WEBVTT - 10/28/21 DPS Hour 1 Ric Bucher 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.200 Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike 0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:05.279 Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight 0:00:05.519 --> 0:00:08.600 ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm 0:00:08.600 --> 0:00:11.639 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for 0:00:11.680 --> 0:00:14.280 The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Fox Sports 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:17.520 Radio dot com, or stream us live every night on 0:00:17.600 --> 0:00:24.720 the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR. You're listening to Fox 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:30.240 Sports Radio. See and here's the thing though it's not 0:00:30.280 --> 0:00:33.639 a hot take, but I think they're lying. You think 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:38.200 they're lying. I think Do you think they're in Arizona? No? No, no, no, no, no, 0:00:38.200 --> 0:00:39.599 no no no, come on? Or are they go Are 0:00:39.600 --> 0:00:41.720 they actually gonna go watch Nicks Bulls? No? No, they 0:00:41.720 --> 0:00:45.360 are in Chicago for Nicks for the Eastern Conference Finals 0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:47.639 preview tonight between the Knicks and the bull That's where 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:50.199 they're really well, I mean, only Dan really has to 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:53.000 show up, right m I mean the other guys can 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:57.640 zoom in and be like, hey, thanks for the seats, Hey, 0:00:57.680 --> 0:01:00.200 this is fantastic. Yeah, but look, I mean clearly, look, 0:01:00.200 --> 0:01:03.080 they're taking the Packers and the Cardinals off of national 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:05.559 television to put the Knicks and the Bulls on tonight. 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:08.720 It's a really really big deal tonight, huge Eastern Conference 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:11.560 Final preview. It made it all the way to NBA TV, 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:14.440 which is like being almost on TV. It's really really 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:17.080 I like when there was a press release put out 0:01:17.120 --> 0:01:20.479 saying it was a national game and then well, NBA 0:01:20.600 --> 0:01:23.640 TV was the last note to it. Here's where you 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:26.760 find it, and I think that kind of killed the 0:01:26.800 --> 0:01:29.680 buzz them. Wow, they elevated it to a top spot 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:32.759 and it's gonna be opposite Thursday Night Football and let's 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:37.600 go NBA TV. Oh boy, but we got more NBA 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:40.240 on the way. Rick Buker stopping by in about twenty 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:43.679 minutes to talk the Russell Westbrook experience because last night 0:01:44.319 --> 0:01:47.160 end of the Lakers Oklahoma City Thunder game was this 0:01:47.280 --> 0:01:50.400 was peak Russell Westbrook and Buckling because I am here 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:54.320 for the Russell Westbrook experience. But two big stories that 0:01:54.360 --> 0:01:57.240 broke last night. Obviously one likely you are aware of, 0:01:57.280 --> 0:01:59.920 the World Series is tied at two games at peace. 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:01.680 The Astro game of the last night or one game 0:02:01.720 --> 0:02:05.000 apiece rather Game two goes to the Astros, and kind 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:07.560 of an inverse from game one, we watched the Braves 0:02:07.600 --> 0:02:09.919 jump on the Astros early in game one and they 0:02:09.960 --> 0:02:12.240 win Game one of the World Series. Astro jump on 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:14.560 the Braves early in game two and they win it 0:02:14.680 --> 0:02:17.839 by the final of seven to two. Now it's one 0:02:17.960 --> 0:02:21.480 one going back to Atlanta, and clearly, look Atlanta did 0:02:21.480 --> 0:02:23.240 what they wanted to do. They come back and they win, 0:02:23.360 --> 0:02:25.040 they win, They win one of the first two games 0:02:25.040 --> 0:02:28.640 and they split going home. I'm really concerned for the Braves, 0:02:28.880 --> 0:02:31.000 all right. I'm really concerned for the Braves out of 0:02:31.000 --> 0:02:33.720 this because look at what's going on in the last 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:37.840 twenty four hours for Atlanta. Your strength was going to be. 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:40.560 Here's the pitching pictures that we're going to trot out 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:43.480 here for the World Series. Charlie Morton, Max Freed, first 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:45.720 two games. These are guys we love, right, Freed is 0:02:45.720 --> 0:02:48.000 the guy they want on the mound. Morton. We know 0:02:48.120 --> 0:02:50.120 Morton's out for the rest of the playoffs now and 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:52.080 hopefully he's ready for the beginning of the season and 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:54.600 pitching with a broken leg during Game one before he 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:58.120 has to come out. And then Max Freed, who look, 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:00.239 he's there, he's there, young. This is the guy we like. 