1
00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:11,760
Speaker 1: This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up

2
00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,400
Speaker 1: straight Fire, Fam, It's me Jason McIntyre. This is Straight

3
00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:19,680
Speaker 1: Fire for Friday, March eleventh, And oh my gosh, how

4
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:23,320
Speaker 1: good was Thursday? Oh yes, all the Sixers fans who

5
00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,599
Speaker 1: tuned in, I know you're so geeked. Yeah. I almost

6
00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,240
Speaker 1: just put together a string of expletives to open the podcast,

7
00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,519
Speaker 1: but um, yeah, a lot of good basketball. Listen if

8
00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,120
Speaker 1: basketball is your sport, Thursday was one of the best

9
00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,520
Speaker 1: days of the year. I think there were sixty one

10
00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:40,720
Speaker 1: college basketball games and not all at night and not

11
00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,680
Speaker 1: crap teams. A lot of stuff during the day. I know,

12
00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,000
Speaker 1: by the way, a big NBA game. And oh yeah,

13
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,120
Speaker 1: another massive star, regardless of what you think of him,

14
00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:53,960
Speaker 1: now gets traded in the NFL. Khalil Mack on the move.

15
00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,080
Speaker 1: Huge pickup for the Chargers. Oh my gosh, Chargers are scary.

16
00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,240
Speaker 1: Super Bowl odds plummeting. We'll get to that, Guss. The

17
00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:02,880
Speaker 1: Bears are a dumpster fire, but they kind of had

18
00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,760
Speaker 1: to do it. Um, We're gonna start with what happened

19
00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,160
Speaker 1: in Philadelphia. Ben Simmons returns to Filthy Delphia. I'm sorry

20
00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,440
Speaker 1: I had to get filthy Delphi out. Um, you guys.

21
00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,960
Speaker 1: When I lived outside of Philly for seven years, nice area,

22
00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:19,800
Speaker 1: Bucks County, a lot of fun, enjoyed it, had a

23
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:22,840
Speaker 1: good time. Went into Philly occasionally, wanted to New York

24
00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,600
Speaker 1: more just because we had moved from New York, so

25
00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,679
Speaker 1: I never really super connected with Philly. Went to several

26
00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:34,200
Speaker 1: Sixers games, went to played in a media pickup basketball

27
00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,800
Speaker 1: game at the Wells Fargo. I don't think it was

28
00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,840
Speaker 1: called the Wells Fargo back then. But whatever, Philly's fun.

29
00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:42,360
Speaker 1: Went to soccer games in Philly like it was a

30
00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:44,080
Speaker 1: nice city. We had fun. We just didn't go out

31
00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:45,800
Speaker 1: there a lot. You know, we were just having kids.

32
00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,880
Speaker 1: We were a little younger, um, but you know we did.

33
00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,400
Speaker 1: I got married in Philadelphia, as my wife wants to

34
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,680
Speaker 1: remind me, Yes, got married in Philly, and it's a

35
00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,800
Speaker 1: good today. I have nothing against Philly. All these people

36
00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,440
Speaker 1: think I hate Philadelphia now, just because as I said,

37
00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,240
Speaker 1: I'm not a buyer on the Sixers. And all these

38
00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,800
Speaker 1: Sixers fans were geek. They were lubricated, all liquored up,

39
00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,080
Speaker 1: ready to bash Ben Simmons. Channing f Ben Simmons throughout

40
00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:16,120
Speaker 1: the game and Philly goes out and lays a colossal egg,

41
00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:18,680
Speaker 1: probably one of the you know in the second half

42
00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:20,480
Speaker 1: of the season. This is one of the more anticipated

43
00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:24,800
Speaker 1: games given the Ben Simmons for James Harden trade, right,

44
00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:29,400
Speaker 1: this is a hugely anticipated game. Philly comes out, gets

45
00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,440
Speaker 1: their doors blown off in the first quarter, giving up

46
00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,840
Speaker 1: a forty burger, and never ever ever made it a game.

47
00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:42,400
Speaker 1: James Harden in postseason form three for seventeen shooting. It's

48
00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,560
Speaker 1: James Harden for you, minus thirty on the game, not

49
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,799
Speaker 1: his best performance, and uh listen, I'm not gonna sit

50
00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,320
Speaker 1: here in bash the Sixers. I have been consistent, guys.

