1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: This is the best of two pros and a couple 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Joe with Lamar Aarings and rating Win and Jonas Knox 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: on Fox or Radio. 4 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 2: Happy to talk about this tanking problem that you think 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 2: the NBA doesn't have, and yet Adam Silver is informing 6 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 2: thirty general managers yesterday that the NBA plans to make 7 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 2: anti tanking rule changes for next season, which encompasses a 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 2: variety of different things. ESPN did some reporting on this 9 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 2: yesterday Sham Sharania first round draft picks can be protected 10 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: only for top four or top fourteen plus selections. Lottery 11 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 2: odds freeze at the trade deadline or a later date. 12 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 2: No longer allowing a team to pick in the top 13 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 2: four in consecutive years and or after consecutive bottom three finishes. 14 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 2: So you're alleging that they're doing this not because there's 15 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: an actual issue, but because enough people are talking about 16 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 2: an issue that you don't think that they actually have 17 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: that they just need to get out there and handle 18 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 2: some pr correct. 19 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 3: This is really simple to me too, honestly. So look, 20 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 3: by the way, we've got plenty of time this morning. 21 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 3: Every one of those proposals is damned and will absolutely 22 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 3: fall apart. So if those are Adam Silver's great ideas 23 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 3: to stop tanking, there was a great tweet yesterday from 24 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 3: an NBA reporter that literally ripped every single one of 25 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 3: them apart. So if your answer is you can't pick 26 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 3: in the top four two straight years, well, now, what 27 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 3: you're really doing is incentivizing people to tank, to get 28 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 3: to the seventh or eighth worst record if they're not 29 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 3: in the playoff hunt anymore late in the season because 30 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 3: they know that they have a better shott four, because 31 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 3: we're taking people out. Like, if tanking is really a problem, 32 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 3: you're not going to fix it. But here's here's the 33 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 3: thing that just stands out to me that absolutely just 34 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 3: blows my mind. Right now, you and I. You are 35 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 3: sitting in Nashville, Tennessee, where you cover the Tennessee Titans. 36 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 3: You and I talk a lot of football. Everybody knows 37 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 3: that I'm a lifelong diehard Raiders fan, right I would 38 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 3: love everybody just take a second sometime today and go 39 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 3: to tankathon dot com, a site that I reference office, 40 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 3: that will tell you the current draft order in the NFL. 41 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,679 Speaker 3: Ten teams. Ten teams in the NFL last year finished 42 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 3: with a win percentage of thirty five percent or less 43 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 3: ten teams. We watched the NFL last year give us 44 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 3: a Raiders Giants game where both teams were actively sitting 45 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 3: literally everybody like we were looking at practice squad guys 46 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 3: that were suddenly starting days after being signed. Max Crosby 47 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,799 Speaker 3: was shut down in something that's now created trade rumors. Right, 48 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 3: So we're talking about ten teams and we're talking about 49 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 3: real viable answers for the first time in NFL history 50 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 3: of undeniable tanking. Absolutely, and that outrage lasted for I 51 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 3: don't know twenty four hours. If you look at the 52 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 3: NBA right now, for all of the conversation about how 53 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 3: bad the NBA is, there are only seven teams in 54 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 3: the NBA right now with that same thirty five percent 55 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 3: win percentage or less than the NFL. The NBA doesn't 56 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,519 Speaker 3: have more bad teams by any percentage than any other 57 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 3: pro sports league other than Baseball, where very few teams 58 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 3: are actually that terrible. The NBA has an image problem. 59 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 3: Think about it. If you are an NHL fan, if 60 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 3: you love hockey, and I'm talking to like all three 61 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 3: of you right now listening that love the game, like 62 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 3: I get it, but If you're a hockey fan and 63 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 3: somebody walks up to you and says, man, you checked 64 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 3: out the Canucks this year, you laugh and you just say, no, 65 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 3: the Canucks suck. Why would I possibly watch the Canucks. 66 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 3: If you're a baseball fan and you were sitting around 67 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 3: last year and somebody walked up to you and said, man, 68 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 3: you go to any Rockies games this year? Nah, they suck. 69 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 3: They lost one hundred and nineteen games. I'm not gonna 70 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 3: go watch the Rockies. They stink. That's the end of 71 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 3: the conversation. The thing of it is that in a 72 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 3: content conflict world where people just love to yell, the 73 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 3: thing that people have decided they want to yell about 74 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 3: is the NBA. So NBA heads want to yell about 75 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 3: the fact that it's not covered properly. And then people 76 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 3: that don't want the NBA to be successful that will 77 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 3: tell you, I hate the NBA. Yet they haven't watched 78 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 3: a single game of it for four or five years, 79 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 3: So how do they know if they even like modern basketball? 