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:01.840 This is this is this is our this is our 0:03:01.840 --> 0:03:04.080 Walker Bueller, this is our deGrom this is our guy, 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:07.079 and this is the second big game in a row 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:10.760 that he has gotten just pasted. Yeah, the horrible outing 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:13.840 against their Dodgers, the horrible outing last night against the Astros, 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:16.160 and likely the only reason he stayed in the game 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:18.160 as long as he did was to save wear and 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:20.239 tear in the Braves bullpen, which comes in wins game 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:23.519 one for them in relief of Morton. But now you're 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:26.400 talking about the Braves having to navigate the last five 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:29.080 games of this series without your starters you were bringing 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:32.520 back in five and six. Because Morton is obviously not 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:34.600 going to pitch and Freed, I don't know what you're 0:03:34.600 --> 0:03:36.960 gonna get from him. I mean, you can't walk out 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:39.480 and say, hey, we're feeling good about about our ace 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:41.840 on the mountain. No, you can't, because he's not pitched 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:44.640 well the last two times out. He's not looked aggressive, 0:03:44.880 --> 0:03:47.320 he has not looked that he is in command. And 0:03:47.520 --> 0:03:50.040 if I'm the Astros, I'm feeling great about this going. Yeah, okay, 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:54.760 we split, but we got the best pitcher is out 0:03:54.800 --> 0:03:57.560 and their other one really is in a big, bad, 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:01.120 bad place right now mentally because he's gotten racked around 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:03.200 the Ballpark. The last couple of times out, I'm really 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:04.960 worried how the Braves are going to try to navigate 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:06.800 these next few games. Yeah, I mean, at least Freed 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:09.720 was able to gut out five innings, right, Should they 0:04:09.720 --> 0:04:11.800 have pulled him in the second? You know, the world 0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:14.560 may never know. Did they just concede at that point? Well, 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:16.640 I was going to do the TUTSI roll pop and 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:19.320 we all remember the ad and it gets people a 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:23.040 little cheery thinking about Saturday morning television and then in 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:26.640 the middle of their week. But the idea that they 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:28.359 didn't want to go to the bullpen early because what 0:04:28.360 --> 0:04:30.520 did they do? They use the bullpen a bunch to 0:04:30.600 --> 0:04:32.960 try to make sure they didn't give away that lead 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:35.840 in Game one. So you go to Freed and he 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:40.120 gives you eighty six pitches, only fifty nine strikes, seven hits, 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:43.840 six earn runs, six strikeouts, but get you five innings. 0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:46.919 Is that enough to kind of stem the tide? I 0:04:46.920 --> 0:04:49.240 don't know, because he and Anderson coming in as your 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:53.640 Game three guy hasn't exactly been a workhorse in terms 0:04:53.640 --> 0:04:56.600 of innings, especially the last couple of times out. I mean, 0:04:56.640 --> 0:04:58.880 you look it at five innings pitch five and a 0:04:58.960 --> 0:05:02.760 third five then early you know, that's all early in 0:05:02.800 --> 0:05:06.479 the season, and then the last month three innings, five innings, 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:09.279 five and two thirds. You did have a seven inning 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:12.840 game at the end of September and then a sixth 0:05:12.880 --> 0:05:15.880 inning spot back to back wins to close out the 0:05:15.920 --> 0:05:21.719 regular season. But his last couple of outings very short work. Right, 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:26.000 So we're looking at taxing the bullpen once again when 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:27.880 you know you're going to need them to pick up 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:30.480 as this series goes, and you don't have more. By 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:34.120 the way, Morton greater than Bloody Sock, better than so 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:36.479 many of the other storylines that could. I don't know 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:38.680 what you can put into the Hall of Fame for him, 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:40.640 you know, for pitching with a broken leg. There's got 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:43.400 