51
00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,880
Speaker 1: I think this is obviously a talented team. I don't

52
00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:55,840
Speaker 1: think they were as good as the media plays them

53
00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,680
Speaker 1: out to be. It's pretty clear Hardened and Embibd is

54
00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,480
Speaker 1: gonna work against bad team, but good teams are gonna

55
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,320
Speaker 1: I don't know, kind of shut him down. James Harden

56
00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,399
Speaker 1: three for seventeen, Joel and Beat five for seventeen, Like

57
00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,399
Speaker 1: the Sixers were down thirty for the basically the entire

58
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,359
Speaker 1: fourth quarter. This team is overrated. I know everybody loves

59
00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,160
Speaker 1: the Sixers. In Hardening and Beats a fun story and

60
00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,560
Speaker 1: Tyrese max is a great story in Tyrese Maxie has

61
00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,959
Speaker 1: been very good this season. He's their third best player.

62
00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:26,359
Speaker 1: I like Tyrese Maxie. In his first really big NBA game,

63
00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,040
Speaker 1: he was two for seven. I don't want to say

64
00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,160
Speaker 1: the moment was too big. It was a regular season

65
00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,760
Speaker 1: game in March. But he was a total non factor,

66
00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:38,800
Speaker 1: complete non factor. And when you shoot thirty against the

67
00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,040
Speaker 1: Nets who are missing their best defensive player in Ben Simmons,

68
00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:47,119
Speaker 1: not a great look. Not a good one. So all

69
00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,720
Speaker 1: these people, when I did on Disputed last week, everybody said,

70
00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,080
Speaker 1: oh no, the Nets are garbage. The fallen from second

71
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,200
Speaker 1: to seventh, and they're eight, then their ninth in the

72
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,960
Speaker 1: eastday why not make the playoffs? Here's reality. Kevin Durant

73
00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,560
Speaker 1: was healthy, they were second in the East. Kevin during

74
00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,000
Speaker 1: gets hurt, they plumb it. Kyrie Irving, No, vacs can't

75
00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,760
Speaker 1: play in home games. You can only play in away games.

76
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:13,000
Speaker 1: And I wasn't even playing in many of those. Like

77
00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,240
Speaker 1: they're not they were not good. They didn't have James Harden.

78
00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,920
Speaker 1: Then they make the trade. The vaccination restrictions or whatever

79
00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,720
Speaker 1: you wanna call it, mandates get lifted and all of

80
00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,040
Speaker 1: a sudden, the Nets are starting to look like a

81
00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:33,239
Speaker 1: team that was favored to win the conference. Seth Curry

82
00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:38,880
Speaker 1: stunting all over the Sixers twenty four points four three's

83
00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:40,120
Speaker 1: I love the one he hit in the third quarter

84
00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:41,600
Speaker 1: if you can find the clip if you haven't seen

85
00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,760
Speaker 1: the YouTube, he hits the three. I think it was

86
00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:48,200
Speaker 1: kind of a transition three, and you know, the Sixers

87
00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,159
Speaker 1: instantly called time out and Seth Curry essentially like slowly

88
00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:56,479
Speaker 1: walks past because the three was right in front the

89
00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:00,200
Speaker 1: bench of the Sixers. He just slowly walks past, and

90
00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,600
Speaker 1: everybody just staring at him was like, listen, you gave

91
00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,920
Speaker 1: up Seth Currie, and that one's gonna sting. I mean,

92
00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,240
Speaker 1: I still can't believe Luca and the Mavericks gave up

93
00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,080
Speaker 1: Seth Curry, Like that's a bad loss. Like Seth Currie

94
00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:16,440
Speaker 1: is so good, guys, so good. And Kevin Duran obviously

95
00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:21,280
Speaker 1: thirty and fourteen seven assists Kyrie two And by the way,

96
00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,080
Speaker 1: some of the matchup numbers for Kyrie on Harden almost

97
00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,520
Speaker 1: make you wonder if James Harden does not want the

98
00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,880
Speaker 1: Kyrie Irving smoke. Now, you guys know, I've been I've

99
00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,760
Speaker 1: been basset Kyrie Irving for a while. Immensely talented player.

100
00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,479
Speaker 1: I didn't know we had some defensive chops. Harden found

101
00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,400
Speaker 1: that out the hard way when they were matched up

102
00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,600
Speaker 1: one on one. He Harden could not score on Kyrie.

