on leash Are you listening? Can you hear me?
Hear me? This is on leash.
Are you listening? Can you hear me?
Hear me? This is on leash Are you
listening? Can you hear me?
Hear me? This is on leash Are you
listening? Can you hear me?
I'm not going to lie to you guys.
It's getting pretty tough now to stay balanced here.
It's getting pretty tough to stay measured and to stay
grounded in the reality that the Knicks are not yet in the NBA
Finals and that the Knicks have not yet won anything.
But God, I mean, the mind is starting to wander.
It it's it's starting to wander. It is impossible.
I'm just going to come out and tell you it's impossible to for
me not to start thinking of a championship.
It's just that that's where I'm at.
The Knicks look absolutely awesome right now.
We got to know rules Friday. What's happening?
Everybody? BT unleash.
Come on in. J Rod is in the house, as
always. J Rod, what's cooking there?
Young buck? How you feeling today?
What's up? What's up?
I'm feeling feeling great today. I mean.
What a. What a.
Yeah, definitely not as good as you.
No, no shot. But man, what a sorry
performance. I mean, they just look lifeless.
The Cavs look like, and and you knew it was going to happen.
You knew game one their souls got snatched.
But man, like that second-half, the effort was just abysmal.
Yeah, it was rough. I mean, too, Harden just Harden
just can't defend. I mean, if James Harden is on
the court, then the Knicks just going to do whatever they want
to do. Listen, I I still think that the
Cavs are going to win a game over the weekend in Cleveland.
I just do, but man, oh man, the Knicks look right now and I've
got a couple of things I want to connect something to 94, which I
think you guys will enjoy. Gary Cold is back tonight.
Caballeros back tonight. Got a little something on the
NFL. Obviously, as I said, no rules
Friday and if you know, again, there's never any rules on the
show. We we go as long as we want.
We say whatever we want, but no rules Friday, at least
pertaining to this show gives you the chance to ask me
anything that you want anything about the business anything like
it doesn't have to be to the topic.
It doesn't have to be topic oriented.
So we get to bounce around a lot.
We'll get the calls going. Knicks fans are obviously
feeling great. Can't watch the I can't wait to
watch Wenby and that series tonight.
All right, so let's go. As always, today's show brought
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Knicks have looked like a team that is getting ready to win a
championship for a while. This is not just A1 or A2 game
reaction. The Knicks have won nine
straight playoff games and their point differential is plus 212.
I mean, right now there's there's really nothing about
this team that you sit there. Really the only thing that you
can say is, well, how would they match up with the Thunder?
And that's fair. Or how would they match up with
Wimby and the Spurs? And that's fair.
But specific to what we have watched so far, this, this the,
you know, since they got midway through the Hawks series, they
are just obliterating people and the Knicks are doing literally
whatever they want. You go back to and I remember
talking about this as we got ready for the Eastern Conference
semifinals before the Sixers series, where of course we all
know they dropped the two games against the against the I'm just
looking at the highlights now and I'm just seeing it again.
I, I, I'm sorry for the distraction there.
But when, when Josh Hart was so reluctant to shoot and then
Brunson's like shoot the ball already and there was like an
inch of hesitation on the one that he made and Brunson's
running down the court. I'm just laughing at it again
because I've got the ESPN on. He's like, there you go.
And then Josh Hart went absolutely bonkers.
My God. But anyway, so when they when
they stabilized against the Hawks, right, and they win by 16
on the road, then they win by 29, then they win by 51.
It's like, OK, OK, you know, we're supposed to beat the Hawks
here, maybe not in that fashion. But then you get to the Sixers
series and we know what, how you know, and beads the shovel of
what he, you know, was physically.
Obviously some very good young players didn't take that series
for granted. You know, I thought the Knicks
would win, but you know, plus 39 + 14 + 6.
That was the tight game in Game 2 + 30.
And then you now you start to, you know, button this thing up
with in game one, the most improbable and historic NBA
playoff game that I've ever seen.
And then last night, despite a very close first half, the
Knicks eventually stepping back on the gas.
I know the Cavs cut it to 8 in the fourth quarter, missed a
bunch of free throws, missed a bunch of open looks.
But when it was time to bury them, the Knicks bury them and
they won by 16 points. So, you know, amazing thing too,
right? And I could hit you with some
stats and all that other stuff, whatever.
I, I, I find it interesting, like if you're a longer or older
Knick fan, you know, for whatever reason, maybe just
because we love that team more and Pat Riley was coaching and
Patrick was obviously still in his prime.
Like we don't really reference 99 like anything, any default
reference from a Knick fan always goes back to the earliest
to mid 90s when they were building in the early 90s.
And then obviously when when they punctuated that, you know,
the Pat Riley, you're a guy got to the Houston Rockets, got to
that series, lost in seven in heartbreaking fashion. 99 is
only a point of reference. Like the last time the Knicks
were in the Finals was 99. And of course, now you know, the
crazy shot by Alvin Houston against the Heat off the front
rim and then you know, all that stuff.
But 94 is always that that sweet spot, that really magical point
of reference. Even though the Knicks didn't
win. And, you know, it's been so long
and the NBA so different. We know that so different.
Like blowouts were just far less common back then because the
ability to shoot the three and the game was so different,
whatever it was, especially with those Knicks teams and those
Heat teams and those Pacer teams.
You know, points were at a premium.
I mean, you had a scratch and claw and fight and bite and kick
and gouge just to get to 90 points.
Like the Knicks scored 90 points.
I'm like they going to win. But I went back just out of just
out of curiosity, right? Because I didn't remember the
exact numbers, but even the first round against the Nets in
in 94. So they beat the Nets in four
and they win by 11. They win by one in overtime and
they win by 10. OK, fairly handily.
But they did drop a game and one game was in overtime, as I said.
So it may be a little bit more competitive than our our minds,
I might recall. Then you get to the Bulls series
and of course now Jordan's, Jordan's not there.
The whole thing with Tony Kukoc, the fight with Derek Harper.
Knicks win by 4, by 5, by 1 and by 10.
Then you get to the Pacers series and that's when Patrick
has the tip, dunk off, the Starks miss and they win by 11.
They win by 11, they win by 7, they win by 4:00.
And then the Rocket series, the games that they won, the three
games, it would have been nice to get the 4th, but they didn't.
They win by 8, they win by 9, they win by 7.
Now it again, you have to parse to an extent the enthusiasm
because it's such a different league, it's such a different
game. But I mean, you, you watch this
team last night and there's just so many things and and not just
last night, but so many things that are transpiring where it's
it's impossible not to start to wander and think about that.
I really hate saying it, but to start thinking about the candy,
the heroes, it's it's impossible not to now I'm able to do both.
I'm still able to remain rooted in the reality of you still got
to win two more games. Now you go on the road and as we
all know, and I know it's in, you know, it's a it's an old
cliche. It's a it's a mantra that is
regurgitated over and over. Playoffs don't start till the
road team, you know, to to to the home team loses the game.
All right, well, you know, that didn't happen here in the first.
It did happen in the Hawks series, which is why it had a
bit of a different profile. But everybody is doing their
job. Everybody.
I mean, Josh Hart reluctant to shoot and then he bangs in a
career high 26. I told you Kat was going to play
well last night. And Kat gives you, what did he
give you? You know, I think it was 13 or
14 rebounds, 18 points. Bridget, Mikhail Bridges has
been phenomenal. I mean, he doesn't miss 9 for
12/19 points. I mean, Brunson with 14 assists.
Like every night it's a little different.
And that's the beautiful thing about this Knicks team.
J Rod you, you know that when it's time to go get the bucket,
all right, if we've got to go ISO, got to play two man game.
Brunson Cat, you know that that's there.
Now, it doesn't mean Brunson's going to hit every single clutch
shot that he takes. He's human.
But you know that you have that kind of like Mariano coming out
in the ninth inning back in the day for the Yankees.
You know that if the Knicks are in a tight spot late, you feel
really good out their chances to to deliver the win because
Brunson is, you know, and, and this is this is actually true,
the most clutch player in the NBAI know everybody is and still
believe it, but he is. And now you, you, you mix in
this, this renaissance here by Mikhail Bridges and, and I think
the toughest thing to do, like it's one thing to to come here
and play well. That's hard enough.
Like New York and and other big, not just New York, LA as well,
you know, the Red Sox, the Celtics, some of the hockey
teams that have great history as well.
Like there's just a different level of expectation.
And when you have the the expectation, and it's also laced
with the hunger of not winning a championship since 1973.
And Oh yeah. By the way, you know, the the
big trade that they made to get bridges here.
So they don't really have a lot of ability to do anything in the
future. I mean, there's always ways to
work around stuff. I get that.
But just in terms of like very, you know, common basic stuff,
they basically gave up all their draft equity.
And the guy that they gave it up for was, you know, we had this
one version in in our head, this one vision of what Bridges would
be. And too often during the regular
season, he hasn't been that guy. And that leads to frustrations.
But he is one of these players that has this, this amazing,
almost impeccable ability to elevate, whether it's the
Celtics last year on offense and defense many times this year,
like this guy is on a roll that quite frankly, I just thought
based on, you know, the narratives and the energy and
bridges and the five first round picks, I never thought that he
would be able to get to this place.
It is a testament to his will, to his professionalism, to his
heart, to his basketball character.
You know, I could do an hour on Josh Hart.
I could do five hours on Cat. I could do 10 hours on Brunson.
But to gloss over what Bridges is doing is flat out wrong.
He has been phenomenal Mikhail Bridges.
Phenomenal, J Rod. I mean, obviously, you know,
he's been known to be a lockdown defender now you know, he's
truly showing that. But man, like to me, because,
you know, even when Bridges was really struggling, he'd still
give you like those one or two first quarter baskets where
you'd be going, OK, he's got to go and he's got to go in.
And then like, you know, for the rest of the game, he kind of
teed her off. But now, you know, he's really
coming through and hitting some big time buckets for the Knicks,
hitting some clutch shots. And I think that is really a
testament to the confidence that he has regained throughout the
season. And listen, I don't know, like
we talked about the Villanova connection and it's a great
thing and it's a real thing because the chemistry is
undeniable. We can quantify a lot of things
in sports. The one thing that I can't like,
and I don't know if this is true.
I mean, I, I could, I just can't prove this, but I can theorize
here. I do believe this more than I
don't like if if Brunson and Hart weren't around and say they
had other good players, right? And they made the move for
Bridges and that narrative still was what it was.
I don't know if he's in the proper mental space and, and,
and has the belief of, of the teammates that that he obviously
does with Brunson and, and, and I mean everybody, but really the
Nova dudes to to be able to fight out of the perception that
he's not built for New York. Like there, there were two
things that play with bridges #1 all right, I mean, is, is, is he
good enough? Like is he?
Did we overrate him now? I think that in a lot of ways,
and, and I was a little bit guilty of this as well.