80 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 3: That guy is so loud on social media that what 81 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 3: you have are people that are just screaming at the 82 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 3: clouds about a problem that is not unique to the NBA. 83 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 3: A team trying to get their way to the top 84 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:09,839 Speaker 3: of the draft is not unique to the NBA. It's 85 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 3: not even that big of a problem for them versus 86 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 3: anybody else. They just got teams that are trying to 87 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 3: figure out how to better themselves, and that's the best 88 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 3: path to do it in all of sports, not just 89 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 3: the NBA. 90 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 4: M come on for well, I don't think you laid 91 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 4: it out that well because I don't agree with you. 92 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 2: I don't agree that tanking is the most proven path 93 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 2: to improve your team. Like I understand that it ups 94 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 2: your percentage, chance to have higher draft capital, better draft capital, 95 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 2: better chance of better players, and all these different things, 96 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: but it's not a guarantee the way that I think 97 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 2: a lot of it, you know, I mean, to your point, 98 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 2: people operate in extremes. You either think that that's it's 99 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 2: the only way to improve your football team. Like look 100 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,919 Speaker 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers fans, right they are in hell because 101 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: they think that the only way that they're going to 102 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 2: get out of kind of this per gatory that they've 103 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 2: been in where they make the playoffs and then you know, 104 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 2: they get dusted by whomever they face in the wild 105 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 2: card round and they lose by fifteen or twenty points 106 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 2: or something like that, and they're just screaming and moaning 107 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: about the idea that they just don't lose enough to 108 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 2: get game changing players and specifically a franchise altar and 109 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 2: quarterback that will come in and give them the next 110 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 2: era of great Pittsburgh, like truly great championship caliber Pittsburgh 111 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 2: Steelers football. And they're probably not going to get it 112 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 2: this time around because their organization doesn't believe that that's 113 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 2: the best way to operate, right. They're probably gonna get 114 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 2: Aaron Rodgerson Mike McCarthy in twenty twenty six, which is 115 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 2: a crazy thing to say, but I don't think that 116 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 2: the Pittsburgh Steelers fans actually know what they're wishing for, 117 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 2: because once you get into the basement, if you're one 118 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 2: of these teams, it is damn hard. And the NFL 119 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 2: is different than the NBA, right The NBA is a 120 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: much more correctible, course correctable thing with simply one player, 121 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 2: where the NFL it takes a much longer, more cohesive 122 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 2: process to put together the best possible team. So maybe 123 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 2: it's not an apt comparison that way, but once you 124 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: get into the basement. It is damn hard to dig 125 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 2: yourself out in these particular situations. 126 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 4: And to me, Fitzi, it. 127 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 2: Speaks to what you are alluding to, which is an 128 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 2: optics problem that they're trying to fix, to show that 129 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 2: they are actively trying to focus on the things that 130 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 2: their audience, a lot of their audience is saying, Hey, 131 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 2: we don't like this, we think this is broken. We 132 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 2: need you to fix this. Adam Silver, you're a puppet. 133 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 2: You're not doing your job properly. You don't handle your 134 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 2: business in the league correctly. You don't have any level 135 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 2: of a real accountability for these players. They don't respect 136 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 2: the way that the league is run. And you have 137 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 2: let the player empowerment era so overtake what the league 138 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 2: actually is. That you've let the thing get a bit 139 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 2: out of hand. This is a lot of the dialogue 140 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 2: around the NBA, But what it really speaks to Fitzi, 141 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 2: to me is a lot of the same things that 142 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 2: I used to feel about conversation around baseball, where people 143 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 2: were trying to give you all these different fixes for 144 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 2: baseball right for how they're going to improve the game 145 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 2: and how this needs to change, and how you're going 146 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 2: to get young people back in and invested in baseball. 147 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 4: All that means to me is. 148 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,679 Speaker 2: That basketball is going the way of Major League Baseball, 149 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 2: which is your regular season games don't matter. And I'll 150 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 2: chime in during the playoffs when all the games actually 151 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 2: have stakes and the players actually show that they care 152 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 2: about the product that's being produced on the court or 153 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 2: the field. 154 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 4: In this particular situation, I it's a struggle. 155 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: It's a struggle for me because I don't want to 156 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 2: see basketball head in that direction. But I feel like 157 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 2: the dialogue has so shifted away from the actual sport 158 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 2: itself and more about all the different ways that it 159 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 2: needs to be fixed, that it's just kind of going 160 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: the way that Major League Baseball did, where it's just 161 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 2: going to be relegated no longer America's pastime and then 162 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 2: you know, more of a more of a niche, real 163 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 2: sport that way. And that sucks because I'm a basketball fan, 164 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 2: and I admittedly I don't watch nearly as much NBA 165 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 2: basketball as I used to, because I turn it on 166 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 2: every once in a while, and I just I'm very 167 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 2: disappointed one in the talent that's actually on the court 168 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 2: because the load management thing is completely overtaken