103
00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,320
Speaker 1: I think he started one of seven when matched up

104
00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,760
Speaker 1: with Kyrie Irving, And it's like, whoa really Kyrie lockdown defender?

105
00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:53,240
Speaker 1: I was not aware of that. And folks, anyone who comes,

106
00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,359
Speaker 1: I know it's a regular season game in March. But

107
00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,120
Speaker 1: for everybody in their mom who's overreacting saying, oh, the

108
00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,920
Speaker 1: Lakers got smoked in overtime by the Rockets, and like

109
00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,280
Speaker 1: as terrible. They're not even a playoff team. They can't

110
00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:08,200
Speaker 1: win anything. If you're reacting that way and you're reacting

111
00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:12,960
Speaker 1: to regular season games, you have to react to the

112
00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,039
Speaker 1: Sixers losing by twenty nine at home and never being

113
00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,479
Speaker 1: competitive against the Nets. Now, if you're one who says,

114
00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,719
Speaker 1: who cares about the regular season? Fine, any way you

115
00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,279
Speaker 1: want to slice it though, this doesn't mean nothing, It

116
00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,480
Speaker 1: can't possibly mean nothing. It doesn't have to mean everything.

117
00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:32,760
Speaker 1: But this result, if this was a close game, it's like,

118
00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,680
Speaker 1: oh great, I can't wait for the playoff series. It's

119
00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,440
Speaker 1: a blowout. The environment there was great. I'm excited for

120
00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,719
Speaker 1: the playoff series. But the reality is this game had

121
00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:42,960
Speaker 1: to be a little bit. I'm not saying it was everything.

122
00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,320
Speaker 1: I'm not saying it was a lot. It was a

123
00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,039
Speaker 1: message sent by the Nets, we are better than you.

124
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,599
Speaker 1: We didn't even have Ben Simmons here. And I know

125
00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:52,360
Speaker 1: some people are Ben Simmons. Come on, he's not even

126
00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:56,360
Speaker 1: any good. I'm just saying nobody can come away from

127
00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,520
Speaker 1: this game saying the Sixers are a better team than

128
00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,440
Speaker 1: the Nets. You can beat the hell out of them

129
00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:05,839
Speaker 1: Timberwolves and destroy all these other chumps in the East.

130
00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,239
Speaker 1: But when you face the Bucks, when you face the heat,

131
00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,960
Speaker 1: when you face the Nets, I'm gonna put Boston in

132
00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:14,920
Speaker 1: there right now. They're playing as good as anybody in

133
00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,559
Speaker 1: the league. Reality is gonna set in pretty quick, guys.

134
00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,480
Speaker 1: It just is. And when you combine Doc Rivers postseason

135
00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,960
Speaker 1: history which ain't pretty, which everybody knows, and you toss

136
00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,280
Speaker 1: in James Harden postseason history, which is very ugly, and

137
00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,680
Speaker 1: you wonder, jeez, I mean, Joel and Meads really good,

138
00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,440
Speaker 1: guy's never been to the conference finals. You start to

139
00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,480
Speaker 1: add this stuff up. You're like, wait a minute, are

140
00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,360
Speaker 1: we really cool recrowning these guys too early? Like, just

141
00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,600
Speaker 1: let it settle in. They got crushed in a game

142
00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,520
Speaker 1: that was hugely anticipated, circled on the calendar for weeks

143
00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,360
Speaker 1: since the deal. Everybody's been talking about March tenth, March tenth,

144
00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,440
Speaker 1: that game that Simmons coming back. And then you go

145
00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:58,560
Speaker 1: out and lay an egg like this, like Doc Rivers

146
00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:01,360
Speaker 1: cannot cannot There's no way he could be like, oh,

147
00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:03,680
Speaker 1: it's just March game, no big deal. Maybe they were

148
00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,400
Speaker 1: too amped, Like in no way, shape or form did

149
00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,640
Speaker 1: they even make a run. They were down I think

150
00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:14,080
Speaker 1: fifteen or more starting in the early second quarter for

151
00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,400
Speaker 1: the rest of the game, like never even made a run.

152
00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:21,560
Speaker 1: Not a good look. Now, obviously, listen, they're gonna destroy

153
00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:23,920
Speaker 1: Orlando Sunday, a couple of days to think about this loss.