When you're on a bad team, as he was with the Nets, you know,
somebody's got to score, somebody's got to put up shots.
It's not like being on a bad baseball team where you know, it
doesn't mean you're going to hit 40 home runs because you're on a
bad team. Like they could pitch around
you. It actually has an adverse
impact. But when, when you are, you
know, when you are chastised and, and questioned as often
and, and, and again, a lot of it had merit and, and some of it
didn't. Obviously in the court of
basketball public opinion in New York City for a fan base that is
starving. I, I just, I don't know.
I I'd have to think that that that level of comfort, whether
it's on the team bus, on the team, playing at the facility,
on the bench, pregame layup line, halftime locker room
speech. The fact that Brunson and Hart,
you know, the the two undeniable leaders on the basketball team,
that they always have his back. That that has to galvanized him
even in in in his weakest moments to a point where, you
know, if Brunson still in Dallas and Josh Hart's wherever.
I I don't know that we get this kind of play from bridges
because people were questioning his toughness.
It's like the the production. There's a lot of people who come
here and don't produce right, But there's there's not that
many people who come here who are expected to contribute to a
championship run. And you know, it's one thing not
to shoot well, but then everybody's piling on the soft,
which he's not because he plays 40 minutes a night.
He's an Iron Man. He's a good defender.
He's obviously a very good player, but when things go a
little bit Askew, you know, we get all out of whack and we we
start to say things that aren't necessarily true or fair or
necessarily accurate and reflective of the situation.
So massive props to I know that Josh Hart was the star last
night. But again, bridges, the level of
efficiency is off the charts. And it's really it's really the
converse to what the Hawks are to apartment.
It's what the Cavs are doing right now.
Now one thing why I do think the Cavs are eventually going to win
a game and you know, if and when they do win a game now, if they
win game three, I think that that's different.
If they win Game 2, pardon me, if they win game 4, all right,
you come back home, you just put them in a body bag.
You you probably end it in five and I still think that they went
in five. But if they were to win game
three Saturday tomorrow, what you, you just you just don't
know. I mean, Mitchell is capable of
dropping 40 plus, and while Harden's a fire hydrant on
defense, he's capable of going for 30 and just having one of
those throwback nights. The thing that really scares me,
you know, is that whether it's Meryl and some others that
they've missed a lot of threes, that they generally make some
open looks here. And I'd have to think at some
point, just based on the numbers and the history of their
players, that they're going to have a night where, you know,
they don't miss 789 wide open threes when everybody's
scattered trying to make up ground and the rotations a
little bit off. Like the Knicks haven't been
perfect. I know it kind of feels that way
because the last nine games they've won.
And again, the the the think about that.
J Rod nine straight playoff wins.
How many on that? I don't know the answer.
I'm sure it's it's, it's probably a bit more.
Than 20, I think it's probably I don't know.
These are no, no, no, I'm about to just RIP some guesses that
I'm that I'm no that I'm 99% sure right. 20/16/2017 Warriors
and the 20/17/2018 Cleveland Cavaliers probably did a similar
thing. I'm going to, I'm going to take
a look, but I'm pretty sure they both pretty much swept the
entire conference. Yep, Yep.
Now I listen, the first thing that I think about here is I'm
always going to go back to like magics, Lakers, Birds, Celtics.
But they played each other so often in the finals.
So if those nine straight wins or more didn't come early, you
know, like the Celtics never swept the Lakers and the Lakers
never swept the Celtics in the 80s.
It was always, you know, deep, hard fought battles back and
forth, whatever. So I'm not even sure if one of
those great old time all time teams did it.
And again, you know, did both, did Jordan's Bulls ever do it?
Well, I mean, I, I don't know because they always lost a
couple. They always lost a couple of
games to the Knicks in the conference, you know, at some
point in the semis or the conference finals.
I, I don't know the absolute answer.
I know it's a short list, but it's one thing to win nine
straight, but to win and have over a 200 point plus
differential is nothing short of amazing.
And every there's fingerprints everywhere.
Everybody's pulling their weight now.
Last night was one of those rare nights where the bench didn't do
a whole lot. They didn't really have to.
You really just got a great balance game and you know, with
Cat with the rebounds, didn't take a ton of shots.
Efficient Heart was the star, Brunson was dealing, Bridges was
the second star. You know, OG was a little quiet,
but as long as he's healthy, I'm fine with that.
There's just it, it's it's the perfect storm right now.
And you know, listen, this is the reality of sports.
God forbid knocking on wood. You're always, you know, an
ankle tweak or whatever OG's hamstring a couple of years ago
against the Pacers. You just don't know.
So do not, you know, go to the ATM and store taking out money
yet with the Knicks as a champion.
But I have never and it's crazy and and I've owned it.
I I've not run from this. I did not expect this.
I did not see this. You go back, I'd say let's see
playoffs going on for about a month now.
The last month of the season is when the Knicks really started,
you know, running that pick and roll.
The offense started looking different.
I'd say, you know, for the last two months, I've started to feel
OK, this this could be their year.
But really, it was always parsed with and then get squashed by
the Thunder in the in the in the West, in the NBA Finals.
I don't even feel that. And you know, now we're going to
start getting a little greedy here.
As much as I think the Cavaliers going to win a game.
I saw this morning, the Cavs are wait, I looked at that quick.
I want to make sure I have this right.
Were they 2 1/2 point? They the Knicks were 7 1/2 point
favorites in game one. They were 6 1/2 point favorites
in game two. I thought I saw the Cavs -2 but
I looked at that very quick because I got some Yankee stuff,
Gary Cole, some NFL stuff as well.
I thought that the Cavs, it wouldn't surprise me if they're
slightly favored here. The Cavaliers, that's the Spurs
tomorrow. Yeah, the Cavs are favorite as I
thought they're. So they're 2 1/2 point
favorites, right, Nick? Slight Rd.
Dogs. But now with with the Thunder
losing that first game to the Spurs, hey, let's, let's get
greedy here and let's start saying, well, why not?
Just like the Cavaliers had a 7 game series before the Knicks
played them, just like Embiid in the Sixers didn't have any rest
before the Knicks played them. Let's start thinking big
picture. I mean, you could do that a
little bit. You could do that dance.
You could do that juggle when you're up to zip and you've won
nine straight and you look like a team that could win a
championship if it's won one, You know, now you tap the brakes
like relax, we got a the mission and it's not done.
Hear me, it's not not done. I know that things can flip on a
dime in the NBA, in pro sports in general.
But if that series out West goes as deep as it looks like it's
going to go, well, I mean, if the Knicks handle business
tomorrow and then they do, you know, rock the sweep or even win
in five, they're going to have extra time to regenerate and get
ready and some advanced scouting.
It's like. You, you, you, you got to think
the Knicks can win the championship this year.
You have to think that. I didn't think it during the
season. I didn't even think it when they
were playing better the last month.
I'm like, OK, you know, certainly get to the conference
finals and then let's see who you're playing, what's what.
And then, you know, as I just said before, hopefully get to
the finals and probably get rolled by the Thunder.
I didn't really think much about the Spurs, even though I know
they're really good, but everything's changing and it's
changing in a big way and a good way.
So this is awesome. Like this is if you can't enjoy
this, just check out of sports. I really don't know what to tell
you. Which team's better Knicks, the
the current Knicks or 99? All right, there's a couple of
questions here. Hold on.
All right. I mean, it got the the end.
Which celebrity row would you like?
Would you most like to hang with LA Jack?
You know, Rihanna, Knicks with Spike and Stiller, Anne
Hathaway? I mean the Knicks.
I mean, that's the dumbest question I've ever gotten.
Because if I'm hanging with the Knicks celebrity roll, that
means I'm at a Knicks game now. I'm always, I'm always down to
have a couple of minutes with Anne Hathaway.
I'll talk to Anne. I know Spike a little bit, so
I'm sure that would be cool. Yeah.
Listen, I know I've gotten on Ben still a little bit here, but
only be and and and I know he's a great Knick fan.
I've never doubted his Knick fandom.
I know some people have, like he's been in, he's been in the
trenches. Like Ben's always there, his
wife's always there. He's a great Knick fan.
My only, I'm not even going to say beef, because it's
definitely not a beef. My only issue with Ben Stiller
is that the guy just all, he's just incredibly optimistic and
and I like to be more optimistic than pessimistic, But like I, I
feel like at times, no disrespect, Ben, if you see this
and by the way, love to have you on the show, but he even when
things are like when the Knicks are drowning, it's always we're
fine, we're good. Like there's not an ounce of of
criticism. And that's just I, I, I can't,
I'm, I'm not like that, you know, now, I don't want to be
over the top critical when things are good.
I don't want to look for things to pick on when things are good.
I don't want to micro dissect things when they're good.
But, you know, Ben's a little too, you know, pie in the sky.
Yeah. But no, he he is, he is a real
fan. Which team do I think is better?
Which version, the current Knicks or the 99 Knicks?
I mean, the one thing that that I think is very different now,
of course, this could change. They could get to the Finals and
they could lose in five, whatever, whatever.
Right now, I don't feel as if the gap is nearly as big.
Thanks for that. I appreciate it, man.
You can get it down, Jay. Let's get some more cold.
We'll get the cold. Get the chats.
Let's go. No rules Friday.
Anything you want to ask me? Let's go.
I think that and I remember like it was yesterday going into the
99 finals, I just thought the Knicks had no chance to win
that. I knew the Spurs were better.
That was a really fun team. I mean L JS 4 point play.
It was just wild man. And the transition had been made
from from Patrick. It was fairly seamless.
You know, it was now Houston's team and and Latrell's team and
Larry Johnson and Camby. Obviously Patrick was on his
last legs there, you know, very, very injured was hobbling around
with with the like the calf, the Achilles, whatever it was.
I I thought they had no chance to win that series.
I would, you know, I was rooting for them.
But I, I think now is it circumstantial because I do
think that this Knicks team has a much better chance to win the
championship. Is it circumstance or is it that
I think that this Knicks team is better?
Well, I actually do think that this Knicks team is better
because you start. I mean, let's store for the
highest common denominator, the best Knick in 99.
Brunson's better than period. Next, Marcus Candy was so
different than cat, you know, above the rim, amazing shot
blocker spree. Well, you know, the Knicks don't
really have a spree. Well, type like that slippery,
you know, downhill. You know, I know OG has a lot of
dunks and among the most in the NBA.
But I mean, for Sprewell was a ferocious open court dunker, you
know, do things in the half court slipping inside.
I think this Knicks team definitely has more depth.
I think this Knicks team is better.
I absolutely do. Now, it doesn't guarantee
anything, but I think that this Knicks team is better.
All right, let's start rocking the calls.
Who's first up on this? No rules Friday.
Knicks are looking good. I'm feeling good.
What do you got there, J Rod hit me.
