Caleb Williams' Future in SoCal

So, I'm cracking up because I just saw from Bob Nightingale, and anytime Bob Nightingale tweets something, I have to make sure that it's actually something that has been said because it's death taxes and Bob Nightingale always finding a way to get a story wrong. And it's a shame because I used to think Bob was this really respected MLB reporter, but Twitter has done a disservice to Bob Nightingale because he just messes too many things up. I say the same thing about John Heyman, who like John Heyman is someone that's been covering baseball for years. I used to love my conversations with John Heyman, but how many things John gets wrong on Twitter feels like he just has to say something to say something on Twitter with no information.

It drives me bonkers. But Bob Nightingale is saying that the Diamondbacks manager is aware that longtime radio personality and TV host Christopher Mad Dog Russo said he'll retire if the Diamondbacks beat the Phillies in game seven. And Tori Lavelle said, I'm looking forward to that. Like, let's be real about something.

There is no way. And there's sometimes you say things on the air and you have to follow through with them. So when it comes to retirement and if someone says, oh, I'm going to retire, if this team doesn't find a way to win up against the Diamondbacks and the Phillies were up three games to two after really choking away game four, choking away what would have been a 3-1 lead, then it's 2-2. They had a resilient effort in game five. And then in game six last night, you look at the numbers the last two years, the fight-ins are 12-2 at home in the postseason.

Yeah, I did a sports minute on it the other day. I didn't think there was a chance Philadelphia is going to drop both these games. Now they lose game six and now we'll see what happens in game seven. But from a pressure standpoint, there's no pressure on the Diamondbacks tonight. The Diamondbacks have 84 wins this season. The Phillies are the team that are at home. They just got to the World Series last year, but I'll be very fascinated to see if Mad Dog Russo actually retires, if the Diamondbacks win tonight.

Santa, you've been around radio for a long time. Do you think there's any chance the legendary, how are you everybody today, Christopher Mad Dog Russo is going to retire if the Diamondbacks go to the World Series? I don't think there's any chance, but he really dug himself a deep grave because if you listen to the audio, he says this before game six and he goes, I have been against the Diamondbacks all year long and they proved me wrong again and again and again, but I'm going to do it again. And he's like, maybe they'll win one game, but there's no chance that they're going to win both. And now that they've won one and like he was effusive, I will retire. I will call it quits.

There is no chance. Now, I don't think it's going to happen and he's going to have to come out and do something, but he dug himself a deep, deep hole. He did, but he kind of didn't.

And here's why, because now I'm remembering the clip that I heard yesterday. He did go on to say, you know what, forget about the retirement. His son, I guess, is now like an assistant coach at some college. He's like, I won't go to Timmy's first basketball game as a coach and I'll do the show. Like what punishment is that? You're getting paid to do the show. I get it as a parent.

You want to go see your son be an assistant coach or whatever he is at some basketball game. And I think it's like some college. I don't know exactly all the details, but to say that in the beginning and then to backtrack it and go, Oh, forget the retirement. I thought that was rather funny.

And the other part of this too, with Christopher Mad Dog Russo is I don't think his take was crazy. Now it may end up being wrong, but, and he even said that there's a chance that the Diamondbacks win game six, he wouldn't be surprised if they win game six and, but the Phillies should win game seven tonight. Like this would be an all time bad loss in like the history of sports if Philadelphia doesn't win tonight, you're up three, two in the series, you're 12 and two at home before last night in the last two post-season runs. That ballpark in Philadelphia has been electric all year long and, and the last two post-seasons that environment with the dancing on my own and all that stuff.

It's awesome. You lose tonight. That is brutal because I think we'd all would agree, Sampdur, Manny, myself, that when the Phillies are up three games to two and they're going back to Philadelphia, they're going to find a way to win either game six or game seven.

Now they lost game six, so that makes game seven tonight, a big pressured situation for Philadelphia where no one expects anything out of the Arizona Diamondbacks and they're playing with house money. Anyway, let me get to Caleb Williams here. So yesterday I told you that Lincoln Riley is an overrated head football coach.