154
00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,120
Speaker 1: Then they get Yokich on Monday, a game that will

155
00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,760
Speaker 1: be national televised. Then it's Cleveland, Dallas, Toronto, Miami Lakers.

156
00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,439
Speaker 1: It gets a little tougher. And I'm not trying to

157
00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:38,600
Speaker 1: poop poo the Sixers. I know they have talent. I'm

158
00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,839
Speaker 1: of the belief that this team, if they face the

159
00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,480
Speaker 1: six Sixers Celtics in the first round. Sixers a go down.

160
00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:47,280
Speaker 1: I'll put my money where my mouth is on that.

161
00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,160
Speaker 1: I will bet on the Celtics. I'm not sure that

162
00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,760
Speaker 1: there's too many other teams in the bottom half that

163
00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:57,000
Speaker 1: can be a major problem for the Sixers. I'm looking

164
00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,439
Speaker 1: at the standings now. If the season ended today, obviously

165
00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:05,280
Speaker 1: it doesn't. The seventies Sixers are the three. They would

166
00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:08,760
Speaker 1: face the six Cleveland Cavaliers. That's really who they want

167
00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,440
Speaker 1: to face, because they're better than Cleveland. Cleveland's just too young,

168
00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,480
Speaker 1: They're not ready. It's just I don't think I don't

169
00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:18,600
Speaker 1: think the moment's ready for Cleveland. Toronto not a huge believer.

170
00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,000
Speaker 1: But if the Sixers get the two and they end

171
00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,160
Speaker 1: up facing the seven, the seven could be the Brooklyn

172
00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:28,439
Speaker 1: Nets and guys, that ain't gonna be pretty for the Sixers.

173
00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,040
Speaker 1: That's just the reality. If the Nets get the seven,

174
00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:32,760
Speaker 1: and it's looking like they will, they're they're not missing

175
00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:34,480
Speaker 1: the playoffs. Now, I know. I saw the stat that

176
00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,200
Speaker 1: there's like fifteen games left and Kyrie can only play

177
00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,600
Speaker 1: in four of them or something like that. And if

178
00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,240
Speaker 1: k D doesn't play, and if Ben sives if if if, Yes,

179
00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:48,520
Speaker 1: that's all possible, got it. That being said, I firmly

180
00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,320
Speaker 1: believe this is a NETS team that is in great

181
00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:55,719
Speaker 1: position to win the East regardless of what seed they are,

182
00:09:55,920 --> 00:10:00,600
Speaker 1: because they've got pretty much the best tree oh in

183
00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,280
Speaker 1: the East. When you add Simmons. Now, I know some

184
00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:03,760
Speaker 1: people are like, hey, how do you know Simmons are

185
00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,520
Speaker 1: gonna be good? That's fair, We don't. I'm just gonna

186
00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:09,920
Speaker 1: trust He's always been a really talented player, All NBA

187
00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,680
Speaker 1: All Defensive team, Like he's a He's just a talented guy.

188
00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:15,720
Speaker 1: He's got to work his way into the lineup and

189
00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,680
Speaker 1: fit in. Heat are excellent. You know, I was bullish

190
00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:20,840
Speaker 1: on the Heat before anybody. I said they were one

191
00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,960
Speaker 1: of the best teams in the East. People scoffed. Milwaukee

192
00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,400
Speaker 1: Bucks obviously are very good. Right now, I'm putting the

193
00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:32,640
Speaker 1: East at NETS one Heat to Bucks, three, Celtics four,

194
00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,880
Speaker 1: after that probably Sixers and then Bulls, and you know,

195
00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,480
Speaker 1: it's a bit of a crap shoot. Also for the

196
00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,559
Speaker 1: Joel and Beat is the m v P crowd. Yeah,

197
00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,360
Speaker 1: I'll just leave it at that. Fox Sports Radio has

198
00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:47,320
Speaker 1: the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all

199
00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:50,720
Speaker 1: of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and

200
00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,360
Speaker 1: within the I Heart Radio app search f s R

201
00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,520
Speaker 1: to listen live. College basketball was great, but I can't

202
00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,160
Speaker 1: spend too much time on college hoops simply because, um,

203
00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,880
Speaker 1: you know, there's a million games today. The gambling was

204
00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,520
Speaker 1: outstanding until the night game. From the first half, the

205
00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:08,800
Speaker 1: first half strategy listen, I gave it out here. If

206
00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:10,640
Speaker 1: you guys took those first halves. If you went to