to be something there that's Yeah, that's really tough because 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:44.960 you can't like cut off a piece of his leg, 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:46.800 you know, and put it in it. Maybe some toenails 0:05:46.880 --> 0:05:49.760 you have to click, you know, I was thinking more, 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:52.200 you know, part of his uniform or something, and then 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:54.880 you just show the video of the comebacker and saying, 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:58.520 see kids, perseverance, you keep going. So you know you 0:05:58.560 --> 0:06:00.960 can't do that. I know because I just saw this 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:03.760 is that Charlie Morton's uniform actually goes to the guy 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:08.080 that caught Brady six hundredth touchdown ball that's been added on. Yes, 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:12.120 he's getting that. Yeah, it's already even promised. Is this 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:15.000 is this guy's stashed out like a Wikipedia page. We 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:18.480 just keep adding paragraphs to it. Something Bill's happened. Hey, 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:21.320 give him more. Yeah, I want this and I want this. Yeah, 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:23.359 but that's out of our control. You get it for me. 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:25.840 I gave you that six hundredth ball. Okay, listen, Hey, 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:28.080 this is the bucks. We'd really like Charlie Morton's jersey. 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:30.400 We gotta give it to this guy. I know, I know, 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:32.960 I know. If you could just listen, just send us 0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:34.400 a fake one, all right, just said us one of 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:36.120 the other ones. We'll just tell him it's real and 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:38.560 it's gonna work. Well, the packers are starting to sell 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:41.560 shares again in the in the team. Oh they're gonna have, 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:44.240 they're having they're printing those certificates. Does he get a 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:46.360 few of those while he's at it? Well, yeah, because 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:48.240 because I think the guy actually said, Hey, if Aaron 0:06:48.320 --> 0:06:50.320 Rodgers owns the Bears, I want to own part of 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:52.200 the Packers. So this is this is what I'm going 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:55.120 to do. A Todd The guy's gonna have everything. Trust 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:57.599 he's gonna have Aaron Rodgers jersey after tonight. Just watch. 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:01.880 I like this, just next level stuff right here. So 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:04.919 Game three of the World Series Friday night. And you know, 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:08.040 the one good news about this is that, hey, ratings 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:10.400 were up over Game one last year. We're still waiting 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:12.160 for the ratings to come in from the night of 0:07:12.240 --> 0:07:16.240 Game two, which is great. And because the pandemic and 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:19.920 it was a really difficult year last year in sports obviously. 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:23.280 But I got a feeling, if I had to, if 0:07:23.280 --> 0:07:24.960 I had to put my money on this, that we're 0:07:25.000 --> 0:07:28.120 going seven games in this series. Neither team looks like 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:30.640 a team that can pull away from the other. These 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:33.480 are both teams that got hot at the right time. Right. 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:35.360 That's how you win the World Series. The best teams 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:37.800 get in. The hottest teams win in. The Braves are 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:40.480 a really flawed team. The Astros are a flawed team. 0:07:40.480 --> 0:07:41.920 You know, we have this image of the Astros as, 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:43.800 oh my good they you know, they went in one 0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:45.760 in twenty seventeen. They were there and back to back 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.320 ears and all this thing the Astros are not quite 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:50.640 the Astros of that time. They don't have the pitching, 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:53.600 the lockdown pitching that they had before. So this is 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:56.200 one of those series where I don't really see either 0:07:56.280 --> 0:07:57.920 team saying, hey, you know, we're going to rip off 0:07:57.960 --> 0:07:59.920 the next three and this is gonna be one of 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:04.720 those knocked down, drag out, scratch and claw years where 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:06.720 we're going to see a seven game series, which is 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:08.680 gonna be great because we get the Fall Classic to 0:08:08.720 --> 0:08:10.720 go seven. So the good news even though we didn't 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:13.320 get the Dodgers, which I know, look, everybody wanted the Dodgers. 