me? Everybody?
BT unleashed in the house. Got a big show for you today.
Ready to rock'n'roll. All right, so The Jets had their
OC Sal is going to join me in about 15 minutes or so.
Looking forward to reuniting with my former partner.
So I know you guys have been asking about Sal.
What are you guys going to hook up together?
What are you guys going to do something?
Well, we did the BT and Sal live show, which was phenomenal.
And now the next plan is to head out to Long Island and have a
second version of the show. But Sal will join me in about 15
minutes. We'll chop it up.
I know we'll do a lot of baseball.
I got a couple things I want to run by him.
We'll have a little bit of fun, get after it and just basically
do what we do. So get those questions in now
before we get moving here. So I was, I was obviously
setting things up before the show.
And J Rod, see, this is how you know you hired the right person.
OK. If you recall about a week and
1/2 or so ago, he and it it, it wasn't a derisive shot.
It was because he's young and because he's a little naive and
because he's a little green. He didn't realize how important
Don Mattingly is to me. So when I, when I hook up the
laptop today and start setting up all the equipment, J Rod
goes, hey, BT, look what I got. J Rod, look, look at this guy.
Look. Sir J Rod, Come on, J Rod.
We're getting learned. Yes, we, I like to get alerted.
Now I like even better because, you know, I'm a big Family Guy.
Tell everybody where you actually got the shirt from.
This tells me. This tells me that J Rod's from
good stock. Go ahead.
No, I mean my mom, she, you know, she saw the gaffe on air.
And so she, you know, sent me this shirt to try to, you know,
help me get into the, to, to welcome me into the community.
I love it. You are more than welcome.
You're a bit. You're a, you're a part of the
team, man. But now I officially don't have
to worry if there's going to be a heel turn, because now you're
showing me that. Yeah, exactly.
That's you're rolling. In.
You're locked in, you're rolling, you're loaded, you're
ready to rock. All right, man.
So we got Sal whatever about 11-12 minutes coming up.
Let's jump into the show here again, get the text going.
All right. So The Jets, it's funny, it's
like every time I go on the air, there's breaking news that
happened with me and Sal all the time while the fan and it's
happening a little bit today. Who knows?
Can you imagine by the way, if we are together and say it like
1035, the Knicks get Yachtis. I mean, that would be ABS.
If there if there's any justification in the world of
content, I mean the radio, the YouTube, the content gods, they
will descend upon their mountaintop and they will just
drop Yachtis in our lap or a big Yankee or a big met movement.
Even if there's not, and I don't expect the Knicks to get
Giannis, but even if there's no breaking news, we're going to
have a blast. So we'll get after it would
sound a little bit here. All right, listen, I like the
Frank reichiring. I truly do.
I think he's a good football man.
Obviously he knows Aaron Glenn. For a long time they were
teammates on that that amazingly vaunted one in 15 rich coal tie
jets team from 1996 went when Frank got a little bit of run.
He was a backup. And obviously Frank is really
carved out more of a a legacy as a coach and as a personnel
person, whatever, you know, not so much as a quarterback.
He was a a good ball though. You know, that Buffalo Bills
game coming back for the playoff deficit, I think it was 37,
three, whatever it was against the Oilers.
He had some pretty good moments as a quarterback as well.
You know, boys with Boomer, they go back to Maryland.
Do I like it? I do, I do.
Listen, The Jets had to get somebody in the building that
that has done something that it's not a guessing game, like,
all right, here's a dart. Oh, let's see if this guy can
work. Duker or Durker or Deeker,
whatever the hell to do Brian Durker, that gets Duker the DC.
Like you got to just stop throwing darts at some point and
bring somebody in the building that's actually done the job
before. So on that level, I like it.
I think another level that nobody is really factoring in
yet. By the way, it just broke, so
maybe people will start to, but I'll be the first here.
I personally like the fact that he was in college last year.
I don't know, you know, how much Muji or Glenn or Woody, if he
started, Woody starts to get his grubby hands all over the draft.
There was a lot of stuff going around yesterday with Woody,
Woody meddling a lot of stories. Listen, I don't know what's
what. I'm not here to refute
somebody's report, but let's just call it for what it is.
Any report from anybody, all right, that states that Woody
Johnson is becoming meddlesome? Is that exactly breaking news?
Like Woody Johnson's always been a meddling clown?
What? What this is?
This is supposed to take the world by what?
Wait, wait. Woody's doing what?
Woody's flexing behind the scenes.
Woody's getting a little agitated.
Woody's getting a little rambunctious.
No shits what he always does. That's one of the main reasons
why The Jets are The Jets, because Woody Johnson has been a
meddling fool forever and just can't keep his grubby hands off
the football product. Hey Woody, here's your job.
You got 2 jobs. There's an old expression like
mobs. Mob guys used to say this.
Hey kid, go make yourself small. You know, like basically let the
men handle the conversation. Just just take a hike.
So Woody, go make yourself small #1 and #2 the only time we
really need you is to cut the checks.
Anything else that Woody Johnson weighs in on, whether it's a
thought, whether it's an actual flex in terms of note we're
doing this, whether it's, well, you know, as as per some of the
reports, Aaron, I'm paying you all this money to be the head
coach. Why the hell aren't you calling
plays? You did it in Detroit.
What, what? Whatever the story might be, we
all know by now that Woody is a mess of deterrent to anything
good happening for The Jets. And let's face it, guys,
anything that good, anything could that does happen for The
Jets, it's going to happen by accident.
It's not going to be some amazingly well crafted,
incredibly brilliant forward thinking plan that finally
elevates The Jets from the graveyard to the penthouse.
Like that's not the way it's going to go for The Jets.
Like when The Jets, whenever it's going to be, you know,
whether it's with the second, second first round pick this
year, Ty Simpson, whatever, whether it's next year with the
three first round picks, whether it's, I don't know, Sonny Malik
Willis and him being amazing and him ultimately being the guy.
Well, whatever it is, signing Mac Jones and him doing well
trading. Yeah, you'd have to trade for
Mac Jones, getting Mac Jones and then him being really good.
And I, I don't know, you know, Matt Jones 2 point O or Matt
Jones 3 point O was the move, the impetus behind the revival
of The Jets. Whatever it is, it's basically
going to happen through sheer luck.
Like, so we need to understand that.
So Frank Reich is here. I do like it.
The fact that he was at Stanford, as I started to say,
the the intimate knowledge that he has of some of these college
players, it can't be a bad thing.
I mean, not that he played, not that he coached against all of
them. And I don't think you really
drafted anybody from Stanford that's meaningful in the first
couple of the rounds. But I do like the added value.
I'm not here to overstate it, but but the small added value of
somebody coming from the college ranks who already has a deep NFL
resume coming into the building and strengthening the building.
He's got a rapport of Aaron Glenn.
This will now enable Aaron Glenn to just worry about the defense.
Frank Reich's a former back, He's a former head coach, he's a
former OC. He was dabbled in the college
game. There's really like nothing to
shit on with this move. Now, the other thing that I will
say, I really, I don't know about you guys.
I really don't get that excited by coordinators.
I feel like there's so much attention to coordinators.
Oh, look at this young hot assistant or, or and I don't
mean when that young hot assistant gets elevated sweat
coach. That's different.
I'm talking about when you're bringing a coordinator and you
don't have a lot of talent. Like, I don't care how good the
coordinator is, what schematically, you know, the way
he connects to players, whatever it might be, if you don't have
the horses to run the race, you ain't going to finish very well
in the race. So yes, I do like Frank Reich.
I Lord is a bit strong, but I certainly I support the move.
I believe in the move. Now, you got to get some players
and you got to get a quarterback that Frank can work with, and
Aaron Glenn's got to start winning some games because here,
here's the other thing that happens.
Now, if Aaron Glenn doesn't win games right away and this thing
is ugly and it's one and five or two and seven and they're
getting shredded and the defense is awful and the offense isn't
putting up any points on the board, guess what, Aaron Glenn,
see ya, you're gone. Frank Reich, you're elevated.
So at least there's somebody in the building that could take the
reins and piece this together if need be.
It won't be a circus like when Olbrich, who was never a head
coach before, took over for Robert Sala.
And amazingly, The Jets actually got worse.
So, yeah, I'm fired up today, man.
I'm in a good mood today, by the way, How ironic is this?
I'm going to save it for when Sal comes on.
How ironic is this? So BT and Sal got a major award
today for our work at the fan. Well, what does it mean?
It means nothing. It's it's not going to pay the
mortgage. It's not going to get more Subs
for YouTube, but it does validate what we did on the Fan.
So I'm proud of that. I'm going to have a little fun
with with Sal coming up in a few minutes here.
All right, let me I was actually going to get into Leon Rose out
of the shoot. I'm going to condense this
because I want to make sure I got plenty of time here with
Sal. So there's been some trades
here, whether it's Sharon Jackson to Utah for the three
first round picks, Harden, Garland.
That was an interesting trade, by the way.
I like that trade, even though I'm not a massive James Harden
guy. James Harden, you know, he's not
incredibly efficient anymore. He shoot about 41% overall,
which stinks. He's right around 3435% from
three, which stinks. He's a high volume, high usage
rate guy, monopolize the ball, no defense, whatever.
But you look at it from a from a Nick perspective, playing
against the Cavaliers, they're back court when Garland's even
healthy, which he's not right now.
And that's part of the impetus to, you know, make a move and
get somebody in there for Cleveland who's underachieving
this year. They're back court.
You know, you talked about Mitchell, who's 62, Garland,
who's 61. You could just work over the top
of those guys and they're a problem defensively, right?
So even Harden stinks on defense.
Those three or four extra inches, believe it or not, close
outs will matter just a little bit.
But it's an interesting move because Harden's putting up
right around 2525 1/2 points a game, which is the most he's had
since 2019-2020. Now, he's still, he's not the
same guy. He's lost some some balance and
some bursts there, obviously, but he's crafty.
And I think what it does for the Cavaliers, I don't think it's a
mistake. Like generally, anything the
last couple of years involving James Harden to me is a mistake
if you're acquiring him. But I don't think that this is a
mistake because when you look at Donovan Mitchell's usage rate
and this stuff obviously matters.
He hasn't had the ball with his hands this much since his last
or second of last year in Utah. So you've got to alleviate some
of the pressure, some of the burden on him.
And, and I really think that, you know, I'm not saying it's a
move that puts him over the top, but I think it's a decent move
there. And and now you get to Leon Rose
as these trades are sort of trickle in.
You know, Leon Rose, I've got a really condensed this, but maybe
I'll get into this with Sal. I want to talk about baseball,
Sal, But you know, Leon Rose has done a good job.
He's elevated, he's restored the brand.
They've got a puncher's chance for the championship.
But because Giannis is available, clearly, whether it's
Miami, Minnesota making a move now there's there's a thought
that he's going to wind up there if he's dealt.
I think he will be. And I don't think the Knicks get
him. But when you really look at
everything in totality Leon Rose has done, you know, whether it's
overpaying for Randall coming off the one NBA all NBA season,
they're ridiculous. Evan 48 deal.
And these are just a little he's done a lot of good.
You know, four years, 80 mil benched, awful defensive player,
eventually cut, didn't draft Tyrese Halliburton.
That was a big mistake. Even though he's hurt now.
Even the Cam Reddish experiment where he gave up a protected
first round pick. I thought he jumped into the RJ
Barrett extension way too soon. Yeah.
So there's things on his resume that have been very problematic,
But again, hit on Brunson, Grand Slam bill credibility,
stockpiled assets. But when you look at now what
what I think is a it's a reach to be able to get to be able to
get Giannis. You know, you got to move
freaking mountains. Let's get a third team.
Let's get a 14. Well, I got news for you.
If Leon Rose didn't give up five first round picks for Mikhail
Bridges, this would be a much easier bridge to cross.
So do I think they get them? No Would I do it?
Yes. Are the Knicks going to win a
championship is currently built? No, but at least they got a
punchers chance. Like there's a lot of stuff here
and I just jammed it into two minutes.
I want to get my boy up in a minute, but the the thought that
just because you elevate like think about this like if the
Mets win, you know, 90 games this year and they very well
might, I think the Mets will be pretty good this year, as I've
said, and the next couple of years are good.
Maybe, you know, three playoff appearances in four years or
maybe even 4 out of four or three out of three, but they
don't win the championship. Well, I mean, is David Stearns,
is Stearns an A? The answer would be no.
He's AB Plus he's you got to downgrade from an A if you don't
win the championship when you make all the moves.
So this thought of erecting a statue outside of the Garden for
Leon Rose, for merely pulling the Knicks out of the hot trash
and getting them to a point where they matter.