We've got our friend Dan from Port Jeff.
OK. All right.
So we're going to start out East.
Danny is up first on this Friday on BT Unleash.
What's up, Dan? What's up BT How are we doing
today? Fantastic.
What's happening, buddy? Nah, I'm feeling good, man.
I mean, you know, that game last night, I didn't really feel, I
mean, maybe a little bit in the first half, but I mean, I feel
like it wasn't really sweating during that game.
I feel like the Knicks had generally control of that game
for the most part. I mean the first 2 plays too if
you remember runs in it's that that little floater and then
bridges slips in and gets the steal.
And then? Three.
And there are five. Oh, I'm like, oh, here we go.
Here we go. Yep, then the cast.
Went a little bit of a run but. Well, you know what it is?
It's I think and I, I felt the same thing too, Like even
certainly when they cut it to 8 with 7 or 8 minutes ago, I, I
was, I don't want to sound arrogant.
I I like, I just wasn't worried. Even though it was close to the
half, I, I wasn't worried. And so I shared that, that
comfort level. I shared that belief and
confidence, but it it's just because the more you watch them,
the more they've earned that like they've shown the ability
to plow through adversity. And there was really nothing
adverse about last night like game one where you down by 20
plus points. I'm with you.
I I felt I felt very good about the way things were going.
No real foul issues, nothing. I'm like, all right, they're
going to find a way now. I did I think that Josh Hart
would drop 26? No Did I think that bridges
would basically not miss a shot? No, but I did think that.
I did think. I did think.
I did think that Cat would play very well.
I said that on the show yesterday, so I'm with you.
I was not nervous, no. Yeah, I know.
I I go. I love the way Bridges is
playing. I feel like this is the most
impressive I've seen him play. Yep.
Maybe as a Nick. I mean, he's he's going to the
basket, he's attacking, he's hitting everything.
I mean, he's, he's playing on another level that I've I
haven't seen in a long time from him as a Knick.
Yeah, yeah, I'm now we've seen more and more of that lately.
But like big picture, the whole, you know, Mikhail Bridges
discussion. That's fair.
I got you. Yeah, he's been awesome.
And like I don't know if you saw the post game with Chuck, like
they mentioned a Mobley, he didn't take a shot in the
second. Half like it's amazing.
Like, what are you doing? Like he was, he was giving the
Knicks some problems in the first half.
He was giving, you know, giving Cats some problems and 5 or 8,
and he didn't take another shot in the second-half.
I don't know what that was about.
That's not our problem. They got.
It's not our problem. I'm fine.
Like, yeah, whatever. Very surprised by that.
That's your strategy? Yeah, yeah, I know.
I mean the one thing and thanks for the call to get it going.
Appreciate it, man. The thing that, and I said this
before, you know, they they have dodged a full a few bullets here
like the Cavaliers has. They've missed an inordinate
amount of open threes. You know, I think at some point,
probably tomorrow, that's going to change.
You know, role players generally tend to shoot better at home.
You know how it works in the NBA playoffs.
But you know, it's even even if and when they do start doing
that, they just don't have enough horses to win the series.
I mean, really, because James Harden plays so many minutes and
he's such a problem defensively for them, it, it gets them all
out of whack. So I expect a better version of
the Cavaliers. I, I definitely do.
I think they're going to win a game in Cleveland, but I, I do
not think this will be a long series.
Who's up next year, Jay? What do we have, Jay?
Who do we have up next? Jay Yeah.
Sorry my my mic was like muted for a SEC.
We've got our friend Ty from East Haven, CT.
OK, it's been a couple days. What's going on?
Ty How you feeling bud? BT what's up man?
We're good. Memorial Day weekend, guys.
Yes, you too, Absolutely. I mean, the weather's going to
be, the weather's going to be terrible.
I know it. We just have that heat wave and
now this weekend, no good, but it's.
Ridiculous, man. But yeah, I'm I'm fired up about
this team down to when it gets the Hawks.
I was ready to sell everybody get get ready, get rid of Leon
Rose and Mikkel Bridges. But I'm I'm bought in now.
I'm all in. You got to be, I mean, you know,
listen, I've said this too and I'm just jotting down some
names. Then then that OK, so I said
this, I said this is very at various points during the
season, but even going into the playoffs, right?
Ty where and it's funny that you say Leon Rose like because of
the bridges move and because of the other moves, like there's
just not a whole lot that they can do flexibility wise.
They don't have the assets, whether it's money or cap space
or or draft capital. So when when I talked about how
important this playoff run was for this team and it still is
like it's it's obviously not over.
But Leon Rose criticism is the wrong, wrong word.
But he's not immune to evaluation or even reevaluation.
So I had Leon Rose. Now, granted, he was not the
primary target. That was more Bridges and Cat,
but even Leon Rose entered the chat in terms of all right,
maybe we're going to have to have a discussion.
Is he the guy to get them over the hump?
And I know that that sounds odd now, but you go back to Barry's
points this year and it was not out of place.
Even Brunson, not that we we would move on from Jalen
Brunson, but you know what that style, the monopolization of the
ball, the pounding, the ISO, you know it at points this year it
it got a little bit out of whack.
So right now Leon has been exonerated, Cat has exonerated
himself. Brunson didn't really need
exoneration, but he's just whatever we said back then, even
in how low we said it, that's dispelled.
Bridges has been exonerated, OG is healthy.
I mean, everything right now is lined up and clicking period.
That's all there is to it. I.
It's one of those runs, you know, just everything.
The stars are aligning for us right now and I'm happy to be
along for the ride. The last time I was this excited
is when we traded for Carmelo Anthony.
We see how that worked out for us.
I'm Carmelo. So that 99 mixed team, I was
like 9 years old, so I couldn't really appreciate it like I do
now. But I'm I'm on the run of a
lifetime here with this team. It's amazing.
It it really is fun. It's amazing.
Enjoy it. Have a great weekend.
So I appreciate you checking in. The third, Thank you guys.
You got it, buddy. Thank you very much.
You know, I will admit, you know, you mentioned Carmelo,
This is less about him because obviously he was a great score
here. I mean, I've got my issues with
some other things with Carmelo, like wasn't always in shape,
whatever, but I don't need to go down there now.
Didn't win a lot, obviously a little selfish.
I guess I will get into it for a second build insanity stuff.
All right, I was hurt. I played the All Star game and
then checked out on the rest of the season.
And let's face it, in the NBA, when your star player is around
for some like 18 or 23 win seasons, that guy's just got to
take a knock period. All right, Never personal, great
scorer, good guy. But I've always said that about
Carmelo, right? But to branch it out, there was
a point, you know, you see some of these Knicks celebrating and
the older Knicks, and I don't mean Pat or LJ or Spree or
Houston, who's part of the organization or Starks, You
know, like the I, I'm, I'm past it.
It took me a little bit to get past it, but like Marbury, and
only because I I watched every game and like the Marbury run
was painful. It was broken.
It was it was a circus. And listen, the one thing about
Steph is from Brooklyn, big Knick guy, like a real Knick
fan. He grew up in Coney Island
wanting to be a Knick. So I'm like, you know what?
I guess I got to stop being petty.
I got to stop being petty about this.
So I don't, it doesn't bother me anymore.
But when they do show the old Knicks, and again, not not the
studs, some of the older guys who didn't do anything, I'm
like, you know, do we really need this?
But I'm not, I'm not going to be that guy.
I'm passed out. I was that guy for a minute.
No more. All right, who's up next there?
Jay? What do we got?
We've got our friend Benny from DC.
Benny from DC unmute the mic. Here we go.
Benny's having some technical issues.
Benny is in the house. What's going on, Benny?
Oh, I, I, I once, I once you got me on.
I can't. I got you audio.
I got you. I can see you talking, but I
can't hear you. All right.
Let him let him say what he's got to say and we'll just bounce
him quick. Go ahead, Ben.
Oh, no, he can't hear you, so he wouldn't even know.
Can't hear me. Yeah, yeah.
That's. The I can't hear you.
I see you talking, but I. Refresh we'll probably hear.
Me, yeah, but let's, yeah, let's let's, let's figure this out.
Let's let's get things in order here.
With the refresh. Let's see if we yeah, hit it up
with the refresh. Anybody else lined up or we have
to wait for Benny to get rolling here?
What do we got? Wait.
For Benny to get back I, I did some research though on the,
the, the other teams who have won nine straight playoff games.
So I hit on both my guesses. Obviously it was the IT was the
Warriors 20/16/2017 and the Cavs.
The Cavs did it twice, 20/16/2017 and 20/15/2016 and.
The. Warriors in 20/16/2017 rattled
off 15 straight wins. I got to see so I don't think
that this team is one of them, but I've got to just scratch my
my my itch of of of question here.
What about Larry Brown's Pistons Let.
Me see they. I'm I'm looking it up too.
I'm just curious. I don't see it.
Wallace playoff run. I I'm saying I don't I don't
know that they were the team there.
Let's see here 20. No, that's that's yeah, 2004
playoff summary. All right, Eastern Conference
first round Pistons. All right, Pistons over the
Bucks. They beat him in five then.
Oh, that's right. That net series was 7.
How do I forget about? That's right, No, no.
OK. And then I know they beat the
Pacers in six and then they beat the Lakers and said not even
close. All right, just double checking.
So we will. Yeah, go ahead.
Looking at this list, though, the Knicks are in incredible
territory. Like every pretty much every
single one of these teams went on to win.
Yep, and they all at least made the Finals, so there's that.
Yep. And by the way, just to clarify,
sorry, meant to ask Celebro to hang out with outside of the
game. That's a different story.
I mean, so it was Stiller, It
was Anne Hathaway and it was Spike Spike and it was Jack and.
Leo and Leo and Rihanna. I got there, I go, I got to go
with the Lakers trio got to. Yeah, I mean.
Especially if I'm, especially if I'm young and I'm single.
I mean, what kind of hard to be walking into with Leo and and
Rihanna and then Jack is just the old G in that, you know, in
the corner of the room, everybody coming up and kissing
the ring. Yeah, like there's got to be
Lakers. The Knicks crew seems more like
a nice dinner. That Lakers crew seems like a
party of. Your lifetime, Yes, that's true.
That is very, very well said. You've got to have Benny back
whenever you're ready. I'm, I'm, I'm going to get to
him here in a SEC. Let me see.
Truly amazing. The Knicks are doing this with a
less talented roster than Detroit.
Are you insane, Chris? No, he's, he's, he's baiting
you. Basically.
He he this guy gets on you every episode for your early season
takes about the Knicks worse than the Pistons.
All right, I got it. That's a little different.
touché. I've got to own it.
Which, by the way, I have. One of these days, somebody's
going to have to call out this damn celebrity these days who
can't make it back to their seat before halftime.
We're going to name names here. You know, I'm.
I'm pretty sure Ben's back in the seat.
