1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 1: Jesus. Your is their room for the State of Basketball. 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 2: Leader Fan Fan Radio Network and k fa N dot com. 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,959 Speaker 2: Two minutes and thirty three seconds past the hour of 4 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 2: two o'clock. 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: No, no, those are. 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 2: The old days after three o'clock Central daylight saving time. 7 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: We welcome you back to a Monday edition of The 8 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 2: Afternoon ardvark on a I guess seasonable Monday Afternoon here 9 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 2: for late March in the twin cities of Minneapolis and 10 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: Saint Paul. My name is Dan Burrero, the host of 11 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 2: the program This will shock you guards. He's not available today, funny, 12 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 2: and might not be available for most of the week. 13 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: More on that later. 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: That means Brett Blackmore is back in the chair, and 15 00:00:57,680 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: we're delighted that he's back with us. 16 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:00,959 Speaker 1: We're delighted that you are along for the Afternoon Ride 17 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: as well. 18 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 2: Brat Shawn Bryan Kiffin text line is open at six 19 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 2: four six eight six is their room. 20 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: For the State of Basketball. In the State of Hockey. 21 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 2: I've always believed the two could coexist easily side by side. 22 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:27,279 Speaker 2: I understand that the tradition, one could argue, is greater 23 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: in the State of Hockey. The truth of the matter 24 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: is the I guess you could say inconvenient truth is 25 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 2: that on the professional side, we were the state of 26 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 2: basketball before we were the state of hockey. It wasn't 27 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: even close. The Minneapolis Lakers are an historic franchise. I 28 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 2: think they won ended up winning five titles here. Eventually, 29 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 2: of course, they fled to the West Coast and went 30 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 2: pretty well. It has gone pretty well in Los Angeles 31 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 2: over the years, but our history when it comes to 32 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: pro basketball goes back a lot further than it does 33 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 2: in professional hockey. I understand on the local level, the 34 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 2: kids level, the youth level, hockey has got a very 35 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 2: special place. And this really isn't to say I think 36 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 2: we're under the mistaken notion that you have to choose 37 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 2: one or the other. I really don't think you should 38 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 2: have to. 39 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: And over the. 40 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 2: Weekend, it was a pretty good weekend for the state 41 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 2: of basketball. In fact, a very good weekend for the 42 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:48,839 Speaker 2: state of basketball. And to that end, I probably need 43 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 2: to issue an apology, an official apology to a Wolves 44 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 2: player by the name of Bones Highland, one of the 45 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: best nick names. There's so few good names left in sports. 46 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 2: Bones Highland I need to apologize to. I'm not ready 47 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 2: to say that he's comeback player of the Year. But 48 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 2: I think it is incumbent upon me to say that 49 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: I doubted him too much. I just thought, Okay, cute 50 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 2: little extra piece. He's had a moment or two. And 51 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 2: Tim Conley was obsessed with him because he drafted him 52 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 2: in Denver, and he brought him here and he's been 53 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 2: here two or three times, and we're happy for him. 54 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 2: You know, nice nickname, good story, nice celebration, nice exactly, 55 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 2: but where is this really going? Well, there's obviously a 56 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 2: little bit more meat on the bone, no pun intended, 57 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 2: as he proved again, I think conclusively in front of 58 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 2: a national audience last night, that kind of maybe was 59 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 2: introduced to Bones Highland in a way that they had 60 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 2: no idea he even existed. 61 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: He was the story. 62 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 2: In Boston, Massachusetts, where the Timberwolves, at a night where everybody 63 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: including me expected them to go belly up pretty easily, 64 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 2: took care of business against a Boston Celtic club that 65 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 2: could not hit a three point shot but refused to 66 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 2: stop taking them. That's sadly the league. It makes a 67 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 2: time for some really hideous, ugly basketball. There's nothing particularly 68 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 2: inventive or creative about it, but they kept shooting them, 69 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 2: and they. 70 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: In this case kept missing them. 71 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 2: Meanwhile, the Wolves hit enough of them, and more than 72 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 2: anything else, Bones Highland injected a bit of verve, a 73 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 2: bit of elon look it up, a bit of electricity 74 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 2: and voltage into a club that missing Anthony Edwards certainly 75 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 2: needed exactly that, and also given that from an offensive standpoint, 76 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 2: Julius Randall was pretty much a no show until late. 77 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 2: So your Minnesota Timberwolves get a nice victory, nice fiber 78 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 2: win on the road against Boston as they hit a 79 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 2: part of their schedule that is very very difficult and 80 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 2: very very challenging. I think Bones ended up with, was 81 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 2: it twenty two points, let's look it up here to 82 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 2: be twenty three? We were down where the Wolves fifteen 83 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 2: looked like it was going to be one of those 84 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 2: days again. After all, we had not beaten Boston in 85 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 2: seven thousand, six hundred and eighty five days, going all 86 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 2: the way back to March six, two thousand and five, 87 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 2: and we're reminded by our three to thirty guest John 88 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 2: Athletic that the Wolves outscored the Celtics by twenty six 89 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 2: points in Highlands thirty minutes and He writes a lot 90 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:58,039 Speaker 2: about injecting a little bit of joy verve into a 91 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 2: club that is known for its and for it's Is 92 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 2: dourness a word it should be. 93 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: If it isn't, that's. 94 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 3: Our rep. 95 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 2: We don't have a lot of guys who smile all 96 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 2: that much. Bowse Hyland. When it's gone, he's smiling. He's 97 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 2: doing his little celebration when he makes threes, and it 98 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 2: kind of does put a smile on your face. Now, 99 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 2: let's be clear, you ain't gonna smile if you can't 100 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 2: ultimately win the game. 101 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: Right, Celebrations are nice. 102 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 2: But if they the game ends and loss at some point, 103 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 2: that's not gonna have much of an impact. But nevertheless, 104 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 2: his I guess you could say joyful performance translated into 105 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 2: a victory. And he's had some nice performances where he 106 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: has actually been an igniter along with my guy Desumu. 107 00:06:54,440 --> 00:07:01,280 Speaker 2: Iodasuma was outstanding again yesterday, running the show, getting stuffed done, scoring, 108 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 2: assisting and more than anything else, he is a mother 109 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 2: of a defender, he really is. 110 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: He is. 111 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 2: The more I watch him play, the more I enjoy 112 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 2: watching him play. And I think again an a, as 113 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 2: we said at the time, an absolutely great acquisition at 114 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 2: the deadline, not as high profile as a huge name 115 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 2: like Blakemore's guy in Milwaukee, Yannis, but an effective player 116 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 2: for sure who didn't obviously necessitate in getting him breaking 117 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 2: up the rest. 118 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: Of the team. 119 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 2: And yet in the state of basketball for those of 120 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 2: us who have a basketball jones, that's a callback. 