That's one aspect of it. The big aspect, the real thing
that matters is we want a freaking championship.
And right now we're watching Giannis, who's going to probably
be dealt tomorrow by three Eastern.
We are watching the Knicks on the outside, looking in because
of some of the moves Leon Rose has made.
All right, without further ado. He's doing his own thing on
YouTube. He's doing his thing on S&Y, as
he always does. I miss chopping up with him.
I've obviously talked to him a lot, text and all that stuff.
We did the BT and loud BT and Sal live show.
You know, I love him and we know, I know that you guys miss
BT and Sal. So where's my guy?
Bring him in, Sal. You know, we it's funny, first
of all, thanks for having me. And you're right, you know, just
just to nip it in the bud. Like people like, oh, you guys
are competing. Like, you know, I'm doing the
podcast and the YouTube, the Salicada show, as you mentioned,
you're doing your own thing. Obviously BT only we're not
competing like there's a, there's enough space for
everybody and what like when are you supposed to do it?
You want to go live at 10? Like I'm trying to do it first
thing in the morning. We've been recording at 7:30
trying to get it out there. So I just want to nip that in
the bud. The notion that we would try be
trying to compete or anything like that.
That's just ridiculous in this, in the landscape of the way
things are. Same thing with the fan.
Like I'm trying to compete with WFA and it's ridiculous.
You're doing your own thing. I'm doing my own thing.
Hopefully we can do some things together as you mentioned.
And you know, there's some ideas maybe my my guy Bada Booms is
talking about like we should do live once a month, like 1
channel, one month, your channel, one month, my channel.
Yeah. That's the way to keep it going.
Yeah. Point is, it's not competing
against each other and it's fun to do this and we haven't done
this. We did the live show as you
mentioned, but we haven't done anything like this since
December 12th, our last show on The Fan and fitting that you
would have me on today, a day where we got the number two in
the Barrett Barrett Media. In midday, yeah, by the way,
hey, Jay, Rod, splash that up for us here.
So there are even when we stop working, we get accolades.
Check this shit out. So hey, guys, Well, well done
guys. You're out.
So this is keep it up there for SEC Jay.
This is and they do this every year, the Barrett media, which
is the pre eminent media site for a sports.
But everything at this point, they're great.
And what they do is out of Sal. I don't know if you know the
depth of how they came to this this voting.
Basically there were 41 program directors across the country and
what they do is they tabulate ratings and revenue generation
and digital popularity and digital success and other other
measurables here. So BT and Sal, even though we no
longer not, I'm still alive. And so we Sal but but BT and Sal
no longer exist. I got to tell you, the fact that
this dropped today and the fact that we are #2 even though,
let's face it, we should be #1 nationally is very interesting.
But our timing is always good. If you new BT and Sal Theron
Breaking news BT and Sal Theron on the YouTube show #2 in the
country, not bad. I did think it was funny because
I didn't. I saw something about where they
ranked the morning shows the other day and I was like, oh, I
wonder if because then you, you asked me the other day to come
on. I was like, yeah.
I was like, oh, I wonder if they release that the day that we're
coming on together. And I always wanted to get
number one. I think we started at like #4 or
something. But then the last two years were
#2 so I always want to get #1 next year we're not going to be
ranked. So no, no.
No, I don't know. I don't know, man, the the
shadow of BT and Sal, we might still crack the top 10, but hey,
maybe even if we do one YouTube show, it'll be good enough to
still crack the top 10. But it's awesome to have you on,
man. Obviously, you know, it's so and
I know that I know that you feel the same way that I do, but I
think we should address it just for a minute, right?
Because all the articles and just the just just just tsunami
of coverage for a midday show and the, you know, the
deconstruction of our show. I mean it was it it got a lot of
run and everybody that you talk to wants to talk about PT and
South. Now eventually that dissipates.
I'm doing my thing, you're doing your thing.
S&Y got St. John's, I've got public speaking
was on Fox. I'm going back on Fox on Friday,
by the way. So we're doing our own thing.
But like I, I, I say this, you know, you and I like to, you
know, flex a little bit and have some fun.
But as humble as I can be, like the the way our audience and the
way people view the show and still view it and have lifted us
up and elevated us, it meant the world.
Because at the end of the day, for two guys who always wanted
to be on WFAN, that was our main professional aspiration.
And we hit it right. It was always important for
validation. And yeah, the ratings validate
and #2 in the in the country and contracts, that validates it.
But when the fans have our back the way they did, that's the
ultimate validation. I know you agree with that,
right? Yeah, and I know we've each done
like a lot of interviews and things like that since, you
know, all that went down. I keep saying the same thing,
like very proud of the way that we handle ourselves as a team
the last two weeks under those tough circumstances.
And also I say like, I don't think I've ever been more
popular than I am now with with all that happening.
And yeah, it it's almost every day.
Like some of the yesterday happened on the PATH train going
in at SNY. The guy didn't even know that I
was working at SNY. What are you doing on the path
train? And, you know, it's always all
I'm sorry with BT and Sally, you know, I missed the show.
I love listening to you guys without fail.
And I think the live show was great for us in that regard,
that we got to see it and feel it first hand from the few 100
people that were there. So, yeah.
Also though, what's saying that BT, like it's fun to do this
stuff together. And I know that there are some
people who, you know, I see the comments.
Oh, why you guys just do it together?
Like there are obvious reasons for it.
I also personally, not that I want to separate, separate
myself from you, but just distance myself from what we
did. Like it's over.
We did it on the fan. There's still going to be maybe
a marketplace for whether it's live shows, like I said, maybe
we join the YouTube stuff on occasion, whatever, do some
stuff together. But ultimately, I'm just trying
to move on from that because I know what resonated with with a
lot of people and it would suck to always be then associated
with the the show ending at the fan and people always saying
when we miss you guys as opposed to well, I'm like, you can
listen to BT, you can listen to me on our YouTube stuff.
We're still here. We're just not together on the
fan every day. Let's face it.
I mean, if everybody's referencing the fan in two
years, we failed. Exactly.
That's kind of my right. That's kind of my .1 of the
first interviews I did. It was with Stu Gotts.
And he saw that. Yeah.
So he's like, Oh well, would you want to go back to fan in a
couple of years? I'm like honestly, if I'm in a
spot where I have to go back to fan in two, it's like to me that
would be a failure. Not that I would never go back.
Obviously we both love the fan and still have a good
relationship with the fan and maybe do some part time stuff,
whatever. But but the point is that part
of it's over, and now it's time to move on.
And by the way, you know, you mentioned how you're on the PATH
train the other day. If this shit doesn't work out,
we're going to be cleaning PATH trains and something.
Felt bad for me. He felt bad.
He's like, what are you? What are you doing on the PATH
train at this hour? You need a couple quarters.
Yeah, I do. All right, so before we jump
into a bunch of stuff here, what are you wearing?
A Knicks hoodie or a Mets hoodie?
What are you rocking right there?
Look at this guy. Look at him.
Look at. This.
This is unplanned by the way. I was not unplanned.
I was not coming on here without mech gear on.
Coming into your Yankee world, you knew that, so I had to
represent a little bit. OK, not not a bone to pick with
you, but it but an observation and it's about your YouTube
show. OK, you can't help yourself.
I already see you needling pot of booms, you know, running him
over with the bus when he makes a mistake.
You can't help yourself. You get you just got it.
You got to hit him, huh? He's he's first of all, he's
done a tremendous job. So I'm thankful to have him.
But it's fun when other people like yesterday I was getting
text, people are critiquing. I'm I'm sure you maybe get the
same thing. It's it's helpful, but I get a
million things going on right. So people, one of my friends
like, hey, the logos on the YouTube video or on the video we
post on Instagram, too many logos.
And then somebody else hit me with the same thing.
So I send them to Bada Booms, busting his chops a little bit
in my mind. Like, that's great, I appreciate
the criticism. We'll clean that stuff up.
But 1314 episodes in the least of my concerns is how the
fucking thing looks like. I really don't give it.
I care about the content, getting it off, let's get
moving. I don't care about that.
But it is fun busting his chops. Yeah, no, he seems like a good
dude. And J Rod is my guy.
Listen, the the goal here is to for for BT at least to be so
successful. And your Sal Licata showed it to
be so successful that we create careers where maybe bada boom
and bada booms and J Rod get together and start doing some
stuff. Why not?
You know, it's, it's funny too, because when I first launched
it, you know, and I made the decision to go right away.
I'm like, you know, you also had S&Y.
So I only had sporadic Saint John's work couple of games
here. Obviously it's not the NBA.
They're not playing 3 three times a week.
So and then obviously the TV show, I'm like, hey, oh, if it
was the summer, I'd be out of the house playing golf, that's
for damn sure. But I'm jumping right back in
and everybody and they were doing it the right way.
It was born out of a good thing. Like all the thumbnails, the
resolutions, not good, won't it? Don't do it.
I don't. I'm lucky the fucking microphone
works right now. Are you kidding me?
Yeah, I give. You credit for going right away.
I needed mentally just a break. I could, I just couldn't do.
I needed a break and I want to get some things in order.
You mentioned I still at SNY plus it was the two weeks at the
end of the year that I was looking at like forward to
having off. For those two weeks, yeah, yeah,
yeah. Yeah, I just wanted some time.
Like you said, it was different situations.
And then I went not too long after that.
I think January, like that week of January 12th or whatever it
was, maybe like my original plan was the Monday after the new
year got pushed back a little bit.
Had to make sure I find the right guy and get everything
set. But yeah, I give you credit,
you've been going hard right out of the end.
You stayed on the fan a little bit longer too.
I just needed to get be done with that and like move on.
So it was just different timelines, which is fine.
I think you're going to like this, so I did this.
I'm going to do this in a minute, though.
I want to throw a couple things at you.
Obviously some Yana stuff, some Frank Reich stuff, this as well.
So this, I put this together yesterday.
This was pretty much the meat of my show yesterday where the 10
most burning questions facing the Yanks and Mets entering the
season. I'm going to hit you with each
one quick and I want you to give me a quick response to what you
think is going to happen. First, though, I mean, Frank
Wright, I I like it. I mean, if if it goes sideways
with Aaron Glenn, you got a former head coach in the
building. You got a guy who's a
quarterback, a guy who's worked with quarterbacks.
Now The Jets need to find the quarterback for Frank Wright to
actually work with. As we know.
But I don't, I don't some, and maybe it's desperation.
Some people get so excited about coordinators.
I'm not saying it's not interesting and it's not
newsworthy, but holy shit, tap the brakes.
It's the coordinator. Yeah, and even with the Giants,
and I'll give you my thoughts on Reich in a second.
Even with the Giants, like they hired Harbaugh.
OK, you got the head coach. It hit the home run with the
head coach. What's the difference?
Who the coordinators are? It shouldn't be about the
coordinators. OK, big deal, Monken went to
Cleveland. Big deal, you figured out.
And I actually like the naggy thing.
What I would say is I think. Me too.
Me too, I think. Yeah, people are ripping that
like. They're crushing it.
They're just complaining just to complain.
How do you not? He's not the head coach.
He's the coordinator under a great head coach in Harbaugh,
where I do think the coordinators matter.
Or when you have an inexperienced head coach like
Aaron Glenn, specifically a defensive mind.
I feel more comfortable today trusting The Jets offense run by
Frank Reich than I did yesterday.
Even eggstrained, who was promising maybe, but a young
guy, the same thing that they did with Salah than before,
who's now gotten a head coaching job like rookie head coach,
defensive guy, rookie quarterback and rookie OC Recipe
for disaster. That's the way that it was.
And The Jets had that same structure outside the rookie
quarterback. The field was a mess.
So I like Frank Reich and I think it's better for The Jets
to have a legitimate offensive veteran play caller guy who has
head coaching experience. He can be an asset to Aaron
Glenn. OK, So the first thing that I
throw at you we we agree with. So that's got to change at some
point because we got to get something where we're
disagreeing, a natural disagreement, which we will, I'm
sure with the baseball list here.
But the one thing I don't, I don't know if you process it
this way. The one thing that I hope the
arrival and the presence of the experience of Frank Reich does
not do is that it almost emboldens The Jets to a point
like, all right, we got a former quarterback, now let's reach for
a quarterback in the draft. Like they still have to remain
married to their board. Just because you got a guy who's
worked with quarterbacks and was 1 doesn't mean I'm looking to
throw an extra wide net in the ocean to find a guy that I don't
think necessarily is the absolute answer.
Like you. Still, you've got to mitigate
risk in this next. Like you, you still can't be
foolish in in terms of what you do with the quarterback.