207
00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:14,120
Speaker 1: my I G stories, you saw the slate of first halves,

208
00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,120
Speaker 1: if you took them, and just the just the first

209
00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,920
Speaker 1: half of like the games up until like you know,

210
00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,040
Speaker 1: six o'clock or whatever you cleaned up. It was an

211
00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,480
Speaker 1: awesome run. At the nighttime. There was a little regression

212
00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:28,440
Speaker 1: as expected, but I would say there were a couple

213
00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,160
Speaker 1: of massive upsets before I get to Khalil Mack. This

214
00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,800
Speaker 1: Baylor team and Casey Jacobson, the former Stanford grade. He's

215
00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,000
Speaker 1: an announcer. He's on the Pack twelve tournament this week.

216
00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:39,360
Speaker 1: He was on this pod last week and we talked

217
00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:44,600
Speaker 1: about it and he is let's so let's just remind people.

218
00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,640
Speaker 1: He was saying Baylor, due to that injury to their

219
00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,640
Speaker 1: big just not the team. They were obviously last year

220
00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:54,560
Speaker 1: or even earlier this season. They lose to Oklahoma. That's

221
00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:59,600
Speaker 1: a bad loss. I'm having some some cell thoughts on

222
00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:04,040
Speaker 1: Bailor at this moment um. Duke struggled, but Duke is

223
00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,720
Speaker 1: very good offensively, man, they got some horses. Now, they're

224
00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:10,240
Speaker 1: not a great defensive team, just outside the key that

225
00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,720
Speaker 1: you want to be for the tournament. Top twenty in

226
00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:17,439
Speaker 1: offense and defense that historically has automatically put you in

227
00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:21,960
Speaker 1: the mix to win the championship. Top twenty automatically, and

228
00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,199
Speaker 1: that's not top twenty ranking top twenty offensive and defensive efficiency.

229
00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:30,600
Speaker 1: Seventeen of the last nineteen champions finished in the top

230
00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:35,560
Speaker 1: twenty in both offense and defense seventeen of nineteen. So

231
00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,600
Speaker 1: your odds go significantly up now as of this moment,

232
00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,280
Speaker 1: and obviously that will change this weekend as we record

233
00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:45,160
Speaker 1: this Friday morning. Gonzaga, U c l A, Houston, Arizona,

234
00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:49,000
Speaker 1: and Baylor fit into that. Now. Baylor will drop a

235
00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,000
Speaker 1: little bit once the new Ken Palm offensive numbers come

236
00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,720
Speaker 1: up this morning. Baylor is on the outside looking into me.

237
00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:57,800
Speaker 1: They're they're not as good as they were last year

238
00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,720
Speaker 1: and then the next just outside the top twenty, Auburn

239
00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:10,400
Speaker 1: twenty two offensively, Kentucky defensively, Duke seven, Illinois twenty nine, Kansas,

240
00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,320
Speaker 1: and Villanova. So that's like the second tier. But if

241
00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,800
Speaker 1: you said, Jay, I'd rather have I'd better bet on

242
00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:17,640
Speaker 1: Duke than Baylor to win the title, I would agree

243
00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:19,840
Speaker 1: with you. And if you said, Jason, give me Kentucky

244
00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:24,000
Speaker 1: over Arizona, Arizona did it suffered a bad loss. Their

245
00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:28,000
Speaker 1: point guard. Uh, this kid from Estonia had a bad

246
00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,600
Speaker 1: ankle turn. It looks like he's out for the rest

247
00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:33,360
Speaker 1: of the Pack twelve tournament. And Arizona has a good

248
00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,800
Speaker 1: team with some pros. They'll be fine. But that's a

249
00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,000
Speaker 1: bad loss. And I don't know that he's gonna be ready.

250
00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:40,720
Speaker 1: This point guard, I'm not even gonna try to say

251
00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,440
Speaker 1: his name. It's Umcrease or something like that. He is.

252
00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:48,280
Speaker 1: He's very good. He's not like they're that first, second,

253
00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,560
Speaker 1: or third best player. Maybe he's the third best player.

254
00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,320
Speaker 1: But it's obviously a big loss. And if he's out

255
00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,960
Speaker 1: the first weekend, Arizona may be susceptible a little bit.

