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Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Habit Territory Podcasts,

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Speaker 1: Episode three four six. My name is Brad Rowinds. I'm

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Speaker 1: coming to you here mid March. It's that time I

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Speaker 1: can hear the music. Scott Coleman is here. Scott, how

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Speaker 1: are you on a Sunday evening? Selection Sunday even to us?

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Speaker 2: Hello, Brad, I am doing well. It is such a

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Speaker 2: fun time of year on the sports calendar. We are

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Speaker 2: less than two weeks away for opening day for the

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Speaker 2: Atlanta Braves and the rest of Major League Baseball. It's

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Speaker 2: Selection Sunday, and we're going to talk about the bracket

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Speaker 2: at the very end of the show. I promise you

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Speaker 2: they will be bracket talk, but I mean just in general, man, Like,

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Speaker 2: it's a great time of year. The NBA and NHL

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Speaker 2: are in the home stretch, NFL free agency, the Draft

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Speaker 2: is coming up, springball starts soon for college football. Like,

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Speaker 2: there's all kinds of good stuff going on as a

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Speaker 2: sports fan. And best of all, of course, baseball is

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Speaker 2: about ten days away when most folks are going to

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Speaker 2: be listening to this. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Absolutely, And if you are new to our podcast, dating

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Speaker 1: back to the old talking shot Battery Power, days. We

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Speaker 1: once a year, literally once a year, talk about college

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Speaker 1: basketball at the end of a podcast and will give

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Speaker 1: you the fair warning to say, hey, if you don't

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Speaker 1: want this hop off, we appreciate you later on the podcast.

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Speaker 1: Until then, we have an interesting show about the Atlanta

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Speaker 1: Braves today, and you know, we're a week and a half,

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Speaker 1: ten twelve days away from actual baseball that counts. I know,

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Speaker 1: I saw you on Twitter and then you and I

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Speaker 1: were talking about this privately as well this week, about

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Speaker 1: how this is kind of the epitome of the dog

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Speaker 1: days of supreme training in some ways. WBC store rolling

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Speaker 1: along right now, that's getting done in the next couple

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Speaker 1: of days, talk about whether or with Fox one and

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Speaker 1: all that as well, But a good time to kind

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Speaker 1: of take stock of where the roster battles are, because

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Speaker 1: that's really the only thing going on. There isn't a

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Speaker 1: lot of news. Maybe the Braves will add someone to

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Speaker 1: the roster of the next week plus, but until they do,

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Speaker 1: it's about monitoring who is on the team roster battles,

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Speaker 1: and in particular the end of the roster that's inevitably

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Speaker 1: every year. It's like, hey, the number one story borring

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Speaker 1: injury is like, who's going to make the team, who's

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Speaker 1: not going to make the.

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Speaker 2: Team, At least for me, Yeah, yeah, I mean, there's

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Speaker 2: always a lot of intrigue on who is going to

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Speaker 2: break camp with the major league team to begin the year.

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Speaker 2: And you know, we're going to go over the twenty

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Speaker 2: six man roster, but to me, it feels like probably

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Speaker 2: twenty or so players are guaranteed for a spot, assuming

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Speaker 2: health over the next ten days. And let's all cross

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Speaker 2: our fingers, but there are some very real position battles

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Speaker 2: and pitching battles that are going to go down over

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Speaker 2: these last week and a half, and who knows, with

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Speaker 2: a good week, a player might be able to work

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Speaker 2: himself onto the roster. With a bad week, the Braves

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Speaker 2: may opt for another option. And as you said a

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Speaker 2: minute ago, this is generally the time of year where

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Speaker 2: there is some roster turner were across the rest of

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Speaker 2: the league. Who knows, maybe the Braves make a transaction

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Speaker 2: of some kind to just kind of give themselves the

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Speaker 2: best chance to go out of the gate. Right, We're

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Speaker 2: almost to the point where guys start to shake loose.

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Speaker 2: We're not quite there, but maybe maybe by the end

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Speaker 2: of this week, you started to see a guy here,

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Speaker 2: guy there that might be interesting enough, and the bar

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Speaker 2: is fairly low for you know, being a potential upgrade

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Speaker 2: on the likes of Dom Smith or Kyle Farmer or

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Speaker 2: whoever is available at the end of the position player

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Speaker 2: roster for the Brave.

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Speaker 1: So TVD on that. But stuff has happened, like you

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Speaker 1: and I did one of these a couple of weeks ago,

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Speaker 1: and a lot has happened since then, namely Jerks and

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Speaker 1: Profar and the whole saga happened since then. A couple

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Speaker 1: of guys have been a side of the miners, officially

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Speaker 1: kind of maybe not officially ending their run towards the

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Speaker 1: toward the actual roster, but probably ending it, like James

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Speaker 1: Karen Shack and Hayden Harris, et cetera. Dont start with

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Speaker 1: the position players. I feel like it's a little bit

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Speaker 1: easier in some respects, so we can start there if

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Speaker 1: that's okay with you.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I think so. I mean, I think the

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Speaker 2: the starters are pretty set, which is a good thing.

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Speaker 2: That's not always been the case. I mean, remember couple

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Speaker 2: of years ago there was like open shortstop tryouts up

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Speaker 2: until the day before the season, and it was like, oh,

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Speaker 2: or Lando Arcia is the Atlanta Braves starting shortstop. Sure,

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Speaker 2: let's go.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, there is. He's not quite as firmly set as

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Speaker 1: it was pre profar suspension, but you're right, most of

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Speaker 1: the stuff is kind of set, So stop me if

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Speaker 1: you want to hear Scott. But at catcher, I obviously

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Speaker 1: Drake Balwin will be on his baseball team. I think

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Speaker 1: Jonaheim is basically assured as long as healthy. He's not

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Speaker 1: Baldwin assured, but he has a real contract and he's

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Speaker 1: been fine in the spring, and he's a number two catcher.

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Speaker 1: It seems like correct.

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Speaker 2: Yeah and yeah. Jonaheim always got really good reviews from

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Speaker 2: his teammates with the Texas Rangers, well regarded behind the

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Speaker 2: plate especially, and who knows, he was a better hitter

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Speaker 2: a few seasons ago. Maybe he can give the Braves

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Speaker 2: just a little something on offense. Whenever he is behind

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Speaker 2: the plate.

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Speaker 1: I would describe him as a perfectly adequate backup catcher.

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Speaker 1: Usually the Braves have a super overqualified backup catcher, which

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Speaker 1: is what Sean Murphy will be when he comes back.

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Speaker 1: Sew Murphy is like a starting sure as a number

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Speaker 1: two catcher, high. It's like a normal backup catcher, which

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Speaker 1: is fine. The baseline is very low and that's it's

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Speaker 1: meat Todic on this podcast for literally a decade at

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Speaker 1: this point how bad catcher is around the league, and

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Speaker 1: he's he's a pretty good one through that wins. As

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Speaker 1: you mentioned, the starting infield is pretty much written in

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Speaker 1: Penn Borring injury, Matt Olsen, Ozzi Alby's, Austin Elliott third,

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Speaker 1: and then Marisio Dubon is the starting shortstop until Hawson

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Speaker 1: Kim comes back. There's a really a debate about that,

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Speaker 1: and Dubon's been good in the spring. Certainly it's the

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Speaker 1: glove is the carrying tool for Dubon his versatility, but

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Speaker 1: even the bats looked like kind of frisky, which is encouraging.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I think as the season goes along, I think

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Speaker 2: Mauricio Dubon is really going to India himself to Braves fans,

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Speaker 2: and I think Stephen was talking about it. He posted

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Speaker 2: a clip of Marisio Dubon hitting a home run the

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Speaker 2: other day and Astro fans were weighing in and said, yeah,

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Speaker 2: we love this guy. We were sad to see him go.

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Speaker 2: In some ways, I think Mauricio Dubon is going to

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Speaker 2: be Martin Prato like now Martin Prato like a legitimate

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Speaker 2: All Star for a couple of years. And Racio Dubon's

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Speaker 2: never going to hit the way that Martin Prato did,

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Speaker 2: but the versatility a guy who's beloved in the clubhouse.

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Speaker 2: I know that was something multiple people talked about when

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Speaker 2: the Braves acquired Dubon, a player who I think is

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Speaker 2: really going to fill in and hopefully do a nice

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Speaker 2: job at shortstop until Kim comes back, and then you're

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Speaker 2: gonna have this chess piece that you can move all

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Speaker 2: over the board, all over the field. With Dubon, I

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Speaker 2: think it's gonna work out for the Braves, and I'll

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Speaker 2: hopefully be solid enough at shortstop just to keep the

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Speaker 2: Braves above water until the lineup. Look's a little more

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Speaker 2: normal compared to what we were hoping for a couple

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Speaker 2: of months ago.

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Speaker 1: Obviously a pre lofty comparison with Martin Proto, and I

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Speaker 1: think people will maybe remember like the starting, second basement

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Speaker 1: version of Martin Proto where he was mashing, but you're round,

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Speaker 1: Like the original idea of Partin Proto was utility guy.

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Speaker 1: It's certainly more of a bad guy than Dubon is,

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Speaker 1: but loves even better than Proto's. Honestly, you can play

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Speaker 1: shortstop way out feel all that stuff intriguing, and he

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Speaker 1: does have kind of the feel of a beloved Brave

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Speaker 1: not as an awesome player, but like a guy that

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Speaker 1: fans tend to like. And I would cut myself among that.

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Speaker 1: I think I am I was. I like that addition

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Speaker 1: quite a bit. You don't necessarily love having to play

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Speaker 1: every day short stop, but he won't have to at

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Speaker 1: a certain point, so that'll be nice to the outfield.

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Speaker 1: Ronicque Junr It's pretty good. I would say Michael Harris

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Speaker 1: is showing some encouraging signs in the spring, and then

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Speaker 1: Mike Babe Ruth Ustremski as the UH I would say,

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Speaker 1: mostly permanent corner ottfielder in the absence of Profar mostly permanent.

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Speaker 1: I will say, any thoughts on that. I mean, obviously

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Speaker 1: the DH spot kind of adds into the outfield conundrum,

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Speaker 1: but those three guys are going to play and play

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Speaker 1: a lot obviously.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think the most encouraging, Like, if

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Speaker 2: I had to pick one thing that was the most

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Speaker 2: encouraging sign for a Braves position, player this spring. It's

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Speaker 2: the Michael Harris in a small sample, but has walked

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Speaker 2: about fifteen percent of the time in his spring training

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Speaker 2: played appearances so far. That is a terrific sign. And

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Speaker 2: that's been the name of the game with Michael Harris

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Speaker 2: since day one. He has power whenever he makes contact

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Speaker 2: with the ball, he drives the ball well. But he

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Speaker 2: is such a free swinger and his on base percentage

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Speaker 2: is impossibly bad. And we saw that last year when

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Speaker 2: he bottomed out as one of the worst hitters in

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Speaker 2: all the baseball and then we saw just how good

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Speaker 2: he can be when he turned into Barry Bonds for

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Speaker 2: a month, but then he got back to his free

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Speaker 2: swinging ways and just he wasn't walking, he wasn't getting

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Speaker 2: on base. So the fact that Mike has clearly at

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Speaker 2: least somewhat altered his approach the spring. Now we just

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Speaker 2: have to hope that by way of a fifteen percent

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Speaker 2: walk rate in the spring, I mean, even half of that,

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Speaker 2: we are I mean we're cooking with gas. If we

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Speaker 2: can get a seven percent walk rate out of Michael

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Speaker 2: Harris this year, I feel so much better about his

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Speaker 2: outlook for the upcoming year.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, that you know that's still not good. What it's

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Speaker 1: compared to what was it two percent last year? Three

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Speaker 1: percent something like that. It was a very low number.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, I would I would sign up for seven

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Speaker 1: percent walk right in a minute for sure with Michael

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Speaker 1: Harry and feel pretty darn good about him. Every time

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Speaker 1: we talk about Michael Harris or not even just us,

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Speaker 1: like other podcasts, other written articles, man, it is clear

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Speaker 1: to me how polarizing he is right now. Obviously not

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Speaker 1: a guy that people just dislike, like he's a local guy.

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Speaker 1: I like Michael quite a bit as a personality, and

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Speaker 1: you know, when he first came up, it was like

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Speaker 1: jubilant about him. But I think there are people that

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Speaker 1: believe in Michael Harris people that do not believe in

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Speaker 1: Michael Harris. And it's pretty firm on both sides. I

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Speaker 1: can see both sides. But hopefully there's a kind of

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Speaker 1: a step forward and the Pluit disciplint as you kind

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Speaker 1: of allude to there. I think there are probably two

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Speaker 1: pretty much locks beyond those nine, and it's Eli White

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Speaker 1: and Jorge Matteo. It seems like I use pretty much

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Speaker 1: because you know, the only absolute locks I think are

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Speaker 1: the nine. We just talked about even Heim. I don't

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Speaker 1: know if he's an absolute lock. Probably I'm a stickler

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Speaker 1: for the word lock. I would say he's ninety seven

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Speaker 1: percent or something like that. I think Mateo and White though,

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Speaker 1: are like ninety percent plus.

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Speaker 2: To make the team, definitely, And both are very very

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Speaker 2: fast on the bases, like ninety fifth percent. Tiland above

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Speaker 2: sprint speeds for those guys over the years, So that's

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Speaker 2: going to be a weapon in latent games. If you

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Speaker 2: know one of your slower guys gets on base, well,

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Speaker 2: you have Jorge Mateo, you have Eli White to come

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Speaker 2: in and run the bases. They also, of course, Eli

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Speaker 2: White can play all three outfield positions, could play center

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Speaker 2: field in a pinch if you had to. And Mateo

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Speaker 2: is I think clearly the best defensive shortstop who would

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Speaker 2: be a backup option, could also play second, could also

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Speaker 2: play third. So yeah, I think, like you said, I

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Speaker 2: mean one hundred percent lock. Probably not, but very high

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Speaker 2: nineties that Eli White and Jorge Matao will be on

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Speaker 2: the opening day roster.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, makes a lot of sense. The versatility. You know,

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Speaker 1: White as the astra outfielder. Actually you can fake it

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Speaker 1: somewhere else if it needs to as well, beloved guy,

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Speaker 1: all that stuff. Your note here, Actually I totally forgot

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Speaker 1: that Britt wise is on the forty minut roster until

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Speaker 1: you wrote it on this document that we have. I

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Speaker 1: don't think he's gonna be on the team, that's my guest.

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Speaker 1: But we'll see Nacho Alvarez, the other guy that people know.

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Speaker 1: He was already a sign to the minors. You know,

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Speaker 1: he did go play the WBC, so maybe that was

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Speaker 1: part of this. But I still don't think he'll be

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Speaker 1: up early in the year. Unless you get another injury

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Speaker 1: like he get one more injury, he's up for sure.

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Speaker 1: But if not, I think he probably sells into Gwinnette

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Speaker 1: and we'll see if it at some point this year.

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Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure Natcho will be up for some period

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Speaker 1: of time to back up somebody or do something. But

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Speaker 1: in the meantime, probably goinget, I would.

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Speaker 2: Guess, And hopefully this year brings better health for a Nacho. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: he was somebody who dealt with a couple of injuries

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Speaker 2: last year and no to me. So let's say there's

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Speaker 2: two bench spots open. You mentioned Brett Wisely, who was

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Speaker 2: on the forty man nothing spectacular. He is having a

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Speaker 2: pretty decent spring, and he's played a lot, especially when

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Speaker 2: the Braves have been on the road. I think Brett

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Speaker 2: Wisely is in the mix. Dominic Smith is in the mix,

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Speaker 2: especially as a potential left handed DH bat. I think

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Speaker 2: just pure hitter. Of all the names we're going to

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Speaker 2: talk about, I'd probably take Dom Smith against right handed

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Speaker 2: pitching over most everyone else. Although you know Smith, he's

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Speaker 2: not slugger by any means. Kyle Farmer has supposedly won

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Speaker 2: some favors with a good spring. I know. Mark Bowman

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Speaker 2: wrote the other day he expects Kyle Farmer to make

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Speaker 2: the roster as somebody who can bounce around the infield.

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Speaker 2: It's probably even your third emergency catcher if you needed

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Speaker 2: him to be. Ben Gammele was also actually on Mark

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Speaker 2: Bowman's latest prediction for the opening day roster. A veteran,

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Speaker 2: a guy who used to be able to hit a

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Speaker 2: little bit, but again very twenty sixth man has a

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Speaker 2: feel of that. And then also Luke Williams is also

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Speaker 2: in camp for now. These, of course, are all subject

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Speaker 2: to change as folks listen. The Braves may make a

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Speaker 2: change with their spring training roster, and they could also

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Speaker 2: acquire someone. Again, I'm not holding my breath for a

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Speaker 2: big time hitter, but there's usually a decent amount of

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Speaker 2: movement where the braves can go, you know what, this

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Speaker 2: guy's better than Kyle Farmer, Let's go acquire him for

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Speaker 2: a seventeen year old prospect in the minor leagues or

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Speaker 2: whatever the situation may be. I don't know if they

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Speaker 2: will do it, but that is a position where it

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Speaker 2: is not that hard to find someone else tick a

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Speaker 2: shild So maybe they just like what they have, I mean,

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Speaker 2: like is relative here. Obviously you're patching it together. No

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Speaker 2: one was planning on Profar not being around, but Smith, Farmer,

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Speaker 2: and gam Will all have major league track records. They're

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Speaker 2: not great, but they are like not embarrassing to be

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Speaker 2: at the end of a roster, is what I would say.

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Speaker 2: And maybe the brands find someone else on the on

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Speaker 2: the market that comes available, either for a very cheap

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Speaker 2: trade or someone that's waived or whatever, you know, DFAD

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Speaker 2: or whatever.

