up from the Juco's, Hugs hired 517 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:04,399 Speaker 3: him there and then he went on, you know, he 518 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:08,159 Speaker 3: coached with Frank Martin at K State after Huggs went 519 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 3: back to West Virginia, and he eventually winds up at 520 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 3: Steven F. Austin doing a phenomenal job there, gets to 521 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 3: oak State for a year, and then he gets at 522 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 3: the shot at Illinois, and I knew he would take 523 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:22,199 Speaker 3: that shot if he got it, and I knew he 524 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 3: would succeed, but I didn't know he would succeed like this. 525 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 3: I have a good friend in Indy, Jim Watson, who 526 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 3: is a lot ILLINOI alum, and when they hired him, 527 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 3: I said, I said, I think you're getting a really 528 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 3: good one. And then I was nervous because I promised 529 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 3: him he was getting a good coach. Well, I think 530 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 3: Coach Underwood has backed up my promise. But what I 531 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 3: loved about what I heard from him was when he 532 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 3: was being questioned about being the Illinois fighting a LINEI 533 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,639 Speaker 3: playing against Houston Cougar's in Houston, two miles from the 534 00:27:55,760 --> 00:28:00,040 Speaker 3: UH campus, and his response to that was, look, and 535 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,919 Speaker 3: it's been like twenty twenty five years since I was 536 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 3: driving a van from Kansas with a bunch of junior 537 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 3: college guys to go play a game in Mesa, Arizona. 538 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 3: I don't care where you put the Sweet sixteen, I'm 539 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 3: going if I'm in it. And it was just such 540 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:19,919 Speaker 3: a beautiful appreciation of how far he's come, and I 541 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 3: think any of us who've had some success can do 542 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 3: the same. And in my case, I started off Jake 543 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 3: making seven dollars a story. It was seven dollars plus mileage. 544 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 3: I don't know how many cents a mile, but it 545 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 3: wasn't many. Seven dollars seven dollars a story for the 546 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 3: Mononga Hailey Daily Herald, which was Joe Montana's hometown, and 547 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 3: I covered high school sports for them for two and 548 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 3: a half three years. And that's where it starts. And 549 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 3: the best part of that story is it was seven 550 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 3: dollars a story plus mileage, and then like about halfway through, 551 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 3: they took away the mileage. I was cought them too much. 552 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:01,800 Speaker 1: You were hoping at that point you were just writing 553 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: stories that were two miles from the campus, right, because 554 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: you weren't getting the mileage anyway. Right. 555 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. 556 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 3: I was just happy to be able to learn how 557 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:13,160 Speaker 3: to do what I did, and I was so blessed 558 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 3: to get that opportunity. A high school friend of mine 559 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 3: asked me if what I was doing to try to 560 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 3: get ready, and she said, you know, you should go 561 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 3: down there. And I drove down to the Daily Herald office, 562 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 3: and I walked up to the front desk and asked 563 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 3: to speak to the sports editor and he came over 564 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 3: and he said okay and gave me a shot on 565 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 3: the spot, and that was it. I worked for them 566 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 3: for the next two and a half years writing high 567 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 3: school articles. 568 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: How many of those seven dollars stories did you have 569 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: to write before you could properly spell Monongahey within the 570 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: Mononga Hala within the byline? 571 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,000 Speaker 3: Hey, when you grow up on the Yaka Ganiney River. 572 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 4: Monaga hal is a walk in the park, right, Yes, absolutely. 