Pretty sure Jack's back in the seat.
I don't know, like, I don't really notice what time I do see
some empty seats. But I mean, that doesn't take
away from my enjoyment, nor is it really enough to criticize
them. I will tell you, when you sit
there, you've got access to a pretty amazing suite.
So yeah, you want to go to the bathroom, go and have that extra
drink. Want to do a little mingling?
You want to get a phone number? Like, you know, I come on, let's
not be that petty, you know, you know, I mean, is that is that
reason to be petty here, J Rod. I don't know.
I mean, I guess maybe if your thought is like, hey, you're
stealing seats from like the average person, but the average
person still ain't sitting courtside.
So Yep, Melo showed who he really is during that fight.
At least Jr. Smith stood his ground and threw
down. Now, you talking about the are
you talking about the Denver Nuggets when when he was with
Denver Knicks? Probably I dude, I was, I was
doing that game. No way.
I was. I was doing that game.
That was with Nate Robinson. Oh my.
Gosh, that was with Did you remember that fight?
I mean, I remember seeing videos.
I wasn't watching basketball. I think at the time it's like a
little mid 2000s but. You have you have you little
Papa? No.
Literally, I probably had a big Dora stuffed animal that I was
walking around with. Yeah, yeah, you'll blankie.
Yep. But no, I do remember watching
videos from that fight. Also quick aside, have you seen
Jeremy Lin and Carmelo are do are going to do a podcast
episode together to clear the air?
I saw that now. Now I saw that Melo invited him.
I did not see that Linsanity that Jeremy Lin.
Accepted. I didn't see that, he accepted.
I don't know. The way the way Carmelo
described it, it sounded like the kind of thing where Jeremy
Lin did accept and he they're just waiting for the date.
Kind of like he, it sounded like he said, you know, we've got his
like, I've got his number, obviously.
And he was like, you know, and he was like, we're cool.
Like he sounded like he was saying they're cool.
We'll see. That'll be a big piece of Knicks
media when it drops. Yeah, that'll be very
interesting. I mean, hopefully Mello, you
know, I got to be honest here. I don't really want Carmelo to
do it during the playoff run. No, no, no, no.
You got to let's let's not, let's not get away from the
playoffs. Who cares?
I mean, on the scale of important matters, that is a 0
right now. I'm not saying won't be
interesting when they do it. Yeah, you got to do that
offseason post Knicks win. Don't.
If they lose, don't even drop it.
Give me the month after the parade before The Jets and the
Giants really hit camp and and everybody else with with with
Ernest here now you, you got to be honest.
I mean, if we're going to have A and I, I would think that they
would be my take is that Carmelo was wrong that I mean, my, my
take was that Carmelo was, was selfish.
And my take has always been that Carmelo resented some of the
shine that Jeremy Lin was getting.
I'm sorry, I've always believed that.
I really have. And I, I think the deep down, I
think that just based on some of the comments from, you know,
previous times, it's been addressed somewhat.
I believe that Jeremy Lin most importantly believes that.
So hey, listen, we've all done things.
We've all had moments where, you know, gets off the rails a
little bit, you mature, you look back on, you're like, man, what
was I thinking? Why did that happen?
Why did I add fuel to it? Why did I start it?
You know, whatever it might be. And I'd love to see them at this
stage, sit down and go through it.
I just need honesty. I need Melo hooked up to a lie
detector. I need him because honestly, I
mean, not that Lynn would have gotten like a bag from whatever
7:00 PM in New York or whatever Melo's podcast is.
For him to just be like, yeah, it was all good.
But I will say there's like a comment here.
You can keep that comment up there.
I got you. But but yeah, like what I was
saying last night about Jeremy Lin, all right, Like he did have
that run and Carmelo might have snubbed him out.
But when you, if you remember it too, dude, Kobe despised the guy
as well when he when he played with the Lakers, like because
Jeremy Lin would do similar things.
He'd take the shot from Kobe and the 4th.
So when he had a career like that, pissing off of the the big
time scorer. I get it.
You know, I was at that game. God, how many did Lynn drop?
If you could check this out, it was a Friday night against the
Lakers. Against the Lakers, I thought it
was. 38, I thought it was 38. I could be wrong on that.
How many did he have that night? I think it was 38.
Yep, right, 38 and 7. Yeah, man, I mean, that was
wild. I was, I was doing it.
I was as, as per the chat up there.
I was doing the pre and the post stuff.
It was amazing. I was there Carmelo's and
listen, I was all about like I wanted the Knicks to get
Carmelo. I did.
But then for the reasons I've given you many times, I was
ready for that to be over that that the Carmelo run for sure.
I was at his first game as as a Nick and they come in home, come
in home, tell the world and the place was.
I mean, it had a special feel to it, dude, there's no doubt about
it. That's pretty cool.
Yep, although, you know, and, and I, I, I feel like every time
Carmelo comes up, I, I say more negative things and positive
things and I'm not honestly, I, I really do think he's a good
dude and a great all time scorer.
So it's no, it's no, it's definitely no hate and it's
definitely not shade just to throw shade's purpose, but even
like the coming home, like, I don't know, like, all right, so
I know we spent time in Red Hook.
I get it. He's a Maryland guy.
Thank you, man.
Stephane Mulberry, Brooklyn. Mark Jackson, NY.
Dwayne Pearl, Washington, New York, My guy.
Mulley Flatbush. You know, Lenny Wilkins, New
York. Kareem Lou Alcindor, New York.
I don't think New York at all. No.
And I, I honestly, I only found out which, listen, this is bad
on my part, especially as a Syracuse guy.
I only found out he he was born in New York this year like I.
Oh, you just found out this year?
Yes, I've always considered him a Baltimore, MD, DMV basketball
because that's when, you know, that's his icon, like Hill
Academy, what, You know, those kind of years go in there like,
oh, yeah, That's what you really remember Carmelo's upbringings
as? Not, not New York.
Yeah. Yep, that's true.
Yeah. Lynn would just break plays, do
his own thing a little bit. I get it.
What does this say here?
Oh, read that. That's a good one.
Read that, Jay. STAT punches a fire extinguisher
and broke his hand during the Heat series, but let's blame
Melo for everything. I remember that.
Man, that was rough. Yeah.
But the difference with Amari, right?
And why I've always got, I've got a different, I got, I got
love for Melo on, on, on on some level, but I've got real love
for Amari. I mean, it's as stupid as that
was, at least it shows passion, as misguided as it was.
I I get it. But Amari came here when
everybody else was afraid of the stage because the Knicks were so
down. So you know, when they when they
show those Knicks, you know, Bernard King, obviously Bernards
Brock in that 1970s, like that hat, you know, I mean,
interesting BK come on, bud, that that doesn't look bad.
But Amori was God. I remember when the when he was
brought here, he was walking out of the Garden after his press
conference and he said, and there were cameras and he's
like, the Knicks are back. Like.
And it was such a it, yeah, it was such an energizing
statement. I'm like, yeah, that's right.
We're back, man, Let's go, Let's go, stat.
And his first year, if you, I don't know if you really
remember, his first year was phenomenal, but he was messing
around, flirting with the MVP for a minute.
I mean, Amori Stoudemire's first year as a Nick was special.
He he was great. And you know, I don't use the
word great that often. And he was all in.
He was physically invested. He was emotionally invested.
He was, he was mentally and physically reliable, always
spoke after a game with, not just when things were good, you
know, when things were bad. I thought he was a great leader.
I, I, I've got so much love for Maury.
Amari was awesome. Awesome.
Like if Amari Stoudemire did what he did with Phoenix or did
what he did his first year with the Knicks for like 5 or 6, his
numbers hanging up in the rafters, how good he was his
first year. I wish I see that.
I hate that I was too young, not too young.
Like I could have caught it at a pretty young age those games,
but it wouldn't have had the same impact.
Like, I wish I was around for that era of like, of hoops.
Like, Oh my gosh. Yeah, I know, I know, I know.
This is an interesting 1. Linda Melo should sit next to
each other during Nick. Playoff game great great thought
that would the pop the on screen pop would be absurd that.
Would be good. Oh my gosh.
And by the way, just to, you know, add some more context to
the mellow stuff. I, I do want people to
understand. I'm like, I do get this aspect
of it. Like for me and you know, my
favorite old time athlete is not Mattingly.
Everybody knows that. But anybody that knows me has
followed me. Everybody knows that it's, it's
it's not even close, right. And then, you know, I've got
this, this deep level of admiration and affection.
Number one, I was young, I was incredibly impressionable.
Baseball was always my first love.
I played first base. I was a lefty hitter.
I mean, Donnie just checked every single box.
See, And then, you know, what really humanized him as I, as I
got older and, and you know, through high school and college,
when Donnie was still playing, you know, the, the, the injuries
zapped him of his greatness. But the way he comported himself
and as I learned, especially somebody was still playing at
that point, what he had to do just to get ready for a game,
just incredible levels of respect for him.
And, and even though he never won, I just always thought that
he really represented himself and the team and, and like the
virtues of, of being a competitor and the Yankees and
the brand just incredibly well. And, and I do understand, like
Melo is a hero to so many younger Knick fans because you
know, when you're a fan of a team and they're awful and they
were really pretty much awful his and almost his entire
stretch, you know, it's almost like the one guy who is special
takes on an even deeper meaning because he's he's really the
only reason you're watching. You know, most of I don't mean
when they won 54 games with Woodson.
I don't mean that year. Of course, I'm not with
Chandler, you know, and and and Jason Kidd and Rashid.
I don't mean that crew, but most of the years he was the only
reason of like, you're a devout. I'm watching the Knicks every
night and I'm living and dying with the Knicks like I did as a
kid. And I still do to an extent.
You know, that's that's your magnet, that's your pulse.
I get it. I understand that I'll never
view Carmelo Anthony the way a lot of young Knicks fans do it
because I just process it very differently.
Whatever. But I I, I want people to know I
get that part and I do actually respect that part.
So it's not shade. It's just a different level of
of whatever. Yeah, I mean, whatever, Rob.
I couldn't care less, Rob, for the.
I just, I threw that up just because that's a take that I
very commonly will bust out all my boys and people will get
heated. Well, who wanted that year?
And forget LeBron? Oh, that's right.
LeBron, LeBron. But I I always argue Carmelo, he
averaged more points. I believe he averaged more
rebounds and his team made it to the Western Conference finals,
which doesn't come into account. It did.
That's right. But they run.
But they made it. To the playoffs.
I know the Cavaliers didn't even come close.
That's why I always give the mellow take that.
I'm curious that, listen, I respect that too.
I'm curious like, I mean, you don't have to look this up if
you happen to know. It seems like you've done a
deeper dive on this, so you might like how close was the
voting because Jason Kidd in Grant Hill shared it.
I like, you know, now that I think back and, you know, now
that we know what we know about LeBron, He's one of the, you
know, top, you know, for some he's the best.