121 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: It really probably was not. The Wolves win was not 122 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: as good. 123 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 2: As impressive as it was, it was probably not the 124 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 2: highlight the highlight your going to go for. Women's basketball 125 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 2: team has advanced to the sweet sixteen for the first 126 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 2: time in like twenty years, and for the second straight 127 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 2: game at home, they looked heading into the fourth quarter dead, 128 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 2: They looked out of it. They looked like it was 129 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 2: going to end very very quickly. And because they were 130 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 2: playing a better team in Ole, Miss than they were 131 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 2: Friday against Green Bay, I think it certainly felt like, well, 132 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 2: it was fun while it lasted. Right, there was really 133 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: not much to indicate that this club was going to 134 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 2: do what it did, which for the second straight fourth 135 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 2: quarter dominate In the two fourth quarters at home first 136 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 2: two rounds of the tournament, the Gophers outscored their opponent 137 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 2: a combined forty nine to eighteen. That's authoritative, that's clutch, 138 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 2: And of course they got a clutch basket at the 139 00:08:55,800 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 2: end of a clutch three. Semilate a clutch two to 140 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 2: win it, even though Ole Miss got a reasonably good 141 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 2: look after that, but the ball I think bounced off 142 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 2: of the front of the rim. So all in all, 143 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 2: a really good weekend for the state of basketball. Not 144 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 2: a bad weekend for the state of hockey, although we 145 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 2: reviewed it yesterday. We got a nice victory on Saturday 146 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 2: over the Dallas Stars. Correct in ot, Yes, we'll certainly 147 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 2: take that, so that works as well. But I continue 148 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 2: to believe and I understand that there's this sort of 149 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 2: built in rivalry allegedly that it's almost like there are 150 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 2: people as fans who believe if you love, you're only 151 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 2: allowed to love hockey or basketball, not both. And the 152 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 2: hardcore is that's probably always going to be true. But 153 00:09:56,120 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 2: I actually believe there's a growing part of the populace 154 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 2: that does like a good story, likes to see some success, 155 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,559 Speaker 2: and doesn't have that built in. There's so much defensiveness 156 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 2: in the hockey community as we've known, we've established over 157 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 2: the decades. Kevin Follins about yeah, we're ignored too much, 158 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 2: and we're always the ones who are ignored and were 159 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 2: left behind, and we're, you know, the little engine that 160 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 2: could out of Saint Paul. But I think there's a 161 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: I think there's a silent majority of people say. 162 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: Ye'll bring are both on. 163 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 2: It's richer for everybody that at least we know this 164 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 2: much and we could not. 165 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 1: We often could not count on this. 166 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 2: That both winter sports teams will be advancing to the 167 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 2: post season. 168 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: Now, that's not as. 169 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 2: Impressive as doing it in baseball or certainly even in football, 170 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 2: even though we've you know, we have expanded the football playoffs, 171 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 2: but it's even as limiting as that is. 172 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 1: We couldn't count on it that we. 173 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 2: Would have both basketball and hockey teams in the postseason, 174 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 2: one of them now coming off too straight Final four appearances, 175 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,719 Speaker 2: the other thinking it can be a factor despite not 176 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 2: really having much history, having not gotten out of the 177 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 2: round for ten years. So I'm here to embrace all 178 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 2: of it. I don't think you have to take sides. 179 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 2: You can have your favorite. I don't think you have 180 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 2: to take sides. I think even Blakemore has shown a willingness, 181 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 2: an open mindedness to say all right, I'm gonna get 182 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 2: into I'm I'm gonna explore this basketball thing a little bit. 183 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: Doesn't mean you have to like it as much. 184 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 2: You're not as invested in it, your investment doesn't go 185 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 2: back as far. But I don't think anybody is obligated 186 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 2: to rip it or to oh god, I don't have 187 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 2: to pay attention. 188 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,959 Speaker 1: To that basketball stuff or hockey so much. 189 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 2: You know, luck involved puck going off of people's bodies. 190 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: What's the point. 191 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 2: I think you could like both and right now I 192 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 2: think you could feel pretty good about both teams. I 193 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 2: think in the case of the Wolves, they need to sustain 194 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 2: We've talked as recently as as Sunday the way Julius 195 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 2: Randall got called out the inconsistency of the club. But anytime, 196 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 2: let's face it, the Wolves roster has been pretty static, right, 197 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 2: no major changes since the last trade before the start 198 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 2: of last season. 199 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: So if there was going to be improvement or any sort. 200 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 2: Of change of the diet, the basketball dynamics, it was 201 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 2: going to have to come from within. And what should 202 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 2: be I think a little encouraging is maybe with the 203 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 2: two lightning guards off the bench, well Io if he's 204 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 2: back on the bench when Anthony comes back, which would 205 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 2: be a mistake. But if he is, you now have 206 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 2: two fast guards who I think are starting to feel 207 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,080 Speaker 2: their oats a little bit, like they're willing to take 208 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 2: a little bit. They have a little more freedom going 209 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 2: their way that they can assert themselves more than just 210 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 2: in this sort of okay, everybody, there's five other players 211 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 2: in the pecking order ahead of us, And if that 212 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 2: can sort of how the bench looks or even change 213 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 2: out the sensibility of a club that can get a 214 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 2: little dour, that's all good. That should be encouraging as well. 215 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 2: And in the case of the Wild, we know what 216 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 2: the reality is. They're kind of stuck in this ground 217 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 2: where they are where they are, So it's a matter 218 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 2: now of saying as healthy as possible, getting as healthy 219 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 2: as possible, figuring out what combinations work best for the club, 220 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,559 Speaker 2: and probably most importantly, hoping that the goaltending can get 221 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 2: hot at just the right time. 222 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: Let's take our first pause. 223 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:38,439 Speaker 2: Now I mentioned theuglydeck dot Com guest lineup includes John Athletic. 224 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: In about fifteen minutes, we've got guardsy. 225 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 2: Now he's now more often a guest on the show 226 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 2: than he's producing the show. He's going to join us 227 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 2: at his remarkable, isn't it. He's going to join at 228 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 2: what do we say? Four or fifteen? 