And that's not me saying he stinks. That's not me saying he's a horrible football coach, but Lincoln Riley gets talked about as if he invented the game of football and he's the greatest offensive mind of all time. Let me remind everybody as a college coach in a short sample size, Lincoln Riley's produced a bunch of Heisman Trophy winners, a bunch of Heisman Trophy finalists, but Lincoln Riley has never won a college football playoff game.

Lincoln Riley had the pleasure of coaching at Oklahoma, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts, two Heisman Trophy winners and a Heisman Trophy finalists, 0 for 3 in the college football playoff. Now you go over to USC and you make that move and you become a member of the Trojan and you become a member of the fighting Trojans and now you've had Caleb Williams the last two years and Caleb Williams last year, he won a Heisman Trophy and you lost to Utah twice. Now, if Caleb Williams doesn't get hurt up against Utah, sure. You could argue that USC would have won and USC would have been on their way to the college football playoff, but that didn't happen. So now a year later, with expectations sky high, all the way up here for USC, I looked at USC before the start of the season and I said to myself, I don't think USC is going to college football playoff. Forget one of the Pac-12, forget going to the playoff. I didn't think it was going to happen because there was a fundamental flaw with USC entering this season. USC doesn't have a defense that's respectable.

Lincoln Riley prioritized his friendship and his loyalty to Alex Grinch, the defensive coordinator over what's doing, what's in the best interest of his football team and for his student athletes and for his program. So going into this year with the loaded quarterback play in the Pac-12 and with teams having better defenses than USC, I thought to myself, I don't think USC is going to a Pac-12 to win a Pac-12 championship, but I don't think they're going to win a college football playoff game or get to a college football playoff game. But even with how critical I was of USC, I didn't think by mid to late October, their season would already be over.

And that's where we're at right now. The USC season is already over. You get one loss in college football.

It's difficult. You have two losses. There's never been a team in the history of the 14 college football playoff to make the playoff with two losses. And you lost to Notre Dame where your quarterback didn't show up. And this past weekend, you lost to a backup quarterback when USC went up against Utah and Kyle Whittingham owns, so far owns Lincoln Riley in the Pac-12.

Lincoln Riley, who's your daddy? Yeah, it's Kyle Whittingham, who's one of the most underrated coaches in the country and by far and away a top 10 coach in college football. So now you have a lot of pundits and a lot of people that didn't play football and a lot of people that don't understand the camaraderie of a team that they just look everything from a business standpoint decision that are saying, oh, Caleb Williams season's over. He's probably not going to win the Heisman trophy again. He's definitely not going to a college football playoff.

USC has no chance to win the national championship. So Caleb Williams should do a business decision and sit out the rest of the season. Now, if Caleb Williams elected to do that, I would respect it because you're a college athlete at the end of the day. I will never use my platform to put down a college athlete for looking out what's in the best interest of himself and his family.

And I know athletes are now paid with NIL and all that stuff. So it changes the game a little bit, but if he wants to go to the NFL and we know he's going to be the number one pick and he thinks is in the best interest of his career. I may not like the decision, but I'm not going to crush the kid for it. But with that being said, I don't think that's going to happen whatsoever because not that NFL scouts will say, oh, I'm not drafting Caleb Williams because he sat out the final three, four games of his college career. He probably won't play in the bowl game. Like let's be serious about it, but you skip out the final three, four games of your college career. And I do think it creates a situation where people say, Hmm, you know, Michael Pennix Jr. had a heck of a season this year or Drake May stuck through.

I know he didn't have the best of game the other day and maybe we want to go draft Drake May or someone like that. Ultimately, I do think Caleb Williams is going to finish out this season, but I'm not going to really believe or listen to the people that are saying, oh, he has to sit out. Let the kid make the decision. It's not my decision to make, it's not his decision, you know, it's not your decision to make.

It's his decision to make. And I think Caleb Williams is going to be a good teammate and he's going to play up against California, Washington, Oregon, and UCLA. They could still win a Pac-12 championship. You know, they lost the Notre Dame. I know the Pac-12 is so close. They only lost one game up against Utah and that's a Pac-12 team. So the idea of them going to the college football playoff is over, but they still have a chance to win a Pac-12 championship and I don't expect, regardless of what some people are advocating, for Caleb Williams to miss the final three, four games of the season. Bowl game, absolutely, because it's probably going to be a meaningless bowl game or not a big deal, but in terms of the final regular season games, I fully expect Caleb Williams to be there. All righty, let's take a break on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio.

