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So book your test drive for Polestar 3 today at Polestar.com. This is The Rich Eisen Show. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. And amongst the large crowd, the big heart of his wife Ellen beats a little faster. Strike three calls!
Strikeout number 3,000 for Clayton Kershaw. If there's any human being that deserves that sort of moment, it's him. Earlier on the show, Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler. NFL Network Insider Tom Pellisero. Coming up.
Senior writer for Sports Illustrated, Chris Manix. And now. It's Rich Eyes. Hour number three of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Fun show already.
Tom Pellisero of NFL Network, Spencer Rattler of the New Orleans Saints. If you missed it, we re-air on the Rich Eisen Show Roku Sports Channel. I should mention this as well because we had a caller call before Adobe in Minneapolis saying she got Roku for this show, which touches us for sure. And she's saying, hey, is your show going to stay on on the Rich Eisen Show Fast channel later on in the fall? And the answer is, we're hoping to.
But the bottom line is when we move our show to the Disney. Uh, Walt Disney Company, and we don't talk about it that much on the program. Uh, it happens in September. Uh, Disney Plus is available right here on the Roku.
So if you have Roku, We're not going anywhere. Exactly.
Okay, because the Roku portal has everything. Everything.
Okay, and that's. Part of the reason why we love being on Roku.
So you got everything, and it includes us.
So we're not leaving the Roku portal. 844-204-Rich is the number to download on the program. Look who's here to kick off hour number three, our friend from Sports Illustrated and DeZone, wearing a Balboa versus Creed Bicentennial Superfight t-shirt. Notice Manix. Off-season Manics is in full effect, Richard.
Well, maybe, though, at the NFL network, we don't refer to the off-season. We refer to it as the non-playing season. Ah, no, I'm going to go with off-season because I want to be off for a period of time. I know what you want. But, you know, the news keeps on churning now in the NBA.
I think the way the NBA set it up, though, is that. In the next couple of days, it's going to taper off considerably.
Well, of course, they want to get it to Summer League, which starts on the 10th. But we are getting to the tail end of the busy season and the NBOF season.
Well, the big names, if you will, like Durant. Um he got traded and Giannis There were trades involving his team, but not him. And I want to get to those in a second. And the Knicks hired Mike Brown.
So there's a lot of empty boxes that have been checked over the last few days, that is for sure. But the week essentially began with the news on Monday. Um From Rich Paul, LeBron's agent and the clutch sports CEO. I'm wondering what your interpretation of the statement of LeBron wants to compete for a championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future.
He understands that, but values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Genie Buss, Rob Palinka, and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career. I was saying on Monday that if you had handed me that statement without information as to whether LeBron had opted in or out. I would have said after reading that statement, he's opted out. But he has in fact, with conjunction of that statement, opted in.
What's your two cents on all of this?
Well, my first reaction was: it struck me that LeBron wants to have his cake and eat it too. He wants to collect the $53 million, which he's entitled to, which, by the way, he's worth three times that to the NBA and the Lakers organization. And he wants the Lakers to do right by him if he decides he wants to play somewhere else. Look, LeBron could have opted out and made $15 million per year anywhere. Could have made more in some situations.
15, 15, 1-5, anywhere, right? Like a lot of teams don't have the financial flexibility of a Brooklyn or a Detroit at one point.
Some teams might have only been able to offer that kind of high exception that's available.
So he could have done that, but he wants to get paid and he wants to collect the full amount of his contract.
So I read that as him saying, or as his team saying, all right, yeah, we're going to opt in. We're a Laker right now. But in the weeks and months ahead, if this Team doesn't look like it's going to compete for a championship. We are certainly hoping that Genie Buss and Rob Palenka are collaborative with us and try to find a destination that LeBron would want to be at.
Okay, so this is a I I'm entitled to 50 some odd million. This is the only spot where I can get it that has a chance to win a championship. you know Right now. But Improve the team. Otherwise, I will then walk in your direction and say I want out, and hopefully, you will collaborate.
That's your read of that statement. That was my read of that statement, yes.
Okay.
So is DeAndre Ayton, in your estimation, being dropped out of the sky by the um Portland Trailblazers buyout gods. Is that something that you think is? A step in that direction. I think it's a step in that direction. I think it's a small step in that direction.
The Lakers, to me, right now, are an incomplete on their offseason because I do think there's more to come with the Lakers. They've got some expiring contracts on their roster that they can deal. They've got some draft capital that they can still deal. Remember, they rescinded that deal for Dalton Connect at the trade deadline last year. They still have the assets that were part of that trade.
And they've got Austin Reeves. If they, you know, and Austin Reeves, I think, has the potential to be an all-star, but there is some overlap in the skill set of Austin Reeves and Luca Doncha.
So I think there's still more to come with the Lakers. But thus far, the offseason I think has been underwhelming. You know, you're basically flipping Dorian Finney Smith for Jake Laravia. With all respect to Jake LaRavia, that is a step back. Jake Laravia is a backup type of player.