229 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 3: Yeah? 230 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 2: I went with four or fifteen. He said, you know, 231 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 2: it didn't matter either way to him. Speaking of basketball, 232 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 2: the women's basketball coach University of Minnesota, Don plitz White's 233 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 2: going to join us for a quick hit probably about 234 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:12,079 Speaker 2: five point fifteen or so, and then Louis has got 235 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,920 Speaker 2: some scheduling issues tomorrow, so Tuesday regular Luigi he will 236 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 2: join us on Monday show. I'm going to get on 237 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 2: today's show. I'm going to ask him that question, as 238 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 2: a guy who had to research this stuff, whether there's 239 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 2: any reason there has to be in a metro area 240 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 2: this size in either or basketball or hockey. I still 241 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 2: think one of the things that should the folks in 242 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 2: this town should feel good about is. 243 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 1: Somebody can do the research on this. 244 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 2: I think we remain the smallest population wise metropolitan market 245 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 2: to have teams in all if you want to call 246 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 2: the traditional Big four sports to have teams in all 247 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 2: of them, not to mention the WNBA, soccer, etc. 248 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: He can count the twins there. 249 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 2: Well, that's very true, you know, because there was a 250 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 2: time when the Wolves were brought into town where it 251 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 2: was I'm gonna have to give this town's is not 252 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 2: big enough to have that many. There is no other 253 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:10,479 Speaker 2: town our size that is able to sustain economically football, basketball, baseball, 254 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 2: and hockey on the professional level. And I think we've 255 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 2: pretty much proven that to be not true. At least 256 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 2: here we have that going for us. And that's a 257 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 2: good size toy department, even if we rarely get the 258 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 2: results that we are looking for. First pause, and as 259 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 2: I said, we'll set up the rest of the program. 260 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 2: Take a couple of your texts when we return. Feel 261 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 2: the energy of the state of hockey. But it's not 262 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 2: a wild back at Grand Casino Arena. Don't miss the 263 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 2: speed that hits the roar of the crowd. Get your 264 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 2: tickets now, wild dot com slash tickets, Wild dot com 265 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 2: slash tickets. 266 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 1: A couple of our. 267 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 2: Amateur researchers say Denver metro area of Denver is actually 268 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 2: measured smaller than MSP and they too have it everything. 269 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: And that might be true. I don't. 270 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 2: I think it depends on where how you measure the 271 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 2: population there. I would say someone in the same ballpark, 272 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 2: but they I think both markets could share the fact 273 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 2: that a lot of the predictions were it's just not 274 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 2: going to hold up or something's going to have to give. 275 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 2: And part of the reason that was the speculation here 276 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 2: was it you know, the stars did give, they left right, 277 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 2: and there was a concern that, well, uh, maybe we're 278 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,239 Speaker 2: in a different place when when we got the expansion 279 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 2: wild but there was still a little bit of that 280 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 2: hidden concern. We've talked to Louis about that, and we'll 281 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 2: probably do so again today when he joins us in 282 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 2: about two hours. Get Blake Moore a cot. Guardsis out 283 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 2: a lot need the while to get hot wolves and fun. 284 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 2: That's from Rick. I'm the photo ball guy. You might 285 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 2: I think you do have a cot here, don't you. 286 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 2: Well you used to sleep on the couch in the 287 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 2: performance room, but then they isn't it construction? 288 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 1: Now that's gone right. 289 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 2: I don't think there's any spot that was your spot 290 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 2: for sure, Alan and Afton, writes Dan on the GOP 291 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,840 Speaker 2: for women's hockey coach hired? Did the smiling assassin just 292 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 2: do another Ben Johnson hire? This should be a top 293 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 2: three job in women's hockey and the best person we 294 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 2: could hires the assistant of the guy we fired. Seems 295 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 2: like a convenient, low cost hire. We're saving money for 296 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 2: the less successful men's program. Well, I'm not sure I 297 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 2: can argue with that. It's apparently now official, right Greg 298 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 2: boom May will take over as the goal to go 299 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,360 Speaker 2: for women's head hockey coach. He had been the team's 300 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 2: associate head coach for the last three seasons. He may 301 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 2: be wonderful, he may be just waiting for the opportunity 302 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 2: new four year contract apparently. 303 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: But it does does smell a little bit. 304 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 2: I would say it does seem uninspired, unless I guess 305 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 2: you want to pin it all on Brad Frost, or 306 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 2: you just save a bunch of money a la Ben Johnson. 307 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 2: I don't know. I've told you my position. I like 308 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 2: to think at a university this size, in the big ten, 309 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 2: especially when you're talking about this so called major sports 310 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 2: men and women, that you shouldn't have to nor should 311 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 2: you want to promote an assistant coach, either from your 312 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 2: program or another program. 313 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: That what you do is you. 314 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 2: Give those individuals a chance to go someplace el smaller 315 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 2: first to prove their head coaching bonafides, and then maybe 316 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 2: you consider them down the road, and one would assume 317 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 2: that in the world of women's hockey, this would be 318 00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 2: a very attractive job for all the obvious reasons. So 319 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 2: again I can't tell you I know anything about Greg Boom. 320 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: May you have any insight on Boom a whole lot now, But. 321 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 2: Generally you think, well, if you're gonna make the move 322 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 2: to get rid of a guy who won titles for you, 323 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 2: even if they weren't recent, that you're gonna want to 324 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 2: go a little bit bigger. And this feels small, just 325 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 2: like the Ben Johnson hire felt small, and again no 326 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 2: offense to Ben in this case, no offense to Boom. 327 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: But I just doesn't thrill me. 328 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:36,400 Speaker 2: Now is that? Is it robbing Peter to pay Paul 329 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 2: no pun intended? Well, now he's got more money for 330 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 2: the men's job. I don't know. I have no idea 331 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 2: how that's going to work. So we will indeed see 332 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 2: John the mail carrier. True, Dan Denver does have everything 333 00:19:53,600 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 2: but figurative, figuratively and literally, and we have nothing. I 334 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 2: feel like the hockey versus basketball communities are akin to 335 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 2: the Sharks and the Jets. There are definite people who 336 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,159 Speaker 2: identify strongly with one of the other and are not 337 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,919 Speaker 2: the most vocal, and are the most vocal, but the 338 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 2: vast majority of us are in the gray area where 339 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 2: we could appreciate aspects of more than one sport or 340 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,880 Speaker 2: political party simultaneously. Can't we just all get along? That's 341 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 2: from three to two oero. Guy, Well, the good analogy. 