256
00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:58,840
Speaker 1: So if you said, give me Duke in Kentucky instead

257
00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:02,160
Speaker 1: of those uh, Arizona, Baylor, I would be fine. Auburn

258
00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:03,760
Speaker 1: is the team to watch. I want to see how

259
00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,680
Speaker 1: they play at the SEC Tournament this weekend. Auburn is bouncy.

260
00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:10,480
Speaker 1: I like their coach. I'm I'm big on Auburn now

261
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:15,160
Speaker 1: they they're they're freshman is a superstar Jabari Smith. Can

262
00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,679
Speaker 1: you lean on a freshman forward as opposed to a

263
00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:20,880
Speaker 1: freshman point guard to ride the wave and and and

264
00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,840
Speaker 1: make a run. Obviously, Monday will have a ton on

265
00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:30,720
Speaker 1: the brackets and I'll be just draped in college basketball weekend.

266
00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:33,400
Speaker 1: Hit you can hit me on the Graham. Uh. A

267
00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:36,240
Speaker 1: little less responsive on Twitter, but I'm there if you

268
00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:38,640
Speaker 1: want to chat about questions about the tournament and the

269
00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:40,600
Speaker 1: bracket and it's just gonna be fun. We'll do be

270
00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:44,480
Speaker 1: doing shows for Fox exciting stuff. Fox Sports Radio has

271
00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,440
Speaker 1: the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all

272
00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,840
Speaker 1: of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and

273
00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:53,480
Speaker 1: within the I Heart Radio app search f s R

274
00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,320
Speaker 1: to listen live all right. Unto the quick NFL trade

275
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,320
Speaker 1: and what a week for the NFL, Huh, I mean

276
00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:06,560
Speaker 1: trades glory. You add Russell Wilson Tuesday. You had Carson

277
00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,440
Speaker 1: Wentz on Wednesday and on Thursday, you had Khalil Mack

278
00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:15,560
Speaker 1: going from the Bears, dobb Bears to the l A Chargers.

279
00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,400
Speaker 1: Now this is not a massive surprise, but another thing

280
00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,760
Speaker 1: we've talked about ad nausea, and we've been ahead of

281
00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:24,840
Speaker 1: the market on this for a couple of years. When

282
00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:27,520
Speaker 1: you have your quarterback on the rookie deal, you go

283
00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:29,920
Speaker 1: out and spend money. A lot of teams spend on

284
00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,320
Speaker 1: a wide receiver, luxury item to help your quarterback. Some

285
00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,240
Speaker 1: people decide, hey, let's go over pay for a edge

286
00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:41,320
Speaker 1: rusher that's also a premium position. Khalil Mack sixty three

287
00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,000
Speaker 1: million dollars over the next three years. He's already thirty one.

288
00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:52,840
Speaker 1: Is he at thirty one? Can we expect production from

289
00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,200
Speaker 1: Khalil Mack like he had in the past, Well, I

290
00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:56,880
Speaker 1: know Bears fans are going to be our way out

291
00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,440
Speaker 1: on him. Four years in Chicago, his his numbers pretty

292
00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:01,160
Speaker 1: much went down every year. Twelve and a half sacks

293
00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,520
Speaker 1: that first year he was incredible, Bears get the playoffs,

294
00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,760
Speaker 1: eight and a half sacks, the second year, nine sacks

295
00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,520
Speaker 1: in year three, and then this past year he only

296
00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,240
Speaker 1: played seven games injured. The injuries kind of mounted, but

297
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,120
Speaker 1: the other thing to watch is when Khalil Mack was

298
00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:18,840
Speaker 1: on the field for the Bears. He was the primary

299
00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,040
Speaker 1: pass rusher ro Kuan Smith grade linebacker. They had a

300
00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:25,040
Speaker 1: good hicks in the middle, but they you were able

301
00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:29,800
Speaker 1: to easily will just double team Khalil Mack. Well, you

302
00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,200
Speaker 1: can't do that when he's on the Chargers because on

303
00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,640
Speaker 1: the other side you've got Bosa. You can't double Mac

304
00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:40,880
Speaker 1: and double Bosa. This is a significant pickup. Assuming Mac

305
00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,480
Speaker 1: can stay healthy. This is massive for the Chargers. I

306
00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:47,040
Speaker 1: absolutely love this. And in my mock draft for Fox

307
00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:49,640
Speaker 1: Sports this week, I had the Chargers, who, by the way,

308
00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:51,240
Speaker 1: didn't even give up a number one pick in the

309
00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,520
Speaker 1: trade give up but number two, Like, that's that's a

310
00:16:55,880 --> 00:17:01,520
Speaker 1: that's a heist, Khalil Mack. Are you kidding me? I'm not.

