Bucks futures in doubt, Giannis included? Mmm Hmm with Paul Imig, Grant Bilse

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Go! Good morning. everybody. My name's Mart Winkler. I've got Grant Bills here.

Or Grant Beals, as Tony in Texas says. It's the Southerner pronunciation, yes. And uh Paul Emmig. You guys know what time it is. Mm-mm-mm-mm.

We are streaming this video as well on the Dan Shaney Insurance stream. Check out Danshaney.com. Shout out to Hot Take Jake, who the other day. On the video, use the background of. Dan Shaney, but like a cutout of Dan Shaney.

I didn't see that.

So it looked like Dan was standing behind him. It was. And maybe it was maybe it was Dan just being. Uh you know House call. Yeah, maybe it was.

I don't know. He didn't move. All right. Mm-hmm. And this is based on my recent appearances on Bill Ryder's show and The great podcast that you're listening to now.

Of all the people employed in radio in the country. I am a top 50 knowledgeable NBA man.

Okay. Oh, I see where you're going. Oh, you're asking. Top fifty.

So, who would you comfortably put ahead of you? In terms of being let's set like our top 10 levels. Whoa, in terms of, like, I don't, I don't, like, okay, I don't. I don't have everybody's skill set in terms of I know what this guy. Like, I'm not breaking down defenses.

I'm breaking down drop coverages. I'm not breaking down that kind of shit. You know, salaries and stuff I know, but I have to look up. I just feel like I really feel like, in terms of understanding playoff basketball. I feel like I'm somewhat of a king in that regard.

Well, top 50. I just want to set, I want to get an understanding for how hard it is to be top 50 most knowledgeable. NBA, you've heard you've heard radio.

Well, I I've heard local radio, you're top one. In that department.

Some shade, some shade intended. You got to exclude the people who are like, like, Zach Lowe is an NBA guy who happens to do TV and happens to do it. Like, that's different. If we're counting them, right? Like, yeah, I mean, which I wouldn't.

Like, Bart is a radio person who happens to talk about it. Yeah, I was thinking, like, if Bill Reiner says. Hey, I don't care who you get to fill in for me. I just need someone who can actually talk about the NBA playoffs. Yeah.

Yeah. Dang, I gotta be like top 10. Yeah, I always think of like Great. To use the way you framed it, like I always think of there's generalists on sports radio and sports broadcasting, and then there's specialists. Zach Lowe being the specialist on NBA, Bucky Brooks, the specialist on NFL.

Mm-hmm. Um Yeah, Bart, I mean, for a quote-unquote general SDM, man, you're a style. You know, I asked that once on Twitter because I was super vain. But I did want to know. I said, what do you It was like, what do you trust me the most on or what?

What do I talk about that seems the most natural? Like... You know how like Willie's a Packer guy. Right. Special.

Yeah, that kind of stuff. Yeah. Um And it was Like 33, 33, 34 NBA NFL MLB.

Well, MLB should be last. Yeah. But I think you know that. There's a difference between someone who works in Wisconsin media who's really good at baseball and really good at talking brewers. Like, I don't know anything about a lot of other baseball teams, but like I'll talk about the dumbest brewer stuff.

Yeah, Grant knows brewers. Grant's top four. Yeah, top four brewers guy. At least top six or seven. I mean, come on.

Yeah. You're going to be the next guest on Brewers Unfiltered. Or lockdown brewers, although maybe Chuck doesn't. I he might not do guests. I don't know.

He does shorties. He does shorties. He does shorties. Either way, I know that many of you came for today to see what just us three knuckle nuts thought about sports, but we're instead talking about what we think about ourselves. Wait, wait, wait.

Well, I don't want to leave this yet. What do you think you're best at?

Well, do I think I'm best there? Yeah. NBA playoffs. And make playoffs specifically.

Okay. Yeah. I would have I would have It's a close race at the top, but I do think of you as an NFL. Rogers personality. Number one.

How to be a fan. How to be a fan. Where to put the parade chairs in, not only is it not on the correct route. But then they try to get them confiscated. Mm-hmm.

That you're definitely number two. Tony Snell playing time. Probably a big one.

Sorry, Grant. I know we're not into the meat of this as Coach Budd, impersonators, number one. No, equating Marvel references into Sports. Yeah. My brother was listening.

I was doing a. CBS on Sunday. And my brother was listening, and there was a Marvel reference within the first 13 minutes. And he said, Marvel drink. But my comparison was.

That The box, and this might be one of your things or whatever. But the box With Giannis, they were building to Infinity War. I heard this. It was a great take. They were building to Infinity War.

Everything they did was calculated to get Infinity War. And everything the Bucks did was to get Giannis a championship in Milwaukee. And then after Infinity War, they're like, oh, fuck, now what? And they had like nowhere to go.

So they were trying some of the old recipes, they're trying new shit, and that's where the bucks are now. They got to their destination. But the story needs to continue. They just never planned on what they were doing. Was it Endgame after Infinity Wars?

Jesus Christ, it's the same fucking thing. No, but no, it's not, is it? No, Infinity War is in its end game, yes.

Okay. I meant the Infinity Stones saga coming to a conclusion.

Okay, Marvel guy. Hey, Marvel guy, did you hear what James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy, said about the Infinity Stones the other day in an interview? Yeah, he said he made it up in 90 minutes. He made it up in 90 minutes and then it became the thing. They take all the shit from the comics, Paul.

I know that. I know. But there must have been some liberties there.

Well, James Gunn is good at what he does. Did you comic book collect as a kid, either of you? No, I don't like MCU because of the comics. No, no, but I'm like, you you didn't go to the comic book store at age seven like I did and No, I went to Florida with my father and he let me sit on the lawn tractors. That's what I did.

Oh, really? This is Uh see I called like a friend and hung out with a friend. at age seven and six. Actually, I went with friends to the comic book store. We would always go to rookies.

That was the name of the baseball trading. Or JB's on Maine. Anyway, we are brought to you by Happy Place Hemp, which is on College Court in Muskego. You can check them out. I'm going to stop in there next week if anyone's really dissecting my schedule.

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So, discrete packaging, 25% off every order with the promo code Bart. Happyplacehemp.com. Coming up next. We're driven by the search for better, but when it comes to hiring, the best way to search for a candidate isn't to search at all. Don't search match with indeed.

Indeed is your matching and hiring platform, with over 350 million global monthly visitors, according to Indeed data, and a matching engine that helps you find quality candidates fast. Leveraging over one hundred forty million qualifications and preferences every day, Indeed's matching engine is constantly learning from your preferences. Join more than three point five million businesses worldwide that use Indeed to hire great talent fast. And listeners of this show will get a seventy five dollar sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com slash bluewire. Just go to indeed.com slash blue wire right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.

Indeed.com slash blue wire, terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? You need indeed. Welcome back. Paul?

Take it away. All right. I want to start with box. I know we did quite a bit of bucks last week. It was just.

A day before Mike Budenholzer was fired. It was before your friend Brian Windhorst went on the speculation train, which nobody else picked up. Yeah. Which means he was full of shit. But it was before it was before the train was set in motion for a.

certain direction of the off season. Um So I want to start like big pictures, because the most important thing for the Bucks is very obviously Giannis. And this isn't going to be about the fact that he has two years left or Windhorse comments or any of that. But I went back and I looked. Giannis in the right room in the NBA in 2022 to the top 75 NBA players of all time.

Right, do you recall this? Giannis in the, I had these both up. In the athletics version, Giannis was twenty-four. In the ESPN version, he was 18.

So after one championship and only ten years, nine years, ten years in the league, he was already the 18th to 24th best player ever, right?

So I think we need to start talking about legacy. Like, I know Legacy came up a little bit. Um, before the playoff run, this was a hit to his legacy. Like, I'm not even gonna that. This was a hit to his legacy because, okay, Grant, I mean, okay.

Okay, you know what? Grant's giving me a facial expression that tells me I do need to ask it. This playoff. debacle Was a hit to Yannis's legacy. This was an unintended, we'll use this as our starter kit.

Or I'll be quick. I don't think it was a hit to his legacy. I think it stopped his legacy from progressing. Like I said this on my show this week a couple of times. I don't think legacies can go backwards unless all are timed in.

If you steal money from the poor, your legacy can make no, no, no. I always say that Eli Manning almost played his way out of the Hall of Fame.

Okay. Grant, I do think, for example, like, When you're 18th or the 24th best player of all time, you are in unbelievably rare air. I definitely think you can lose some spots if, like, if this happens two more times in the next three years, right? Out in the first round of five games. I think he can definitely drop on the all-time players list, which means his legacy would be in that theoretical taking a hit.

And it would happen because other players, like. Like Mahomes overtook Rogers or is going to overtake Rogers. I don't think Rogers' legacy ever went backwards. The problem was when Rogers won his first Super Bowl, we thought, oh, he will go here, he will accomplish this, and the team will do this. He just never got there.

So his legacy stayed in the same spot and never grew to where we wanted it to, at least from a postseason perspective. I think the same is the same with Giannis. He won that first title. We're like, oh my god, right? If he wins this and does that, he's going to end up here.