No, that's my number one thing. We talked about that.
I think we talked about that when we're still doing shows
where they cannot reach for a quarterback.
The one thing I would not do definitively if I'm The Jets is
just reach to get a quarterback just because they need one.
The problem is you look at the list of who's going to be
available and there aren't many good options.
I was doing that today on the podcast.
They they're just aren't good options, but they still should
be better than fields. And what they need to do BT is
compete next year. I expect them to compete like no
more kid gloves, no more giving Aaron Glenn a pass.
Some people, I don't want them fired after five weeks, but you
got to let him play this through.
But in year 2, with the with the picks that they have and with
the moves that they need to make here, they got to be
competitive. So they do have to find a
quarterback that Wright can lead and and develop here or whatever
will make the most out of to have, you know, a competitive
season and win some games. They're gonna win 7-8 games.
They have to. But DC, that's what worries me
because we know that that's the case.
And, you know, Woody's already getting petulant with his grubby
fingerprints all over this product here.
And, you know, when Woody has, you know, an itch, he's going to
scratch it kind of quick. And what I don't want The Jets
to do is to try to microwave this thing.
But because job securities are out there and all the narratives
are what they are, and they're pretty accurate.
Because Glenn was a disaster in Year 1.
Not all of his fault, but the record is why.
I mean, The Jets were an absolute circus, especially in
December. I just hope that they don't try
to like circumvent the like the natural, normal, effective way
to build a team just to either placate some fans and win a few
games and just change the narrative a bit.
Like, hey, I'm in the long run. I've been a Jet fan forever, as
you know, and I'm generally more optimistic than not, which is
counter to what most Jet fans think.
If I've sat here for this nonsense for this long, I could
certainly sit here for one more year, provided they're doing it
the right way. Well, well, as long as there's
direction, I wouldn't sit here definitively and say well, if
they don't win seven or eight games, Glenn's got to go.
I'm saying it'd be nice to see them start to build it out.
Year 1 was like pre-K, OK, well now maybe they could enter the
1st grade and even the bad teams win 6-7 games.
That's not a good season. But can they compete?
And maybe it's less about the win total and just more week to
week competitiveness. Dude, they come on man.
I know they trade a lot of guys. They had no defense, They had no
shot at the end of the season, As you mentioned, the offense
wasn't there. So I wanted to see a somewhat
competitive football team with a clear direction and then
expecting that in Year 3, OK, maybe they now got to find their
quarterback. This is going to take a long
time. I think you can be patient.
I can be patient. Smart fans can be patient.
I don't believe the owner can be patient.
And ultimately, that's probably going to be the downfall again.
And of course, everybody knows that nobody has more patience
than BT and Sal. You know what I wanted to ask
you before you mentioned? You mentioned Stu gods, right?
Yeah. And so I just want to just for
the record here, is that the same Stu gods that you were
shitting all over? Yeah.
I just want to make sure that's the same guy.
Yeah, well, he, remember, he, I think they ripped either us or
me for a Soto. I was criticizing Soto and him
and Lebatar got on me for something.
Yeah, Yeah. And then and actually when I was
on with him, I brought you up, remember?
Then he came in. There was rumors about him being
the program director. Yeah, maybe if you, maybe if he
got the job would still be there.
I mean, I I think that that might have been the case, but
anyway, he didn't take the job. So yes, he will.
And, and I was like, hey, beat like he admitted, he openly
admitted to lobbying or wanting one of those jobs eventually,
whether it was one woman retired or whatever.
But yes. I think he was trying to get rid
of Evan, right? Didn't he say yeah, get ready to
whack Evan? Didn't he say that?
Would you? I I think that might have been
his, his first choice, yeah. Hey, man, we've been good for
me. It is what we're just having a
little fun, all right at Here's the other thing about YouTube.
You got to look at this, right? All these the names, the
numbers, the underscores, tada, I think I actually got that
right. TADA 1722.
You two were amazing. I know that I can speak for all
of us. This is what the people needed.
You 2 know you the shit and I love it.
Go Dodgers. Well, everything up until that
last point is phenomenal. We hate the dodgers.
Dodgers suck. Dodgers will win again this
year, but thank you for that affection and I'll I'll just
periodically throw some things up on the screen, you guys, as I
see the stream coming in, I'll pop them in.
All right, giannis #1, how aggressive number one, do you
think he'll be dealt by tomorrow anywhere?
I do. Did you see the latest report?
I was seeing that just before we came on here, that Miami,
there's a report that has Miami potentially looking to get Yanis
and John Moran. Dude, once I heard Riley's
involved, man. Yeah, once I heard Miami's
involved and Riley, that's where I started to get scared off a
little bit. Look, the bottom line is the
Knicks don't have what it takes as far as the best packages go
to get Giannis. Now, is he going to force his
hand and just go to the Knicks? That's maybe the hope.
The other point is, and I heard you mention this before, and I
agree, even if the Knicks don't, I want them to make a move
because we both don't. We agree.
Cat's not the guy. No, I it's almost less about
Giannis to me and more about trading Cat.
Like maybe there's another star player or another iteration of
the the Knicks that could help them outside of Yannis.
He's just the one that's available now.
Worst case scenario, they still have a chance to go make a run
at the championship this year and then maybe you recess on the
offseason. My guts telling me, though, he
gets moved and it's not going to be to the Knicks.
I agree. I don't think they've got the
resources. Yeah, that's one thing I was
talking about. Obviously Leon Rose, who's done
a lot, right, a lot well to elevate the brand and restore
the Knicks from, you know, an absolute, you know, doormat to a
team that's at least got a, you know, have punchers chance to
win something here. But see, I, I don't know if
you've noticed this and they haven't played a lot of good
teams during this winning streak.
So I don't want to overreact and I'm not changing my opinion.
I don't think Karl Anthony Towns in May and June for two months
of Chris basketball against good teams with game plans and good
coaches and all that stuff. I think you'll be exposed.
I think we both agree with that. But they're they're, they're
doing something a little different philosophically like
that. Again, I want to geek it up too
much, but it is interesting because he's starting to play
better and focus more on rebounding and take fewer shots.
And maybe there's a path for this new version of the Knicks
to be better than both you. And I thought, let me hit you
with it. So early on, the Knicks
defensive philosophy was funnel everybody into the middle,
funnel them in right now they've they've augmented that and now
it's funnel them to the baseline where your wings could trap and
and do some what a basketball stuff, right?
And now again, they're playing weak teams.
They're giving up about 91 1/2 points a game during this
winning streak. And that's kind of like, you
know, 1990s defense. That's good.
Will it be effective against the the great teams?
I don't think as much, but do you at least have any hope that
the new version of Cat can be enough to maybe take the Knicks
to a place that both you and I right now, or at least before
the street, didn't think they could get to?
Hope, yes. Do I think it's going to happen?
Like do I think they're going to win the championship?
No. But my point is that like, we're
grading them on a championship level.
Curve which is as we should. Yeah, exactly.
But it's a great thing to be talking about it like that.
So worst case scenario, we sit back and say, all right, take
your shot with this new defense. They figured it out.
Let's see how that plays in the postseason in what is a wide
open E at the very least. Like, I think the Pistons are
good. Celtics are always going to be
dangerous. I don't know if I like the Cavs
trade. I'd rather them Garland.
To me, I'd rather have Garland than Harden, but whatever.
I actually like it. Garland's banged up.
That toe's a real issue. I don't know.
I don't know how long he's going to play all.
Right. So health aside, though, I feel
like Garland was a game changer. Harden is on the wrong side,
obviously, but whatever. The Cavs are going to be a
threat. Like there are a bunch of teams
in the East. It's wide open the West.
I don't think anybody's really beating the Thunder anyway.
Maybe some of the other top teams in the Western Conference.
But you could take your chances. Like we could think that it
might not happen for the Knicks. It can happen for the Knicks.
If they really did unlock something and figure it out
here, then it can happen. Like if I'm looking at them, I
think Cats the biggest weakness and I think Mike Brown's the
biggest weakness. He needs to prove it to me.
You. Like.
MM clown. But but if you give him credit,
if this is legit like I would just feel I would feel better
about if Tibbs were the head coach of this team with this
exact situation, I'd feel better about it.
With Tibbs I trust him more, but maybe Mike Brown could take him
to another level. We're going to see worst case
scenario, the the Knicks right now are still one of the best
teams in the league and they'll stay that way and take their
shot of the championship. Here's the other issue, too.
Like, forget about Giannis for a moment.
If the Knicks made a move for other types of players and cat,
Cat was involved, right? Let's say Cat's out.
The problem is Mitchell Robinson's not physically
reliable. Forget about the fact that he's
a massive issue late in games. And I love Mitch.
What, like what Mitch does? Well, he does as well as anybody
in the in the NBA, offensive rebounding, defense.
Like he's great at his job, but how's he playing 35 minutes a
night? He's still getting rest back to
backs and there's maintenance days.
So if they move on from Cat, even if they got a really
interesting wing or another 2, whatever it might be, you still
don't have to go out and get another big that could be
serviceable in big games against good teams.
Yeah, I would think that they need another big.
You could argue that they might need that.
Anyway, I still worry about the inconsistency shooting and I
just don't know if I like It's not even just Cat, although I do
think Cat's a problem because he's an All Star.
He's a great player, but in the big spots, dude, he's out of
control offensively. It's the same stuff with the
fouls and all these different things.
So I don't love Karl Anthony Towns in general for this group,
but also the fit of of Bridges. That's another one.
I know you mentioned that before like that.
These are moves that they went all in on.
Is it the right team? Like we know definitively I
would not trade Mitch because when he is healthy, he does
something at an elite level. Hart can't go because he's the
glue to the team and an Obi's arguably their best player
overall right there with Jalen Brunson.
We know Brunson's a super story going anywhere, but you look
what Anna Novi does night in, night out.
I love the defensively. Right.
So those those four guys there I would not touch.
OK, well then how does Bridges fit in?
Could you can you replace him with a more consistent shooter
from downtown? How does Towns fit in?
Can you replace him with maybe a a serviceable big and then make
up for the lack of offense somewhere else with an
additional piece? I I don't have the exact
answers, but I just don't feel like Cat and Bridges fit this
group well enough to win a championship.
I agree. We both agree with that.
All right, let's pop this in here.
I want to throw a lot more things at you at JT Bombers, BT
ask Sal talk about Johnny's on his podcast.
Hey, are you at least into Friday night Yukon?
Johnny's Garden for first place in the Big East Yukon #3 in the
country. I know you're into it at least a
little bit. You got to be.
Yeah, well, truth be told, you know me with St.
John's, like, I got into it because of you and they haven't
been good for so long. So you got me into it a little
bit last year, Pitino. And the fact that they were good
helped. I went to the Big East
tournament, all that. I saw your post about it last
night. I didn't know, like their
schedule. I've been following along a
little bit more from your tweets.
Anything else? But when you said about UConn
Friday night, that's one that gets my attention.
So yes, dude, but that's a big game.
I'm almost saying. Where's Where are the tickets?
What's going on? Well, well, for you, I mean.
Yeah. Listen now.
Yeah. Sal's a St.
John's fan. When BT put some courtside at
the Garden to watch St. John's, that's it.
That's what Sal likes them. I know you love Pitino, though.
We had Rick on the show a couple times.
I'm going to get Rick on this show as well, obviously.
All right, so let me ask you this.
So one of the things about doing the podcast here, and this is
one of the things you and I talked a lot about on the show,
family dynamics, you know, a lot more time at home.
Sometimes I find myself, I'm just going for a ride.
Oh, honey, I go, I got to go get some gas.
I just got to get the fuck out just for a minute.
Even when she's not, she's not even annoying me.
I'm like, I just got to get out of my house.
So what are you doing? Is it the gym, which I know you
always tell me you want to get back in and you've been working
out. What do you do to kind of piece
the day together so you don't lose your mind?
You know, I still haven't gotten in full control of the new
schedule you mentioned. So I have SNY Monday through
Friday, OK, so that's pretty consistent.
But during the day, I think there's this thought that
because I'm here, like I've got to be taken care of, Sammy and
all that stuff. And I'm like, well, I gotta do
the podcast in the morning. And that's treated.
Remember we talked about like the radio shows like, Oh yeah,
big deal, you talk about sports. So the podcast now is even less,
in her mind, treated like a real.
Thing. And I'm like, no, it's the exact
opposite. Like I need to put everything I
have into this to make sure like this, this is a job.
So I've, I've been, but I've been taking Sammy to school If I
can, I'll take her up from school a little bit, going to
the gym more. So I'm actually doing a lot of
stuff like you meant. We we talked about it off the
air busier now. Yep.