342 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 2: I think there's something. There's some truth to that, I guess. 343 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: I just think. 344 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 2: I think, in a sense, the worst thing that ever 345 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 2: happened to this town is that the marketing wizards that 346 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 2: that be it at the Vennesota wild saddled us forever 347 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 2: when they came up with State of Hockey. And I 348 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 2: still don't know do we know the person who came 349 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 2: up with state of Hockey? Has that ever been established? 350 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 2: Because it was a wild thing? Correct it was? I 351 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 2: feel like it was the owner at the time. 352 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: Was it the owner? 353 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, you might be right, that was it. I'm not 354 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:06,200 Speaker 2: is that nagally? I think it was whoever? It was documentary. 355 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 1: I actually think. 356 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 2: It worked against everybody because it it it elevated I 357 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 2: think even more than ever the defensiveness of your average 358 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 2: hockey fan. 359 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:23,199 Speaker 1: We're the state of Hockey. How do you know? 360 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 2: Well, because we just announced it we are. I want 361 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:30,439 Speaker 2: you announced something. It's true, isn't it? And and then 362 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 2: it's become this silly game of well, we can't be 363 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 2: the state of anything else. We're the state of hockey. 364 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 2: I know we are the state of hockey. Well why 365 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:37,400 Speaker 2: well because we said we are. 366 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: Okay, I guess I've I. 367 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 2: Said, seen the high school tournament, Dan, it's outstanding. 368 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: It didn't need it, it didn't need a mantra, it 369 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:46,959 Speaker 1: just was. 370 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 2: But yeah, the problem is the state of hockey has 371 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 2: been thrown around wherever it's convenient, like when we want it, 372 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:53,919 Speaker 2: when it works our benefit. 373 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 1: We'll talk about pro when it doesn't. When well, the 374 00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 1: pro hockey's not that good. We didn't mean pro. Even 375 00:21:58,480 --> 00:21:59,719 Speaker 1: though the Wild came up with it. 376 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 2: We actually met the high school tournament and even the 377 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 2: Gophers back when. 378 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: They were a factor. By the way, do I have 379 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:11,120 Speaker 1: this right? 380 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,360 Speaker 2: By the way, my Cracks research staff said that Minnesota 381 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 2: Wild pr Maven Billy Robertson, Billy rob So there you go, oh, the. 382 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: Media marketing genius Bill Robertson. Do I have this right? 383 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 2: By the way, when it comes to state of basketball, 384 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 2: I mean, if we grade on curves, folks, from Iowa 385 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:37,120 Speaker 2: are probably just sort of rolling their eyes at my salute, 386 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 2: because I think the Iowa men's basketball team has already 387 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:45,400 Speaker 2: ascended to the sweet sixteen. They knocked off the defending 388 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 2: champion Florida Gators, and on the women's side, it looks 389 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 2: to me like they are right now in a double 390 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 2: overtime barn burner with Virginia sixty right now, Virginia is 391 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,159 Speaker 2: up three. Was a two seed, so three and a 392 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 2: half minutes to go in the game. So if Iowa 393 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 2: can come back and pull that off, both Iowa teams 394 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,360 Speaker 2: men's and women's will have reached the sweet sixteen. 395 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: That's pretty good, is it. 396 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 2: I mean, if that ever happened to us, I don't 397 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:17,920 Speaker 2: know what we would do. It'd be dogs and cats 398 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,679 Speaker 2: living together, that's for sure. John Athletic is do Next, 399 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 2: we'll get to some pro basketball stuff with him, maybe 400 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 2: some football stuff too, and maybe some very tragic stuff 401 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 2: as well. 402 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:30,640 Speaker 1: Johnny Athletic in just a minute here in the fat. 403 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 4: Fine, Johnny donnylhead ache. I didn't be talking about that 404 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,360 Speaker 4: right now. 405 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 2: Questions for Johnny six four six eighty six Bright Seawan Bryant, 406 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 2: k FA and text line RBC Wealth Management brings Johnny 407 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:59,399 Speaker 2: to us and to you each and every week. You 408 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 2: may know that already, but some of your compadres, perhaps 409 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 2: inspired by some of the more recent and most egregious 410 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 2: examples of tanking, decided to go down memory lane and 411 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 2: tried to compile some of the great, most memorable or 412 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 2: infamous moments of tanking that go way back. And they 413 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:30,679 Speaker 2: give credit at the top of their list for getting 414 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:34,920 Speaker 2: ahead of this all the way well basically twenty years ago, 415 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 2: almost almost exactly on the anniversary I think April sixth, 416 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 2: excuse me, April nineteenth, twenty oh six, so a month away, 417 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 2: but still twenty years ago in terms of years, when 418 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 2: your favorite team, the Wolves, hosted the Memphis Grizzlies, and 419 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:54,959 Speaker 2: of course this was the game in which the Wolves 420 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 2: were up six going into the fourth quarter, tied at regulation, 421 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 2: and at that point your guy Mark Madgin began taking 422 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:07,640 Speaker 2: three point shots. He hadn't done so in about two 423 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 2: years before that. He took two in the first overtime, 424 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,120 Speaker 2: took five more in the second overtime. I was baseline 425 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,959 Speaker 2: for that game, I think, sitting next to Guardzie, so 426 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 2: we I guess get some credit for maybe being ahead 427 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 2: of our time when it comes to the whole tanking phenomenon. 428 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:26,720 Speaker 1: Should we be proud of that? 429 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 3: I think we have to. Should we raise a banner 430 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:31,880 Speaker 3: for that? We don't have a whole lot of banners 431 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 3: in target center that are Wolves responsible? And so I 432 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 3: wrote our little excerpt for that for that piece, and 433 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,919 Speaker 3: I was there for that game as well. That was 434 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,920 Speaker 3: in my very early days of covering this team full time, 435 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 3: and it was quite quite a scene. And that's not 436 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 3: something I'll ever forget. But yeah, I mean rare that 437 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,399 Speaker 3: the Wolves are on the front end of something of 438 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 3: a trend in the NBA. They were on the good 439 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 3: side with KG drafting out of high school, but in 440 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 3: the tanking side, that's that's a little bit more of 441 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 3: an a notorious spot for us. But why not hang 442 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:08,479 Speaker 3: a banner and embrace it? That's why? 443 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 2: Well, well forgive me because I did not know dear byline. 444 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 2: I see it now on that particular piece, so you're 445 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 2: more than familiar with it. We refresh my memory on 446 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 2: why we uh decided we used the pick to select 447 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 2: Brandon Roy and then we traded his draft lights right 448 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,880 Speaker 2: draft rights to Portland for the draft rights to Randy Foy. Uh, 449 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 2: why were we too stupid to understand that, at least 450 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 2: before his for injuries derailed things, Brandon Roy was a 451 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:37,040 Speaker 2: superior player. 