Roundtable Time!!

Camelot, Camelot, it's only a model, s**t. I'm going to start with you, Bone. Michael Jordan sells out. This is a great investment. He makes over a thousand percent on his investment. He bought his stake for $275 million. He's selling it for roughly around $3 billion. Maybe he can't own a team, but I would hire him to manage my money.

Absolutely. You think about the ratio of the payout to actually good decisions he made over the last, you know, 17 years. He's really made out well here right now. It's something that has been talked about here for a while that he is looking to sell his majority stake. It's not shocking that it's happening. It's sort of surprising to me of when it's happening now.

It's happening fast. And, you know, the draft is next week. They've got Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson coming back in on Monday to meet MJ. It's free agency time after that. There's the Miles Bridges stuff that's coming up when they bring him back. So there's a lot of basketball stuff happening.

So it's a little surprising to me that it didn't wait a little longer into the summer for this thing to come about, but it's there now. And now we analyze what the hell just happened the last 17 years with MJ in charge. Randy, you can comment on that, but I'm going to add to it. Why do you think that the Hornets have basically been unable to attract a free agent? You got Michael Jordan. Everybody loves Michael Jordan. Would they have been better off if Kobe was the owner?

Honestly, I have no idea. It's weird that, you know, this is the first owner in a long time. When's the last time an owner sold a team in the United States that wasn't because he had died or he was a disgraced owner?

Nobody sells teams. It's really weird. I wonder if Mike just wanted to be more at Big Rock trying to get some Marlin or something. He's just, he's busy this week.

He certainly is busy this week. Are you, are you suggesting that Daniel Snyder is disgraced? That Jerry Richardson was, are you suggesting that? Uh, you know, I mean, uh, I don't know if they wanted to sell, did they?

Allegedly, allegedly they're right. Adam, I know you asked him, but I was going to say, I know that the focus is on not attracting players and the players that he could attract, whether it was Gordon Hayward, not working out, Al Jefferson, another free agent, you know, he worked out for a year and Nick Platoon, they refight him. They, they've gotten stuck with some bad contract, but I asked you this, it's not just the players. What premier coaches at MJ attracted here since he took over? Yes. Larry Brown was here.

End of the line. Paul Silas was all right. Although when he got here, the second term didn't work out. What big name coaches has he attracted and not just the players? I asked you that.

Oh, there's, well, here's, I guess here's my question about, it's sort of a question with a question. Um, did he ever give any of those coaches, they went back to Steve Clifford. Did he ever give coaches who looked like they might get it, but just maybe needed more time, uh, to get better at it? Cause they did go for young coaches. Did they ever give these coaches enough time? Did, did James Borrego prove that he wasn't good? No, I mean, he went up 10 wins a year each year and then he got, you know, removed for, for, he got removed and they didn't hire another coach for like, what, like three months to whatever it was until after he, he left here. This, this off season, look at this off season. There are massive names out there. There's Nick nurse was out there. Marty Williams, Buddha holder, doc rivers, and not saying they all would want the job here, but they thought with Steve Clifford again.

Yes. Cause the ownership stuff happening, but there's a lot of massive names out there that they don't even, they don't even tempt anything on it appears. Look, the silver lining with the Hornets though, is look at Denver, a team that had no history, a team that never did anything and nobody ever thought about it all. I mean, anything can happen. Will it happen? Probably not. Maybe not, but it could. This is hope.

Hope Springs eternal. When you have a team like the Denver Nuggets win an NBA championship. But how long have they stuck with Mike Malone?

Right? Um, somebody who has proven to be an outstanding coach and maybe the Hornets have not hired that guy. And I would also go one layer, but what's the layer between the owner and the head coach, the general manager? I mean, I'm not, I have not been in love with anybody that has manned that position for the Hornets. They have drafted and I realize you're just throwing darts and hoping to hit one, uh, when you're not picking in the top, you know, two or three every year that it's not easy to get it right. But it seems like other teams get it right more often than the Hornets have. Yeah, and that, that goes into, I mean, we, we, we could spend and we do, I can't tell you how many shows in Charlotte on players that they could have had in a draft. I mean, it's got to the point now where I even, I lose track, for example, for as great as Campbell Walker was here in 2011, when he got drafted, he was their second pick of the lottery. Bismack the ombo went two picks before him. Oh, by the way, in that same draft, a couple of picks later, uh, clay Thompson and then Kawhi Leonard. So they could have had, you know, conceivably Kemba Walker and, and Kawhi or Kemba Walker and clay Thompson, other drafts. They didn't, they passed on Devin Booker. They passed on Donovan Mitchell. It goes on and on. And on of the guys, they did not get it. It's really, they should do a 30 for 30 on this for, and they can do an eight parter on it. It would be a, a 240 for 240.

