Steve Hartman and Rich Ohrnberger talk LeBron, Lakers, Bronny, and more!

Steve Hartman and Rich Ohrnberger talk LeBron James’ willingness to take a paycut dependent on landing a player on the level of Klay Thompson, and Hartman teases a little something in relation to that! FSR MLB Insider Jon Paul Morosi stops by, the possibility that the NFL Draft could one day be eliminated, the best Fourth of July foods, and much more!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Living the dream once again here on a fabulous sports Sunday.
This is Fox Sports Sunday and we're broadcasting live from
the ti rack dot com studios tyrag dot com.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
We're gonna help get you there.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
A non matt selection fast reshipping free road has a
protection over ten thousand recommended installers tire rack dot com.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
The way tire buying should be.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Last day at June Rich, which I guess from a
month standpoint, is the halfway point of the year. Technically
it's July second, but you know, six months, six months.
Let me ask you this because as I approached my
big birthday on Thursday, the older I've gotten time seems
to accelerate. So I'm gonna ask you the many years

(00:50):
we known each other, do you find now that as
we rifle through these years, the time is picking up
pace for you? Oh?

Speaker 4 (00:59):
Yeah, yeah, And I think that's true for everybody. I
think the older you get, the shorter days become because
you have a mountain of days in your rear view mirror.
Whereas when you're a kid, every day feels like the
longest day ever because you because the truth is you

(01:20):
haven't experienced that many days, you know, so you have
no perspective of time. But yeah, the older you get,
the shorter days feel the shorter years, or I should
say the more quickly years pass by and it. But
even though you say that, right, one thing is interesting.
There are times where everything slows down, like times where

(01:44):
there's big news. You know, I don't know, in the
political cycle it's election years, or you know, if there's
some sort of tragedy unfortunately, or if there's a situation
where sports is delivering a big story that everybody seems
to fixate on. And I think that's the reason why
it feels like time slows down because normally, in our

(02:05):
culture and our society, we just bounce from.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Story to story to story to story.

Speaker 4 (02:09):
It's almost like a twenty four hour news cycle that
rinsed itself after exactly twenty four hours. So you wake
up with new news the next day, and then the
day after that it's gonna be different from the day
before that, and then the day after that, so on
and so forth. So when the sports world, in our world,
when all of a sudden there's a piece of news

(02:31):
that we're all fixating on for a long time. That's
when it feels like that that time that speeds up
over the course of your life, it feels like it
slows down and we have to settle in and sort
of dig our heels in and discuss something for a little.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
You know.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
I've been very fortunate obviously over these many years to
be eye witnessed to a lot of major sporting events,
and I do that. I don't know how many people
do this, but I think more people should do this.
Every once in a while, if I'm in the midst
of so something historic or something that is consequenced in
some way, I will literally hit the pause button, like

(03:08):
in the moment, like I'll be literally like I pause
to like say, I am here, this is happening, Let's.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
Take it in.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
I mean I do this consciously, like I actually hit
the pause button to just sort of take in the
moment and then I go back to my business. And
so if we rifled through like you say, now, you
and I we had the great challenge back four years
ago during the COVID shutdown where we were doing you know,

(03:42):
radio all week long during the week and on the weekends,
and we had to generate stories when there were no
stories I mean literally no stories, and yeah, things really
slowed down. I look back and I say, I give
you a pat on the back. I'll give myself a
pat on the back. I don't know how we pulled
that off, but we did well. We don't have that

(04:03):
problem now because we have a million things going on
in the world of sports. By the way, John Paul
Morosi are Fox Sports Radio MLB Insider's going to be
joining us here in about twelve minutes or so.

Speaker 3 (04:15):
Obviously, the Lakers have got.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
A lot of storylines and we're going to share several
different lines. I want to get to Brony a little
bit later, but I want to get to the Lebron
James situation right at the top here. So yesterday ops
out of the fifty one million dollar deal, and reports
are is that he wants to work a deal that's
going to help the Lakers, which I would applaud. I mean,

(04:38):
if he takes considerably less money to give the Lakers
more flexibility to actually build a.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
Championship caliber team.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Think about this for Lebron, so he is going to
have something that's never happened before. A father playing with
his son in the NBA. It's happened in other sports,
but it's never happened.

Speaker 3 (04:59):
In the NBA.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
As great as that is, how about taking a next level?
How about winning a championship and sharing that moment with
your son as a teammate. Can you imagine? I mean,
I and I here's what I believe. I think that
it's hard for Lebron James because he and I believe,

(05:20):
he's a really good father. He wants to help his
son realize his dreams. I mean, his son, whether he
has the talent to play in the NBA will find out,
but that was his dream, like to be in the NBA.
And so the one way his father could help him
was essentially steer the team he's playing for to select

(05:41):
his son so he would at least get the opportunity
to realize that dream. But that being said, in his mind,
he's thinking, wow, but imagine this. Imagine if we win
a championship, we have a championship season, and I shared
that entire experience of my son, and then he gets
a ring just like his dad he gets to hold.
I mean, come on, I mean, that's that's gotta be

(06:03):
in Lebron's mind right now. It's not about money Lebron's
got more money. He's taken care of the next five
generations of James's. So I think this could be a
coup for the Lakers. Now how they use that money,
that would be interesting. But if he does take considerably
less money, and keep in mind, Lebron has never been
the highest paid player in the league, like a Tom Brady,

(06:25):
like a Patrick Mahomes right now with the Chiefs, taking
less money to help build a championship team. If he
does that, then I'll say bring on JJ Reddick, bring
on Bronny James, because if they can add a few
pieces and we'll have some names to throw out at you. Now,
you're doing what's right for the organization and not just

(06:46):
what's right for you.

Speaker 4 (06:48):
No, And I think that's Lebron James in sort of
the whatever you want to call it in the in
the in the box, like you know that that is
what you get.

Speaker 1 (06:59):
It's part and Parcel.

Speaker 4 (07:01):
I think at this point in his career, what he
can deliver to you is not only a championship effort
on the court and one of the best basketball players.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
In this league still. I mean name you can't.

Speaker 4 (07:14):
But try to name twenty players better than Lebron James,
you'll have a hard time.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
So you're going to have Lebron James.

Speaker 4 (07:22):
You're gonna have his son, fortunately or unfortunately, whichever way
you want to look at that. But then you're going
to have his will and his determination to win, because
I think the goal.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
Was to see if this was even possible. That was
the goal.

Speaker 4 (07:36):
And if you're a goal setter, if you're somebody who
concentrates on setting goals for yourselves, you always know you
got to break it into chunks.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
Okay, if I want to.

Speaker 4 (07:44):
Achieve this big goal, what do I have to accomplish first? Well,
if you want to win a championship with your son
before you retire, you need to get your.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
Son into the NBA. First. Now, that's a big hurdle
to climb.

Speaker 4 (08:00):
However, you're Lebron James, so you're gonna have an easier
time doing that than anybody else on the planet. Well,
not only did you get your son into the NBA,
but you also got him drafted by the team that
you play for. Now he has opted out of his contract. Okay,
Rich Paul did jump on ESPN, like you said, and

(08:21):
he said his exact quote is he is prioritizing a
roster improvement. He has been adamant about excluding all efforts
to him or excuse me, exuding all efforts to improve
the roster. So you know what that means. It means
his eyes are still set on exactly what you said.
The ultimate goal is to win another championship, and to

(08:42):
win a championship with his son, and with that being
in the near distance, he can absolutely lean on the
Lakers to make improvements to this roster, to spend all
the way up to and over the salary cap, potentially
if he takes a pay cut, because if he's gonna
make the sacrifice, can make the sacrifice and they can
put together a winning roster.

Speaker 1 (09:03):
So I completely agree with you.

Speaker 4 (09:05):
I think that the goal either shifted once he got
drafted by the Lakers or it was part of the
overall goal to win a championship with his son. But
either way, Lebron James, he is going to try to
build the strongest version of the Lakers that he can
possibly build now that his son is a part of it.
Because there's so few left boxes to check in his career,

(09:30):
this would be an amazing box left to check.

Speaker 2 (09:33):
All right, before we move on and get in John
Palm Morosi. So right at the top of the hour here,
as we're getting on the air, I texted my dear friend,
former broadcast partner, Michael Thompson, who obviously he has worked
as the radio analyst for the Lakers for the last
twenty years.

Speaker 3 (09:53):
And I've talked about this before.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
I first met Clay when he was fourteen years old,
so I've known the Thompson family for twenty years.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
So I texted Michael right as we were going on
the air here.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
I love it.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
I said, Hi, Michael, any chance Clay becomes a Laker?
He has responded to me. His response was this, very
good chance, and then he hit the same response a
second time, Very good chance.

Speaker 5 (10:25):
Are you breaking news here, Steve.

Speaker 2 (10:27):
I'm just telling you right now, Michael Thompson says, as
I am literally reading that, I'm.

Speaker 5 (10:33):
Going to come in there and checking the break and all.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
Here it is right here, Hi, Michael, any chance Clay
becomes a Laker? Very good chance, very good chance. And
then I responded, make it happen.

Speaker 5 (10:47):
There you go. Thank you, Steve, doing your job.

Speaker 3 (10:48):
So I feel like not that Michael has that kind
of power, but I mean.

Speaker 1 (10:53):
Michael, but Steve Hartman does.

Speaker 3 (10:55):
Yeah, No, I haven't. I have no power.

Speaker 2 (10:58):
But I mean when when you look people to look
at a guy like Klay Thompson. Well, we're going to
get into this a little bit later on because I
want to sort of explore Obviously, you know Bo obviously
diehard Laker fan. He's he's got a lot of interest
in what the next move is. But I think it's
safe to say expect Lebron to take considerable lists.

Speaker 3 (11:18):
He will only do so, though, And the.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
Delay is this and if if you're if you're Lebron,
I would do this. Okay, I'll take less. What's the
game plan? Ye give me the names you're talking about,
give me the money we're talking about. I'm not agreeing
to anything until you can give me the guys that
we can bring in and the price tags to make
this happen. If you can do that, fine, I will

(11:45):
accept less money.

Speaker 5 (11:46):
If I'm Lebron, I'm not even signing a contract until
whoever they're trying to bring in to sign yet exactly.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
Otherwise, you show me you make it happen. Yep, you
actually make it happen.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
Because we have free agency's starting you can make it happen.