I don't think he's moved backwards from where he was after that title. I just don't think he took another leap, which means in some regard, like if Jokic or Embiid wins a title this year, not that they'll overtake him, but that's that's how Giannis would move backwards as other players would move past. Ordin, any thoughts that this was a hit to Giannis's legacy, at least in the short term, in the interim, while we wait to see what's the next chapter?

Well, he needs to back up what he said after the game. uh about failure and stepping stones and And everything else. Retire tonight. Then it is a hit to his legacy.

So he needs to go and show. And this is, you know, we've talked about this, but. Those failures were failures. But They became part of the success once they succeeded.

So, if Giannis goes and succeeds again, wins the title, then we can look at this and say that was part of it. Still, this was always a failure. I mean, this was ultimately a failure. I think that I I d I fuck. I think it do it, say it.

I don't like talking about Giannis' legacy. At this point. of his career. And I'm not saying that that's fair or unfair. Yeah.

I probably should be. We all do. Talk about everybody. And I've talked about other people's legacies every fucking day. Yeah.

But I don't want to do it yet with Yannis. No, it's time to talk. I mean, this has to be part of the consideration set.

Well, then it hurt. This playoff run hurt. I agree. And I think for me, I was using that as an assumption, but then we kind of got into it, which is fair. Also, like.

One thing that I think needs to be talked about more is. The box supreme And we all felt overconfident. Like, you know, Ty Windish would say, talk your shit. Yeah. A lot of us, I still think it's hilarious that.

Anyone would To use Freem's phrase, come at me. on Twitter and be like, how can we trust you? You thought the Bucs would beat the heat easily. Everyone did. I mean, I think the fucking...

Earth is gonna spin on its axis tonight. That's just what was going to happen. And then it didn't.

So if I say, I guarantee there's a sunrise tomorrow, and then there's fucking not. Like, that doesn't mean I was an idiot for thinking that. That's how, like, much of a locked it seemed. But I thought the Bucs. Biggest upset in NBA playoff history.

Oh, Bart. Technically, the Heat should have been a seventh seed. Whatever. Let me just say: the Bucs should have played Giannis in game three, but they were overconfident. I want to say, I heard your discussion with Sparky on the podcast.

And I appreciated that you didn't let. Bud off the hook. Not that Sparky was like overly letting him off the hook, but you really didn't. And I appreciated that you kind of came back hard with that. That's right.

You said that, what did you say that if you're It's not funny, but you are like, if my brother died tomorrow. I talked to them. All I'm saying is on behalf of me. Yeah. If I'm me and I'm the head coach of an NBA team.

And my brother died. I wouldn't forget. That's How to make substitutions. I'm saying that on my behalf. Yeah, okay.

And he agreed now if my wife or son died. I'm sorry to my brothers who I love, but that's a little closer to home. Literally. Yes. In the If if my son I don't even want to talk.

I don't even say that. What the fuck are you making me do? I'm not saying shit. No, dumb shit. Here's like Paul's.

Paul's like, hey, that thing you were uncomfortable saying, kind of, say it again. And then triple down on it. You didn't seem uncomfortable saying it.

Well, now I'm talking about worst shit.

Well that's on you, bro. Yeah But I just like if I croak As we're taping this. My brother is still showing up for game five of Warriors Lakers. Would you like Paul and I to finish the episode if you keel over on the stream yard? Oh, I had a new pain last night.

It was my leg just started throttling as if people were. On the inside of it, clamping my muscles. That's a cramp. No, it never. This did not feel like a cramp.

This felt like people taking like. tools like little like All right. I have to ask you a question now. It seems like it might be a cramp. I'm amazed at the number of people who don't do like annual physicals and annual blood work.

Am I talking to two people who do or don't? Oh, God, no. You couldn't get me to do that. Hell no. No, remember, I got in a fight with Rami because.

He was mad at me. Because my cholesterol was good. And he's like, your cholesterol's good? I remember that. I do too.

So I went, yeah, I could check because and I told them, run everything. Yes. I need to know everything. Uh, and I came back, I came back a little less healthy than the last year. But for my lifestyle, I was very satisfied with.

My my, uh, body.

So you do it every year though, the blood results and all that. Yeah, I mean, maybe like every year in four months, but sure, yeah, yeah, good, good, great, try to make sure I do a physical. Yes, now, do I go to the dentist? You didn't ask me that question, so I'm not going to answer.

Okay. Well, I'm going to ask the dentist one next. Have you taken your kids to a dentist? Yeah. Yeah, I haven't taken mine to a dentist.

He's been like three times now. Yeah, my thinking is he's going to lose these teeth anyway. Am I stupid? Yeah, you should be doing it.

Okay. I have a good recommendation for you. This is a cool place that Is kind of right in the middle of me and you.

So, will you send that honestly? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I need a dentist. Yeah. Yeah.

So my second question then, Bart, his name is. Crentist. He's a new dentist. He's car. How often?

How many times have you been to the dentist in the past ten years, Bart? Um I was going pretty regularly. In the first six or seven of those 10 years.

Okay. And then the place got torn down and turned into a bank. that that hurts your dentistry abilities to yeah i get that and then they also they were also like All right, the next time you come in. we have to do a s a procedure on you and it's going to be expensive and i was like Yeah. I guess there's no next time then, is there?

And then they became a bank after that? Yeah, and then the place man. Like this place. This place, okay, fucking dentist. Yeah.

Have you ever like All these dentists. I'm so glad we're into this right now.

Well seriously. Every dentist I've ever known. Just goes like to the hot chick farm and hires the 10 hottest chicks to fucking do their teeth. You mean there's like the uh the dental hygienists or whatever they're called? Yeah.

Like Were these women into dentistry first and just happened to be attractive, or did he find attractive women and then made them be dentists? Sent them to dental school on his own time. It's like, and then, and then they like disappear one day, and I'm thinking, did this place ever really exist? But that was when I was at the dentist. Uh the time that I called Florio.

A hack Yeah. And then I went into the office, came back out, checked my phone, and I had Willie Army after me. Oh, I remember that. Because Wildie thought I called him a hack. I remember that.

And then he's asking Freemes and Gary and all these people: what's up with this Bart guy? What's up with this Bart guy? I called Florio a hack and you made it, you thought it was you. I know exactly where I was when you sent me some of those. Like, I can, must be a moment in time in my brain, a bookmark of like, uh, Yeah, that day for you.

I remember where I was. What Grant?

Well, I remember where I was when Rami gave you shit about cholesterol. It was in my kitchen, my house by Snuffies and Lacrosse. I remember exactly where I was.

So I'm with you, Paul. The moral to this story: do your annual blood work and go to the dentist. Mm-hmm. No, don't shake your head. No, Grant.

No, you should be doing this thing.

Okay, so this guy who is always, I found the tweet March 8, 2017.

So I did go to the dentist last day. Um, so the last thing you did there was the last time you did that dentist was March 8th, 2017. No, I went a couple other times.

Okay. I said, leaning on not bringing up Rogers' story on show tomorrow.

So you say, what is Bart starting hating Rogers? 2017, 2017. If we do, I will avoid sourcing where it came from because I'm that way. Uh Wiz Hogg, some guy Who's always hated me and then pretended to like me for a while and then hated me again. He said, not pretending or not bringing up a pretty big story is a disservice.

And I said, same listeners begging us not to talk Packers. Are you going to want us to talk about an interview from another station? Field by Hack Ryder pass.

So Willie interviewed Rogers. The conversation was fueled by Florio.

So then Greg Byer. Says hack writer looks like someone has their jealous pants on today. I'm going to retweet. I'm going to respond to that tweet six years later. Just wanted to clarify, Greg.

That I was talking. about Mike Florio. being a hack. I have nothing but respect. For Jason J.

Wilby. Did you guys see my wink? I did. I'm not engaging. But yes.

Um But I'm not winking on the tweet.

Okay. And I have not. yet forgiven you. Cool. For trying to Drive a wedge in between the two of us.

Strangers A relationship That never materialized Yeah. Because of you. Greg. Just wanted to clarify, Greg, that I was talking about Mike Florio being a hack. I have nothing but respect for Jason J.

Willby, and I have not yet forgiven you for trying to drive a wedge in between the two of us strangers, a relationship that never materialized because of you, comma, Greg. He's going to be like, what the fuck? Going all hoodie on this guy, you gotta like put a parenthesis: like, hey, listen to tomorrow's podcast if you want the context for why. No context, there doesn't need to be because I'm still pissed about that shit six months later, years.

So naturally this was a We were talking about Giannis' legacy. I mean, how could you not have gotten to this point of the discussion? Six years later, I respond to this fuck. Speaking of legacy, the question is: how many of the three people in your response just now, Florio, Willie, and this Greg guy, have you blocked? And we'll even see this tweet.

No, Wildie doesn't.

Okay. I still think Willie, I'm following Willie. You guys, it's the same with you and Negler. You would like each other, I think. Like you, you, you, you're along the way.

I think Willie, of all these guys for Infrastructure Week, I think he'd be the most. Although I did watch a podcast with him and Homer and Tom Pippins, they do like some Jesus podcast, or Pippins does, and they were on it. And Wildie was like, My biggest sin is I have a hard time forgiving people. Oh But in this case, there's nothing to forgive because. Yeah, he needs to forgive Greg for being such a jackass.