The NBA season tips off tonight, seven time NBA champion, Robert Horry will join us next. Acorns knows that when you're in school, money can be tight. There's books, there's supplies, there's Buffalo chicken pizzas at 2 a.m. Acorns can round every purchase up to the nearest dollar and automatically invest your spare change for you.

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Investment advisory services offered by Acorns Advisors LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor. Now, all righty, we continue this Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. The NBA season tips off tonight and now joining us right now is the seven time NBA champion Robert Horry is here courtesy of bet online, check out bet online for updated NBA title conference division and award odds plus updated win totals and player stats. Robert, appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing it. How are you? Man, I'm blessed. Thanks for having me.

Well, thanks so much for coming on. Where do you keep all those seven championship rings? Just wondering. Yeah, I have my safety deposit box. I can't keep them in the house because you know, I was moving and I just put them to safety parts of the bus and I've never taken them out of they've been there for five, six years now. I haven't seen them in forever.

Hopefully they're still there. Gotcha. Let's take Robert off. We're just having trouble on the connection right now. I have trouble here in Robert Horry. So let's see if we could make sure we could square that away behind the scenes. So we do apologize for that. It's just a bad connection. Having trouble here in Robert, which I thought that's funny.

You put those rings in a safety deposit box as well. So let's see if we could connect with Robert Horry in a few moments from now as the NBA season does tip off tonight where you do have the Lakers and the Nuggets, and then you do have the Suns and the Warriors. No Bradley Beal tonight for the Phoenix Suns, but both those teams and the expectations are really fascinating. When you look at the four teams that are in play tonight, cause you see Los Angeles Lakers, they were a team that last year, no one thought they would get to the Western Conference Finals.

Then they did that. And this is a Lakers group that it all comes down to the health of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. And they can be healthy at the end of the season. They have a shot to go far, but is their ceiling now only getting to a Western Conference Final? And then you look at the Denver Nuggets. I don't see how you could stop the Nuggets because Nicole Jokic, like we had Magic Johnson on and even Magic Johnson said he didn't have an answer and he's glad he doesn't have to go up against someone like the Joker. And remember Jamal Murray came back last year.

So now with Jamal Murray, he's going to be in theory even better getting more into game shape. So they won a title last year with that dominant duo. I can't wait to see what the next installment is for that team this year, cause I wouldn't anticipate them having an opportunity to win another championship during their run together with that duo of Nicole Jokic and Jamal Murray. And then for the Suns and Warriors, it's all about fit. It really is about fit with those two teams because the Phoenix Suns, Durant, Booker, and Beal, that on paper is a dominant team. But with that being said, there's only one basketball. And also you got to remember injuries play a role in this too.

Beal's going to be out tonight already with the back injury Durant's been banged up the last few seasons, unfortunately, and he always misses some time. So that team has been close. That team has been to an NBA finals. They're going for it once again, DeAndre Ayton is no longer there, but I do give the edge to the Nuggets still in the Western Conference. And for the Warriors, play is streaky now, Draymond, you never know what version of Draymond you're going to get.

Bringing in CP3, I just don't see the fit. And I know that they thought they had to prioritize Draymond over Jordan Poole. And I know it's tough to move on from a player like Draymond Green with what he's meant to that organization. But with that being said, I thought that the Warriors made a decision this offseason where they're going to reward a player for the pass rather than do what's in the best interest of the team for the future. I would have kept Jordan Poole over Draymond Green, but that team thought they had to even with Bob Myers going to ESPN, Steve Kerr still there, they thought they needed Draymond more so than Jordan Poole.

And Jordan Poole is going to put up big numbers this year. But for the Warriors, I would be surprised if they're in the NBA Finals this year, even with how much love and respect that I do have for what they've built there and also the player that Steph Curry is. So that's what's on the docket tonight in the NBA as the season does tip off. Two good matchups to start. I'm kind of surprised we're getting to Wembley tonight. I would love to see Wembley right out of the gate, but that's going to be the biggest storyline of this NBA season.