0:08:13.400 --> 0:08:15.440 Everybody wants to see the Dodgers in the Astros. Sure, 0:08:15.960 --> 0:08:17.360 I mean, look, I wanted to see it because I 0:08:17.360 --> 0:08:20.840 wanted to see the Dodgers say hey, here's our idea 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:22.800 for the World Series. Astros, they'd say, lay it on me. 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:26.040 If we win, we get this World Series and we 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:29.640 get twenty seventeen. If you win, you get both of them, 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:31.920 and then we don't say anything about the cheating scandal 0:08:31.960 --> 0:08:34.080 on are you in? And that would work, and that 0:08:34.080 --> 0:08:36.040 would be the bet and instead of the crazy Mayor 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:39.160 bet where we're betting cheesecake versus steak or whatever it is, 0:08:39.320 --> 0:08:40.760 that's the bet. That would have been the bet the 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:43.480 Dodgers say, Okay, we win, we get them both and 0:08:43.520 --> 0:08:47.520 if you win, we dropped the gambling gambling, we dropped 0:08:47.520 --> 0:08:50.760 the sign stealing scandal. Sorry, that was just that. Didn't 0:08:50.760 --> 0:08:53.640 mean to say that we dropped the sign sealing scandal 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:55.920 and then we move on. That would have been great. Yeah, 0:08:55.960 --> 0:08:58.160 but that allows it to really build into a whole 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:01.040 other thing. I mean, it's like Rocky versus Apollo Creed 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:05.840 the second time, or pick any of your big wrestling 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:09.720 pay per view matches that you got the return bout in, 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:12.679 and you know, maybe there's a loser leaves town match, 0:09:12.840 --> 0:09:14.840 maybe there's a hair match, a ladder match. I mean, 0:09:14.840 --> 0:09:16.920 there's all different ways we could do this, put him 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:20.280 inside the cage, all of these things could come to 0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:23.520 fruition at last. We did not get that. And yesterday 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:27.840 you had the exit interviews for the Dodgers executives. They 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:33.160 got a lot of decisions to make, so rebuild, retool, repurpose. Fortunately, 0:09:33.200 --> 0:09:36.240 you have a giant war chest behind you, but a 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:38.720 lot of decisions to make on guys that have become 0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:42.480 very important to the organization and fan favorites couple that 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:45.800 maybe they should have looked at extending before you got 0:09:45.840 --> 0:09:49.000 to this point, but hey, hindsight's twenty twenty. As alway, 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:52.880 I'm looking at you, Taylor, because he's gonna go get paid. 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:57.960 But you know, when we start looking at the rest 0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:02.360 of this series, I think, for me, it's all Atlanta pitching. 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:05.080 Can you get enough inning? He's out of the relief 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:07.800 arms because they're going to be taxed. I mean, they 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:10.000 are going to really have to pick up some big, 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:14.720 stressful situations. And what's always the rule of the three 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:18.360 pitcher or three batter rule for pitchers, I think will 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:20.520 come up at least once or twice here where it's 0:10:20.559 --> 0:10:23.400 a leverage situation like I can't take this guy out 0:10:24.040 --> 0:10:26.760 and now all of a sudden, I'm facing Korea or 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:30.640 I'm facing Altuve, who's now setting records at this point 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:34.240 and creeping up all these all time lists for playoff heroics. 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:38.880 So advantage Houston even though Atlanta got the split. Why 0:10:39.000 --> 0:10:41.600 because Morton just has to watch like the rest of us. 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:44.680 So a lot more on the World series as the 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:48.720 day unfolds. But the other big news that came in 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:52.720 last night late is that for this big Titanic matchup 0:10:52.760 --> 0:10:56.160 tonight and Thursday Night Football, the Packers and the Cardinals. EI, 0:10:56.200 --> 0:10:59.000 there's so much at stake it. Whoever comes away with 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:00.959 the win tonight is going to be the team that 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:04.480 Friday morning you're gonna see everywhere on TV. Hey, this 0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:06.960 is the favorite to get to the super Bowl. It's 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:10.920 gonna be a phenomenal event tonight. The Cardinals are gonna 0:11:10.920 --> 0:11:13.880 do it without JJ Watt. And not only that, they're 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:16.920 gonna do it without JJ Watt for the rest of 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:20.680 the season. ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting Wednesday night that Watt 0:11:20.720 --> 0:11:24.840 is going to undergo what is likely season ending shoulder surgery. 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:28.720 No date yet has been set for the procedure. Now, 0:11:28.760 --> 0:11:31.840 this is a big story mainly because of the name 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:35.160 of JJ Watt. Right when they signed him. Look, I 0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:37.120 hate to say I told you so, but I said, listen, 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:39.720 you're giving him twenty eight million dollars for two years. 0:11:39.960 --> 0:11:42.320 How long is he gonna make it before he gets hurt? Right? Right? 0:11:42.360 --> 0:11:43.880 That this is just who he is. Right, He's been 0:11:43.960 --> 0:11:46.560 every other year for the last five He can't stay health. 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:49.320 He hasn't been really good since twenty eighteen. And you know, 0:11:49.400 --> 0:11:51.800 that at thirty two, being a part time player, he's 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:53.760 only gonna play so long you're gonna get four games, 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:55.800 you're gonna get nine games, you're gonna get one game. 0:11:56.040 --> 0:11:57.960 But you knew this was gonna come. And still this 0:11:58.000 --> 0:11:59.600 is why when I looked at the Cardinals, I said, 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:02.480 what the hell, man, I mean, you know what's going 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:05.040 to happen? You're still you're gonna guarantee him twenty three 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:08.040 million dollars, And now with him being out, I believe 0:12:08.160 --> 0:12:12.320 is his contract for next year's guaranteed against injury. So voilah, 0:12:12.520 --> 0:12:15.959 now you're paying JJ Watt for next year two. But 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.680 the sunny side of it is for the Arizona Cardinals, 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:22.800 is that it's not really that big a deal. All Right, 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:26.280 Watt was a great player, and now you signed him 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:28.480 hoping that he would give you some kind of production 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:31.920 and be one of those locker room leaders that you 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:34.680 have on a young team that is figuring things out. 0:12:34.840 --> 0:12:37.000 So if you look at the trade off of well, 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:40.319 we signed JJ Watt and for seven games, we got 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:41.760 what we got out of him. Right, he was really 0:12:41.760 --> 0:12:44.360 invisible for the first month of the season as he 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:46.319 was trying to figure things out and then he's played 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:49.160 well the last three games. But it's not like they're 0:12:49.200 --> 0:12:52.040 losing Chandler Jones. It's not like they're losing Kyler Murray 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:56.680 or DeAndre Hopkins. They're losing JJ Watt. Injuries happen and 0:12:56.880 --> 0:12:59.720 they're losing somebody that you're hoping all right, Well, hopefully 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:02.679 he is able to import whatever amounts of knowledge that 0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:04.840 he has had and the team has been able to 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:07.920 understand and they will be able to cope with his loss, 0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:10.840 which I think they will. And the bottom line is, 0:13:11.080 --> 0:13:13.160 you're seven and oh, right, it's not like, boy, we 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:15.200 really need him. We're trying to go trying to scramble 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.120 and make the playoffs. We're four and three in a 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:20.360 crowded NFC. No, you're seven and oz. So that part 0:13:20.400 --> 0:13:21.920 of it at least was worth it, where you spent 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:23.840 a lot of money which you probably shouldn't have, and 0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:26.439 you brought him in. But the flip side is without 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:29.560 him being an incredibly big contributor, because you were four 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:31.320 and oh when he wasn't really playing, well, you were 0:13:31.320 --> 0:13:33.000 three and oh when he was playing sort of well, 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:36.480 you can withstand this. I really I have no issues 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:39.080 with the Cardinals, and I think they're gonna go forward 0:13:39.160 --> 0:13:41.640 just fine. In the wake of this news, schedule still 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:44.800 has some soft landing spots on it. Chandler Jones Zach 0:13:44.880 --> 0:13:49.000 Allen return for the game tonight against the Packers. Packers 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:53.520 without Joe Barry their defensive coordinator, obviously without Davante Adams 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:56.160 and Alan Lazard, as all you fantasy owners well know, 0:13:56.280 --> 0:14:01.040 as you try to find replacement options in your lineup. 