Speaker 3 (12:03):
I will take less money.

Speaker 4 (12:04):
And you know what, Lebron James has the ability to
you know how, sometimes you finish a puzzle and the
last puzzle piece got a little warped. Yeah, you know
what I mean, maybe got a little wet, it doesn't
quite fit in the puzzle the way it's supposed to.
Lebron James would have the ability to change that last

(12:25):
puzzle piece to whatever shape it needs to look like
to fit into this salary cap puzzle exactly. So I
completely agree with you. I think you and Bo are
one hundred percent correct. You you get Lebron James, or
excuse me, you get Lebron James. Whoever he's looking to
get on this roster, he will make his salary work

(12:45):
for you.

Speaker 2 (12:46):
Exactly, because that that would be the ultimate dream is
not just playing with his son, it's celebrating a championship
with his son as a teammate.

Speaker 3 (12:57):
That would be the ultimate in the James family.

Speaker 2 (12:59):
All right, Well, how much more on that a little
bit later on on the other side, we're gonna check
in with Will.

Speaker 3 (13:04):
He's a man that stands alone.

Speaker 2 (13:05):
Here is our Fox Sports Radio MLB insider John Palm Morosi.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
This is Fox Sports Sunday.

Speaker 6 (13:11):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 1 (13:24):
Hey, what's up everybody?

Speaker 7 (13:25):
It's me three time pro bowler LeVar Arrington and I
couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called Up
on Game?

Speaker 1 (13:32):
What is Up on Game?

Speaker 7 (13:33):
You ass along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Huschman
Zada and Super Bowl champion Yup, that's right, Plexico Burus.

Speaker 1 (13:41):
You can only name a show with that type of
talent on it. Up on Game.

Speaker 7 (13:45):
We're going to be sharing our real life experiences loaded
with teachable moments.

Speaker 1 (13:51):
Listen to Up on Game with me Lebar Arrington, TJ.

Speaker 7 (13:54):
Hutschman, Zada, and Plexico Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast,
or wherever you get your podcast from.

Speaker 2 (14:05):
Steve Hartman Rich Ronberger. Here Fox Sports Sunday. We're live
from the tyrack dot com studios now right after our
podcast is after the show, the podcast is going up.

Speaker 3 (14:14):
If you miss any of today's show, check out the podcast.

Speaker 2 (14:17):
Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever you get your podcasts
and follow, rate and review the podcast.

Speaker 3 (14:22):
Again, just search Fox Sports Radio wherever.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
You get your podcasts, and you see the show posted
right after we get off the air. Well, every single
week we have the great opportunity to share some time
with a man that wears many hats. He's much sought
after because he's simply the best of the best. He
is also our Fox Sports Radio MLB insider John Paul
Morosi JP, thanks for joining us here on this beautiful Sunday.

(14:46):
Now I'm gonna do my obligatory NHL talk with you.
I got two full questions and we can move on
to a little baseball talk. I watched all of Game seven,
phenomenal game. I told everyone again that Connor McDavid was
going to win the co because they do that. It's
for the entire playoffs, not just for the Stanley Cup final.
I want to get your thoughts on what it means

(15:07):
for the NHL for Florida win their first ever Stanley Cup.
And I also want to ask you about a friend
of mine who did many.

Speaker 3 (15:14):
Broadcasts with me way back in the day, Jeremy.

Speaker 2 (15:16):
Ronick elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Speaker 3 (15:20):
We'll get your thoughts on both those.

Speaker 8 (15:23):
Sure well, First of all, get afternoon, good morning out
there in the West Coast. Let's start with Ronick one
of the very best in my view, American players ever.
You think about what he was able to do, just
an elite goal scorer, elite competitor, huge personality, as you know,
a great storyteller. I think that Jeremy has been deserving

(15:45):
of this honor for quite a long time, and to
be honest, I was a little surprised that it took
him this long, but I think certainly very well deserved.
The numbers speak for themselves. I think one of the
great heavy shots of his time, really probably of the
last forty years of the NHL in terms of just
a natural goal scorer who could just fill it up

(16:08):
and played on some really historically significant teams. So I
think Ronick extremely deserving. As for Game seven, I think
it was the showcase of why hockey is so special,
and I think there's a reason why you've seen the
NHL ratings on the uptick in probably the NBA moving
the opposite direction. It's just it's one of the most

(16:29):
compelling competitions that we have in the world every year,
in any sport. Now we're grateful right now you've got
the Euros going on Copa America, but they're not every year.
The Stanley Cup, I think, is the best trophy in sports.
It's certainly the best trophy that's given out every year.
And as much as there was the heartbreak at the

(16:50):
end for Edmonton and Connor McDavid, if you look at
the just the big picture here, the investment of fans
across Canada and then the curios of fans across the
US made it the spectacle that it became. It really
felt huge, and I love that Monday night we had
an MLB Network game in Saint Louis, and I was

(17:14):
actually pretty grateful, to be honest, that our game ended
in a pretty short amount of time. I almost always
argue and wish for more baseball and would love to
play all night long, but I did have in the
back of my mind, I said, Okay, if our broadcast
ends on time, then I'll be able to watch the
end of Game seven and the end of Game three

(17:35):
of the College World Series. There was just so much
great sports happening on Monday, and certainly for me, the
Stanley Cup Final in Game seven was a huge part
of it. I think we were all just so enthralled
with the possibility of either McDavid coming back and being
able to cap off only the second ever rally from
three to zero down to win a Stanley Cup in

(17:57):
the final series, or you'd see the first ever Stanley
Cup in South Florida history. And we saw the ladder
and it was just an amazing spectacle to behold.

Speaker 4 (18:06):
Perfect perfect, I mean two best words in sports. Game
seven and certainly Panthers oilers delivered. There was a lot
of drama, and that was a tremendous performance by both
sides throughout the series, but somebody had to win. I
want to move on to the league, Major League Baseball,
where nearing the month of July, the calendar is about

(18:27):
to click over. A lot of teams eyeing the trade
deadline are potentially going to make a move here in
the near term to improve their team before the All
Star break.

Speaker 1 (18:36):
But I want to.

Speaker 4 (18:37):
Ask you about a specific situation and then balloon this
out to a larger question. So Tristan McKenzie, he gets
sent down to the minor leagues for the Guardians today.
He's been struggling recently over the course of the season
it with seventy five plus innings. It just hasn't gone
very well. As Era is over five, he's twenty four
years old, he's a former first rounder. My question is

(18:59):
this not specifically about mackenzie.

Speaker 1 (19:01):
But all pitchers. How do you do this right?

Speaker 4 (19:05):
Like you know, JP, I know there's ebbs and flows
to every career, but we all know it. There are
certain guys who get into the league, they flourish, they
sustain success at that position, you know, as a starting pitcher.
And then there's certain guys who feels like they get
to the league and they're overmatched and they struggle, and
it's down and back up and down and back up.

(19:26):
Is there any formula to having success or sustained success?
Is it coaching? Is it strictly the player and his commitment,
or is it too variable really to put your finger on.

Speaker 8 (19:39):
Well, it's an excellent question, and I think that there
is in this case. There are two related but somewhat
distinct topics. One is the sustainability of help and the
other is the sustainability of performance. And again, you really
can't have performance about health health, and you know this

(20:02):
from your career in athletics. Health is a prerequisite to
where part of evaluating and watching baseball, watching any sport really,
And we just talked about Game seven in the Cup final.
McDavid was playing hurt. At that point, you and your
own career to think about. If you were to reflect

(20:23):
on your career in college and pro football, I'll ask
you this quickly and then i'll continue. What percentage of
games that you played from Penn State onward do you
believe you were one hundred percent physically healthy?

Speaker 1 (20:38):
One hundred percent zero?

Speaker 8 (20:41):
Okay, So that's the point now. And now, pitching is
different than playing the positions that you played off Yeah, yeah,
you played, but but mackenzie was coming back from being
gone for a while and was trying to build up
arm strength after an injury. And any pitcher, whether it's
justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, you name it, there's a long

(21:06):
list of guys who were as successful as Tommy john
is nowadays for a lot of pitchers. There is a
long list of guys who were really good and then
had surgery or an injury, and we're never the same
after that. Look at again, different different case. But let's
look at Tim Linsicomb in which year was his last year.

(21:31):
What age was he the last year that he was
truly the dominant Tim Linsicombe and he basically he's forty
years old. He's he is younger. So Tim Linscombe right
now is younger than Justin Verlander. And he has not
thrown a pitch in the major leagues since twenty fifteen.

(21:51):
He's retired now he's retired. So his last game in
the big leagues in any capacity it was actually twenty sixteen.
His last good year, his last dominant year was twenty
eleven when he was twenty seven years old, and then
he led the league and losses. The next year his
eras went five point one eight, four point three seven,

(22:12):
four point seven four, four point one three, nine point
one six, and he was out of a league. So
it's it's a very unforgiving profession to where when you
are just a little bit off in the separation between
change up or breaking stuff and fastball, and when you're
just a little bit less deceptive, a little bit more predictable,

(22:34):
your stuff isn't quite as sharp. It's a really narrow
amount of time, which is why if we, as Hall
of Fame voters, rich start to say, hey, hey, we're
still We're still expecting three hundred wins from from the
starting Fisher before he put him in. They got to
have an era under three. It's not gonna happen anymore.
Not not really. Maybe look at Verlander, He's been as

(22:58):
about as durable as anybody has been in his peer group.
He's been more durable than Kershaw, and yet he's starting
to lose some steam and spend time on the il.
It's just we need to revise what a Hall of
Fame Pitcher looks like. And Verlander, Balans obviously, Schuzer, DC,
Granky Kershaw. It's very possible, if not lightly, none of

(23:22):
them are going to get to three hundred.

Speaker 1 (23:23):
To win, zero of them.