452 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was. I think at the time there was 453 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 3: no doubt that Roy was was the superior player. There 454 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 3: was a belief in a lot of places, just not 455 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 3: not just to to rake the Wolves over the Colds 456 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 3: for this, but a lot of teams, including the Wolves, 457 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 3: felt like Brandon Roy's knees were going to give out imminently, 458 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 3: like he was just not going to be able to 459 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 3: make it even through a couple of seasons in the league. 460 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 3: It turned out that he had a phenomenal three to 461 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 3: four had year run there at the start for Portland, 462 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 3: And you can argue Dan that that decision would have 463 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 3: been really exacerbated Kevin Garnett's exit from the Timberwolves, because 464 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,920 Speaker 3: if they draft Roy, they have more success early. Maybe 465 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 3: KG never leaves. 466 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, good point. 467 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, but that was a big mistake because his knees 468 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,480 Speaker 3: eventually did give out, but not before just a brilliant 469 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 3: start to his career, and certainly, you know, head and 470 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 3: shoulders above what Randy Foy ever gave them or anyone else, well, 471 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 3: in the league. 472 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 2: And in the typical Timberwolves fashion, by the time we 473 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 2: got him, he was starting to fall apart. 474 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: In fact, I think he still had a minute for us. 475 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 2: I want to in my mind's eye, I remember us 476 00:27:54,440 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 2: having Brandon roy on bumper to bumper. I don't even 477 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 2: know what the circumstance was, and he had a minute 478 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 2: with us right. Unfortunately, again he just he could not 479 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:07,919 Speaker 2: sustain it. 480 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was like he I will remember it to 481 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 3: this day. Like he came in. It was the twenty 482 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 3: twelve thirteen season, and you know, he had missed the 483 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,359 Speaker 3: entire he was retired the previous year, but he wanted 484 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 3: to come back. He sat it one more shot, and 485 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 3: Rereck Adelman was the coach, and he came into training 486 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 3: camp Dan and after a year off, the knee was 487 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 3: okay for a little bit, and everyone was ravy. Yes, 488 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 3: just like couldn't believe, man, he looks fantastic, this is excellent. 489 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 3: And he lasted five games that season, only played five 490 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 3: just because the knees just would not would not hold up. 491 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 3: But for that brief moment of time in training camp, 492 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 3: I remember being in man Cato talking to Rick Adelman 493 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 3: about it, talking to brand Roy about how he felt, 494 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 3: and there was real optimism that they, you know, were 495 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 3: going to resurrect his career. 496 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 1: He celebrated up yea just did. 497 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 2: And I think part of the reason I wanted to 498 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 2: believe it was he just the way he played when 499 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 2: he was good. He just was such a a a 500 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 2: an all arose, just a player who helps you win. 501 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 2: Forget stats, he just made winning plays. He was an adult, 502 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 2: he was uh you know, he had a great basketball IQ. 503 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 2: And I think it was also that feeling of well, 504 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 2: maybe maybe we can vindicate ourselves because maybe there's through 505 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 2: some miracle of the time off, maybe you can get 506 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 2: two or three years out of him as as a turnout. 507 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: I think it was two or three weeks. 508 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 3: Yep, that was it. And and one of the all 509 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 3: time great guys. Yes, just a really really good dude, 510 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 3: good leader, you know, community involved. So like it was 511 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 3: one of those guys that you really rooted for because 512 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 3: his career was cut short and like it really is. 513 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 3: You know, people will forget it. But like for those 514 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 3: first three four years in Portland, he was back then 515 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 3: he was so good and in clutch moments and not 516 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 3: like overly athletic, but he got to his spots and 517 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 3: like it was so much fun to watch him play, 518 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:13,239 Speaker 3: and just one of the real unfortunate things that his 519 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 3: career was cut short, because he was absolutely a Hall 520 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:18,920 Speaker 3: of Fame player if he or they had no. 521 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 2: Question, twelve years in this league, no question, All right, 522 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 2: Recency bias can be a very powerful thing and sometimes 523 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:31,000 Speaker 2: a bit dangerous. But I'm gonna go ahead and ask 524 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 2: you the question anyway. I'm gonna ask you, hopefully to 525 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 2: rise above too much. Living in the afterglow of a 526 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 2: very nice victory, one of the better Wolves victories this 527 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 2: season in Boston last night, is. 528 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: It Is it too optimistic? 529 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 2: Is it too poly dana ish to think that two 530 00:30:54,800 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 2: complementary players Bones and Desumu could actually, in their roles, 531 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 2: change the outlook certainly the spirit of a team that 532 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 2: you could argue needed to put some extra cocktail into 533 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 2: the mix. 534 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 3: I don't think it's too optimistic, Dan, I will say, 535 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 3: because and I know I was listening to your open 536 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 3: and you hit on it. What this team has needed 537 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 3: has not been. This team doesn't need more talent. They 538 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:35,000 Speaker 3: are individually talented one through eight nine on this roster, 539 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 3: and you know, almost as talented as any team in 540 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 3: the league maybe okay, see notwithstanding, but what they've needed 541 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 3: is spirit, and what they've needed is connectivity, and that's 542 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 3: been missing for a lot of this year. And whether 543 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 3: that's out of boredom, whether that's out of just individual 544 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 3: personalities being more on the sullen side, they need an 545 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 3: address and shot and that is what both Bones Island 546 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 3: and Iodasummu provide. They not only play one hundred and 547 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 3: fifty miles an hour, but they have this kind of 548 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 3: energy about them in their personalities that I think can 549 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 3: revive some of that spirit. And if the spirit is there, 550 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 3: the talent will is there as well, and that can 551 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 3: make them formidable in the playoffs. Am I ready to 552 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 3: bet on it? No, not yet. I want to see 553 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 3: a heck of a lot more going down the stretch, 554 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 3: and I want to see how Anthony Edwards looks when 555 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:46,760 Speaker 3: he is reincorporated into this. But you can feel the 556 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 3: vibes that Iow and Bones bring on a daily basis 557 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 3: in that locker room and on that court, and it 558 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 3: is what this team needs. They need that kind of 559 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 3: good feeling and and to get them rolling that way, 560 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 3: and then I think they play better because of it. 561 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 3: So there's reason for optimism. I do believe it, and 562 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 3: it's because of what those two are bringing from an 563 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 3: intangible quality, let alone the shot making and the transition 564 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 3: offense and that kind of thing. 