311
00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:04,240
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that. Like von Miller was awesome all year,

312
00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:06,160
Speaker 1: but guess who showed up late in the season when

313
00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,399
Speaker 1: he was traded to the Ramps. Von Miller. All you

314
00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:12,480
Speaker 1: need is like one or two games where he shows

315
00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,240
Speaker 1: up and makes a couple of splash plays and boom,

316
00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,760
Speaker 1: He's worth his weight in gold. Like again, we're talking

317
00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,320
Speaker 1: about Khalil Mack he could. He used to wreck games

318
00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:23,760
Speaker 1: by himself. Now I know that was three years ago.

319
00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:25,919
Speaker 1: He's not the player he was. I get it. You

320
00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:31,200
Speaker 1: got Bosa, you got Mac kidding me, secondary gets healthy.

321
00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,919
Speaker 1: A f C West is making some moves, folks. This

322
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,600
Speaker 1: is just division is so loaded. Like remember the Chargers

323
00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:42,120
Speaker 1: missed the playoffs. Not only not on the last game

324
00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:46,080
Speaker 1: of the season, On the last play, last play of

325
00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,480
Speaker 1: the season, kicker hits a bomb for the Raiders when

326
00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:50,920
Speaker 1: it looked like the Raiders were playing for the Tide,

327
00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:53,840
Speaker 1: which would put the Chargers in the playoffs. They kick

328
00:17:53,880 --> 00:18:00,200
Speaker 1: at Chargers miss the playoffs like I would. I think

329
00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,160
Speaker 1: that everybody and their mom is gonna have the Chargers

330
00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,359
Speaker 1: in the playoffs next year. We talked about everybody. I

331
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:06,879
Speaker 1: think we'll have Denver as well. Everybody will obviously have

332
00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,840
Speaker 1: the Chiefs Raiders. Kind of s o l here, guys,

333
00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,360
Speaker 1: But the a f C West is just completely stacked

334
00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:15,480
Speaker 1: now about the Bears, and we don't really talk about

335
00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,359
Speaker 1: the Bears anymore because they haven't been good in forever.

336
00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:20,920
Speaker 1: You kind of feel a little bad for Justin Fields. No,

337
00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,800
Speaker 1: he goes there. It's like what do we have? Like,

338
00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,440
Speaker 1: what does Justin Fields have around him, who quickly, who's

339
00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:29,879
Speaker 1: the second best player in the Bears. And it's not

340
00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:33,320
Speaker 1: Alan Robinson. We know that because he's gone. Is it

341
00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:36,960
Speaker 1: the running back Montgomery? Is it ro Quan Smith a linebacker?

342
00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:40,560
Speaker 1: I don't know, guys, I'm a little worried about the Bears.

343
00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:42,720
Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers has to be excited at this. Oh I

344
00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,760
Speaker 1: don't have to see Khalil Mack twice a year. Oh splendid,

345
00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,000
Speaker 1: that is just great news. But there is a Bears

346
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,480
Speaker 1: team totally in rebuild mode. It feels like a tear down.

347
00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:57,760
Speaker 1: You almost wonder, Okay, we don't have a first round pick.

348
00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:02,359
Speaker 1: We are in a bad place salary cap wise. What

349
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,280
Speaker 1: do we do? I think you just start unloading dudes, right.

350
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,960
Speaker 1: You build the offensive line. You've got the quarterback on

351
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,800
Speaker 1: the rookie deal, still got Robert Queen who's pretty good.

352
00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:14,760
Speaker 1: You got Hicks, ro Kuan Smith. We like you know,

353
00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,000
Speaker 1: the secondary is getting a little old from when it

354
00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:21,320
Speaker 1: was really good Eddie Jackson and company. I just I

355
00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,920
Speaker 1: don't know. I'm really The Bears feel to me outside

356
00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:29,240
Speaker 1: of um like a miracle season from Justin Fields just

357
00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:33,000
Speaker 1: putting the team on his back. You know, that's six

358
00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,840
Speaker 1: win team, maybe seven. Now the division stinks, but the

359
00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,320
Speaker 1: Vikings are better than them. We know the Packers are

360
00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:43,399
Speaker 1: the Lions. They were plucky last year. I just it.