Speaker 8 (23:25):
And yet they're still the greatest of their time. And
so I think whether it's the velocity that we're putting
on pictures in the chase for Velo and what that's
doing to Pitcher's bodies, that's a part of this. But
I think that to kind of come back around at
the beginning, Tristan McKenzie is not He's not like six six,
two hundred and forty pounds, and I think that he's

(23:47):
coming back from surgery from injury. He's not quite the
same guy. And I do think the human side of
this when when the hitters are so unforgiving because they're
so good that when you are not at your peak
and you're getting hit around a little bit, then it's snowballs.
The confidence wanes, the conviction and pitches waynes, The ability

(24:09):
to locate a pitch and challenge a hitter goes backwards
because you don't want to get hit hard. But it's
a mental game that feeds into the physical. But it
all comes down to the health part of it. And
the reality is the more that we're asking of pitchers now,
and the more demands are putting on their arms, guys,
the closer and closer rich the number of starts that

(24:32):
a pitcher feels like he's one hundred percent, that number
is going to get closer and closer to the number
that you gave me a minute ago. And I think
this is where we're at right now in Major League Baseball.

Speaker 2 (24:42):
All right, I got to sneak in one more here. Currently,
as we said, show hey, Otani is the hottest leadoff
hitter in the history of baseball. He leads the league
in batting average, slug in percentage ops, total bases, home runs,
and runs scored. From an MVP voting standpoint, though, does
he it penalize for being only a DH.

Speaker 8 (25:05):
So here's what I would say. There was the year,
and it was an interesting year because, of course, was
two years ago when when Judge got it over over Otani.
I said Judge was the deserving winner. And a large
part of that was that I thought that Judge had
the offensive component and then he was playing defense in

(25:26):
center fields. We had a defensive component. In the case
of Otani, he had the at the plate value and
then on the mound value. Now he's just at the plate,
not just I mean I should it's not just, it's
just he is doing one thing right now. I think
there's a reason why as great as Edgar Martinez was

(25:47):
throughout his career, as great as Big Poppy was, you
just typically don't see DH's win MVP. It's not that
it would never happen, but you need to look at
the the component value of the other contestants. I think
that unfortunately for the Dodgers, the injury to Mooki certainly

(26:10):
changes the calculus a bit. From the Phillies' perspective, the
time that Harper's missing could could change that a little bit.
But let's just say this for the sake of argument.
Let's say that by the end of the year, hypothetically
Harper puts together an offensive year that is eighty percent
or eighty five percent as good as Otani, which would

(26:30):
be a pretty amazing year. Hypothetically he gets there, and
then he's also playing first base, new position for him,
a position that he is playing to help the Phillies
put the best defensive slash offensive team out there. Every day.
He's helping his manager by learning a new position that
to me has extraordinary value. And I could easily see

(26:53):
if that's the case. If you believe if Harper gets
about eighty five percent of what Otani does offensively, and
then he gives you good defensive value in a way
that allows Rob Thompson to put the best team on
the field. I would tend to give the edge to
Harper in that scenario. But if Harper's only sixty percent
of Atani, if he doesn't and if he comes back

(27:16):
from injury is not quite the same player, then it
changes things. But I do think you give I always
give at least bonus credit to players that give big
defensive value to their team, or whose defensive versatility, such
as Mookie Betts, for example, what he's done for the Dodgers,
even though he's out right now, That to me almost
always tips the scales, because the defensive component is real

(27:39):
from the standpoint of roster and lineup construction.

Speaker 3 (27:42):
There it is from a man that votes on such things.

Speaker 2 (27:45):
The Great John Paul Morosi, JP, great stuff as always today,
enjoy your week, Enjoy your fourth of July holiday.

Speaker 3 (27:53):
We'll check it within next week.

Speaker 8 (27:55):
Look forward to my friends, and I tell you what,
now that we're entering July, be that much longer before
AJ Preller makes his next grape. We'll talk about that
next week.

Speaker 3 (28:06):
And the Padres are on a roll right now.

Speaker 2 (28:08):
So he my one there there, really blew out the
Red Sox yesterday out of Fenway.

Speaker 3 (28:12):
All right, JP, thanks.

Speaker 8 (28:13):
So much, all the best every week.

Speaker 2 (28:15):
That's John Palm Morosi. Now let's find out what is trending.
She is standby, laid very patiently here, MONSI, how are
you today?

Speaker 9 (28:24):
I am well, I'm not gonna lie to you.

Speaker 10 (28:26):
My friend just adopted a cat and send me a picture.
So really that's all I care about right now.

Speaker 1 (28:30):
Really, she's gotta go.

Speaker 9 (28:31):
I gotta to go, literally literally can I go? Because
she just sent me a picture. She already has one
cat who's who we call.

Speaker 10 (28:38):
KitKat, and this one is like a little bit like
a light tan color.

Speaker 9 (28:42):
So I was like, well it has to match KitKat.

Speaker 2 (28:44):
So Butterfinger, I just had a picture said to me
of Rocky our dog here.

Speaker 3 (28:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (28:51):
Oh they just yeah, I mean they just bring such joy,
maybe such joy.

Speaker 9 (28:55):
So a new kiddy cat. Anyway, what are we doing? Sports? Okay,
let's start the NBA. The Pistons have found their new
head coach. It's former Calfs head coach JB. Bickers staff
a five year deal.

Speaker 10 (29:06):
According to ESPN, forward Obi Toppin intends to sign a
four year deal sixty million to stay with the Indiana
Indiana Piecers. Also ESPN reporting that one in the WNBA,
we do have a game going on right now. It's
the Dream and the Liberty, with the Liberty now on
top sixty seven to fifty nine, they were down seven
minutes to go.

Speaker 9 (29:27):
Still to come.

Speaker 10 (29:28):
Indiana Fever taking on the Mercury so Caitlin Clark, Diana Tarassi.
All of that starts at three pm Eastern time and
This is the largest age gap between two starting guards
nineteen years, two hundred and twenty five days.

Speaker 9 (29:43):
That is a gap.

Speaker 2 (29:45):
I am very interested in this match, but we're going
to get into this for h.

Speaker 10 (29:48):
So about twenty three minutes away from tip off on
that one also exciting round of sixteen at Euro twenty
twenty four, we were talking about the last couple of
hours that.

Speaker 9 (29:57):
England was down to Slovak. Not anymore.

Speaker 10 (30:01):
They have taken the lead, they tied the game like
at the ninety fifth minute, they went to extra time.

Speaker 9 (30:07):
It is official.

Speaker 10 (30:08):
England has beat Slovakia in the round of sixteen, two
to one. A comeback for England. Now let's move on
to Major League Baseball. All rise because Aaron Judge has
hit home run number thirty one of the season.

Speaker 9 (30:21):
It leads Major League Baseball.

Speaker 10 (30:23):
Yankees blanking the Blue Jays four zero, bottom of the third,
Rafael Devers with a two run shot. The Red Sox
are beating the Padres three zero bottom of the fourth.
The Marlins have just taken the lead over the Phillies
three to two top of the fourth, Astros blanking the
Mets three zero bottom of the fourth. Rays are blanking
the Nationals four zero, bottom of the fourth as well.
The Cubs are beating the Brewers one zero bottom of

(30:45):
the second, the Royals beating the Guardians one zero bottom
of the second as well, And the Rockies are on
the scoreboard. They're beating the White Sox two zero. They're
about to start the third inning. There was a very
early game. The Pirates already beat the Braves four to two,
so they avoid this sweep. And we also have the
Rocket Mortgage Classic. Now the leaders teed off not too

(31:05):
long ago. Aaron Rai is still in the lead now,
eighteen underd part overall.

Speaker 9 (31:10):
He is one under for the day through two holes.

Speaker 10 (31:13):
Aha, Batiya Batsiya Botsia, I think it's Batsia. He is
one shot back. All right, kit cat names, send them
to me. She's like a little tan little kitten and
the other one is KitKat. So we got to match it, right, Yeah, but.

Speaker 4 (31:28):
It has to be like like butterfingers. Okay, but it
has to be something cat like.

Speaker 9 (31:33):
For sure, for sure.

Speaker 10 (31:34):
So if you think of something, send it my way.

Speaker 1 (31:37):
Okay, we'll do.

Speaker 2 (31:38):
Niggers isn't a good name for a cat name.

Speaker 3 (31:42):
It is a good one as sickers.

Speaker 9 (31:45):
Yeah, no, that's cute. Okay, I'm gon a text her.

Speaker 3 (31:47):
Try that one.

Speaker 2 (31:48):
Hi, all right, Monchie, we'll check in with you a
little bit later on here on Fox Sports Sunday. Uh
I wanted to get that last question in with JP
about Otani because you know, Shoey Otani. Were he to
win National League MVP would join Frank Robinson as the
only two players in the history of Major League Baseball

(32:09):
to win MVP awards in both leagues. Frank Robinson's the
only one that's ever done that, and that was back
in the sixties. But I know where he's coming from.
This is a guy that does vote. He doesn't vote
specifically for MVP. It's sort of a rotation. One year
he does cy Young Manager of the Year, Rookie of
the Year.

Speaker 3 (32:26):
But if you're only a DH.

Speaker 2 (32:28):
And by the way, the way Otani he literally is
now hitting a home run every day since he went
to the leadoff role with Mookie out with that fractured
hand for the Dodgers. But I thought it was interesting
how he just said, yeah, but it's not like it
was Otani pitcher slash hitter.

Speaker 3 (32:48):
He's only a DH. I don't know. I mean, it's
I mean the number.

Speaker 2 (32:52):
By the way, he also leads the nation league in
war if you believe in that stat But I don't know,
what do you think you did to be the most
valuable player? Do you have to be more than a DH?

Speaker 1 (33:03):
Well, okay, look no.

Speaker 4 (33:07):
The answer, the short answer is no, and the reason
is because the most valuable player oftentimes isn't actually the
most valuable player. It's a popularity contest as much as
it is any sort of bar that a player needs
to meet or exceed, because there are plenty.

Speaker 1 (33:25):
I shouldn't say every year.

Speaker 4 (33:26):
Some years there are actually like there's one player who
soars above the rest it's impossible for anybody to deny,
and so they get named.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
Most valuable player.

Speaker 4 (33:39):
And this is true in any league. But I do
think that for the most part, there's a couple of
worthy candidates at least, and it becomes difficult and then
it becomes about a popularity contest. So I think, show, hey,
whether or not he deserves it or not, that's worthy
of debate, you know, depending on how people feel about

(34:02):
the DH and all that. But the reality of the
situation is he'll win the popularity contest because he's inarguably
one of the league's most popular players unless somebody really
soars past him. Here with the remaining four months of
the baseball season, I kind of feel like it's his
award to lose if he stays on this type of pace.