565 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 2: All right, Now, another critical question. We all assume Anthony 566 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 2: Edwards is going to return, right his season is not 567 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 2: certainly not over. So there's always that tricky little mechanism 568 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 2: where he's out for a few any great players out 569 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 2: for a few games or longer, and other people start 570 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 2: assuming roles, taking up some of the slack, and they 571 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 2: get used to a certain measure of freedom and responsibility. 572 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 2: And then you have the challenge of when the superstar 573 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 2: player comes back, the head coach finding a way to 574 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 2: continue to tap into what those complimentary resources did in 575 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 2: the interim and making it still all work. 576 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 1: Is that going to be a challenge. 577 00:33:58,200 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 3: I mean, it probably will be a little bit of 578 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 3: a chance. And it's not anything against Anthony Edwards. It's 579 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 3: not anything against what this team is. But let's just 580 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 3: look at the Boston Celtics from last night. They are 581 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 3: clearly going through their reacclamation with Jason Tatum, and they 582 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:17,959 Speaker 3: have won a championship. And Jason Tatum is a first 583 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:22,640 Speaker 3: Team All NBA guy, and you can see them trying 584 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 3: to figure out, Okay, is it Brown's turn? Is it 585 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:27,840 Speaker 3: Tatum's turn? Like when does Tatum turn it on and 586 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,839 Speaker 3: become like the main offensive focal point, And when does 587 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:34,279 Speaker 3: he kind of drift off into the corner and just 588 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:36,680 Speaker 3: be more of a decoy and and all of those things. 589 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:39,480 Speaker 3: And so I do think that there will be a 590 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:42,880 Speaker 3: little bit of that with Anthony Edwards coming back. I 591 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:45,439 Speaker 3: thought it was very interesting what Chris Finch said last 592 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 3: night about Bones Thiland, and he said one of the 593 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:53,200 Speaker 3: priorities when Anthony Edwards returns is to make sure that 594 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 3: Bones remains in attack mode, remains looking for his own offense, 595 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 3: because Bones, understandably so will defer to Anthony Edwards when 596 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 3: he's on the court with him. You're the space of 597 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 3: the franchise. You're our big time shot maker. I'm going 598 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 3: to get the ball to you and then I'll take 599 00:35:10,239 --> 00:35:13,239 Speaker 3: your table scraps. But where Bones is most dangerous is 600 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 3: when he is creating for himself and being aggressive. And 601 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:20,520 Speaker 3: so I think you're already starting to see some of 602 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:25,080 Speaker 3: the groundwork being laid for how they are going to 603 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 3: handle it when ant does come back, and I think, 604 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 3: you know, Ant is a really emotionally intelligent guy, So 605 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,680 Speaker 3: I think watching how this team is playing without him 606 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:39,280 Speaker 3: will help him kind of kind of cater his game 607 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:42,239 Speaker 3: to what's working and what's not. But yeah, I do 608 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:46,160 Speaker 3: expect maybe a little bit of bumpiness whenever he first 609 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,840 Speaker 3: comes back, just as they kind of figured all of 610 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 3: this out and try and get the pieces to kind 611 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 3: of click into place. Here. 612 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 2: You wrote most recently about Bones's joy, You've also written 613 00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:01,719 Speaker 2: previously about his pain. For those who have not paid attention, 614 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 2: how are they connected? 615 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:07,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a remarkable story, Dan, and I hope people 616 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 3: kind of go back to the athletic and check out 617 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:12,760 Speaker 3: my piece or just go do a little more research. 618 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 3: But when Bones was in high school, a junior in 619 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 3: high school in Delaware, he was a highly touted recruit. 620 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:24,120 Speaker 3: He lived in a house with twelve relatives. They were 621 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 3: watching the NCAA tournament literally two days, you know, March 622 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:30,880 Speaker 3: twenty fifth, eight years ago, is when this happened, and 623 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:35,000 Speaker 3: the house caught on fire. He was in his second 624 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:39,640 Speaker 3: floor part of a bedroom, trapped in his room, had 625 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:44,920 Speaker 3: to jump out a window to save himself, tore his 626 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:50,040 Speaker 3: Pateller tendon in his knee while on the fall down, 627 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:54,879 Speaker 3: lost his grandmother and an eleventh month old cousin in 628 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:58,840 Speaker 3: that fire, and had his career threatened by this injury, 629 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 3: and then makes his way all the way back. He 630 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 3: was kind of like a pied piper in Delaware. Everyone 631 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:08,720 Speaker 3: really gravitated, gravitated to him. He gets back, goes to VCU, 632 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:12,359 Speaker 3: has a good college career, but I think like that 633 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:16,520 Speaker 3: tragedy really did fuel some perspective for him, because he 634 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 3: went to Denver as a first round pick, kind of 635 00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 3: flamed out there because he had a little too much 636 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:23,480 Speaker 3: success too early and got a little too big of 637 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:27,319 Speaker 3: a head, gets traded to the Clippers, doesn't play in 638 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:30,760 Speaker 3: Los Angeles, comes to the Timberwolves on a two way deal. 639 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 3: Tim Connolly gets his guy back. But there's this perspective 640 00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:38,840 Speaker 3: in this refreshing sort of positivity about him, because he 641 00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 3: basically says, look, everything I've seen on the basketball court, 642 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:45,320 Speaker 3: any adversity of nothing compared to what I've been through 643 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:49,839 Speaker 3: in my personal life at home. And so he has 644 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:54,279 Speaker 3: this positive aura about him, and I do think it's infectious, 645 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 3: and I think it's really admirable the way that he 646 00:37:56,560 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 3: conducts himself, and when you think of everything you've been through, 647 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:03,360 Speaker 3: both in his basketball career, but certainly also in that 648 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 3: house fire and losing those close loved ones when he 649 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 3: was just a junior in high school. To see where 650 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,360 Speaker 3: he's come now to be a critical part of a 651 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:15,520 Speaker 3: team that believes that can win in the playoffs. It's 652 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 3: one of the better stories across the league this season. 