Yeah. Yeah. All right. So Yannitz's legacy. Fucking gray.

Moving from the initial unplanned, here's my question for you: Giannis needs at least one more championship title to be in that. To basically move any higher in the all-time list, he's going to need at least one more championship title. To maybe even just keep his position on the 18th, 24th best player of all time, but certainly. to move up. into that conversation of modern day great.

NBA players, Curry, LeBron. If Giannis is going to Becoming that echelon. And by the way, Curry was only like 15 on those lists.

So, like, Giannis was not far behind that. One title versus how many does Steph have? Four? Is that right? That was before Steph would have won his fourth, right?

Yes, we would have already had three or whatever.

So, I mean, still a lot. Anyway, Giannis needs at least. At least One more championship. to cement his legacy as a modern day, all time great NBA player. A modern day Maharaja.

Sure. Jinder Mahal. I remember. He's back. Is he really?

That button. Yannis needs one more championship. Yes. For his and from a legacy perspective. to be like of this era.

You know how people wanted to vote for MB'd because, well, the last five years, it should be Jokic, Yannis, and MB. Rand, you want to take that one? Because I have a very specific answer. I don't have a very specific answer. I think if Giannis plays his whole career in Milwaukee like Dirk did.

And has more playoff runs and makes another finals and And has great playoff moments. I don't think he needs a second ring to climb significantly higher. I think, yeah, he would need a second ring. But if he leaves to go somewhere else to do it. Right.

Then that kind of changes the calculus too, because the I think the title, like Dirk in Dallas, it's waited a little bit more for Giannis winning in Milwaukee, the same way that we value LeBron's title in Cleveland, most of all. Right. So I think there's levels to How and where and when you win those titles as well. But yeah, in order for him to take another step, you'd have to win a second title. Because what if Embiider or Jokic wins one?

Now that's kind of a crowded. group the crowded tier Mm-hmm. Wait, we're recording this Jordan lives talking Jordan loves talking today. Do I need to do an amendment? No, but that makes my show tonight a lot easier.

1230. I just want to say, Grants, about your comment, Grant, like, I'm going to quick look for Dirk on these lists. Where would you think Dirk is on this list? Not where Giannis is. 15.

So this is the athletics top 75 all time from February of 22. 15, Steph Curry. 16, Carla Malone. 17, Kevin Garnett. 18, Moses Malone, 19, Julius Irving, 20, David Robinson, Dirk, 21.

Yannis at twenty four.

So obviously Dirk had 10 more years. Than the NBA, than what Giannis currently has. Barkley 22, ringless, Barkley at 22. Elgin Baylor twenty three. Um So I mean just context in terms of like Who's just above him?

I mean, and surpassing Steph Curry, who's currently 15th, or maybe he's higher now because he's won a title since this list. That's like almost impossible, probably, to catch. Like, there's a big gap, probably, between like Giannis' current number 24 spot and Curry's 15, because you're not going to catch. I mean, I shouldn't say that. Maybe you can.

It seems unlikely. Like, hey, four titles. Like, that's such a huge. Almost impossible achievement. You had a very specific answer to this question about Giannis' legacy needing at least one more title to be.

cemented in modern day all-time great player conversation. What?

So what's your very specific story? I thought Grant just asked me a question. Question?

Well, no, I'm just looking at. I don't know that I agree with the Dirk stuff. I mean, Giannis is on, Giannis has, he's got the first team all NBAs. He's got an extra MVP. I guess I don't know why.

I'd have to look into it. I have to read about it. Because he won one title with one team. Giannis has done the same thing, and Yannis is going to be. Oh, Giannis is going to be compared to Dirk.

Is that what you're saying?

Well, I don't know why Dirk would be listed above Giannis right now. Oh I don't know why.

Well that doesn't matter One thing I want to say before I answer the question is: someday I will be vindicated as I am with every take. There's been a lot of takes where I have been vindicated. People are gonna. Nikola Jokic is faking. He is a piece of shit.

And someday people will realize this. I do not like the guy. Uh just put that out there. I have no facts other than my feelings. Like player or like.

like Draymond Green kick people in the Junk. P O S Uh, I just don't like them. Because of how he acted one time in an interview. And nobody else saw that except for me and two other guys from the athletic. Risk, real quick, on the ESPN list where Giannis is 18th.

16 is Curry, 17 is Dirk.

So, both list Dirk is one. ESPN also put a horse as their 38th greatest athlete of the 20th century. I thought you already covered off on your horse takes. You have more of them? No, I want to hear what Greg has not responded yet.

I think that from a national six years, he's got six years to respond to 2029. From a national? Standpoint. Mm-hmm. Giannis winning one championship.

Is Great. It is? Oh yeah. From a national standpoint, maybe from a local standpoint, he'll always be a legend. No, no, no, no, no, no.

From a national standpoint, because in like Dirk, nobody, who shits on Dirk for only winning one? Anyone? Has anyone ever shit on Dirk? For only winning one. You know what?

Fair point. I don't think I've heard any slander for Dirk. Chris Paul's never won one. Charles Barkley never won one.

Well, Barkley, that's a constantly mentioned about Barkley. Just because he's on TV and the guys shit on him all the time. But Chris Paul will be a very public figure post-retirement. And if he doesn't win a ring, he'll get shot. But it's not gonna like Chris Paul.

I was talking about this coming into the playoffs. Another great take of mine is: who needs a title more? And I don't think like. Chris Paul's legacy is going to be defined if he wins another championship. Yeah.

Chris Wells' legacy is already set. It would be like and he won a championship or he didn't. This is in a John Elway situation where he wins two, and all of a sudden, you know. If he wins one at this point, he's not going to be the driving focus like he would have been. Yeah, it doesn't.

It's a different is us say he'd never won a title. Right. Yeah, Chris Paul winning a title would just be the cherry on top of the resume. Yeah, I agree with that. A nice moment on his way out the door of the NBA.

But locally. We're obsessed, and I've been a big person to complain. That Aaron Rodgers only won one. Mm-hmm. And so we're going to get the same because.

We still And I don't even know why I bring it up. I don't even know why I try to fight against it. I don't even know why it's even something that comes out of my chest into the atmosphere. We just think everything is Packers. We will never break it.

We will never break it. We think everything is Packers. We think everything is NFL. We're going to view it in that prism forever. That's why we overvalue Bucks' regular season wins and losses.

um you know yannis winning one title is not the same as rogers winning one title They are different. If you disagree with that, I don't, I mean, they're different. They're different. Tell me more, though. I don't, I'm not sure if I disagree or not.

I'm. Why are they different? I'm still not sure I'm following you. The sport, the makeup of the sport, the they're just not, they're just different. The runway for contention in the vast majority of cases with contending teams and players is shorter in the NBA.

Right. No, I get the counter argument is: well, Yannis has more impact over his team than sure. Just so in so in the smaller sample of opportunities to win a title, Giannis has more of an opportunity to make an impact than. But then I also think, like, oh, Rogers was let down. Rogers is a better quarterback than just winning one.

He was let down by his defense. You're telling me Giannis wasn't let down by. Executing perfect passes to Nikola Miritich, who can't make a fucking shot. Mm-hmm. You tell me he's not let down by bad coaching.

I just I just feel like So that's now we're getting into a Just let me go back to the original, and this is what I want to be judged on by people that hang on my every word. Giannis winning one title. is acceptable. On a national level. Locally It will not be because we're saying if it wasn't for Rogers, then it shouldn't be for Giannis.

But then again, and this is a Eureka moment I had recently, and I've talked about this. Does anyone ever say Brett Favre only won one title? Not one single fucking person ever. And he went to a Super Bowl and lost. I think going back to the Super Bowl, though, is an important.

Point there, though. He at least went back. They were 14-point favorites and they loved this. That was 26 years ago.

So all we look at now is Farv won one and went to another one.

Well, if the 2014 NFC Championship game, Yeah. Sure. If the 2014 NFC Championship game was a Super Bowl, if that happened in the Super Bowl, It'd be better.

Well, of course it would. It would have cemented more legacies around. Is getting to a Super Bowl more important than? No. is not getting to a Super Bowl.

A harder pill to is losing an NFC championship game worse than losing a Super Bowl? I think we think the answer is yes. No, you'd rather lose historically. We're talking, this is a legacy conversation. Legacy conversation, you'd much, much, much, much, much rather lose in the championship.

The Super Bowl, the NBA Finals. Not Jordan. Not Jordan people. That's all they have to cling to these days.

Well, fine. Bye. Generally speaking, like we just were talking Favre versus Rogers. Favre won one and went to another one. Rogers has won one and question mark.

Which is a big deal, I think. Like Andy Reid went to how many NFC Championship games with the Eagles, but like could never get over the hump.

So that was his legacy up until the Chiefs situation that, of course, he more than went over the hump with it. Um you know Bart, I I'm gonna push back on a couple things. I know Last week, you had said we agree on 95% of sports topics. Yeah, what I meant was disagree. Yeah, it's becoming, I feel like we're getting farther from 95%.