Dorian Finney Smith has proven he is a starting caliber player. You bring in DeAndre Aiden. I would agree with people that would say that DeAndre Aiden was the most talented of the crop of free agent centers that was out there. That doesn't mean he's the best fit. Like, DeAndre Aiden has been a lob threat, sort of, in Phoenix when he played with Chris Paul, but DeAndre Aiden.
Is primarily a post-scorer. Like he wants the ball in his hands. That was kind of what caused some of the friction with him and the former Phoenix Suns coaching staff there.
So you're bringing in a low-post scorer to play with LeBron and with Luca, who are guys that are ball-dominant players. I don't think it's a round-peg, roundhole type of fit. I've seen some of the. The Lakers now have the number one and number three pick in the 2018 draft. I love that.
I do love that. But to me, it's going to be an interesting fit with a guy that plays a way that I don't think complements LeBron and Luca in the same way a Clint Capella. Would compliment them, more of a rim running type of guy. Brooke Lopez, a three-point shooter who's used to being the third or fourth banana on a winning team. Like, those two players to me would have been better natural fits.
Okay.
So, but Lopez signed with the Clippers. That's weird, man. Like, he got basically a one-year deal with the Clippers. You're letting. I don't like that.
That felt like the one that got away for the Lakers. Like, you know, they seemed focused on getting the replacement for Finney Smith and La Revia. I feel like La Revia would have been out there or available if you're going to offer him that type of money. I thought a center. Should have been a priority.
And Lopez to me just makes a lot of sense. He's shooting threes, though, right? I mean, don't you need, if you're the Lakers, you need somebody who's stationed down low? Certainly. You know, you think I don't know, you tell me.
No, I mean, I think you want as much floor spacing as you can get. When you have two guys that operate in space as well as any two players in the NBA, Getting more shooting, getting more floor spacing has got to be a priority. The Lakers, look, they emphasized this last season under J.J. Redick, getting their three-point attempts up, providing LeBron at that point with more shooters. Brooke Lopez can do that.
Like, he's a depreciating player. He's in his late 30s right now. But I like the fit of Brooke Lopez in L.A. more than I like the fit right now of DeAndre Aiden. All right, Chris Mannix here in the Rich Eisen Show.
Let's move to the Bucs now. What happened in Milwaukee? in the last 72 hours. Look, I give the Bucs credit for getting creative here and not being afraid to be bold. And that has kind of defined the John Horst era.
Like, he's been willing to make bold moves, like trading for Drew Holiday, giving up all those assets, trading for Damian Lillard. Like, he's not been afraid to roll the dice. And this is another kind of example of dice rolling. Look, the way you have to look at it is that Damian Lillard was not playing next year.
So you are getting a player that can play in exchange for a player that cannot.
Now, the jury is out on how good Miles Turner is. I have seen a lot of Miles Turner slander out there, Rich. A lot of people. A lot of people calling 29-year-old Miles Turner, who shot 40% from three last season, who helped this team get to the finals, like kind of a slightly better version than Brooke Lopez. Like, I'm not seeing that.
I think Miles Turner is a better version of Brooke Lopez. I think he's got more of a runway to get even better. People point to the finals numbers, and no, they weren't good. And the conference finals numbers weren't great either. But that team, Miles Turner was a necessary ingredient to beat in Cleveland in the second round.
Like he has been a big part of that team's success or was a big part of that team's success last year. Getting him at 29 years old on a reasonable contract, like four years, $100-ish million dollars is not a big number. In today's NBA, getting him on that deal and paying Damian Lillard the most money ever to not play for your team, wave and stretch, that is a good basketball decision for the Milwaukee Bucks. Is it enough to make Giannis wake up in a few weeks once he's kind of got his mind wrapped around, say, I want to be a Milwaukee Buck? I don't know.
We'll see. But I think that was a move that strengthened the team for next year. You think there's still. um some equivocation with the honest? You think He's still assessing or or he's just like you know what I'm a loyal guy.
I'm going to try and make it work in Milwaukee. He'll never ask out. Like, that's the general sense of, like, if he hasn't asked out over a couple of things. He's still not. He's in the middle of the middle.
No, he hasn't asked out. He hasn't asked out because the Bucs have made the moves required of them. Like, would he have asked out if they didn't acquire Drew Holiday and subsequently win a championship in 2021? Would he have asked out if they didn't make the bold move and getting Lillard when Lillard was that was a big deal back then? Like, Lillard wanted to go to Miami.
They swoop in the 11th hour and they get Damian Lillard. Like, every time. The Bucks have even thought he was thinking of asking out. They have made a pretty bold move. At the same time, he has also given a lot of interviews where he has said, I'm not going to be a one-championship guy.
Like, I'm not going to be happy. And I'm just. Paraphrasing here, sort of parsing, but being Dirk Nowitzki. Like, I don't want to just be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for 20 years just to say I played for one team. He wants to win championships.
So I think he's going to look at this Bucs roster and ask two things. One, Is it positioned to win a championship next season? Probably not. Like, even with Miles Turner, their backcourt is pretty weak. Kyle Kuzma didn't show that he was a perfect fit for them last year, but he can go to the front office, have a conversation, say, All right, well, what's the move for next summer?