573 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: Hey, Mike, your favorite memories of and you had a 574 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: great column and just you posted it yesterday is when 575 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 1: I read it. But your favorite memories of the Final Four. 576 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: I loved the fact that you included. And I'm saying 577 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: this just for the younger audience or for those that 578 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 1: might not have lived here in India at the time. 579 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: You know, it's difficult to illustrate to people just how 580 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:20,239 Speaker 1: incredible and at the same time how surreal it was 581 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: to have fifteen years removed from Bob Knight's last undefeated team, 582 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 1: to have Vegas come here here with a chance to 583 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: cap off a perfect season, and that shock of Duke 584 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: upsetting UNLV and that ninety one final four. I love 585 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: that you included that within some of your great memories. 586 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:39,959 Speaker 1: But man, there have been a ton of great memories, 587 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:40,400 Speaker 1: haven't there. 588 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 3: Absolutely? I mean, that was number one for me. I 589 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 3: think that would have been my first Indie Final four, 590 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 3: and there have been several since, including the challenging one 591 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 3: with COVID in twenty one, and that certainly is a 592 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 3: distinct memory. But it was great that the NCAA told 593 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 3: that off and we got to crown a champion that 594 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 3: year after the crushing disappointment of a year before. But 595 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 3: I'll say this, and I will always say this, and 596 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 3: I know that it's probably a tougher thing for the 597 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 3: NCAA to pull off now because one, so many people 598 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 3: are building stadiums with dome so that they can get 599 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,719 Speaker 3: the Final four, and also the fact that once they 600 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 3: moved there they're headquarters to Indy, they were kind of biased, 601 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 3: so to speak. But I've always believed that every Final 602 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,239 Speaker 3: four should be in Indianapolis. Maybe we'd get tired of it, 603 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 3: but I don't think so. Because Indianapolis I wrote this, 604 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 3: I got one of the wonderful pleasures of my last 605 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 3: year on the job was when the Pacers made the 606 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 3: Championship series last year and the finals were coming back 607 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:52,479 Speaker 3: to Indianapolis for the first time in twenty five years. 608 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 3: I got a chance to write about what I learned 609 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 3: in my decade in India as a resident of the 610 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 3: suburbs out there and Fishers and talk about how Indianapolis 611 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 3: and the state of Indiana get basketball better than any 612 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 3: other place. I mean I lived after I left Pittsburgh, 613 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 3: my hometown where I fell in love with the game, 614 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 3: and almost no one else did, and almost all of 615 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 3: those who did ended up leaving to become successful, like 616 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 3: Sean Miller, Herb Syndek, at Santa Clara, the late great 617 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 3: Skip Prosser. We all left to search for basketball, so 618 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,239 Speaker 3: to speak. And I went to Memphis, which was an 619 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 3: incredible basketball city from the grassroots up, and Cincinnati, which 620 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 3: in the time I was there, was absolutely the best 621 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 3: college basketball city because they had Xavier and Cincinnati rocking 622 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 3: at a top twenty five level and the rivalry was unbelievable. 623 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 3: And then I moved to Indy, which is It's just 624 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 3: basketball Heaven. I love the slogan we grow basketball here 625 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:54,840 Speaker 3: because it absolutely captures the state, and I got to 626 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 3: write that article about what basketball means to Indye and 627 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,160 Speaker 3: to Indiana when they made the finals last year, and 628 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 3: talked to a bunch of people around the state. Jason 629 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 3: Gardner who grew up there, Michael Lewis who grew up 630 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 3: in Indiana, and Indianapolis should have the Final four because 631 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 3: they appreciate it. They put it