It's going to be Victor Wambunyama and the San Antonio Spurs where, sure, there's no expectations of the Spurs actually being this good team this year. But Victor Wambunyama is one of one. He is a freak. He is someone that just being in the same room as him going back to the draft when he sat up on the dais, I've never seen someone like Victor Wambunyama where he's wearing a jumpsuit and he's what, seven, like six, seven, seven, whatever it is. And he looked like a floating head sitting at that dais. He really did.

The dude looked like an alien. And I can't wait to see, because we didn't really get to see him play before he got to the NBA outside of highlights, but you've seen what players like LeBron and what players like Steph have said and Giannis Antetokounmpo have said as well. It's just one of those storylines that you monitor where you go, there's such an intrigue factor where you hear so much about Victor Wambunyama where it almost makes it seem that he's not even real.

And now we get to see Victor Wambunyama play. All right, let's try to reconnect here with Robert Horry. Once again, Robert Horry is here courtesy of Bet Online.

Check out Bet Online for updated NBA title conference division and awards odds plus updated win totals and players stats. Robert, appreciate you doing this. Hopefully we have a better connection now. Victor Wambunyama, what are the expectations for you this year? Because there's all this talk about him. We're all trying to figure out how great he could be in year one. For me, I just think we need to sit back and just watch. Sometimes we put too much on players to do this and do that.

And then if they don't don't live up to expectations, we label them with a certain label. I just think we need to sit back and enjoy it because within a female, you have to watch them play in a couple of these preseason games. He's doing things that you haven't seen LeBron, Kobe, MJ, Magic, all these guys doing a very first games out. So let's just sit back and wait to see what he can do.

And just enjoy it because he is a female. But one team, we don't have to sit back and wait to see what happens is the Lakers. Is it just as simple as they got to be healthy and they have a chance to win a championship or are there limitations at this stage for LeBron and Anthony Davis with that duo together out in LA? You think about it, the odds to win it all is 91. I take those odds, especially if the agents can stay healthy. We know LeBron is going to come through, but I think with the additions they had and Prince and you know, the way AR has got the experience from planning and feeble.

I think they're ready, ready for the grind. If it's going to be, if they can stay healthy, that's always the question when it comes to AD and we know LeBron 21 years in, can he stay healthy? Can he keep that same energy? So I think the Lakers have a golden opportunity to knock off Denver and we go see what they can do tonight. Talking to Robert Horry right now, that Denver team, I asked this to Magic Johnson a few weeks ago. He's an answer and that's Magic Johnson who guarded everybody, but I asked him how he would try to slow down.

Nicole Jokic. I think that's the greatest question right now in the sport because even if you limit his scoring, he just dominates on the glass and then dishing out assists. I think if you have someone that's athletic, athletic and who can go at him and make him play a little defense, that's what your best bet because if you go back to the last game he played, if Bam was going at him, Bam had 18 points in that first half. He was killing Jokic and they were winning. All of a sudden the second half rolls around, he decides not to be aggressive. He only scores two points and they come back to get the lead and win the game.

So you have to make your display on the defense of this. We know how best for what he can do and if he decides to bring the ball up, attack and make him move, make him move because we all know he's in great shape, but he's not the guy who's just going to play 48 minutes and be that impact for those total 48 minutes like a Lebron, like an AD and like a Jamal Murray who's on that team. Robert Horry here with us. You look at Golden State, they acquired CP3, the Suns acquired Bradley Beal as well, even though he won't play tonight. How do you think those two players will fit in on their two teams that are already loaded with talent?

I think with CP3, he's just a baller. I think he can fit in wherever he goes. The question is how will Steve Kerr play them? Will he go small?

Will he go big? If I'm Steve Kerr, I'm bringing Wiggins off the bench and tell him he's going to be six minutes a year and you start cloning in Draymond so you can get a little size. As far as Phoenix, I think the biggest keys to see how they're going to fit in, is Booker willing to share the ball with not one but two players because with KD, it's a difference, but now you're adding Bradley Beal who's been a superstar the last five years and can he adjust and play with two other guys that he got to share the ball with? At the end of the day, they got to play defense and those two, that team right there is not known for playing defense since the D'Antoni ages.