What are we going to do? How do we make this a championship-level team? I think there is still an assessment going on with Giannis about his long-term future with the team. And then just long-ranging it here into next. Spring.
Is it possible Lillard is rehabbed and ready to go? Like, there could be some. Signing By a team that is on a roll going into the playoffs, looking great. And he can just hop on board, minimum salary, ring chase, and we're going to have a Lillard watch. Around April, in a rare situation?
I don't think it's going to be next season. I don't think it's going to be next season. That injury is usually a full calendar year to get right. And Even if it wasn't, even if he was medically cleared to play in early April, the last thing you want to do, if you're Damian Lillard, is drop yourself into a high-intensity playoff situation because that is a recipe for getting re-injured. Like, I think for Damian Lillard, the focus is going to be the 26-27 season.
Look, there are teams interested in talking deal with Damian Lillard right now, like giving him money to just, he doesn't really need money because he's got the contract, but giving him a deal to rehab with them for the rest of this year and presumably be ready to go in the 26-27 season. Miami has been a longtime destination. Boston has been interested in the past. You just rank the contenders. They're all going to be interested in getting Damian Lillard on a short-term deal.
He and Tatum can rehab together. Hey, you know what I mean? Look, I think Dame, Mike, from my understanding, he's going to rehab in Portland. Like, he's. I did a couple stories on Dame last year and the year before when he got to Milwaukee.
And look, he was engaged as you possibly could be with the team, but it was hard for him to be away from his kids, be away from his family who stayed in the Portland area. I think you're going to see him mostly in Portland. May even see him around the Blazers facility. Not going to sign with the Blazers, but may even see him around the Blazers facility. And then, you know, come the spring, you know, we start talking about where Lillard is the best fit for the 26, 27 season.
Yeah, we were just talking the other day about how these Achilles injuries to. Tatum and Tyrese Halliburton and Dean Lillard. have provided some of the biggest fireworks of the last two weeks based on the way that the teams are looking at their salary cap and their aprons and things of that nature and their abilities to win next year and what they're going to do. Do you think if Halliburton had not popped his Achilles, Forget about game seven, but that that that that's that that's a complete speculation. But do you think the uh Pacers would have re-signed Miles Turner?
I do. Um, the Pacers are among a handful of teams that historically have been pretty loath to go deep into luxury tax territory, don't like paying those tax penalties. But if Halliburton had come out of that game seven unscathed, and if they'd been able to bring back guys like Aaron Neesmith, Benedict Matherin, some of the guys that were either going to be free agents or extension eligible, I don't think they would have blinked at the kind of contract Miles Turner eventually got. Look, they were willing to pay Miles Turner. I think it was, from what I heard, it was like $20 to $22 million per year.
He wound up getting 25, 26, I think, whatever the final number is. I think if Halliburton had been healthy. They would have paid that money, brought him back, and see if they could make another run with that group. Man. And then you see what the Celtics have done, right?
Um What do you think? They held on to Brown. Was that ever a possibility? The way that the Celtics When I talk to teams about the Celtics' mindset on Jalen Brown and Dirk White, it's like you better come with something big. Like, if you don't come with something that's going to blow us away, where we're going to say, you know, it's impossible not to do a deal like this, they're not interested.
They still look like everything for them right now is on 26-27. Tatum's not going to come back next year for the same reasons I articulated with Damian Lillard. And right now, the Celtics, with the way their roster looks like, why would they even consider it? But 26-27, having Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown in their late 20s, having Derek White as the third option in his early 30s, and then having the ability because of some of the flexibility that you started to create by getting right now under the second apron. I wouldn't be surprised, Rich, to see Boston get all the way under the luxury tax threshold before the start of the season.
We could see Anthony Simons be relocated. We could see George Niang be relocated. Sam Hauser be relocated to try to get them all the way under that tax threshold to give them more flexibility in the summer of 2026 when they can start wheeling a dealing. Like they have their own draft pick in 2026.
So if they stink out the joint and wind up in the lottery, that's not the worst thing in the world in terms of adding talent or using that pick to get something else. Everything.
Everything Boston is doing, everything they've done, everything they'll continue to do, is based on the 26-27 season.
Next year is the ultimate gap year for the Celtics.
Okay.
Is there anything more that Ainge liked than going and getting Ace Bailey anyway? I loved it. Loved it. Right. I mean, and I said this before: like when the Jazz got in the fifth pick, they had to get up.
I thought they'd have to move up to get Ace Bailey. I thought they had to. We knew Cooper and Dylan Harper were going 1-2. I thought the Jazz had to get to number three to get to Ace Bailey because he's the only one in that group of players that I thought had franchise player potential. Like he's got kind of a Tatum vibe to him.
And I thought they had to move up and get him. Once he started to slip. You know, I think it was a no-brainer for Danny, for Austin, for Justin Zanik, all the decision makers in that jazz front office. Who cares if he doesn't want to play there? Jason Tatum didn't really want to play in Boston years ago.
He was kind of angling to get to Phoenix. He thought there was better opportunity with the Suns. Danny took him there. Worked out. Hopefully, for the jazz, it works out with Ace Bailey.