Speaker 3 (34:23):
I agree with you.

Speaker 2 (34:24):
I mean again, he's leading the league in just every
significant batting category, and normally anyone that does that on
a team that's sitting in first place is a sure
ticket to be an MVP.

Speaker 3 (34:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:37):
So, I you know, the idea of DHDH is very
much now, it's universal.

Speaker 3 (34:41):
It's not just one league versus the other.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
Obviously, the National League didn't have a DH until recently,
but there have been dhs in the American League that
have won MVP awards. I mean, I go back to
the seventies. There was a Don Baylor who later became
a very successful manager. It was a d H essentially
for the Angels when they won their first division title
in seventy nine. He was a runaway MVP. That was

(35:06):
way back in the day. So no, I don't penalize
a time. This guy is hitting like four hundred and
fifty foot bombs every day. I mean, it's un frickin'
real Meanwhile, in the American League, Aaron Judge is running
away with the award. I mean it's like, I mean,
here we are, you know, on the about to bring
in the month of July, and it looks like, in
my case, the MVP Awards have been decided. It's like

(35:28):
Aaron Judge and Shoe Otani are just absolutely separating themselves
from the rest of the field. All right, coming up
on the other side, I want to get back a
little bit to the Lakers situation from the standpoint of
what this all means for a.

Speaker 3 (35:41):
Young kid by the name of Brownie James.

Speaker 2 (35:45):
This is Fox Sports Sunday, Steve Hartman and Rich Hornberger,
Fox Sports Sunday.

Speaker 3 (35:58):
We're live from the Ti Iraq studios.

Speaker 2 (36:03):
From what I've observed, Rich Bronnie James seems to be
a young man that's got his head screwed on, right.
I give his parents credit for that. I think he
has a level of maturity. With all the spotlight that's
been on him since he's been a kid, considering who
his father is, I think he's handled it well. But

(36:23):
he's about to go on an entirely different level. There
are very few people out there that ever actually saw
him play at USC, and the reality of his time
at USC is not pretty at all. He shot thirty
six percent from the field, twenty six percent from the
three point line. He had more games where he had
zero points than double digits. Anyone with his collegiate resume

(36:48):
would not get a sniff of the NBA. Nobody with
that kind of season one season of college ball. But
because of his father, because of the circumstances, he's going
to get that opportunity. But the kind of spotlight he's
about to embark on is unlike anything he's experienced before
because if he struggles, and believe me, I am hoping

(37:12):
this works out.

Speaker 3 (37:13):
I'm rooting for Brownie James. I'm rooting for him.

Speaker 2 (37:16):
Forget his dad, I'm rooting for this kid because the
pressure will be immense.

Speaker 3 (37:21):
But if he falls short, if it's.

Speaker 2 (37:23):
Obvious that he is nowhere near ready to play at
this level, social media is going to savage him because
that's the nature of social media. And how he handles
that and how the Lake organization handles that, and how
his father handles that could have a telling sign for
his entire future. And his dream is to play in

(37:44):
the NBA. He's going to get an opportunity that again,
someone with his resume coming out of college would never
be given this opportunity based on that one year, he's
going to have that opportunity, And if he's overwhelmed by
the experience, if he's nowhere near ready two years ago
he was second team All league in high school, it

(38:05):
could devastate him in terms of his future to play
professional basketball. I worry about him. I'm rooting for him,
But how do you think this is going to play out?

Speaker 1 (38:15):
Well?

Speaker 4 (38:16):
I mean, look, Bronni James has just as good of
a shot as any journeyman in the NBA, except he
has one thing going for him that any other journeyman
doesn't have, and that's the fact that his dad is
Lebron James. So he's going to be given every opportunity
to have success. So I agree with you to a

(38:40):
certain extent if his measure of himself as a person
is revolved completely around basketball, and whether or not this
works out for him is going to make or break
how he feels about himself from the way he identifies himself.
Because look, it's true with many athletes, you truly die

(39:01):
to deaths. You die the first time when you finally
have to lay down the sword and never play your
sport again at a competitive level. And that's a really
difficult thing for people to do. And then obviously when
they put you in the ground for good is the
second time, and experiencing that is like experiencing the death

(39:21):
of an identity.

Speaker 1 (39:22):
So if Bronnie James is.

Speaker 4 (39:24):
The type of kid man who considers himself a basketball
player and that's the way he identifies himself and that's
all he ever wanted to be, and that's you know,
he's gonna have to come to grips at some point
with the fact that maybe he is in anymore, you know,
and maybe it was the fact that his dad was
who he was that got him entrance and opportunity and

(39:47):
things of that nature.

Speaker 1 (39:49):
But there's another side of that coin.

Speaker 4 (39:51):
What if this works, Like what if Bronnie James develops
under the tutelage of his father, the Lakers organization, the
good coaching that they're going to hire and put around him,
some of the role players who may help him out,
and he flourishes.

Speaker 1 (40:05):
I mean, at very least take the chance.

Speaker 4 (40:08):
And that's what bron or I should say, lebron James
senior is doing with his son.

Speaker 2 (40:13):
Yeah, I had no problem using a second round pick.
It's a throwaway pick, I mean, you know, I mean,
it doesn't mean anything. The fifty fifth pick in the
NBA draft is literally a who's who?

Speaker 3 (40:22):
Who's that? I mean, very few.

Speaker 2 (40:24):
Guys that are drafted fifty fifth ever have any NBA
career of note. So I didn't I didn't mind using
a pick on him. I just I hope you're right.
I hope he's going to have the right tutelage around him.
But it's going to be a tough grind for that
young man.

Speaker 1 (40:38):
All right.

Speaker 2 (40:39):
Coming up on the other side, let's get to some
NFL news. This is Fox Sports Sunday. Yeah, rolling along
here on another busy sports Sunday, Fox Sports Sunday. We're
broadcasting live from the tyrack dot com studios.

Speaker 3 (40:51):
Tyrack dot Com.

Speaker 2 (40:51):
We're gonna help get you there, and I'm Matt selection
fast Ree shipping free road as a protection over ten
thousand recommended installers, tyrack dot com, the way tire buying
should be. Well, we're about to tip off a w
NBA game. It's just amazing. Now much WNBA we talked
about as the Fever Kaitlyn Clark. They take on Phoenix

(41:13):
the Mercury, and this one is much anticipated, rich because
Diana Tarassi has made it clear she is not a
big fan of Caitlyn Clark. She made that known during
the NCA tournament when she and Sue Byrd did sort
of like a simulcast, you know, evaluation, and she said, no,

(41:33):
I would not take Caitlin Clark over several of the
other girls.

Speaker 3 (41:36):
That were coming out in the draft that year.

Speaker 2 (41:40):
And then she had sort of a snippy remark, very
quick remark when she was asked about the idea of
playing against her for the first time.

Speaker 3 (41:48):
It's like, yeah, that's good.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
You know, yesterday with Monseiy and I were talking about it,
Monsey brought up something that I can't for a specific
reason because the last time I checked still a guy
and I'm not a woman. But you know, Moncey made
it clear it's different when it's woman versus woman. They're
just different than men, and they hold things in and

(42:14):
there's certain levels of jealousy.

Speaker 3 (42:16):
I'm not saying this is what you know, MONSI said.

Speaker 2 (42:19):
And because I can't say that because I don't know,
I'm only being a guy. But I mean, it just
seems to me for someone like Diana Tarassi, who has
played twenty years in the WNBA, the all time leading
score in the history of this league, that she needs
to understand that. If Caitlin Clark raises the profile of

(42:44):
the WNBA, it raises the value of what Diana Tarassi
has accomplished in the WNBA.

Speaker 3 (42:52):
It becomes more nobody had really paid attention.

Speaker 2 (42:55):
Now all of a sudden, there are people like, Oh,
I want to get a little bit to know about
the WNBA. Maybe they'll get into the history books. Who
says Diana Tarassi, she's the all time leading scores. He
played in twenty years. That's a remarkable run. It raises
the profile of what she's accomplished in this league by
having this lightning bolt of a star Caitlyn Clark joined

(43:20):
this league. She's got to figure this out, She's got
to understand this well.

Speaker 4 (43:24):
I feel like the phrase that comes to mind is
cut off your nose to spite your face, And a
lot of the women in the WNBA, it feels like
they're doing this that they're taking in certain cases, you know,
Kennedy Carter Angel reeves low shots at Caitlin Clark, whether
it be on the court or off the court, and

(43:46):
they're making a spectacle of themselves around the spectacle of
this unbelievable college player turned pro. And then in the
case of Diana Tarassi, Look, she has her opinions. She's
entitled to him. If she doesn't think Caitlyn Clark has game,
that's her opinion. I can't argue with her. She knows

(44:08):
the WNBA better than I do, so on those grounds,
I refuse to get into any sort of war of
words or quarrel with somebody who is so educated and
so long veteran of the game of that league. So
that's not where That's not where my thoughts exist. My
thoughts exist exactly where where your thoughts exist, Steve, Which

(44:31):
is the promotion of this league, the public relations.

Speaker 1 (44:38):
Master class that is Caitlyn Clark.

Speaker 4 (44:41):
She has gotten all this attention and she hasn't had
one single negative moment in front of the camera, right,
I mean, it's unbelievable. And by the way, she's being
baited almost on a daily basis to have that poor moment.
And you know what, maybe the moment she does is
the moment that people start to lose, you know, interest

(45:03):
in the league because all of a sudden she lowers
herself to the bar, the low bar that many of
the other players who appear jealous of her in this
league have set where everybody starts going, ah, you know what,
I don't want to watch this, this is this is
just a soap opera. No, no, she's raised herself above
all of it. Now, the exact quote from Diana Tarassi,

(45:26):
it was short, it was terse, and she looked away
from the camera immediately. I mean, she showed total disdain
that the question was he's an asked of her. Yeah, so,
I mean I don't think I don't really read too
deeply into that, but I do read deeply into body language.
I do read deeply into the way Caitlin Clark, or
I should say, the reception of Caitlin Clark to this

(45:49):
league has come with, you know, almost animosity instead of
any sort of welcoming.

Speaker 1 (45:55):
Look. I get it.