If my math is correct. We have a T-bone Travis Hancock from Mac and bone in the mornings in Charlotte and WFNZ and Randy Slack from ESPN Wilmington. He is hilarious.

Uh, go check him out, uh, at our Slack 37 on Twitter. I'm going to keep it in the NBA. It's a serious topic, unfortunately for us. Uh, so I'll start with you, Randy, uh, your thoughts on John Morant and a 25 game suspension. I mean, it had to be more than 18. Um, I thought they would maybe go a half a season to anybody who says, well, he didn't break any laws. I mean, yeah, he didn't break any laws.

Technically neither did Deshaun Watson. And I think he got a, you know, a pretty, a pretty, he didn't get the big enough suspension, but it's your health to a standard. If you're a professional athlete, you're you have a privilege of playing that sport. And honestly, to do something this dumb two months after getting punished for it originally, I don't know if 25 is a big enough suspension.

What do you think, Travis? Yeah, to his point there, I don't think it was anything about legalities. I think it's about a young player and a young man going down a bad path and they're trying to prevent him from something either legal, half legal, something happening legally or God forbid words. I think they see the direction he's going in and they're trying to get his attention and that's by taking basketball away from him for 25 games. Yeah, I think that's accurate, but my question is this, and it pertains back to the Hornets. Uh, miles bridges only gets 10 games for the domestic violence of 10 games into next season. Obviously they, they somehow counted last year to some of that, but John Moran, I think that that's probably the right number, but miles bridges only gets 10 games for domestic violence.

And that whole story was a sickening to see the images and all that sort of stuff. So miles only gets 10 next season. And yet John Moran only gets 25. That seems a little imbalanced based off the circumstances there in my opinion. A hundred percent agree. Um, it would not be the first time that sports has failed.

I'll just say failed women when it comes to these types of incidents. It is par for the course. Uh, when these types of things are either ignored as they were at Baylor for however long, allegedly, I'll just say allegedly just to cover, um, or, you know, what Deshaun Watson did or, or other, Ben Ray, or, you know, I don't know.

Yeah, I know he was suspended for a couple of games. Um, here's my, my take and Randy, I think you and I probably aligned on this, um, for the people who said that there was, there were no laws broken. I just, I just say, just sit it out, sit out the conversation because if, first of all, you should understand by now that it doesn't matter whether laws are broken or not. The league is upholding, trying to uphold a, their own image. And John Moran is not only the image of the Memphis Grizzlies, but you're a high profile player like that.

You're part, you're the NBA. So there's that. And the, the other thing is here, I believe they are trying to save a life. It might not be Jaws. Maybe Jaws will never be in jeopardy, in peril, but when there are guns involved and remember one of the incidents we're not even talking about is the pickup basketball game where he punched the, the 17 year old, uh, not, not only like when the kid was standing, but when he was already down on the ground. And Jaws apparently went back inside the house and brought out a gun and put it in the waistband of his shorts. Like, what are we doing? Like that wasn't even part of this, but all of it folds into one. And to me, I just look at it as what is, what is it worth to save a life? And whether it's Jaws or somebody else's, and we all know that it isn't, doesn't have to be Jaws. It could be somebody saying, yeah, I'll show you big professional athlete.

And I mean, it's just, it just becomes an ugly situation. I'm not even that concerned over the 10 million. I know it's not my 10 million, but he's already made. There was one more, there was one more incident too. Don't forget this season, a member of his, of, of, of his, uh, inner circle pointed a gun at a member of the Pacers traveling party after a game. That, that, that to me right there got the NBA's attention and they said, Oh, we, we, uh, so yeah, the incidents where he was at the strip clubs are bad.

I think that that incident where someone with John Moran pointed a gun at someone with the Pacers, I think that got their attention. All right, let me go back to Randy here. Cause this is perfect because Joe burrow, uh, is up for a contract. So what will be more fat Joe burrows bank account next year, not this year, Joe burrows bank account or Zion Williamson. I hate, I hate that I even said that.