It does. Do you guys have any questions for this guy? What's the boxing latest? All right. Where were you guys last week?
Jake Paul was fighting in Anaheim. I expected a live remote from outside. If it wasn't a 60-year-old, we were an interesting title.
Okay.
Is he going to get a real title shot? Did I see that? He is now officially ranked by the WBA. Whose cruiserweight champion is Gilberto Ramirez, who fought on Jake's undercard last weekend.
So he can now officially fight for a title. I don't think his next fight will be a title fight. I think his next fight will probably wind up being more of an event like Mike Tyson was. Like some of these other YouTuber MMA guys have been. Oh, okay.
I just thought he was going to fight a 70-year-old this time. No, no, no. Then we would be doing remotes from out front. Right down the street. I was going to say.
You know what I mean? Like, we'd have gotten complete and total blanket coverage. Has the luster kind of been worn off a little bit on the J. Cole fight show thing? Um I mean, you can't really say that because a year ago they did like 100 million viewers or whatever it was on Netflix against Tyson.
This event in Anaheim, I called the fight for Dazone. Um The live gate was about a million and a half, which is a good number. I don't know what the pay-per-view buys were, but on social media, the interaction was still pretty strong. He fought, like, look, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who he fought and beat. Stinks, but for you didn't even give him with all due respect.
You didn't even like Jake Laravi. I gave him the benefit of the doubt before the fight. Like, he's 39 years old and so far removed from being his best days. But he is a former middleweight champion of the world who has fought against some of the very best in boxing in his relatively recent pro career.
So I give Jake credit for taking on that caliber of opponent this early in his professional boxing career. I just, I don't think he's going to be angling for or ready for a world title shot against one of the established cruiserweight champions anytime soon. All right, Chris, let's talk real boxing.
Okay, sideshow stuff, bro. Canelo Crawford, let's go. Talk to me, baby. Why should we tell everybody why they should be excited about this fight? It's the most marketable fight that you can see in professional boxing.
Terrence Crawford, still arguably number one on the pound-for-pound list. Canelo Alvarez, still the biggest box office draw in the king of the super middleweight division.
So It's the right fight to make for both these guys to make a lot of money. My concern with Crawford is that it's a lot of weight to put on in a short period of time. Terrence Crawford is effectively 147-pounder. Like he has one fight above that and didn't look great in that fight against Israel Madramov last summer in his first fight at 154.
Now he's going up another 14 pounds. And say what you want about Canelo. He's not what he used to be. He's not the destroyer that ran through middleweight and super middleweight. The guy still hits like a mule.
And if you stand in front of him, he is going to hurt you with some of those power shots.
So I just don't know. Look, it's going to be competitive because Crawford's great, but. I don't I don't I just don't see how Crawford Hits Canelo enough. To win a decision. And I certainly don't see Crawford knocking out a fighter with the granite chin of Canelo Alvarez.
Yeah, it's like, you know, back in wrestling, Gorilla Monsoon used to always say: if you take two competitors of equal skill, a big man is always going to beat a little man just because of that size difference. Natural weight for Canelo. And look, everybody's talking about Canelo's age. Crawford's older than Canelo Alvarez.
So I don't know. It's going to be a huge, it's on Netflix. It's at a Legion Stadium. It's going to be wild. It's going to be a great, great scene on Fight Night.
I just think, to your point, the better big man. I would favor it to beat the better smallman. You're not asking the proper question about Canelo Alvarez, so let me do it to wrap this conversation up. How's his golf game? Do you know what his golf game looks like?
I don't know. You were a golfer with him? Did you go to that? I'm going to American Century Championship. I will be in the same field as Canelo Alvarez next week, one of 92.
I won't get in the ring with him, but I will step on the golf course with him. Is he any good? Do you know anything about his golf game? I think he's pretty good. One of the reasons that I thought I could get at least a boxer, you know, I think, you know, certainly with a stableford scoring story.
I don't know your game well enough to say that you can take him yet, but he has held a lot of training camps in Lake Tahoe and in San Diego.
So my guess is he's playing a lot of golf on the side.
So I don't know if he's at a Steph Curry level. Of golfer, which is probably one of the highest of non-golfer athletes. Yes. But I think he's pretty up there. I don't know if Canelo is in the field this year, Rich.
I saw that he is. Oh, I don't see him on the odd sheet.
Well, maybe, I don't know. Maybe they they just don't know. But he was as of last week. We'll see. I never get invited to those things.
I'll let you know. I'm not. It's my first invite in 21 years, so let me get established. I'll see what I can do. You can put a warrior phone.
Yeah, yeah, I'll do it. Thanks for coming in, bro. My pleasure. You got it. That's Chris Mannix, everybody.
Check him out on Disney and, of course, Sports Illustrated. We'll be back in a moment, right here on The Rich Eyes and Show with your phone calls and what's more likely. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy.
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Download the Game Time app today. Last-minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. All right, back here, our phone lines are lit. Let's go to Terzo in Iowa. Our buddy Terzo, all rise.