I think at a national level, Giannis winning one. Is not, to me, it feels would be unacceptable. It would always be held against him as, unless, let me just say, unless he goes to two more finals and loses them. Like he has to at least go back one or two more times I think for the national conference. I The problem.

Yeah. So, why does Dirk get you're talking about why is Dirk going to get passes that Giannis doesn't? That's okay. This would be my answer to that. When Giannis was 20, was he 26 when they won the title?

I think 26.

Okay, and Dirk was like 100. But also, I think Giannis is viewed as having the potential of being a top five all-time player. All right, fair. I don't think Jerk. was ever viewed as like, hey, this could be one of the five best players of all time.

The fifth top fifteen, top twenty, like as both lists have proven, like Dirk is that. But that was probably like by most people's account viewed as Dirk's ceiling. As being a top 15 to 20, Giannis' ceiling was, and arguably, maybe still is. The potential of being top five.

So it's almost like. Dirk hit the 99th percentile of his possible best outcomes. And if Yana sits at this current level of One championship, never getting back to one. He's got 10 years still to play, so it's very premature. But then I think he would be viewed as underachieving.

Dirk would have maximized his possibilities. And I think Giannis would have fallen short. Maybe expectations are unfair. Maybe I'm wrong in the way I view that. But I do think that's the difference is Giannis having the potential to be Jordan LeBron.

Whereas Dirk was always a step behind. Jordan LeBron. But if Dirk would have gone to play for the Lakers or the Knicks, or he would have teamed up with someone, like, I think there is a certain amount of legacy insurance you get when you stay in the city where you're drafted and you ride the lows out with your team. I think we're seeing that with. With Spolster right now as a coach, like he's coaching the lesser talented team, not as much as expected of him.

And I think for that reason, over the last five or six years. We're often like blown away with Bolstray. He's doing less with more. I think you get a lot of credit for that. And I think Dirk, the player side of that coin, like he gets that credit.

And if Giannis sticks around, I think he'll be given kind of that same benefit.

Well, and that's why I disagree with Bart's other point about like Giannis on the national stage versus local. I think Giannis' local legacy. Is forever Untouchable. He could never go to another championship. And he will forever be a bad person.

I don't know. I don't know. And also, by the way, if he plays his whole career here. Except for maybe like a twilight season somewhere else, but especially if he plays like the whole career here. He will forever, there will never, a buck will never pass.

I mean, Claude got fired 18 months after he won a title. People turned on him. What is an average at best NBA head coach? Giannis is one of the top 18 to 24 best players of all time in his mid to late 20s. These are not comparable.

people in their profession of coaching versus playing Um Man, I I think we just we might just be on a different wavelength there. Yeah. I think I would say this about Dirk too. I think, like, when you compare how Kevin Durant, LeBron playing for multiple teams, trying to go where the talent is, or. joining with other talent.

I think Dirk somewhat gets a pass. Because he didn't do that. And if Giannis doesn't do that, could maybe in the retrospective, like we're doing with Dirk, after his career is over, we might think of that similarly. But I think part of the challenge with that is you could also say, And I heard Sparky complain about this with you on your podcast, Bart. that Giannis needs to be the one to raise his hand and say, no, I'm taking Jimmy Butler.

On that same competitive, and I put air quotes, like on that same level of competitiveness. If Yanis thinks he can't Let's say the bucks retool. Let's say Drew is trading tool or rebuild or rebook. Or reload or refocus. We're not going to play the synonyms game, but like.

But by the way, what are we doing with that? They're filling time. Filling time. But let me. Hold on.

This is an important point. If the Bucks retool and they. We'll talk about this in a little bit. Like, let's say they trade Drew for some young players and Middleton for some young players, and whatever the case might be. If Giannis is like cool with that, right?

And he's like, yeah, like, I know we're not winning a championship. That could be a bad thing, right?

Well, if he was, if like, I'm just going to play the devil's advocate.

Well, if Giannis was competitive, just like how it's like, well, Giannis was competitive, he would have told Bud, no, I'm taking Jimmy Butler. If Giannis was competitive, and by the way, this is not my perspective, I'm playing the other side of the fence. It's like, well, like I said, he would have done what Durant did, which is, I'm not wasting a fucking season in Brooklyn with these scrubs, like, like, or whatever, or wherever he would be and what he changed teams.

Well, if he was competitive, he would have wanted to go to a contending team.

So that's why I think locally he is cemented. And nationally, it's still going to be up for debate about how much higher, if at all higher, he can climb on these lists.

Sorry, I want to make sure I got that point out. You guys go. Wink. Uh oh, don't do that. Uh yeah, oh yeah, fuck them coming, eh?

I have a question for you guys. Yeah. Uh mm-hmm mm-hmm. Which I will talk about right after these words.

Okay. Um as we are woefully I do want to remind you about Omaha Steaks. The promo code is BART. 25, 20, 20, how much is it? $20 off the orders of $129 or more, the packages.

And I got the Father's Day packages coming up.

So stay tuned for that. I keep being like, hey, how are the sales going? And they're like. Here's your new copy.

So I'm not sure. OmahaSteaks.com. We'll be right back after these words. We're back! Can you even believe it?

Barely. We are back. I can't. Here's something that people keep asking me. I don't know.

Mm-hmm. Mm-mm. You are worried about Jimmy Haslam's influence on the Bucs going forward. Because what I told Sparky, Sparky wants Becky Hammond because. And I said.

By the way, I was very It's just when he said, Well, don't count her out because they hired Lisa Byington. I wanted to jump out my apartment window. But do you like my take that if the Bucks want they're in the offices thinking, How do we get the first woman player in the NBA? Maybe, but Lisa Bunting. But then people are like, I heard that.

And Jimmy Haslam's a Republican, which I'm not saying that that means he doesn't think William and our equal. That's what you said. By the way, Biden's poll number is way down, even though Trump's sexually harassing people and getting nailed for it. I just don't think the hiring of Lisa Byington has anything to do with the price of eggs in Egypt, as they say. Like, those are not connected.

But I guess, props to Sparky for. Going for it. with his take. I was glad you. I thought I was fascinated by your rebuttal to that point, Bart.

With the WNBA team? Uh No, I'll no Well just I don't remember what you guys. I don't remember what I say. I don't remember what I said. I just listened to it in the last hour.

I don't remember what I did. Maybe go back and add it right here into the clip. If you want to do some editing, add the clip in. Oh, just fucking tell me. I would be loosely paraphrasing.

I don't want to do that to you. Just do it. Then I'll remember. All this is: you countered the idea. Anyway, what I saw and have read.

Oh, the idea that they would play five women out there if they could. Oh, was that? Honestly, you tried. All I remember was that you still did that. Yeah.

You did say that. Anyway. Anyway. What I'm asking you: are the Bucs more or less likely to roster Jawana Mann now that Jimmy Haslam is an owner?

So, your original question was: Are you worried about the grant? What's up? Do you know Joanna Mann? Oh, I thought you said to want a man is a movie. No, Joanna Man.

I don't know who that is. Joanna Man is a movie. No Will not get made today. Um It's a guy who... fails in the NBA so he Pretends to be a woman so he can play in the W.

Oh, so it's like the ringer. Kind of.

Well, yeah, I suppose. But okay, sure, sure, sure, sure. Yeah. I don't know. I think what I was saying is I think Jimmy Haslam.

Bought in. And fuck, he's 65 years old. James Haslam bought in. Thank you. He bought in to win a title and then they backfired.

I think he's just in this for an investment, and somebody else can do the work. He can win a title. Jimmy Haslam, James Haslam, Jim Haslam is not in the day-to-day operations. of what the bucks are doing. I just no matter, no matter what sky Paul Henning wants to think is falling.

The Jimmy Haslam takes do not interest me. The continued takes about Giannis' post-game presser after they lost to the heat do not interest me. I just, it's, it's, it's Wisconsin sports fandom. We want to convince ourselves to care about these things that just don't matter. It's the fucking long snapper every year.

It's a whoa, we got a long snapper. Or you had Puntergate, which I know is sarcastic, but you know that people in the state eat stuff like that up. It's like, we got to talk about Jack Coco. And if and if he's going to be able to snap the ball, we got to talk about Jimmy Haslam, James Haslam. Or, you know, my YouTube is Ryan Wood from earlier this week.

is my third most watch interview already behind only Clay Thompson. And uh Cody Rhodes, and we're talking Packers in the offseason. Just go Packers all the time. Why am I talking Bucks as much as I do? I don't know.

What happens? This is what happens to Congress people. I have good intentions to talk Bucks. And then I realize that the only way to make money around here is to talk Packers. And Congress people have good intentions to change the world.

And then all these people are like, hey, but if you like. Don't vote for this, we'll give you $9 million. And also, you get to control the laws that affect the stock market. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know what I just stepped back into, but sorry for disappearing for a few minutes.

You're all good. You're all good. Can I move on to my next box one? I'd love you to. Bye next.

You have any comments about James Haslam? Yeah, I don't know where I would have gone with that. I'm not worried that his impact will be. Yeah. I mean No.

And by the way, he's not going to be the governor of the team for a while. Right. So I think he was the governor this year because then he could have held the trophy.

Now I think it goes back to Eden's. Oh.