on better than anybody 632 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 3: else by far, but also they appreciate it more than. 633 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 1: Anyone Arizona's loan championship came here in the final four 634 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 1: in ninety seven. Of course, under lude Olsen Jason Gardner 635 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 1: took them to a final four, but they were not 636 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:33,440 Speaker 1: able to win it. Illinois obviously is still in search 637 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: of their first national championship. Michigan won THEIRS in eighty nine, 638 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 1: that was in Seattle, and then Connecticut obviously has you know, 639 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 1: we know what Connecticut has done lately. Is there any 640 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: of these four that you would consider to be an 641 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 1: upset if they were to win it? 642 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, Ukhn for sure, Illinois would be a like if 643 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 3: you look at the odds. I was just on a 644 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 3: call with someone else and he gave me the odds 645 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 3: per team, and it's slightly above even money for Michigan, 646 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 3: a little bit more than that for Arizona, then around 647 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:11,880 Speaker 3: four to one for Illinois, and I think six or 648 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 3: seven to one for Yukon, something like that. And I think, 649 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:21,520 Speaker 3: if you look at Yukon, their team right now is 650 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:23,880 Speaker 3: very fortunate to be here now. Of course, they had 651 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:25,680 Speaker 3: to make their own luck, and Braylan had to make 652 00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:30,760 Speaker 3: the amazing shot, But the things that I thought needed 653 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 3: to happen for them to get here didn't happen all 654 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:38,640 Speaker 3: season long. Braylan Mullins is a great talent and he's 655 00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:40,319 Speaker 3: going to He's going to get a chance to be 656 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 3: an NBA first round pick, I hope in twenty twenty seven, honestly, 657 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 3: because I don't think that his game has fully matured 658 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 3: so that it's ready for the league. But he's a 659 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:53,320 Speaker 3: great talent, and they know it, and everybody on a 660 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 3: team knows it, and all the coaches know it, and 661 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:58,000 Speaker 3: they know that in order to win the biggest games, 662 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 3: Braylin's going to have to be who he is at 663 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:04,320 Speaker 3: his best. But it didn't happen in the first four rounds. 664 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 3: It really didn't happen until there were six seconds left 665 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:10,799 Speaker 3: in the in the Duke ging, So that to me, 666 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:14,360 Speaker 3: if they're able to win it, I mean, obviously Braylin 667 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 3: will have to be special, and it won't be an 668 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:19,239 Speaker 3: upset if he is, but it'll be it'll have been 669 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 3: a long journey back. 670 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:24,520 Speaker 1: I think, Mike that the Danny Hurley gets a lot 671 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 1: of credit for two things. I mean for a lot 672 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 1: of things. One of them is and I want you 673 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 1: to to tell me if this is an off base observation, 674 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 1: but I look at Danny Hurley and I say, here's 675 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 1: a guy that theoretically, during the game itself, at times 676 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 1: loses all self control. I mean, maybe he's within control, 677 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,120 Speaker 1: but I mean he's he's all over the place, right, 678 00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 1: he's he's right running up and you know, we get that. 679 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:51,319 Speaker 1: But at the end of that game against Duke, his 680 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:55,480 Speaker 1: team was in total control, and they they made, you know, 681 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 1: the pass back to Mullins, the presence of mind of 682 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 1: Mullins to get that to pass, to then get lined 683 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 1: up for the shot, to know there's only four seconds left, 684 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: to know that he's got to let it go. All 685 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:09,719 Speaker 1: of those things coming into play there, I thought it 686 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,920 Speaker 1: was symbolic of good coaching because they looked prepared for 687 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: the moment. In addition to that, I give Hurley a 688 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 1: lot of credit because shooter's got to shoot, and if 689 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,680 Speaker 1: a shooter is not getting the ball, I've always said, 690 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,399 Speaker 1: if you're playing horse with somebody and a guy that's 691 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:26,560 Speaker 1: a good shooter is not hitting anything, and then eventually 692 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 1: he goes and forfeits one of his reps by getting 693 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 1: to the free throw line, you don't want him hitting 694 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,760 Speaker 1: that free throw because then suddenly the field comes back. 695 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:36,960 Speaker 1: But you got to have shooters to continue to shoot. 