What's going on, Terzo? What's going on? Line 4. Mind three, Jay. What's up, brother?
Am I a dog with a bone? Do I make you laugh? Funny ha ha. What's going on? Am I a dog with a bone?
Okay, great. I like it. That's the new drop. Great. Rich, I got a couple of things for you first.
You know, I don't have any love loss for the Dodgers. But it was pretty cool seeing Kershaw pull that off last night. My buddy and I were setting an over-under on how many innings we thought that he had pitched to try and do this. I was happy to see Dave keep him in the game as long as he did to allow for that to happen. You know, that's one of those cool sports moments.
I was there for Barry Bonds' last home run. That kind of stuff sticks with you, man. It's freaking awesome. Yeah, I mean, he wanted him to do it at home. You know what I mean?
So, and that makes sense. The place is packed, 53,000. His family was there. I mean, if there's anybody who's got a deft touch using um Using his heart, um, is uh, it's Dave Roberts, you know what I mean?
So. What a moment Dodger stated. Good lord. Another big moment in Dodger Stadium. Uh unreal milestone moment.
And for you, a Giants fan, to give that up. Turzo, my God, are you drunk already?
Well, he's not yet, not yet. Not yet. We'll wait till a little bit later in the hour. You're at Carl's? You calling up from Carl's?
I don't know. Oh, we'll crawl up there. Yeah, we will.
Okay.
The next thing for you, though, for that golf tournament next week, you know, just visualize it. Rely on your muscle memory.
Okay.
You know, speak it into existence that you're going to do well. Thank you. You know, I just don't want you to wing a fan. All right. Thank you, Turzo.
That'll be there and whack it straight. It's a very low bar to set. Don't hurt anybody. Don't hurt anyone. That's a great advice.
Do not hurt anybody. That's by the way. Don't hurt anybody. An admirable goal just in life. Yeah.
That is golf. Every single day. Don't hurt anyone. Yeah, don't hurt anybody. By the way, he almost cut off there.
It was almost like a Penske file moment. You are aware. He's like, here's my advice to you. And it just cut off. I was very close to that right there.
Paulie in Las Vegas, Nevada, wants to chime in on something. What's up, Paulie? Hey guys, how are you? What's going on? Ha ha ha.
Um just uh commiserating a little bit about the Jets toxic coaching carousel, ultimately. Yeah. Um I I just wondered what What is the innate inability that they have to to select these em emotionally unintelligent humans to manage a group of young men. Wow. What makes you think Aaron Glenn is emotionally unintelligent?
Well, I think this is the first man that they've actually They actually have hired that is going to manage, I think, the modern. Yeah. to a higher standard. I'll push I'll let you just push back a little bit, Paulie. I I I of whatever criticisms you may have of Robert Sala, I didn't think emotionally unintelligent would be one of them.
To be honest with you, I mean, you'd speak to any 49er, they run through a wall for him. I I agree. I agree with that as well. But They still let him go, nonetheless. That one, I'm still a bit mystified.
But it's, you know, it's a results-oriented business, I guess. And They were done watching it and um and now He also had the unfortunate Circumstance of being hired by someone else. You know, Woody Johnson was. Was in London in the U.S. Embassy when his brother hired Robert Sala.
So maybe that was a strike against him. But listen, Paulie, I mean, Aaron Glenn has been given a full new slate. They gave him. Free reign to make the decision, which I think was, you know, obviously writing was on the wall for telling Rogers it's time for a new situation. They're going to hand it off to Justin Fields, who I think is this may be his last chance to lead a team going into training camp as the clear number one starter.
If this doesn't work out here, I don't, you know, stranger things have happened. but connected with his old college teammate in Garrett Wilson and the offensive line has improved. Obviously, they've got an incredibly talented running back and a defense that could be. Back up to speed. I mean, that's a good idea.
I don't think they gave Robert Sala a chance. I really don't. I feel that they just do that with their coaching. The Knicks do it. They didn't you know, they finally found a coach that got them as far as they did this year and the same the same issue ha happens, it seems.
Well, are you originally from New York, Pauline? Yes, I grew up on the shore in New Jersey, in Longbranch.
Okay.
And.
Well, it has been a fan since 1970. Wow, okay. That's a real deal. All right. Uh we're just looking for some some purpose, you know, some some coaching purpose.
Yeah. Well, in the meantime, enjoy the a former Jets coach being in Vegas, man. I uh I I think the Raiders are going to be improved, interesting, and and better under Pete Carroll. But thanks for the call, Pauly. That's Paulie in Las Vegas.
Here on the Rich Eisen Show.
Okay, so tomorrow is the 4th of July, and then next week is our. One of our two dark weeks of the season. We usually take one around this time of year.
So, this, what's more likely, is going to have to count. Double. Hit it. What? What's more likely?
Never say never, but never. All right, Christopher, what do you have over there? Hey, everybody. Happy Thursday. Free 4th of July.
Everybody good? Thank you. Hey, Chris. What's up, yo? Hey, man.