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Speaker 1: It's going to be, So stay tuned. But this is

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Speaker 1: why we're again saying this right now, twelve days ahead,

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Speaker 1: eleven days ahead of the actual opening day. There is

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Speaker 1: some flexiblity at the end of the roster, but that's

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Speaker 1: kind of where they where things stand on the missions

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Speaker 1: player side. We'll get to the pictures later in this podcast,

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Speaker 1: and there is a lot to talk about with the pitchers,

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Speaker 1: but Scott, I do want to take a bit of

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Speaker 1: a short detour. I talk about the WBC and that

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Speaker 1: is brought to you by our friends at Fox one

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Speaker 1: over War but Class covers actually by friend at Fox one,

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Speaker 1: which is live right now, stream all your Fox favorites

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Speaker 1: together in one place, including all the WBC games, and

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Speaker 1: after that the best MLB action all season long. And

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Speaker 1: you know, if you were following the WBC closely, most

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Speaker 1: of the Braves are eliminated from the WBC. But there

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Speaker 1: is one shining light, Scott, and his name is Ronald

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Speaker 1: Leccuna Junior, who homeward in very fun fashion in the

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Speaker 1: quarterfinals and then was part of a comeback. You know,

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Speaker 1: I candidly stopped following it for a little while. I

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Speaker 1: had stuff going on, was basketball on. They fell behind

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Speaker 1: in Japan and I was like, Okay, it's probably gonna

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Speaker 1: be and then they came back and they're still alive.

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Speaker 1: So Venezuela is still alive. I don't know about you,

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Speaker 1: I've just been invigorated watching Ronald Acuon to play baseball

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Speaker 1: in a setting that matters, which you know baseball will

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Speaker 1: matter again for the Braves in twelve days. But Ronnie

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Speaker 1: is obviously fired up, and the way he plays with

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Speaker 1: energy is like I think, for me, prot typical of

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Speaker 1: the whole events like Ronnie like almost he's not just

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Speaker 1: him like the whole Dominican team for example, Like these

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Speaker 1: guys play with a lot, a lot of energy, and

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Speaker 1: Roy just loves baseball, and I just like watching him

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Speaker 1: play baseball.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, there is so much passion and just will to

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Speaker 2: win in the World Baseball Classic, and it's become such

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Speaker 2: a fun event. Folks missed the game Saturday night, sold

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Speaker 2: out stadium in Miami, which is weird to see because

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Speaker 2: usually the Braves play the Marlins with like fifteen people

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Speaker 2: in the stands and eleven of them are Braves fans.

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Speaker 2: But Acunya leads off the game with a homer, and

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Speaker 2: then in the bottom of the first show, Heeo Tani

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Speaker 2: matches with the solo homer. I mean, two of the

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Speaker 2: four most naturally gifted baseball players on the Earth, and

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Speaker 2: they trade lead off home runs for their respective teams

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Speaker 2: just so much passion. I mean, these guys play these

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Speaker 2: games like their livelihood depends on it. It was so

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Speaker 2: much fun. It was just a great night for baseball.

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Speaker 2: And I'm rooting for Acunya in Venezuela as far as

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Speaker 2: they'll go. They'll play Italy on Monday night. It's just

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Speaker 2: been The World Baseball Classic has been such a fun

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Speaker 2: watch and I mean it's got me even more excited

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Speaker 2: for the upcoming baseball season.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and so we do. That's the semi final. It's

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Speaker 1: going to be happening on Monday. Take you behind the

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Speaker 1: curtain a little bit. We are recording this during the

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Speaker 1: USA the Minican Republic game, so let's just be honest

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Speaker 1: with with o audience, Scott. We don't know who won

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Speaker 1: the game yet, but someone will win, and that's probably

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Speaker 1: the best. That's probably the game of the tournament so

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Speaker 1: far on paper, those two teams, So no matter who wins,

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Speaker 1: I know people a rooting for the US. I am two.

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Speaker 1: The MIKA team's also awesome, so it would not be

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Speaker 1: a shock of the US loss. They were only small

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Speaker 1: favorites I saw today, so we'll see what happens there.

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Speaker 1: And then the Championship game is Tuesday, March seventeenth at

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Speaker 1: eight pm Eastern Time, and I will be ballied in,

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Speaker 1: to say the least, alongside the first four of course.

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Speaker 1: But look, Fox one is the place to go for all,

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00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,400
Speaker 1: and I mean all of your WBC WBC needs and

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Speaker 1: much more in fact, from the WBC through the World Series,

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Speaker 1: the World Cup, to NASCAR, IndyCar, et cetera. With Fox one,

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00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:48,960
Speaker 1: you get it all live. Start your seven day free

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00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,880
Speaker 1: trial Today offers a subjects to change doublin. Fox One

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00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:53,920
Speaker 1: Today is stream the World basse Plac Classic live through

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00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,480
Speaker 1: March seventeenth. Go to foxone dot com for complete terms

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Speaker 1: and conditions. Fox won streaming Now all right, Scott, let

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Speaker 1: us dive back into the roster battles and the projections

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Speaker 1: that we're doing right here on Sunday evening into Monday

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Speaker 1: in mid March. The starting rotation has a few pretty

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Speaker 1: much locks to make the team. It seems like again,

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Speaker 1: barring injury or barring a wild outside acquisition, you have

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Speaker 1: the four utter locks if they're healthy. Chris Saale, Butcher Schreider,

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Speaker 1: Grant Holmes, Rononda Lopez. It seems for all the world

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Speaker 1: like Bryce Elder is gonna be on his baseball team.

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Speaker 1: I don't know if i'd go to lock on Bryce Elder,

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Speaker 1: but it does seem he's in the ninety plus percentile

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Speaker 1: just because of the situation. We've talked about Bryce a

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Speaker 1: number of times. It is what it is. But I

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Speaker 1: don't know if you agree with that. The other four locks,

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Speaker 1: if they're healthy Elder, I will not use the L

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Speaker 1: war on Bryce Elder, but I think he's very highly

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Speaker 1: likely to be on the team.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, We're gonna close our eyes, cross our fingers, say

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Speaker 2: a prayer, and hope that Bryce Elder can even come

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Speaker 2: close to replicating what he did a few seasons ago

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Speaker 2: where he made the All Star team. We're not going

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Speaker 2: to rehash it. Everyone knows incredible first half and ever

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Speaker 2: since then, over the last two and a half years,

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Speaker 2: it's been pretty rough for Bryce, but man alive. I mean,

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Speaker 2: if the Braves can get even decent production out of

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Speaker 2: Bryce Elder as their fifth starter, it will help so

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Speaker 2: much in keeping things on track and getting this team

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Speaker 2: to the back of the back to the top of

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Speaker 2: the n L East.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and I do think we are I think accurately

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Speaker 1: described by some as maybe too low and Rice Older.

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Speaker 1: That's fine. There is a world in which he is

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Speaker 1: a helpful major league player. I think there's a world

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Speaker 1: where he's an okay fifth starter who doesn't get hurt

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Speaker 1: and eats innings, and that's actually has some value. I'd

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Speaker 1: like for that to be someone better than him, honestly,

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Speaker 1: to where he's more of a fill in. But that's

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Speaker 1: where things are right now. A couple of notes on this.

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Speaker 1: Gret Holmes look really good in his last outing on Thursday.

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Speaker 1: That's a good sign he's But for all the world

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Speaker 1: looks like you know, knock On Wood's still the injury

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Speaker 1: coming back from non surgical like, it looks like it's

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Speaker 1: going well. I don't want to jix it, but it's

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Speaker 1: going well, it seems, say with Bernald A. Lopez, like,

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Speaker 1: it's men fine so far, health permitting, we'll see. But

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Speaker 1: the guy we have to least, you know, in the

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Speaker 1: battle those we just talked about. That's five guys, right,

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Speaker 1: if you can include Elder. There is a battle going on.

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Speaker 1: It includes some interesting types of pictures. On the young

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Speaker 1: exciting side, you have Jerr Richie and did your friend says,

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Speaker 1: both of whom are young and exciting talented arms. Then

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Speaker 1: you have Martine Perez as an old guy, and you

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Speaker 1: have Jose Suarez as a guy with options, and we

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Speaker 1: know Alex loves an option. You know it is what

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Speaker 1: it is.

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Speaker 2: He's around. We'll see.

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Speaker 1: We should rely said knowledge though Jerr Richie on Sunday,

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Speaker 1: as we're talking right now, Sunday night, he threw four

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Speaker 1: perfect innings today, like twelve up, twelve down innings with

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Speaker 1: six strikeouts. I know it, kid gets backups.

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Speaker 2: But.

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Speaker 1: I mean he can't really do more to impress me

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Speaker 1: and everybody else than he's done so far on this.

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Speaker 1: And I know Alex's mo is to leave as much

430
00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,320
Speaker 1: pleshibility as possible. I get it, man, Jero Richie looks

431
00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:08,119
Speaker 1: really good to me, and I'm not I'm trying not

432
00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:10,840
Speaker 1: to get too excited, but I am. I am pretty excited.

433
00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:12,080
Speaker 1: It's gotta got be hoes with you about.

434
00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:15,919
Speaker 2: That really nice bounce back today by Jerr Ritchie, who

435
00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,720
Speaker 2: five days ago pitched against Toronto and was okay, he

436
00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,200
Speaker 2: labored a little bit. It was I caught some of

437
00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:23,880
Speaker 2: the innings and it was kind of a tough homeplate

438
00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,440
Speaker 2: zone and all that, And I mean it's spring training

439
00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,320
Speaker 2: for everybody, I guess, but the fact that Richie was

440
00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,560
Speaker 2: so dominant against the Phillies on Sunday, I mean that

441
00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:35,040
Speaker 2: turned some heads. I caught a clip where the Phillies

442
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,400
Speaker 2: broadcast booth was like enamored with Richie and They're like, wow,

443
00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,760
Speaker 2: we are gonna see this kid pitching for Atlanta this summer.

444
00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:44,879
Speaker 2: The big question is is how fast will that happen?

445
00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:47,439
Speaker 2: And I don't think it's a total zero percent that

446
00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,240
Speaker 2: Richie or even Ditty or Fuontest could open the season

447
00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:53,359
Speaker 2: with the Braves. But even if they don't give it,

448
00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,080
Speaker 2: give it two weeks, four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks,

449
00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:58,560
Speaker 2: that more likely than not, these guys are gonna make

450
00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,560
Speaker 2: quite a few starts through a lot of innings for

451
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:02,600
Speaker 2: this team this year. And if if the spring is

452
00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,280
Speaker 2: any indication, especially the way that Richie has grown and

453
00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,080
Speaker 2: Diddy or Frontest has really grown, yeah, I think we're

454
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,399
Speaker 2: going to feel a little bit better about this rotation,

455
00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,040
Speaker 2: even with all the injuries that they have.

456
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:15,959
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that, you know, we beg the strumball

457
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:17,240
Speaker 1: with or long but I know people are just kind

458
00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:18,639
Speaker 1: of getting back to baseball now. I know we have

459
00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:23,679
Speaker 1: listeners that are just returning and welcome back. But you know,

460
00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:28,240
Speaker 1: it's like you need twelve thirteen. Last year it was

461
00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,360
Speaker 1: like sixteen the brave starters that they needed. That's that's

462
00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:32,520
Speaker 1: probably an outlier, but you probably need double digit starters.

463
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,200
Speaker 1: That's just that's the reality. And even if let's just

464
00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,760
Speaker 1: say Schwalbach comes back at a reasonable timetable, let's just

465
00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,320
Speaker 1: say Hearst and Walter comes back at a reasonable timetable,

466
00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,040
Speaker 1: you still need more. Even if those guys do come back.

467
00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,480
Speaker 1: And I think over the course of the season, it

468
00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:49,760
Speaker 1: would surprise me if we didn't see Richie, if we

469
00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,680
Speaker 1: didn't see Diddier at some point, maybe not for two

470
00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,720
Speaker 1: months straight, but like spots start here or whatever, not surprising.

471
00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:59,440
Speaker 1: And you're right, there is a little bit more. It's

472
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,600
Speaker 1: not a blessing in this guy necessarily, but like there

473
00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:03,719
Speaker 1: is a little bit more wiggle room for Alex if

474
00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,159
Speaker 1: you wanted to like plant his flag and say, you

475
00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:09,760
Speaker 1: know what, Jared Ritchie opened a roster. I wouldn't be

476
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:11,880
Speaker 1: stunned by that. And the way I would have been

477
00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,679
Speaker 1: two months ago. I mean the schwall, I'm not going

478
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,000
Speaker 1: to wad up injuries opened the door for that. If

479
00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,879
Speaker 1: we're being honest. But I think that because they have

480
00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:22,240
Speaker 1: this stretch of the game of season where they play

481
00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,600
Speaker 1: all these games in a row, and they really might

482
00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,080
Speaker 1: go with six arters. If you go with six arters,

483
00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,320
Speaker 1: one of them might be Jared Richie, and that would

484
00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:31,200
Speaker 1: not blow me away. I think one of them would

485
00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:33,479
Speaker 1: be Writellar probably, But if it's like, if your choices

486
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,240
Speaker 1: are Jared Richie, Martin Perez, even Alex might be like,

487
00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:39,240
Speaker 1: you know what, let's just do this thing, you know.

488
00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, It's going to come down to how do

489
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,719
Speaker 2: they want to navigate the first three weeks of the season.

490
00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:49,080
Speaker 2: And as a reminder, the Braves play thirteen games in

491
00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:52,920
Speaker 2: a row, including a West Coast trip to open the year,

492
00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,719
Speaker 2: who they finally get a day off, and then they

493
00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,200
Speaker 2: play six more so they play thirteen in a row

494
00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:02,120
Speaker 2: and nineteen out of twenty, and teams, not just the Braves,

495
00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:05,840
Speaker 2: everybody is cautious with pitching early in the year. Got

496
00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,320
Speaker 2: it so, like, do you think Chris Sale is gonna

497
00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:12,399
Speaker 2: start on normal rest five days into the season. I don't.

498
00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,800
Speaker 1: I mean he might, but it's a great point to

499
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,359
Speaker 1: bring up, like even Strider, like they might want to

500
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:22,679
Speaker 1: give these guys an extra day, and that's if all

501
00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:24,440
Speaker 1: it is on the margin is like you're talking about

502
00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,440
Speaker 1: one Richie start or one start. It's like they're probably

503
00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:29,280
Speaker 1: gonna just do that. I mean, we've seen the Braves

504
00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,040
Speaker 1: do this before, even when they had better situations, And

505
00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,600
Speaker 1: I'm okay with that personally. I know there are hard

506
00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,359
Speaker 1: o's in our audience in other places that are like,

507
00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,959
Speaker 1: these guys gotta be able to pitch every five days? Okay,

508
00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:42,199
Speaker 1: like cool, but in reality Chris Sale is like my

509
00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:45,240
Speaker 1: age and specials riders had two elbow surgeries and like,

510
00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:46,959
Speaker 1: if they want to be careful for these guys, I

511
00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:49,920
Speaker 1: don't mind that in the slightest in March and April, yeah,

512
00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:50,840
Speaker 1: so cool.

513
00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:54,399
Speaker 2: And early on the schedule is really soft. I believe

514
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,560
Speaker 2: the first time the Braves will have to make a choice,

515
00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:00,480
Speaker 2: but the rotation will be against the Oakland Sacramento Athletics.

516
00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:03,320
Speaker 1: Like I guess where wherever they are? Where are they

517
00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:03,800
Speaker 1: are these days?

518
00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:09,000
Speaker 2: The A? Yes, that's right, Yes, what a shame. But anyway,

519
00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,439
Speaker 2: speaking of pitchers who I think eventually will be on

520
00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,879
Speaker 2: the roster, I don't think Diddyer Fuentes is going to

521
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,600
Speaker 2: make the opening day roster I think it probably would

522
00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,840
Speaker 2: be best for all parties involved for him to at

523
00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,280
Speaker 2: least make a couple of starts in Guinet. But Didyer

524
00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:24,960
Speaker 2: Fuentes made a start a couple of days ago that

525
00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,960
Speaker 2: caught on like nationally, how nasty he looked. He has

526
00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:31,920
Speaker 2: increased his velocity. It also looks like Didier, who is

527
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,399
Speaker 2: still very young, has started to really put on some

528
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,960
Speaker 2: of that like grown man's strength where I mean he

529
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:38,680
Speaker 2: looked like a kid out there. He was a kid

530
00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,240
Speaker 2: last year, but it looks like in the off season

531
00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,720
Speaker 2: Didier was very serious in the weight room put on

532
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,119
Speaker 2: some weight. His velocity is up. I know after his

533
00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,520
Speaker 2: start where he just mowed down the Yankees lineup on Friday,

534
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,640
Speaker 2: which did have a couple of their regulars in there,

535
00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:57,040
Speaker 2: said that he not only worked on his fastball, but

536
00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,520
Speaker 2: also his change up, which is kind of moving like

537
00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:02,520
Speaker 2: a sl at this point, which is really exciting. Change

538
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,160
Speaker 2: up is like eighty seven eighty eight. So there's something

539
00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,040
Speaker 2: to work with you. And I know it didn't go

540
00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:09,840
Speaker 2: well a year ago, but did heer really talented. Can

541
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:11,919
Speaker 2: make a case he is the best pitching prospect in

542
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,520
Speaker 2: the organization for the Braves right now and again, I

543
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:15,960
Speaker 2: don't think he's going to be with the Braves on

544
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:19,119
Speaker 2: opening day against the Royals, But same story with Richie.

545
00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:21,119
Speaker 2: Give it a month, I would not be surprised in

546
00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:21,840
Speaker 2: the least.

547
00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:26,679
Speaker 1: For sure, the velocity being up. Every single person I

548
00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,359
Speaker 1: trust on the Brave system was screaming about how like,

549
00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:32,280
Speaker 1: do not forget about this guy because of last year?

550
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:33,960
Speaker 1: And I agree with that all the way through. And

551
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,040
Speaker 1: he looks the part so far in the spring, and

552
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:39,119
Speaker 1: it's the spring. He's really young. He's still twenty right now,

553
00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,000
Speaker 1: which is very very young. I could be his father.

554
00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:45,440
Speaker 1: I'm not, but I could be anyway. It's one of

555
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,440
Speaker 1: those things where they have options. I think I think

556
00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:50,920
Speaker 1: I said this wrong earlier. Hoss Suarez does not have options.