696 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:39,880 Speaker 1: And Danny Hurley has allowed Mullins to do that and 697 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 1: eventually it paid off for him. I thought there were 698 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:44,480 Speaker 1: two examples there of really good coaching. 699 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:48,880 Speaker 3: Oh absolutely, the presence of mind to look back. The 700 00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:51,320 Speaker 3: presence of mind of Brailin to get into the play 701 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,960 Speaker 3: after he retrieves the ball. If you look at the play. 702 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:58,160 Speaker 3: And this is what really just continues to baffle me, 703 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 3: is that when the play happens, Cayden Boozer made a 704 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:05,840 Speaker 3: poor decision to try to force the ball over Braylan 705 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 3: and memory from Yukon it was a poor decision. The 706 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 3: best decision there is to hold the ball. A lot 707 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 3: of people said throw the ball toward the ceiling, et cetera, 708 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:16,920 Speaker 3: et cetera. And you could do those things and they 709 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:21,320 Speaker 3: could have worked. But the basketball decision that everyone makes 710 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:23,200 Speaker 3: hold the ball, let them follow, you go make some 711 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 3: free throws in the games over and he made an 712 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 3: awful decision to attempt to throw the pass and have 713 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:33,319 Speaker 3: it deflected by memory. But I honestly think that if 714 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 3: on a scale of what makes literal no sense, is 715 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 3: that the second decision that Caden Boozer made was even poorer. 716 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:45,680 Speaker 3: And that was when Braylan went into the forecourt, the 717 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:51,480 Speaker 3: Duke forecourt to get the ball and retrieve it. Instead 718 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:57,680 Speaker 3: of going toward him and defending him, Boozer went all 719 00:37:57,680 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 3: the way back to the lane twenty feet away from Mullens. 720 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:05,680 Speaker 3: When he takes the shot, he went back to guard nobody. 721 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:08,360 Speaker 3: And if he stays in the play, here's what happened. 722 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:10,960 Speaker 3: The ball goes to Alice Caravan on the right wing. 723 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:13,759 Speaker 3: Cameron Booser has come into the play so that he 724 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:15,839 Speaker 3: doesn't have a good shot. Now he could take it, 725 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 3: but he'd be challenged, it would be off balanced, it 726 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:20,520 Speaker 3: wouldn't be in rhythm. He would have to try to 727 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:23,120 Speaker 3: dribble to kit some space and probably wouldn't have gotten 728 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 3: off a good shot, but he saw that Braylan was 729 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:28,799 Speaker 3: uncovered coming across the mid court line and threw it 730 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:32,480 Speaker 3: back to him. And if camera, if Kayden Boozer had 731 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:34,800 Speaker 3: been in the play, that wouldn't. 732 00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:35,120 Speaker 2: Have been available. 733 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,959 Speaker 1: That passing lanes closed, right, Yeah, I mean. 734 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:41,280 Speaker 3: He could still probably get it to him, because because 735 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:43,600 Speaker 3: Cayden's not going to reach out and try to deflect 736 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 3: that it would have to be an awful pass for 737 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:48,520 Speaker 3: him to get. But he's there and so at that point, 738 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:52,040 Speaker 3: the rhythm and the and the eyesight and all of 739 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:57,120 Speaker 3: that that was available for the shot would have been gone. 740 00:38:57,200 --> 00:39:00,319 Speaker 3: So that play probably just becomes the heat. And that's 741 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:03,440 Speaker 3: what really blows me away. It was the second decision, honestly, 742 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:06,280 Speaker 3: that I'm even more vexed by than the first. 