It's dude, it's amazing. I look at my account calls or
podcast guest spots or this or that.
Like it just seems nonstop. So still trying to find my way.
But yeah, being home more often during hours where you should
probably be working is not necessarily a good thing for the
Mariner. But you're not driving your
nuts. I I guess the better question
is, are are you driving her nuts?
Maybe a little bit you. Know it happens is what it is.
Look, it's I don't think my wife works from home part time.
I don't think it's healthy to have everybody home all the
time. No, no, no, no, it's not.
It's not meant to be that way, Sal.
Yeah. And even when I go to SLY, I'm
not there all night. Like generally I leave it.
I leave it almost three. I get back at 7:30 or so.
So really I'm not out of the house enough.
So I I haven't figured it out yet, but we.
Got good God, let me see here. All right, Jay Rod, Hey, Jay
Rod, do me a favor. If you see something pop up that
is about you know the BT and Sal there were question for Sal or
something you think I would want to there we go all right, so we
didn't everything's back to normal couple of baldies going
at the gym. As a fellow baldy, this is
appreciated. Thank you strategy appreciate
that dude. Have you figured out see the big
obstacle for me when I launch YouTube was, and I know you've
heard the term a million times. I'm sure about a boomsprit like
monetization modetization. It's how you make money.
I mean, when I got a hobby here, this eventually is going to turn
into a lucrative profession, right?
So I know you already have the 4000 Subs.
Good job on that. The tougher thing to do is 1000
watch hours, which you'll get in no time soon, I'm sure.
But once you do that, have you do you under like you see these
things popping up with money attached to them?
Do you understand the Super? I did not understand.
For the first two weeks I'm like what is a super chat?
What about 12 years old? Am I getting half of that?
What's going on? You getting nothing, you getting
gots is what you get. I don't know anything about it.
Obviously I've seen you do it and see those things pop up.
Yeah, Bada Booms is in control of all that.
I just, we're almost at 5000 subscribers, which is good.
I'm happy with that. We're all we're.
I just got approved for like the.
I guess you have to go through a process to monetize it. 100%
yeah. You got to have 4000 Subs, which
you do, and 1000 watch hours, which evidently you got.
Good job. Well, I guess because it got
approved just the literally the other day he was talking to me
about that. So we're on our way to to trying
to build it up that way. So I'm, I'm not yeah, I'm not in
any hurry. I don't know what I'm learning,
dude. I'm learning as we go.
He's teaching me bada boom's teaching me some things.
I'm teaching him some things, like kind of learning as we go
and seeing what works and what not.
Even with the timing of it, like is it better to go live at
night? Is it better to go live period?
I don't. I at first we started, my idea
was tape it at night, so you kind of catch up on whatever
happened during the day and have it in people's feeds the first
thing in the morning. I don't care when you put it up
on YouTube or just put it on the podcast feeds.
But then I just didn't want to do it at night.
I don't want to do it. I did.
That's why I have other stuff. So I'd rather do in the morning.
So now we've been recording first thing in the morning
trying to get it out. But anyway, work in progress as
I'm sure you had to learn on your own and now with J Rod
helping you out. Has Booney been texting you to
get off his behind about Grish and being a lead off man?
Now, let's let me just set the stage for a minute.
So Sal tells me before the BT and Sal live show is like, hey,
Booty got on my ass a little bit the other day, Which, by the
way, you and I disagree with on a fair amount of things with the
Yankees. We both agree on that.
If you're a World Series team, Trent Grisham cannot be batted
first, but he is until further notice or whatever.
So anyway, I guess Booty texted you before the event.
And then when we get up on stage, we got like, I wouldn't
say friction. Well, Booty clearly wanted to
get out of message. And it was a little salad Booty
to start. I'm sitting back saying I kind
of like this, no problems coming my way.
He you're right. He burned up on stage.
So he called me the day before and I thought he was.
Just going to be. That's right.
Yeah, I thought he was well, I didn't pick up because I was on
the path train. I was like, all right, I got to
call him back when I get in the car.
I can't answer this now. I thought he was going to maybe
bust my chops about like, hey guy, dude, I'm sorry.
I can't make it to the live show because he's done that before
joking around. I was like, oh, let's hope.
I mean, imagine that happened. It would have been a disaster.
So then I I call him, I'm like, hey, what's up booty?
And he just starts lacing into me about something I said on SL1
that the Yankees need a leadoff hitter.
And then he even said he's like BT I tell BT the same thing.
So obviously you and I, when we've had conversation with him,
say the same thing about the leadoff hitter.
He kept saying his point was that we had a leadoff hitter
last year. Grisham OPS was 8.
Whatever it was. He's like, if you want to make
the argument that he can't do it again, different argument.
But don't say that we need a lead off hitter because we had a
pretty darn good 1A year ago. OK, you know I love my numbers,
right? I love numbers.
I, you know, you obviously you can't just bombard people with
numbers. But to me it's a good point of
reference. And I do like diving into the
advanced numbers, right? But you don't need advanced
numbers for an answer to this question. 8th inning, 9th
inning, guys on base, down a run, upper run, tie, score, big
spot, big game. Red Sox, Jays.
Mets. Subway Series, Dodgers.
Whatever it is, Do you really want Trent Grisham up there
before Aaron Judge? Do you really want that?
That's that's what I told him. I'm like, well, what about in
the postseason? Because Grisham, what he did in
the regular season was great, but in the postseason he didn't
do anything. He goes what was only four
games. I was like, well, that's not my
fault, that's your fault. The Blue.
Jays. Only four games.
So So do we think Grisham could a do what he did a year ago?
Probably not. I mean, that was such a high
level, Probably not. But let's say he even could do
that, BT Do we trust that he's going to do that in the playoffs
against the best pitching? I don't.
And I know we had to see, we we couldn't even trust that Aaron
Judge was going to do that in the playoffs until we're going
to trust Trent Grisham, who had three straight sub 200 batting
averages before before last year.
Same thing. Same thing with Jazz.
Same thing with Luke Voit in 2020.
The Yankees have had a knack. Nobody's ever going to question
their prowess in the regular season.
OK, they're dominant. Their numbers were better
offensively than the Dodgers were a year ago in the regular
season. The question is, does that style
transfer into October? And so far hasn't bingo.
It hasn't it just Ernie Clement didn't put a big gaudy numbers
like Jazz. Like, look at Jazz's numbers.
They're elite for a second. They're Hall of Fame numbers for
a second baseman, 25 homers, 30 steals.
Like that just doesn't happen. But in the postseason, empty at
bats, swings and misses. Just that.
That's my issue with the Yankees, where I would have
liked a little more stability, specifically in front of Aaron
Jones. You know, one of the things that
bothers me about the Yankee lineup is that too many of their
guys don't adjust to the moment. Like, it's, it's one thing
you're playing the Royals, you're playing the Orioles,
You're playing whatever May, June, July are, you know, you're
swinging for the moon. And Jazz always swings for the
moon and Grisham swings for the moon.
And so and so does Volpe and so does Wells.
And, you know, I don't know if McMahon swings for the moon.
He's just, he just strikes. He just strikes out too much.
They have too many guys like the best teams and then go back to
the older Yankee teams. You know, Jeter two strike boom
right field now be getting on base, Bernie adjusting, Tino
adjusting, O'Neill adjusting. Even Posada was a power guy as a
catcher adjusting and they just don't have enough guys in in my
opinion. And by the way, the numbers back
this up that I trust in those big spots.
And now the one thing that maybe count their balance that is, and
I don't think it's a World Series team.
I think the Yanks are a playoff team.
I think the Mets are as well. But you want to tell me if
Gerard Cole's pitching up in Toronto rather than Louis Hill
and he's really Gerard Cole? All right, maybe that's
different. OK, you know, and now I get it.
You know, you have Rosario for the whole year.
You have Caballero. At least you have a better
bench. I'm not over.
I'm not saying yeah, I'm not overstated, but at least you
have a bench and you have some more components.
You'll have Cam Schlittler for the whole year, much like the
Mets will have McClain for the whole year.
So I'm not saying that there aren't elements of what the
Yankees say that could be true and that are true.
I just think the problem the energy from Yankee fans that
they have with the Yankees is that it seems to be the same
approach every freaking year. OK and I agree with that, but
let's put it this way because they could say, and Boone did
say this, he said this to us on stage of the live show.
Like we won 94 games. We just think we ran into a hot
team in Toronto. We'll see what happens this
year, even with Cole coming back.
Imagine Cole Freed, Schlittler game 1-2 and three in the post
season can make a legitimate, legitimate argument that the
Yankees right now should be the favorites in the American
League. I thought they were the best
team last year. I was wrong.
They thought they were the best team last year.
They were wrong. They think the best team this
year. Who knows, Even with other teams
getting better, my issue is, well, okay, even if you were
good last year and you're going to be better this year, why not
try to get even better? The Dodgers won two World Series
in a row, they get Tucker and Diaz.
What would be the harm in getting a better like they're
the Yankees, I don't. Understand it?
It's a good point. Now that really is the point I
think you laid out well. All right man, You ready for the
list? Yeah, go ahead, hit me with it.
You have to spend too long on each one, but I want to.
So I'm going to go in descending order.
Let me just read this real quick.
What up with Drew? Miss you guys tuning in after
New York sports triumph or some debacle to hear your takes isn't
the same anymore. Hope to do that here now.
Can't wait for the Long Island event live show, hopefully a
golf outing. I did bring that up the other
day. And by the way, no means is it
set in stone. Sal and I were just
conceptualizing a possible golf, golf outing.
Now, you know, Andrew, Andrew used to call this quite a bit.
Andrew from you don't know him personally, but he called this a
lot. Bay Ridge.
Thank you for that, Andrew. I appreciate it.
Yeah. The live show, the next targets
Long Island, which will be a rousing success, I have no
doubt. We'll sell that out.
You know, logistically, we got to put it together.
And I actually float it to Sal before I get to the list.
The concept of a golf outing now, the only thing is I think
we could sell it. I think people will come.
I think we can get the venue. I just got to know which Sal's
showing up to the golf course. Because if it's the Sal who was
on the green, when me and JJ are on the tee box basically racing
through the round, I want Sal to show up with five surf sides in
them. Doesn't give a shit if he Shanks
or bangs one 250 yards, which he did a couple times with Mike.
I want to drive around, I want to have a good time.
I want to Uber there like I don't want Sal racing to finish
the round. Sal Otherwise I don't want.
To do the event. No.
Usually I get bored with the back nine.
Usually. Although that day with Mike,
like, it was freezing cold. The day that we went with Mike,
Yeah. It was the only time you and I
played together, right? Correct.
Yeah. So, all right, that was our
first time playing together. And it was in unique
circumstance. It was great with Mike and JJ.
Like, that was fun. I know you got hit in the chest,
whatever, but the the IT was freezing, dude.
The wind was nasty. Yes, it was very windy.
So outside of that, I usually go and enjoy myself.
I'm not good. I don't care to be good,
although I would like to be a little bit better and just more
consistent, like hit the ball at least somewhere near the
fairway. It can't just be, well, wow,
that was a beautiful drive. And the next 5, you know, Shank
them off to the. Side but.
Yeah, I'd have fun with it if you can make it work.
The thing I said, and I said this on the live show, if there
is a demand for BT and Sal in whatever in case that may be,
whether it's a golf outing, whether it's a live show, then
then I think it's up to us to supply that.
Even if it is once a month or whatever, like if there's a
demand for it, then we can control to supply it.
And there will be. And you know that even that I
say that humbly. I don't say that like an
arrogant jerk. People want as much BT and Sal
as they could get. All right #10 does Sean and I
bounce back? I think he does, but to what
extent? I think probably somewhere in
between. Not the ace like pitcher that he
was at the end of 2024, not the disaster that he was last year.
I would say probably somewhere in between.
A solid #3 starter. OK, I know that you guys
discussed this on baseball night in New York on SNR the other
day, but I didn't. I just saw a quick clip and I
didn't. I saw the topic, I didn't see
the answer so I'm curious. How long does Volpe's leash?
Volpe comes back when he comes back, Caballero to start.
You know they're going to run him out there and try to have
him re establish himself. How long do the Yankees run with
him if he's not playing well? I think he's, I think he's
getting the full year. I think about the timeline.
He's not going to be ready to win May.
Yeah, I would say about that, he's a little bit ahead.
I I spoke to his dad the other day.
He's doing well. Yankees gave a favorable report,
but I think Middish may probably pretty, pretty good timeline.
Yeah. So do the math.