Okay. Um What what gas station does he own again? Loves pilot pilot pilot J pilot J's. It's not pertinent. I just I just can remember.

Continue. Oh, also, once again, people that fetish over gas stations are fucking losers.

Alright, I have one more Giannis one for you. Um It kind of on the tail of what we're talking about. I'm curious what your reaction will be even to the topic, but. You are very confident. Giannis finishes his career in Milwaukee.

You are very confident. We were talking about Dirk. This was an unintentional, it was almost a beautiful segue that we would have had when we were talking about Dirk. You are very confident Giannis finishes his career in Milwaukee. He's controlled.

Or Grant. I don't think Giannis wants to leave. I think the Bucs will have to force him to leave. You know what I mean? Like when people they get to age, you know, 40, 50, they've been with the same company for a while, kids are in school, their company, like they don't want to leave their job.

They don't want to relocate. They don't want to do all that stuff. I don't think Giannis wants to leave. I think the Bucs will have to. Force him.

Right? By letting things get so bad to where he has no choice. Like Dame in Portland. Yeah. Like they've been bad for too many years in a row, and now he's getting ANSI.

Very, very confident in his tough, but I. I'd say it's as close to even money as you could be for a player sticking with a team for his whole career, which doesn't happen almost ever.

So I would very confident strong, but I'll say a meek and mild, mm-hmm. Actually, pretty opposite. Art Winkler. I would say that um Do you not know what Bucky's is? I do.

Four. Uh only loosely familiar. I've seen it. I'm just doing gas station humor. That's what I thought it was.

Yeah. I'm I'm real predictable actually. I do the same shit all the time. Bless you. Very confident that Quick Trip will remain in Wisconsin and continue to block out multiple gas stations for the rest of Giannis' career.

Mm-hmm. I don't know that I'm very confident. I think. Mm-hmm. I don't know.

People are panicking about Giannis again, two and a half years. Can I say this instead? Uh I hope he stays, but if he doesn't, fine. Yeah. If I would have come to you.

With even like the meekest suggestion. I want to be very clear. If you're John Horst, let me ask you this question.

Okay, let me do it this way. If you're John Horst, are you sleeping easily at night? without any concern. You're going to wake up. I don't have any concern that Giannis is going anywhere, no matter what Winder says.

Oh, no, no, forget the Windhorst or whatever else. But, like, how easily do you think if you're John Horst, you're sleeping? With any concern that you're gonna wake up to a Giannis text that says, I'm not for this anymore. Is there you have zero concern about that if you're John Horst or you know whatever? I think there's two and a half years in his contract.

Why do you say and a half? There's, I mean, it's two more seasons. I think what I meant, you're right. I don't know why I said that. Why did I say that?

I don't know. What fuck day do I think it is? You've twice that two and a half years, two and a half years left. I think I'm counting the player option as a half.

Well, he will opt out of that option. Yeah. So there's two years left. Yeah. Oh, well then maybe.

I mean, I would not, I'll answer, I would not be sleeping like comfortably. After what just happened, I absolutely must get the coaching hire right as John Horst. And even then, Like what I do with Brooke and Middleton and Drew and the rest of the world. Yeah, but I think that Jack, I would be sleeping on the edge of my. Seats.

I'm not sure. I'm so hyper. He did it. He got Giannis. Having Giannis signed this contract that he's in right now.

Makes it more likely he'll sign the next one. Ooh, I don't like that take at all. I mean, I like the, I wish I agreed with it. I don't agree with it. I don't know how one.

Well, like you said, he's here. He's familiar. And I do like what Sparky said yesterday on the show, which, if you haven't checked it out, You know where to find it. I. He says like everything he thinks of now, he's thinking my dit, my kids are gonna see this someday.

Sure. And so the decision about Where to sign the next contract. Is going to be based on what's best for my kids. Sure. And how do I want my kids to view that?

So, I would think that that leads him to stay in Milwaukee. Also, he's got, you know. He's been here forever. Like, Rogers didn't want to leave. If we're going to keep tossing these guys back and forth.

But then eventually. He was He was not wanted.

So now he wants to leave and he's going to be reinvigorated. I can't believe I have to waste my Black Friday on that fucking game. What else are you going to do? Jets Dolphins is the Black Friday game. Everyone's coming over.

We know this already. How did this happen? They're like trickling the announcements.

Okay. Jaguars play Back-to-back weeks in England, which is a super test drive for an NFL Europe division. My only question is who are the jaguars? I think I said it just fine. I'm forever going to just do that to you, but yeah.

Well, and then I'm going to forever text Grant after these saying, fuck Paul. Yeah. Yeah. And then I'll say, oops, Bart, I think you put this into the group chat.

So you seem like you're worried he's going to leave. Hold on. I'm just telling you, maybe this is more about my personality. I'm telling you, if Giannis, so if Giannis like wakes up and says, I want out of here, that's going to suck. But if the contract comes up and Giannis decides, all right, Milwaukee, we had such a special time.

I got you a title. I have new things I want to explore in this one life I have. What am I supposed to do about that?

Well, my question is: just how comfortably you're sleeping as the general manager, team president, whatever.

So, it seems like because they won a championship, you are at ease regardless. Is that a fair?

Okay, yes. And then, to answer your question, I'm like. I don't know. I mean I'm not that worried about it.

So Here's my thing. There's been no indication of anything that Giannis is going to want to be gone. Right. I totally agreed. Wind horse stuff aside.

Why should I worry about that? The only thing is the Bucs over the next two years. Have I don't think there's like a middle ground to do. Horse will probably plan to do everything he can under the assumption that he's not guaranteed a future with Giannis. Which I don't like.

I think he should look to expand. The window. Hmm. And not like think, like, okay, I have to do everything I can to maximize these next two years. Can they re-sign him now, or is the NBA you got you?

No, not yet. I think they can do it next offseason. They could do like an extension to his because of the player option and all that. They can't do anything about it right now. Um So Yeah, I don't know.

Maybe again, this might be more about my personality, but I would be a little bit worried. And I know the one thing that Grant and I will definitely disagree on, because, like, with Grant, you're always like, hey, let Corbin Burns play out the entirety of his contract. Then, if he walks, he walks. Whereas me, with Burns and with Giannis, if I have a. Pretty strong idea that said superstar is not going to return.

You have to, you have to get stuff back, even if you don't get the full entire like.

So, Bart's your thing of like, hey, if he does the two more years and then he opts out and he says, Hey, Milwaukee, it's been great, but I'm going to try something else. And the Bucks. In this horrendous hypothetical, get nothing back. You will suck for a decade. If you, like, if Giannis were to just leave one day as a free agent.

You are fucked for a decade. You can't recover from that. You've traded all your future draft picks. You have nothing on your roster that's young. It would take an insurmountable amount of time for the Bucks to recover from that.

So that's why. John Horst, for me, like if I'm not sleeping very well, because I have a delicate dance that I have to go through right now. John Horst, he's going to have if Giannis leads, he's going to have less pressure to win than he does right now. He's going to be made in the shade. Oh, I couldn't disagree more as we get further from our 95% agreement rate.

I think a lot of Bucs fans, the first year that Giannis is gone and the Bucs suck, you know how happy a lot of Bucs fans are going to be that they can afford tickets again and that the Pfizer is going to feel like the old Bradley Center. People are going to be fucking over the moon to have a shitty team. See, but the good thing is, and you want to keep doing like the Rodgers analogy. comparison. They had a new plan for the past three years.

Like they've been preparing for the exit. If you're not prepared for the exit and then the exit comes unexpectedly, You did not do your job as the general manager, as the president of basketball operations. You know what I mean? Like, that's why Goudekins deserves a ton of credit. Is like, he kind of did the Golden State Warriors thing.

Like, he had the varsity team and then he built the JV team, which did not work. It did not work. But they also did not win championships in the meantime. They tried to build the varsity in the JV, and they still won a title. Despite the JV team not panning out.

So, um, Any other thoughts on Giannis? I didn't know. I didn't know where this would go. I'm surprised they have as strong of Feelings as I do. I'm surprised my feelings aren't that strong.

I mean, Giannis, Giannis is like the one connection that my kid, he knows Giannis. I can show him a picture of him, not even a basketball jersey, and he knows Giannis. And I don't want him to leave. I want Giannis to be here forever so that my kid can see how great he is. I just.

For me, I mean, I just want Giannis to do what's best for Giannis. I hope that's Milwaukee. I don't, like Bart, have strong thoughts on this, but Bart saying jaguars did make me think of something else. Would we like to hear a 30-second clip from April 2nd, 2021, from the archives, a la cone roller? Do you guys enjoy this?

I have a clip. Horbot's talking, by the way. Horvot's trying to say something. Maybe wins five. Maybe he's Mohai.

to tell me how to pronounce jaguars. I don't care. I don't care. There's so much going on in the world. There is so much going on in the world.

It is a struggle to get out of bed some days. That's great. I mean, I'm right. Yeah. Especially in August of twenty twenty one, you were real.

Yeah, Jesus. Anyways. I don't know. I think Bart's brought up the honest stuff, and he said this before: I don't want to. I don't want to pre-worry for something that might happen.

like yeah paul loves the pre-word no no i don't worry i don't worry at all I plan and prepare strategic outcome. For the absolute worst. That's such a paw immigrant fucking answer. That's such a polyming answer. Why don't you go to the doctor and plan your Disney World trip, Paul?