557
00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,240
Speaker 1: That's why he keeps getting put in these conversations because

558
00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:54,800
Speaker 1: he doesn't have options. He like, he's like Bryce Silder,

559
00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,119
Speaker 1: So I misstated that earlier. He doesn't have options, but

560
00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:01,159
Speaker 1: guys like Diddy or and Richie obviously do. Martine Perez I

561
00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,920
Speaker 1: don't know what to make of honestly, Like they brought

562
00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,280
Speaker 1: him in as veteran competition, which I was totally fine with.

563
00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,399
Speaker 1: It made total sense to me. Minor league deal. I

564
00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:09,919
Speaker 1: don't know what they think about him. Now, there's not

565
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,040
Speaker 1: been a while of reporting about Martin Perez, even the

566
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:14,679
Speaker 1: beat guys, I don't. I don't know where they stand

567
00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:17,760
Speaker 1: on Martin pres So I won't like I do know

568
00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,119
Speaker 1: because I don't. So that's let's be being transparent here

569
00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:22,280
Speaker 1: in in mid March, I'm just like, huh, Martin Perez

570
00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:22,800
Speaker 1: still around?

571
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,760
Speaker 2: No idea. Yeah, there's there's a very fine line between

572
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,160
Speaker 2: roster management the first three weeks of the season and

573
00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,479
Speaker 2: what gives you the best chance to win yep, And

574
00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:36,480
Speaker 2: I don't think those are necessarily always a one to

575
00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:40,159
Speaker 2: one correlation. They're not. But you know what, if the

576
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,200
Speaker 2: Braves decide that Martin Perez should make the sixth start

577
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,679
Speaker 2: of the year against the Athletics, you know what, like

578
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:49,920
Speaker 2: I won't. I won't roast them for it. I should fine.

579
00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:51,840
Speaker 2: I hope to God that it's not going to continue

580
00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:55,080
Speaker 2: into you know, much longer than that. But yeah, it's

581
00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:57,280
Speaker 2: such a long year, one hundred and sixty two games

582
00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,880
Speaker 2: over six months. I mean, you have to be especially

583
00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,080
Speaker 2: early in the year, and who knows, maybe they end

584
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:05,480
Speaker 2: up carrying two of these kind of long man sixth

585
00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:09,400
Speaker 2: options with both Martine Perez and Jose Suarez if they

586
00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,480
Speaker 2: really are worried about it, And I feel like that

587
00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,960
Speaker 2: would almost be being too careful. But yeah, yeah, but

588
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,320
Speaker 2: they may say, you know what, we're going to cover

589
00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:19,560
Speaker 2: our butts. And on the chance that you know, Grant

590
00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:21,320
Speaker 2: Holmes has to leave in the third inning because he's

591
00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:23,480
Speaker 2: getting hit hard his first start of the year, well

592
00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:24,920
Speaker 2: you got to just kind of I mean, someone has

593
00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,040
Speaker 2: to throw those pitches for you. Yeah, and you know,

594
00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,400
Speaker 2: I might save my longer version of this rant for later.

595
00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:33,040
Speaker 2: There is a big discussion happening, and I get why

596
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:36,879
Speaker 2: in Braves fandom right now about you know, Alex's philosophy

597
00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:41,399
Speaker 2: on versus you know, Russ versatility and flexibility, and I

598
00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:41,920
Speaker 2: get all that.

599
00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:46,000
Speaker 1: What I would say is it's not one to one,

600
00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:48,120
Speaker 1: which is what you just said. That's a hundred percent right.

601
00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,800
Speaker 1: I have argued, I think we've argued as well. We

602
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:53,600
Speaker 1: have argued that maybe Alex was a little bit too

603
00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,399
Speaker 1: far in the direction as far as you but it

604
00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:59,119
Speaker 1: actually does make sense to do some of that. So

605
00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:01,359
Speaker 1: like it's it's really a nuanced like if you have

606
00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:07,119
Speaker 1: two comparable options, and I should use comfortable pictures and

607
00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:08,520
Speaker 1: one of the has the options on when them doesn't,

608
00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,560
Speaker 1: it makes total sense to prioritize the guy that doesn't

609
00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,879
Speaker 1: and give yourself an option one of those things, so

610
00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:19,840
Speaker 1: that the challenge becomes let's just say in your hypothetical there, Scott,

611
00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:25,680
Speaker 1: if Bartiperez pitches in week one, gets destroyed and JR.

612
00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,600
Speaker 1: Ritchie is in Guinet and it's clear he's way way better.

613
00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,520
Speaker 1: Fans don't take kind into that, you know what I mean?

614
00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:33,159
Speaker 2: And I get it.

615
00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, so like it's kind of this back and forth

616
00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,640
Speaker 1: and I don't. That's one of those tough situations. That's

617
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,240
Speaker 1: why people like Alexe get paid a lot of money,

618
00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:42,920
Speaker 1: is that those are hard decisions. All I will say

619
00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:47,160
Speaker 1: is there, it's not crazy to take that into account.

620
00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:48,880
Speaker 1: In fact, I would as well. I would take into

621
00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:50,480
Speaker 1: account who has my way options.

622
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:50,680
Speaker 2: To who doesn't.

623
00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:53,560
Speaker 1: That has to be taken into account. The argument is

624
00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:55,640
Speaker 1: whether you take into account too much if you're Alex,

625
00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,120
Speaker 1: and that is a fair one. So I see all

626
00:28:58,120 --> 00:28:59,600
Speaker 1: the times like, no, all that matters is who's the

627
00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:01,560
Speaker 1: best picture. I'm like, I don't know if that's true.

628
00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,560
Speaker 1: I would not go to all that matters if it's close.

629
00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:07,520
Speaker 1: I could stuff with see the only promise if you

630
00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,440
Speaker 1: go too far the other directions. So that's a different podcast.

631
00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:12,320
Speaker 1: Maybe will have that and done in ten days. But

632
00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:14,480
Speaker 1: just it was probably with me today. I was like, guys,

633
00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,440
Speaker 1: it's not quite as clear cut as like, oh, Richie's

634
00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,040
Speaker 1: just better than Martin Perez, so it has to be Richie,

635
00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,280
Speaker 1: Like I wouldn't I wouldn't go quite there yet.

636
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:25,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, personally, it's fair to say that, sure, a win

637
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,160
Speaker 2: on April third counts all the same as a win

638
00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:34,560
Speaker 2: on September twenty third, Like, right, that's oh my god,

639
00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:38,959
Speaker 2: good news, Brad. We will not be throwing Hector neris

640
00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:40,440
Speaker 2: out in a one run baseball game.

641
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:45,400
Speaker 1: Listen here, listen. You don't know that.

642
00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:49,920
Speaker 2: I will quit the podcast, but you know we're not

643
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,560
Speaker 2: to put a ball in this conversation. Am I overly

644
00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,120
Speaker 2: optimistic that Martin Perez is going to have a great

645
00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:58,120
Speaker 2: year if even makes the Braves? No? Am I confident

646
00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:00,760
Speaker 2: when Jose Suarez goes on the mound. No, not really,

647
00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:02,720
Speaker 2: But there is a world where those guys are at

648
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:06,080
Speaker 2: least serviceable and could give you a couple of decent innings,

649
00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:08,480
Speaker 2: and you just kind of re evaluate, and it's pitching

650
00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:12,760
Speaker 2: is a day by day situation. We'll see who ultimately

651
00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:14,960
Speaker 2: makes the opening day roster, and it's all the ceremony

652
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,480
Speaker 2: and they come out on the field and they have

653
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,040
Speaker 2: cheers to varying levels from the fans and then give it.

654
00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:22,440
Speaker 2: I mean, if Martin Perez is your sixth starter and

655
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,520
Speaker 2: he gives up nine runs to the Athletics over four innings, well,

656
00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:27,560
Speaker 2: I'm going to guess that Martin Perez will not be

657
00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:28,840
Speaker 2: with the Braves for Game seven.

658
00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:31,560
Speaker 1: I think you're right on that. Okay, Scott, we'll get

659
00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:33,000
Speaker 1: to the bullpen in a second and that'll be a

660
00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,479
Speaker 1: little bit more of a breezy conversation afterward from our

661
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669
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671
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Speaker 1: All right, Scott. The bullpen has its own set of

672
00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:18,360
Speaker 1: challenges and question marks and uncertainties. There are a bunch

673
00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:22,800
Speaker 1: of pretty much locks, obviously, right, So Iglesias, you got Suarez,

674
00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:24,400
Speaker 1: You've got kin Lee, you got Piomps. I think it's

675
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,080
Speaker 1: pretty much close to a lock. Dylan Lee is an

676
00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,440
Speaker 1: absolute lock. Aaron Bummer is healthy is an absolute lock.

677
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:31,840
Speaker 1: So that's up to is that?

678
00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:32,440
Speaker 2: Six? Yeah?

679
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:36,440
Speaker 1: Six guys pious we've talked about before as being like

680
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:38,440
Speaker 1: one of those ninety five percent versus nine to nine

681
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,080
Speaker 1: percent locks. With every passing day, I'm getting higher and

682
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,880
Speaker 1: higher on Pioms being on the team. He has, he is,

683
00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:48,120
Speaker 1: he has a guaranteed contracts. You know, he's a mount team.

684
00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,440
Speaker 2: I'm pretty sure. But yeah, and for a guy who's

685
00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,160
Speaker 2: maybe not in the mix for like the eighth and

686
00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,160
Speaker 2: nine innings, yo, all, Pioms has thrown the ball really well,

687
00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,560
Speaker 2: this brank and like his stuff plus has looked good.

688
00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:02,160
Speaker 2: And again we're talking about like four appearances so far,

689
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:04,920
Speaker 2: but sure, Pioms looks good. He talked about having a

690
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:07,160
Speaker 2: weird off season a year ago. Whereas this one was

691
00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:09,600
Speaker 2: more normal and he was a pitcher who is very,

692
00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:12,400
Speaker 2: very talented and capable a couple of years ago. I

693
00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:14,160
Speaker 2: think the Braves are hoping to kind of catch lightning

694
00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:16,120
Speaker 2: in a bottle. And if you tell me the Piams

695
00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,000
Speaker 2: has a nice season in the Braves bullpen, I would

696
00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,400
Speaker 2: absolutely believe it one hundred percent.

697
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:23,200
Speaker 1: I'm with you on that. So that leaves basically two

698
00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:28,600
Speaker 1: spots again health pending available. One of those could be

699
00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:31,000
Speaker 1: the extra starter. So we just don't know. That's why,

700
00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:35,920
Speaker 1: Like you're almost putting Jose Suarez, Martine Perez, even Rich

701
00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:37,760
Speaker 1: like some of these guys in the same bucket as

702
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:39,840
Speaker 1: the relievers. It's like they're kind of it's kind of

703
00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,880
Speaker 1: give and take there. I don't know about you, it

704
00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,880
Speaker 1: certainly seems to me like if they're going to keep

705
00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:52,240
Speaker 1: another pure reliever, Dylan Dodd is the favorite for that

706
00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:54,880
Speaker 1: right now. I mean with talks about Karen Shaq, you

707
00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:56,880
Speaker 1: and I we could go who look good? But he

708
00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:58,840
Speaker 1: was on my sixth of the miners this week, Like

709
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:00,920
Speaker 1: he has options of it. I think he'll be up

710
00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:02,240
Speaker 1: at some point, but it seems like that was a

711
00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:06,880
Speaker 1: decision against him on the roster. Most likely you got

712
00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,840
Speaker 1: il you got Ian Hamilinson. Like Dylan Dodd's still major

713
00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:12,880
Speaker 1: league camp. He was good last year. I was a

714
00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,680
Speaker 1: lefty like I would be. I penciling Dylan Dodd in,

715
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,000
Speaker 1: not Penn, but I'm penciling him in right now to say,

716
00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,200
Speaker 1: if they keep another reliever, it seems like it's probably

717
00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:22,000
Speaker 1: gonna be Dylan NodD.

718
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:25,240
Speaker 2: I don't know, Yeah, yeah, I would agree. I think

719
00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:28,600
Speaker 2: Dodd is both the best mix of he's He was

720
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,920
Speaker 2: good last season, yeah, he was good, fine, legitimately good,

721
00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,320
Speaker 2: and back in the day, of course, Dylan Dodd was

722
00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,200
Speaker 2: a starter, So I don't know how many innings Dodd

723
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:40,920
Speaker 2: could throw, but in theory he could probably cover two three.

724
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, and initially multi multi inning at least, like He's

725
00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:47,560
Speaker 1: not like a one inning reliever only for sure, which matters.

726
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,280
Speaker 2: And he was good enough last season that I think

727
00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,040
Speaker 2: Dodd could get some like real leverage spots out of

728
00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:54,960
Speaker 2: this bullpen, especially not knowing from the left side, how

729
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,360
Speaker 2: good is Aaron Bummer going to be after a down

730
00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,880
Speaker 2: twenty twenty five season. So yeah, I think is the

731
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:03,800
Speaker 2: easy leader in the clubhouse to be maybe the seventh

732
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,320
Speaker 2: man in the bullpen. It's just really a matter of

733
00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,160
Speaker 2: do they carry another reliever or do they carry that

734
00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:12,120
Speaker 2: sixth starter designated long man. And I think that's the

735
00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:12,880
Speaker 2: way they're going to go.

736
00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:16,200
Speaker 1: I did too. You got Ian Hamilton, who's had been

737
00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:18,520
Speaker 1: bagged up in spring I know more Bowman projected him

738
00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,040
Speaker 1: to be on the IL potentially once he begins. I

739
00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:24,359
Speaker 1: don't know if that's gonna happen, but it could. Day's Bell.

740
00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:26,520
Speaker 1: I saw you ask about him today on Twitter. Would

741
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:28,680
Speaker 1: you get any any any responses that were interesting because

742
00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:31,400
Speaker 1: I didn't see any responses, But it sounds.

743
00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:35,480
Speaker 2: Like, yeah, you know, Daves Bell. Hernandez as of recording

744
00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,160
Speaker 2: this has not appeared in a spring training game. It

745
00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:40,120
Speaker 2: sounds like he is with the team. I was like

746
00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:41,480
Speaker 2: Twitter searching days.

747
00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:43,759
Speaker 1: Where is does Hernandez Google search?

748
00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:48,040
Speaker 2: Please? He is, But it sounds like he was in camp.

749
00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:50,480
Speaker 2: I know some people said they saw him on one

750
00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:53,239
Speaker 2: of the behind the Braves spring training videos that they

751
00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:56,319
Speaker 2: do every week, but he has not appeared in a game,

752
00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:58,160
Speaker 2: and it sounds like he was a few weeks delayed

753
00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,279
Speaker 2: to start again. I I think the take of this

754
00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:04,360
Speaker 2: podcast is that Day's Bell, We're probably lower than the

755
00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:06,920
Speaker 2: consensus on Day's Bell. But he is a name, and

756
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,919
Speaker 2: he throws the baseball in a way that a lot

757
00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,759
Speaker 2: of people on this planet cannot, and maybe he can

758
00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:13,880
Speaker 2: win a spot. But this morning, when I was prepping

759
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:16,160
Speaker 2: for the show, I was like, whenever Day's bell is,

760
00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:20,000
Speaker 2: And then I was like, is he pitching? Is he healthy?

761
00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,320
Speaker 2: Is he is he with the braves in camp? I

762
00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:24,840
Speaker 2: don't know, So anyway, that's the Day's Bell Hernandez updating

763
00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:26,879
Speaker 2: case anybody was eagerly awaiting for it.

764
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,040
Speaker 1: Well, he's a name people know as well, he's been

765
00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:32,600
Speaker 1: on the team before. He wouldn't look out of place

766
00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,120
Speaker 1: as the eighth guy in a bullpen. Like, even as

767
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,120
Speaker 1: I think you're right, we've been a little bit lower

768
00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:38,880
Speaker 1: than some on him, and I think have been proven

769
00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:42,759
Speaker 1: right so far on that. But even with that said,

770
00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:44,960
Speaker 1: I think he would be totally like normal looking at

771
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:46,919
Speaker 1: the end of a bullpen. It's just I think DoD

772
00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:49,240
Speaker 1: is like considerably better another different pictures, but like that's

773
00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:52,680
Speaker 1: way better than Day's Bell, And I would probably go

774
00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,719
Speaker 1: with the extra starter slash long man if I had

775
00:35:56,719 --> 00:36:00,279
Speaker 1: to yeah earlier this season, especially given what you said. Again,

776
00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:03,600
Speaker 1: given the uncertainty not necessarily because of right now, but

777
00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:08,480
Speaker 1: like when you have guys like Lopez and Holmes coming

778
00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:12,400
Speaker 1: off of injury, like the chances of those guys having

779
00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:15,120
Speaker 1: to come out of a game or not being able

780
00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:17,680
Speaker 1: to go deep in the game in April, like first

781
00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:21,120
Speaker 1: week of April was higher than normal, I would guess.

782
00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:25,000
Speaker 1: So even you're safer established starters, if you know, I

783
00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:27,880
Speaker 1: use the word safe, are not as safe early in

784
00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:30,480
Speaker 1: the season. Nobody is so in it.

785
00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:33,480
Speaker 2: More like I will say, I gotta be honest, Brad,

786
00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:36,560
Speaker 2: I feel really good about this bullpen. I do.

787
00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:39,040
Speaker 1: I do too. I mean, I know, I mean, I'll

788
00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,480
Speaker 1: get flamed, I'm sure about you know, Aaron Bummer is

789
00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:44,680
Speaker 1: not was not good last year, but even his not good,

790
00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:47,080
Speaker 1: but it's like not embarrassing, like he was fine. He's overpaid,

791
00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:49,280
Speaker 1: but like he's still a real reliever, like he's fine.

792
00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:52,080
Speaker 2: Well, and there's a real chance that Aaron Bummer is

793
00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:53,200
Speaker 2: like your seventh best Opta.

794
00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:54,600
Speaker 1: Well, that's what I mean. Like, I know he's he's

795
00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:56,040
Speaker 1: making a lot of money. He's making too much money,

796
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:57,840
Speaker 1: even as an Aaron Bummer guy. He's making too much money.