743 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: Okay, Mike, I'm going to end with this. I'm going 744 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: to give you the same trivia question I gave to 745 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 1: Eddie earlier. Okay, Okay. I looked up today in the 746 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:18,160 Speaker 1: US News and World Report academic rankings the final four schools. 747 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 1: I want you to rank to me what you would guessed. 748 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:25,920 Speaker 1: Don't look, don't don't look, but non ranking the final 749 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:28,239 Speaker 1: four schools of what you would assume them to be 750 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:31,600 Speaker 1: from from highest ranking to lowest ranking of the final 751 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:35,799 Speaker 1: four schools as it stands right now academically speaking, go. 752 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 3: Ahead, probably Michigan, Illinois, Yukon, Arizona. 753 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,360 Speaker 1: I'm writing down your guests. We'll reveal it later in 754 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 1: the program. 755 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:50,400 Speaker 3: Mike, I want to know what's at I said, you're 756 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:51,880 Speaker 3: gonna have to text me because I want to know. 757 00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:54,240 Speaker 1: I will text you the answer. 758 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 2: How's that? 759 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:55,840 Speaker 1: I will text you the answer? 760 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:56,759 Speaker 2: Great, Mike. 761 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:57,440 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. 762 00:39:57,480 --> 00:39:57,600 Speaker 4: Man. 763 00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:00,239 Speaker 1: I know it's a really busy time and certain I 764 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,600 Speaker 1: hope you're able to soak in all the joy, the 765 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:04,480 Speaker 1: fun and the atmosphere of the final four. 766 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:06,799 Speaker 3: Thank you, Jake. I'll look forward to seeing it. 767 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:10,839 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. Mike's Coursey joining us on the program. Yes, 768 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: Scott Agnes joins us now for field House Files, Pacers 769 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:20,320 Speaker 1: and Action Tomorrow Night taking on the Bulls and Scott, 770 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,120 Speaker 1: I'll begin with I guess when it comes to this 771 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: game Tomorrow night, kind of the elephant in the room, 772 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 1: and that is the story of Jade and Ivy. I 773 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:30,319 Speaker 1: got into it earlier. I went fairly in depth on it, 774 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,840 Speaker 1: but Jade and Ivy being waived by the Bulls. I 775 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:36,480 Speaker 1: guess your overall reaction. Clearly, he is out for the 776 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:40,520 Speaker 1: rest of the year with injury. But you know, how 777 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:42,480 Speaker 1: did you interpret that news. 778 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,640 Speaker 4: I took it as the Chicago Bulls, who are not 779 00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:48,960 Speaker 4: doing well, are looking, you know, or one of those 780 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,360 Speaker 4: bottom tier teams in the league are trying to remove 781 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:54,160 Speaker 4: a distraction here for the final couple weeks of the season. 782 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:56,840 Speaker 4: He was a guy that was acquired at the trade deadline, 783 00:40:56,880 --> 00:40:59,920 Speaker 4: has been mostly hurt. I think early on maybe he 784 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,000 Speaker 4: wanted to play and they didn't want him, and then 785 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:06,120 Speaker 4: he was ruled out for the season, and all along, 786 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:08,080 Speaker 4: even since the trade, I didn't expect for them to 787 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:10,680 Speaker 4: bring it bring him back next year, and so I 788 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 4: think it was a matter of, you know, be who 789 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:16,280 Speaker 4: you can afford to be, and in this case, Jaden 790 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:18,719 Speaker 4: was a guy that was unavailable and injured, and so 791 00:41:19,239 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 4: let's remove him from the equation. 792 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think that's as I had said earlier, Scott, 793 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:28,840 Speaker 1: the one thing that bothered is the wrong word. But 794 00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:32,720 Speaker 1: I think to just say the Bulls have waived Jaden 795 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:36,800 Speaker 1: Ivy because of particular comments to me, I'm like, look, 796 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,799 Speaker 1: I don't think that's accurate because there's a lot more 797 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:43,480 Speaker 1: that goes into it. And if Jaden Ivy was averaging 798 00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:45,960 Speaker 1: seventeen points in twenty nine minutes a game, there's no 799 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:46,840 Speaker 1: way that that happens. 