every part 169 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 2: of our lives in the regular season. And two the 170 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 2: effort that I see from the players who are actually 171 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 2: out there, and then the dialogue from the coaches afterwards 172 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 2: where they're like, I mean, Eric Spolstra, the Miami Heat, 173 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 2: one of the most respected organizations, Heat culture, one of 174 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 2: the one of the most quantifiable. I mean, it's an 175 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,959 Speaker 2: intangible thing, right, Heat culture, but it's one of the 176 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 2: most quantifiable, proven programs for success in all of sports, 177 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 2: not just in the NBA. You got Eric Spolstra a 178 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 2: couple of weeks ago up there talking at the podium about, well, 179 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 2: when we get our guys back, it's going to be 180 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 2: a completely different team. They're resting dudes all over the place, 181 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 2: and I'm like, well, then why care? Why would I 182 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 2: care if I was a Miami Heat fan, Why would 183 00:08:58,200 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 2: I care about the product that's on the court right 184 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 2: now now when you're telling me, yeah, just wait till 185 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 2: we get all our guys back, Just wait till we 186 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 2: start to cycle this thing up for the games that 187 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 2: actually matter. And he what he wasn't saying that in 188 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 2: so many words, but that was kind of the implication 189 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 2: that I, at least I as a fan, took away 190 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 2: from the odd press conference that I see from time 191 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 2: to time. 192 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 3: Look, I don't disagree with you that they have a 193 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 3: regular season complacency issue. I think that's very fair, and frankly, 194 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 3: as a fan of the NBA and as a fan 195 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 3: of the NHL, I'm not particularly a baseball fanatic. Sorry, 196 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 3: baseball fans, I know that this is going to piss 197 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 3: you off with My suggestion to all three of those 198 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 3: leagues has been the same, cut your regular season games 199 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 3: in half, and my belief. For everyone that says you'll 200 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 3: lose an astronomical amount of money, my belief to that 201 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 3: is that a limited inventory creates more financial opportunity because 202 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 3: you will be able to get more eyeballs, which means 203 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 3: you will be able to sell your revenue for hire 204 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 3: on ad revenue. You will make more money from your 205 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,560 Speaker 3: broadcast partners because they will be making more money. I 206 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:00,959 Speaker 3: believe scarcity of games will actually make up for much 207 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 3: of the financial gap we think of when we hear 208 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 3: cut regular season games. So I do believe that that 209 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 3: is an issue that has to be solved. My pushback 210 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 3: to you is that imagine if we had what the 211 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 3: Miami Dolphins have done in the last week. In the NBA, 212 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 3: the Miami Dolphins have gutted their roster, as they always 213 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 3: intended to do because they have a ton of big 214 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 3: money contracts. So they get rid of Tyreek Hill, they 215 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 3: get rid of Bradley Chubb, they get rid of several 216 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,559 Speaker 3: players they are going to inevitably get rid of to 217 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 3: a tongue of a low and they are going to 218 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:32,839 Speaker 3: go into this season, I believe, with a true eye 219 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 3: on next year's draft, and they're just going to mail 220 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 3: in this football season. Are we giving the same level 221 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 3: of outrage to what is clearly being done right now 222 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 3: by the NFL team that we would if that NFL 223 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 3: team was instead an NBA team? And the answer to 224 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 3: that is no. And my problem through all of this 225 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,439 Speaker 3: is that I feel like, genuinely so many of them, 226 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 3: just like our society today, you got a ton of 227 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 3: people that aren't impacted by certain social issues. That are 228 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 3: the people that are loudly yelling about it. Oh, you 229 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 3: gotta fix this, and you gotta fix that. But they're 230 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 3: not the ones that are actually impacted. They're yelling for 231 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:07,959 Speaker 3: the people that they think need to be yelled for. 232 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 3: That is what happens every day in the NBA. There 233 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 3: are so many people today that are screaming about fixing 234 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 3: tanking that haven't watched an NBA game in years, and 235 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 3: if tanking is eliminated, they still won't watch an NBA game. 236 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 3: So if you are out on the sport, but you're 237 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 3: the one telling me how to fix it, why should 238 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,559 Speaker 3: I listen? And that voice it's become so popular for 239 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 3: just average shows everywhere to do. Do you know what 240 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 3: all over the NBA that that becomes the more clickable thing. 241 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 3: It's not easily solvable, but you know, at the end 242 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 3: of the day, I think it's real for the league. 243 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 1: Be sure to catch live editions of Two Pros and 244 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: a Cup of Joe with Brady Quinn, LeVar Errington, and 245 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: Jonas Knox weekdays at six am Eastern three am Pacific 246 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 1: on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Fox Sports 247 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: Radio is taking over YouTube and you can be a 248 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: part of it. Just go to YouTube and search Fox 249 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: Sports Radio, hit that subscribe button and smash that notification 250 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: bell and catch all the videos from your favorite shows. 