Like, I just, I don't know. I don't want to. Do you have like a. Like a tree low-key timeline branch. Like, okay, we're gonna on Monday to do this, and we're gonna Tuesday do this.

But if it rains, then this will be the plan. And then we'll make off from this. Oh, yes. Oh my fuck. I just, I think some sports fans, when we talk to a lot of the callers and tweeters, it's like they want to be like, I don't know, Giannis might want to leave.

So in two years, if it happens, they can turn around and say, I knew it two years ago. I told you I said this. I don't care about that. I don't need to be first. I don't need to predict things.

And I mean this very sincerely, though I appreciate the mockery on my behalf because I'm a total weirdo. But like, love. If John Horst Isn't doing those Like alternate paths, and what if X then do Y, and if not Y, then Z. If he's not doing that, It would be malpractice. He is doing that.

So for us to do his job.

So we have to acknowledge, like, As What I hope to be savvy NBA viewers as savvy NBA Bucks viewers. I think it's okay to acknowledge that like if the president of the team Regardless of how comfortable he's sleeping at night knowing about Giannis' future, he's doing that.

So, why wouldn't we feel comfortable to at least discuss that? That scenario, which is a tricky line because it's more about like hot takes and it's more about like, oh, I'm going to be first to worry. And like, that's not, that's not what I'm doing, or at least that's not what I'm intending to do. It's more just about like, hey, if the executives of the team are doing this. We should probably acknowledge it too.

Like, otherwise, we're just being ignorant of the possibilities.

Well, that's why people call you Preparation Paul. That's you are, that's what people, I've heard people call you. Yeah. That's what they say. Yeah, double P.

I think I feel, I think I take that as a compliment. I got two. Things I want to ask or say. One's about sports, one's not.

Okay. So my kid says fuck a lot. Oh no. But he doesn't say it outside of me and him because he knows only to say it when it's us, just us two nasty guys. And you know that your wife can hear you upstairs right now, right?

Well, he says it all the time. Oh, I thought you said just in front of you, but in front of her as well.

Okay. Well, yeah, but really, it's got to be us two nasty guys. Just locker room talk. Oh, boy, I knew that's what you were going to say, Graham. Basement, basement talk.

That's what it is, really. This is from Woj as we're recording. 15-year NBA veteran and ESPN analyst J.J. Reddick has interviewed for the Toronto Raptors job. Wow, interesting.

Oh, those two things aren't connected. I was waiting for you to those two separate things.

Okay. Yeah, there's two separate things. JJ Redick is a male. No one believes that more. than JJ Reddick.

And I like J.J. Reddick, but I don't like when he's like, first take is the. Is the toxin of our sports society, and then he's on it three days a week. Yes. And I also, if we're talking about backlash on people, McAfee needs to cool the fuck down with his Aaron Rodgers defense.

I have tuned him out. I haven't seen it. I blocked. I'm off that corner of the internet. Yeah.

You block me. Because you were doing those memes. Yeah, just brewers tweeting. But then Mac, because I saw McAfee and Rapaport was hosting, and McAfee, there was a report that he's going to be on ESPN now, and then he was doing something like. People are saying something so you know It's something, and then all of his buddies are like, What the who?

And it's like, all right, McAfee, we all know you're fucking going to ESPN. Stop pretending like you're not. Why is he? I'm just surprised he can make a he has a $30 million a year contract, doesn't he? He can't get that at a ESPN.

How is that? I don't know. I don't know, something about He want I think he wants people to fill in for him when he's not there or something. I guess he does have a kid now.

So maybe that's a group of like eight guys. Can none of them fill in? Rappaport's been guest hosting. It's been funny. I like Rapaport.

This is just a belief I have. If you're going to be one of the Stooges, and I say Stooges respectfully. If you're going to be one of the stooges on the show, a Danette, or if you're going to be one of. McAfee's choir boys. At any moment, you should be able to fill in and at least do an hour.

Like, otherwise, what are you? Are you there for sound effects? You're there to like.

Well, that's how I thought Orvont and Toby were, but. Tim Shea can't talk his way out of a traffic stop. And I love Tim, but Tim works in TV now. Like, Tim was never trying to be, like, he was never trying to be statewide big unit Bill Michaels. He was a producer, okay?

He didn't even want to be there. I know. Well, yeah. I think Tim's catchphrase on your podcast is: I have nothing on that. Thanks, Tim.

All right. Did you do your two things? Was the one the woach thing and the other like the your kids saying f-bombs thing? I thought it was gonna be like that would be two of them. That was the two of them.

Reddick swears a lot. Oh, I did want to say that tomorrow we'll have some more voicemails. Um, thanks to Carl's place, carl of et.com backslash Bart. Mm-hmm. Golf simulators galore.

We will also talk Packers' schedule.

So, I'm going to tape that late at night. If any of you two knuckle dicks want to join me, otherwise, I can do it by my loan. Thursday. Thursday night. After the schedule comes out.

Oh, yeah, that's what I meant. Oh, tonight.

Okay. I responded to a tweet six years ago. I can't get fucking bogged down on what day it is currently right now. Also, have you ever talked to? Who the fuck am I having on this week?

I hope it's someone I know. Come on.

Some pfff guy renner. No, he left. Gail? Oh, yeah, he did. Gail left too.

George. Oh, Spielberger? Yeah. You used to have him on the radio show, didn't you? I never had Spielberger on.

I had Bruce Grantkowski on before he went into the coaching. I might have told you about this. I had Renner on once upon a time on my show. Worst interview I've ever done. I I just did one.

Worst interview I ever done was with Matt LaPay. Ooh, what because you were just too nervous, though. I did it when I was in Fondi. He had a book out and I was just like. Telling him that I like to listen to him when I rake leaves.

I never rake leaves, but that's like a rake leaves kind of guy. He's a rake leaves. I had Renner on, tried to hit jokes, all of them missed. It was terrible.

So, like, two years later, I tried again. And I'm like, I'm going to prepare my skull off for this interview. Like, I'm going to, I'm going to nail this interview to the cross. And an hour before, PFF's booking guy texted me and said, Renner's busy. But we can give you Spielberger.

And Spielberger is like a contract guy, like really good contract guy.

So I'm scrambling. I was trying to find preparing for a contract talk is tough. You need to. I don't know anything about them.

So that's good for me because I. Write down the facts and the figures and the way that contract like he's he's unbelievable when i ask him like who's gonna win the nfc north Yeah, yeah, a hundred percent. But like the thing with all those things. He was the biggest cap sheet moving forward. Yeah, like that's the thing with all those PFF guys is they have like just their wheelhouse.

And it like I would always try to like, okay, what can I like, what's the best thing to ask them? But then they pull the rug out from you an hour before the interview. No, now you need to talk to this lawyer about contracts. You don't have to, but. Is he a lawyer?

Spoo? Yeah, I believe he has Esquire in his bio. By the way, Bodhi is, I believe Bodhi passed the bar, so it's Bodhi Esquire as well, which is probably why. he behaves the way he does on Twitter. And I love Bodhi.

Bodhi's a big deadhead. We have a lot of common ground, Bodhi and I. I have two more topics. You want me to get to them? Yeah, I mean, I just got to talk to Brad Spielberger coming up.

Otherwise, my day is pretty free. Depends how many Marvel episodes are in the hopper. I'm watching the Defenders right now where Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Danny Rand, and Matt Murdoch all team up. Matt Murdoch is that a sibling of um What's his name? Lucius?

No, the uh, what the fuck's his name? The oldest kid, Lachlan, Lachlan. That's it. Laughing. Oh, yeah.

Murdock, yeah. No relation. Is pound for pound Matt LePay better than Bob Euchre? Questions? Yeah.

Well, n n now maybe. That's the topic for another day. Pretty damn good. Therapy doesn't like me. I want to Be realistic about Chris Middleton's sign and trade possibilities.

Grant, are you pacing? Yeah, and thank god you want it.

Someone has to be realistic about Chris Middleton design and training.

So, what I want to put it in is: I'm going to give you four that I found on the internet, these are not mine. But I just wanted to see what type of blogosphere folks are like who are trying to get Chris Middleton. There's a Knicks guy who's trying to get him, there's a Rockets guy trying to get him, there's a Pacers guy trying to get Chris Middleton.

So, I just want to see what they would value Middleton for, right? And then, what I want us, from a Bucks perspective, to do is say, Yeah. Or all right, so then I need to go into this thinking. You are breaking the news to me. Yes.

So for those this is not real news. But I need to get into a frame of mind.

So you're right.

So you present it as: hey, I got to stop. This just happened. Can I be the producer? Paul, we have breaking news. Breaking news brought to you by the BetQL Network.

Be smarter and beat the books. Download the BetQL app today. All right, what do we have? All right, and Grant, thank you for doing such a good job with production. I do want your opinion too on this.

Bart and Grant. We're just in the New York Knicks. Have acquired Chris Middleton in a sign-and-trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucs have received Mitchell Robinson. Derek Rose and the Knicks 2025 first round pick.