Is it more likely either Micah Parsons or TJ Watt get a new deal before August 1st, or one of them misses week one? Neither are missing week one, so I'll go with the first part of it. But I don't think either of them are going to get one before August. I mean A whole month away, dude, with Jerry Jones. Who knows?
Right. Right. I mean, we all knew CeeDee Lamb had to be signed, and we all knew Doc Prescott had to be signed, and CD got done at least. Relatively before the beginning of the season. He did print him for the most money here.
And if I'm not mistaken, Dak signed his contract in Cleveland. right before week one's opener last year.
So, um But neither of them are going to miss week one. Settle down. Just a little bit. Neither of them are missing week one. Personally, I think it's just we know Mike is going to get done.
Do it. Just do it. Do it. Do it. Same thing with TJ Watt.
Do it. You know, let's not have any hold in or hold out for TJ. But I think Maiko is going to show. I mean, At Fnatic's best, that man did not appear to be kite. Concerned.
whatsoever. Yeah, what did he tell you, TJ? He told me just to hold on. Hold on, yep. I told him that there was a lot of noise about me leaving the nation, and he said no.
Did you say Wilson Phillips? I said that. Yeah, I said that one guy was the second time today. Yeah, I said that earlier. Getting this crowd.
I know that there's pain. Doesn't work. Russell Wilson, Jalen Phillips?
Okay, very good. What else you got? What's that, Jeff? That's a hold, but whatever. Not created in America.
Guys, as you see, Super Bowl 60, as we know, is going to be in the Bay Area of Air Revival Stadium. They just finished over $200 million in renovations. Last time, the two teams that played in the Super Bowl there, Broncos and Panthers. Yes, sir. Super Bowl 50.
Is it more likely the Broncos win a playoff game or the Panthers win the NFC South? Oh, I'll take the Broncos win a playoff game. You know I'm high on the Panthers. I had them number three on my top five sleeper team list for 2025. But win the division, that's a tall order, Nordberg.
The Broncos making the playoffs and winning a playoff game, that I believe is more likely. Don't forget, man, Tampa is. Continuing to run it back. And these guys might get longer in the tooth, but they still ball out. Yeah, Mike Evans a year older.
Chris Godwin coming back from the United States. I understand that. But I still think the Bucs are the team to beat in their division. And I think the Broncos can absolutely make the playoffs. And win one this time, that's for sure.
A couple tight ends in the news this week for switching teams, and one of them getting back into it. Who's the tight end in the new spot you'd rather have in fantasy this year? Johnny. Donny Smith or Darren Waller? Darren Waller you take Darren Waller?
Yeah. Look what Johnno did last year. I saw that. In Miami. I know that.
With Arthur Smith, he's got, you know, about 500 yards in the three years. You know what I mean? Not too long. I just come with facts. I come with facts.
I love your Arthur Smith slagging. You love it.
Well, you know, it hasn't been great. I understand. Darren Waller, you're off? You're going to throw him in there and you're going to take him in fantasy? When are you taking them?
Blit. Fire late late, late, like fire late, like around the kicker defense part because he'll be sure. I think so. He'll be sitting there. Good value.
Value. I mean, look, you got to understand. John Du, he's going to be competing with Friar Muth. He's going to be both with Washington. They got the Mount Washington at tight end.
DK Metcalf. I'm just talking about the tight end. I know, but I'm sorry. I think John Du is going to be on like a he's going to be in a wide receiver position sometimes, and Rodgers will find him. Aaron Rodgers will find him.
So, what else? He has a nice, you know, history with tight ends. Right. All right. Okay.
Okay, very good. All right, a few NBA ones here. You know, we've been talking both about these guys a lot, and it doesn't seem like they're going to stick around in their current spots. Who's the NBA great to have a new team next year, LeBron or Giannis? Tough.
Oh, I'd go LeBron more than Giannis. I mean, you just heard Manic sit here say, you know, he wants his money. LeBron wants his money. He's not going to go ring chase for some mid-level extension. LeBron James is many things in this world.
But he's no mid-level extension man. Like, he is not going to be like, oh, you know what I'm going to do? I've got 50 million coming in. I am a billion-dollar person. I agree with that.
What's more likely? He's a billionaire or he's not a billionaire.
Okay, with a B, right? And even with all that money in the world, For him to say, you know what, I want one ring so badly before I get out of Dodge. and figure out what my next Highly successful careers. I'm going to say I'll take somebody's mid-level exception. Hmm.
That's just not what he's gonna do. Yeah, you even like double, you know, and came back to me. You're like 15, 1.5? That's right. I'm like, I thought because he's making 50 now.
Right. He would do 1.5. He's going to opt out of 50 for 1.5.
So it could be Houston's mid-level exception. Yeah. Dallas's mid-level exception? No, no, no. He's LeBron Frigate James.
But I don't know if Giannis is ever going to leave the Bucs. I don't know, man. Seems like he would have left by now.
Well, John Horst is doing everything year in and year out to make sure that never comes to pass. Hey Giannis, look at me. I'm doing something aggressive for you. Yeah. You know?
By the way, he said wave and stretch. For wave and stretch. Wave and stretch sounds like something you do to warm up. Right? Yeah, you're wave and stretching.