251 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,199 Speaker 1: Two Pros and a Cup of Joe, Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd, 252 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,959 Speaker 1: Stuve GOTTSID Company Live, Calvino and rich On Couple with 253 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 1: Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, A Jason Smith Show with 254 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: Mike Harmon, and The Ben Maler Show Fox Sports Radio 255 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 1: on YouTube. Subscribe, hit that thumbs up icon and comment away. 256 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:30,319 Speaker 3: Plenty of teams are still gonna be in love with 257 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 3: AJ Brown. We just talked about the fact that this 258 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 3: offseason it looks like there aren't a lot of necessarily 259 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 3: like day one difference makers out there that are suddenly 260 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 3: going to change the entire fortune of your franchise. But 261 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 3: AJ Brown is, according to multiple reports, out there to 262 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:45,719 Speaker 3: be had. And if that's the case, I do want 263 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 3: to stress Buck that there are a group of teams 264 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 3: in this league right now that need an AJ Brown. 265 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 3: Whatever AJ Brown is or isn't for the Eagles, AJ 266 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 3: Brown is still a star in this league, and certainly 267 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,319 Speaker 3: somebody that you know that if he walks into the 268 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,839 Speaker 3: Buffalo Locke Room day one, the bills are better because 269 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 3: of it, right Like. 270 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 2: Hell, I'll take him back? Are you kidding me? I'm 271 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 2: sitting here now, Tennessee. Maybe Aj I miss you got 272 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 2: I mean, it's been an unrelenting hell of that. Honestly, 273 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 2: that trade. I'm sorry to interrupt you, because I hate 274 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:19,320 Speaker 2: when I do that, because you were very good at 275 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,719 Speaker 2: monologuing to start these segments, and then I just I 276 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 2: stampede through at some point in time because I just 277 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 2: got to get something off my chest. But that is 278 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 2: one of the pivotal moments in a franchise's history where 279 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 2: you just saw this thing fall off a cliff here 280 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 2: in Nashville. I'm talking, of course, about the Tennessee Titans, 281 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 2: the team that drafted AJ Brown in the second round 282 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 2: back in twenty nineteen. 283 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 4: I'll take you, I come on home, A It's gonna 284 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 4: be all right. 285 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 3: Do you so, do you feel like Aj goes just 286 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 3: wherever they want him? Or do you feel like AJ 287 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 3: goes to a playoff contender that feels like he's the 288 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 3: missing link that gets them to a championship. 289 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 2: I think Aj goes where he gets targets, you know, 290 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 2: like that's I think, though, right, yeah, oh yeah, for sure. 291 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 4: And he gets knocked for that mentality. But I don't know. 292 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 2: If I'm a fan of a football team with a 293 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:13,559 Speaker 2: wide receiver like AJ Brown. 294 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:15,599 Speaker 4: I kind of want him to have that attitude. 295 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 2: I want him to be upset when he's not getting 296 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 2: those targets. People label it very lazily as diva behavior, 297 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 2: but it's. 298 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 4: Because he's great. He knows he's great. 299 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 2: He knows that he is one of the best players 300 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 2: on the field, regardless of position, every time he takes 301 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 2: the field. 302 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 4: I know, I mean, what is AJ now twenty nine? 303 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 2: He's not thirty yet, for sure, he's twenty eight or 304 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 2: twenty nine at this point in time. So we're we're 305 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 2: reaching the point where wide receivers start to, you know, 306 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 2: get the check engine light on. As somebody a caller 307 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 2: described to me yesterday when we were talking about Calvin 308 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 2: Ridley specifically, who will be thirty two next season here 309 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 2: in Tennessee. Aj Well one. AJ's contract is a little 310 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 2: tricky to maneuver. It would be significant dead cap hit 311 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 2: that Philadelphia would have to take if they wanted to 312 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 2: move him, unless they got somebody to take the full 313 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 2: freight of the contract. He also has something and this 314 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 2: is to get into We did this a little bit 315 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 2: yesterday as as a local exercise, not about bringing AJ 316 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 2: back to Tennessee, but teams that would acquire AJ Brown. 317 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 2: He's got void years on his contract that Philly is 318 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 2: on the hook for no matter what, So you don't 319 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 2: acquire the void years when you do trade for a contract, 320 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 2: assuming that somebody could trade for the entire scope of 321 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 2: AJ Brown's contract to mitigate some of the financial hit 322 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 2: that Philadelphia would take in that situation unless they were 323 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 2: willing to eat money, which why would you be willing 324 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 2: to do that and move AJ Brown? 325 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 4: That would just be foolish. 326 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 2: So you've got a couple of different hurdles to clear here. 327 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 2: There is a pre versus post June one designation that 328 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 2: can make that a little more maneuverable if they wanted 329 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 2: to kind of if Philly wanted to ride it out, 330 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 2: get to get to you know, through the off season 331 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 2: program and ahead of training camp and then start to 332 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 2: make those kind of decisions and take more take those 333 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 2: calls more seriously, because there's no way Howie Roseman isn't 334 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 2: getting those calls on AJ at this point in time. 335 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 2: So it has to be a team that's got the 336 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 2: financial maneuverability to take him on. And that rules out 337 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 2: a lot of these contenders because Baltimore is not cap flush, right. 