797
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,400
Speaker 1: But like in Glaces and Suarez are awesome, Kinley. I

798
00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:03,480
Speaker 1: really like the Braves, Foss himself something in him. I

799
00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:05,480
Speaker 1: think Piomps is a real guy. Dylan Lee's always been

800
00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:07,239
Speaker 1: good the last couple of years. Like they have some

801
00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:09,640
Speaker 1: real I feel pretty good. Like I mean, it's it's

802
00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:11,760
Speaker 1: not like the number one bullpen in baseball on paper,

803
00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:14,440
Speaker 1: but like it's the top ten bullpen in the league,

804
00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,000
Speaker 1: and maybe higher than that, especially if things go if

805
00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:18,719
Speaker 1: things break right, if Aeron Bummer is like what he

806
00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:21,920
Speaker 1: was two years ago, that's he's really good again. Like,

807
00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:24,000
Speaker 1: you know, Piomps has upside. I think they're you know,

808
00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:25,840
Speaker 1: the bottom of the back two or as good as

809
00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:27,360
Speaker 1: anybody's back to in all of baseball.

810
00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:29,640
Speaker 2: I mean it's it's it's a good spot to be in.

811
00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:32,520
Speaker 2: I would say, yeah, we will do a formal Bold

812
00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:36,040
Speaker 2: prediction show later in the spring, but my hot take

813
00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,480
Speaker 2: here we go lock it in. I'll say this is

814
00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:42,439
Speaker 2: a top five bullpen in baseball and has a chance

815
00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:45,560
Speaker 2: to be like top to top three. I really like

816
00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:49,239
Speaker 2: this group. I just I do. I feel good about

817
00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:51,960
Speaker 2: the bullpen. I feel better about the bullpen position group

818
00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:55,640
Speaker 2: as a whole comparative to the rest of the league.

819
00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,640
Speaker 2: Then I do the rotation because of the injuries and

820
00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:01,440
Speaker 2: the lineup, which I think we're optimistic and hopeful is

821
00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,879
Speaker 2: going to bounce back. But look, it's been two very

822
00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,920
Speaker 2: down years for this Brave's lineup. Like it's almost like

823
00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,400
Speaker 2: foolishly just if you say the Braves are going to

824
00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:12,480
Speaker 2: mash the baseball this year, I don't think you can

825
00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,399
Speaker 2: say that. There's been a three hundred some odd game

826
00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,239
Speaker 2: sample of them not hitting the baseball very well. And

827
00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:20,520
Speaker 2: I think ultimately the lineup is going to be better.

828
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,800
Speaker 2: But I do feel really good about this bullpen. I

829
00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:25,879
Speaker 2: did two and we will keep an eye on things.

830
00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,759
Speaker 2: It's another spot, like so the two easiest places to

831
00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:31,960
Speaker 2: add at the end of spring, because these guys just

832
00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,520
Speaker 2: shake loose. Are you know that DH spot that the

833
00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:38,000
Speaker 2: Braves kind of have available now? And relievers?

834
00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:39,719
Speaker 1: Those are the two spots that are like, guys just

835
00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:42,200
Speaker 1: come available and they won't be sexy in the names, probably,

836
00:38:42,440 --> 00:38:45,200
Speaker 1: but it would not stun me if the eighth person

837
00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,160
Speaker 1: in the bullpen is someone who's on the team right now.

838
00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:49,720
Speaker 1: That's just kind of the way things tend to happen sometimes,

839
00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:52,040
Speaker 1: like guys will just get released or get traded for nothing.

840
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:54,319
Speaker 1: Tyler Kinleer'll fall on somebody's lap, you know what I mean,

841
00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:56,760
Speaker 1: somebody like that. It's like, oh, okay, we'll take your

842
00:38:57,080 --> 00:39:00,680
Speaker 1: three million dollar a year reliever because you're a terrible team.

843
00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:01,960
Speaker 1: That is, she's trying to save money and the Braves

844
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:03,279
Speaker 1: want to spend some money. Like that kind of thing

845
00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:05,120
Speaker 1: can happen. But all we could do right now on

846
00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:09,080
Speaker 1: March fifteen, sixteenth is who's on the roster, and that's

847
00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:11,560
Speaker 1: where we are. Scott, I feel pretty good about, like

848
00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:14,400
Speaker 1: you said, twenty twenty one, twenty two guys out of

849
00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:17,080
Speaker 1: the twenty six and the other four or five spots

850
00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:19,640
Speaker 1: are fluid, but which is, by the way, extremely normal

851
00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:21,840
Speaker 1: in the middle of BArch. Like that's most teams in

852
00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:23,640
Speaker 1: the league are not like fully set right now, which

853
00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:24,320
Speaker 1: is fine.

854
00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:29,319
Speaker 2: And in theory and wishing the Braves are going to

855
00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:32,239
Speaker 2: be healthy or even remotely healthy feels like a fool's er,

856
00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:35,319
Speaker 2: But does the bear with me for a second. But

857
00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:39,359
Speaker 2: when you get Hasan Kim back, hopefully early May, if

858
00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,879
Speaker 2: the Brave's new timeline is accurate, and when you get

859
00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:45,640
Speaker 2: Sean Murphy back, who feels like is kind of ramping

860
00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:48,080
Speaker 2: things up down in Florida, is going to be delayed

861
00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:50,480
Speaker 2: for sure. But when you get Murphy back, and when

862
00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,799
Speaker 2: you get Kim back, and maybe at the end of

863
00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:57,000
Speaker 2: May or early June, some point over the summer, Waldrip

864
00:39:57,239 --> 00:40:00,360
Speaker 2: or Schwallenbach or both are able to pitch for you.

865
00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:03,200
Speaker 2: And again no guarantees on that, but maybe they didn't

866
00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:05,360
Speaker 2: have Tommy John. You know, they had a cleanup procedure

867
00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:09,080
Speaker 2: in their elbows. The depth of this team, assuming they

868
00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:12,200
Speaker 2: don't get just ravished by injuries again, should be better

869
00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:14,520
Speaker 2: than what it is on opening day. And let's just

870
00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:17,719
Speaker 2: cross our fingers and hope that maybe they catch a

871
00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:19,799
Speaker 2: break with the injury gods and just don't have half

872
00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:21,240
Speaker 2: the team on the injured list again.

873
00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:25,240
Speaker 1: That would be helpful for the team, for the fan base,

874
00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:28,600
Speaker 1: for our sanity on this podcast, and many things. So

875
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,680
Speaker 1: it's been a nightmare spring. I did hear our good

876
00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:34,000
Speaker 1: pal Grant McCauley, who's been on the show many times.

877
00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:36,799
Speaker 1: He was the Braves guest on effectively Wild this week

878
00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:40,320
Speaker 1: doing the Braves preview, and you could tell in Grant's

879
00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:41,680
Speaker 1: voice it's like this, it's been a kind of a

880
00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:44,120
Speaker 1: rough spring for everyone. Like he was they were asking

881
00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:45,640
Speaker 1: him like, hey, what's going with the Braves? Like, are

882
00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:48,440
Speaker 1: they just broken forever? And Grant's like, I mean no,

883
00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:50,879
Speaker 1: but it's been another one of those fun months here

884
00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:55,279
Speaker 1: in the Atlanta Braves system. So anyway, optimism, Scott. We

885
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,319
Speaker 1: just talked about the team fairly positively for I don't know,

886
00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:01,600
Speaker 1: forty minutes. I feel pretty good about things. We'll see. Yeah,

887
00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:04,080
Speaker 1: me too, less good than I would have felt a

888
00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:06,440
Speaker 1: month ago. But you know that's Beggar's cape.

889
00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:09,439
Speaker 2: But choosers sometimes, you mean, it's it's not a good

890
00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:11,880
Speaker 2: thing when you lose two of your five starting pitchers

891
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:15,040
Speaker 2: and your DH and you're like and.

892
00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:17,880
Speaker 1: Not, really, I don't. I wouldn't. I wouldn't like that.

893
00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:20,799
Speaker 1: I wouldn't prefer that. Hey, but we got to watch

894
00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:22,680
Speaker 1: around a coud to play baseball in the World Baseball Classic.

895
00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:27,600
Speaker 1: So check it out on a Fox one. Everybody watch it. Okay, Scott,

896
00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:31,279
Speaker 1: let's put up the warning right now. Unless you have

897
00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:33,840
Speaker 1: more to say on the line of Braves are once

898
00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:37,240
Speaker 1: a year annual. If you don't like college basketball, feel

899
00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:39,120
Speaker 1: free to sign off right now. Please subscribe to the

900
00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:43,719
Speaker 1: podcast Hammer Territory anywhere you find podcasts Autoritory Network. We

901
00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,560
Speaker 1: cover the brands all year round, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, et cetera.

902
00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,640
Speaker 1: We appreciate all of your support. After a break from

903
00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:52,840
Speaker 1: our sponsors, we'll come back and talk about college basketball

904
00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:54,680
Speaker 1: because we just are sickos. It's what we have to

905
00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:56,479
Speaker 1: do this time of year or so be right back

906
00:41:56,680 --> 00:42:01,120
Speaker 1: after this word. All right, Scott, it's time. We're sickos.

907
00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:04,600
Speaker 1: Only here late in the podcast. And uh it's s

908
00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:07,279
Speaker 1: Luction Sunday and you and I mean I will speak

909
00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:09,640
Speaker 1: for I don't know about you. I think I know

910
00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:13,880
Speaker 1: this about you. Is college basketball your favorite sport?

911
00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:18,000
Speaker 2: Oh man? It is clearly my one A one B

912
00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:22,399
Speaker 2: with baseball. That's what I thought. Okay, uh yeah for me. NFL, Yeah,

913
00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:25,040
Speaker 2: I enjoyed college football. I'll watch the playoffs in the

914
00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:27,960
Speaker 2: NBA and the NHL. But if like a an evil

915
00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:30,200
Speaker 2: demon came and said, Scott, you can only watch two

916
00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:33,080
Speaker 2: sports the rest of your life, I would watch baseball

917
00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,880
Speaker 2: and the Braves, and I would watch college basketball in Arizona.

918
00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:40,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, so I love college basketball. I do a lot,

919
00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:43,000
Speaker 1: a lot, a lot of work on the NBA, so

920
00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:46,640
Speaker 1: I do watch more NBA than college basketball out of necessity.

921
00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:48,640
Speaker 1: I also cover the draft, which is they different kind

922
00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:50,480
Speaker 1: about college basketball watching, so I haven't watch the college

923
00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:53,720
Speaker 1: of college basketball too. And I love March my favorite event.

924
00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:56,120
Speaker 1: I think we agree on this one. My favorite event

925
00:42:56,200 --> 00:43:00,680
Speaker 1: of the year is the NCAA Tournament. Even now, it's

926
00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,960
Speaker 1: the best. So that's why we're doing this. We'rese it

927
00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:05,959
Speaker 1: cost it is what it is now. I will also

928
00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:08,959
Speaker 1: give the caveat the bracket came out a couple hours

929
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:11,480
Speaker 1: ago as we're talking. Now, I have not done any

930
00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:14,160
Speaker 1: of my prep. Look, I know these teams. I have

931
00:43:14,239 --> 00:43:16,360
Speaker 1: not done. I will do an exhaustive look at some

932
00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:18,680
Speaker 1: of these teams. But we had to cover baseball and

933
00:43:18,719 --> 00:43:20,919
Speaker 1: stuff on this podcast, so I have it in front

934
00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:24,400
Speaker 1: of me. You might have the advantage though on knowledge

935
00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:26,640
Speaker 1: right now as far as the brackets concern Scott advantage

936
00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:28,000
Speaker 1: advantaged Scott right now.

937
00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:30,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I will say maybe I will set up

938
00:43:30,320 --> 00:43:33,040
Speaker 2: a tournament challenge for listeners and viewers of the show,

939
00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:35,479
Speaker 2: and maybe I'll tweet out that link if people It'll

940
00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:38,200
Speaker 2: just be for fundzies for bragging rights, no money or anything.

941
00:43:38,640 --> 00:43:41,680
Speaker 2: I'm not collecting zel's and venmos from four hundred people.

942
00:43:41,719 --> 00:43:44,080
Speaker 2: But but yeah, maybe I'll set that up if people

943
00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:46,279
Speaker 2: are interested, give it a couple of days, check the

944
00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:48,879
Speaker 2: Twitter account and I'll fire up a So you can

945
00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:51,879
Speaker 2: beat brad Roland beat brad Roland Invitational.

946
00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:54,799
Speaker 1: That's not hard to do. We will not talk about

947
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:56,719
Speaker 1: every single game on the horizon. That would be a

948
00:43:56,760 --> 00:43:59,800
Speaker 1: long podcast. Do you want to go reagion by region?

949
00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:03,880
Speaker 1: Let's do that. Yeah, let's do Okay, dealer's choice, you

950
00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:05,960
Speaker 1: know what, not deer's choice. We're going to the West

951
00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:10,880
Speaker 1: aka aka the Arizona Wildcats region. For those people that

952
00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:12,879
Speaker 1: don't somehow know this, I don't get out anybody doesn't

953
00:44:13,160 --> 00:44:17,480
Speaker 1: still listening. Scott is an Arizona alum and works at

954
00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:21,120
Speaker 1: Arizona so and still listen to son so U no

955
00:44:21,160 --> 00:44:23,160
Speaker 1: one is closer to the college basketball program of Arizona.

956
00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:24,719
Speaker 1: That's got called unless you're on the team.

957
00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:28,320
Speaker 2: Basically, that's right, bear down. I want every single person

958
00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:30,480
Speaker 2: in that tournament challenge to pick the Wildcats to go

959
00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:30,960
Speaker 2: all the way.

960
00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:35,359
Speaker 1: It wouldn't be a crazy pick whatsoever. So m I'll

961
00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:40,440
Speaker 1: ask you this, who are you worried about? You there,

962
00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:42,239
Speaker 1: you're an Arizona fan. Who are you worried about? In

963
00:44:42,280 --> 00:44:43,880
Speaker 1: the in the West and just starts to refresher if

964
00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:45,200
Speaker 1: you don't have it in front of you. This is

965
00:44:45,239 --> 00:44:48,239
Speaker 1: the region that has Wisconsin the five seed, Arkansas is

966
00:44:48,280 --> 00:44:50,560
Speaker 1: the four seed, kenzagas the three seed, and Purdue is

967
00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:52,000
Speaker 1: the two seed. If you want to go deeper than that,

968
00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:53,959
Speaker 1: you're on your own. But who are you worried about?

969
00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:57,520
Speaker 2: As an Arizona fan, I think both the four and

970
00:44:57,560 --> 00:45:00,359
Speaker 2: the five seed in this region, assuming they win their

971
00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:03,880
Speaker 2: first round games, are really scary. Arkansas just won the

972
00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:08,000
Speaker 2: SEC Tournament. Wisconsin has some bad losses but also has

973
00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:10,680
Speaker 2: as many good wins as like any team in the country,

974
00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:12,120
Speaker 2: which is a little weird.

975
00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:14,680
Speaker 1: They beat Michigan at Michigan and then almost beat them

976
00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,480
Speaker 1: this week, so I've seen quite a bit of Wisconsin

977
00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:18,800
Speaker 1: in my dreams this season.

978
00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:21,600
Speaker 2: So yeah, so you know, in high Point as a

979
00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:23,720
Speaker 2: twelve seed is going to be I think a popular

980
00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:27,920
Speaker 2: pick to maybe upset Wisconsin as well. But to me,

981
00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:30,440
Speaker 2: I think, I mean, I think Arkansas Wisconsin could be

982
00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:33,440
Speaker 2: one of the games of the tournament. And then of

983
00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:37,399
Speaker 2: course I think, I mean Arizona. I don't see any

984
00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:41,480
Speaker 2: problems with Villanova or Utah State famous last words, but

985
00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:47,040
Speaker 2: if Arizona can get past Arkansas or Wisconsin, you know,

986
00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:49,719
Speaker 2: the bottom half of the bracket. I don't know. I

987
00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:52,640
Speaker 2: don't think this Gonzaga team is as good as recent years.

988
00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:54,560
Speaker 2: They also were without one of their I think their

989
00:45:54,640 --> 00:45:57,719
Speaker 2: second leading score is unexpected, is not expected to play

990
00:45:57,719 --> 00:46:00,120
Speaker 2: in the tournament. And then Purdue, which just one the

991
00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:03,279
Speaker 2: Big Ten Tournament, was kind of on the downslope at

992
00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:05,360
Speaker 2: the end of the year, and I think that Arizona

993
00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:08,080
Speaker 2: is a bad matchup for Purdue with the way that

994
00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:10,880
Speaker 2: Purdue wants to play. So I'm taking Arizona in this region.

995
00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:13,600
Speaker 2: Call it a homer pick. But if folks haven't seen areas,

996
00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:16,920
Speaker 2: they're just such a good basketball team. I mean that

997
00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:20,200
Speaker 2: they are. I mean it's all season long. It's been Duke,

998
00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:23,319
Speaker 2: it's been Michigan, it's been Arizona, and I mean they

999
00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:25,759
Speaker 2: feel and then probably a tear drop below that to

1000
00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:27,520
Speaker 2: a couple other teams who we're going to talk about.

1001
00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:30,320
Speaker 2: But Arizona's just I mean, they are a wagon in

1002
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:32,760
Speaker 2: every way imaginable. Yeah.

1003
00:46:32,880 --> 00:46:35,680
Speaker 1: I'm not saying this because because you're here, I think

1004
00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:36,919
Speaker 1: you know that I would tell you this no matter

1005
00:46:36,960 --> 00:46:40,440
Speaker 1: what if I had to pick a single team to

1006
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:42,760
Speaker 1: make the Final four. Now that I have seen the bracket.

1007
00:46:43,120 --> 00:46:46,880
Speaker 1: I would take Arizona, and it's not because of you.

1008
00:46:47,239 --> 00:46:50,120
Speaker 1: I think they're really good and I'm a little bit

1009
00:46:50,120 --> 00:46:52,560
Speaker 1: low run for Doue. Purdue's got veterans, they played great

1010
00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:53,680
Speaker 1: this week and the BIS of tournament.

1011
00:46:53,719 --> 00:46:54,080
Speaker 2: They want it.

1012
00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:57,640
Speaker 1: I do like in Zaga, but you're right, they are

1013
00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:01,480
Speaker 1: not full of full strength right now. Well, Arkansas, you

1014
00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:04,560
Speaker 1: know John Calla Perry and the tournament I'm not enthused by.