800 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:49,040 Speaker 5: Right, Oh, one hundred percent, exactly right. 801 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:51,960 Speaker 4: It was one of those cases where he's not contributing 802 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:53,759 Speaker 4: on the courts. So the last thing you want is 803 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:56,239 Speaker 4: for that guy to speak up elsewhere. Now what he's 804 00:41:56,239 --> 00:42:00,239 Speaker 4: getting into and some of that, Like you know, there's 805 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:02,279 Speaker 4: been a lot of arguments about that and should he 806 00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:05,160 Speaker 4: have free speech from that respect, right, But what it 807 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:08,440 Speaker 4: comes down to is he's not playing. Therefore the Bulls 808 00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:11,160 Speaker 4: him being in a contract year, just like Benedict Mathern 809 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:13,800 Speaker 4: is same draft class. This is the direction the Bulls 810 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:14,919 Speaker 4: felt more comfortable going. 811 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,520 Speaker 1: Speaking of that, do you think Benedict Matherin? I realized 812 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:20,239 Speaker 1: that since he's in Los Angeles now and playing for 813 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:24,080 Speaker 1: the Clippers, that you know that's you don't cover the Clippers, 814 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:27,200 Speaker 1: But just from what you've been able to see, Reid follow, 815 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:30,600 Speaker 1: do you believe that Benedict Matherin could possibly factor into 816 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:35,080 Speaker 1: the Clippers' plans beyond this year? I do? 817 00:42:35,520 --> 00:42:38,120 Speaker 4: I do just the level of scoring he's played with. 818 00:42:38,160 --> 00:42:41,800 Speaker 4: He seems to be pairing nicely with Kawhi, and with Kawhi, obviously, 819 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:44,520 Speaker 4: you never know where his health has been. When he's great, 820 00:42:44,719 --> 00:42:47,440 Speaker 4: he's still playing at a near MVP caliber level. And 821 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:50,280 Speaker 4: at the same time, though Jake, we've known for several 822 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:54,360 Speaker 4: years now, this Clippers team has shaped up their salaries 823 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:57,720 Speaker 4: to have a lot of money for this upcoming summer 824 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,279 Speaker 4: of twenty twenty six and to be able to then 825 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:03,600 Speaker 4: and such, and ultimately I think will come down to 826 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:06,040 Speaker 4: who has the best offer. I think with Mattherin, with 827 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:08,520 Speaker 4: this first big contract, I think he'll go for the 828 00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:10,719 Speaker 4: best offer on the table. It could be the Clippers, 829 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:13,520 Speaker 4: they'll have his rights. But the grand scheme of it, 830 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:17,440 Speaker 4: honestly is there hasn't been much of a market for 831 00:43:17,560 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 4: restricted free agents, which means teams can match any offer 832 00:43:21,239 --> 00:43:24,440 Speaker 4: out there, and so we've seen other players get into it. 833 00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:28,239 Speaker 4: Jonathan kaminga previously with Golden State, so that is more 834 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:31,320 Speaker 4: favorable for the teams. But I think Mathern's proven his 835 00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:33,840 Speaker 4: worth and you got to and I go back to 836 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:35,520 Speaker 4: the fact that he's still dealing with a turf toe 837 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:37,440 Speaker 4: injury he suffered in like game two of the season, 838 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,280 Speaker 4: and so he should be better off after a healthy 839 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 4: and RESTful offseason as well. 840 00:43:42,239 --> 00:43:44,520 Speaker 1: Scott Agnus is my guest field House Files, where you 841 00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:46,760 Speaker 1: could read his work Scott heading down the home stretch. 842 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:50,080 Speaker 1: Here we figured it out basically for the Pacers seven 843 00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:54,080 Speaker 1: games remaining, they want to stay in that bottom three 844 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:58,040 Speaker 1: I guess to mathematically give themselves the best chance at 845 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:04,120 Speaker 1: a top four pick. As it stands right now, nineteen 846 00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:10,240 Speaker 1: wins if everybody just lost out, nineteen would be that benchmark. Realistically, 847 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:12,200 Speaker 1: do you when you look at it, do you think 848 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:15,040 Speaker 1: they do have kind of a number in mind where 849 00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:16,960 Speaker 1: they say, let's make sure we don't exceed that. I 850 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:20,040 Speaker 1: know that we're not talking overtly tanking quote end quote, 851 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:22,800 Speaker 1: but it has to be in the mind, right. 