338 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 2: I saw Jeremy Fowler posed the idea of a Cleveland 339 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 2: Brown's trade for AJ Brown, but their cap situation is 340 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 2: not very flexible given to Sean and Miles Garrett and 341 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 2: some of the top of market contracts that they are 342 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 2: currently working through. Buffalo is Buffalo is going to be 343 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 2: an interesting one to watch because there I think they're 344 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 2: going to be one of the teams who's in cap 345 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 2: clearing mode the way that the Dolphins are while still 346 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 2: trying to add playmaking talent around Josh Allen because God 347 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 2: knows he desperately needs it. The only team fitsy that 348 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 2: really makes sense is to reunite him with Mike Ribel, 349 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:00,800 Speaker 2: which again would just be a a knife in the 350 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 2: heart of Titans fans to watch their former coach and 351 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 2: their former wide receiver reunite for the New England Patriots, 352 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 2: and I mean, hell, it was I'm sure hard for 353 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 2: some of them to watch him in the Super Bowl 354 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 2: this year, talking about Mike Vrabel and a lot of 355 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 2: the former Tennessee Titans who were on that Patriots roster. 356 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 2: If he gets AJ back and listen, I know I've 357 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 2: you referenced the clip earlier in the show that's making 358 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 2: the rounds about how tough Vrabel was on AJ and 359 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 2: how that may not have worked with AJ for a 360 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 2: period of time until he understood how Rabel was trying 361 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 2: to coach him. Those two have an excellent relationship at 362 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 2: this point in their careers. They maintain an excellent relationship 363 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 2: at this point in their respective careers. Rabel helped Aj 364 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 2: through a lot of the mental health, self harm, suicidal thoughts, 365 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 2: stuff that he was dealing with when he was here 366 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,919 Speaker 2: in Tennessee's a very complicated guy, AJ, and I think 367 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:53,639 Speaker 2: a lot of people just like to label that as 368 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,400 Speaker 2: diva behavior because that's an easy and lazy thing to do. 369 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 2: But there's layers to it. And I only speak to 370 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 2: that because I know him a little bit and not well. 371 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 2: I mean, he's been in Philadelphia longer than he was 372 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 2: in Tennessee at this point now, So I wouldn't pretend to, 373 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 2: you know, know everything about the person that is Aj Brown. 374 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 2: I just have a general feeling of what he was 375 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 2: at the early onset of his career working with a 376 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 2: guy like Mike Frable, because I've had them both here 377 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 2: in Tennessee. But I just don't think beyond that. You 378 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 2: have to have a situation that knows how to deal 379 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 2: with him, because he is a little complicated and that's fine. 380 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 2: There's plenty of good players who are complicated. He's worth it, right, 381 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 2: We would all agree a J. Brown worth it some 382 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 2: of those complications that he brings. 383 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:34,120 Speaker 4: Two, he has to go. 384 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,720 Speaker 2: To a place where there's there He's going to be 385 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 2: the primary mouth that needs to be fit right. And 386 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 2: I can't imagine they bring back Stefan Diggs Pop Douglas. 387 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 2: I mean, he's not gonna lose targets to the likes 388 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,400 Speaker 2: of Pop Douglas or I don't know if mac hollins 389 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 2: is still under contract there next year that I know 390 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:53,200 Speaker 2: that the Patriots need additional skill position players, and AJ 391 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 2: Brown would immediately be the best wide receiver that the 392 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 2: Patriots have had since who I mean, it's been a 393 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 2: long time since they've had, if ever, besides the likes 394 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,120 Speaker 2: of Randy Moss, when they've had a playmaker of that 395 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 2: caliber alone, beyond what the quarterback was able to make 396 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 2: of the wide receivers that he had. So I think 397 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:15,159 Speaker 2: AJS specific AJS situation is very specific. I think that 398 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 2: specific situation really only means the Patriots, and that's not 399 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:22,879 Speaker 2: great leverage for you to have if you're the Pats, 400 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 2: being like. 401 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:25,640 Speaker 4: Hey, you're really the only we're really the only place that. 402 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 2: You can move him to, and how he just sits 403 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 2: around to me like, well, you know Howie Roseman's not 404 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 2: necessarily pressed to move Aj Brown at this particular moment. 405 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:35,919 Speaker 2: Next year, I think it becomes a more interesting conversation 406 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 2: because that dead money. I think it's like forty five 407 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 2: right now. I think it drops down to about twenty seven. 408 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,160 Speaker 2: Looking at AJ's contract again over the cap SPA track, 409 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 2: they're not completely accurate in terms of all the different 410 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 2: language and things like that they're in the contract. They 411 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 2: are a general guiding principle that we in the general 412 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 2: general population have to work with and kind of understand, 413 00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 2: all right, what makes sense. 414 00:19:58,040 --> 00:19:58,639 Speaker 4: And what doesn't. 415 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, million dollars is a hefty tag or hefty hit 416 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 3: if they trade him before June first, it does go 417 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 3: down if they trade him after June first. Trades, unlike cuts, 418 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 3: can't be designated too, So, just for everybody's clarity, they 419 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 3: can't trade him before the draft and then designated as 420 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 3: a post June first cut on a trade. 