Robert Horry here with us. So Giannis got a new teammate this offseason, Damian Lillard. A lot of people thought he was going to wind up in Miami, so now Giannis signs the extension the other day with Milwaukee. How about what the Bucks have built because to win one championship in Milwaukee is special, but then to get Giannis to stay and add Damian Lillard, man, I can't wait to see what the Bucks do this year because they're my favorite in the East. The East is going to be tough. My favorite is the Celtics, but I think with Dame and Giannis together, that gives you a strong punch and if Lopez is able to knock down some threes and Bobby coming out of that bench can be aggressive, but I think at the end of the day still you need to be able to play some defense which they got a great defensive team, but they lost a lot of that with Drew and Drew is over there with the Celtics and he can, you know, this is the thing about when you play a guy who's been in your system to help you win a championship, now he's on the other team, he knows all of your plays, he knows what your weaknesses are, so it's going to be a little bit different with that. That's why I'm picking Boston because I think Drew is going to be able to pick a part that Bucks these offense and let everybody know what their weaknesses are. If you were in that Miami locker room, because we were all convinced and I think Jimmy Butler was convinced that Damian Lillard was going to wind up there, now he's not with him going to Milwaukee, what would your message be as a veteran in that heat locker room where hey, they've been to two NBA finals, but they needed that extra guy to get them over the hump in my opinion to go win a championship. Oh, they definitely need some scoring power that I'm just saying, you know, stay afloat play hard and you never know, you know, we always we keep talking about this situation is silly with James Harden, you know, James Harden, you know, that's what Miami needs. They need to score and punch they need someone that can get hot. You know, of course, we got a hero could do that. We got of course Jimmy buckets, but you still need someone else like that.

It's just a known bucket get it. And I think if you look around do some James, but they don't need some some file power because I think defensively they'll be okay, but file positive they need most of but here's the thing though is James a fit into heat culture because it seems like James creates his own schedule and let's be real Robert Horry those strip clubs seen in Miami could be a problem there for James Harden. But you know, here's the thing every every guy there's someone that leads everybody respects and that's Pat right.

I think if Pat Riley has a sit down with James and gets him on the page and said, hey, this is what we're going to do. And this is what we're able to do who knows man because there's there's always some body out there. I remember Pat. When Phil came he made Shaq get in shape Shaq got his shape you when he wins MVP.

You never know. It might be that voice that can turn make you turn that that corner and make you become a different player. Last thing I'll ask you Joel and beat in Philadelphia. I know he's had his own playoff shortcomings. The guy has won a league MVP though. He's been a dominant player in the sport with all that being said though.

They haven't been able to find him the Robin if he is Batman. There's a report that like the Knicks are interested in maybe trading for him Leon Rose the president of the Knicks was once Joel and beads agent. If you're in bead, do you kind of sit back and go man? I got to get out of Philly eventually or just stay there. Well, you just have to do what a guy up the street did under the kung fu to say hey, I need this and make them go out and get you something because it you know, let's you know, let's let's wait for them wait for the season because we know how good Tyrese Maxson be. He's really good. You know, they got Kelly Uber right now, but my whole thing is to me this whole team is going to pin on how to buy his Harris place in him, you know Tobias at one point said he was an all-star the dudes making 40 million dollars a year and that's superstar status money.

He needs to step up to the plate become that guy they need, you know, and just be a leader and not talk about it but be about it because me when you watch him play he had so much talent, but he had to put it on the court you had to put it on display. He's Robert or he's here courtesy of bet online check out bet online for updated NBA title conference division and awards odds plus updated win totals and player stats Robert appreciate you doing this. Sorry for some of the connection issues. We appreciate the time man.

My pleasure. There you go. Thanks for joining us right here on CBS Sports Radio little bit surprised that he said the heat should go out there and acquire James Harden. Now if one person can get it done in terms of maybe making a player be a little bit different than had they been in the past.

It is Pat Riley. I understand what he's saying with that understanding, but I don't think anyone's getting to James Harden at James hard and we've seen this Playbook too many times. He's a really really good player. He'll be a Hall of Famer at times. He's an elite player, but at this point of his career regardless of what his agent says regardless of people close to him says he is more concerned about the personal life the off the court life the night life and if that's the way you live your life.