0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:03.320 Certainly for Adams, Lazard was going to be the pickup 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:08.240 until he wasn't available. He might be out there on 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:10.960 an available play players list as well. But back tr 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:13.839 isn't back So when you look at short term, it's fine. 0:14:13.880 --> 0:14:17.640 I mean, what ten quarterback hits, a sack, five tackles 0:14:17.679 --> 0:14:20.560 for loss this year. But like I said, they do 0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:24.080 get their reinforcements and Chandler Jones who had that monster 0:14:24.160 --> 0:14:27.400 game to start the season fourteen quarterback hits and playing well, 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:30.840 and Zach Allen, third year guy. That'll help four to 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:33.800 five things. But we'll see how much it tests that 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:37.480 back seven that much more. Right, more on the corners, 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:40.200 because even if Watt's not piling up stats, you know, 0:14:40.360 --> 0:14:43.080 still disrupting plays. And now you've got to make up 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:46.200 for that. I think the timing also is curious, why 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:48.200 because we've got our trade deadline coming up here in 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:52.480 short order, Jason, So maybe just maybe Arizona starts to 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:57.200 look and try to fortify that defensive front. Twitter At 0:14:57.200 --> 0:15:00.400 how about a fresco Mike at Swollen dump, Ja Smith, 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:03.240 Mike Harman in for Dan and the Dan Nets today 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:05.840 here on Fox Sports Radio. So of course we got 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:08.120 tons of football on the way. We have a star 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:11.040 quarterback who maybe in the last couple of weeks with 0:15:11.160 --> 0:15:13.040 his gig. We'll get to that coming up later on 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:15.400 this hour, but straight ahead, we got Rick Bucker on 0:15:15.440 --> 0:15:18.640 the way. It was a night last night for Russell 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:22.120 Westbrook and the Lakers. You had an incredibly large, blown lead. 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:25.160 You had Russell Westbrook playing great. You had Russell Westbrook 0:15:25.200 --> 0:15:27.640 playing awful. You had a quadruple double, you had him 0:15:27.680 --> 0:15:30.560 getting tossed, you had him showing leadership, You had the 0:15:30.800 --> 0:15:35.000 full Russell Westbrook experience. Hang onto your hats as we 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:38.520 tell you how last night unfolded between the Lakers and 0:15:38.720 --> 0:15:41.520 Oklahoma City. That's coming up next right here, This is 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:44.520 Fox Sports Radio. Be sure to catch live editions of 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:47.560 the Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:51.440 pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:56.480 the iHeart Radio app. Hey, it's parent day here at school. 0:15:56.560 --> 0:15:58.720 So I know, Jimmy, your dad's a fireman. He was 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:00.680 going to come in and talk about, you know, saving 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:02.720 lives and all the great things firemen do. But instead 0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:05.560 we have a speech from Tom Thibodeau on Joe Kim Noah. 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:07.720 So everybody put your books away and this we're gonna 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:09.440 play a look up front, We're gonna play it right 0:16:09.480 --> 0:16:12.520 now for you. There you go, hard, hard work, determination, 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:15.320 you can do like the big Voice guy, just doing 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:19.320 like one one words jog about dedication to your craft. 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:22.960 It's gonna be difficult because Tom Tibodau would probably have 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:25.760 to smile at some point, and you're when you're saying 0:16:25.880 --> 0:16:29.240 night can't break character. I don't know. Yes he was great. 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:33.040 Did you like to have him? Yes? He was terrific. 0:16:33.080 --> 0:16:37.400 Are we done? We done? We move on. But that's tonight. 0:16:37.680 --> 0:16:40.760 Last night, the Lakers, playing back to back nights without 0:16:40.840 --> 0:16:43.680 Lebron James for a second game in a row, lose 0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:47.000 to Oklahoma City, who had not won yet this season. 