Oh God. Well, first of all, I love that you keep preface thing that I'm hilarious. And then we're talking about gun violence and domestic violence and all these great topics to talk about. So I appreciate that pressures on Randy pressures on, but, but, uh, secondly, the key factor here, there's two factors that work against Joe burrow. Um, one, well, I see there's three factors that work in Joe burrow. One, Mike Brown is his owner and is the, uh, is the cheapest dude in America. So that's, that's a red flag for Joe burrow. That's more, honestly, it's a more of a red flag for Jamar chase in a few years. Uh, two Joe burrow feels like the kind of guy who doesn't care if he's the highest paid guy, he wants to make a lot of money, but he wants to keep his weapons and he wants to keep the team as intact as he can. So those are the two things. And number three, uh, Zion Williamson has at least one, allegedly up to three pregnant women in his life.

And that's a lot of food to have around a guy like that. Very good. Very well thought out, uh, there, uh, there, Randy, you have a thought on the, on that bone? Uh, no, what he said. That's good. He, he summed it up.

Well, no, I think it's Joe burrow. What Zion, you know, he's obviously got to play more and I think he needs a change of scenery for many reasons, but we see all the time. Zion toggles. He he'll get overweight when he doesn't play. He'll put out a video here at some point soon, where he looks like he's chiseled and he's dunking and he's in shape. So Zion might get fat again. He might come back, look in shape.

He goes up and down. I know that Joe burrows wallet a year from now. That's not going down.

That's staying pretty fat. I'm gonna go Joe burrow there. Uh, Joe burrow is the correct answer.

I only brought that up just for the joke. Um, I root, I root hard for Zion. I, I, to me, Zion equals fun. Now what we want is for Zion to stay healthy long enough where Zion equals fun and winning. And I thought New Orleans, when Zion was healthy a couple of years ago, uh, was pointed in the right direction.

Now they're talking about, you know, New Orleans might not trust him enough to not trade him now. So I just hope the Zion gets it together. And I might become a Knicks fan again, if somehow the Knicks can figure out a way to get Zion Williamson.

But frankly, I don't know. I think I'm happier not being a Knicks fan. All right, Travis, New York, the home, big slices, big slices, very big slices, but, and also everything's open late.

Every, you can, you can get whatever you want at three in the morning. I'm a Knicks fan. I'm a Knicks fan too, still, but I don't want Zion seeing a piece of pizza the size of Jalen Brunson. That's a disaster.

I don't know. Jason Brunson looks delicious to me. All right, Travis, rank the quarterbacks in the NF, the starting quarterbacks, not all of them, the starting quarterbacks in the NFC South, best to worst. Well, I'll put Baker Mayfield dead last and he's not moving.

He can stay there for a while. So Baker Mayfield's going last. I've got Desmond Ritter third because we're not sure about him, but he's got Arthur Smith, an offensive guy. He's at least got Drake London and Kyle Pitts in a running game.

I don't think he's great, but he's better than Baker Mayfield to me right now. Right now, I'm going to say Bryce Young's second and Carr first. However, that's only because we hadn't seen Bryce Young play a game yet. I think with the coaching that he has, and there are a lot of dudes in there, more so than we've ever seen a rookie quarterback have, that can coach somebody up in terms of a rookie entering the league.

They're up and down the line. I think that right now it's Carr one, Bryce Young two, but I think during this season because of the coaching and Sean Payton's no longer in the Orleans. So I'll say Carr one, Young two for right now. I think during the season, you're going to see Bryce Young with his maturity level, his preparation.

He's a different rookie. I think he could be number one before long here. Randy, do you have your list? Yeah, I have a Carr one currently because he's been in the league and he's been above average at best at times. Bryce at number two.

I have Baker at three. I mean, he took the Browns to the playoffs. That has to count for something. Was that in our lifetime? Yeah, that was, that was one of my favorite non-bingles moments in NFL history, seeing the Browns up 28, that's up to the first quarter. Oh my God.

That was, that was sweet. And did that Desmond Ritter four just because it's still incomplete for me with him. We'll see. But I think by the end of the year, it could be Bryce possibly even Ritter at two, Carr three, Baker four. And I think Sean Payton's overrated as a side. I don't think they're going to do very well for it all.

All right. The answer is Bryce is number one. Desmond Ritter, number two, for all the reasons that Travis laid out with Arthur Smith and they've got some things in place.