361
00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:47,720
Speaker 1: It just doesn't look good for the Chicago Bears. I

362
00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,359
Speaker 1: don't really know if they're there, you know they're Excuse me,

363
00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:53,600
Speaker 1: I don't know the Bears are expected to contend this

364
00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:57,600
Speaker 1: year or even next. But um, one of the stats

365
00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:59,280
Speaker 1: and all these people in Chicago were like, oh Mac

366
00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,720
Speaker 1: did nothing? Forgot about that guy. Just I'm just gonna

367
00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:05,719
Speaker 1: point this out. Over the last five seasons, Mac and

368
00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:10,200
Speaker 1: Bosa both rank in the top four in total defensive pressures.

369
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,639
Speaker 1: So like we could say, oh Clo Max lost the step.

370
00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:16,320
Speaker 1: He's not the guy he was. That's fair. Still the

371
00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,040
Speaker 1: body of work over the last four seasons, he is

372
00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,240
Speaker 1: one of the premier pass rushers in the league. Is

373
00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:24,760
Speaker 1: he as good as t J. Watt? No, he's obviously

374
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,640
Speaker 1: not Aaron Donald the defensive tackle. He's not as good

375
00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,639
Speaker 1: as either of the Bosa brothers. But like, it's not

376
00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,119
Speaker 1: the worst thing in the world. If you're still like

377
00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:35,320
Speaker 1: a top twelve pass rusher in the league, is it now?

378
00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,280
Speaker 1: I know you want to say this this the money, Oh,

379
00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:40,440
Speaker 1: it's costing your I'm in the leg. As I said,

380
00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,159
Speaker 1: you've got the quarterback on the rookie deal. Did you

381
00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,240
Speaker 1: see they signed Mike Williams to a long term deal.

382
00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:47,399
Speaker 1: They can give the money. Give the money, Keenan Allen,

383
00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,800
Speaker 1: pay all the positions you want to get justin Herbert

384
00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:56,159
Speaker 1: in position to succeed. That is kind of what the

385
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,399
Speaker 1: model has been. Mahomes did it, Russell Wilson did it

386
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:03,199
Speaker 1: back in the day. It's just one of those situations

387
00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,320
Speaker 1: where like smart teams doing smart things, and the Rams

388
00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,000
Speaker 1: did it with Golf and when he was on the

389
00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,320
Speaker 1: rookie deal, the Browns tried it with Baker Mayfield. You

390
00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,560
Speaker 1: gotta swing for the fences. It is a little disappointing

391
00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:18,920
Speaker 1: that my Jets have done Jack squat Zach Wilson entering

392
00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,280
Speaker 1: R two. Why am I not hearing about big splashing moves?

393
00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:23,720
Speaker 1: They're fine cap wise? Can they not get anybody to

394
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,159
Speaker 1: their team? What are we doing overpay for some talent?

395
00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:32,320
Speaker 1: I think I've told this story before, but like when

396
00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:36,880
Speaker 1: you are not a desirable franchise, some people may not

397
00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:38,280
Speaker 1: want to live in New York. That's fine. Most of

398
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:42,160
Speaker 1: the players live in Jersey anyway. The move is, Hey,

399
00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:46,119
Speaker 1: we gotta overpay people to bring them in, right we

400
00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:48,800
Speaker 1: nobody wants to come play with the Jets. They stank.

401
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,120
Speaker 1: You're not gonna win anything. You're in the Patriots Division. Fine,

402
00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,600
Speaker 1: so you gotta give them more money whatever. You could

403
00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:55,880
Speaker 1: do that with Zach Wilson on the rookie deal, don't.

404
00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,040
Speaker 1: It's just a little disappointing that my Jets are unable

405
00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,400
Speaker 1: to capitalize the way I see teams like the Chargers

406
00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,080
Speaker 1: making big, splashy moves. All right, that's it for this week, guys.

407
00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,960
Speaker 1: I hope you enjoyed the college basketball chatter the NBA.

408
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,480
Speaker 1: The guests were good guests. Next week pretty much wall

409
00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:17,720
Speaker 1: to wall college basketball outside of NFL free agency, and um,

410
00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:19,439
Speaker 1: I'm excited for it. I'm ready for it. We'll talk

411
00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:19,840
Speaker 1: to you then,