1015
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:06,240
Speaker 1: They have a lot of talent, but he's not exactly

1016
00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:09,400
Speaker 1: the best schmatic coach in the world. Wisconsin, as you

1017
00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:11,239
Speaker 1: said earlier, kind of they have some bad losses that

1018
00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:15,760
Speaker 1: they're pretty bad defensive team. Yeah, I feel good about

1019
00:47:15,760 --> 00:47:19,319
Speaker 1: your Wildcats. I'll be in Indianapolis. I hope to see

1020
00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:20,719
Speaker 1: you there, and I think you're only going to show

1021
00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:22,279
Speaker 1: up they if they're there, So I hope they hope

1022
00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:24,279
Speaker 1: to see you there, and we'll see how that goes.

1023
00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:27,320
Speaker 2: And there is there is a local team in this region.

1024
00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:32,160
Speaker 2: Kennesaw State is gonna Yeah, look at you, Look at you,

1025
00:47:32,239 --> 00:47:34,840
Speaker 2: Look at you pulling out the local in Atlanta, Georgia.

1026
00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:37,040
Speaker 1: I mean you're not from here at all. Yeah.

1027
00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:40,040
Speaker 2: A good, good buddy of mine played at Kanessas State

1028
00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:42,000
Speaker 2: and I think is the all time leading rebounder there

1029
00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:44,840
Speaker 2: or something. So shout out there and look at that. Yeah,

1030
00:47:44,920 --> 00:47:47,680
Speaker 2: I will be I think zag is going to be tough,

1031
00:47:47,719 --> 00:47:50,480
Speaker 2: but yeah, I haven't seen the line yet.

1032
00:47:50,520 --> 00:47:54,680
Speaker 1: They're gonna be a large under dog. That's okay. Hey,

1033
00:47:54,719 --> 00:47:56,719
Speaker 1: good season for kind of sail. Shouts to them. I

1034
00:47:56,719 --> 00:47:59,760
Speaker 1: know a lot of alumnis well, nobody's famous as you apparently,

1035
00:47:59,800 --> 00:48:03,239
Speaker 1: but trust your guy. No, I don't see a lot

1036
00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:07,240
Speaker 1: of you know. I think it was about saying anything

1037
00:48:07,239 --> 00:48:09,360
Speaker 1: can happen in a single limitation tournament. We should have

1038
00:48:09,400 --> 00:48:11,000
Speaker 1: least give that caveat right now. This is not the

1039
00:48:11,080 --> 00:48:13,440
Speaker 1: NBA where you're playing seven game series. Like, if you

1040
00:48:13,480 --> 00:48:16,120
Speaker 1: have one bad day, Arizona could lose. We could lose

1041
00:48:16,120 --> 00:48:18,239
Speaker 1: to Utah State in the second round. Yes, they're not

1042
00:48:18,239 --> 00:48:20,560
Speaker 1: gonna do that, I don't think, but they could Utah State. Actually,

1043
00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:23,040
Speaker 1: I was sad to see Utah State where they are

1044
00:48:23,160 --> 00:48:24,840
Speaker 1: because I was like ready to like that was one

1045
00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:25,520
Speaker 1: of my teams.

1046
00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:26,319
Speaker 2: I like them.

1047
00:48:26,400 --> 00:48:28,840
Speaker 1: This year. It's like, oh, you gotta play Arizona in

1048
00:48:28,920 --> 00:48:32,919
Speaker 1: the second round. I don't want that to happen to you.

1049
00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:37,520
Speaker 1: So yeah, Arizona in the West. We are in lockstep there,

1050
00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:38,600
Speaker 1: and if I had to pick a team to go

1051
00:48:38,640 --> 00:48:42,720
Speaker 1: against them, I think I'm gonna take Gonzaga still, but Produce,

1052
00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:45,080
Speaker 1: Produce got a lot of veterans. I don't know, I'll say.

1053
00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:47,560
Speaker 1: I'll still say Arizona over Gonzaga in the Elite eights

1054
00:48:47,560 --> 00:48:48,759
Speaker 1: in the West, how about that?

1055
00:48:49,440 --> 00:48:51,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, And a quick note, then we'll change regions. But

1056
00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:56,520
Speaker 2: by you unfortunately their second leading score, second best player,

1057
00:48:56,600 --> 00:49:00,120
Speaker 2: Richie Yeah, Richie Saunders towards ACL about a month. So

1058
00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:02,640
Speaker 2: if folks are looking BYU is still pretty high up

1059
00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:05,239
Speaker 2: on like Ken Palm and then the computers, but those

1060
00:49:05,440 --> 00:49:09,120
Speaker 2: generally don't account for injuries or they it's tough to

1061
00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:12,480
Speaker 2: kind of encapsulate an injury into a computer metric. But

1062
00:49:13,400 --> 00:49:15,440
Speaker 2: just a note that if folks are looking to pick,

1063
00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:18,480
Speaker 2: I think BYU probably wins one. I think Aj Debonts

1064
00:49:19,120 --> 00:49:21,279
Speaker 2: in a one game setting is hard to pick against him,

1065
00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:24,080
Speaker 2: and BYU has other players too, But just as a note,

1066
00:49:24,080 --> 00:49:26,080
Speaker 2: if BYU is fully healthy, I think they'd be a

1067
00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:28,359
Speaker 2: trendy team to make a deep run, because I mean

1068
00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:30,520
Speaker 2: they had win healthy, as good of a trio as

1069
00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:32,240
Speaker 2: anyone in the country, but they are not healthy.

1070
00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:35,719
Speaker 1: Yeah, they are seven and ten in the last seventeen games,

1071
00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:39,080
Speaker 1: and when Sawders went down, I think they're four and

1072
00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:43,360
Speaker 1: five since then. Still a decent team. Obviously, Debonce is

1073
00:49:43,560 --> 00:49:45,040
Speaker 1: a monster and will be a top five pick in

1074
00:49:45,040 --> 00:49:47,399
Speaker 1: the draft, top three pick in the draft. But yeah,

1075
00:49:47,440 --> 00:49:50,120
Speaker 1: I don't trust them right now, but they do. They

1076
00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:52,640
Speaker 1: do have the badge of playing playing a first four

1077
00:49:52,840 --> 00:49:55,680
Speaker 1: opponents in the first round, so that'll be hopefully get

1078
00:49:55,719 --> 00:49:57,520
Speaker 1: make a win. But yeah, I'm with you. All right,

1079
00:49:57,560 --> 00:50:00,839
Speaker 1: Let's go to the Midwest, which is my team. I'm

1080
00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:02,719
Speaker 1: we're in a hoodie right now. Uh, this is the

1081
00:50:02,719 --> 00:50:05,560
Speaker 1: Michigan region. I don't feel as good as I would

1082
00:50:05,560 --> 00:50:08,600
Speaker 1: have a couple of weeks ago. Michigan has a injury

1083
00:50:08,640 --> 00:50:10,719
Speaker 1: to their in my mind, the best offensive gard on

1084
00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:13,279
Speaker 1: the team, not a deal off of the season, and

1085
00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:16,319
Speaker 1: they've looked not as good without him, unfortunate for me.

1086
00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:19,000
Speaker 1: I'll you know, I'll let you do the honors of

1087
00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:20,560
Speaker 1: this one because I just grilled you on your region,

1088
00:50:20,640 --> 00:50:21,839
Speaker 1: so you could you can ask you whatever you want

1089
00:50:21,880 --> 00:50:23,359
Speaker 1: to on the one that I'm most invested in.

1090
00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:29,359
Speaker 2: So Michigan is the one ioway stayed as the two. Virginia,

1091
00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:31,360
Speaker 2: who had a nice run in the a SEC Tournament

1092
00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:34,759
Speaker 2: is the three, the four is Alabama, the five is

1093
00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:37,759
Speaker 2: Texas Tech, and the six is Tennessee. So of those

1094
00:50:37,840 --> 00:50:41,680
Speaker 2: six teams, Brad, which one makes you most nervous to

1095
00:50:42,320 --> 00:50:45,040
Speaker 2: get to Indianapolis and make a final four for Michigan

1096
00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:46,520
Speaker 2: Number one?

1097
00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:48,239
Speaker 1: I have to just say this before I ate this question.

1098
00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:53,240
Speaker 1: Our our colleagues are co hosts on this podcast. Sean

1099
00:50:53,320 --> 00:50:56,200
Speaker 1: is a Tennessee fan and Steven's an Alabama fan, and

1100
00:50:56,280 --> 00:50:58,000
Speaker 1: all three of our teams are in this region. So

1101
00:50:58,480 --> 00:51:01,640
Speaker 1: that's gonna be interesting. Which team scares me? I think

1102
00:51:01,640 --> 00:51:04,520
Speaker 1: it's Iowa State for sure. Which is Chalk? I know

1103
00:51:04,560 --> 00:51:08,839
Speaker 1: they're the two seed. They're extremely well coached now, they

1104
00:51:08,880 --> 00:51:12,759
Speaker 1: are also prone to playing down at times. They play

1105
00:51:12,800 --> 00:51:17,520
Speaker 1: some ugly games at times, like they lost to They

1106
00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:19,399
Speaker 1: also be like one hundred air zone of the second time,

1107
00:51:19,560 --> 00:51:21,759
Speaker 1: but that was Cincinnati in a game that I just

1108
00:51:21,800 --> 00:51:25,239
Speaker 1: looked terrible. But they only have one home loss this year.

1109
00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:27,719
Speaker 1: The rest of them member road losses. I do like

1110
00:51:27,920 --> 00:51:32,239
Speaker 1: Iowa State too much. Actually, they're a top five defens

1111
00:51:32,239 --> 00:51:34,440
Speaker 1: in the country. I'm worried about that.

1112
00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:34,680
Speaker 2: Game.

1113
00:51:34,840 --> 00:51:36,680
Speaker 1: Can Michigan score on Iowa State is a question that

1114
00:51:36,719 --> 00:51:38,399
Speaker 1: I don't want to have to answer. I hope they

1115
00:51:38,400 --> 00:51:40,880
Speaker 1: lose before them, but that would be the team that

1116
00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:42,640
Speaker 1: I'm most afraid of by a lot. But I will

1117
00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:45,560
Speaker 1: say and not you know, in me, I'm a pessimist.

1118
00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:50,399
Speaker 1: I think Michigan got the best draw of anyone, which

1119
00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:53,880
Speaker 1: is unfortunate. I mean, it's fortunate, I guess for me,

1120
00:51:54,760 --> 00:51:56,440
Speaker 1: but I don't say that lightly because you know me,

1121
00:51:56,440 --> 00:51:59,440
Speaker 1: I'm a pessimist. But Texas Tech has their best playeroff

1122
00:51:59,480 --> 00:52:05,280
Speaker 1: of the season. Alabama is dangerous, but not like peak

1123
00:52:05,320 --> 00:52:08,160
Speaker 1: Alabama in the last couple of years before this. And

1124
00:52:08,280 --> 00:52:12,080
Speaker 1: Virginia I like, but if you watch them play Duke

1125
00:52:12,120 --> 00:52:13,880
Speaker 1: in the Riverses in game a couple of weeks ago,

1126
00:52:14,000 --> 00:52:15,520
Speaker 1: you will know that they are capable of being blown

1127
00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:18,520
Speaker 1: off the floor. They were absolutely torched on national TV.

1128
00:52:19,239 --> 00:52:23,160
Speaker 1: So same thing. Michigan lose to anybody, and I'm feeling

1129
00:52:23,160 --> 00:52:24,680
Speaker 1: worse about them than I have in a long time

1130
00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:28,640
Speaker 1: right now, honestly. But number one seed and should be,

1131
00:52:28,680 --> 00:52:30,280
Speaker 1: and they they're the favorite for a reason.

1132
00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:33,279
Speaker 2: I would say, yeah, I think in this region, the

1133
00:52:33,320 --> 00:52:36,400
Speaker 2: most trendy upset maybe of any region and it is

1134
00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:40,239
Speaker 2: going to be twelve seed Akron over Texas Tech. And

1135
00:52:40,280 --> 00:52:42,960
Speaker 2: it is such a shame because JT. Toppin was maybe

1136
00:52:43,000 --> 00:52:45,120
Speaker 2: the second best player in the country this year, but

1137
00:52:45,560 --> 00:52:48,640
Speaker 2: Top and tore his ACL about a month ago as well.

1138
00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:50,760
Speaker 2: And Tech just I think they're three and three since

1139
00:52:50,800 --> 00:52:53,319
Speaker 2: Top and tours ACL. So again, if you look at

1140
00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:55,840
Speaker 2: the computers and go, wow, Texas Tech is really up there,

1141
00:52:55,960 --> 00:52:58,040
Speaker 2: but they do not have Toppin, who is a walking

1142
00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:01,200
Speaker 2: twenty and ten whenever he got off the butt. Yeah,

1143
00:53:01,239 --> 00:53:04,399
Speaker 2: I mean, I think Alabama, that Alabama Hofstra game could

1144
00:53:04,440 --> 00:53:06,680
Speaker 2: be a lot of fun with just the tempo and speed.

1145
00:53:07,320 --> 00:53:10,160
Speaker 2: I think Alabama's always terrifying because if you get them

1146
00:53:10,200 --> 00:53:12,439
Speaker 2: on a night when they make twenty three pointers, yeah

1147
00:53:12,440 --> 00:53:15,360
Speaker 2: you're in trouble. You were in the soup. But you

1148
00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:18,319
Speaker 2: can also get a night where they go eight of

1149
00:53:18,600 --> 00:53:21,080
Speaker 2: forty on threes and you win by twenty five points.

1150
00:53:21,120 --> 00:53:23,520
Speaker 2: I mean that's kind of the interesting draw. And then

1151
00:53:23,680 --> 00:53:26,560
Speaker 2: you mentioned Iowa State's a really good basketball team. I

1152
00:53:26,560 --> 00:53:29,200
Speaker 2: think if anybody in this region would be able to

1153
00:53:29,239 --> 00:53:32,360
Speaker 2: take down Michigan, you know, potentially in an Elite eight situation,

1154
00:53:32,840 --> 00:53:36,400
Speaker 2: Iowa state's really really good. I agree with you about Virginia.

1155
00:53:36,480 --> 00:53:38,359
Speaker 2: I think a solid team, a team that should get

1156
00:53:38,400 --> 00:53:42,880
Speaker 2: to the Sweet sixteen. But yeah, I think then and

1157
00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:47,080
Speaker 2: even even Saint Louis. Georgia is like a really fun

1158
00:53:47,480 --> 00:53:49,640
Speaker 2: I think. I saw it has the maybe the highest

1159
00:53:49,719 --> 00:53:52,520
Speaker 2: or second highest over under of any game in the

1160
00:53:52,520 --> 00:53:54,840
Speaker 2: first round, so that should be really high tempo as well.

1161
00:53:54,840 --> 00:53:56,960
Speaker 2: A fun region. A lot of offense in this region,

1162
00:53:57,440 --> 00:53:59,799
Speaker 2: but I do think it's a pretty favorable draw all

1163
00:53:59,840 --> 00:54:01,120
Speaker 2: thing is considered for Michigan.

1164
00:54:01,760 --> 00:54:05,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, this is for our guy, Steven. Alabama is terrifying,

1165
00:54:05,160 --> 00:54:07,800
Speaker 1: the number three in the country and offense per KEMPOM.

1166
00:54:08,040 --> 00:54:11,800
Speaker 1: They also have the worst defense of any a top

1167
00:54:12,080 --> 00:54:16,680
Speaker 1: seven seed at KEMPOM this year, so not a peak

1168
00:54:16,719 --> 00:54:18,800
Speaker 1: Alabama team. And I've seen some dms from Steven that

1169
00:54:18,840 --> 00:54:20,319
Speaker 1: will tell me howel is about his team right now

1170
00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:23,319
Speaker 1: on defense. But no, I'm with you, should be fun.

1171
00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:26,319
Speaker 1: I am not looking forward to the internet experience that

1172
00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:29,520
Speaker 1: will emerge for me if Georgia beats Saint Louis and

1173
00:54:29,520 --> 00:54:32,880
Speaker 1: it's Michigan Georgia, just because of where I live, it

1174
00:54:32,880 --> 00:54:34,680
Speaker 1: won't be a lot of fun for me. Now, it's

1175
00:54:34,719 --> 00:54:38,360
Speaker 1: better if Michigan wins, but I don't particularly enjoy the

1176
00:54:38,400 --> 00:54:40,479
Speaker 1: online discourse that will happen for two days there people

1177
00:54:40,480 --> 00:54:41,920
Speaker 1: can be coming at me because then if it's all

1178
00:54:41,920 --> 00:54:44,040
Speaker 1: downsid for me. If Michigan loses, this like the end

1179
00:54:44,080 --> 00:54:47,440
Speaker 1: of my life online and a lot of fun there.

1180
00:54:47,520 --> 00:54:51,480
Speaker 1: But hey, it'll be an interesting region. Okay, let's go

1181
00:54:51,520 --> 00:54:53,960
Speaker 1: to the South, shall we. This is the wide open

1182
00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:57,200
Speaker 1: region beasted on paper. Florida's the one seed, but they

1183
00:54:57,200 --> 00:54:59,840
Speaker 1: have the best two seed in the region, which is

1184
00:54:59,880 --> 00:55:01,879
Speaker 1: here Houston. That's what it should be. The worst one

1185
00:55:01,840 --> 00:55:03,640
Speaker 1: seed should be with the best two seed. That's happening here.

1186
00:55:03,640 --> 00:55:08,239
Speaker 1: Four and five Florida and then Houston. Illinois is the

1187
00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:10,920
Speaker 1: other team in the with a great offense, bad defense.

1188
00:55:11,040 --> 00:55:13,879
Speaker 1: They're Alabama, but a little bit better probably this year

1189
00:55:14,719 --> 00:55:17,880
Speaker 1: welst is. In this region, you have Nebraska, who got

1190
00:55:18,200 --> 00:55:20,000
Speaker 1: seeded lower than I thought. I think they maybe a

1191
00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:21,520
Speaker 1: three seed they were four seed, But they've also been

1192
00:55:21,520 --> 00:55:24,600
Speaker 1: playing pretty not badly, but not as impressively for like

1193
00:55:24,600 --> 00:55:26,480
Speaker 1: the last month or so.