We know the Yankees love him. Boone talked about his defense
and all that stuff and thought that the last, you know,
whatever bad defensive thing was just a spurt.
His bats got potential. If he's not coming back until
May, do you think that there's enough runway to go out and
trade for a shortstop at the deadline?
If he's if he's slowed down like I, I think that I think at least
this year it's going to be his job.
If not, Caballero is going to be the guy, but I think he's going
to get a full leash. Again, There's no reason to
believe that they're going to go away from him because they
haven't. And I can't imagine it's going
to be any worse than it than it was a year ago.
Yeah, you know, I don't think it's going to be worse, but it's
it's got to be better. And see the problem with me with
Volpe here is that he's got he's got fundamental issues with his
approach and his swing. I've talked to Alex about this.
You know, whether was at the party, whether it was when I had
Alex on the show when when you when you wrapped up before I did
it fan so mechanically Volt he's a mess like he misses the
fastball upstairs fouls it back start swinging at the slop blow
it away. You look up it's O212 you dead.
That's how you hit 210 of the majors miss fast fastballs and
flail at soft stuff in the dirt. And because it's a shoulder
injury, he hasn't been able to swing even though it's his non
throwing. I'm not worried about his arm.
I'll never have a good arm, but the radical overhaul that I
believe is necessary for him to possibly meet whatever we
thought he could be, He hasn't been to the laboratory because
he's just merely healing right now.
So why do I expect of different Anthony Volpe?
Why? I wouldn't but I and if it were
me I wouldn't have as long of a leash.
You and I talked about this many times like I would have sent
them down. I don't see what the harm.
Yeah, you always said that. I I would never have sent them
down, but you always said that. Just just to get, it's not a
knock, it's just to get him, get him right.
But I think the Yankees are going into this year again, as
rock headed as it may seem, as Anthony Volpe is going to be
their shortstop and if he fails again, then they're going to
have to reassess in the offseason.
But otherwise, I would think that they'd have more insurance
than Caballero. But they like him.
So I think it's those two guys are going to be their
shortstops. #8 Can you fully trust Devin Williams?
Fully no, but I definitely expect to bounce back.
Forget Diaz for a second, I think Williams bullpens are
fickle. I love the idea of getting a guy
off of a down year. He also righted himself through
what was a turbulent season in his first year in New York.
His last 19 games or so were lights out.
So maybe he's not pitching his ERA in the ones, but it's
certainly not going to be in the four or Fives.
I think I think he'll be serviceable enough to win a
bunch of games. I agree with that, but I want to
throw a couple of subsets here. Number one and one's +1 is
negative. So because he was able to
stabilize in New York, generally when you get chewed up early in
New York, you either bounce back or you're dead.
Like Ed Whitson back in the day or Carl Pavato or or or Rabu,
like there's early sunny Gray. The signs are there and you
either respond and then you, you, you earn the respect or you
freaking drown. He didn't drown.
That's favorable. But the thing that I think makes
this a little more complex here is it's not like the Mets had a
sea level closer a year ago. They had the best in baseball.
And if he gets off to a start, even though we stabilized it
after a rough, a brutal April with the Yankees, if he flushes
a lead or two down the down the chute early in April in Queens,
they're going to be all over him, dude.
I think I think that's the biggest point is that the fans
are going to be ready to pounce because they know what Williams
did with the Yankees and wasn't very good.
And they hate the idea of replacing Diaz with Williams
obviously hated what happened with Diaz.
So it will be a short leash from the fan base.
But I think I think ultimately I think he'll be OK.
I don't think the Mets will lose because of Devin Williams.
And by the way, if he stinks, they're gonna have to go get a
real closer. That that's just simple as that.
If you want to be taken seriously, got to get on that
ASAP. Well, let's be honest, Stearns
fucked that up. I mean, that was one of the few
mistakes. I think that was the only
mistake that he made this offseason.
But I don't know how it got to that point and and the Mets
don't have the wiggle room to make mistakes like that.
They Pete is one thing. They didn't want Pete back at
that price. They wanted Diaz back.
They thought maybe Diaz and his agent would come back to them
and say, OK, well, here's our offer and then they can up it
and just bring him back. But for whatever reason, I don't
know if it's buddy buddy with the Dodgers, maybe Diaz didn't
want to be with the Mets anymore.
Maybe he didn't like the games that he thought strong.
Who knows But they. Maybe wants to win.
Maybe win the championship. Maybe, you know, maybe I mean no
guarantees we talked about that, but but hard to argue when
you're going to the load of dodgers just one two in a row.
However it is, they screwed that one up and the Mets aren't in a
position to where they have any wiggle him to be making mistakes
like that. #7 Is Ben Rice on the precipice of being a hitting?
I think so. Me too.
We talked about, yeah, we talked about this a year ago.
I mean, as a matter of fact, I remember fighting with Boone
about it in the postseason. Remember where he was getting
criticized for not having rice in the line up against the
lefties? Yep, side tax and what do you
do? You get get rice in there.
We need his bat in there. And then we love that.
And then of course, and then of course Rice wasn't any good
against the lefties. I think I might have.
I think we said it on the air. And then afterwards I text him,
hey, maybe, maybe you should do the right transmit rice.
You should. Not wait a minute, let's get
this straight. That's hysterical, dude.
Think about what Sal just said. He's texting the manager of the
Yankees, right? Hey, why?
And I'm just paraphrasing why, you know, put Rice in the in
there. Why isn't he playing?
What are you doing? He and and and and then he puts
him in He he does not hit. And then Sal text again and says
yeah, you know. You might have been right.
Right, you are out of your mind. Bro.
But no, I think, I think he I think he's a stud offensive
player. Me too.
Now, how he's going to develop against lefties consistently, I
don't know. Do I worry about him
defensively? Yeah.
I don't think he's good first baseman, but it should be
serviceable enough. I definitely don't think he
should be a catcher. That was a failed experiment.
I don't think they're going to go to go back to that.
I think he's on the verge of a big time offensive breakout
stardom. I would bat Bellinger first,
lefty, I would bet Judge second, righty.
I would put Ben Rice third. He won't.
And then obviously Stanton,
however long he's healthy, you ride that horse, you got a
righty. So lefty righty, lefty righty.
How about rice first? Yeah, that's a possible and then
yeah, yes, you can Rice Judge belly.
Yeah, because Bellinger protect, protect the judge a year ago.
I just look at Rice. He's got more thump.
He's just he just bat. He hits the ball harder than
almost anybody outside of Stanton and Judge.
And I know P puts the balls on the screws in terms of the exit
below. I just think when you look, and
I'm not going to do now, but when you do a deeper dive on his
analytics, like when you're in the 95 percentile, I know this
bores you, but it's it matters that like 95 percentile on
really offensive categories and you're just figuring out the
league. That's not by accident.
I think Ben Rice is going to be a measure.
I really do. All right, number six, what's
Brett Beatty's role? I hope it's not Opening Day left
fielder for the Mets. I love the idea that they're
giving bench an opportunity. I think Beatty's going to be
best suited and I know you like Beatty a lot more than I do I
do. I think he's going to be best
suited to be replace Jeff Mcneil's role, which should be a
little third, a little second, a little first, a little left
move, some DH and you hope to get his bat in a lot of
consistently. He should hit 20 homers if he's
in the if he's healthy and in a lot of consistently.
Absolutely. Yeah.
I think there's some legitimacy to what he did a year ago.
I just don't want him in the lineup every day.
Is the everyday left fielder in the event Bench can't cut it out
of spring training? The only thing that worries me
about that I was talking about this the other yesterday, matter
of fact is I expanded on my list, but I want to get your
thoughts on this. But I remember saying like, all
right, everybody knows I like Beatty.
I liked him from jump. Then I cooled on him to be fair,
because he just looked a little bit overwhelmed.
Then he stabilized and I'm like, all right, he's kind of what I
thought he could be. I really like him.
I like his approach. He's got a good arm at third.
He's a pretty good athlete. Like I'm not saying he's Robbie
Allamore. If you could play second base,
you have enough athleticism to I think, eventually project into a
serviceable left fielder and there's value in that defensive
versatility. Like we talked like Bellinger,
not that he's ever going to be that, but you know what I mean.
But my fear is as he's learning to find himself as a hitter, and
I think he could be a six hitter, I think it'd be maybe A5
hitter down the road on a really good team.
But if you're so focused on right, one day I'm in left
field, one day I'm at second, one day I'm a third, maybe,
maybe spell Polanco at first, Little DH.
Is that kind of making your head too busy worrying about defense
where the offense could take a step back?
I worry about that for a young hitter as maybe somebody who
might not be playing every day. Well, and especially if somebody
starts to struggle in the field defensively and then you worry
about, oh, can I do this in left field?
Hey, look, that's his job though, his job.
And I'm sure they're going to work on everything in the
spring. His job is to go out there and
make sure that he's versatile, can play a little second when
needed, play a little first when needed, get acclimated in left
field. I mean that that's just he's
going, he has the chance to be a A+ utility guy in that regard
and get a lot of IT bats. That's his opportunity for now.
And maybe they tell him, look, it could turn into a full time
thing, Who knows? I don't.
I mean, that's part of being a big leaguer BT he's got.
He's got to understand that. I hope he thrives in that spot.
And if he doesn't, guess what, they're going to move on and
find somebody else. Next one.
Now you don't have to go too deeply because we already
touched on him a few times, but is last year's Grisham the new
Grisham? No, I don't think so.
I I think that it's probably, again, somewhere in between.
And by the way, when I say he can't do it in the postseason,
Grisham has had success before. 20/22 he beat up the Mets with
the Padres in that wild card round.
So it's not that he can't perform in the clutch.
It's that I don't think that those outrageous gaudy offensive
numbers are sustainable or realistic to carry over in the
postseason. I don't even think they're
realistic when you look at what he's done in his career.
So I I think that he could still be.
Good and serviceable and and be a power threat.
I don't think that what he did a year ago is going to be able to
be replicated. See, here's the thing that I
struggle with with Grisham, like when you hit under, I know he
wasn't playing every day, but when you hit sub 200, I know
it's an old stat. I we know.
But if you didn't, if you're in the one 90s, man, something's
wrong. I don't care how old the stat
is, right? So I can't misremember that
number one. And then you have this, this you
pop and you know, right field porch, 314 fits your swing.
OK, Little bit of a step back defensively, fine.
Boone, Boone. Boone told me it was a hamstring
issue. What we'll find out.
But if he was a 245 hitter, which it was a year ago, 34 home
runs, OPS, you know, 812, whatever it was, and he was
making $22 million a year, I'd say fucking fantastic dude.
That's a steal. The problem is, and I do think
some Yankee fans get this part wrong, some Yankee fans wrongly
think that even though I would, I didn't want to bring it back,
you know that cuz we were still working together.
But some people think that because he accepted that, it
prevented them from going after some other players, which I
don't financially agree with. I can't prove it, but I don't
really agree with that. But it's because the track
record before last year was the outlier.
So how can I believe even that guy who's not batting 7th or
8th, he's patting first until further notice, being a key cog
on a World Series team? That's my push back.
I know he's going to hit some home runs, but is he going to be
two O 9 again or two O 1? I don't know.
I think that's the best point. Last year, he's not making any
money, he's coming out of nowhere and you're getting a
high level performance, far exceeding the expectation of the
contract. Now it's going to be hard
because the expectations have raised, the salary has raised
for the one year. Is he going to be able to live
up to that or not even live up to it exceeded the way that he
did last year? Probably not.
All right, number, I can't wait to get the number 2, by the way
#4 is Cole or will Cole get back to being Cole?
I don't know man, that's an impossible question to answer at
this point. I like Eric Cole a lot.
I trust him. There's an unknown there.
Last time we saw him like he was he fully, 100% in the World
Series against the Dodgers, like the end of that year.
He wasn't right. He's only getting older.
He's coming off and missing an entire season where it felt like
that was inevitable. I think there's going to be a
some growing pains when he comes back eventually.
I hope that we get the vintage Garrett Cole but but I'm not so
sure at his age coming off of the injury.
Well, let me ask you this. See, this is my fear about the
Yankees. I do think there'll be a playoff
team. I think both teams get in there.
But because Rodon's out, you and I differ on Rodon a little bit,
but I don't want him in a big spot.
But he's he's obviously good you.
Know it was very good last year. And it was especially with the
Yankees. He was really, really good,
there's no question. But with Rodon out, with Cole
out, like the Yankees are relying on a lot of young arms
to get them through April and May.