For me, he's top four, top five, obviously one of the greatest of
all time where Carmela was not. He's just a great scorer,
whatever. There's a big difference there.
But at that point, we didn't know that.
We didn't we didn't know that. So I'm curious, you know, if he
had more points and and they had more team success.
And I know that they did because they did make that deep Western
Conference run, you know, was it at least close in the no, excuse
me, in the voting. Not super.
LeBron had 80 or 78 first place votes and Carmelo had 40.
So a a little close, but not, you know, Carmelo still got some
love, but LeBron still definitely, you know, and
granted, looking back, I mean, listen, they were certainly
right. But yeah, wish he got that love.
I don't I don't want to just turn this into Chrome.
Now people like retire the number, whatever.
I don't want to get too much into that.
But I mean, bottom line is this man, like the Knicks back to the
team. Oh, yeah.
Like the Knicks are just showing a variety of ways to win.
I mean, and that's what's really impressive.
Like, one thing, I'll do the Yankees in a minute.
One thing that really worries me about the Yankees, and it's been
like this for a long time, is if, you know, if Judge is not
Superman and the Yankees don't hit a couple of home runs.
And I don't just mean during the regular season.
I mean, over the last X amount of years, the Yankees just don't
win at the level that we need and want them to win.
It's been a very predictable script where there's a diversity
to this Knicks team that really has to give you a a ton of
belief that that they could win the championship because it's
not like, you know, even with even listen, Scottie Pippen was
great and the first couple of the championships, Horace Grant
was a very good role player and they always had a couple of
shooters, you know, whether it's Hodges or or Steve Kerr,
obviously. And then the second version with
Rodman was very different. And Rodman's the greatest
rebounder of all time and Pippen's one of the best two way
players of all time for sure. But usually they won because MJ
was MJ, you know, and he was almost always MJ.
Like very rarely was he not the great, you know, unapproachably
all time amazing superstar GOAT Michael Jordan.
Whereas the Knicks have shown you, like you, you don't need 39
or 43 or hero ball from Brunson to win.
Last night it would barely shooting boom, 14 Dimes.
You know, we've seen nights where you know, cat gets hot
from downtown goes for 2528 thirty, you know, 1213 rebounds,
but we've seen this this new iteration of cat.
He last night was last night was kind of a hybrid where he got
some more looks, rebounded very well, but the assists were down.
But the hybrid version is you can you can you know, you can
have Cat go for 20 plus and go for double double.
But you can also have Cat, you know, run the offense through
Carl Anthony Towns and have 6710 assists as he's had with the
triple double in the playoffs. We've had nights where OG before
he hurt the hamstring. OG was for a while the best nick
player. He really was.
If you go back, he was, he was the most efficient.
He was, he was not missing any threes.
Terrific 2 way player. And then there's nights where
Bridge is going to cook a little bit.
And then there's nights and we saw this in the close out
against the Sixers. I think that was a close out
where Deuce had what, five threes where Deuce could come
off the bench and give you 151819 points and, and, and, and
there's nights where Alvarado could do it.
Like it's just there's so many different ways to win now.
Ultimately, the commonality in terms of any Nick championship
is going to run through Brunson's greatness, offensive
diversity and efficiency and really good help smart team
defense kind of cleaning up with what Brunson can't do
defensively and also Coral Anthony Towns.
But you know, when I when I think about championship for any
team championship possibilities like could team X win the win
the World Series? Could team X win the NBA Finals?
Could team X, you know, win the Stanley Cup.
I don't care if you got Gretzky. I mean, if you if you know, if
you don't have a goalie who can stop, you know, 2530 shots a
night and lock down like like like fewer.
Look at this. We're talking hockey grand.
Fewer could at times, you know, I mean, Gretzky could average
two goals a night, but is that going to be enough?
Probably not. And they just look so polished
right now and so focused. And it's funny, you know, I've
talked about him a lot, you know, in the in the a lot of
times I was worried about him. But I haven't even really
mentioned Mike Brown today. I've mentioned him a lot during
this great run. I mean, Mike Brown deserves an
immense amount of credit. And I was thinking about this
and I, you know, I hesitate to say it.
I was thinking about this this morning.
I'll say it, you know, we can, I'm not going to go deep on
this, but I will say it like at I'm at the point now you get 2
more wins against the Cavaliers in no matter how many games it
takes to get them. You get to the finals and this
teams earn the right to run it back.
They've earned the right to run it back.
Now there's always going to be a little bench tweak here, but you
know, I am you need these two more wins.
You get the two more and we're going to run this thing back and
either have a chance to repeat or maybe with one little bench
addition. Obviously they'll they'll be a
little tweak just based on, you know, Clarkson's deal is up and
you can figure out what's up with Mitch.
Whatever they'll they'll, they'll be a a prominent role
player brought in even the great teams or even the Champions do
that over the years. But there's really no reason
that includes the coach. They've adjusted and they've
adapted to what he was asking them to do.
And it took him a long time to do it.
I admit, took him a long time to do it.
But they're doing it and they're doing at A at a level that is
incredibly, incredibly impressive and incredibly high
and incredibly consistent. Let's see here.
Yeah, I did see that Mike Brown almost destroyed his ankle on
Tuesday and he got tackled. He's all in.
He said in the post game that he thought for a second that he may
have ruptured. Maybe he was just joking around.
He thought maybe he ruptured his Achilles.
Jay, do you remember? And he didn't.
Thank God, because that's brutal.
What's the guy's name? It wasn't Webber.
Was it Georgia State? I think that it was Georgia
State the the coach and his son was on the team.
I'm just forgetting his name 10 years ago, 8-9 years ago, who
actually did rupture his Achilles celebrating or doing
something during the game. And I remember him coaching the
next NCAA Tournament game in a chair.
Was it Ron? Georgia State men's basketball
coach Ron Hunter. Hunter, there you go.
And his son was really, really good.
Yeah, it was Georgia State. Oh, his son was RJ Hunter.
Yeah. Yeah, yes.
Celtic legends. Yes.
My gosh. I just couldn't remember the
name Hunter, but I knew it was Georgia State.
There you go. All right.
Oh my gosh, so. Apparently, Mike Brown has
avoided that disaster. That is not a fun injury, that's
for sure. Let's see here.
What is this? If you had to hold, if you hold
your opponents to less than 100 points, you've got an 85% chance
of winning. In the nine wins, the Knicks are
averaging 98 points allowed. I mean, in the modern NBA, that
is beyond impressive. It's I mean, it's just really
hard to do because you've got to be so committed on so many
possessions and you've got to have the IQ, You've got to have
the requisite speed and ability to recognize and help and you
know, know when to hedge. And I just there's so much that
goes into it that we simplify, you know, because we're not
coaches, but man, the the first of all, understanding what the
other team's going to do to you Now.
I mean, that's kind of basic, especially at this level of the
season or this point in the season where the event you, you
already know you, you know everything about Harden, you
know everything about Mitchell. You know what Mobley is going to
try to you just know everything. You just know everybody's game.
All right, but the, the intense, the way these guys lock in on
the scouting, Yeah, the great teams do that.
It's not just, hey, you know, we got 7-8 really good players.
Let's roll out the balls and get to work and just beat you
because we're we're good. I mean, there there's just the
the level of again, the level of preparation and recognition and
being all in and not just when you're on the court and you
dapping each other up for the opening tip.
I mean the checkpoints before and so much of that's devoted to
film and Novak and and really more so Wally, while these
Erbiak was talking about that the other night.
It's it's a it's an absolute real thing.
All right, let me just give you a little bit of Garrett Cole
here who is back tonight. I'm going to Yankees offense.
I just I don't have the energy. I don't have the time.
You know, it's not even more Memorial Day.
I'm not going to go bonkers on this, but I mean, jeez, every
night it's 345. Five hits enough for this.
My God, can you square some balls up?
Three hits? Look, looked impotent again.
I got 2-3 good hitters and one of them is in a very, very deep
funk that is to me, a little worrisome, as I talked about
yesterday with Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge was one for 15 in
this Series 4 game set. And, you know, listen, it's a
buzzkill and Toronto doesn't have a good record.
But you never know. You know what winning two
straight against the Yankees in the Bronx could do?
I, I listen, I it, it's looking more and more like the Rays are
the real deal. And it's a lot of time to go.
But the Yanks are 4 1/2 out and they're playing the Rays now
like this this weekend. If this doesn't go right, yeah,
it's going to be looking at a deficit that is obviously
something that you could overcome, but far from ideal.
And Aaron, one for 15, no ribbies and eight strikeouts in
this series here, You know, and it is ridiculous, the the
shallowness. And like, if this doesn't apply
to you, then then they certainly don't take this the wrong way.
But some of you it does apply to.
And it really is just ridiculous how how low the IQ is or the OR
how low the ability to critically think and juggle
fandom and possible reality or at least current circumstances.
Some of you are just incapable of doing it.
I find it fascinating. Like I look at some of the
comments because I'm very responsive on on this channel.
Obviously, if you guys what I'll do, I'll do it at least twice a
week where I will go back, go to the comments section and I will
I won't just like things. I'll actually respond.
And generally I respond to to questions, not just like all the
show's great, which which I appreciate.
Trust me, keep that coming and keep the likes coming.
By the way, I'm not saying I don't appreciate that stuff, but
I always find a more interesting when somebody pops in with hate
or criticism because that gives me a chance to have a dialogue
which can either convert somebody who's not a fan or even
if we have a good intelligent exchange, then give me reasons
to maybe I'm missing something here.
Whatever. I I just, I've always enjoyed
that right? Like that critical analysis,
even when somebody comes at me. But the amount of people who
can't, you know, separate the potential.
It's the keyword, the potential fear that you know, we we may
another important word may be entering the early stages.
Another important phrase of the slight underline that word as
well. Slight decline of the great
Aaron Judge is absolutely confounding.
Like what is wrong with you? Like, you know, some of the
comms are like, you know, he's the captain.
He's beyond criticism. No, he's not.
Derek Jeter got booed. Now Mattingly got booed.
Alex Rodriguez absolutely got booed.
Mariano got booed. So did Reggie.
So did Guidry. I don't know if Munson never got
booed. I wasn't around for that.
But everybody gets booed. Ewing's gotten booed.
I don't care who you are, you're getting booed, all right?
I got great. You are or have accomplished,
you are in New York, you're going to get booed at some
point. And Yankee fans are a booing
judge. And I'm not saying that they
should, but the like it like he's above criticism or and it's
not even the criticism. It's an acknowledgement that the
bat looks a little slow and it is a statistical which it which
is irrefutable in terms of a projection that you know right
now he's on pace for. I've got to, I've got to
increase the number. Yesterday it was 211.