0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:50.760 One twenty three one fifteen. It was the Russell Westbrook 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:55.040 experience on full display. A quadruple double for Russ with 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:59.880 the dreaded turnover faction with ten turnovers being the fourth category. 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:02.680 It wasn't enough. The Lakers missed some big shots at 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:05.640 the end, and then Westbrook gets ejected when with four 0:17:05.680 --> 0:17:07.679 and a half seconds left to go, the Lakers are 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:10.680 down five, the game is over. They inbound the basketball 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:12.960 and Darius Baseley, who should still be playing for Jim 0:17:12.960 --> 0:17:16.280 Beeheim at Syracuse, intercepts the ball at mid court goes 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:18.879 in for an uncontested dunk, which you really don't do 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:21.000 in the NBA. The game's over, you dribble it out, 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:23.040 but he's twenty one and he says, hey, I can 0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:26.240 get to twenty points. This is great. Russell Westbrook made 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:28.320 no bones about it, went over and got into it 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:31.720 with Baisley, got his second technical, got thrown out of 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:34.200 the game, and so the Lakers walk away from this 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:37.320 game losing, and everything that goes on with the drama 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:40.479 of getting Russell Westbrook is there to break down. So 0:17:40.600 --> 0:17:43.040 breaking it down now here with us Fox Sports one 0:17:43.320 --> 0:17:47.000 NBA Insider extraordinaire Rick Buker, you can follow him on 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:49.639 Twitter at Rick Buker. Rick, good morning man, what's happening? 0:17:50.359 --> 0:17:56.359 Good morning, gentlemen. How are we dominating? Yourself? Indeed better 0:17:56.480 --> 0:18:00.000 off than he? Certainly the Los Angeles Lakers and Russell 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:02.800 Usbrook right now, everything that the game that's San Antonio 0:18:02.880 --> 0:18:05.800 spurs over time when they gave back and then some 0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:09.000 in the loss to the Sutter. You know, I look 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:10.760 at this game, Rick, and I said, list, this is 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:13.040 the Russell Westbrook experience. Which if this is what it is, 0:18:13.080 --> 0:18:14.720 it is great. Sign me up. I mean because I 0:18:15.080 --> 0:18:17.440 I want to see stuff like this every single game. 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:19.960 You know, in the loss, I will say this, in 0:18:20.040 --> 0:18:22.840 the loss the last couple of nights, the Lakers, probably 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:25.760 because of necessity, they've run the offense through Russell Westbrook. 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:28.560 That's kind of what I think the Lakers have to 0:18:28.600 --> 0:18:31.000 do even when Lebron gets back, because if you're gonna 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:33.320 I mean, Russell Westbrook, you you and I we've talked 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:35.920 about this. You didn't get Russell Westbrook to be a 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:37.640 guy playing off the ball the sand in the corner 0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:39.240 and wait for the ball for a three. I mean, 0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:41.760 you got Westbrook to be who he is. And then 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:44.639 Lebron and Ad can kind of be the ones. All right, 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:46.480 we're going to figure out our roles around it, and 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:50.080 that's probably the way they need to go forward. I 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:53.560 would agree Russell Westbrook does not work or as not 0:18:53.720 --> 0:18:56.959 as Russell. He's not Russell Westbrook off the ball. If 0:18:56.960 --> 0:19:00.639 you want the triple double and the occasional QUB gruple double, 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:03.600 then that's the way you have to play. But that 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:07.719 ultimately is why I never believe that this is going 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:11.400 to work to the level that Lake fans or Genie 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:14.400 Buss or Frank Bogel or Rob Blinka believe that it's 0:19:14.440 --> 0:19:16.840 going to work, if indeed they believe it's going to 0:19:17.359 --> 0:19:22.720 result in the championship, because Lebron James isn't Lebron James 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:29.080 playing off the ball and getting Anthony Dates going. I 0:19:29.119 --> 0:19:32.920 don't know that you're capable of doing that playing through 0:19:33.440 --> 0:19:37.720 Russell Westbrook, because while he is a terror and transition, 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:40.080 when you have to go and play in a half court, 0:19:40.240 --> 0:19:43.840