1194
00:55:26,600 --> 00:55:30,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's Nebraska's six and six over the last twelve games.

1195
00:55:30,160 --> 00:55:32,760
Speaker 1: And one of the storylines that you probably have already

1196
00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:34,799
Speaker 1: heard or and I promise you you will. Is that

1197
00:55:34,840 --> 00:55:40,080
Speaker 1: Nebraska has never ever, ever won NCAA tournament game.

1198
00:55:40,800 --> 00:55:41,080
Speaker 2: Ever.

1199
00:55:41,480 --> 00:55:44,560
Speaker 1: They are the only team in a power conference one

1200
00:55:44,600 --> 00:55:47,120
Speaker 1: that's never one, Northwestern one a couple of years ago

1201
00:55:47,120 --> 00:55:49,200
Speaker 1: for the first time ever. Now it's only Nebraska. They're

1202
00:55:49,200 --> 00:55:51,160
Speaker 1: the only team that's never won one. They're gonna be

1203
00:55:51,160 --> 00:55:53,359
Speaker 1: favored to win. I honestly hope they do win because

1204
00:55:53,360 --> 00:55:55,560
Speaker 1: it would be like so brutal. They were twenty and oh,

1205
00:55:55,640 --> 00:55:57,520
Speaker 1: if you don't Bill follows, they were twenty and oh

1206
00:55:57,640 --> 00:56:00,280
Speaker 1: this year. They were like number two in the country

1207
00:56:00,320 --> 00:56:02,080
Speaker 1: or something like that at that point. So anyway, yeah,

1208
00:56:02,200 --> 00:56:04,239
Speaker 1: they're in that region. And then Vanderbilts the five seed.

1209
00:56:04,239 --> 00:56:06,600
Speaker 1: They've been really fun. I really I really like Washington

1210
00:56:06,680 --> 00:56:10,800
Speaker 1: play great guards, et cetera. So a fun region, and uh,

1211
00:56:10,960 --> 00:56:13,360
Speaker 1: I would be boy, I'd love to watch Florida in Houston.

1212
00:56:13,960 --> 00:56:16,200
Speaker 1: That would be a game that I would be interested

1213
00:56:16,239 --> 00:56:17,080
Speaker 1: in in partaking in.

1214
00:56:17,239 --> 00:56:21,280
Speaker 2: We'll say yeah, And you know for Houston, the Sweet

1215
00:56:21,320 --> 00:56:24,840
Speaker 2: sixteen and Elite eight would be played in downtown Houston.

1216
00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:25,680
Speaker 1: That is correct.

1217
00:56:25,800 --> 00:56:26,080
Speaker 2: I was.

1218
00:56:26,680 --> 00:56:30,960
Speaker 1: I was at the final Ford Houston. It's not actually

1219
00:56:31,000 --> 00:56:32,960
Speaker 1: at that same place because that was the football stadium,

1220
00:56:33,040 --> 00:56:35,839
Speaker 1: but I could tell you they took so last year

1221
00:56:35,880 --> 00:56:39,200
Speaker 1: was a San Antonio and Houston fans were everywhere in

1222
00:56:39,239 --> 00:56:42,520
Speaker 1: San Antonio, right yeah, oh of course. And it's a

1223
00:56:42,560 --> 00:56:44,960
Speaker 1: lot closer to be in Houston than s Antonio. It's

1224
00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:46,120
Speaker 1: still like you have to like, it's still a couple

1225
00:56:46,120 --> 00:56:49,360
Speaker 1: hours away in San Antonio. It is literally in Houston.

1226
00:56:49,360 --> 00:56:51,200
Speaker 1: So if if I'm if I'm a Florida fan, I

1227
00:56:51,280 --> 00:56:53,399
Speaker 1: kind of knew this was gonna happen. Honestly, going into

1228
00:56:53,400 --> 00:56:54,480
Speaker 1: the day, I was like, this is this is why

1229
00:56:54,480 --> 00:56:56,239
Speaker 1: I was projected. But if I was a Florida fan,

1230
00:56:56,280 --> 00:56:58,760
Speaker 1: I would not be terribly enthused about having to play

1231
00:56:58,680 --> 00:57:02,320
Speaker 1: a probably a full on road game, but like, certainly

1232
00:57:02,360 --> 00:57:04,640
Speaker 1: a semi road game in the lad eight as a

1233
00:57:04,680 --> 00:57:06,040
Speaker 1: number one seed is not a lot of fun.

1234
00:57:06,680 --> 00:57:09,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, tough, And I agree. I think as the

1235
00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:12,680
Speaker 2: conference tournaments progressed, it felt like those two teams are

1236
00:57:12,680 --> 00:57:15,200
Speaker 2: really the final two teams battling for the one seed,

1237
00:57:15,239 --> 00:57:17,440
Speaker 2: and that would be a great matchup. Of course, two

1238
00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:21,040
Speaker 2: teams that that was the championship last year, right, Florida

1239
00:57:21,080 --> 00:57:27,200
Speaker 2: and Houston. You know this region is interesting. You know,

1240
00:57:27,280 --> 00:57:31,880
Speaker 2: Illinois can really score, but they are very vulnerable defensively.

1241
00:57:32,680 --> 00:57:34,760
Speaker 2: They really have struggled over the last couple of weeks.

1242
00:57:35,400 --> 00:57:37,080
Speaker 2: You know, I would almost say that Illinois is a

1243
00:57:37,080 --> 00:57:39,920
Speaker 2: three seed. Would be a trendy upset pick for a

1244
00:57:39,960 --> 00:57:43,160
Speaker 2: top three seed to not make this Week sixteen. But

1245
00:57:43,960 --> 00:57:46,440
Speaker 2: they got a pretty friendly draw in North Carolina. Of

1246
00:57:46,520 --> 00:57:48,880
Speaker 2: course does not have Caleb Wilson, which is such a

1247
00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:51,240
Speaker 2: bummer for that team. And then I don't know if

1248
00:57:51,280 --> 00:57:53,880
Speaker 2: VCU has the juice to win two games in March,

1249
00:57:53,960 --> 00:57:56,760
Speaker 2: let alone one. But yeah, I mean I think I

1250
00:57:56,760 --> 00:58:00,480
Speaker 2: will say this Houston team is not as good as

1251
00:58:00,520 --> 00:58:04,640
Speaker 2: the last five years of Houston teams. They're pretty reliant

1252
00:58:04,680 --> 00:58:07,880
Speaker 2: on freshmen, which can be I mean, both good and bad.

1253
00:58:07,920 --> 00:58:11,200
Speaker 2: I mean, it hasn't exactly slowed down Arizona Duke this

1254
00:58:11,280 --> 00:58:13,120
Speaker 2: year with all the freshmen that they play out there.

1255
00:58:13,160 --> 00:58:16,480
Speaker 2: But Houston is I think more vulnerable than they have

1256
00:58:16,560 --> 00:58:19,280
Speaker 2: in recent years, where it's like literally the last four tournaments.

1257
00:58:19,280 --> 00:58:21,280
Speaker 2: They just wrote Houston into my Final four and as

1258
00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:24,840
Speaker 2: they I'll figure it out later. I don't think Illinois

1259
00:58:24,840 --> 00:58:26,720
Speaker 2: can take them to I think we're probably headed here

1260
00:58:26,760 --> 00:58:29,720
Speaker 2: for a Florida Houston Elite eight, which could be a.

1261
00:58:29,800 --> 00:58:31,600
Speaker 2: I mean, it would be a phenomenal rematch of last

1262
00:58:31,640 --> 00:58:34,520
Speaker 2: year's title game. I just checked this in the four

1263
00:58:35,240 --> 00:58:38,080
Speaker 2: years before this one at Ken Palm, which is a

1264
00:58:38,080 --> 00:58:44,440
Speaker 2: good proxy. Houston finished second, second, second, and second in

1265
00:58:44,480 --> 00:58:46,680
Speaker 2: the country four years in a row. Yeah, this year

1266
00:58:46,720 --> 00:58:48,480
Speaker 2: they're fifth. So they're still really good. But to your point,

1267
00:58:48,480 --> 00:58:51,400
Speaker 2: they're not quite as good on paper, and that tracks

1268
00:58:51,400 --> 00:58:53,040
Speaker 2: to me. I was literally at the game last year

1269
00:58:53,040 --> 00:58:54,560
Speaker 2: where they lost it, where they lost to Florida in

1270
00:58:54,560 --> 00:58:56,880
Speaker 2: the final game. They're up twelve with like fifteen minutes ago.

1271
00:58:57,320 --> 00:58:59,440
Speaker 2: They were honestly probably the better team in the game,

1272
00:58:59,440 --> 00:59:00,840
Speaker 2: and they just kind of imploded at the end. And

1273
00:59:00,880 --> 00:59:02,960
Speaker 2: that's been the Florida That's been the Houston story in

1274
00:59:02,960 --> 00:59:04,920
Speaker 2: recent years, although they did the same thing the Duke

1275
00:59:05,000 --> 00:59:06,880
Speaker 2: last year, if you recall Duke blue a lead to

1276
00:59:07,000 --> 00:59:11,480
Speaker 2: Houston in the same building. Anyway, I still like Houston,

1277
00:59:11,520 --> 00:59:14,440
Speaker 2: I think, but not in the same way. I'm with

1278
00:59:14,520 --> 00:59:17,240
Speaker 2: you like I last year, I was very confident in

1279
00:59:17,280 --> 00:59:19,640
Speaker 2: Houston going I picked the in the wor champiship last year

1280
00:59:19,640 --> 00:59:22,360
Speaker 2: they almost did. I don't feel that way this year,

1281
00:59:22,400 --> 00:59:24,600
Speaker 2: but I think i'd still pick them. If you maybe

1282
00:59:24,680 --> 00:59:26,080
Speaker 2: pick one team in the South. I think I think

1283
00:59:26,080 --> 00:59:29,320
Speaker 2: I would take Houston. I don't buy Illinois. I don't

1284
00:59:29,360 --> 00:59:31,880
Speaker 2: think the deft is good enough. They have one bad

1285
00:59:31,880 --> 00:59:35,240
Speaker 2: offensive game, They're probably gonna lose. Nebraska is kind of

1286
00:59:35,240 --> 00:59:37,360
Speaker 2: the same thing. I do think, you know, with with

1287
00:59:37,440 --> 00:59:39,439
Speaker 2: due respect and look, this is all gonna be wrong,

1288
00:59:39,680 --> 00:59:43,520
Speaker 2: but I don't feel terribly threatened by the three through

1289
00:59:43,520 --> 00:59:45,440
Speaker 2: five seeds in the South. I think it really is

1290
00:59:45,480 --> 00:59:50,680
Speaker 2: Florida and Houston, and uh, I'll say Houston. I think, yeah,

1291
00:59:50,760 --> 00:59:52,880
Speaker 2: I think Vanderbilt.

1292
00:59:52,120 --> 00:59:55,040
Speaker 1: I like Vandy. I do like Vanny Moore than Nebraska

1293
00:59:55,120 --> 00:59:58,040
Speaker 1: and Illinois. Honestly, Yeah, I think van I mean Vandy

1294
00:59:58,120 --> 01:00:02,760
Speaker 1: just beat Florida handedly in the se tournament conference tournaments.

1295
01:00:02,880 --> 01:00:05,640
Speaker 1: I mean, there's no direct correlation. Of course you would.

1296
01:00:05,760 --> 01:00:07,440
Speaker 2: It was also it was also in Nashville, which is

1297
01:00:07,480 --> 01:00:10,160
Speaker 2: worth noting, which is where it is. Yeah, and if

1298
01:00:10,200 --> 01:00:12,640
Speaker 2: there was some immediate one to one where if you

1299
01:00:12,680 --> 01:00:15,320
Speaker 2: win your conference tournament, you're you know, ninety eight percent

1300
01:00:15,320 --> 01:00:17,000
Speaker 2: of the time you go to the final four, obviously

1301
01:00:17,040 --> 01:00:20,000
Speaker 2: that you know, there's there's nothing like that. Yeah, that'd

1302
01:00:20,040 --> 01:00:22,360
Speaker 2: be an interesting rematch if we get Florida against Vandy.

1303
01:00:22,600 --> 01:00:24,240
Speaker 2: I do think it's going to be the rematch of

1304
01:00:24,280 --> 01:00:28,240
Speaker 2: the title game from last year, and man, Florida's been

1305
01:00:28,240 --> 01:00:31,680
Speaker 2: playing really well. Houston Kelvin Samson is as good of

1306
01:00:31,760 --> 01:00:33,560
Speaker 2: a in game coach as there is. I mean, that

1307
01:00:33,560 --> 01:00:37,320
Speaker 2: would be fantastic. My initial lean would be Florida. I

1308
01:00:37,400 --> 01:00:39,200
Speaker 2: think I'd like their bigs a little bit more than

1309
01:00:39,240 --> 01:00:41,640
Speaker 2: I like Houston's. I think they could. They'd be able

1310
01:00:41,640 --> 01:00:44,360
Speaker 2: to withstand just kind of the physical gauntlet that Houston

1311
01:00:44,440 --> 01:00:46,520
Speaker 2: is for forty minutes. But that would be I mean,

1312
01:00:46,520 --> 01:00:48,120
Speaker 2: that'd be that might be the best one to two

1313
01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:52,600
Speaker 2: game in the entire tournament if we get it in

1314
01:00:52,640 --> 01:00:54,520
Speaker 2: a couple of weeks.

1315
01:00:56,200 --> 01:00:58,920
Speaker 1: Let's go to the East Duke. This is the reason

1316
01:00:58,920 --> 01:01:01,080
Speaker 1: that they revealed first on the broadcast. I don't know

1317
01:01:01,080 --> 01:01:02,880
Speaker 1: if you watched it live, Scott.

1318
01:01:02,680 --> 01:01:05,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, Duke got no favors from the committee and everyone

1319
01:01:05,880 --> 01:01:07,880
Speaker 2: was like, WHOA, Duke's got a loaded reading. There's always

1320
01:01:07,920 --> 01:01:09,480
Speaker 2: kind of a region of death on paper coming in

1321
01:01:09,520 --> 01:01:10,880
Speaker 2: and I think Duke sc gott it this time, even

1322
01:01:10,920 --> 01:01:16,000
Speaker 2: though they're their one overall seed, which is interesting. We'll see.

1323
01:01:16,200 --> 01:01:18,880
Speaker 1: Also, the big thing we should say this Duke has

1324
01:01:19,480 --> 01:01:21,600
Speaker 1: major injury concerns so they have the best part of

1325
01:01:21,640 --> 01:01:23,880
Speaker 1: the country in Camp Boozer National Player of the Year

1326
01:01:23,960 --> 01:01:27,400
Speaker 1: is wonever award, as you should, but they have two

1327
01:01:27,440 --> 01:01:30,280
Speaker 1: of their top five guys missed the Holy Ac Tournament.

1328
01:01:30,920 --> 01:01:34,000
Speaker 1: One of them, Cale Foster is probably out for the year.

1329
01:01:34,160 --> 01:01:35,320
Speaker 1: They said he might be able to play in the

1330
01:01:35,320 --> 01:01:37,400
Speaker 1: final four at the best, and that usually means he

1331
01:01:37,440 --> 01:01:40,120
Speaker 1: ain't playing in the final four. Yeah, and then Patrick

1332
01:01:40,160 --> 01:01:42,360
Speaker 1: and Gomba, they're starring center is also out. I don't

1333
01:01:42,360 --> 01:01:44,480
Speaker 1: know how long he'll be out, but that's a big loss.

1334
01:01:44,480 --> 01:01:45,960
Speaker 1: They're not the same team with all these two guys.

1335
01:01:46,280 --> 01:01:49,080
Speaker 1: With that said, best part of the country on the team.

1336
01:01:49,720 --> 01:01:52,160
Speaker 1: But to say why they're loaded. Saint John's is the

1337
01:01:52,160 --> 01:01:54,160
Speaker 1: five seed in this region. They were supposed to be

1338
01:01:54,280 --> 01:01:57,240
Speaker 1: four in some people's brackets, like they're really good. Twenty

1339
01:01:57,280 --> 01:02:00,520
Speaker 1: eight win team Kansas is the four seed, which Kes

1340
01:02:00,560 --> 01:02:02,240
Speaker 1: has a lot of losses, but the Big twelve, as

1341
01:02:02,240 --> 01:02:04,840
Speaker 1: you will know, Scott loaded beyond belief and they had

1342
01:02:04,880 --> 01:02:07,880
Speaker 1: Darren Peterson who's really good, and Bill self and all

1343
01:02:07,920 --> 01:02:10,680
Speaker 1: the things. I wouldn't want any part of Kansas. Michigan

1344
01:02:10,720 --> 01:02:16,480
Speaker 1: State I don't enjoy for obvious reasons, but good team,

1345
01:02:16,640 --> 01:02:20,360
Speaker 1: well coached, play defense, et cetera. Louisville has a lottery

1346
01:02:20,400 --> 01:02:22,280
Speaker 1: pick guard and Michael Brown. They're the sixth seed in

1347
01:02:22,280 --> 01:02:26,040
Speaker 1: this region, and then Yukon is Yukon as the two seed.

1348
01:02:26,080 --> 01:02:29,320
Speaker 1: Yukon Dan Hurley is a gauntlet in the tournament. Even

1349
01:02:29,400 --> 01:02:31,000
Speaker 1: last year they had kind of a terrible season, they

1350
01:02:31,040 --> 01:02:33,560
Speaker 1: still almost upset someone and like made a run. They

1351
01:02:33,560 --> 01:02:36,480
Speaker 1: almost beat Florida. So I don't know, man, if I

1352
01:02:36,560 --> 01:02:40,400
Speaker 1: was John Shire, I would not be particularly thrilled right

1353
01:02:40,440 --> 01:02:41,040
Speaker 1: at this moment.