852 00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:25,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, I would assume. So we don't know that. 853 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:29,480 Speaker 4: But they got several analytics guys over there, and at 854 00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:31,719 Speaker 4: this point you are so far into it, right, Jake 855 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:35,160 Speaker 4: lay totally like they'd be schoolish to mess. 856 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:36,839 Speaker 5: Up your odds. But you're right. 857 00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:39,400 Speaker 4: Top three give you a fourteen percent chance at the 858 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:42,160 Speaker 4: number one overall pick. But again the most important thing 859 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:45,279 Speaker 4: is to just be in top four. Therefore, you're able 860 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:48,320 Speaker 4: to keep that pick. But they've split their last four games. 861 00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:51,920 Speaker 4: There's clearly at least a couple more winnable games among 862 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:54,239 Speaker 4: their final seven with four on the road, or yeah, 863 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:57,440 Speaker 4: four on the road including this road trip that is 864 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:00,319 Speaker 4: their last one that begins coming up in Chicago. And 865 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:04,080 Speaker 4: so yeah, anytime there's a player out there that has 866 00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:09,040 Speaker 4: any concern whatsoever, like we saw Jerris Walker's hard fall, 867 00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:12,600 Speaker 4: you're gonna lean as always on that side of safety, 868 00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:15,680 Speaker 4: and from his standpoint, you hold him out. And I 869 00:45:15,719 --> 00:45:17,600 Speaker 4: think that will be the case here for another game 870 00:45:17,680 --> 00:45:18,320 Speaker 4: or two at least. 871 00:45:18,360 --> 00:45:21,759 Speaker 1: Has Kobe Brown played his way into possible discussion for 872 00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:24,240 Speaker 1: next year or is he simply getting empty calories? 873 00:45:25,160 --> 00:45:25,359 Speaker 3: Yeah? 874 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:26,600 Speaker 5: I think so, I do. 875 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:29,560 Speaker 4: I mean he's shooting I think forty four percent from 876 00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:32,960 Speaker 4: three point range. He's he's a bigger frame than they have, 877 00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:35,600 Speaker 4: a little bit taller, I think than most people realize. 878 00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:38,160 Speaker 4: And for a guy, you know, I could see him 879 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 4: becoming the twelfth or thirteenth guy potentially on the team. 880 00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:45,440 Speaker 4: I don't necessarily see him as a rotation guy right away. 881 00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:48,920 Speaker 4: Assuming full health for the Spacers team next season, including 882 00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:51,319 Speaker 4: a draft pick that I'm factoring in and all this, 883 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:54,480 Speaker 4: but just outside the rotation and certainly a guy you 884 00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:56,440 Speaker 4: lean on with injuries and all that stuff. 885 00:45:56,719 --> 00:45:58,799 Speaker 5: I think early on the thought was he's just a 886 00:45:58,880 --> 00:45:59,200 Speaker 5: throw in. 887 00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:03,440 Speaker 4: But this via case here where the right opportunity, an 888 00:46:03,440 --> 00:46:07,640 Speaker 4: opportunity with playing time leads to a potential future for 889 00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:12,400 Speaker 4: him here contractually, Scott with Kobe Brown, it's like Jalen 890 00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:14,640 Speaker 4: Smith of a few years ago, where they can only 891 00:46:14,680 --> 00:46:16,320 Speaker 4: offer him X amount of dollars. 892 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:16,840 Speaker 1: Correct. 893 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:22,359 Speaker 4: Yes, that's my understanding with that, because they declined his 894 00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:26,920 Speaker 4: fourth year option, clearly suggesting Clippers weren't interested in moving forward. 895 00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:29,200 Speaker 4: You don't see it a ton, but that does have 896 00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:32,520 Speaker 4: limitations on what the Pacers can get to in terms 897 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:33,440 Speaker 4: of a salary number. 898 00:46:33,680 --> 00:46:37,360 Speaker 1: PACER's Bulls Tomorrow night, eight o'clock tip up in Chicago, 899 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:39,480 Speaker 1: pregame at seven thirty can be heard on the station, 900 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:41,320 Speaker 1: and then of course you can read all about it 901 00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:44,320 Speaker 1: before and after at Fieldhouse Files with Scott Agnes. Scott 902 00:46:44,320 --> 00:46:45,520 Speaker 1: appreciated as always. 903 00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:47,680 Speaker 5: You gotta thank Jake Scott Agnes joining 904 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:48,400 Speaker 1: Us on the programs