Speaker 4 (45:57):
You know, somebody who maybe you feel like isn't one
of the best is getting treated like they are one
of the best, and that doesn't seem fair. But as
we know, sports aren't fair. You know, Look, I'm sure
she isn't the first first overall draft pick who is
treated really well by the league or by their team
because there's an investment made. I played with guys who

(46:18):
were drafted in the first round in the NFL, who
weren't good, who were not good football players, and everybody
in the building knew it.

Speaker 1 (46:26):
Everybody in the building knew it.

Speaker 4 (46:28):
They said, they looked at each other when oops, we
made a mistake here. And guess what. Those guys were
still given every single opportunity to have success. And why
it's because there was an investment made. Right now, the
WNBA has an investment in Caitlin Clark, so they're going
to see it through. And by the way, it's working

(46:50):
because their ratings have never been better, the tickets have
never sold more. So whether they like it, I'm talking
about the players in the league, whether they like it
or not. Whether it's a tough pill to swallow or not.
Guess what, Swallow the pill, and you're going to make
more money because ratings and interest in ticket sales generates
more revenue for the sport, something that has never happened

(47:12):
in the history of the league. And it's a twenty
plus year history of not making a single dollar so
take the good with the bad. The bad is yeah,
maybe you're gonna have to have a couple of you know,
sound clips about how Caitlin Clark is, you know, transforming
this game and she's bringing new interest to the league.

(47:33):
You don't have to say anything about whether you think
she's a good player or a bad player, but you
can at very least address the truth of the matter, which,
whether you like it or not, she has changed the sport.
There's more interest than ever before in this sport.

Speaker 2 (47:49):
Well right now, the Phoenix Mercury Diana Trossi's team Brittany Griner,
also on the Phoenix Mercury, lead the Indiana Fever by
a score of eight to nothing. Off and running there anyway.
Just it is an interesting scenario. And it's uh because
because I think back last year, you know when when

(48:09):
Wimby was coming into the league, right, I mean he
was the most hype rookie in a number of years
to enter into the NBA, and it seemed universal among
the NBA stars. Lebron's really good at this where he
will trumpet the entry of a new star, that's right,
I mean, he this is the best thing he could
happen for our league.

Speaker 10 (48:30):
Now.

Speaker 2 (48:30):
Of course he's also sitting on a billion dollars, you know,
so he's not worried about his own legacy. And I
ge get some of the jealousies maybe with the amount
of money that Caitlin Clark is making off court that
some of the other women of the w NBA. But
that being said, it just seems like in the NBA now,
it wasn't always that way in the NBA. Believe me,

(48:50):
when Kobe Bryant came into the league, his second year
in the league, he still wasn't even a full time
starter for the Lakers, and he was voted a star
for the All Star team, and he got frozen out
of that game by some of the established stars.

Speaker 3 (49:05):
He got frozen out, like they were not happy, like
this kid.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
This kid is barely he's not even a starter for Lakers,
and in his second year in the league, the fans
have voted.

Speaker 3 (49:15):
Him into the starting lineup for the All Star Game.

Speaker 2 (49:18):
There were some jealousies, but that seems Lebron has changed
the dynamic on a lot of that.

Speaker 3 (49:22):
He's always seen to be a big champion of the
influx of.

Speaker 2 (49:25):
International stars and new stars coming into the league and.

Speaker 3 (49:29):
That's what you want.

Speaker 2 (49:30):
I mean when you think of like the NFL, the
growth of the NFL over the last several decades to
the megas status that it has right now, that has
only raised the profile of the great stars of the past.

Speaker 4 (49:43):
Yeah, listen, be a good shepherd, right, And what does
that mean. It means that when you are leading a flock,
you are protecting it. You're making it look as I mean,
depending on what you're planning on doing with the flock
of sheep, you havelling it for meat or you know,
or taking care of it for a farmer who will

(50:04):
do with it. You take care of it right, You
grow it, you make it healthy, you make it safe.
That's what Lebron James is doing. He's being a good shepherd.
He's trying to keep as many people in the corral
as possible by championing his league and saying good things
about the players who are going to play.

Speaker 1 (50:20):
In the league.

Speaker 4 (50:21):
Because, by the way, that's the league that he's made
every single dollar bill as a professional in since he's eighteen,
nineteen years old out of high school in Ohio. Well,
guess what same for Diana Tarassi. You know, no offense
to Diana Tarassi. But every single dollar she's made as
a professional since she's left college has been related to basketball.

Speaker 1 (50:43):
All the access she.

Speaker 4 (50:45):
Has, the only reason why we even talk about her,
the fact that she's on television screens now.

Speaker 1 (50:50):
Who knows.

Speaker 4 (50:50):
Maybe her parents had more money, a little scratch that
she could share with her. Maybe she made some investments
in real estate and she has some side projects. Who knows.
But here's what I know is Diana Trossi the professional.
She has made her bones in the WNBA and being
a shepherd of the WNBA. Be a good shepherd, protect

(51:12):
the flock, because guess what that is where your money's at.

Speaker 1 (51:17):
I don't understand it.

Speaker 4 (51:18):
A lot of these these women in the WNBA, they're
looking at their number one money maker and they're doing
their hardest. They're doing their damnedest to try to diminish her.
Caitlin Clark is box office right now. Lean into it
this way, everybody benefits. I But look, jealousy is a
real thing. Envy all those that look those have been

(51:41):
written about in biblical time, so it's it's been around
as long as people have been around, you know, So
I guess that's the big part of this story. Here
is as this season WANs on, that jealousy, that envy
still hasn't faded, and it's a bad look.

Speaker 1 (51:57):
For the league.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
All Right, I'm going to get to the NFL on
the other side, Rich, and the future of the NFL
draft very popular these days.

Speaker 3 (52:06):
A million people show up to watch the draft.

Speaker 2 (52:09):
But could the future of their draft completely change as
we have known it?

Speaker 3 (52:13):
We'll explain why.

Speaker 2 (52:15):
This is Fox Sports Sunday, Steve Harbin and Rich Harberger
Here Fox Sports Sunday. We are live from the tire
rack dot Com studios. All Right, I wanted to get
into something with you, Rich that I've been thinking about.

Speaker 1 (52:29):
Ian.

Speaker 2 (52:30):
You know, we're a little downtime here, were several weeks
away from the started training camps. Actually, yesterday Adam Kaplan
joined us and told us that actually some camps will
open as soon as in a couple of weeks where
certain players will actually be coming into camp. So we're
getting close to the start of the season. We can't wait, obviously,
but there's something I wanted to address, and a lot

(52:50):
of it has to do with you know, Rich, Paul
made a statement allegedly telling other NBA.

Speaker 3 (52:57):
Teams do not.

Speaker 2 (53:00):
Raft Brownie James, because if you do, he will not
sign with you.

Speaker 3 (53:05):
He'll play elsewhere.

Speaker 8 (53:06):
Now.

Speaker 3 (53:06):
I don't know if any teams are seriously thinking about it.

Speaker 2 (53:08):
I doubt it, but I mean he was sort of
putting it out there, like he'll go to Australia for
a year, he will not sign with you.

Speaker 3 (53:15):
You're just literally wasting a pick.

Speaker 2 (53:18):
But you know, when we've been talking about the impact
of nil and all this money that collegiate stars athletes
are being paid these days, you look at the legality
of the NFL draft, and according to the Sherman Anti
Trust Act, the NFL draft is a complete violation of
the anti trust laws in this country. You know, prior

(53:39):
to twenty eleven, even though the draft was around, you
could negotiate your rookie contract, right you know, Matthew Stafford
and Sam Bradford got huge contracts, bigger than veteran contracts.
And that came to an end in twenty eleven when
the NFL, with the blessing by the way of the
Players Union, cabash to that. So the way the draft

(54:04):
is operated violates all the anti trust laws in this
country because you cannot negotiate the best deal for yourself.
You are told where to play, and you're told what
you're going to get paid, and there's no negotiation, correct, none.

Speaker 3 (54:21):
That is complete violation of our federal anti trust laws.

Speaker 2 (54:25):
But now we have players making millions of dollars in
nil coming out of college. They're not looking for that
first real payday entering the National Football League.

Speaker 3 (54:37):
I mean, everyone says, well, if you don't have the draft,
what happens?

Speaker 2 (54:41):
Okay, you could say this, You could say, all right,
well if you eliminated the draft, well then the rich
get richer and the poor get poor. I look at
it differently because a lot of times in this league,
the reason that some college stars fail in the NFL
is because they're drafted by lose organizations. Isn't it amazing

(55:02):
that you see the same organizations year after year after
year have draft bust. Well, is that the player or
is that the way that organization is being run. If
you had an open field, free agency for all collegiate stars,
in order to survive those organizations that are just sitting

(55:24):
on these zillions of dollars that are funneled into those
organizations without any effort on their part to win, would
be forced to have to upgrade immediately or be eliminated.
This has been just too cushy for the bad teams,
the bad run organizations. They get to operate out of
this draft. They don't have to pay any more money

(55:46):
out of their pockets. Billions of dollars are being funneled
into these organizations with any effort to make them better,
and it's doing a disservice to the players. Look, the
only group that can change this.

Speaker 3 (55:57):
Is the union. The Union is the one that allows
this to happen.

Speaker 2 (56:02):
Explain that to me Rich because they try to challenge
the union on the illegal nature of this draft, that
it prevents players from actually negotiating deals that are best
for them in a destination that is best for them.
I've seen too many guys lose their potential as NFL
players by being drafted, by losing organizations. When is the

(56:26):
union going to step up and make a change.

Speaker 1 (56:28):
Well, simply put, the union is.

Speaker 4 (56:32):
When we say the union, people think we're talking about
executives wearing suits. That's not what the union is. The
Union are the players. You know, the two thousand or
so players who are currently active or bouncing on and
off rosters in the NFL. That makes up the NFLPA
the Players Association. Now, don't get me wrong, there are

(56:53):
elected officials that help leave the union, the executive director,
the executive team. The player is the coalition of players
who are the next tier down the executive board of players.
But they are current active players who have lives and
jobs and you know, responsibilities on teams that they're playing for.

(57:15):
You know, to deal with the union business is something
that they elect to do voluntarily so so that they
can help move forward the mission, which is to make
more money, to help each and every player have you know,
better healthcare, or to potentially get a bigger slice of
the pie from the revenue that's generated from the NFL.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
Overall.