Now, you're not going to win a pen in April or May, but you can
put yourself in such a a disadvantage or at such a
disadvantage early that you're trying to climb out of it all
year. And if the Yankees offense isn't
crushing and let's just say Judge starts slow and it's
possible, then do the Yankees have enough arms to stay afloat
in April and May? And we'll ultimately get the
answer. That's a concern.
But what encourages me if things work out favorably and call this
back to not even Cy Young 9085% eventually, I don't mean right
away, 85% of what he was and Schlittler and obviously freed
to me that could be the best rotation in baseball.
So I'm worried about the start. I'm worried about the reality of
maybe Garrett Cole's never going to be close to being Garrett
Cole again. Understood.
But if he is, Yankees rotation is going to be sick.
Right, think about it, even if he's not what he wants was it's
still going to be a plus to have him in the rotation versus where
they were a year ago. I think they'll be fine to to
hold the Fort down with all the those guys being banged up early
on. I mean, the only thing to me,
and we've talked about this many times, it's the same thing every
year. The only thing to me that can
derail the Yankees in the regular season is an injury to
Aaron Judge. Outside of that, well, I'm just
saying like outside of that and even that they still might make
the postseason, but outside of. Without judge.
I'm saying not making anything without judge.
Yeah, I mean, maybe make the postseason.
You don't think the Yankees, dude, they don't.
They have a lot of seasons where Judge has been hurt and they
still win 88 games or whatever it may be and still find.
The division was different, Sal. The The Blue Jays sock the Red
Sox like this division's good. If he gets hurt for a
significant amount of time, that to me is the only thing that
could really derail them in the regular season.
So I think they'll be fine pitching wise.
And you're right, if Cole comes back and is anything close to he
was Cole freed, Schlittler, Rodon as your four heel, that's
how they're going to win the World Series with a dominant
starting rotation. And you would expect a bullpen
that Cashman, who usually does figure out a way to build a good
bullpen, That's going to be their recipe for success, not
the balance on offense. He's good at that cat.
He's good. He's got to be good at
something. I mean, if he didn't build a
good bullpen, all right, or I think this is so fun now the age
difference and I've referenced this like I when I was I got to
see Dwight Gooden pitch live and sit in front of Channel 9 and
watch him in front of a full house with a great Mets team
strike out 12/13/14 Doctor K, the placards absolute beast.
Like I didn't see prime Guidry. But the point is when you when
we have as much as the games about offense and home runs and
all that stuff, when you have a lights out pitcher that can
strike out like a school bull or some of these other guys, it's
it's so excited, such a jolt. It's a different jolt.
There's more people in the stands, right.
So I asked you this, number 3 are Cam Schlittler and McClain,
Are they the real deal? Real deal.
Yeah, I think so. Now, it's hard to say that
definitively. We've seen guys come up for
short spurts and pop, but I think there's enough legitimacy
to what each guy did, and they did it differently.
Schlittler was consistent in the regular season, showing some
upside certainly to power. You know, the strikeout numbers
for Yankee pitcher, we didn't see that this year outside of
him, but he's A5 inning guy. And then in the postseason it
was who the hell is this animal? The beast was unleashed with
McLean. It was more just solid through
those eight starts and doing it with the spin stuff and the spin
rate and all that. But he did it in a high
pressurized situation trying to save the Mets season in a
playoff push and he did it against some pretty good lineups
as well. So I think both are very
different. I also think both are very
sustainable or or the possible possibilities there to have both
those guys sustain that high level of success.
You never know. I mean, Matt Harvey, you know,
looked like a Greek God and then he got hung up with some things
off the field, which he's talked about.
You know, you just you'd never know.
Louis Seal looked dominant as a rookie of the year.
And then, you know, I don't even care if they trade him at this
point, really, quite frankly, But you don't know.
But I, I think the thing that's different for these two guys is
that I think and it's, it's, it's a projection and a read
from a distance, admittedly small samples, obviously, I
think there's 22 or 23 starts, 14 and 914 for Cam, 9 for
McClain. So it's a very small sample.
So I've got to obviously extrapolate a lot to come up
with this opinion. I think their makeup is perfect.
I don't think they're getting hung up in the booze or the
models. I mean, get hung up in the
models. Just make sure you're ready to
pitch with the drugs or just not being locked in.
I think that they are built and wired the right way.
I think if they're healthy, I think Cam Schlittler and McClain
are going to be superstars. And put it this way, I'd rather
have them experience what they did a year ago and instead of
like, well, Schlittler was great, but he didn't taste the
postseason or McClain was great, but he never felt that playoff
pressure and push. I know he didn't pitch in the
postseason, but essentially those games were all do or die
for him. So now they now they had that
experience. That's almost as tough as it's
going to get. Obviously, the more you move
through the postseason. We get it.
But they had that experience right out of the gate and they
were successful in that. So you'd have to imagine going
to be better. I just don't know if you could
pencil in McLean for a status yet.
Like I'd have him be a 3 or 4. You don't have to.
That's why the acquisition of Peralta was so big.
Right. And their rotation significantly
better than it was a year ago. Yeah.
And we touched on Manaya. I don't even know that that I
would necessarily start because it's really where you finish.
I don't even know if I need McClain to pitch Game 2.
Like you could put put Peterson, put Manaya.
You can still shield him early, save some innings early.
I think both guys will be are going to be phenomenal if
they're healthy. All right #2 I think we'll
disagree. I'm not sure.
Will Mendy seat your boy Mendy? Will Mendy seat get hot this
year? I think it's a hot seat going
in. If you compare it to Boone.
We did this on sports night. Like I, I think it is a hotter
seat than Boone just because I feel like the Yankees aren't
going to make any changes. Where's the Mets?
Who knows. If they don't do, if the Mets
don't do well out of the gate here, you could see a change.
I don't think though, that that's going to happen.
I, I believe in Mehndy as a manager based on what we saw in
Year 1, obviously wasn't perfect.
Nobody is. Year 2.
He took some hits, some accountability as well, which I
like. I think the Mets will get off to
a good start. I think they're going to be a
good team for the most, hopefully consistently
throughout the poor throughout the majority of the season.
Therefore, I don't think his seat will ever truly be and I
expect them to make the playoffs.
So I don't think his seat will ever truly get hot in season.
I I tend to agree. I do think the Mets are a
playoff team, but you know, last year and you and I talked about
this on the fan a little bit like there was I and I again,
it's it's not an in game tactical thing that I'm about to
reference, even though I did reference a few during the
season that I thought he mismanaged.
But so does boom, you're mad at you're going to make mistakes,
whatever. But I didn't love what he was
projecting post game. Like when the Mets were drowning
and they were just hemorrhaging and bleeding out.
I kind of heard the same message.
It didn't seem very resolute. Not a lot of conviction.
I think Mehdi's good baseball man.
You know, I like him and I did this first.
She was really good and the Mets do let him, you know, operate
from the gut a little bit. He's not just pushing buttons.
And neither is Boom, by the way. So I if you think of Boom still
doing that because Boom's telling the whole free world,
you know, he is on a mission to let everybody know it's not just
about numbers. And and I agree with that to an
extent, but I do think because of whatever chemistry issue
there was a year ago, whatever sloppiness there was on the
bases and defensively, certain guy Lindor took a step back
defensively. Now that they've changed it, the
expectation, the core, the expectation has to be buttoned
up baseball and successful baseball with the payroll and
what the and with the acquisitions.
And if it's not early, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
And that's fine. Doesn't mean you can't recover.
But if he doesn't, I do think there's a chance that seats in
flames. But I have more faith in the
Mets to be good than not, right? So you.
Know, I think there's a chance. I agree.
I think there's a chance. But I just believe the Mets are
going to be good. So I don't think we ultimately
get there, but certainly if they don't get off to a good start,
he's going to feel the pressure. The pressure will mount and if
they don't make the playoffs or get close to not making the
playoffs in season, something can change.
I would not be shocked if that were the case.
All right, last one here bro with this with this list here
and it's more bigger picture than 2026 Pacific.
But how much longer can Judge be Superman?
How much longer? Dude, I mean, I I would have
probably said last year, it's not just law of averages.
How does a guy it's maintain that level of performance year
in year out? At some point, the the bubble is
going to burst. Let's hope that it's not anytime
soon because it is truly special.
I don't care if you're a Met fan, Yankee fan watching him.
He I, I've said this before, he's the best player that I've
ever seen eclipsing Barry Bonds in that regard.
But but can you expect him to keep doing it year in year out?
I mean, look at look at historically, how many players
have done that? So just health alone or just 12
average. Yeah, like.
Basically. It's it's almost impossible to
even stay healthy and and produce to to that regard year
in year out. But I, I hope that that's the
case. I would say that they probably
have two years. Where you at with that?
I'd be curious. To give you 23.
Years. Yeah, I'm kind of in the same
neighborhood. But so you're looking at a guy
and you know, when you have an OPS of over 11111 for four
straight years, you're playing wiffle balls.
What you're doing, it's just unfair.
And even remember when he got hurt against the Dodgers, he
probably would have won the MVP. He definitely would have cranked
55 bombs because he was on that. He still hit 38 because you and
I had that bet that I never made you pay off.
Yeah, I know you miss your opportunity.
I know you never know. Beating Sound live.
Show that is true. I was supposed to dress up as a
player of your choice, right? In full uniforms.
That's what, yes. Yeah.
Babe Licata, Sal Booth. Little belly, right, Little
cigar. Anyway, three of the last four
years he's had a WAR of over 1010 or more, and the only year
he didn't have it was what he missed 3050 games with again
because he got hurt against the Dodgers.
So his numbers are historical. You're right.
Best player I've ever seen as well.
I don't worry. I see.
I think people position the question wrong.
That's why I said how much longer can it be Superman, not
how much longer before Judges is is wildly diminished.
What my fear is right because he masks so many problems for the
Yankees. When you're hitting 58596060
plus home runs, you know, 1100 OPS, hitting 32330, winning
baddy titles, you are picking up the slack for a lot of slop in
that lineup. And if there's even a slight
regression, and I mean, I don't think it'll happen this year,
but it wouldn't stun me, What if he hits 289 with 41 home runs
and 109 RBI's instead of the old world Superman numbers he's been
putting up? Well, if that happened last
year, Yankees don't win 94 games.
If it happens this year, I don't know what happened.
So that's my fear. Not that he's going to fall off
a Cliff, but that this expectation that he could keep
doing this. I mean, it's a short ramp.
It's a short runway dude. You know, it's a great point
that it plays to what we were talking about before.
Why not try to get better, OK, you think you're a great team,
you won 94 games, you're going to be better.
But why not try to build on top of that?
If the Dodgers could get better, you should.
They're also factoring into their equation that Judge is
going to continue to do what he's done where they should be
accounting for maybe a little bit of drop off, even just where
he becomes a, you know, a great performer.
Just maybe not the Superman level as the term that you use
there. I can see that they should be
accounting for that in in some regard, and they're not.
I mean, there's no way around it because they're building the
same team. OK, well, if this happens the
same way they did last year and we get called back, now is how
we surpass the Blue Jays. But yeah, what if Judge only
hits 40? Only hits 40, plus home runs and
drives in 110? Yeah, it's it's unfair what they
right what they expect from him. And really it's unfair that the
expectation, even though it's not like verbalized, but based
on what they put on the field, this is their expectation.
All right? Just go out there, do you be you
and cover up all the other shit that we put out there next to
you. I mean, that's not the way you
win a championship, though. How many times do you think you
wanted to say shit on the air and and couldn't?
I love the freedom, dude. I love it.
I freaking love it. Now, the one thing that I don't
do, it's just come out and just gratuity and gratuitously F bomb
like that's that's lazy, that's unintelligent, but it's listen,
you and I curse a lot off the air, like a lot of times during,
you know, commercials, which telling stories, we're laughing,
we're throwing F bombs like when it fits the moment.
I mean, hey, I'm here for it, man.
I love you. We had, we had, we had some
directed at each other along the way as well.
Not many, though. Not many, not.
Many. No, I know there were a couple
of like, you know, maybe a couple of blows, but no, it was
not many. When were you most angry at me?
Be honest, what was the time we were like, Dan, that was fucked
up. Like I'm really pissed.
And not that we can't get through it, but the moment where
you're like, and I know earlier rather than later, I don't know.
If it was 1, there's only one real fight that we had.
I don't know if it was like me being angry at you, but it was
you being angry at me and then in turn me being angry at.
You, of course. Well, you got to reciprocate the
anger. Yeah, well, that, but that's the
one that comes to mind. Which one?
Again. That was where I I forget what
happened, but it must have been at the height of like where the
show just felt very combative. Oh yeah, yeah.
And you were pissed at some of the ways, like maybe I got into
a fight with a caller or something like that.