What are your thoughts? Mm-hmm, or mm mm, this is a good box trade. What pick again? 2025 Knicks first rounder. No, my face froze.

I like Mitchell Robinson, younger, someone. If Brooke is here in the next year or two, someone who can. Rose is on the books for 15 million to do nothing. Rose is nothing. Rose is, as Zach Glow once was, a throw-in.

Can we get someone not named Derek? Can we get someone else? Yeah, they were willing. It looks like in this report, they were willing to negotiate maybe Obi Toppin instead.

Okay. Why don't I sorry, I'm gonna have Mitchell Robinson and Diet Mitchell Robinson. i'm trying i'm trying to get younger with this deal i don't want derek rose that would be um it sounds it sounds like um you mean you mean they didn't they they did us a favor by not including evan fornier All right, so I have more. I don't want to say too much because there's other deals in the pipeline here.

So you're excited about this trade? No. It would seem like a very, we're just trying to get rid of him.

Okay. This is the best we can. Yeah. If you're going to trade with the Knicks, I'm going to need Josh Hart back.

Okay. So, so in this case, keep Chris Middleton, right? I would prefer Chris and see what else.

So, by the way, what I want to present is the alternative to this: the Bucks have re-signed Chris Middleton to a four-year, $195 million deal. Or there's three paths: one, the trade that I'm presenting you, two, the Bucks have resigned him for four and $195. Three, the Bucks let him walk for nothing. I like the new contract of all those things. All right.

Breaking news. Grant, I don't know. Did you see this just come across? Do you want me to do the read again? No, that's okay.

That's right. No, we have a new sponsor. Who is it? Breaking news is brought to you by Bucky's gas stations. Yeah.

Breaking news, guys. Check this out. I don't want to belabor this point. This is a big NBA trade that just came across. The Knicks.

Breaking news is brought to you by Iron Jock. The requirement is: if they give you a free sweatshirt, you have to wear it in every single piece of everything you ever fucking do. I saw a commercial where Wildie and Tausher were singing backup with Gina Della. And uh Uh Willie was wearing an Iron Jack shirt. Also, Gina Della is a Windows salesperson, not a fucking celebrity.

Go ahead. I Breaking new sponsored by Pello Windows and Doors. They won't you over like Windows Selected. This news just came across the NBA TradeWire, the Knicks receive Chris Middleton.

Okay. Wow, they did? They did. What did we get? The Bucs have received.

The 2026 and 2028 Knicks first-round picks, 2026 and 2028. along with Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier, and Derek Rose.

So, I think the highlight here, guys, is the picks and maybe Obi Toppin. And then you have to have some salary filler with Fournier and Rose. I think we get first-round picks after Giannis leaves. Fucking cool. They got two future firsts.

And Obi Toppin, and then some salary fill. This was a good deal for the Bucs. Three years in the future is too far for me to get excited about a first-round pick. One, I may be dead. Two, robots may inherit the earth.

Three. COVID-25 may have shut down the season. We don't fucking know. Two things. No, I'd rather have Middleton at the New Deal.

And two, Why do Knicks fans want Chris Middleton? Chris Middleton is not what they he's not a Respectfully. He can't be a Tibbs guy. He took until April to get into shape. And Tibbs is supposed to run these guys in hard defense.

And the Knicks want it more, seemingly, than other teams, except for in this series. Chris Middleton is, I've never described Chris Middleton as a guy who's. He's not a heat culture guy. He's not a Tibbs guy. This is not a good fit for the Knicks.

Yeah, they're really trying to get him, these Knicks bloggers.

So, by the way, I just want to say I'll answer both of these two Knicks proposals. No, re-sign Middleton. You can do better down the road. With you know whether West you know like even if he becomes a Russell Westbrook sized Salary cap disaster. No.

So both those deals are bad. I agree with you on that.

So to both of those.

However, this just in the Pacers. Have traded for Chris Middleton.

Well, the Bucks get back. Two first round picks, they're still negotiating the years on these.

Okay. Buddy healed? Daniel Tice and Erin Neesmith. Two first-round picks: Buddy Heal, Daniel Tyson, Aaron Nismith to the Bucs for Middleton. You guys like this kill?

Too excited. Heel's going to be 32 and is an unrestricted free agent.

So he's got one year left on his deal.

Okay. Nee Smith and who's the other? You know how bad Bucks fans are down right now? I saw a tweet yesterday that says, Holy fuck, I forgot all about Hugo Basson. We need all the shooters we can get.

Okay. I got excited about it. Hugo Basson can wait. Middleton just got traded to the Pacers. Oh.

For what again?

So, actually, it turns out it's actually the Pacers' first-round pick this year, which is in the late lottery. Nah, pass. Yeah. And Grant? What does Giannis want?

He wants to win.

Okay. That's not No. I'm not ex I'm not accepting that answer from Yannis. I I'm not no no no no no. Would you How badly do you want back Chris Middleton after what happened this last year?

I won't leave or stay as a result of this trade. Ay, Giannis. Th this this trade doesn't influence me staying long term one way or the other. I'd just take Chris Middleton back. Me too.

Yeah, I don't want to do that. All right, the fourth and final one. The Houston Rockets have a bunch of cap space. Mm-hmm. They do not need to take back, like, so the Bucks with the 48 and Rose thing, that's salary fill, because those teams are over the cap.

Same thing with guys like Tice and the Pacers being over the cap. I have a fourth and final, this trade just came in. What?

The Houston Rockets. With cap space. Have just Traded for Chris Middleton in the sign and trade with the Bucs. The Bucs got back. Jalen Green.

The Bucs didn't have to take as much salary back because the Rockets had space to take Middleton in. The Bucks get twenty one year old former number two overall pick from two years ago, Jalen Green. This is a good trade for the box. Mm-hmm. Or mm-mm.

Sure. Can I just say The Houston Rockets. I absolutely love this experiment. This is fun for me. As a fan of the league, Paul.

The Houston Rockets, if they were to. Bring in some combination of James Harden, Jalen Brown, and Chris Middleton to go around what they have. Ime Doka's coach, Robinson, pretty fucking sick. That'd be a cool team. I'd watch that team.

I don't know. How out are we on Jalen Green? I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm not out. I'm not out.

He's been pretty disastrously bad for two years. But he's a 21-year-old, super, like, always was a top, McDonald's all-American type guy, top of his class. He's in a terrible situation with a coach that just got fired. The result had been bad. For Jalen Green, but I'm definitely, definitely not out on the future of Jalen Green.

Can I get a pick too? Maybe one pick? Yeah, 22. How long is Twitter going to say from Earth when I tweet? I don't get why that's a thing.

Elon, because he's gonna tweet from Mars and be like, duh. Also, is this Tucker is Tucker moving to Twitter a bigger thing? For the landscape of the way Twitter works and is financed, than most of us like to admit. I feel like, oh, he's doing Twitter spaces, which is funny. I love Twitter spaces, but I.

I don't know. No, but he's doing video, right? Different pot, different pod. I don't know. He's not just doing Twitter spaces.

Well, I know, but his show is going to live exclusively on Twitter. Yeah, but like how's my grandma gonna watch it? I don't know. It's a good question. My grandma, she can turn off her TV.

Three weeks later, there'll still be the Fox News logo burned in the retina of the screen. That's why they got to make it move. Right. How is she going to watch Tucker? Sign her up for Twitter.

This is a pretty strange conversation considering this mega NBH rate that just happened. I Look, if Giannis does not pound to the table and say, I want Chris Middleton or else, that's something you'd have to look into.

So, this is your favorite one, though. Both of you. Oh, yeah. This is the best one by three shakes of a Tucker Carlson. You can swing a dead cat around the NBA and find yourself a Nie Smith.

Daniel Tice trade. If I'm going for it and I'm trading Middleton, I need to think that there might be a. There might be a boom potential. It could be a bus potential. If Bobby Toppin got hurt before game five, I just.

Go down to the New York Y and throw a topping jersey on a guy and be like, hey, you're Obi Toppin now. Come on.

Yeah, I would 100%. And I You guys like when I test these out on people? Yeah. I did not get a favorable response to this trade from my uh my buddies. But are they natural or do they know ball?

Oh, hardcore basketball guys. Yeah. Interesting. Big NBA guys.

Okay. I would do this for the bucks. This is the only one that I would do. I think Jalen Green in the right system would be electric in a system. What better system to come to than here where we have no system?

The system is what you make it, Bart. Yeah, the system is what the system comes from within. Look, the system is the system, okay? It is.

So, are the bucks in a rebuild, or are we revamping, or are we reloading, or are we recuperating? Reloading, refueling. I think that whole debate is absolutely ridiculous. We are regurgitating. Bad ideas.

We are.

So I want to say this about that real quick. Oh, geez. Andy Herman and Peter Bukowski earlier in the week started talking about: are we going to rebuild or not? And Peter's doing videos on it and that. And this is great content.

And, you know, both of these guys are friends of show, and that's terrific. And then Packer fans talk about it. They have big followings. Let's discuss it. Totally fine.

Matt Schneideman writes an article about it. Do your own damn work, Schneideman, you fuck. Fine. What do you mean? You're the beat, right?