Probably goes up to 212 or 213. He's on pace for 213 strikeouts
and he's on pace for 95 or 96. RB is and, and, and a lot of
people that's great. I'd sign up now who wouldn't
sign up for 9:50 or 940 OPS with 43 home runs and 99 RB is I
understand that. But when you talk about Aaron
Judge who delivers 140 RB is and has an OPS like Babe Ruth or Lou
Gehrig of 1100 plus every year and 50 plus bombs for a team
that has a lot of soft spots in it.
That was the point. It wasn't to get on Aaron Judge.
It's to point out the reality of, number one, this offense
flat out sucks and he's not doing much.
And that that's OK because baseball's cyclical.
But it's more about pushing it forward.
Like, what if this is the start of a slight underlying slight
diminishment in stats for Aaron Judge?
Like we just all assumed, all right, Spring training, Aaron
Judge put him down. Yeah. 54 home runs, OPS1150A,
WAR of 10 or 9.743 RBI's. You know, that's that doesn't
seem as if that's going to happen this year, Not at that
level. Now, the home runs, I can see
them going on tear and and the RBI's are also a byproduct of
what's in front of you. I get that.
Understood. Understood.
But you know, outside of 24 when Soto was here, Aaron Judge has
put up a lot of big numbers with a lot of average to subpar stuff
in front of him before. So I love him, man.
I love everything that he's about.
I love his character. His production is undeniable,
but you're not bulletproof and it's more about big picture for
the Yankees. But I'm using him because sadly,
like, and it's unfair to the guy, to be clear, it's unfair
what they asked him to do. It's unrealistic what he has to
be for this offense to be what it's always been since he's been
here, which again, comes into my criticism of Cash.
But I'm not getting back into that.
You know what they are. But that's the reality of the
situation. Like if Aaron Judge doesn't, you
know, go on an Aaron Judge run for a a long chunk of the
season, you can have a lot of nights like last night and you
can have some nights in Milwaukee, like the camp
Schlittler game where the the weathers game, we almost threw
no hitter down to Baltimore where the Yankees flush.
You saw it again last night and you saw it the day before with
Schlittler where they just waste not good.
They waste outstanding pitching performances.
So like that's just the reality of it, man.
I'm like, if you can't see that, I I'm sorry, Mike, you just, you
just, it's not that smart. I mean, take off the fanboy hat
for a minute. You know what I mean there, Jay
dude. Fired.
No, you know you're not lying
there. Certainly.
You know, certainly a slight. What's the word?
Diminishment. Diminishment.
Slight diminishments. Yeah.
Now I got you. Yeah.
And listen, by the way, it's not like he always started.
Soto's first year was Soto's only year.
He didn't start well at all. If you remember, Volpe had a
great April. Soto was phenomenal out of the
shoot. And, you know, Judge was
languishing a little bit early on, you know, struggling to get
out of the shoot. It's not like we've never seen
this before. And as a human being, you're
allowed to have a rough couple to gain.
I get that. But Memorial Day has always been
the checkpoint, the symbolic checkpoint of let's take stock
of what whatever team you root for, where are we?
What do we need and what do we have a chance to become if we do
certain things or certain guys wake up.
And there's always a point, I don't care how great you are,
you know, it happened to Jack Nicholas is a golfer.
It happened to Tiger, it happened on Muhammad Ali.
It happened to Mike Tyson, it happened to Gretzky.
I mean, it happens to a little less, but even Jordan was
actually still pretty good with the Wizards.
It happens to Clemens and you know, even Pedro at the end with
the Mets bouncing around a little bit.
Like it just happens. I don't care who you are.
And when you are 6-7 and there's no evidence of somebody that
size, I said this yesterday. When you're 6-7, you've got a
lot more buttons to push and a lot of levers to crank back and
forth, which is good. When that bat speed I'm, I'm,
I'm forget about Judge for a moment because I do think the
bat speed's still there. But like, really what what
starts to go on a hitter before the bat speed is a slight, like
barely perceptible to the average, you know, non superstar
athlete, a slight, you know, drop in vision, which then leads
a little bit. Not Yeah, I'm not I'm not even
told about Judge. Now, a slight drop in vision is
why you see great hitters start to, you know, go South.
Excuse me, go South when they do, because when the vision goes
just a little bit, now you got to start to guess a little bit
more, just a little bit more because now you can't quite see
that dot the way you did immediately.
Why do I have this marker is all over my hands here, take them in
the first grade like my pen exploded.
So what do you do if you don't see it the way that you used to
see it? You got to you got to guess, you
got to cheat a little bit. And when you start to cheat a
little bit and you cheat or you guess wrong, now you're really
vulnerable and now you're more prone to longer slumps and, you
know, maybe just missing a pitch, fouling it back or
hitting a foul, not quite barreling it up the way you used
to. And when that happens over the
course of 162, that's where you start to see an ultimate drop in
numbers. I mean, eventually we're going
to be sitting here and Aaron Judge is going to be hitting 260
and it's good. And with, you know, with 33 home
runs and it's September like I not this year, but it's going to
happen. It's going to happen.
Let me just see the updated projections real fast on this
year. All right, Judge.
Yeah. And it's really not even the
home runs that I mean, I have no concern with the home runs.
I am concerned with the RBI's and I am concerned with the
strikeouts. So right now Aaron Judge is on.
Where's the Hell's the projected is on pace for?
Yeah, 95 RBI's and 210 strikeouts.
He's never struck out more than I think it's 180 early.
And the last couple of years when he's been hitting
331-320-2310 like that, numbers drop significantly here.
And he might go out of tear, like kind of expect him to, but
he has to like that's the ultimate point.
Like he better, otherwise we're screwed.
And even if he does, we might still be screwed, you know what
I mean? All right, who's up next?
Jay, what do we got? Let's try Benny in DC.
Benny, are you here with? The Benny, don't mess this up,
buddy. Come on, Benny, try to attempt
#2 Benny, what do you got, Ben? I got you loud and clear.
Now you got me. I got you, brother.
What's cooking? First thing I want to say is go
New York. Go New York.
Oh, man. Unbelievable.
What a game. What a game.
What a time it is to be a Nick fan.
Oh, man. Oh, geez, you sound like you
spent. I mean, that's the real quick
Betty, I'll let you. Of course, I'll let you talk.
That's one of the crazy things about doing what I do.
And obviously he's a fan as well.
And I've said this before, like it's almost easier to get on the
air right when things are are shitty.
Oh, this guy's got to step up. Fire this guy.
This team's not good enough. What are we doing?
Like when things are good, I mean, how many times can you say
they played amazing last night? There's only so many platitudes,
even though they've earned them all.
Like there's so many, so many compliments and so many.
What a game. Phenomenal, amazing, awesome,
terrific. Like, that's all you can say
right now with the Knicks. That's it.
It it truly, you're absolutely right.
You nailed the head. You nailed around the head
there. BT But no, last night was a
great night. You know, I was with the DC Nick
crew and we went out, we were out till like 2:00 AM.
So didn't have to work today. So I'm feeling, you know, I'm
not feeling too good. You know, I'm older now, so I
can't, I can't hang with these young kids.
But, you know, but it was awesome.
Well, 2:00 is pretty late, man. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Like, you know, I was a little later than I expected.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. What the time to be a what the
time to be a Nick fan. But you know, you you mentioned
all this stuff when I was when I was listening about the
celebrities back on that. I mean, ex Nick players, me Tim
Thomas is on the yeah, I know, like like that.
But you know, I love seeing LJ and those guys and all that
stuff. But I mean, I just, I want to
see, I want them to play tonight.
I'm so pumped. I want to see the Knicks play
every night now. That's how I'm feeling.
It's so it's like, I don't want to be, you know, I'm obviously
optimistic, but you know, as Knick fans, you always have that
little cost optimism. But yeah, Saturday, let's go.
They got to, they got to just just keep this rolling.
BT hit me with the song. Y'all hit me with the song once
more. Let's go, come on, let's go, go,
go New York. Go New York.
Go Adam boy, that boy Betty, thank you.
Hey, have a great weekend, mate. God bless you.
Have a good time with your wife. Salute everybody out there in in
DC and and I'll talk to you on Monday.
OK, Thank you, BT Let's go ahead, Sir.
Get a little Alka seltzer. That's the key.
You got to pound some water. Like if you if you have a bunch
of drinks, you got to pound water and you've got to take an
Advil or something or a Motrin. You got to take something,
otherwise you're going to wake up.
You're going to be dead, God forbid.
I mean, not really dead, but. I know.
I'm trying to think of what day it was last week.
I think it was last last Sunday. Oh my God.
Oh, you got tuned up I. Was so hungover bro it was
crazy. What were you drinking beers or
what it? Was no, no, it was Sunday night.
I was ridiculously hungover because in the in the morning we
went fishing and just like hammered a pitcher of IPA and I
ate nothing. Nice.
And I yeah, it was bad, yeah. You told me you didn't get
anything. You went on the pier, right?
Yeah, went on the pier, caught nothing but hammered a pitcher
of IPA. You caught a buzz, no?
Food boom exactly. You caught a buzz and.
That's why not, you know, not, not you know, but but that's why
if you really think about it, if you're going to, you know, and
everybody's got their own style. But if you're going to really
have a night, that's why I like a gummy and like one or two
drinks is is the better. You're going to feel good the
next day. I'm, I'm fully, fully with you
there. Especially after that.
No, it's just like you, you can reach a certain level of
relaxation and joy without fully delving yourself into just like
a full alcoholic unconsciousness.
Like agreed, agreed. I've now now that I'm getting
older, I'm kind of starting to realize there is a good middle
ground you don't have. You don't have to go.
So like in fact, going so hard is actually worse.
You actually have a worse time even in the moment you have a
worse time. You gotta find that balance.
And listen. And it's like batting practice,
man. You got to get your reps and you
got to learn the hard way. You know, we all eventually
learn. Nobody feels.
Nobody likes waking up that way. I don't.
I very rarely wake up that way. Like, I just.
Yeah. I mean, come on.
I mean, I've got a lot of responsibility here.
Like the world. I'm going to be sitting in the
dugout like the dude in Bad News Bears, you know, Walter Matthau,
you know, like, banging back Budweiser just to get rid of the
hangover. That can't happen, you know?
And by the way, I'm noticing this again.
I am now convinced. I don't know if you believe this
like the government's watching everything we do whatever.
I mean, I'm doing anything so wrong.
So if they are whatever I mean, you know, I do find it amazingly
the interesting where you know, you certainly you see this like
you, you you look something up on like Google or on Amazon.
Then all of a sudden you jump on Facebook, you see an ad for what
you looked up or something from that neighborhood.
The algorithm like that's all real, right?
I am now convinced and this now. Now I I got to text Steven later
second day in a row. What they do today, I'm going
to. Read you the I'm going to read
you the headline you ready they're doing it again on first
date I mean if you're going to steal my stuff at least have the
courtesy to throw a little invite they and I said this is a
Knicks final appearance enough to keep the roster intact you.