And then you really so and you were getting on me for that type
stuff, Yes. And then we kind of had it out
in in that regard. I remember that.
That's the one that I remember. And then you know what, dude, we
had it out and we just came back and did the show is as we
normally would and moved on. Like it wasn't like we let it
fester or anything like that and then eventually got way better
from that, but. I think, listen, I I think
without that Sal, without that growth, you can look at it as a
marriage or friendship, a radio partnership.
Like to me to and remember you and I have talked about this
publicly a lot, but I remember sending Sal a couple of text
messages. Hey, we got this is early.
We got to learn to trust each other here once, once I know
that you're not trying to make me look bad and I know I'm not
going to try to make you look bad.
And it's just content and it's debate and there's no side
angles. Like then we have a chance to be
the best show in the history of the station.
Not not the longest in terms of Mike and Chris and all that.
Like we're never going to be on Mount Rushmore.
But what we had a chance to produce I thought was really
real. And we ultimately hit that mark,
which was great. But I, I, I remember the at
least for me, I'm like, I'm trying to, I was trying to
figure you out, right, Because you're a very, you're personally
very number one, you're very talented.
I've I've always said that talented guy out of your mind
talented. And I'm like, alright, how do we
straddle this line of it being combustible but not toxic?
And I think once we did that and then we addressed it, I think
that's where that healthy relationship and that trust and
that friendship, if you really think about it like you're a
friend of mine and I'm a friend of yours, we're friends.
Like we could have easily gone see you, Sal, see you, BT you
know, that's it. Instead, we remain friends.
But I think the early blow up, if you want to call it a blow
up, got us to a place that enabled us to get stronger.
Yeah. And, and these things, I don't
care how close you are, how much you trust each other, they take
time to build a radio show. And unfortunately for us, we had
the 2 1/2 years or whatever it was.
And I think our best year was probably the last year where we
just relaxed a little bit. There are other circumstances
that were involved, and we've talked about it many times.
I have some regrets about things, but it's a learning
curve. Like I could beat myself up a
little bit for it, for some of the ways that things were
handled in the beginning or just the mentality going into the
show. It took a little while to learn
where we wanted to be or learn, OK, well, despite what is being
said or who's saying this or that, I think that there's a
better way to maybe handle this for for us.
Maybe it would have worked for other people.
But the way that this show is, here's what we need to do to
have it be successful or be better.
And it took a little while to learn that.
But I think we got there eventually and then we got
booted out and. Hey, get out.
Hey guys, you guys are doing phenomenal.
You learn from early mistakes, you got the ratings, you
generate revenue, you know, you create a ton of clicks and you
run the digital show. You get the highest digital of
all the shows on the fan. You're in the newspapers,
websites. Good job the fuck out.
Hey, it is what it is, man. Yeah.
No, I mean, you know, we did. We did what we could do and we
understand why why it happened. And not just domestically, it
was BT and Sally Hit, how about Australia?
Aaron has reached out to you and I on The Fan before.
He's been a fan of BT Unleash. Make sure you guys follow Sal's
YouTube show as well. I'm going to be a couple of more
minutes. I know you got stuff to do.
Aaron from Australia lads called you guys on The Fan.
My favorite combo scene back doing this The world is normal
again. I will not read that last part,
but by all means if you would like to read that that last
part, go ahead. Let's go, Mets.
There you go, Aaron. We appreciate you checking in.
They got the teamwork to make the dream work.
You want to laugh? Dude, I'm in the car real quick.
I'm in the car. The other night I was taking my
son to, I think travel basketball practice, right?
We get in the car and I had to. I had the fan on and he reaches
over and I go, what are you doing?
He goes. I'm deleting it.
He did that. He.
Wanted to I'm like no, no, I mean now why do you.
You you still listen or you just you're saying it just had on.
By I just haven't gotten around the chat.
And by the way, if I get in the car, you know, I'll throw on
Evan Tiki for a minute like I'm I'm not going out of my way to
listen to the station. I mean, I'm not.
I am. Not it's I, I don't, it's not a
knock. It's maybe it's just the part I
just want to move on. So I, I'm not, I don't have that
on music or podcasts or whatever.
Silence, my wife told me. Yeah.
How about Daddy reaching over? I'm like, what are you doing,
Colt? He's getting ready to take it
off the preset. Like, I like the instincts,
buddy. Wait, I have Daddy's back.
That's right. Delete that.
Yeah, I'm just kidding. Alright, man.
What? What do you got going on in the
next week or so? What?
What's and what am I coming on
your show? What are we doing this?
Yeah. Well, by the way, have you had
other guests on? I know we.
You're my first one, dude. That's what I thought because I
haven't my first one so I appreciate that.
You're my first one. We just started getting, we had
like Seth Rollins last week. I had a Royal Rumble tonight
actually. I'm going to go live I think on
my YouTube Salakata show, the podcast YouTube.
We're going to go live at 8 with Frank Isola.
But yeah, I mean, you know, I'm going on vacation in a couple
weeks. So I'm trying to plan how how
we're going to because the contents got to be out.
I'm on vacation. I'm not doing it.
So we got to have some in the bank.
Yeah, right. I mean, what do you do?
Have you thought about that? Yet when you go on vacation.
Yeah, I've got it now. You you can't steal these
concepts. I got a couple things that I'm.
It's just Evergreen stuff like you.
Don't have to tell me the concepts I I have because I
don't. You shouldn't get it out there
anyway. You have your own thing.
I already did yesterday. I already said stuff but.
But yeah, you. Put it out there.
I have ideas but it's just you got to like plan it and then
execute it and and actually do it.
So one week is going to be double the work as opposed to
each. That's true, but think about the
difference. I know we've talked about this
like I think I think one of one of the things that that I'm
again, and not to just always walk down memory lane.
Oh man, but the energy that we had was as like we never took a
segment off. Now I'm not saying every segment
was an A+, but that was the motivation, the energy, the
passion, the investment, just the the, the willingness to do
battle and bring it every freaking 2nd and over 4 years,
dude, over 4 hours. Pardon me, that's hard to do 4
hours. Like we would empty the holster,
I'd get off the air. I know you'd get, you'd be a
little tired. I'd be a little tired.
I wouldn't need that ride home. Like I felt like it was in a
freaking boxing match of like Jesus.
Man, in the beginning especially, what I will say is I
don't think radio shows should be and whatever.
Everybody's got their own opinion on this stuff and I
understand why certain things are the way that they are.
The idea of doing a four hour radio show, even you you go
along on the podcast, maybe with a guest, a little bit different,
but for me, I'm in the mindset of the shorter the better.
I just feel like the way that the world is going with the
content. So the idea of doing a four hour
show to me is absurd after not having to do it now for a month
or so. Now we, you don't say the exact
spot you going to an island, right, You going somewhere,
whereas Caribbean or something. We.
Had it was my wife turned 50
this year. So and you know obviously what
went on last year with her brother and all that stuff.
We needed a vacation didn't take one I don't think a year ago
because of all that stuff. So we had this predetermined or
pre planned. I surprised her on Christmas
because she wasn't and sure about work status.
Surprise her on Christmas with the trip.
Yeah, we'll be going to the Caribbean.
I believe it is. Whatever, but doing that, this
sounds not a big geographical. Man, I actually looked at the
Matthew and he was like, oh, I didn't know this was there.
Hey, by the way, I hope you got a good deal because if you're
dropping 15 grand on a beach vacation right now, I mean as
your as your financial advisor, I'd say.
Yeah, I the way I say it is, I don't play scared, whatever, I
don't care. I mean, I, you, you have two
options. You could sit there and be like,
oh, I'm worried about it, or screw it, you know what, I'm
going to go live my life. I'll put on the credit card,
worry about it later. That's one of the reasons I love
you, man. Make sure your mom comes to the
next BT and Sal live. She'll be out there, out of
there. She'll be at the show, right?
If it's if yes, it's all going. She'll be there, yeah.
OK, all right bro, hey, go do your thing.
Awesome to have you and and by the way, you are my first guest,
but I I was waiting to have the entire studio redesign.
They just came, they measured it's being printed.
It's going to be, you know, put on.
It's a big process, but I'll have that next week.
And I said, you know when I get a rod on when I get Michael K is
going to come on talk Yanks Stephen A is going to come on.
That's already unlocked. I said, let's face it, for those
guys, for the A listers, I got to have a real backdrop for Sal.
It doesn't matter what the hell it looks like, you know, C minus
backdrop. Who gives a shit at Sal?
Doesn't matter, pop them up and let's go do some sports.
And how much do we make today? I saw those numbers popping up.
What's our What's my share? 0.00 is your is your share.
You know, isn't it wild? And I don't ask for it because
it's obviously tacky and I appreciate it.
I'm not going to turn it down, but you know people throwing in
super chats 510 fifteen, 20-30 bucks just to read a message
like this YouTube world is wild, man.
So the more that you figure it out, which you will along with
Bob booms, provided you don't make him run to the mid to the
hills and get away from you, you're going to really enjoy it.
And I think more importantly, going to be great at it because
at the end of the day, dude, you know, they could take away the
WFN microphone from US and it's all good and we move on.
But talents, I'm talking about you, not me.
Talents, talent, work ethic is work ethic.
You got it in spades bro. I'm rooting for you.
You're a friend for life. Awesome.
Appreciate you being the 1st guest on the show, dude.
I miss you, ma'am. Thank you very much.
I appreciate you having me sharing the platform with me for
an hour or whatever it is here and we should work on doing
something I'll have you on at some point soon.
We can figure out our schedules and work on doing something
potentially once a month or whatever that may be.
Like I said, if there's a demand, we got to supply it.
There's a stop asking the question like you know the
answer. It's.
Uncomfortable so you're my rash than I am.
I don't know. It's not like.
A We just finished second in the country, but not even on the air
anymore. Yeah, 40 people there.
Yeah, the one that matters, they may not have voted.
I mean, he voted. He voted us off the island, that
one. That's hysteric this let let's
look. Oh wow, BT and Sal finished
second out of 41 program directors and 36 executives from
and this is true from 9 different companies and not to
mention digital platforms. Oh who's the one guy who didn't
vote for you? The guy who runs the fan, you
fucking lunatic man. I love you, dude.
I'll see you soon dude. All right bro, we'll talk to you
later. All right, man, there he is,
Salicada in the house, Sally Boy, he is an absolute trip,
man, absolute trip. Hopefully you guys enjoyed that.
You know, it just makes me it makes me proud.
It makes me proud of what we created because you know, to
tell you, I don't know that I should have asked him this.
I'll ask him next time he's on him.
I didn't know that he had the same feeling.
But when initially when WFAN told me about changes, so it was
me and Tiki. And then I found out that Tiki
was going to at the new drive. And my first instinct is why the
hell am I not going to at the new drive?
Like that's my first thought. And I didn't project that in an
arrogant way, but competitively. And you know, I certainly
believe that I've got the talent to do it.
They didn't want me to do it. That's fine, I respect it.
That's your decision. They run the company and I'm not
going to sit here and say that I had the ultimate power as to who
I worked with. I I didn't, but they asked me,
my old boss, Spike, who I've got love for.
I know a lot of you don't, but I've got love for Spike.
And he's like, you know what, what are you thinking?
Who you thinking? Oh, you know, you know, we're
going to have to really weigh this out, but what are you
thinking? Sal was the first and only name
that I put out there. I'm like, Sal, I want to work
with Sal. And in my mind I'm saying I
haven't communicated this to them.
Like it's going to be bumpy at first and there's no guarantee
that it's going to work. But if you put us in a room and
you give us time, like our radio chops and our passion.
Yankee met fan different dynamic, animated, willing to
get after it in battle and fight and and and and the buy play
with the call. There's like in my mind, even
before I worked the second with Sal, I'm like, this could be
great. That's the guy that I wanted to
work with, you know, So they gave us a shot and we did well.
And then they said get out. What do we got here?
How about my bad? J Rod, get that up.
I got it. Boom, look at that.
See that's J Rod. Keep keep that up.
See, I'm not going to start getting you on you like Sal gets
on bottle booms, right? Maybe younger people would have
done that. But one thing that we got to
work on, and it's really nobody's fault.
We just got to figure it out. You know, it's like gelling.
It's like chemistry with a partner, but also with a
producer. I hit a button because I've got
the ability to put these up on screen.
Obviously J Rod does as well, and you see it like a little
tennis match. It's up, it's gone.
So we got to figure that out.
All right. MMM, Cardoza, appreciate that,
buddy. You and Sal are not only great
together, but the freedom of the form out format of online will
allow both of you to be more authentic and really hammer on
topics that you want to talk about.