That sounds like what I do. That's what I'm going to do to the golf course. But I like this the stretch and cut, right? Yeah. That's the, that's like a Larry David thing.
The curve mode. Oh! Oh, let me grab a plate. How are you doing? You know, I'm getting in online.
It's a stretch and cut.
Okay.
What else? You mentioned the rockets, Rich. Is it more likely... The Knicks win more games next year with Mike Brown, or the Rockets win more games with Kevin Durant. The Rockets.
Had how many wins last year? They were one apart. They were 52. Nick said 51.
Okay.
The Rockets have more wins with Durant next year. I don't know. Jordan Clarkson might be the man, huh? Mike Brown might be the guy. Yeah.
All of a sudden, there's Knicks that Knicks fans are sitting in Madison Square Garden and say, wait a minute, this guy was on the team? He's getting minutes? Who's this person? I didn't know he was on the team. Yeah, he's been there for six years.
Last time he got minutes was when Thibodeau was on the Timberwolves. The Knicks got a former two-time coach of the year, and people are complaining about that. That's because nobody thought that was the guy when they got rid of their guy. That's why. And then they go.
Excuse me. Excuse me. When they fired, just once again, for the people in the back outside in the parking lot, where somebody's car keeps on honking their horn or whatever. Not today, it has to be. During interviews, it hasn't gone out.
It's about to.
So. When the Knicks fired Thibodeau and then knocked on the doors of all the franchises that told them the pound sand or, according to Shams, F off, and hung up the phone. Scarlett is not here today. All of that. Machination.
Nobody thought the entire time it's going to be Mike Brown.
So, with all due respect to all the rings he had as an assistant and his coach of the year resume twice over. To basically say, here's our new coach, it's going to be a letdown, even though. As I said, Nobody, when the Yankees fired Buck Showalter after they had finally gotten back to the playoffs. for the first time since the early 80s. thought, oh, let's fire him for Joe Torrey.
So, Mike Brown is an opportunity. We shall see, but I'm going with Durant Brown. I think there's one person out there who, in their group chat, wrote, Mike Brown, exclamation point, LFG. Like, send it to me. Right.
So, it doesn't exist. It's not that exciting, but it can be highly successful. I'm not sitting here and thinking it's a bad move in that regard. You got one more of them? Yeah.
Is it more likely we see another 3,000 strikeout pitcher in our lifetime? Or Aaron Judge gets the 600 career home run. What are the numbers? Who's closest? All right, so Chris Sale needs a little under 500 Ks, but he's, you know, he's also older and 150.
Yeah, exactly. And Garrett Cole is about 750. Coming off of Tommy John. I'm coming off of Tommy John. Everyone else is.
And judge is, what are his numbers? I don't have his Hall of Fame numbers. Yeah, so Judge Kernhomer is 346. Oof. Man, my heart wants to say judge.
But I would I would go I would go Sale or or Garrett Cole do it.
So if Cole comes back stronger than ever. you know, has a a couple of two or three, four terrific seasons, he could do it. You can get call. He can sniff it. He can sniff it.
Stan has 430. Does he get to 500? I don't know. It'd be cool. He's a good guy.
Joe Carl Santon? Yeah, I think he will. I mean, he finally hit one out last night, and it was a great comeback for the Yankees until Devin Williams dirted one of his airbenders. It was more of a ground bender where the runner on third is a go-ahead run. Great idea.
What else, Chris? Oh, sure. Good morning. Guys, as we know, tomorrow is the 4th of July. And guess who's back?
Joey Chestnut is back.
Okay.
After missing last year with a controversy with the Nathan's people. The all-time Hot Dog King is back, so what's more likely to be the higher total? Hot dogs consumed by Joey Chestnut tomorrow, or the winning score at American Century, which presumably will not be by you, Rich. The winning score, meaning the highest point total.
So last year, Marty's Fish won with 83. And Joey Chestnut's record for hot dogs is 76. Yeah, I will go the American Century Champion. The American Century Championship Champion. Will uh devour the winner's check.
with a higher total. than um Joey Chestnut. It'll definitely be far more aesthetically pleasing to watch the American Century Championship. Marty Fish's swing is much prettier than whatever Joey Chester has. And I just hope on one of my four cracks at 17 in the Pro-Am Thursday and then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday rounds, I will not be dipping anything in the water.
Let's hope not. Before eating it. Wow. Okay.
All right, very good. Good luck. We'll take a breath. Thank you very much. Let's talk O'Reilly Auto Parts, people.
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Where were you when you sent this tweet, Chris? Oh, I mean, was that on a Sunday? Was it a Sunday night? I don't remember. I was probably just at home.
And you just said you're watching the games. If the Eagles make the playoffs, I'll take a bite out of Mike Del Tufo's hat. You said, I will take a bite out of Mike Del Tufo's hat. Eagles have made the playoffs, and you have avoided the inevitable for a week. That ends now.
I just sliced up. A one inch by one inch cutout of Mike Del Tufo's Callaway hat. And I placed it like little Easter eggs into the Half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Take a bite. Here we go.