421 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: Be sure to catch live editions of Two Pros and 422 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 1: a Cup of Joe with Brady Quinn, LeVar Errington and 423 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: Jonas Knox weekdays at six am Eastern, three am Pacific. 424 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 3: There was an interesting moment yesterday, buck running all over 425 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,400 Speaker 3: Twitter X and it's a quote from the Cleveland Guardians 426 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,879 Speaker 3: GM explaining how important it is to scout and develop 427 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 3: when you're the Guardians. And his quote is, we can't 428 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 3: as a small market team signed top tier free agents. 429 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:49,120 Speaker 3: It's just impossible with the economic landscape in baseball. That 430 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 3: hit me, and it bothered me because it took me 431 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 3: thirty seconds to google who are the owners of the 432 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 3: Cleveland Guardians, one of which is David Blitzer, who owns 433 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 3: twenty five percent of the team and has an option 434 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 3: to acquire controlling interest of the team in twenty twenty eight. 435 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 3: Interesting that they would set that option to happen after 436 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 3: labor negotiations that they knew were happening in twenty twenty seven. 437 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 3: Nothing is by accident. Why is that important? Well, according 438 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 3: to the Google machine, Blitzer's network is roughly four billion dollars. 439 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,120 Speaker 3: So what we're being told right now by the Guardians 440 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,160 Speaker 3: GM is that it is impossible for owners of small 441 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 3: market teams, for small market teams in general, to compete 442 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 3: for top tier free agents because they simply can't afford it, 443 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 3: and as a result, what they're all asking for is 444 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,679 Speaker 3: a salary cap. Major League Baseball is the only major 445 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 3: sport in America that does not have a salary cap. 446 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 3: Players are continually yelling and screaming that they absolutely will 447 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:46,639 Speaker 3: not agree to any new labor agreement that includes a 448 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 3: salary cap. Baseball owners are telling you the sport is 449 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 3: dying without it. Jeff Passen is reporting owners are willing 450 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 3: to get out of the sport altogether if they can't 451 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 3: get a salary cap. It is wild to me, though, 452 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 3: that we are talking about, Like the Guardians who have 453 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,119 Speaker 3: a billion dollar minority owner is sitting here telling me 454 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:07,920 Speaker 3: that they can't compete because they can't afford to man, 455 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,640 Speaker 3: I don't see. If I'm a player, that ain't my problem. Buck. 456 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 3: If I'm a player, that's your problem. If you can't 457 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 3: afford to own the business, sell it to somebody who can. 458 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 2: Oh No, I I one agree with you that this 459 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 2: is not an issue and players should fight the salary 460 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 2: gap as long as they can. It may be inevitable, 461 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 2: but there is no benefit as far as I can tell, 462 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 2: for the for the labor to have the salary gap 463 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:38,399 Speaker 2: in this particular situation, and there is something to be 464 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 2: said about, like you, if you removed the salary cap 465 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,959 Speaker 2: in the NFL, as a hypothetical, what would the NFL 466 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 2: turn into. 467 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 4: It would just turn into a billionaire. 468 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 2: Bidding, which may be fun unless you're a cash poor 469 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 2: team and you're not owned by the Walton family or 470 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 2: Jerry Jones or one of these now private equity seeping 471 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:04,200 Speaker 2: in into the NFL to offset the tens of billions 472 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 2: of dollars that it costs to buy one of these organizations. 473 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 2: So I understand that the Guardians are in a situation 474 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 2: that's not uncommon for a middling small market. I mean, 475 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,199 Speaker 2: Cleveland's not the smallest market either based on MLB cities 476 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:23,680 Speaker 2: I would point out, but it's it's it's a significant 477 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 2: source of debate between team owners and the players association. 478 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:32,679 Speaker 2: So what we know is that Cleveland as a city, 479 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,439 Speaker 2: the Cleveland area, and you know the Midwest in general, 480 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 2: they're facing broader economic challenges. For a long time, Guardians 481 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 2: are a part of the MLB's media in house program 482 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 2: for the production and distribution of local broadcasts, so that 483 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 2: ensures that their games are available. But apparently, and I'm 484 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 2: just trying to understand this as we work our way 485 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 2: through the story. It does lead to a more uncertain 486 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 2: revenue situation compared to rights fees that you can get 487 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 2: through regional sports networks. 488 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 4: So they're a mid tier. 489 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 2: Attendance performer with a mid tier market and media, a 490 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 2: media setup that doesn't necessarily benefit them the way that, 491 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 2: for example, the Yankees having the YES Network would benefit 492 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,199 Speaker 2: the New York Yankees. We understand that Cleveland and New 493 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 2: York City are not the same for a variety of 494 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:31,679 Speaker 2: different reasons. So they're kind of in this situation that 495 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,360 Speaker 2: seems to be adding more and more teams to their 496 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 2: circumstance where they just keep signaling, hey, there's a obvious 497 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 2: lack of competitive balance in our league as we get 498 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:48,120 Speaker 2: ready to enter this collective bargaining situation this spring. And 499 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 2: so while the salary cap is something that the organizations 500 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 2: should pursue, and I think that ultimately, I don't know, 501 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,160 Speaker 2: do you think that baseball woul ultimately be benefited by 502 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,199 Speaker 2: a salary cap? I guess is the starting point for 503 00:24:59,240 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 2: this conversation. 