Onward and upward. Appreciate that.
Thank you very much. Oh, Bada bada pooms, Jay rods on
top of it there. So I agree.
I agree. I I think it's a great, it's a
great format for me. It's a great form for me, it's a
great platform for me. And and again, it's not about
getting on the air and sounding like a 12 year old in the
schoolyard just cursing to curse like, but there is an element of
authenticity. Like I, I think that you guys
know, like if I'm sitting around watching the game with my
buddies, you know, I've got a war on this to me, like you
don't just turn it on and off. That's, that's kind of ingrained
in me, you know, and I think the ability to do it here when you
know, when it applies to, you know, forcefully hammer
something home or to show that I'm thinking what you're
thinking. I think one of the great assets
for anybody, I'm not talking about myself is relatability and
authenticity. When you're on the air, when you
put yourself out there on the air every day, whether it's a
four hour conventional radio format format, 90 minutes doing
this, two hours doing that and 40 minutes doing this, whatever
it might be. I think cuz I remember feeling
this before I was in the business, you, I think the best
tool to have and you got to know your stuff and you got to have
diversity and all that. But I think one of the greatest
characteristics of anybody who pumps out content is that people
who consume it, they say that's a guy that I want to hang out
and have a beer with and watch a game.
That's the guy that I want to be in the parking lot tailgate and
getting ready to go watch a game.
That's the guy that I want to call.
That's a guy that I want to text.
That's a guy that I want to be able to go back and forth with.
I think that that resonates and I think you either have it or
you don't. I, I think I'd like to think
that I do because yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm not here to BS.
I'm not here to pull punches. I didn't do it on the, on on the
radio. I'm sure as hell not going to do
it here. So it's, I'm loving it.
I'm really enjoying the platform.
Hey, Jay, Ron, why don't you pipe yourself in there for a
moment? Jay, Rod, what's up?
What's up? What's up, brother?
Now, before, look at that. Yeah, pull that shirt up a
little bit more. Gotta gotta keep showing it.
Look at this guy, it's kind of sick too.
It's definitely a fan. I've got that baseball card
where that's actually from one of his baseball, the defensive
position right there. So Jay Rods, Mama said, all
right, little bit of a rough start with, you know, with BT in
terms of, you know, dismissing Mattingly, not intentionally.
So Mama J Rod got him the shirt. So he's made amends here.
And me and Sal were going for over an hour in case anybody
didn't see it because I had him show everybody at the start of
the show. I want him to show everybody
again. So what did you think of having
Sal on? Oh my goodness, that was I mean,
that was electric, obviously, you know, just great to see the
dynamic back together again. I think you know what I really
enjoyed was like kind of how you.
Bounce those, Yankee. Questions off of him that we did
yesterday. I thought that was like, thought
that was great. And yeah, I mean, obviously,
like, you know, I'm pretty fresh to this whole WFAN world of BT
and Sal, but I mean, I can see why you guys were #2 man, I can
see why it worked out. Like it was awesome.
Also, I think I'm seeing just a good amount of comments for it.
Would love to. Whenever we do a reunion show,
we do a show Get Me and Bada Booms talking.
I think that could be. Funny.
I think that could be definitely funny.
I think it would be hysterical. I think you've got AI.
Can't tell yet because I've seen some of the stuff that Sal put
on. And by the way, obviously go
support Sal. You guys just watch them.
You support BT and Sal, make sure you you you support Sal
individually. Go subscribe to his channel.
The the dynamic of bada booms with Sal is it's good.
It's interesting and I'm but I'm still trying to get a sense of
bada booms, absolute personality.
I don't know if you guys are polar opposites.
I don't think you're too similar where it wouldn't work.
I think there's a little potential.
And by the way, J Rods names got to go first to the show, so it
will be J Rod and Bada booms, not Bada Booms and Jay Rod.
There you go. We got to get the Marquis
straight. But yeah, you actually want to
do shows, you want to do content, you want to do stuff
like. That yeah, I mean, So what I've
been seeing from like, at least like his side, like he's kind of
actually like been going in really trying to build himself
up on Twitter and stuff like that.
And, you know, I've got some funny tweets from when I was,
you know, a young dude, but like, nothing seriously.
But yeah, no, I mean, definitely seems like something we could
get after. I feel like just build build the
content umbrella. Yes, yes, yes, yes, All right,
yeah, We got a lot of comments here today.
We got a lot of good stuff. People loved it.
I'm sure not everybody, but that that's fine.
I mean, to think that everybody's ABT and South fan in
the world would be ridiculous. But you know the this is
something that I would really I would like to do.
You can't do it frequently because I'm doing my thing.
He's doing his thing. And by the way, my thing is,
it's it's branching out. Like I'm really looking forward
to more public speaking, more motivational speaking.
You guys know, I was on Fox the other night about youth sports.
They invited me back to talk about the Super Bowl.
So that's something I'm branching out into a little bit
more. Obviously, you know, working on
this book about youth sports. That's very important to me,
more of a passion project, but to make money.
So it's not like then then to make money is more about the
passion project and something that I view is very important.
But the the likelihood like it's just not going to happen where
me and Sal are doing something everyday, but there is no reason
why we can't find kind of way, you know, during the baseball
season especially. And then once the once The Jets
and the Giants fire it back up, whether it's once, I don't even
think once a month is, is enough.
I, I think, of course I got to talk to Sal about this.
I don't want to talk out of school.
But to think that we couldn't carve out an hour a week, even
if it's recorded so that it matches his schedule and it
matches mine. I, I, I think that that's
something that would be phenomenal and something that I
would certainly on board, be on board with.
So we'll see where that goes. I'm going to wrap it up, man.
We've been what about an hour and 40?
There you go. Tomorrow's the trade deadline.
You know, I did talk a lot about about Leon Rose and how some of
the well, there's not a good job, some of the mismanagement
that he had early on, whether it's trades or, you know,
allocation of draft picks or, you know, firing them off too
early with bridges or drafting the wrong guy, like when he
passed over Tyrese Halliburton. It has not been an A all right.
It's been a solid B, maybe AB plus because the Knicks have
elevated to a very high level. But if you if you don't punch
through, then you don't get an AI.
Don't like it. This is not a curve.
This is not like, all right, you got a 39 on your math test.
Now you got a 76 and that's like an A No, it's a 76, which is
whatever, whatever that equates to.
So I'm not grading on some rolling grand scale here.
I'm grading you on the the absolute accomplishments.
And right now, bottom line is this Giannis is out there
hanging by a thread and he got Miami, Miami knocking down their
door, Minnesota knocking down their door.
The Cavaliers making, I think a move that a lot of people are
denouncing because of James Harden.
But for them and where Garland is injury wise, I actually think
it's a very good move. You know, you've got the Utah
Jazz, the Utah Jazz going out there and get Jared Jackson for
three first round picks. So this is already proven to be
a fairly volatile NBA trade deadline.
And I believe that Giannis is going to be dealt.
I just don't think he's going to get dealt to the Garden, to the
Knicks. And if that happens, fantastic.
We evaluate. If not, I want to know why.
And I could further react to it. Like how serious were the Knicks
and what prevented the Knicks from getting Giannis?
And I already think I know the answer because I've outlined it
here. But you know, Lily on row stuff,
if you just tuned in, you're going to want to rewind the 1st
15 minutes of the show. Well, I also reacted the Frank
Reich announcement that he's officially the OC of The Jets,
which I like. He's a veteran, he's a
quarterback, he's in college a year ago.
He's been a head coach, he's been a coordinator.
There's really no measurement that would say it's not a win or
at least or a perceptual win for The Jets here.
But they get overly, you know, jumping through hoops and doing
the somersaults because The Jets hide in OC is not something that
I'm about to do. So I'm going to approve of the
move. I like it.
It's better than bringing in some no name who's done nothing
at the NFL level. But it's sit here and say it's a
home run. It's it's an OC.
If you don't have a quarterback, it doesn't matter who you have.
So I, I do think that you guys, if you missed that, if you
missed the, the Next up at the beginning, go back and check it
out. Obviously, the more you guys
like it, the more you guys subscribe, the more you guys
spread the word, the more of a digital imprint we can make,
which means more things we can do.
And, and obviously now you can see what it's like when I start
to roll in some guests here. And it was really, it was
awesome, man. It was a lot of fun to just rap
with Sal. It's crazy.
Like, I'm sitting in my Home Office, he's sitting at home
there. We don't live too far from each
other. We're only about 10 or 11 miles
away, amazingly. And you know, we're on, we're on
app, we're on a, you know what, not an app, not an app, whatever
digital technology. And I felt like we're sitting in
the WFN studio. That's how, you know, you got a
natural rapport with somebody and you got chemistry that you
can't buy, that you can't recreate by recreate by forcing
people to work together. And that's a reason why I really
believe on some level to what we'll figure it out.
The BT and Sal brand, the BT and Sal show, the BT and Sal
experience needs to continue on some level.
And I believe that it will. And that's something I'll talk
about with Sal when he gets back from the beach and all that good
stuff. So enjoy the rest of your day.
Nice job by, oh, very fast. Nice job by the Johnnies last
night, I was worried about that game, even though they were big
favorites. They were laying nine and a
half, ten points, whatever it was.
There's 4000 people at the Polls Arena.
The polls. It was a that that match up
worried me for a lot of reasons #1 the poll plays well at home.
Number 2. The Johnnies are on a long win
streak and the more you win, you know, like all right, you'd have
to think at some point the odds of tripping up against the team
that you should be increased just because there's an element
of unpredictability when it comes to sports.
But they handled and they didn't play well in the first half at
all. They did not they couldn't
shoot. They had a one point lead at the
half. They came out, they played well.
They made some. I thought sell versus 3 for the
right wing was big, although Bryce Hopkins played very well,
although Zubi after a rough first half was able to flex.
I thought they got to the foul line, although their defense was
great, which gave them a chance to line through and figure
things out. And that's why St.
John's going to have a chance to do something this year really.
Because think about this like Marquette, like they can't stop
anybody. Like Creighton can't stop it.
Like those teams can score a little bit, but they can't stop
anybody. But if if your offense is off,
which St. John's offense was off and it
it's been on for a while, but it was off in the first half.
I think they scored 29 points. I think it was 2928 or 3130,
whatever it was that they have low scoring game, but it
finished low scoring. If their defense was average or
subpar, they'd lose that game. And if they would have lost,
This is why I was really worried if they would have lost that
game. All of the metrics and the
advancements that they've had, going from an 89 matchup in
seeds to A6 or A5 going up in net rankings, going up with all
these quad wins, quad one wins and quad two wins.
They've got 9 quad, 1, quad two wins.
That's a lot. That's good.
The committee cares about that. But if they would have lost last
night, it would have undone so much that they had accomplished
to get back in the. In a position to really, you
know, have a good seat and and make some noise here.
If they're ranked again, as they should be, I think they're under
ranked. So I thought going into last
night, I even I even I even tweeted this.
I'm like, even though everybody's got their eyes on
UConn, something else I was worried about maybe looking
ahead to the Huskies Friday at the Garden, which is going to be
bonkers. I cannot wait to call that game
with Minko. But if they were worried about
that and they weren't ready to go last night and he would have
lost, I think that beating UConn is going to sound odd.
But beating UConn compared to losing to DePaul, I think would
have been less meaningful. Because when you will lose to a
team you're not supposed to, you drop and you drop hard and you
are penalized harshly if you lose to a team like UConn, who's
number two, number three in the country.
And I would imagine, I haven't checked the odds yet or the the
line. I would think that Uconn's going
to be, if I had to take a guess, maybe Uconn's laying 2 1/2.
Maybe they'll Vegas will throw the number out there.
Maybe they're laying 2, maybe they're laying 1 1/2, whatever
depend upon where you shop. And maybe that will either be
bet up or bet down and, and and favor Saint John's.
I don't know where the money's going to go probably towards
UConn, but if they would have lost last night, that's very
different than losing to UConn even though it's at home.
So big win keeps the momentum going.
I'll see Rick tomorrow. Got to get out to Queens and
fill the Red Storm report. Looking forward to that.
And then Friday at the garden, before you know it, you're going
to start seeing these stories. Spring training ganks, Mets
pitchers, catchers. Let's go.
We got the Yachtest timeline 3:00 PM Eastern tomorrow.
All right, so me and J Rod back tomorrow with 10 like it
subscribe it, get it out there. Appreciate you guys tuning in to
to follow me and Sal and reunite a little bit and do our thing.
Have an awesome Wednesday. I will catch you guys tomorrow
at 10. Peace.
This is unleashed are you listening can you hear me?
can you hear me?