1354
01:02:41,800 --> 01:02:44,760
Speaker 2: Well, and you know, even in that second round, I

1355
01:02:44,760 --> 01:02:48,280
Speaker 2: think Ohio State's gonna be TCU Ohio State from playing

1356
01:02:48,320 --> 01:02:51,760
Speaker 2: really good basketball. A quick look here at the computers,

1357
01:02:51,760 --> 01:02:55,320
Speaker 2: Ohio State is the second best rated team of the

1358
01:02:55,400 --> 01:02:57,720
Speaker 2: eight to nine seeds. They're twenty sixth in the country,

1359
01:02:57,760 --> 01:03:00,400
Speaker 2: so that is definitely not a cake walk if Duke

1360
01:03:00,520 --> 01:03:04,040
Speaker 2: is not going to be one hundred percent, you know,

1361
01:03:04,120 --> 01:03:07,360
Speaker 2: looking at the rest of that region, Yukon is a

1362
01:03:07,400 --> 01:03:10,400
Speaker 2: weird team. They were like awesome in the non conference,

1363
01:03:10,400 --> 01:03:12,720
Speaker 2: but kind of stunk in Big East play. For being honest,

1364
01:03:12,760 --> 01:03:15,480
Speaker 2: but I also wonder if it was like I never know,

1365
01:03:15,520 --> 01:03:17,360
Speaker 2: if teams are really good and they've made deep runs

1366
01:03:17,400 --> 01:03:21,040
Speaker 2: in recent years. If there's almost like a complacency with

1367
01:03:21,040 --> 01:03:23,920
Speaker 2: with Yukon a little bit, and you know, going against

1368
01:03:24,440 --> 01:03:26,280
Speaker 2: early in the tournament is I mean, that guy's an

1369
01:03:26,320 --> 01:03:29,800
Speaker 2: incredible in game coach. But even you know, Michigan State

1370
01:03:29,800 --> 01:03:31,120
Speaker 2: I thought was going to be a two seed. So

1371
01:03:31,120 --> 01:03:34,400
Speaker 2: the fact that they drew a three is tough for

1372
01:03:34,960 --> 01:03:38,919
Speaker 2: that bottom region. You mentioned Louisville talented team, a little

1373
01:03:39,000 --> 01:03:41,640
Speaker 2: jekylin Hyde, and then you know Saint John's is playing

1374
01:03:41,640 --> 01:03:46,120
Speaker 2: as well as anybody, and Kansas has all the talent

1375
01:03:46,200 --> 01:03:48,840
Speaker 2: in the world. They're almost I gotta be honest, they're

1376
01:03:48,840 --> 01:03:52,520
Speaker 2: a little bit of paper tigers. They Kansas was unbeatable

1377
01:03:52,520 --> 01:03:56,240
Speaker 2: at home, like genuinely Kansas at home in fog Allen

1378
01:03:56,440 --> 01:04:00,680
Speaker 2: is impossible. But away from home they have really struggle

1379
01:04:00,720 --> 01:04:03,040
Speaker 2: at times. They got whooped by Houston in the Big

1380
01:04:03,040 --> 01:04:06,680
Speaker 2: twelve tournament. Yeah, yeah, again, there's no shame in losing

1381
01:04:06,760 --> 01:04:09,040
Speaker 2: the Houston Arizona beat Kansas by like twenty points a

1382
01:04:09,080 --> 01:04:10,920
Speaker 2: couple of weeks ago. There's no shame in losing by

1383
01:04:10,960 --> 01:04:14,040
Speaker 2: a bunch to really good teams away from home. But

1384
01:04:14,160 --> 01:04:16,360
Speaker 2: I think I think it's setting up for a Rick

1385
01:04:16,440 --> 01:04:19,640
Speaker 2: Patino Saint John's against Duke in the Sweet sixteen, and

1386
01:04:19,640 --> 01:04:21,840
Speaker 2: that would be I mean, that might be the best

1387
01:04:22,160 --> 01:04:25,240
Speaker 2: Sweet sixteen matchup there would be in the entire bracket.

1388
01:04:25,960 --> 01:04:28,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think if you flipped Saint John's to a

1389
01:04:28,800 --> 01:04:30,920
Speaker 1: four at Kansas to a five, which doesn't matter, like

1390
01:04:31,400 --> 01:04:33,200
Speaker 1: it would probably be more accurate to how I feel

1391
01:04:33,200 --> 01:04:35,480
Speaker 1: about those teams. But still, I mean they're playing each

1392
01:04:35,480 --> 01:04:40,120
Speaker 1: other probably in the second round. Yeah, I'm Duke. I

1393
01:04:40,920 --> 01:04:45,720
Speaker 1: have to see how they look without Foster and hopefully

1394
01:04:45,720 --> 01:04:47,919
Speaker 1: and gog Woa plays if God was out. I don't

1395
01:04:47,960 --> 01:04:49,720
Speaker 1: know if I would even pick them to win the region.

1396
01:04:50,000 --> 01:04:53,040
Speaker 1: I mean I would pencil them in right now. Still,

1397
01:04:53,120 --> 01:04:55,120
Speaker 1: as I'm a little bit lower on Yukon than some,

1398
01:04:55,480 --> 01:04:57,360
Speaker 1: I will also say I covered the end of the

1399
01:04:57,400 --> 01:04:59,960
Speaker 1: culture and every year there were tiers in a row

1400
01:05:00,880 --> 01:05:03,600
Speaker 1: before before last year where they won the championships back

1401
01:05:03,600 --> 01:05:05,640
Speaker 1: to back years. I also saw them in the regional

1402
01:05:05,640 --> 01:05:07,400
Speaker 1: two years in a row. So I saw him play

1403
01:05:07,840 --> 01:05:10,760
Speaker 1: eight in San tournament games in two years and they

1404
01:05:10,760 --> 01:05:14,840
Speaker 1: blew out eight teams. They had eight blowout wins at

1405
01:05:14,880 --> 01:05:17,320
Speaker 1: the end of the tournament two years in a row,

1406
01:05:17,560 --> 01:05:19,080
Speaker 1: Like it was unbelievab. I'm not seeing all like my

1407
01:05:19,400 --> 01:05:22,680
Speaker 1: They're just different team now obviously, so I tell myself

1408
01:05:22,680 --> 01:05:26,560
Speaker 1: that more than anything else. But I would be really

1409
01:05:26,600 --> 01:05:29,080
Speaker 1: fascinated to see any number of these matchups. I mean,

1410
01:05:29,160 --> 01:05:31,440
Speaker 1: Ripotino's like maybe the best question of all time as

1411
01:05:31,440 --> 01:05:34,439
Speaker 1: far as like tac tactical stuff. Him facing Duke. Wow,

1412
01:05:34,960 --> 01:05:37,640
Speaker 1: Michigan State, I think like can beat anybody. They can

1413
01:05:37,640 --> 01:05:42,040
Speaker 1: also lose anybody because they can't score. But like, yeah,

1414
01:05:42,120 --> 01:05:45,120
Speaker 1: I'll be fascinated. That's one where I'll be kind of

1415
01:05:45,200 --> 01:05:48,840
Speaker 1: surprised if we get Duke Yukon just because of the

1416
01:05:49,080 --> 01:05:50,680
Speaker 1: as the one and two, just because of all the

1417
01:05:50,760 --> 01:05:53,680
Speaker 1: quality in that region. I still like those teams.

1418
01:05:53,680 --> 01:05:57,840
Speaker 2: But Wowpen So yeah, I mean this sometimes the number

1419
01:05:57,880 --> 01:05:59,560
Speaker 2: one overall seed, you look at the region and it's like,

1420
01:05:59,560 --> 01:06:01,360
Speaker 2: I'm not even gonna look at these. I'm just gonna

1421
01:06:01,520 --> 01:06:02,600
Speaker 2: move it into the final four.

1422
01:06:02,680 --> 01:06:06,880
Speaker 1: Oh you mean like Arizona this season? Oh no, I'm

1423
01:06:07,560 --> 01:06:09,880
Speaker 1: I already met Michigan. Michigan has the easiest road. I'm

1424
01:06:09,920 --> 01:06:11,960
Speaker 1: still more confident in Arizona because they're healthier than Michigan,

1425
01:06:12,120 --> 01:06:12,600
Speaker 1: is right.

1426
01:06:13,160 --> 01:06:16,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I think fully healthy. Duke was the

1427
01:06:16,560 --> 01:06:20,520
Speaker 2: best team in the country, I agree, but they're they're

1428
01:06:20,520 --> 01:06:23,640
Speaker 2: not healthy. Yeah, yeah, so that that at least opens

1429
01:06:23,880 --> 01:06:26,240
Speaker 2: I mean not that Duke with some like Unstoppable forty

1430
01:06:26,280 --> 01:06:28,720
Speaker 2: and Ogauntlet fully healthy, they're really good team.

1431
01:06:28,840 --> 01:06:31,120
Speaker 1: Yeah. There's the thing, like I think you said the

1432
01:06:31,160 --> 01:06:32,840
Speaker 1: very beginning of this that I think there have been

1433
01:06:32,880 --> 01:06:34,800
Speaker 1: three teams this year that or better than everybody else.

1434
01:06:35,840 --> 01:06:37,840
Speaker 1: Duke is one, and then our two teams if we're

1435
01:06:37,880 --> 01:06:41,920
Speaker 1: being honest, Duke and Michigan have injuries and Arizona doesn't.

1436
01:06:42,160 --> 01:06:44,480
Speaker 1: And that right now is like why I'm leaning Arizona

1437
01:06:44,880 --> 01:06:47,560
Speaker 1: over everybody else. And it's not a Zona versus the field.

1438
01:06:47,560 --> 01:06:49,680
Speaker 1: They're not that kind of favorite to me, but they

1439
01:06:49,680 --> 01:06:51,959
Speaker 1: are in my mind. If there is a team, I

1440
01:06:52,080 --> 01:06:54,800
Speaker 1: was like, Okay, someone said you have to be only

1441
01:06:54,840 --> 01:06:58,040
Speaker 1: on logic in your brain pick the team within the tournament.

1442
01:06:58,600 --> 01:07:02,320
Speaker 1: I would pick Arizona. I feel comfortable saying that to

1443
01:07:02,360 --> 01:07:03,280
Speaker 1: you on this podcast.

1444
01:07:03,560 --> 01:07:05,120
Speaker 2: But I believe that.

1445
01:07:05,160 --> 01:07:07,800
Speaker 1: I think I think they're the best current team the

1446
01:07:07,840 --> 01:07:10,280
Speaker 1: team is currently available because it's their team, they have

1447
01:07:10,320 --> 01:07:13,480
Speaker 1: the whole team like that. That plus their region.

1448
01:07:14,400 --> 01:07:16,560
Speaker 2: Please knock on wood Brand, I know I know that.

1449
01:07:16,560 --> 01:07:19,200
Speaker 1: Plus you're not saying I am that plus the region

1450
01:07:19,240 --> 01:07:22,640
Speaker 1: and Tommy Lloyd's really good, like I would pick Arizona.

1451
01:07:22,680 --> 01:07:24,560
Speaker 1: So I'll just say this that I'll let you give

1452
01:07:24,560 --> 01:07:25,200
Speaker 1: your final four.

1453
01:07:25,240 --> 01:07:25,439
Speaker 2: Two.

1454
01:07:25,520 --> 01:07:29,440
Speaker 1: I am going to pick Arizona to make the final four.

1455
01:07:30,000 --> 01:07:35,520
Speaker 1: I'm gonna take Iowa State over Michigan reverse jinks if

1456
01:07:35,560 --> 01:07:37,680
Speaker 1: you want to everybody, that's you make in your minds,

1457
01:07:37,680 --> 01:07:40,280
Speaker 1: if that's why I'm doing or not your call, I'm

1458
01:07:40,280 --> 01:07:45,440
Speaker 1: gonna take Houston and I'm going to take I'm going

1459
01:07:45,520 --> 01:07:51,000
Speaker 1: to take Duke still, even though I don't like it.

1460
01:07:53,680 --> 01:07:59,120
Speaker 1: I wish Saint John's was in Michigan State slot in

1461
01:07:59,120 --> 01:08:01,560
Speaker 1: the bracket because I take Saint John's. I don't want

1462
01:08:01,560 --> 01:08:05,280
Speaker 1: to take Saint John's to have to beat Duke and

1463
01:08:05,480 --> 01:08:10,680
Speaker 1: yu Can who has played them well before. So it's

1464
01:08:10,760 --> 01:08:14,520
Speaker 1: kind of chalky. I'm not making any bold predictions. Someone

1465
01:08:14,640 --> 01:08:16,760
Speaker 1: you know, usually someone crashed through the glass. But just

1466
01:08:16,800 --> 01:08:21,040
Speaker 1: one more time, Arizona, Iowa State, Houston and Duke. So

1467
01:08:21,120 --> 01:08:23,080
Speaker 1: two onets two two's boy, that's choky. I don't like

1468
01:08:23,080 --> 01:08:24,000
Speaker 1: that at all, but here we are.

1469
01:08:24,920 --> 01:08:28,240
Speaker 2: Yeah. I think the early rounds have some real potential

1470
01:08:28,360 --> 01:08:31,240
Speaker 2: for some upsets. I think like the the four or five, six,

1471
01:08:31,360 --> 01:08:34,639
Speaker 2: seven seeds. This year kind of down compared to previous years,

1472
01:08:34,960 --> 01:08:37,639
Speaker 2: but I think the best teams are are just so good,

1473
01:08:37,760 --> 01:08:39,800
Speaker 2: especially on the one line. I think it's going to

1474
01:08:39,840 --> 01:08:43,160
Speaker 2: be pretty chalky as well. I will say I wish we,

1475
01:08:43,360 --> 01:08:45,160
Speaker 2: you know, were doing this on Sunday, so stuff can

1476
01:08:45,240 --> 01:08:47,559
Speaker 2: change in the next few days. But having a little

1477
01:08:47,640 --> 01:08:51,599
Speaker 2: more clarity on some of the injury situations would be helpful.

1478
01:08:52,560 --> 01:08:55,439
Speaker 2: But to make our very official, I usually fill out

1479
01:08:55,439 --> 01:08:58,920
Speaker 2: of bracket like just my intuition, like what am I doing?

1480
01:08:58,960 --> 01:09:00,559
Speaker 2: And then I'll do a second bracket where I really

1481
01:09:00,640 --> 01:09:03,320
Speaker 2: kind of research it and go, Okay, this team is gigantic,

1482
01:09:03,360 --> 01:09:05,200
Speaker 2: this team is tiny. Let's pick the you know, the

1483
01:09:05,200 --> 01:09:07,599
Speaker 2: team that is going to be able to overwhelm. I'm

1484
01:09:07,640 --> 01:09:11,200
Speaker 2: gonna take Boy. I will go with the assumption that

1485
01:09:11,320 --> 01:09:14,519
Speaker 2: Duke is mostly healthy other than Foster. I will say

1486
01:09:14,520 --> 01:09:19,280
Speaker 2: that Duke beats Michigan State in the Elite eight. I

1487
01:09:19,320 --> 01:09:25,800
Speaker 2: will take Florida over Houston. In the South, I'm gonna

1488
01:09:25,800 --> 01:09:29,559
Speaker 2: take Arizona Purdue. I don't love Purdue either, but I

1489
01:09:29,560 --> 01:09:32,360
Speaker 2: think they have a pretty easy draw. Miami. Actually, you

1490
01:09:32,400 --> 01:09:34,880
Speaker 2: know what Miami, Florida is a little feisty Miami might

1491
01:09:34,880 --> 01:09:37,439
Speaker 2: be able to give Purdue some problems as that it

1492
01:09:37,439 --> 01:09:39,240
Speaker 2: seems like every year there's a seven or a ten

1493
01:09:39,280 --> 01:09:41,840
Speaker 2: that beat a two seed. But again, I'm gonna be

1494
01:09:41,840 --> 01:09:44,559
Speaker 2: boring in Chalky, I think Purdue has enough veterans. I'll

1495
01:09:44,560 --> 01:09:49,479
Speaker 2: say Arizona over Purdue in the West. And then I

1496
01:09:49,520 --> 01:09:51,320
Speaker 2: was really hoping you were going to pick Michigan because

1497
01:09:51,320 --> 01:09:52,840
Speaker 2: I wanted to be a little different than you. But

1498
01:09:52,880 --> 01:09:55,320
Speaker 2: I actually think Iowa State. Iowa State, it's a really

1499
01:09:55,360 --> 01:09:58,840
Speaker 2: good basketball team, and they have a really good point guard.

1500
01:09:58,920 --> 01:10:00,519
Speaker 2: They have one of the best players in the country

1501
01:10:00,520 --> 01:10:03,160
Speaker 2: that no one knows about with Joshua Jefferson. And they

1502
01:10:03,200 --> 01:10:06,639
Speaker 2: have literally the best shooting wing in the country with

1503
01:10:06,960 --> 01:10:12,320
Speaker 2: Milan Manchilovich. Who he is. He's insane. Yeah, I know

1504
01:10:12,439 --> 01:10:14,080
Speaker 2: Iowa State fans call him Mommy.

1505
01:10:14,600 --> 01:10:17,679
Speaker 1: Uh so I hit that he hit that big three.

1506
01:10:17,880 --> 01:10:20,439
Speaker 1: Uh this weekend in Kansas City. That was probably not

1507
01:10:20,479 --> 01:10:23,479
Speaker 1: fun for you. It didn't matter in the end, but yeah.

1508
01:10:23,520 --> 01:10:27,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, really really good team. So let me ask you, then,

1509
01:10:27,800 --> 01:10:31,960
Speaker 2: Brad Roland, the resident basketball expert on this show, your

1510
01:10:32,200 --> 01:10:33,920
Speaker 2: national Championship game, pick.

1511
01:10:33,880 --> 01:10:48,960
Speaker 1: Please Arizona over Arizona over do I want to be

1512
01:10:49,040 --> 01:10:51,439
Speaker 1: mean to Houston. I really like, I really like Kevin Sampson.

1513
01:10:51,479 --> 01:10:54,280
Speaker 1: I don't know if I can wish another another National

1514
01:10:54,320 --> 01:10:56,240
Speaker 1: final loss on Houston back to back years. That would

1515
01:10:56,240 --> 01:10:59,479
Speaker 1: be just disgusting, but I kind of want to kind

1516
01:10:59,520 --> 01:11:02,719
Speaker 1: of want to pick it. Okay, Now I'll go Arizona.