Derek Carr, number three, because he's been in the league and we've seen Derek Carr, I think the same, the same reasons to be positive about Derek Carr or I, I think are also reasons to be negative about Derek Carr and Baker Mayfield clearly number four. We also don't know about Michael Thomas for car. Like we know a lot of days there and, but like what Michael Thomas has like 20 catches in three years, but yet he's still there. And if he's that dude that we, we thought he was and he was for a while, then that, that changes it. But Sean Payton could get something out of all those dudes on offense. I don't know anymore.

It feels like that the panders don't have a one wide receiver right now, per se. A lot of these really good, but the weapons aren't what they once were in the world. Indeed. All right. I serious question.

Sure. Who plays more games? Michael Thomas or Zion Williamson?

Oh, that, you know what? That would be a good prop bet in, uh, in Vegas. I'm going to go Zion slightly. I think Zion could get to 20. Zion sits Michael Thomas for area.

This was not included in the, in the cheat sheet. But Travis, do you already have tickets for Inter Miami's match at Charlotte FC? No, I don't yet, but it's going to be a, it's going to be a heck of a heck of a heck of an event coming here.

No, that's a, that's a big time though. So I'm looking forward to it. This is going to shock you both, but you know, I've been doing this in Charlotte now for, um, uh, I think I'm on year 19 now in terms of just crossing 18, 19 for coverage. Uh, they don't really answer my calls still when I ask for free tickets for stuff. So, uh, I'll attempt it and I'll, I'll say, Hey, this is, uh, this is, uh, Travis, this is T-bone and they'll, uh, Oh yeah, we got you. So I don't, I don't have a lot of clout here after 19 years still.

So hoping to get some here at some point. Totally, totally understand. Do either of you, uh, are either of you moved by Greg Berhalter returning to the meds national team? I think I'll take that as a no. I'll take that as a no, neither. If you don't care, that's fine.

It's, it's perfectly okay. Um, well, I haven't heard anything good about Greg Berhalter ever. So, I mean, what, what are we, what are we, what are we excited or happy for the guy that coached last night was in Callahan, right? It was Callahan. Yes.

He was great. Uh, yeah. Based off what we saw last night. Yeah. Let's keep him in there for now. I like that.

We scored, we scored, uh, three times. All right. Final thing, uh, before I let both of you go, we are talking to Travis Hancock, uh, T-bone WF at T-bone WFNZ and Charlotte Mac and bone in the morning and Randy Slack from ESPN Wilmington at our Slack 37 on Twitter. Uh, be as funny as you want here, which U S big four franchise will be the first to get sold to the sovereign wealth fund of a nation state? Uh, well, my first reaction when I think about all this stuff is that the UFC is right for a big time competitor because they underpay their dudes and the Saudis have a buttload of money. But then again, I don't know if they can compete with the conglomerate that's there with the, with the WWE and UFC and endeavor or whatever. So to give you an answer here, I think it has to be an NHL team because that's the, that's the league we care about the least. So that's the one that could fly under the radar the most. And if we're thinking the NHL and we're thinking of teams, no one cares about the Arizona coyotes are the only choice really to get. Oh my gosh. You know, uh, the Emirates will be all over the coyotes, uh, especially since it's a desert, uh, even better. Uh, Travis, did you have an entry here? Yeah. I thought about this when you said it for the last hour and a half.

So I'm prepared here. I know that they liked the NBA more over there than they used to. I don't think it would be baseball, but I just went to the, the most obvious one that looked at the most wealthy franchises in sports. It's the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones getting older, Robert Kraft getting older. Now we expect that it probably would stay in the family, but with all the money that they have over there, the Cowboys are worth $8 billion. The Patriots $6 billion. Uh, could the Cowboys, could the Jones family or the Kraft family, if they offered like $20 billion, really turn all that down. Honestly, like when they turned out, I mean, who knows what they could, they could offer whatever they want. They could double the, they could go 16, 17, $18 billion.

So I'll say Cowboys or Patriots, although the NFL might be harder to crack into, but I'll just, I'll just go right now. Yeah. Yeah. They have such a, uh, all of the owners in the NFL are squeaky clean. Uh, they wouldn't, they wouldn't approve.

They wouldn't approve, you know, uh, whatever. I'll just leave it at that. Uh, at our Slack 37 on Twitter, Randy Slack, ESPN Wilmington at T-Bone, WFNZ, Travis Hancock, Mac and Bone in the morning in Charlotte. I appreciate your time. Gentlemen. Thank you so much. I knew this would be fun and I think I might've been right. Certainly I wasn't wrong. Uh, so that's good.

We win. Thank you. Thanks for having us. Appreciate it. You got it. Always a great time.