Speaker 4 (57:38):
It's it's difficult, though, with this union to get them
together and to make big changes because what it takes
usually for big changes like what you're just described, you know,
trying to change the way fundamentally teams fill their rosters
that would require labor action that would require the union

(58:02):
to come together and strike or walk out or sit
in or you know, create some sort of situation where
they build leverage for themselves because they refuse to work
until these demands are met.

Speaker 1 (58:14):
And when you have a young union.

Speaker 4 (58:15):
And that's the problem with the NFL in terms of
getting labor action organized. When you have a young union
where most of these players only last exist in the
league for two to three years, how do you convince
a guy who's getting his first taste at the big time.
How do you convince a guy who's getting his first
dollar bills in his pocket? Hey, you know what, instead

(58:37):
of collecting a paycheck, we're going to ask you to
sit out and potentially for an entire year where you're
not going to be paid at all, and you're going
to wait until we sort this out in the courts.
It's asking a lot, it's asking a lot, and a
lot of players aren't ready to make that sacrifice. In
twenty eleven, when the owners locked out, the players like

(58:58):
literally said, Hey, we are not going to agree to
your terms on the next collective bardaining agreement, So we're
gonna lock you out. We're not gonna let you play
football until we get this thing settled. Even then, there
were fans that were turning on the players because the
ownership spin was these greedy players, they just want so
much money. We're talking about billionaires. Billionaire owners were able

(59:21):
to convince the general public that the players were the problem.

Speaker 1 (59:24):
And in some cases it worked. So will it ever change?

Speaker 4 (59:29):
Maybe maybe it'll change, But I'm telling you it's gonna
be a big battleship to turn because Steve, there's there's
not a lot of players who are interested in in
labor action.

Speaker 2 (59:40):
You have to have an alternative that And you know, again,
what you're saying is if the unions step forward and
say we will not play, we will not step on
the field, none of us until the draft is eliminated.
Like you say, I mean, these are young men throwing
away millions of dollars and potential earnings for the future
of the sport. But I and when people say it

(01:00:04):
would be complete chaos, no, I don't believe that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:07):
It's not fair.

Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
Anybody else been drafted into their job out there, told
where to play.

Speaker 3 (01:00:13):
Told exactly how much money they're gonna make.

Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
See this changed in twenty eleven because, like I said,
the Matthew Staffords, the rich Ornbergers, the Sam Bradford's back
in the day have freedom to hold out. They're gonna
get more money. I don't know how much holding out
you did. It's a port throng thing.

Speaker 1 (01:00:28):
But I did zero holding out.

Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
Exactly when are you gonna pay me? I'll take But
I mean the fact was, at least then there was
some negotiating power for the player. That was eliminad In
twenty eleven, after the Sam Bradford deal, they said no
more owners got together and somehow they got the union
to agree.

Speaker 3 (01:00:49):
To that, and it changed the dynamic.

Speaker 2 (01:00:51):
Now you get drafted, you have no choice where you're drafted,
you have no choice how much money you're gonna get paid.

Speaker 3 (01:00:56):
Nothing.

Speaker 1 (01:00:57):
But that was that was supported by the players.

Speaker 3 (01:01:00):
Now supported by the union.

Speaker 2 (01:01:03):
By the way, it has been challenged several times to
no avail.

Speaker 4 (01:01:07):
The draft overall is something that's just been grandfathered in.
Players have never contested it with labor action. But there's
many players who obviously have contested it and spoken out
against it in terms of actual interest in you know,
labor action or trying to get something collectively bargained for.

(01:01:29):
There were a lot of high paid players in the
league who were interested in seeing rookies contracts scaled in
the draft the way it.

Speaker 1 (01:01:38):
Is done now so that you don't have.

Speaker 4 (01:01:41):
Like you just mentioned Matthew Stafford or a Bradford to
Sam Bradford getting these massive deals before they play football,
because guess what that means. There's less money in the
salary cap, which obviously all the owners have to spend
up to a certain percentage of the cap. For the
veterans who have been around the sport for a while,

(01:02:01):
you know, it's look, I understand it.

Speaker 1 (01:02:04):
I understand it. The union has to.

Speaker 4 (01:02:07):
Provide opportunity for the lowest player on the roster, the
fifty third player on the roster, and say the top
five most important players on the roster. And that's a
really difficult balance to strike, but you got to find
a way to do it. Not everybody is going to
be fulfilled or feel like they're being represented perfectly every
single step of the way.

Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
But if there's one thing I think.

Speaker 4 (01:02:29):
All players would agree upon is the fact that the
NFL Draft is unfair. That you should be able to
negotiate your own contract going in and Steve, I think
that time may be coming in the future because as
players are making more and more money at the college
level and at every level of play, whether you're in
you know, the fifth best offensive lineman at Ohio State

(01:02:50):
or you're the top receiver in the country, you're gonna
be able to make some dollar bills. So that means
that you're gonna have a stronger union because you're gonna
have richer players entering the league who potentially would be
able to hold out against NFL ownership longer if asked
to take labor action.

Speaker 1 (01:03:07):
This that could the fact.

Speaker 4 (01:03:09):
That players are being paid at the college level may
be a tipping point in the whole draft conversation. I
think it's gonna take some time, but it potentially could be,
you know, the last domino that needed a fall in
order for players to have more power in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
All right, I have another twist on this on the
other side, but first let's find out what is trending
right now. Monty Belanos on the open market, forget it
on the Oh.

Speaker 9 (01:03:35):
Yes, no, I'm not on the open market, not at all.

Speaker 3 (01:03:38):
No here I am. I know that. But I mean,
if you're out there, there's no limit.

Speaker 2 (01:03:45):
There is no limit competition for her services.

Speaker 3 (01:03:49):
On air through the roof.

Speaker 10 (01:03:51):
Stop it, stop it. I don't I don't need to
blush right now. We're on the radio, and thank you,
but thank.

Speaker 1 (01:03:58):
You, Phillis.

Speaker 9 (01:04:00):
Let's start with the WNBA.

Speaker 10 (01:04:01):
The big game everybody's watching between Kaitlyn Clark, the Fever,
Diana Tarassi and the Mercury. The Mercury came out high,
they were up by more than double digits, but the
Fever closed the gap to end the first quarter.

Speaker 9 (01:04:13):
Mercury is on top twenty six to twenty. They just
started the second quarter. Kaitlin Clark one a four from
the field. She's got two points, two rebounds, to assists,
three turnovers, which.

Speaker 10 (01:04:22):
Everybody always wants to know. Diana Tarassi two a four
from the field. She's got four points, one rebound, two
assists in one steal. Plenty of game to go.

Speaker 1 (01:04:31):
Now.

Speaker 10 (01:04:32):
Let's move on to the NBA, where earlier today was
reported that former Caps head coach JB. Bickerstaff will now
be the Detroit Pistons head coach.

Speaker 9 (01:04:39):
A new five year deal, according to ESPN.

Speaker 10 (01:04:42):
They also report that Obi Toppin Intensa sign a four year,
sixty million dollar deal to stay with the Indiana Pacers.
The round in sixteen at Euro twenty twenty four continues.

Speaker 9 (01:04:52):
England did defeat Slovakia two to one. It was a
comeback win.

Speaker 10 (01:04:55):
Right now. Georgia is up on Spain one nil after
thirty one minutes of play. You can catch all the
action on Fox.

Speaker 9 (01:05:02):
Let's move on to Major.

Speaker 10 (01:05:03):
League Baseball, where the best team, the Phillies best record.

Speaker 9 (01:05:07):
Are losing that home to the Marlins sixty three. Bottom
of the sixth inning.

Speaker 10 (01:05:10):
The Padres are on the scoreboard, but the Red Sox
are still on top four to one. Bottom of the seventh,
Yankees beating the Blue Jay seven to one. They're about
to start the sixth inning. Aaron Judge did hit his
thirty first homer of the season, which leads Major League Baseball.
The Astros and the Mets are tied at four piece.
Bottom of the seventh. Jose Altuve was just ejected.

Speaker 9 (01:05:30):
He thought he was hit by a pitch on his foot.

Speaker 10 (01:05:33):
They didn't call that it was a foul ball and
he didn't run, so they threw him out and he
got very upset because he said he was hit by
a pitch. After they called him out, he threw his helmet,
he threw his bat. He went up to the umpires
and was ejected. They showed the replay. I think he
was hit by the pitch, but it was it was

(01:05:53):
not very clear, like you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:05:55):
See he should have instead of throwing a fit. Oh,
we should immediately react to say, look at the replay.

Speaker 9 (01:06:01):
Look at the replay, Yes, just look at the replay.

Speaker 2 (01:06:04):
Yeah, and then he would have taken his base.

Speaker 1 (01:06:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:06:07):
Yeah, So he was not a happy camper. The Rays
are probably happy campers. They're beating the Nationals five zero,
bottom of the seventh. The Brewers did have a grand
slam from Bryce Terrain, and they're beating the Cubs seven
to one, and they're about to start the sixth inning.
Royals up on the Guardians three zero, bottom of the fifth,
Rockies on top of the White Sox two to one,
bottom of the seventh, and the Cardinals have scored first

(01:06:28):
against the Reds.

Speaker 9 (01:06:30):
It's one zero bottom of the fifth. They also have
the bases loaded, but.

Speaker 10 (01:06:32):
They're down to their final out at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
It's the final round and Cam Davis is now in
the lead at eighteen under par overall.

Speaker 9 (01:06:42):
He is two under through seven holes for the day.

Speaker 2 (01:06:45):
Back to you guys, all right, Montsi, thank you very much.
This is a Fox Sports Sunday.

Speaker 1 (01:06:50):
All right.

Speaker 3 (01:06:51):
Let me let me take this a different direction with you, Rich.

Speaker 1 (01:06:54):
Okay, so it's.

Speaker 2 (01:06:56):
Not unprecedented that someone that is going to be the
number one overall pick in the draft has made it
clear I will not go to this team.

Speaker 3 (01:07:03):
It happened with John Elway and.

Speaker 2 (01:07:04):
The Colts, it happened with Eli Manny and the Chargers.
One that people would not remember, but I'll give it
a little story. Tom Kuzeno was an All American college
Football Hall of Famer at Ohio State. He was the
number one pick in the nineteen seventy nine NFL Draft
by the Buffalo Bills.