Here we go. Brockman is taking a bite. Did you get a piece of the hat there? I think you did. Oh, yeah.
Oh. You're the one who chose the peanut butter too. Trash can nearby. Nope. No, we don't.
That's one bite of it. Oh, he's taking it in. Just swallow. You're good. Did you get it?
Did you get a nice piece? It's down. It's gone. By the way, this is creamy peanut butter, suddenly made a little chunky. Uh oh, I feel it.
It might be stuck in my throat. There we go. There we go, man. You're champions of the NFC East Philadelphia Eagles. It was part of the hat sticking out.
I didn't get it wrong. Oh, that is an awful piece right there in that sandwich. No, you may not. As long as you eat it, as long as you eat it, keep going. Keep going.
I didn't go through. Keep going. I'm done. You're almost done, man. I'm very proud of you.
Oh, I went down. Why did you even do this, Chris? You didn't have to. You took the McLove. Because the Eagles stink.
You took the carapet. They shouldn't have made the playoffs. That's why. If the Eagles make the playoffs, I'll eat a bite of Del Tufo's hat on air. I mean, and you're doing it right now.
That was on the 24th of November. Oh my god. That was Sunday. Radio audience, I can't even tell if that's a piece of glistening jelly or a piece of a glistening jelly. Jelly glistened.
Del Tufo hat piece. Down it. Just, I feel like I'm talking to Taylor eating her broccoli. Just eat it, and we'll get off your case. Oh, he just went one bite.
He finished it. This is not going to be good. Because that is peanut butter and it is jelly and it is Del Tufo hat. And you just jammed literally. Three inches by three inch piece of Sandwich.
This is a proud day for my future son. Oh my god. And now you can show that video to Cage. Have you shown that video to Cage? I actually have not.
He'd probably laugh.
Well, certainly the shout out to him. Chew on bark. Cage wants to be a golf influencer now, I think. Say it again? I think Cage really wants to be a golf influencer.
Is that all right? I think so. He had me record. We went to the driving range last night and I he wanted me to record him hitting a shot. He's like, Hey, can you can you film?
I'm like, sure. And he goes, all right, here we are. We're out here. We're having fun. I'm going to hit an eight iron just because.
I'm like, okay, bro. And he striped it.
Okay.
Very good. Let's get him going, brother. It's fun. Yeah, let's get him out there. It's fun.
What's more likely peak sports right now, which I'm really enjoying? Charlie Woods or Cage Brockman, who's going to have a bigger career. What's more likely? Who knows? If Cage could hit like Charlie, that would be something.
You wouldn't be here, that's for sure. No, no, no. You'd be on the tour. Oh, I'd be like Earl. Yeah.
Right there on the ropes, right? That's right. Okay.
So that'll be great for Cage.
Well it's just one Once Influencing session one at a time. Very good. Let's go to Mike in Portland, Oregon. What's going on, Mike? Hi, Rich.
What's up, brother? Not much, not much. It's a slow offseason for the NFL, so I'm bored. Hang in there. I watch your show pretty much every day.
I have an over-under, or I mean, uh, what's more likely about the Chiefs? Maybe you can help with. Is it more likely you think that the Chiefs running back room gets one thousand five hundred combined yards or one thousand yard rusher? or that like the league sleeps on the too deep shell they've been throwing at the Chiefs for the last couple of years and PAC gets four thousand and forty. Mm.
Oh. 4,040 touchdowns. It's been a while since Pat's had the 40 touchdowns, right? Yeah, 2021. They threw that two-dimension shell across the league, and everybody kind of.
Can Rashi Rice and Xavier Worthy be those guys? to take the top off and have him go Crush it like Tyreek's still there and the good times are still rolling.
So Pat only played 16 games last year, but he was under 4,000 yards. That's what I'm saying. 39, 28. I'll go more likely the running backs do it again do what you said. 1500 combined.
Yeah, and maybe. We haven't had a good running back team crew in 20 years.
Well, let's just make sure everyone stays healthy, right? You got a shot, but interesting, Mike. Food for thought right there, Mike in Portland with a going out the door of our July 4th weekend and dark week of next week. What's more likely right there, right? If Pacheco, Pacheco could be a thousand-yard rusher.
Yeah, could be.
Okay.
Kareem Hunt's usually always good for a vulture. Yeah. Always cut for like 700 yards. Right? Hmm.
What do you what would you guys say? The running back or or Mahomes? I would think that they wouldn't want mother homes to have to throw for. 40 touchdowns. I would you would think that they'd want that running game to get established.
The 40 is what gets me. If you're telling me he throws for 4,000 yards again, I'd say, yeah, of course. 26 touchdowns last year. Yes. He's gone 27, 26 the last two years.
I'd probably say the running backs. Yeah, for sure. The 40 touchdowns is what gets me.
Well, everybody have who are listening a happy and safe July 4th. on Friday and then the weekend will next be back a week from Monday. Um We will chat then, but we'll wrap up the show on the Roku Sports channel in a moment. Uh Hey everybody, it's Nicole Beyer here with some hot takes from Wayfair. A cozy corduroy sectional from Wayfair?
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