504 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 3: I mean, here's the thing we fall in love with 505 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:08,960 Speaker 3: with concepts more than actual information. I mean, for every 506 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:11,640 Speaker 3: Cleveland Guardians fan that says we can't compete because there's 507 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 3: no salary cap, you're probably also a Cleveland Browns fan. 508 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 3: When's the last time you competed in a sport that 509 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 3: does have a salary cap? 510 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 4: Right? 511 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 3: So to me, the argument that a salary cap, we're 512 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 3: used to a salary cap. How many times have I 513 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 3: told you the NFL has sold this sensual image of 514 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 3: parody to everybody when it doesn't exist, Like, the NFL 515 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:33,439 Speaker 3: doesn't really have parody. It just shifts the middle class 516 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:37,160 Speaker 3: and the lower middle class constantly, while the truly poor, 517 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 3: like the worst team, stay the worst teams, and the 518 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:42,200 Speaker 3: best teams more often than not stay the best teams. 519 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:42,440 Speaker 4: Right. 520 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 3: So to me, I understand that we all love the 521 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 3: concept of a salary cap. I don't think it actually 522 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,920 Speaker 3: fixes much of anything. I mean, we haven't seen empirical 523 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,960 Speaker 3: data across everything that shows, Hey, this is the moment. 524 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 3: Everything you mentioned about revenue sharing that baseball doesn't necessarily 525 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 3: have at the same level, and TV deals that baseball 526 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:04,640 Speaker 3: doesn't have at the same level. It's not my job 527 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 3: to worry about that as a player. I'm ever the capitalist, right, So, 528 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 3: in what other business would we ever look at it 529 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 3: and say, oh, I mean, you know what, ESPN's out 530 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 3: here kicking Yahoo's ass every single day, and the ratings 531 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:18,720 Speaker 3: and the numbers, and I work for Yahoo, right, So 532 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 3: the real answer here is to make sure that we 533 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,919 Speaker 3: suddenly cap what ESPN can spend on their talent. Like 534 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:26,439 Speaker 3: if we look around and say, oh, my gosh, like 535 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 3: iPhones are killing Google phones right now, you know what 536 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 3: what we're gonna do is we're gonna cap it so 537 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 3: that we have more competition in the market. Like we 538 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 3: don't do this in anything else. We do it in 539 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 3: sports because as fans, it makes us feel like we 540 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:41,680 Speaker 3: have a chance all the time. But when I look back, 541 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 3: just as a massive fan of a team with salary 542 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,919 Speaker 3: cap structures that are absolutely, I think some of the 543 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 3: most strict in all of sports, man, my favorite team 544 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:53,200 Speaker 3: still has sucked for the better part of twenty years. 545 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 3: So you know what, good teams find a way to win. 546 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 3: Bad teams find a way to lose. Like, I just 547 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 3: don't think the salary cap fixes things way everybody wants 548 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:01,680 Speaker 3: to think it does. 549 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 2: No, it's there is no one great fix for what 550 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:10,160 Speaker 2: he's talking about here, because it sounds and maybe I'm 551 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 2: I'm not understanding the comment to the way that he 552 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 2: meant for it to be taken. 553 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 4: But to me, it sounds like this. 554 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 2: Is more of an organizational issue with the Guardians where 555 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:27,880 Speaker 2: they have ownership, including minority ownership, who have the funds 556 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 2: to make this work. 557 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:31,760 Speaker 4: Maybe not to the extent that I mean the Blue Jays. 558 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 2: So just kind of looking through this right now, Cleveland 559 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:39,199 Speaker 2: has two playoff series that they've won. In the what 560 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 2: they've they've won since twenty seventeen, They've won just. 561 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 4: Two playoff series. 562 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,880 Speaker 2: They've got one player right now in Jose Ramirez, who's 563 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:50,640 Speaker 2: making at least ten million dollars just the one. Though 564 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 2: Blue Jays have fourteen players making at least ten million dollars. 565 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 2: The Dodgers have thirteen players making at least ten million 566 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:01,240 Speaker 2: dollars on their payroll at this point in time. And 567 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:04,439 Speaker 2: you know, it's not about stacking up payrolls. It's about 568 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 2: winning the games, no matter how much your roster costs. 569 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 2: But to me, this sounds like an organizational issue for 570 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 2: the Guardians that he's complaining about publicly. That's making it 571 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 2: seem like it's a larger widespread baseball issue and maybe 572 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 2: he is experiencing something that a lot of smaller market 573 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 2: general managers are, Like, what's comparable to Cleveland, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, 574 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 2: the Padres, Right, I think those are all probably in 575 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 2: the same tier. 576 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 3: Yes, but Milwaukee last year, I mean Milwaukee was a 577 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 3: playoff team and their payroll was only eight million or 578 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 3: twelve million dollars more than Cleveland. Milwaukee's payroll was less 579 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 3: than one hundred million dollars. And for everybody that says 580 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 3: spending is the issue because of the Dodgers, the Mets 581 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 3: also spent