1517
01:11:02,800 --> 01:11:04,479
Speaker 1: I think Duke we'll at least having gone but back

1518
01:11:04,520 --> 01:11:06,840
Speaker 1: if not Foster as well. I will go Arizona over

1519
01:11:07,000 --> 01:11:10,160
Speaker 1: Duke in the final, which is incredibly chocky and I

1520
01:11:10,160 --> 01:11:14,280
Speaker 1: hate it, but yeah, true to myself at this moment

1521
01:11:14,320 --> 01:11:16,040
Speaker 1: in time, You're right by the way you said Imber,

1522
01:11:16,240 --> 01:11:19,639
Speaker 1: I should say there's always a two seed that feels

1523
01:11:19,680 --> 01:11:24,280
Speaker 1: like that loses pretty early. I do trust Perdue the least.

1524
01:11:25,160 --> 01:11:28,639
Speaker 1: I wish I like Ucla more than I do. Donovan

1525
01:11:28,680 --> 01:11:31,240
Speaker 1: Dent is their guard who I really really like at UCLA,

1526
01:11:31,720 --> 01:11:33,920
Speaker 1: and they play Yukon second round and they win. If

1527
01:11:33,920 --> 01:11:36,559
Speaker 1: Donovan Dett was healthy, I might take Ucla over Yukon

1528
01:11:37,200 --> 01:11:39,519
Speaker 1: because I think Yukon's got some downside. Potentially they have

1529
01:11:39,560 --> 01:11:41,960
Speaker 1: some upside too, because Harley is awesome. If they had

1530
01:11:41,960 --> 01:11:44,400
Speaker 1: a better seven seed than I trusted, I would probably

1531
01:11:44,439 --> 01:11:47,720
Speaker 1: take Yukon to lose in the second round. I just

1532
01:11:48,200 --> 01:11:51,080
Speaker 1: UCLA has been terrible away from home. Their best player's

1533
01:11:51,120 --> 01:11:52,880
Speaker 1: hurt right now, it's like kind of a tough sell.

1534
01:11:53,840 --> 01:12:02,320
Speaker 1: Maybe UCF SEC, I'm sorry, SEC, Big twelve Supremacy Scott. Unfortunately,

1535
01:12:02,479 --> 01:12:04,880
Speaker 1: I think the most likely top seed to lose early

1536
01:12:04,920 --> 01:12:07,400
Speaker 1: is Michigan. I'm I'm not trolling you. If Michigan plays

1537
01:12:07,439 --> 01:12:10,960
Speaker 1: Saint Louis, I'm gonna be terrified right now. Oh yeah,

1538
01:12:11,000 --> 01:12:14,599
Speaker 1: I love I love Saint Louis. That's the other two

1539
01:12:14,600 --> 01:12:16,400
Speaker 1: teams that I love coming into coming into the tournament

1540
01:12:16,400 --> 01:12:18,080
Speaker 1: that I wanted to make runs if they were not

1541
01:12:18,280 --> 01:12:22,120
Speaker 1: in bad spots, Saint Louis and Utah State, and they're

1542
01:12:22,160 --> 01:12:25,560
Speaker 1: both nine seeds against Arizona Michigan. It's like, well, I

1543
01:12:25,600 --> 01:12:28,559
Speaker 1: don't want that to happen if they were playing Yukon,

1544
01:12:28,640 --> 01:12:31,200
Speaker 1: If they were playing even like Iowa State, who has

1545
01:12:31,240 --> 01:12:33,120
Speaker 1: trumple scoring, sometimes I might be like, you know what,

1546
01:12:33,160 --> 01:12:37,479
Speaker 1: Saint Louis to the window. Anyway, those are my two favorite,

1547
01:12:37,520 --> 01:12:40,320
Speaker 1: like non top five seeds are those two teams, and

1548
01:12:40,360 --> 01:12:42,759
Speaker 1: they both are in bad spots.

1549
01:12:43,000 --> 01:12:46,920
Speaker 2: So yeah, the NCAA Tournament is great and amazing in

1550
01:12:46,960 --> 01:12:48,880
Speaker 2: one of the best sporting events in the world, if

1551
01:12:48,920 --> 01:12:51,759
Speaker 2: not the best, except for when your team is playing,

1552
01:12:52,000 --> 01:12:54,400
Speaker 2: and then it's two and a half hours of just

1553
01:12:54,600 --> 01:12:58,880
Speaker 2: absolute misery, of clenching every part of your body and

1554
01:12:59,000 --> 01:12:59,920
Speaker 2: just saying a prayer.

1555
01:13:01,000 --> 01:13:02,960
Speaker 1: You were so right about the college, but uh, I

1556
01:13:03,000 --> 01:13:05,200
Speaker 1: would say the commers sortment's even worse, which which I

1557
01:13:05,200 --> 01:13:07,920
Speaker 1: know you said on Twitter today. If you were a

1558
01:13:07,960 --> 01:13:10,240
Speaker 1: fan of a really good a really really good team,

1559
01:13:10,320 --> 01:13:14,479
Speaker 1: like a top seed like Arizona the conference tournament, it

1560
01:13:14,520 --> 01:13:16,960
Speaker 1: still matters. You want to win it. Arizona won THEIRS today.

1561
01:13:17,200 --> 01:13:19,439
Speaker 1: Michigan lost THEIRS. Sorry, last night, Michigan lost THEIRS.

1562
01:13:19,439 --> 01:13:19,759
Speaker 2: Today.

1563
01:13:19,960 --> 01:13:23,080
Speaker 1: I didn't enjoy watching them lose today. I also am

1564
01:13:23,120 --> 01:13:25,559
Speaker 1: not heartbroken. What I didn't want to happen was an

1565
01:13:25,600 --> 01:13:28,200
Speaker 1: injury and the accident. Lin the Borg, Michigan's best player,

1566
01:13:28,280 --> 01:13:30,320
Speaker 1: was limping around for three minutes ago, and I was

1567
01:13:30,320 --> 01:13:32,519
Speaker 1: like pulling. I was fine, they were losing. I was

1568
01:13:32,520 --> 01:13:35,880
Speaker 1: like frustrated, normal frustration. When when you Ax turned his ankle,

1569
01:13:36,200 --> 01:13:40,719
Speaker 1: I wanted to run out the door screaming. I was furious. Yeah, hopefully,

1570
01:13:41,880 --> 01:13:45,600
Speaker 1: but it's like, come on, just get through the weekend, please.

1571
01:13:46,160 --> 01:13:49,240
Speaker 2: There's there was nothing for Michigan or Arizona or Duke

1572
01:13:49,560 --> 01:13:51,360
Speaker 2: or even Florida to really play.

1573
01:13:51,160 --> 01:13:52,679
Speaker 1: For you get to hang a banner for the commerce

1574
01:13:52,680 --> 01:13:53,800
Speaker 1: san It matters. I mean, I want to win the

1575
01:13:53,800 --> 01:13:55,760
Speaker 1: COMSGCE tournament. Everyody want, everybody wants to. But you're right

1576
01:13:55,800 --> 01:13:58,040
Speaker 1: as far as like teams that have clearly all the

1577
01:13:58,120 --> 01:14:00,040
Speaker 1: seasons along been like you know what I have. We

1578
01:14:00,080 --> 01:14:02,160
Speaker 1: have a more than ten percent chance to win the

1579
01:14:02,280 --> 01:14:04,080
Speaker 1: national championship this year, which all those teams that you

1580
01:14:04,080 --> 01:14:07,240
Speaker 1: just listed do. It's like get for the weekend man.

1581
01:14:07,920 --> 01:14:11,439
Speaker 2: Yeah, to give my very official prediction. And I hate

1582
01:14:11,439 --> 01:14:14,479
Speaker 2: that we agree on this, but I'm gonna go Arizona

1583
01:14:14,840 --> 01:14:15,799
Speaker 2: Arizona Overduke.

1584
01:14:16,040 --> 01:14:18,640
Speaker 1: Yeah are Yeah you are? Scott call your shot on

1585
01:14:18,680 --> 01:14:21,320
Speaker 1: this podcast spare down objectively.

1586
01:14:21,479 --> 01:14:23,600
Speaker 2: I think again, we talked about it. If Michigan and

1587
01:14:23,680 --> 01:14:28,080
Speaker 2: Duke were fully healthy, you know, it'd be obviously they're

1588
01:14:28,080 --> 01:14:29,679
Speaker 2: a better team when they're fully healthy. And I still

1589
01:14:29,680 --> 01:14:31,640
Speaker 2: think both Michigan and Duke are really good teams, but

1590
01:14:32,040 --> 01:14:34,360
Speaker 2: the injuries matter. And you know you mentioned the conference

1591
01:14:34,400 --> 01:14:38,719
Speaker 2: tournament thing Arizona and the Big twelve championship. Jayden Bradley,

1592
01:14:38,760 --> 01:14:42,000
Speaker 2: their point guard, Big twelve Player of the Year. I

1593
01:14:42,040 --> 01:14:42,960
Speaker 2: thought broke his wrist.

1594
01:14:43,640 --> 01:14:45,920
Speaker 1: I wish, I wish I had the technology to put

1595
01:14:45,920 --> 01:14:48,880
Speaker 1: your your text to me on the screen. I won't

1596
01:14:48,880 --> 01:14:51,360
Speaker 1: reveal what you said. It was very funny to me.

1597
01:14:51,760 --> 01:14:54,320
Speaker 1: I wasn't I was watching the game. I got touched

1598
01:14:54,320 --> 01:14:56,320
Speaker 1: from Scott, but I can't repeat, and it was just

1599
01:14:56,360 --> 01:14:58,919
Speaker 1: the abste We just talked about this, the absolute agony.

1600
01:14:59,360 --> 01:15:01,560
Speaker 1: I couldn't even hear. It was literally just text, and

1601
01:15:01,600 --> 01:15:03,240
Speaker 1: I'm like, Scott is dying right now?

1602
01:15:04,000 --> 01:15:06,400
Speaker 2: Yes, it was fine, nothing's wrong. I was. I was

1603
01:15:06,439 --> 01:15:09,800
Speaker 2: ready to jump off the nearest bridge with four hundred

1604
01:15:09,840 --> 01:15:12,240
Speaker 2: pounds of weights on my ankles and just just let

1605
01:15:12,280 --> 01:15:15,000
Speaker 2: it rip. But yeah, so many times it comes down

1606
01:15:15,000 --> 01:15:18,240
Speaker 2: to health and also just who gets the bounces right.

1607
01:15:18,280 --> 01:15:21,680
Speaker 2: Like you can have an amazing five month season and

1608
01:15:21,720 --> 01:15:25,040
Speaker 2: then you just have one bad night, one bad forty minutes,

1609
01:15:25,080 --> 01:15:28,400
Speaker 2: and a great season goes down the toilet. It happens.

1610
01:15:28,479 --> 01:15:31,040
Speaker 2: You know, it's been twenty five years since Arizona's been

1611
01:15:31,080 --> 01:15:33,840
Speaker 2: to a Final Four. They've lost five Elite Eight games

1612
01:15:33,840 --> 01:15:36,720
Speaker 2: by a combined like eleven points in that in that

1613
01:15:36,760 --> 01:15:38,759
Speaker 2: twenty I mean right again, And that's how it works.

1614
01:15:38,880 --> 01:15:41,160
Speaker 2: You know, like last year, Duke should have been in

1615
01:15:41,200 --> 01:15:43,599
Speaker 2: the championship game and they had a bad two minutes

1616
01:15:43,640 --> 01:15:46,519
Speaker 2: at the end of the game against Houston, Florida should

1617
01:15:46,520 --> 01:15:48,640
Speaker 2: have lost to Texas Tech, and Texas Tech had the

1618
01:15:48,680 --> 01:15:51,479
Speaker 2: meltdown of all meltdowns. Florida wins in a week later

1619
01:15:51,520 --> 01:15:54,559
Speaker 2: their national champions It's just it is a it's a

1620
01:15:54,640 --> 01:15:58,360
Speaker 2: great tournament, but it's also just an absolutely cruel tournament

1621
01:15:58,400 --> 01:16:01,080
Speaker 2: because you can have really good teams have just three

1622
01:16:01,160 --> 01:16:04,000
Speaker 2: bad possessions, or a ball goes in and out and

1623
01:16:04,040 --> 01:16:07,400
Speaker 2: then bounces off the backboard and goes in right, and

1624
01:16:07,479 --> 01:16:10,040
Speaker 2: that's how that's how games you won, that's how championships

1625
01:16:10,040 --> 01:16:12,759
Speaker 2: are won. And regardless, it should be a really fun tournament.

1626
01:16:13,040 --> 01:16:15,040
Speaker 2: And you know, hopefully I would. I would love to

1627
01:16:15,120 --> 01:16:20,200
Speaker 2: have the the Hammer Territory Invitational in Indianapolis, Arizona, Michigan.

1628
01:16:20,280 --> 01:16:22,679
Speaker 2: Let's let's speak it into existence. That would be fun.

1629
01:16:23,600 --> 01:16:25,960
Speaker 1: Michigan won the national title in basketball when I was

1630
01:16:26,080 --> 01:16:30,400
Speaker 1: two years old, and they are zero to four in

1631
01:16:30,720 --> 01:16:37,080
Speaker 1: title games since then. So there's that too much.

1632
01:16:37,080 --> 01:16:37,280
Speaker 2: Eight.

1633
01:16:37,479 --> 01:16:39,320
Speaker 1: I was, I was, I was, I was a kid

1634
01:16:39,360 --> 01:16:42,880
Speaker 1: for the first two the Fab five, the two Fab five, teams.

1635
01:16:42,960 --> 01:16:45,160
Speaker 1: I was a kid for those, I was an adult

1636
01:16:45,200 --> 01:16:47,080
Speaker 1: for the last two, and I did not enjoy those games.

1637
01:16:47,080 --> 01:16:49,120
Speaker 1: I was at one of them. In fact, Michigan lost

1638
01:16:49,479 --> 01:16:53,519
Speaker 1: the title game in Atlanta in twenty thirteen. I was there,

1639
01:16:54,200 --> 01:16:58,320
Speaker 1: didn't enjoy myself. The other one that they lost was

1640
01:16:59,160 --> 01:17:04,360
Speaker 1: twenty eighteen and I was in England watching the game

1641
01:17:04,360 --> 01:17:07,000
Speaker 1: in the middle of the night, so that was fun. Anyway, Scott,

1642
01:17:07,280 --> 01:17:09,240
Speaker 1: thank you for being here. Hopefully people made to the

1643
01:17:09,320 --> 01:17:12,040
Speaker 1: end of this conversation. We love the tournament, honestly, this

1644
01:17:12,080 --> 01:17:13,599
Speaker 1: is why we do this. It's only once a year,

1645
01:17:13,640 --> 01:17:16,640
Speaker 1: and we might jab each other for two minutes at

1646
01:17:16,640 --> 01:17:18,120
Speaker 1: the end of the podcast over the course of the

1647
01:17:18,160 --> 01:17:20,320
Speaker 1: next three weeks, but we'll not do another thirty minute

1648
01:17:20,360 --> 01:17:23,800
Speaker 1: discussion on college basketball on the show. But hopefully people

1649
01:17:23,920 --> 01:17:26,160
Speaker 1: enjoy this out of people either hate it or don't.

1650
01:17:26,200 --> 01:17:28,320
Speaker 1: It is what it is, but keep it locked. We

1651
01:17:28,400 --> 01:17:32,759
Speaker 1: will be back with more Braves coverage later on this week,

1652
01:17:32,960 --> 01:17:35,080
Speaker 1: and there are real games coming up soon, which is fun.

1653
01:17:35,120 --> 01:17:39,200
Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to that. Scott. We'll talk soon. Anything

1654
01:17:39,200 --> 01:17:40,320
Speaker 1: else to add for you out.

1655
01:17:40,160 --> 01:17:43,840
Speaker 2: Here, We will indeed talk soon, Brad. That's what we

1656
01:17:43,880 --> 01:17:46,960
Speaker 2: do on this show, lots of stuff, lots of brave

1657
01:17:47,000 --> 01:17:49,360
Speaker 2: stuff coming soon. Of course we said ten days or

1658
01:17:49,360 --> 01:17:51,559
Speaker 2: so it's opening day. We'll have plenty of Braves content.

1659
01:17:51,920 --> 01:17:53,200
Speaker 2: It should be a lot of fun. And again, if

1660
01:17:53,200 --> 01:17:55,160
Speaker 2: folks want to get into that bracket challenge, I will

1661
01:17:55,160 --> 01:17:56,760
Speaker 2: set that up in the next day or so. I'll

1662
01:17:56,760 --> 01:17:58,759
Speaker 2: put it, We'll link to it in the show notes

1663
01:17:58,840 --> 01:18:01,479
Speaker 2: on YouTube and on audio, and then I'll tweet it

1664
01:18:01,520 --> 01:18:03,120
Speaker 2: out as well a couple of times if people want

1665
01:18:03,160 --> 01:18:04,479
Speaker 2: to get in. It should be a lot of fun.

1666
01:18:05,000 --> 01:18:08,400
Speaker 1: Absolutely, keep it locked. Everybody. Please subscribe to hemmorh Territory

1667
01:18:08,439 --> 01:18:10,960
Speaker 1: anywhere you get your podcast. If you're a video watcher,

1668
01:18:11,600 --> 01:18:14,920
Speaker 1: that's great. Please also subscribe on on the audio platform

1669
01:18:14,920 --> 01:18:16,559
Speaker 1: as well and download the show. Help us to spread

1670
01:18:16,560 --> 01:18:18,360
Speaker 1: the word as well, Sam and Reverse. If you're an

1671
01:18:18,320 --> 01:18:21,839
Speaker 1: audio listener, which I always am on podcast, like on YouTube,

1672
01:18:22,120 --> 01:18:24,320
Speaker 1: all that fun stuff. Tell your friends we appreciate you

1673
01:18:24,360 --> 01:18:26,679
Speaker 1: being here as always, and we'll see everybody next time.