I'm not going to sit here and say it's a bad decision if you're getting paid all that that straight cash and all that moolah and you get to go party the world and enjoy some good food and go enjoy a little strip club action. I'll be my guest if that's the life that you want to live, but you've heard it now for multiple coaches and multiple stops now James got show up a little bit more. You got to have a little bit more of a want to on the basketball court and I've seen the story in this Playbook too many times where the James Harden Playbook is at times he looks great now at times he looks like he'll be a stud that would be moments like last year up against the Celtics will take over a playoff game early, but as the series goes on games five game six game seven, he's out of shape and he already put in all the effort to give you a good game one or give you a good game three as well. So I don't think the fit I understand the scoring need in Miami, but I don't think the fit with who the person is of James Harden would make any sense in the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler and him who I would pay to see those fights because Jimmy is the complete antithesis of James Harden Jimmy is like I got a sweat.

I got to go crazy. I got a scratching claw to get everything and that's like the certain standard of Jimmy Butler James Harden's like I'll show up when I show up, you know, you know, I'll be at the strip club, you know, I'll be at 11, you know, I'll be having fun in Miami and then I'll make my schedule when I'm actually going to show up and focus on basketball. All right. He will take a break. Come on back. We will do a little news brief update you on some of the biggest stories in the world of sports with some audio. But first up in the latest CBS Sports Radio update. Here is the Ackman rich Ackerman.

And this portion of the show is brought to you by Wesley financial stuck in a timeshare and one out contact Wesley financial group now and get a free timeshare exit information kit at Wesley financial group.com. Let's get to a news brief time for your daily news brief. We get you caught up on the rumors reports and reconnaissance from the day in sports. So Sean Payton was one in five, and then had a lead up against the Broncos looked like they were going to choke it away.

And then they won the game by two points 19 to 17 this weekend over the Green Bay Packers. So he has become an insufferable quote. I think a lot of people used to like Sean and now it's like, ever since he's gone to Denver, I could live without him. But I see the slug line here and it says, Sean is not happy despite the wind.

Now I've not heard this audio yet and I didn't want to listen to it before we played it on the air. But like my blood pressure is going through the roof that this guy is now not happy because his team won a game and I'm assuming it's because they didn't love how sloppy of a game it is. Like when you were one in five before this victory to get to two and five, just take the wins or the win, how they come here is Sean Payton.

Sometimes it's hard to, it's hard to be pleased or not upset. You know, you want to play the perfect game and that was a good win for us. And yet I'm driving home last night, you know, heading to get sushi. I don't like sushi, finding myself like circling around the parking lot, like, all right, why, why can't I be happy? Well, you're searching for that perfect game.

All right. I'm actually more annoyed now. I'm actually getting sushi tonight, but Samter, why is he driving home from getting sushi if he doesn't like sushi? Is that his way of saying the family wanted sushi. So he had to go get the sushi and he hates sushi. That was the only thing that could come into my own mind other than the fact that he wanted to punish himself for not having a perfect game. It was like, I hate sushi. So you deserve to eat sushi because you did not have a perfect game either way. It sounds ridiculous.

Yeah. But Samter doesn't like sushi. Like I'm allergic to avocado. So people think I don't like sushi. I just get sushi without avocado. But like, I don't know, sushi is pretty enjoyable.

And why did we need to know that he was getting sushi and doesn't like sushi? Can't you just talk about how you were not satisfied with the win? Put it this way, Sean should have never left TV.

The more and more I hear this guy speak, the more and more miserable he sounds. And it's very tough, even though he had to build up the Saints, but they built it up really quickly. And no one really like knew who Sean Payton was at a national standpoint.

Now everyone knows who he is from a national perspective. And there's a certain standard we expect out of him. And he knows this Broncos team stinks, but he just took a job to take a job.

And that's when you end up making a bad decision. He could have waited and I would have thought got a better job. The jobs weren't wonderful last offseason. But he thought he had to go to Denver because that was the only thing that was available for him. He should have just stayed at Fox, done another year of TV. Maybe not do the honeydew list around the house to get sushi for everybody else.

And you wouldn't be sitting there with a two and five record with really no optimism in Denver. I'm getting a bougie sushi meal tonight, by the way, I'm going to Nobu. Look at Manny Rodriguez. He was like, wow, I didn't know Gelb went to Nobu. Wow.

You were impressed with that. I wish I had your life. Oh, I would say that you're invited, but you're not so appreciate the invite.