Speaker 3 (01:07:22):
He didn't ever play for Buffalo.

Speaker 2 (01:07:24):
He signed a contract with the Montreal Alouettes of the
Canadian Football League.

Speaker 3 (01:07:28):
And why because they doubled the offer that the Bills
had offered him, got more money and that was it.

Speaker 2 (01:07:34):
So the number one pick in the NFL draft, number
one overall pick, did not play. He later played in
the NFL, but he said no to the Bills. He
ends up in the Canadian Football League. Now the bargaining
power is all this money you're making with the name,
image of likeness. I mean, let's go back to Caleb Williams.
By some reports, Caleb Williams in two years at USC

(01:07:56):
may have made upwards of ten million dollars correct, So
if Caleb Williams had decided then, no, I am not
going to go to the graveyard at quarterbacks, which is
the Chicago Bears. I'll set this out for a year
to sit it out because the Bears only hold his

(01:08:17):
draft rights until the next draft starts. I know I
was in the in the draft room with the Raiders
when they did that with Bo Jackson, who was the
number one overall pick in the eighty sixth draft, never
went to Tampa Bay, signed a major league baseball contract,
and then the eighty seven draft happened and he was
back on the board and the Raiders, you know, in

(01:08:38):
the seventh round, decided to take a flyer and.

Speaker 3 (01:08:41):
The rest was history.

Speaker 2 (01:08:43):
But with all this money that these guys are making
with name, image and likeness, the idea of one or
more players not signing with NFL teams sitting it out
for a year for an opportunity to maybe go to
another team, I think is a real possibility. And if
it does happen, or one guy does. See if one

(01:09:04):
guy does it, then others might follow suit saying why
I don't want to play for that team. Why there's
a reason why they got a high draft pick. They
suck as an organ I don't want to waste my
career with that organization. I'll just sit it out and
see if I can go to a different organization. I mean,
you're running a risk, I understand that, but it could
be something that could be employed now because of the

(01:09:27):
millions of dollars these elite stars are making at the
collegiate level with the NIL.

Speaker 4 (01:09:33):
Well, that's that's exactly the reason why I brought it
up in the first place, about how you change things
at the union level requires labor action. And the reason
why the NFL hasn't been able to make sweeping large
or should say the NFLPA, the union hasn't been able
to make sweeping large changes in terms of their their

(01:09:55):
leverage or their bargaining power with the NFL, is because
the player can't hold out very long. You know, you
have a bunch of players, fifteen hundred to two thousand
players who have mortgages to pay and kids who need
to go to school and lives that they need to live,
and they need to earn a salary. And so you're

(01:10:16):
either asking these people, these players to go find other
jobs in the meantime and wait until the union says hey,
all clear, we got the deal we were looking for.
And then at that point, potentially some of these guys
they've aged out, or potentially some of these guys they
don't have the opportunity waiting for them on the other
side of.

Speaker 1 (01:10:36):
A labor dispute.

Speaker 4 (01:10:38):
But if you have a situation where you have college
players and influential college players who potentially could band together
coming out of college because they know their next step
is going into the NFL, man, oh man, you have
a situation where not only are they influential, but they
have money. Listen, money doesn't buy you happiness, We've all

(01:11:03):
heard that old saying, but it does buy you options.
And so if you have a situation where the NFL
says you're gonna go play for Chicago and you say,
I don't want to play for Chicago, and they go, well,
too bad, because since nineteen seventy, since the merger, we've
had this draft, and you're drafted into the NFL and
you play where we tell you're gonna play, and guess what,

(01:11:24):
not only that, but we're gonna give you a slotted
amount of money. You're not gonna be able to negotiate
your own contract, and you may say we'll screw you
because I'm still making money as a social media influencer,
or I'm still making money off of endorsement opportunities that
are ongoing, because I've signed these contracts with these different companies,

(01:11:45):
with these brands, and it's only going to make me
more famous if I'm holding out against you with some
of these brands and some of these opportunities, So screw you.

Speaker 1 (01:11:54):
You know, I'm not signed in the contract.

Speaker 4 (01:11:57):
And if enough players do that, then something will have
to change, because as we know, for the past I
mean basically since nineteen seventy the college football ranks, the
rank and file in college football, the stars or just
the guys, they have been the ipso facto minor league

(01:12:17):
for the NFL. So that'll change, That'll change everything. So
I think NIL is the first domino to fall. I
think there's going to be a lot of potential labor
action in the future. I'm not going to say it's
going to be within the next five years. I'm not
even gonna say it's going to be within the next
ten years. But I think at a certain point, the

(01:12:39):
players at the college level, they're going to realize that
they're still not getting enough, and then eventually the players
at the NFL level are going to realize, well, if
we do the same thing at the NFL level that
we did at the college level, we're going to get
a better deal, and that that time's coming.

Speaker 2 (01:12:55):
Yeah, he gotta have bargaining power, and they really haven't
had it until this nil money came along.

Speaker 3 (01:13:00):
I always laughed. Still.

Speaker 2 (01:13:02):
I don't know if you saw that ESPN thing about
the Buffalo Bills dynasty and everything. They're losing dynasty, but
you know, going to four straight Super Bowls. So Jim Kelly,
the quarterback, of course, came out of the U. He
played at the University of Miami. He was drafted in
the first round by the Buffalo Bills in that famous
eighty three draft with l Way Marino on that group,
and he never signed with the Bills. Yeah, he went

(01:13:24):
to the new league, the USFL. And I remember this
interview he did about you know, why didn't you sign
with the NFL. He goes, I played college ball in Miami.
You honestly think I want to play in Buffalo.

Speaker 3 (01:13:37):
He's like laughing, you know.

Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
Unfortunately for him, well, fortunately for him, the USFL folded
and he became a Buffalo Bills legend and a member
of the Pro Football Hall of Fames.

Speaker 3 (01:13:46):
Ultimately worked out, but you got to have that kind
of bargaining.

Speaker 2 (01:13:49):
So I mentioned, like a Cuzano in seventy nine Canadian
the NFL wasn't paying that kind of money, and so
the Canadian Football League doubled the offer.

Speaker 3 (01:13:56):
He said, see you later, NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:13:58):
I'm going to follow the money and with the USFL
big stars, big stars that started that Reggie White, I mean,
you can go down the list, herschel Walker, all these
great players started their career in the USFL, Steve Young
because they were being offered way more money to go
to this rival league. Well, since then they haven't had
that bargaining tool. But now they got the nil and

(01:14:20):
they could put millions of dollars in the bank and
wait it out until they can go to a place
of their choice. On the other side, I want to
get to one specific NFL team and I want to
hear your explanation on why this team struggles to attain
their ultimate goal to win another Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (01:14:40):
I think you might know who it is. You'll find out.
This is Fox Sports Sunday.

Speaker 2 (01:14:44):
Steve Harvey, Rich Hornberger here Fox Sports Sunday Live from
the tire rack dot Com studios.

Speaker 3 (01:14:51):
All Right, I know a lot of people are anxious.
We're anxious.

Speaker 2 (01:14:53):
I mean, we talked about the draft everything else where,
Like everybody else cannot wait for another NFL season to
be but for one franchise, and I'm speaking of the
Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 3 (01:15:05):
It's like the same song being played.

Speaker 2 (01:15:07):
Over and over and over again. And is it ever
going to change? The Dallas Cowboys in each of the
last three years have had a record of twelve and five,
obviously one of the best records in the NFL, and
all three years have ended badly, none worse than this
past year getting blown out at home by Jordan Love

(01:15:29):
and the Green Bay Packers. I mean, it was beyond embarrassing.
And this offseason rich they got a lot of player
contracts they still have to deal with. Mike McCarthy is
a lame duck coach. He's not happy about that. It
just seems to be one thing after another for a
team that not only is not won a Super Bowl
in almost thirty years, they haven't been to a conference

(01:15:50):
championship game in almost thirty years. And it defies logic
because it seems like they've drafted well, they developed players,
They have a lot of talent, and yet they can't
seem to get to the top. Is there anything to
make you believe that the twenty twenty four season is
going to be any different for the Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 1 (01:16:13):
No, I think they're gonna be good.

Speaker 4 (01:16:15):
I think the Dallas Cowboys they've typically been good when
Dak's healthy because, like you mentioned, Jerry Jones, for all
the antics, he's a pretty good roster builder. He and
his son Steven, they've done a nice job keeping a
very decent at worst very good I would say, you know,

(01:16:38):
roster together, corps of players together over the course of
their time running the show there, especially over the past
half decade or so since Dak has really been a
star quarterback in the Dallas universe. I look at them
as being though a team that's going to have a
hard time getting over the hump unless they solidify things.

Speaker 1 (01:16:59):
I mean, is Dak the guy long term?

Speaker 4 (01:17:02):
That question is yet to be answered because he still
has a contract.

Speaker 1 (01:17:05):
Situation that needs to be sorted out.

Speaker 4 (01:17:08):
Mike McCarthy, is he going to be a coach beyond
this next season?

Speaker 1 (01:17:12):
Like you mentioned, lame duck year.

Speaker 4 (01:17:14):
That's a problem because when you have a coach who
thinks he has one foot on a banana peel and
the other foot out the door, I mean, it's not
a good situation in terms of setting the tone for
the franchise. So I don't know if Jerry's plan is
to sort of set this year on fire and then
bring in a new head coach and a new quarterback

(01:17:38):
and try to keep as many of the core players
intact through that transition, or if they're somehow behind the
scenes working on a long term extension that makes sense
for both sides for Dak and then looking forward to
potentially hiring a new head coach tasher in a new
generation like a Ben Johnson from Detroit, or or you know,

(01:18:01):
try to have a similar situation like the Minnesota Vikings. Look,
the Minnesota Vikings weren't bad with Mike Zimmer, but they
weren't getting over the hump, so they brought in a young,
offensive minded head coaching, Kevin O'Connell, and now since then
they've made a switch at quarterback. But I go back
to the Dallas Cowboys to suggest the same things they're
not bad with with their current head coach, But are

(01:18:22):
they going to look to potentially improve their lot at
head coach because the message has gone stale with McCarthy.
I'm very curious about this team. I'm very curious what
the plans are. Not enough of the cards have been
revealed to us to know exactly what Jerry's doing behind
the scenes.