You're supposed to be telling us shit, not what us dummies are talking about. Guy flies in New York so he can ask, Aaron, I'm here. Fuck you. You flew to just do Gelb's show. Yeah, but Delta 4 is one.

Go force one.

So, do you know people thought People are because I go to Snapchat now and there's SnapMaps. And, like, I just take a picture that a tourist did, and then I crop it, and then I tweet it.

So it looks like I'm there.

Okay. All right. Um, I have one last topic, and it's so, anyways, I just do one more because then I have to talk to uh Brad Spielman.

So all I wanted to say with the Middleton trades was to give other was to give an idea. From other NBA fan bases who are trying to get Chris Middleton and what they're giving up. And I think for the most part they're giving up total shit. Yeah. Except I really do like the Rockets idea.

Other teams want Middleton, but they're really not willing to give up much, at least in these examples. They shouldn't be. What did what what did the What did the Pelicans give up for C.J. McCollum? I d I don't uh was it was a I mean there are peop I'm trying to remember exactly what it was, but like The idea was that They gave up a lot.

Like the context was: well, that's a lot for C.J. McCollum. Like, Anyway, I want to ask one NFL question and then you can talk to Brad. Spielberger. He's from Chicago, by the way.

Little Chicago. Little Intel. He's a Bears fan. Oh, cancel it part. Mm-hmm.

I guess Portland traded, gave up Josh Hart, young prospects, and three future draft picks. Oh, they gave up Tony Snell. Tony Snell was in the season. Contract throw-in Tony Snell. Thomas Zatarang.

You know that Chicago comes from the name. Chicago. which means striped skunk.

Okay. I did know that, yeah. I I didn't. I is that I don't think he's telling the truth, but I mean, it's hard to tell. Chicago, yeah, that's stripes striped skunk or onion.

Early explorers of the Great Lakes realized there were a lot of wild onions growing in that area. That's what the movie Holes is based on, I believe. That actually starts to make sense now. The wild onions.

Okay. Paul, you had one more he said? One more. And this might lead nicely into your Thursday night show.

Okay. The NFL schedule release. is a big deal. It's an important thing to talk about. Oh yeah.

Or mm-mm. Mm-hmm. And I'll go first, Bart, and then I'll let you cook, unless you really wanted to jump in here. No, mine's sizzling.

Okay, sizzle. I can't wait to talk about this on my show tonight because we're going to go through the schedule. We're not going to win-loss it, but I'm going to point out which games are what games because we've got-you're not going to know the full thing by your show. Shut up. At some point on my show, I'm gonna go through and I'll be like, okay, this is the beautiful Saturday afternoon game where it's sunny.

This is the game we're going to listen to while we're raking our backyard. This is the one we'll listen to in our deer stand. This is, you totally, yeah. And then I know my aunt and uncle and my mom and dad want to go to Vegas as a foursome to go watch the they've never been to Vegas, they want to go see the Packers.

So this stuff matters. I don't want to win losses, I want to talk about like. the fun stuff. Like like that. Oh.

Bart, the NFL schedule release is a big deal, a big topic. It's important. Mm-hmm. Or mm-mm. Yeah, I'm not gonna say it's not.

Like what if you weren't in the business of content generation? Like does it change your opinion at all? I mean, it dictates what you're gonna be doing for seventeen Sundays. Or Thursdays or Fridays or Saturdays or Mondays. Yeah.

And for me, I want to go to either Pittsburgh, Vegas, or Denver. I'll organize a trip.

Now, I do have some weekend conflicts coming up with my PA job.

So, will my friends be like, hey, we want to go to Vegas? And I'll be like, actually, I can't that day. Forward Madison is hosting Union Omaha. And I need to do reads for Madison Gas and Electric.

So I am, it is a big deal. Also, but you know, I was talking to a reference Sparky again. He's like, it's a big deal because if the schedule's hard for Jordan Love, that's gonna, I don't give a shit about that. Mm-hmm. I I just remember that one year the the Packers really did get screwed when they had four out of five on the road.

You're ridiculous for calling me ridiculous.

Well, the season, I'm so glad you played. That was one of the, I remember such a great clip. Like, they had what was it, four, four in a row or four or five to open the season at home, but that's when your legs are fresh. Like, any team can play on the road for the first couple of weeks. Middle of the season's ridiculous.

I'll tell you as a former beach writer I was always a little bit confused. About like the big dealness of the scheduled release. And the NFL, in those seven years since I've left, has only made it like more of a deal. Like, with the I've always so, like, I think what I'm appreciating more and more as I get further removed from Beat Rider Land is the number of people who are making scheduling decisions for their lives. Five to Nine months in advance.

And so I wanted to book Lambeau Field for a wedding on Tuesday. New Year's Eve. And we couldn't book it until the schedule came out. And I said, there's no way they're going to play on a Tuesday fucking night on New Year's Eve. And she said, we can't do anything until the schedule's out.

So if that's like if that's that. You know, people you you can't God, you can't book weddings when sports could even be in contention.

So I think the schedule release is uh. It's more of a green bay thing. It's a chance for the people. Would you wait? Would you wait to see where I'm going?

This is how I see it. The people who live, at least in our state, the people who live in Green Bay and have season tickets love getting to chime in on schedule release day. They'll be like, oh, noon start time, gonna have to. Get up earlier. Oh, well, 3:15.

Oh, Kroll's is really going to be fucking like, I don't know. That's always the vibe that I get. It's people in Green Bay and who have season tickets who like talking about these specific things of actually going to games. Whereas, you know, the majority of the people in the state. are actively there.

Well, I don't know if parts left us or not, but. Turn off his camera. Yeah. I didn't know you were on the beat, Paul. Really?

Well I mean, the media starts with me.

So, I, and there is an I in media, but I didn't know that you, yes, you were with Fox Sports. I'm messing with you. Oh, I didn't know if you were serious or not. Yeah. No, I remember.

I remember your hits with Radio Joe and Bill. I used to listen in high school. It was very good. Yeah, but that was, yeah, that was, you know, that was like. side work.

People got mad at Paul for that. What do you mean? Wha why did they get mad? Other beat writers. We're mad at Paul.

Oh.

For what? I'm trying to even honestly remember. That you would come on. That's why they had to change you from insider to analyst. Oh, that's right.

Cause they're like Paul's not even fucking here anymore That was later though. That was post twenty 16. I would still, so yeah, this is super duper. It would drive me nuts when Eric Baranczik would come on. 'Cause he was just some guy that paid to go to the games and watch the games.

I always thought that was a bit odd. He's like, yeah, 87 had a good route, then 53 had a great tackle. Say their fucking name, Eric. Yeah. From twenty eleven until twenty sixteen, I was There every day.

Okay. Well, I guess we follow each other. I should not be so mean. Phew. Call him a hack.

Yeah, in six years y you guys will have it out. The guy never responded to me. That's all I had prepared today. That was killer. Yeah, killer episode.

Preparation Paul comes through again. What was the highlight of this episode, do you think? Does anyone have a moment to clip? I don't know if I have a moment to clip, other when I just took my shirt off and nobody fucking noticed it. You had your camera off.

What did you want me to say? I thought Paul's this senior member of this group. I was waiting for him to react.

Now it's going to play off of him. Did I not see this? I took my camera off, had my shirt off, put my camera back off. It was just sort of like a split second. Yeah, that's not clippable.

I like For me, the standout is the reactions to the Middleton trains. Yeah, but then I went on some weird tangent about Gina Della. I was going to say, I know one part that you cannot clip, and that is that part. Please don't clip that. I just she's all over the fucking place.

It's like she's off. Aren't you? You're all over the place. We all are. We're promoting our stuff.

Yeah. Yeah, but I just question like. Does she want to give me better windows or does she want to be a celebrity? She wants to give you, they have very good windows. The best way to like gruber, it's just you know gruber's.

She wants to be what Gruber is, but Gruber's already that. I see. Like, if I start going to the Bucs games and dying my hair green and doing a wave, like that's already Dr. Dave. You can't be that guy.

There's lots of commercials on TV. There's multiple people are allowed to be in commercials. Yeah, but there's one inherent Milwaukee celebrity. Person based on their ads alone, I didn't even know she was from Milwaukee, she could have been from Madison, Eau Claire. If she was from lacrosse, I'd know, but.

I didn't I didn't know she was from Milwaukee. I th I think you're I think you're grasping at straws here. Aren't I always Yeah! What were your moments? All right.

Formal invite to Jason Wildie to come on the pod so we can shit on Greg together. Maybe that's what I'll clip. I'll clip that. I'd rather you just did a sports thing.

Okay, sir. Maybe I maybe I'll put nothing. Um Just take a screenshot. There you go. Of us do, like, it looks like we're saying something insane, but really, it's just us posing at the end of the episode.

And then they get here and they're. they realize. Like when Schefter broke the news of the Rodgers trade. Everybody everybody do something right now. Yeah.

Shift command for. Got it. There you go. So, if people want to know why we're making these faces, they have to listen. And it'll take them an hour and 28 minutes.

To figure out what it is. I gotta go. The episode is over. Goodbye. For the ones who work hard to ensure their crew can always go the extra mile.

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