I would invite you one day to Nobu. I just got a certain plans tonight, certain obligations tonight. Let's go to Ron Rivera. Ron Rivera was asked if he's still committed to Sam Howell as his quarterback, what you're saying about Sam, the importance of him and how that's a big focus, obviously, does that mean you're committed to hit playing him, starting him the rest of the season barring the unforeseen?

Well, I will tell you this. I'm committed to him. And we'll see how things go, Ben.

But, you know, I can't predict the future. And the only thing I'm going to do is I'm going to focus in on one game at a time. That was like if they asked me, are you committed to Michael Samter as your producer?

And I go, yeah, I'm committed to him, but I'm really only focused one game on a time at a time. Like, Samter, if you heard that, you'd be worried about your job status, right? I'm already worried about my job status now that you made this hypothetical.

I was totally fine. And now you're now wondering, like, what's that thinking behind closed doors? But that's a bad answer by Ron Rivera. Just say he's our quarterback and that's it. Because here's the thing. Ron Rivera has this tendency of just putting his foot in his mouth, whether it's the enemy, or with Carson Wentz, a variety of things that he's just gotten himself into trouble where there would have been literally zero discussion about it whatsoever had he not said what he said. If you just want to say, yeah, we're committed to Sam Howell, leave it at that. And nobody thinks or talks about it at all.

The fact that you said, I can't predict the future, anything can happen. Now we're all saying, oh, well, there's a controversy at the quarterback in Washington. He just doesn't know when to not say what he doesn't need to say.

Oh, you're a hundred percent right. And Jacoby Brissett is a solid player, like he could go win games. But what Ron Rivera doesn't realize, and I feel bad for him because you don't think this way when you're in the moment, but there's very little Ron Rivera could do this year to make sure that he's back at this team's coach next year.

You just brought in a new owner. Yeah, and he was like the main point person the last few years in the final few years of Daniel Snyder owning an NFL franchise Ron Rivera I'm talking about. But Josh Harris is coming in and he's going to be cleaning house because that house had a lot of problems in it. I'm not saying Ron was a problem, but you're going to go make a big splash, whether it's with a new GM or a new coach. And Ron Rivera, you've been in with the commanders last three, four years, the highlight is what being seven and nine and winning the NFC East, you haven't won enough games. Here is Deion Sanders, coach pride.

I love coach pride. Here is him commenting on this whole Michigan scandal that a lot of people are making it a bigger deal than what it needs to be. Everyone's trying to get an edge.

I mean, everyone's trying to get whatever edge they can. You could have someone whole game plan, they can mail it to you, you still got to stop it. You still got to stop it. So in football is not as pronounced as baseball. If I know a curveball is coming, I got you. With football, I don't give a dirty, you know, a sweep is coming.

You still got to stop it. I do find this funny that a lot of people that coach and play football haven't been outraged to this whole Michigan story. But then fans like Penn State fans and Ohio State fans, they're outraged to this.

Let me be clear. Michigan did something wrong. Michigan broke the rules. If the allegations are true, that you were using devices, you know, a camera to record people and then having this guy, a Marine go and fly to these games and have people with tickets go to the games and record the sidelines.

You broke the rules. So let's not make this out to be as if we need to like lock up the Michigan program and throw away the key. There's been a lot worse things done before in college football, there needs to be a punishment. But people today are acting as if this is like the worst thing that has ever occurred in the NCAA. And for any Tom, Dick and Harry today, any dweeb person that's like, Oh, you know, we need to make sure that Michigan isn't eligible for a bowl game this year, or we need to make sure that Michigan can't go to the big 10 championship game. The NCAA moves as slow as anybody could humanly function.

They don't operate that quickly. Let's go to Matt rule, the head coach in Nebraska on the sign stealing scans or member Michigan did play Nebraska this year I was actually at that game in go big red country. Sign stealing happens every game. There's nothing wrong with teams over there looking over trying to steal our signs. There's nothing wrong with us trying to look at their signs. We can get rid of all the stupid signs on the sidelines, and we can get pictures of, you know, rock stars and all that stuff. We could just play football. But that's sign stealing.

I would not carry that over to going and filming someone else's practices or something like that or phones of us as games. That's completely something different sports need rules to keep competitive balance. And when someone does something against the rules, we say, Well, should that really even be a rule? And it is the rule.