653 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 3: It's that good, you know. 654 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 2: And there's no question though it's not going to have 655 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:27,560 Speaker 2: a chance to manifest itself. If that player is not 656 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:31,960 Speaker 2: allowed the minutes and does not then at least, you know, 657 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:35,960 Speaker 2: at least intermittently take advantage of those minutes, right because 658 00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:38,000 Speaker 2: you have to have I think you have to show 659 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:41,120 Speaker 2: any coach, if you give me a little more time 660 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:42,680 Speaker 2: to do this, a little more freedom to do it, 661 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:46,320 Speaker 2: here's what I'm capable of doing, and that then presumably 662 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,400 Speaker 2: once that player does it becomes even easier for the 663 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 2: head coach to say, yeah, let's find a way to 664 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:55,879 Speaker 2: bottle this and make sure we're getting more consistency out 665 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 2: of it. But it starts with you got to have 666 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:01,040 Speaker 2: the opportunity and you got to make something of it, 667 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:03,479 Speaker 2: or else nobody's gonna buy it is other than okay, 668 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,960 Speaker 2: every five games he might score twenty points on it. 669 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:09,239 Speaker 3: Right. Yeah, he's I mean, he's averaged twenty points a 670 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 3: game in the four that Anton been out. Yeah, and 671 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 3: he's been consistently energic. Even when he's not scoring twenty, 672 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:17,839 Speaker 3: he'll come in and give you ten. But it's like 673 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:21,480 Speaker 3: a it's a fast ten, it's an impactful ten. And 674 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 3: I think that's been the key. And I to your point, Dan, 675 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:28,239 Speaker 3: you know, Finchy takes a lot of flack, some of 676 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 3: it deserved, some of it not. But one thing about him, 677 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:39,160 Speaker 3: he absolutely has cleared the runway for Bones to play 678 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:43,279 Speaker 3: over a first round pick in Rob Dillingham over one 679 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:46,080 Speaker 3: of his favorite players of all time in Mike Conley. Yeah, 680 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:50,880 Speaker 3: and eventually he Bones certainly earned that time. But in 681 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:54,320 Speaker 3: the political realm of the NBA, where you have players 682 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:58,000 Speaker 3: making more money or higher draft picks things like that, 683 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:00,560 Speaker 3: it's often that coaches will just say, look, we got 684 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:03,040 Speaker 3: to go with the guys. We've invested all this money 685 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 3: in draft capital in But Finch's given this former two 686 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:10,280 Speaker 3: way guy who came in on a non guaranteed minimum 687 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:15,040 Speaker 3: contract the opportunity as well and then Bones has kept 688 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:17,799 Speaker 3: going and kept earning it. So I think it's been 689 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:20,839 Speaker 3: It's been good all the way around so far, from 690 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 3: organizational standpoint, coaching standpoint, and from the players standpoint. 691 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:29,480 Speaker 2: The kids all love the term intentional. It's become one 692 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:34,799 Speaker 2: of the most popular sports buzzword cliches. So in that 693 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:42,279 Speaker 2: vein with that inspiration, how intentional was Finchy's call out 694 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:47,680 Speaker 2: of Julius Randall after our most recent setback, of course, 695 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:50,880 Speaker 2: before the game against the Portland Trailblazers. 696 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:54,480 Speaker 3: Yet, Dan, I think it was intentional because he's been 697 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:58,040 Speaker 3: very intentional in not doing that over the last two years. 698 00:40:58,239 --> 00:41:01,439 Speaker 3: I think there is a belief Finch among others, that 699 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:05,840 Speaker 3: the way to coach Julius Randall is to be candid 700 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:08,560 Speaker 3: with him behind the scenes in film sessions and those 701 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:13,279 Speaker 3: sorts of things, but publicly very supportive because there's this 702 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:17,400 Speaker 3: thought that maybe Julius will take that personally and it 703 00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:20,480 Speaker 3: won't go the right way. But I do think after 704 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:24,200 Speaker 3: that Portland game, I think Finch was a little desperate, 705 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,360 Speaker 3: and my lead off of the on the athletic was 706 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:32,080 Speaker 3: draftic times called for drafting measures and Julius is just 707 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 3: not playing well. Especially not rebounding well. He's averaging a 708 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,400 Speaker 3: career low in rebounds this season, and I think that 709 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:42,080 Speaker 3: there was a little bit of helplessness that Chris Finch 710 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:44,600 Speaker 3: was feeling in that moment and being like, I've tried 711 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:47,319 Speaker 3: everything else. Now I've got to go this way. And 712 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:50,279 Speaker 3: it wasn't browbeating him, but it was a matter of 713 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 3: fact saying that what Julius is doing rebounding wise is 714 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:59,080 Speaker 3: not good enough. And he did not play well offensively 715 00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:02,239 Speaker 3: three to fourteen against Boston, but he did have nine rebounds. Yeah, 716 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 3: so there were a few moments where he did play 717 00:42:04,719 --> 00:42:07,719 Speaker 3: good defense in that game. And so whether did that 718 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:10,360 Speaker 3: work or not, we'll see over the long haul. But 719 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:13,840 Speaker 3: I do think it did speak to this sort of 720 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:18,920 Speaker 3: sense of exasperation from Finch that he's bent over backward 721 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:22,160 Speaker 3: to try and be accommodating to Julius, to try and 722 00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:26,600 Speaker 3: be supportive of him, and lately just like none of 723 00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:28,839 Speaker 3: that is working, so let's try the other way. And 724 00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:32,319 Speaker 3: I just don't think that he was speaking off the 725 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:34,400 Speaker 3: cuff in that moment. I think he was trying to 726 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:36,760 Speaker 3: send a bit of a message and stoke a different fire. 727 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:42,120 Speaker 2: You mentioned the degree to which a very dangerous situation 728 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:46,239 Speaker 2: involving a fire has sort of helped bones form a 729 00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:47,720 Speaker 2: second life, so to speak. 730 00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:49,000 Speaker 1: Everything after that. 731 00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:53,200 Speaker 2: Much closer to home, we find out this weekend in 732 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:59,880 Speaker 2: just sort of incomprehensible, unspeakable terms, that Jesse Piers and 733 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:03,240 Speaker 2: three children, I believe, along with their dog were killed 734 00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 2: in a house fire. And the the the testimonials from 735 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:11,680 Speaker 2: people who knew her a lot better than I did, 736 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:16,239 Speaker 2: have just absolutely poured in. They've been a revelation to 737 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:21,279 Speaker 2: me and maybe a reminder of how an individual, because 738 00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:24,239 Speaker 2: you could say, all right, in a mainstream world of 739 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:27,920 Speaker 2: the still newspapers and you know, big radio stations and 740 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:32,839 Speaker 2: TV stations, et cetera, that an individual could create the 741 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:37,040 Speaker 2: presence for herself that she did in this case, largely 742 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,800 Speaker 2: in the hockey community, is quite a testament to her story. 743 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:42,000 Speaker 1: Can you speak to this a little bit? 744 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:46,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I can just like tell you how 745 00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:52,279 Speaker 3: remarkable she was as a person, as a mom, as 746 00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:56,360 Speaker 3: a writer. You know, when we first started the Athletic 747 00:43:57,120 --> 00:43:59,880 Speaker 3: eight nine years ago now, it was sort of the 748 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:03,160 Speaker 3: wild West. We were just kind of trying to, you know, 749 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:05,880 Speaker 3: patch things together as much as we could, and Jesse 750 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:10,319 Speaker 3: was a helper from Michael Russo on the Hockey Beat, 751 00:44:10,719 --> 00:44:13,520 Speaker 3: just kind of to try and give us enough content 752 00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:17,360 Speaker 3: to keep people coming back. But the thing that always 753 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:19,920 Speaker 3: stood out to me even back then, long before she 754 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:22,279 Speaker 3: was even established to the degree that she got to 755 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:25,400 Speaker 3: over the last couple of years, Dan is like we 756 00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:28,600 Speaker 3: would hold events and subscribers would come and we'd talk, 757 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:31,120 Speaker 3: and you know, Russo and I were, you know, kind 758 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:34,040 Speaker 3: of more of the established people and all that, but 759 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:37,759 Speaker 3: like Jesse would show up and would just fill the 760 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:41,600 Speaker 3: entire room with her presence and like would be right 761 00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:44,640 Speaker 3: on our level because she was so ambitious, she was 762 00:44:44,680 --> 00:44:48,239 Speaker 3: so confident, she had so much energy about her that 763 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,960 Speaker 3: there was just no denying like that she was a 764 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:56,400 Speaker 3: star just waiting to be discovered. And to her credit 765 00:44:56,400 --> 00:45:01,640 Speaker 