a ton of money. The Phillies spent a 582 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 3: ton of money. What good did it do? Then the Rangers, 583 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 3: the Astros, the Braves, go up and down the list, 584 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 3: like there were several teams in Major League Baseball that 585 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,160 Speaker 3: spent a ton of money. I think this is combination 586 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 3: of things. One, I think major League Baseball needs a 587 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 3: salary floor, a minimum investment, right like major League Baseball 588 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 3: needs within their owners they need n HOA. They need 589 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,600 Speaker 3: somebody that's gonna come in and say you must do 590 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 3: the bare minimum, and here is the bare minimum. That's 591 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:20,120 Speaker 3: that's just If they want a competitive world, then they 592 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 3: need that. And if this is where somebody says, well, 593 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 3: my team's owner can't afford that, Well, fuck you live 594 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 3: in one of the hottest cities in the world right now, 595 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 3: in Nashville, Tennessee. Right Like I lived in Nashville for 596 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 3: over twenty years. Here's a reality. When I bought my 597 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 3: house in Nashville in two thousand and six, two thousand 598 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 3: and seven, I bought that house for like one hundred 599 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 3: and fifty k. Right that same house now is going 600 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 3: for half a million dollars. Nothing's changed. So for somebody 601 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 3: that moved out of the market now, it's really hard 602 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 3: for me to turn around and buy my way back 603 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 3: into the market. And if I turn around and say, well, 604 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 3: Nashville's too expensive, you know what, Nashville says, Well, if 605 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 3: you can't afford to live here, somebody can. Like that 606 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 3: to me, is the Major League Baseball answer nobody wants. 607 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 3: If your favorite team can't afford to reach the floor, 608 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 3: if your favorite team can't afford to go out and 609 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 3: buy the best players in the entire world, the answer 610 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:09,920 Speaker 3: is not to throttle back the Dodgers. The answer is 611 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 3: to get better owners of your dear. Like, if I'm 612 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 3: major League Baseball right now and I have to go 613 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 3: through a lockout and people are saying, you know what, 614 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 3: I'd sell this team before all of it. Okay, if 615 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 3: you can't afford to live here, go live somewhere else. 616 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 3: You can't afford to live in Nashville, eventually, you got 617 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 3: to move to Paducah, Kentucky. Is it as cool? 618 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: No? 619 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:26,480 Speaker 3: Is it as fun? 620 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: No? 621 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 3: Do you feel as glorious when you're living in Paduca No? 622 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 3: But your financials are your financials. So I'm sorry if 623 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 3: we suddenly have to leave some of these teams. Like 624 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 3: if the Marlins are Paducah, that ain't my problem. If 625 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 3: I'm a player, yeah. 626 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 2: But the Guardians GM can't say that. He can't say, well, 627 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 2: we need ownership. It's actually going to invest in this 628 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 2: situation like the only time, right, because that's he's answering 629 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 2: questions about the state of their franchise while trying to 630 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 2: navigate not taking out the people that cut his checks, right, Like, 631 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 2: that's just what it is, because he wants to stay 632 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 2: employed and it's his priority to figure out how to 633 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 2: stay employed within the confines of what it is to 634 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 2: work in his organization. I've never seen anybody publicly take 635 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,640 Speaker 2: out ownership that expects to keep their jobs. 636 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 4: In this situation. I mean, you were here and what 637 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 4: was that? Was it? Twenty seventeen? 638 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 2: This again a hyper local example for people as we 639 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 2: do national radio. But like Mike Malarkey as head coach 640 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 2: of the Tennessee Titans won a playoff game against the 641 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 2: Kansas City Chiefs in twenty seventeen, Marcus Mario had caught 642 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 2: a touchdown pass that bounced off Derell Reeves's hands. For 643 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 2: those of you who forgot the Derell y was played 644 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 2: in a playoff game for the Kansas City Chiefs at 645 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 2: one point in time, and Malarkey, who was rumored to 646 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 2: be fired before their regular season finale against Jacksonville, who 647 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 2: was then again rumored to potentially be fired if they 648 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 2: lost to the Chiefs in that playoff game. We asked 649 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,960 Speaker 2: him in the postgame press conference, do you feel supported 650 00:31:58,960 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 2: by ownership? 651 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 4: And Malarkey kind of lost it. 652 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:04,239 Speaker 2: Kind of in ways that you don't see it, and 653 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:06,720 Speaker 2: he started talking about the lack of support that he 654 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 2: was feeling from the organization across the board, and he 655 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 2: was speaking as somebody who had nothing left to lose 656 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 2: because he knew he was on borrow time. 657 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 4: Anyway, even though he just kept winning games. 658 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:17,120 Speaker 1: Now. 659 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 2: They went to New England the following week, they got 660 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 2: pretty well handled in the divisional round. Mike Mularkey was 661 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 2: fired thereafter, and you know, on and on it goes, 662 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:31,520 Speaker 2: but you don't see people who went into reality. The 663 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 2: core of the situation is, yeah, I'm not getting the 664 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 2: proper support that I need from the people that own 665 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:35,640 Speaker 2: this thing.