We don't get five downs. If that is happening somewhere. It's completely, completely wrong. I can't disagree with what Matt rule just said.

It's similar. I said something happened. There needs to be a punishment.

I don't think it needs to be the end of the world. But I also map brought up a good point to in another clip, and he talked about there with getting the signs away. How they don't have the headset communication with the quarterbacks now or like a linebacker on the field where they have that in high school, they have it in the NFL. That's stupid. Like you could have all the hand signs you want the hand signs be nothing if you just have a coach whispering into the quarterback's here, we're gonna run this play, but we're gonna do this. But it means nothing like, why is the NCAA not doing that because of money? Come on. It's a joke.

Here is LeBron James's new Beats by Dre commercial. Listen up. The action on the map again. Get the chatter and take the high road and watch as they follow you again. Tell them you're not done to play with your son. Then do that again. Show them why you're nothing to be played with. The GOAT.

Show them why you're nothing to be played with. Again. So that is LeBron James's wife, Savannah, right? Is her name. She's now saying that she wants him to be teammates with the other son as well, Bryce. So in the commercial, obviously it's a little bit more visual, but when you hear it, they basically are showing Bronny say that you want to play with your one son.

And then they show a picture. Who's at USC now? Right. Bryce who's 16 and say, and do it again. So basically she's saying, not only are you going to try to stay around for Bronny, but now you got to stay around for your 16 year old son who's three years away from the NBA, four years away, depending on if they change the rules for the one and done. So like maybe LeBron stays for another four years.

Don't get me wrong. LeBron is a freak. He is a human freak. He's crazy. What he's been able to do, but ever since he's got to LA, he's been injured. His body is slowing down. Even though he plays still at this ridiculous level, that's still awesome to watch Bronny.

Sure. Bryce, no shot. I'll be retired by then. Maybe he's coaching. Maybe he's owning the team. That's a possibility, but not playing alongside both his sons.

It'd be cool though. Bruce Bocchion potentially winning his fourth World Series, the Rangers punched their ticket in his first year with the Rangers as their manager. I'll be honest, it's not, I don't think about me. I'm riding their backs.

Trust me. It's unreal that I'm here to be honest. I mean, I was sitting at the house for three years and I think here I am going to the World Series.

Yeah, that's special. It's amazing with his departure from the Giants after winning three World Series there and also he's with the Padres back in 98 going to a World Series, how he was out of the game for this long. And the Rangers come calling, he goes there, first year, they're now four wins away from winning a World Series, that piece of metal commissioner's trophy that Rob Manfrod always talks about. Here's Bryce Harper on going to a game seven, game seven tonight between the Phillies and the Diamondbacks in South Philadelphia. We're at home.

I mean, it's a great place to be. I mean, of course we wanted to get the job done tonight. Weren't able to do that, but all about, you know, tomorrow's all about going 1-0. So we always talk in Philadelphia how they're greasing the polls already in terms of celebrating and all the craziness that will go on. What happens tonight in Philadelphia if they lose after being 12-2 at home in the last two post seasons, now 12-3 and they dropped six and seven.

That would be something. I do think Philadelphia wins tonight, but all the pressure. Philly needs like a few runs early because that's going to be a loud building, but all the pressure's on Philadelphia.

And one more finally. Here is Sarc, Steve Sarkisian on if it's going to be Malik Murphy or Arch Manning this week as QB with Quinn Ewers out. Arch and Malik will both get a ton of reps. If the game was being played today, Malik would start the game and again, Arch will be ready to go.

And like I said before, I've had a ton of confidence in Arch. That's a must watch. Saturday, 3.30 p.m. Eastern against BYU. You got to tune into that because it's going to be Malik Murphy. But the moment he makes a mistake and that game is in front of Longhorn fans, you know they're going to be chanting for Arch Manning.

And by the way, Amani brings up a good point. That's the first ever game seven in Philly's franchise history. That's kind of crazy, Mani. One hundred and forty one year old franchise.

First game seven. Yeah. Mind blowing. That is astonishing. At first when I read that earlier today, I thought it said first like NLCS game seven. And I'm like, oh, OK. But when it's first game seven in franchise history, that is wild. So we'll see what happens tonight. It's going to be fun either way to talk about it tomorrow.