3: and her credit alone, she built herself up into this 766 00:45:02,120 --> 00:45:06,080 Speaker 3: force of nature in the hockey community. She you know, 767 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:10,160 Speaker 3: made her podcast and made her voice and did it 768 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:14,640 Speaker 3: her way that really resonated with fans. She would stand 769 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:18,319 Speaker 3: out in the freezing cold temperatures and uh bikini and 770 00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:21,839 Speaker 3: like tell you know, uh people what the lines were, 771 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:24,719 Speaker 3: the hockey lines were, and like all this stuff and 772 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:28,319 Speaker 3: did it her way, and she brought her kids all 773 00:45:28,360 --> 00:45:31,600 Speaker 3: along with her to do it, and the way that 774 00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:34,120 Speaker 3: she was able to juggle all of it, it's it's 775 00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:38,799 Speaker 3: superhuman stuff. And like she was absolutely the best of us. 776 00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:41,960 Speaker 3: And you know, my heart breaks, everyone's heart of breaking 777 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:44,600 Speaker 3: for all of that situation. And you just see the 778 00:45:44,640 --> 00:45:48,880 Speaker 3: outpouring not only in locally but nationally across the NHL. 779 00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:51,759 Speaker 3: Everyone knew her, no one had a bad word to 780 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:54,200 Speaker 3: say about her, and you know, just I just think 781 00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:57,360 Speaker 3: about her. The light in her eyes was so touching 782 00:45:57,440 --> 00:46:00,799 Speaker 3: and so overpowering in a great way. It's just a 783 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:05,040 Speaker 3: it's just a tremendous loss for all of us here, 784 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:08,000 Speaker 3: and you know, and everyone just that that her and 785 00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:11,040 Speaker 3: her kids are are not around anymore. Just terrible. 786 00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:16,320 Speaker 2: The players just just bringing up the subject. The general 787 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:19,080 Speaker 2: manager or Bill Garran, whatever his fancy title is at 788 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:26,560 Speaker 2: this point, heinzy. Everybody right has has volunteered to speak 789 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:30,560 Speaker 2: up on on on her influence and her popularity and 790 00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:35,640 Speaker 2: her sort of connection. And it was interesting, especially for 791 00:46:35,719 --> 00:46:39,520 Speaker 2: me to listen to garn because Garan is very much 792 00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:42,360 Speaker 2: you know, Garren obviously can have his battles with people 793 00:46:42,440 --> 00:46:46,040 Speaker 2: in the media, as is well known, but he still 794 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:47,120 Speaker 2: does deep down. 795 00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:48,319 Speaker 1: I think he means this. 796 00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:50,480 Speaker 2: I think he views it as all part of the 797 00:46:50,520 --> 00:46:54,880 Speaker 2: same machine and and part of the same larger family. 798 00:46:55,040 --> 00:46:56,960 Speaker 1: He spoke to that a little bit, that. 799 00:46:58,400 --> 00:47:01,080 Speaker 2: His his understanding that there's there's room for everybody in 800 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:05,719 Speaker 2: this thing, and that she had again forged an identity 801 00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:09,520 Speaker 2: beyond just another person who covers hockey. 802 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:11,160 Speaker 1: Right, there's no question about that. 803 00:47:11,239 --> 00:47:14,040 Speaker 2: I thought he he spoke very eloquently and I thought 804 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:15,879 Speaker 2: very honestly about that. 805 00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:20,080 Speaker 3: It was fantastic. You know, the stuff that the Wild 806 00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:23,680 Speaker 3: has shared publicly about her, just the class as ever 807 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:26,640 Speaker 3: from from Bill Garon and from the Wild, but also 808 00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:30,200 Speaker 3: to expanding it, like there were coaches, there were players 809 00:47:31,440 --> 00:47:33,920 Speaker 3: from other teams that maybe even never played for the 810 00:47:33,960 --> 00:47:39,560 Speaker 3: Wild that she would interview. I mean, she just forged 811 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:43,439 Speaker 3: connections immediately at the snap of the fingers. And here's 812 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:46,640 Speaker 3: the other cool thing about what Garan said, Dan, is 813 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:50,080 Speaker 3: that you could maybe construe that as well. Here's this 814 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:55,399 Speaker 3: you know, this very team friendly journalists who would only 815 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:57,879 Speaker 3: you know, say great things about the team and would 816 00:47:57,920 --> 00:47:59,800 Speaker 3: be really easy to do it. One thing that was 817 00:47:59,800 --> 00:48:02,000 Speaker 3: great about Jesse is she spoke her mind. She did 818 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:04,720 Speaker 3: when the Wild we're not quite well. She was critical 819 00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:08,239 Speaker 3: of them, did it in an amazing way. She was 820 00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:12,680 Speaker 3: not just a cheerleader type. She was a real hockey, 821 00:48:13,840 --> 00:48:17,479 Speaker 3: you know, just puckhead, like really really into it, and 822 00:48:17,480 --> 00:48:21,160 Speaker 3: and and did a just an super intelligent, super fun 823 00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:25,080 Speaker 3: and entertaining show and all that. But it was not 824 00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:28,279 Speaker 3: by any means just all positive. All this stuff. She 825 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:31,200 Speaker 3: earned respect for just the way that she did it 826 00:48:31,239 --> 00:48:35,120 Speaker 3: on her terms. And I just had I just I 827 00:48:35,239 --> 00:48:40,200 Speaker 3: was so just incredibly impressed by the way she built 828 00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:43,560 Speaker 3: her brand up from nothing to what it is to 829 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:47,400 Speaker 3: what it was, and and yeah, just seeing everyone's response 830 00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:50,120 Speaker 3: to it, it just validates how I felt about her 831 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:53,759 Speaker 3: and how everyone else did just incredible the best of 832 00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:54,520 Speaker 3: us for sure. 833 00:48:54,880 --> 00:48:57,360 Speaker 2: And I believe it was either the day or the 834 00:48:57,440 --> 00:49:01,200 Speaker 2: day before. Even the most recent she had was of 835 00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:03,400 Speaker 2: her three children. And that's you know, you say, well, 836 00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:08,120 Speaker 2: that's the obvious, but it it just it brings it 837 00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:11,680 Speaker 2: home in such devastating fashion. You look at the looks 838 00:49:11,760 --> 00:49:13,719 Speaker 2: on the faces of those three kids and obviously the 839 00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:17,839 Speaker 2: pride that she had in them, and it just it 840 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:20,560 Speaker 2: humanizes it in a way that makes it hard not 841 00:49:20,640 --> 00:49:21,000 Speaker 2: to cry. 842 00:49:21,239 --> 00:49:21,839 Speaker 1: It really does. 843 00:49:22,400 --> 00:49:25,520 Speaker 3: She she was on a show Dan with our friend 844 00:49:25,600 --> 00:49:29,000 Speaker 3: jud Zoegad on Friday, and then two of the kids 845 00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:31,360 Speaker 3: came in at the very end and just kind of 846 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:34,399 Speaker 3: got in the shot and like, you know, I mean, 847 00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:36,680 Speaker 3: I just don't even know, like how you go on 848 00:49:36,760 --> 00:49:39,640 Speaker 3: with that. It really and honestly reminded me Dan when 849 00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:41,759 Speaker 3: it hit me when I found out who it was, 850 00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:45,359 Speaker 3: Like I thought about Kobe and his daughter going down 851 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:50,040 Speaker 3: in the helicopter pash, like that's when you add children 852 00:49:50,080 --> 00:49:53,800 Speaker 3: to the mix of it, and just the devastation ratchets 853 00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:58,280 Speaker 3: up one hundredfold. And that she brought her kids along 854 00:49:58,360 --> 00:50:01,399 Speaker 3: the way on her whole journey, bringing the baby into 855 00:50:01,440 --> 00:50:03,440 Speaker 3: the locker room when she had to back in the 856 00:50:03,520 --> 00:50:06,920 Speaker 3: day and all this stuff, Like the connection that they 857 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:09,879 Speaker 3: had was it's you know, I can't I can't even 858 00:50:10,600 --> 00:50:14,960 Speaker 3: save them, And you know, it's just the tragic level 859 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:18,520 Speaker 3: of this is off the charts. Uh. You just sad 860 00:50:18,560 --> 00:50:21,440 Speaker 3: for for everyone involved. It's just thoughtful the. 861 00:50:21,800 --> 00:50:25,839 Speaker 2: Very human response to is you know what happened? How 862 00:50:25,960 --> 00:50:27,960 Speaker 2: was why was it? So it must have been something 863 00:50:28,040 --> 00:50:30,840 Speaker 2: must have happened where they could not get out of 864 00:50:30,880 --> 00:50:33,919 Speaker 2: the home. And I know that investigation is ongoing could 865 00:50:33,920 --> 00:50:37,759 Speaker 2: it have been an over you know, smoke inholation, Who 866 00:50:37,800 --> 00:50:39,840 Speaker 2: knows what the but but that's I think part of 867 00:50:40,640 --> 00:50:42,880 Speaker 2: I think it's only human nature to wonder, you know, 868 00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:45,719 Speaker 2: why was it so difficult? Because it obviously was to 869 00:50:45,760 --> 00:50:48,279 Speaker 2: get them out of there, and and all that will 870 00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:51,359 Speaker 2: I'm sure come in and do time as well. It's 871 00:50:51,400 --> 00:50:54,000 Speaker 2: just such a the whole thing is such a horrific prospect. 872 00:50:54,600 --> 00:50:57,479 Speaker 2: I appreciate your comments as always, sir, and we will 873 00:50:57,640 --> 00:50:58,239 Speaker 2: chat next week. 874 00:50:58,280 --> 00:51:01,120 Speaker 1: Thank you. Johnny all think I appreciate it. 875 00:51:01,200 --> 00:51:05,320 Speaker 2: John Krasinski we call him Johnny Athletic, the artist formerly 876 00:51:05,360 --> 00:51:07,759 Speaker 2: known as AP Sports Guy,