Literally just said this 10. Minutes ago and it just popped
up on the screen. They've got, they've got,
they've got someone just tapped into this like a graphics guy
tapped into the stream, right? Now watching the show yeah, what
do we got going on unleashed all right let's go.
Let's feed it to Stephen AI mean I'm kind of kidding, obviously,
but too many coincidences makes you think a little bit here No
I. Mean, come on, back-to-back
days. Also, it's just like, you know,
they got to get you on there talking this stuff.
I mean, come on, There's no better guy.
There's no better guy for this. Come on, man, what are we doing?
I mean, listen, you got 9000 producers, you got a massive
studio, you got a billion dollar budget.
I mean, come on, you know, let us, let us little guys have our
own stuff here. You know what I mean?
Did you speak of ESPN? Did you see the footage?
There's only, I really think there's only one person in our
business who can get away with this.
Did you see the footage of Mad Dog on First Take yesterday?
Dude, I was rolling. I was rolling.
I was like, you can like, not that he said anything totally
out of baseball. I was like, you can like, bring
this up and talk about it on like, television.
He can say whatever he wants. Yes, Yeah, Yeah.
Well, that's why I say I really think he's one of one in terms
of being able to say that and then still have the respect and
like the audience that he does. And for those who missed it,
Right, everybody, it's Chris from F from FAN, obviously, but
he's been doing series for a long time.
He's been on first Take now for I think 2 years maybe.
And it's good. And they got a segment, I think
it's called, you know what makes Mad Dog mad?
Something like that. And basically everybody just,
and it's smart, everybody stands to the side and it's like, it's
just Mad Dog looking at the camera and yelling about
something. And he's, I guess he hurt his
shoulder playing tennis and he's a really good tennis player.
He loves his tennis, did you know that?
No, I didn't know that. Loves his tennis, you know.
He's his wife's a Custer of my mom's store.
He's like he's from, he's, he's a Connecticut guy and so like.
He's not from. He's not from.
Connecticut No. No.
No, yeah, he's been up there. For a while I believe my he's
he's, he's met my mom a few times.
Nice. Yeah, yeah, man, though he's a
good dude and he so he hurt his shoulder.
I don't know if he heard it playing tennis, but they had
because I was on the air when they were doing this.
And then I went back and I watched the segment.
They had footage of him playing tennis and he's got a nice Sir.
He's not a young guy anymore, but he's still thin and he still
can move a little bit. He is a good tennis player and
again, I've heard he's a pretty good golfer as well.
Maybe not great, but good. And I guess he jacked up his
shoulder, so he had his son drive him to go and get an MRI.
And that's how much it was jacked up.
And I've had a bunch of Mr. is and the, the MRI that I had
before, I knew that I needed Tommy John surgery.
Have you ever had an MRI? First of all, OK, those of you
who have know where I'm going. Those of you have not, hopefully
you never need one. They stuff you in this tube.
And if you were just a, a, a tick claustrophobic, you got a
rough day in front of you. And the worst part is that if
you move at all, the results are inconclusive and you got to go
again. And it's a, it's a series.
It's like a battery. And you hear the like the the
noise is unsettling. I hate it, right?
And I had to do 1 for my back, but for whatever reason, it was
it, I mean, I, I, I, I'll never forget this.
It was worse for my elbow because my elbow could not bend
because that, that just needs the imaging confirmation.
Torn ACLA, torn UCL on the collateral ligament.
But for them to straighten it out, OK, they, they attached
weights to my wrist to make it go straight right.
And then they had it in some contraption and I was face
first. So the, and I'm not that
claustrophobic, but it was scaring the shit out of me and
it hurt. I remember I had tears and I
listen, I, you know, I, I was, I was AI was a gamer.
Like I, I battled, you know, I, I, I was definitely a guy who
played hard and was not a wuss, not a great player, but just
kept going. I had tears, not of like wussy
tears. I don't know how else to say it,
but tears of pain, yes, because I knew that I could not move and
I, I finally got through it. Whatever.
So I'm, I'm hearing Mad Dog talk about his MRI story and he took
a Valium. I fight because he was a little
bit nervous going in there as well.
And he took the Valium and and his son drove him and then he
took another one and I guess he got home and he just zonked.
I've never taken Valium once. I'm like, I'm not a pill.
Guy at all? Neither.
Am I, I mess around, have a little fun with like the
gummies, talk to you guys about that.
I'm not a pill guy, Never has been, never, never will be.
And it's a serious problem in our world, really, our country
too, for sure. And he, he took two Valiums.
And I don't mean if you need it. I'm not talking about people who
I don't mean that. Yeah, yeah, he took the second
one. Like, I may be in the car ride.
He gets home, he's zonked out, he wakes.
Didn't watch one second of the Knicks game.
OK, Now could you imagine just imagine like me or Rothenberg,
who was on the show the other day was a great spot.
If you guys missed it, go check it out of that.
You know, go to the to the library here on the channel or
Alan Hahn, who does Nick's stuff or like even Michael Kay, who
does the Yankees but obviously talks about the Knicks or La
Greca. Anybody that does with Evan Sao
on the show. Imagine one of us getting on the
air and saying they're watching Nick game last night and like
all the way up in the camera. Like I took a second value.
Like only Chris Russo could get away with that.
It is amazing the way he relayed the story and having listened to
him forever and just knowing how he is, I'm like, there's one
dude who could get away with that and it's him.
It's true because. Like, I think about it like,
even if Stephen A tried to do something like that, you'd be
like, no, that's not him. That's not this guy's character
at all. Like Chris, he never touched
that story. Chris Russo weed, remember?
What he said. Of course, that's like his big
catch phrase. Oh my.
God. Like Chris Russo, he just got
that. I mean, listen, he's got he like
he's got that unhinged kind of just like anything he says goes
and it's understandable. You'd be like, yeah, that's him.
I know. Yeah, for sure.
He gets a pass on that. Nobody else gets a pass on that.
What's that here? What is this?
We have a little Mets reference. I have not mentioned the Mets
much. I'm sorry.
I listen, I mean, you know, I know they came back.
They split the series. Mets got to do a little bit more
before we're still talking about the Mets.
They don't they don't deserve it.
But don't mention wasted starts with to a Mets fan.
True. We all know about waste and
starting pitch. Yeah, the other night with
McClain, with the defense, the inside the park ran slam.
I get it. There's been a lot of those
games for the Mets seas as well, but shuts starting to hit a
little bit Soto's on a nice roll.
You know, I I do like Benj. I do like Ewing.
I do like the juice that they brought, but without Holmes and
you know, it's just not a Vientos guy.
Polanco's nowhere near being ready, same with Louise Robert.
Like I just don't know where this team is going, you know.
So we'll talk about the Mets. Like, listen, if the Mets get
hot, I'm I'll certainly give them respect and I'll talk about
them or they're very well might. And this is probably the script
that I see happening more than the other script.
I I see the Mets bleeding out at some point this year and just
start shipping out some assets and making some.
It's obviously very apparent that Stearns wants to bring in
the young guys. I mean, it's apparent, you know,
And if you would have brought in, if you would have, you know,
think about if you would have retained Nimmo, not free agency,
But if you didn't trade Nimmo and if you didn't trade McNeil,
even though Mcneil's contract was short, that's a little bit
different than Nimmo. Or if you would have re signed
Pete. I know that's very debatable.
I get it. Mets need some power.
Pete's a power guy. He's gone.
First base has been a train wreck.
Polanco has been a 0 so. If those guys were still here,
you know, you're going to play Nimmo every day in the outfield,
that's for sure. I mean, is does Benj make the
team on opening day? Probably not.
Does does Ewing get the call up? Probably not unless there was an
injury to to Nimmo or one of those guys.
So it's very, very apparent that Sterns, you know, and I don't
necessarily think that this is going to wind up being a good
thing, but he is. You're starting to see what his
vision is for the Mets and it's bringing up the young guys and
that's great. If you bring up Daryl, you know,
and you bring up Ron Darling now obviously Dwight Gooden and Sid
Fernandez and some of these other dudes, you know, Lenny
Dykstra, Lenny Dykstra. I, I did this somewhat recently.
This is amazing. I just got to, I got to get a
point of reference. I think one, it was like 360.
So there is, you know, I love my baseball Savant.
You know, I love that for the advanced analytics.
If you're an old and I've done this with like Ricky Henderson,
I just find it fascinating. Mattingly, which I kind of knew
by heart anyway, There is a website and it's called the
baseball cube, right? If you ever, I believe they
would have guys like Willie Mays and I think it goes back that
far. If you go to the baseball Cube
and I'm doing it now with Lenny, you will see your favorite
player, especially if it's somewhat recent.
I mean, Ricky was in the mid 70s.
So you got a long runway here. And you will see exactly what
they did in the minor leagues, which to me is so fascinating.
Right. So Lenny Dykstra, let's see.
Lenny Dykstra hit three. Yeah, it was 358 at high A in,
in 136 games, 358. I just love that it's it's not
always a perfect indication. Of course.
He wound up taking steroids and wound up going to the Phillies
and had a totally different profile, even though he was very
good with the Mets, but very clutch, very tough, great on the
bases, good in the outfield. I just think that that's
interesting. Like imagine there was a
database like if there was a real minor leagues for like the
NBAI don't know they've got it in hockey, but or even the NFL.
Like man, what did Mahomes do it low way or you know what, what
was John Elway like? If they actually have John Elway
baseball because he played for the Yankees high in Oneonta and
actually stole like 20 or 30 paces.
John Elway did when he threatened to to play baseball
and and not sign. I just think that that's all.
It's awesome. Doesn't always connect the dots,
but generally, and I know batting average is now an
antiquated stat, obviously for many of you, but it's not that
antiquated for me. Because I'm sorry, if you're a
222 hitter, even if you have an OPS of 850 and you got another
guy who is a 297 hitter or like Arayas who's even higher but has
a low Opsi, don't know who's going to put the bat on the ball
in the 8th inning with two on and nobody out down the run.
You tell me. Now I know who's going to have
more of a chance to go deep. I get it.
And three run home runs are never a bad thing.
But over the course of A7 game series, you know, putting the
ball in play, it's not a bad thing.
So that's why I always kind of defend the batting average.
I wanted to give you this real quick.
Get that down. The where is it?
Get that down there. Boom.
All right, wanted to mention this quick.
So remember when I went nuts on the International games here J
Rod the other day? Yeah, of course.
Of course, when they release the schedule and all the stuff and
again, I, I like them to an extent.
I just think there's way too many.
I think it's out of it's out of hand, whatever, for all the
reasons I've already given you guys.
So I, I've got a little something for you.
The NFL has a new travel record that they've already
established, right? And not only for the reasons
that I've chronicled. I think it's unfair to take
games away from great fan bases. I'm not going to reset that, but
that was mainly the basis of my, of my problem, right?
But collectively, all 32 NFL teams will travel 628,823 miles
this year. Now, OK, well, well, what does
that mean in the grand context? I'm going to give you a little
bit more. So that, by the way, equates to
25 trips around the Earth's circumference.
Yes. Why?
Right. If you love, you know, space and
orbits and all that stuff, whatever.
So the round trip to Australia alone is 16,000 miles.
Now think about how unfair this is.
So the 49ers and the Rams this year, 2 teams that are going to
be swinging for that divisional supremacy are going to cross 54
time zones over the course of their season, back and forth,
back and. Forth.
How is that healthy? It's probably not.
It's not, but that's just more
evidence the NFL doesn't give a shit about anybody but
themselves. They don't care about the
players. They don't.
We know they don't care about us.
And when there's an 18th game, but eventually a 20th game, that
will be even more evidence that they don't even care about the
players. They care about the scratch.
That's got all. That's it.
So the Rams and now you contrast this.
Now, I don't know how it's going to manifest itself in terms of
wins and losses, but the 49ers are going to travel 38,000 miles
this year. These are the top five teams in
terms of travel, right? 38, I'll just round it off.
Otherwise, going to get whatever 38,000 for the Niners #1 the
Rams 230-4000 the Texans 3rd 28,000 Dallas at 28,000 and the
Pats AT275 thousand 27,500, right?
So those teams are going to be jumping all over the place now
contrasted to the bottom five teams in terms of less arduous
travel itineraries. Green Bay 28th, 12,000 Tampa
12,000 the Bears 10,600 the Browns 9000 the Panthers 8700.
So think about this. The 49ers are traveling 30,000
more miles than the Panthers are, who are traveling right
around 8700 miles. From a competitive advantage or
disadvantage. You tell me what you extrapolate
from that. Now, it doesn't mean Thomas and
the Browns, like The Jets, the Browns, some other bad teams and
things could change and I hope they do, But I I don't think
that's going to get in the way of the Browns winning the AFC
North. I have to think that the Ravens
we got to see what they do with the new coach whatever, but and
the Steelers with McCarthy and 42 year old Aaron Rodgers, you
know, and the the Bengals with with with a bit of a tightened
up defense. So I'm not saying that it's
going to be enough of an advantage to, you know, just
blow by the other teams and win because you're not travelling
that much. But all things considered, even
the Niners 38,000 miles, the Panthers 8.
I mean, what in the world is the NFL thinking?
What come? On I mean, you're like actively
ruining people's sleep energy, like recovery.
Yeah, like everything. Like, I know, I know.
Messing the money up. Come on.
Hold on one SEC. Yeah, it's absolutely crazy.
I I just I saw that I'm like I got to weave this into the show
just to kind of follow up what I was hitting the other day.
Absolute lunacy. It's unfair and it it's just
really it's unhealthy. I I listen, I had I messed up a
lot today. I got to be honest with you guys
here, so I forgot if I give you a little look here, can I?
I don't want to really move the camera, but I've obviously got a
bunch of wires connected to the laptop that makes this thing
operable. The camera in front of me,
whatever, blah blah blah. My phone.
I forgot to charge my laptop last night, so it does not have
a whole lot more. Is there is there any plug you
can plug it into during or no there's?
Not see the problem with that is no, because the old the and I
just now it just went low battery.
Now it's officially on red. Now we officially got problems.
No, there's not. Otherwise, don't you think I
would have plugged it into it if I had?
That listen I don't cause what what I would suggest getting
them Navy is I've got a hub port yeah I've got a hub that acts as
a charger USB for the microphone and some other stuff I.
Know I I have that too. OK.
But they're just not compatible with this, with this little guy.
No, the answer is no. So I've got now if I was to
unplug from my laptop to get the juice to the laptop, you
wouldn't be able to see me or hear me.
Dude, I feel like we're like Indiana Jones running from the
boulder. Running from that big boulder
we're running on empty a little Jackson Browne.
You like Jackson Browne running on?
Empty. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You fan or no? Jackson Browne, is he?
Is he Doctor My eyes? Is that one of his?
Songs or no, I think. I think so.
Double check that. Yep, Yep.
Jackson Browne. Yes.
OK, there we go. Yeah, I really, I really love
that song. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Got a couple of bangers, songs. I would.
You know what I was on yesterday?
I was on a Bob Seger kick. I was.
Oh, really? OK, I dude, I, I don't know any
song. So maybe that's today's
homework. Well you would be proud of this
I guess. It was like 2 nights ago where I
was driving my son to his game and I told you I'm in the car.
I'm not listening to sports radio.
I'm listening to music or, or like if it's my daughter, we're
talking, but she does ask to put on some, some, some music And I,
I do it with her so I can kind of learn what she likes because
I like, you know, it's all different, you know, like Taylor
Swift a couple of years ago, just so I understand, you know,
what the girls are listening to. We could bond, but with my son,
you know, and of course, I talk to my daughter, my son.
It's music, right? And and we shoot the breeze as
well. And the other day, what I'll do
is I'll quiz him. You know, this goes back to when
he was really young and he's known since he was about 3
Daddy's favorite artist of all time is Billy Joel, right?
And, you know, being a little trickster that he is, we'd be in
the car, I'd say, all right, who is this?
Who's singing this song? And he'd say Billy Joel, like,
you would just throw out Billy Joel, right?
But then he expanded a little bit.
And then he was able to identify like the Beastie Boys, the
stones. He gets the stones here and
there. Bob Seger.
He knows I love Seger. We were driving yet A2 nights
ago and Def Leppard was on on the radio.
I'll you know I love Def Leppard, one of my all time
favorites. Saw them in concert with
Journey. Great.
Concert. That's a sick concert.
Great concert at the garden and and you know something now he's
11 years. He's getting a little slick now,
like he'll if he doesn't know, he'll sometimes get up on my on
my car. It's got the read up like, you
know, it'll say like, I don't know, whatever, step up
pyromania. Def Leppard, right?
But it didn't say it. And it it just had, for whatever
reason, the station I was listening to, right?
I said, hey, I said, you know who this is?
And he's listening and he's listening.
And there was no, there was no way he could have cheated.
And I'm like, this is a this is a good one.
I'm like, listen to the drums, listen to the beat.
And I'm like, you know, just think.
And he nailed it. And I was like, I was so
praised, like Def Leppard. I'm like, yeah, dude, that's all
right there. Very good proud moment.
My daughter is now angling, I forget the name of the group to
go to a concert with my wife, which of course I'm going to.
I'm going to. I don't not let them do it, but
subsidized and it's not. Cheap.
And the tickets are like $1000. I'm like, I don't know if you
need to sit there. Who is this?
I don't forget. Who was she told me.
Oh, my God. Yeah.
You know, there's. I never went to a concert until
college. Yep same.
No dude I was a late bloomer too with it.
Like Yep, it took me a while. We talked about that and it just
wasn't anything that that my parents did my they always had
my mom always had music on little disco lot of Kenny
Rogers. My dad always had the Doo wop
stuff on in the car, which I couldn't stand.
But I but I I've grown to love, you know, for a long time.
I've got both. I I want to go to a concert.
I don't. I don't know what the perfect
concert is, you know, for the four of us, Yeah.
There's so many things to consider.
You know what? What you smell, you know.
No, of course it it's tough in certain arenas like I mean.
I guess I would do outdoors. Yeah, yeah.
Outdoors is good. I mean, those are also always
fun, like, I don't know, like the James Taylor ones up in like
Massachusetts. Or James Taylor.
Those are awesome. He does like a.
Free show and I see rain. He's, yeah, he's one of the
best. He always, he does a show in
Bridgeport, CT every year, I'm pretty sure.
New York too. It's a good family one.
Did not know this, Does he do that at the minor league?
Baseball team yes, exactly. He does it right there Yep, Yep,
yeah, yeah, yeah, right there. And like you get a chance to
meet him, like he does an intermission where he like
shakes and says hi to every fan if you go up to him.
So he's like. It's a good.
Time it's a great it's a great app.
As I sound like I'm 70. Yeah.
Let's go see James Taylor. No, I love James Taylor.
I do. That's a sad song.
Oh, my God. The fire and rain.
My good God. All right, man.
I do. I I got 1% left.
I got to say goodbye. We didn't want to, but I have.
To. So I want to wish everybody an
outstanding Friday J Rod real fast.
Any good plans? Anything on the docket?
What do I got? This weekend I've got something
fun. This weekend I'm just like,
it's, it's not hitting me right now.
Oh, Memorial Day, everyone out of town fun you.
Don't get lit. Yeah, I don't know.
I'm getting lit. We're getting lit this weekend.
We'll have fun. I mean, it'll be interesting, I
guess. Kind of.
No. They've got me working Monday
too, so that's crazy. Who's?
Got OH at the guitar store. Yeah, I know I can't, which I
think Monday will be big because people will be home from work.
Memorial Day. We'll have a good time.
Knicks recap. You know I'm not going to be.
Yes, a lot I've learned. Let me work on my semantics
here. Let me not say, let's get this
win. Hey, you guys go and get that
win this weekend. That a boy admonished by his dad
and he has learned his lesson that a boy like every good young
son should do. All right, Jay, you have a great
weekend. Obviously, I appreciate you guys
watching, listening. Great job by the Knicks.
Let's keep it moving. I can't wait to watch the Spurs
and the Thunder tonight. Obviously, keep an eye on the
baseball. Have a great Memorial Day
weekend. Have a safe weekend.
Our kids get out of sale. A lot of kids are off today.
Our kids get a half a day and then obviously off Monday.
So enjoy the time with the family and everything that
that's going to bring you guys have an awesome, awesome rest of
your day. Like it, subscribe it, get it
out there, push it out there. Let everybody know that you are
proudly part of the BT Unleashed fam.
Oh, and I got to say this, I really got to go.
It's going to go. And I'm trying to say it's like
2530 seconds. My wife had a meeting, actually
felt the material for the digital store, which I'm not
really talked about a lot, but some, some some merch is coming
here. And I told her I said, listen,
if it's that cheap stuff ain't happening, like I can't have one
of these cardboard inflexible T-shirts.
It's got to be the good quality, the hoodies, the beanies, the
T-shirts, some mugs, some other stuff.
So that's coming. That is step.
I would say we're already because we had the person and
they set up the entire store and you know, it's going to take a
minute to actually set it up and get it up and running, but it's
going to be made to order, which is great.
So it's not like I've got to make 1000 hoodies and you know,
have a couple of 100. Just sit there when you want
something, you order it get shipped, you get it right away.
So I will have an update on that next week.
OK, that's good stuff and I'm I'm proud of that.
You guys going to dig it. So I have a great weekend.
I will talk to you soon. Go Knicks peace.
listening?