Speaker 2 (01:18:40):
Well, bad news for the Cowboys is they will not
win the NFC East title this year. I say that
because no team is repeated as NFC East champions in
twenty years. Twenty years, it's crazy. Eagles won four in
a row from zero one to zero four. Since then,
no team has won back to back NFC championships, and

(01:19:01):
of course the Cowboys were NFC East champs this past season.
I don't know, I mean, it just seems like, I mean,
something's working against this team. There really is no explaining
what happened in that game against Green Bay. They came
in with all this momentum. Green Bay's essentially got a
rookie starting quarterback in Jordan Love on the road. This

(01:19:23):
was a Cowboys team that last year was first in
the NFL in scoring offense. It should have been a win,
fifth in the league in scoring defense, first and fifth
in scoring offense and defense and lay a egg.

Speaker 3 (01:19:39):
Like that at home. It was just stunning.

Speaker 2 (01:19:44):
I mean I can't remember being more baffled and just
completely thrown off.

Speaker 1 (01:19:49):
Who's the head coach of the quarterback?

Speaker 2 (01:19:53):
Well, I think it goes hand in hand. I mean, look,
I'm not a huge Mike McCarthy fan. I'm just not
with all the talent he had in Green Bay with
Aaron Rodgers and the talent he has in Dallas, what
does he have to show for one super Bowl that
was how long ago? Fourteen years ago? He should have
done better with the talent that he's had, especially at

(01:20:13):
the quarterback position. As far as Dak Press got two
and five in playoff games two and five.

Speaker 3 (01:20:20):
I'm sorry, that's that's a loser in the postseason. So
we'll see.

Speaker 2 (01:20:25):
But I at some point, I think like the football
gods are gonna say, finally, all right, finally, you know
we're gonna give it to you, because it could be
that random in the NFL. All right, coming up on
the other so we got a lot more sports news,
and yeah, we have a significant holiday this week. This
is Fox Sports Sunday, and join another big Sunday here
in the sports world. This is Fox Sports Sunday, and

(01:20:46):
we are broadcasting live from the ti iraq dot Com
studios tyrad dot com.

Speaker 3 (01:20:51):
We're gonna have to get you there and.

Speaker 2 (01:20:52):
Unmatched selection, fast reshipping, free road as a protection over
ten thousand recommended installers ti iraq dot com the way
tire buy and should be well. Between now and.

Speaker 3 (01:21:04):
Next Sunday, when Rich and I join you.

Speaker 2 (01:21:07):
Again, we will have celebrated another fourth of July. And
the fourth of July is obviously significant, by the way,
if you don't know the exact content of what happened
on the fourth of July in seventeen seventy six, fifty
six delegates of the Second Continental Congress convened at the

(01:21:29):
Pennsylvania State House, we know it is Independence Hall, and
they signed this document that declared that the thirteen Colonies
had now separated themselves from British colonial rule.

Speaker 3 (01:21:44):
That was the day.

Speaker 2 (01:21:46):
It was largely written by Thomas Jefferson over about it
eighteen day span just prior to that, and so that
was the day that we declared independence, July fourth, seventeen
seventy six. It's significant for me Rich obviously, because it's
almost my birthday.

Speaker 1 (01:22:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:22:04):
I mean when you're born on the fourth of July
in this country, I don't know, it just it sort
of takes on a next level.

Speaker 3 (01:22:13):
Maybe.

Speaker 2 (01:22:13):
I mean, most people of the three hundred and forty
million people that live in this country are patriotic, most
people are proud to be Americans. For me personally, being
born on the fourth of July, the fourth of July
holiday just sort of goes next level, less about my birthday,
more about our country's birthday. And I'm always reminded about

(01:22:37):
the connection of a celebration of America with sports. You know,
when we are in our direst moments, it just seems
the sports world will step it up. You know, in
our lifetimes we certainly remember, well, I remember you were
just a small boy Whitney Houston singing of the national

(01:22:59):
anthem at Super Bowl twenty five in the midst of
the Gulf War, and those fans in Tampa waving American flags.
I mean I still can watch that and get chills,
like there's no like no tomorrow. It's to me, the
greatest rendition ever of the national anthem. And she's saying
it at the height of the Gulf War, and it
was just an incredible bonding of Americans. And then who

(01:23:22):
can certainly forget President Bush stepping to the top of
the mound Game three of the World Series at Yankee
Stadium after the nine to eleven attacks, firing a perfect
strike right down the middle. Yep, I mean, just who
I get goosebumps talking about it right now.

Speaker 3 (01:23:37):
And these are those sports moments where we are brought together.

Speaker 2 (01:23:41):
Sports is so different because you know, we were talking
about this yesterday.

Speaker 3 (01:23:45):
I can't talk about it enough.

Speaker 2 (01:23:47):
You know, you go to a sporting event, you're rooting
for your team against the other team, and you really
get involved, like you have exciting game, the crowd's going crazy,
and you're you're sitting next to somebody you would never
never cross pass with you your entire life, and all
of a sudden, you have this bonding moment. Sports does that.
And look, we're a house divided right now. This is

(01:24:08):
no secret. I mean, this is a very divided country
right now, and I don't know what sports can do
about it. But this is sort of why I get
lost in the sports world, to get away from all
that people, you know, because I you know, many times
I've been doing television work for a number of years,
and you know, several times I was approaching you know,
would you like to get to the news side, go

(01:24:29):
hell no, no, no, no.

Speaker 3 (01:24:32):
I like I like my little space in the sports
world because I don't have to deal with.

Speaker 2 (01:24:36):
A lot of that other stuff. It's not that I
ignore it. I'm aware of it. It's just that I
don't have to make that my constant in my life
to have to deal with all that stuff. But as
we celebrate this Fourth of July holiday, by the way,
Luke Gerrig and his incredible speech was given on the
fourth of July and Yankee Stadium, I mean, there's just
so many things connected to sports with this holiday. But

(01:25:00):
for me personally, obviously, maybe it means a little more.
I understand the Fourth of July means different things to
different people. I just can only tell you what it
means to me and the connection to the sports world.
It's a big part of my life and how it's
come to this point.

Speaker 4 (01:25:18):
Yeah, yeah, I think that's I think that's a really
well stated fact that, you know, even though we are
divided on so many things in this country, we do
come together for sports. And I think that there are
certain moments over the course of our lifetime where you
realize the importance of sports more so than just you know,

(01:25:42):
something to talk to your dad about, or something to
talk to co workers about, or something to obsess over
when you're stressed out about other things going on in
your life. This way, it's sort of you can use
sports as an escape. It also unifies us in a way,
you know, So I agree with everything he just said.
I would add to it. You know, we live in

(01:26:04):
a pretty special place. We have a lot of freedoms
that if you were born elsewhere, you don't get to enjoy.

Speaker 1 (01:26:10):
And so I don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:26:12):
On Veterans Day, Memorial Day, fourth of July, those are
days where I definitely, you know, take a moment and
I take a deep breath, and I realize how lucky
I am to be protected by the great members of
our military, and we get to enjoy those freedoms because
it takes a lot of bravery to create a country
and emancipate yourself, and we're so far removed from that

(01:26:33):
that it's tough, you know, over the grilling and the
barbecuing and the beer drinking and the fireworks to remember
that once upon a time we were a part of
a different country, and that's the reason why we celebrate
our independence. So yeah, it's a it was well stated, Steve,
and I feel very similarly.

Speaker 1 (01:26:54):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:26:54):
I do have to ask you, though, how are you
going to be celebrating my birthday on Thursday?

Speaker 3 (01:26:58):
What are the plans for the Orenburger On the fourth
of July?

Speaker 4 (01:27:01):
Like everybody else in the country, we're going to set
off fireworks in your honor. You know. I think it's
a really nice touch that they do it in New York.
I think it's you know, I mean, it spreads all
across the country. I mean, it doesn't matter you're born
in Los Angeles, but even on the East Coast.

Speaker 1 (01:27:17):
I mean, it's just you know, fourth of July.

Speaker 4 (01:27:20):
As soon as nightfall hits around nine o'clock and every
time zone, it's just everybody celebrating your birthday.

Speaker 1 (01:27:26):
So we'll be doing the same.

Speaker 4 (01:27:27):
The tradition continues where we'll be setting off fireworks and
watching a display in your honor.

Speaker 3 (01:27:33):
Yeah, it's cool holiday.

Speaker 2 (01:27:35):
I mean, the best part about having the birthday on
the fourth of July, it's like, once you know that's
my birthday, people remember, I feel embarrassed, Like on social
media platforms that I really don't do a lot of
participation on. Then I get this flood of Hey, happy birthday,
you know, because they remember, like, oh, that's right, that
fourth of July. Guy Furst, my former boss, Al Davis,

(01:27:56):
was also a fourth of July. Bib oh, I didn't
know that, as with George Steinbrenner. Another fourth of July.

Speaker 3 (01:28:02):
Baby, So you know it's.

Speaker 2 (01:28:04):
An easy day to remember. Well, your day's easy as well,
mister Valentine's Day.

Speaker 1 (01:28:08):
Yeah, that's true, that's very true.

Speaker 4 (01:28:09):
Yes, I will say this, no baseball to watch on
Valentine's shah.

Speaker 2 (01:28:14):
No, you know, what's an amazing story to me. So
I was thinking about it. So I was born on
the fourth of July in nineteen fifty eight, the year
that the Dodgers first played in Los Angeles, right, and
you know fourth of July it is a huge baseball day.

Speaker 3 (01:28:27):
So I wanted to find out.

Speaker 2 (01:28:28):
I looked it up on Baseball Reference, like, how did
the Dodgers do on my birthday?

Speaker 3 (01:28:34):
And it was a Friday night, okay, and they didn't
have a game.

Speaker 2 (01:28:39):
I'm like, how is it possible on a Friday night,
fourth of July, middle of the summer, the Dodgers did
not have a game, so I had to look it up.
As it turned out, when the Dodgers left Brooklyn to
come to Los Angeles, they played at the LA Coliseum
for four years before they opened Dodgers Stadium inteen sixty two. Well,

(01:29:02):
the Colisseum had an annual fireworks event on the fourth
of July. No, and because they couldn't make the change
because the Dodgers had just moved to town, they had
honor that fourth of July celebration.

Speaker 3 (01:29:19):
No, my day that I was born.

Speaker 2 (01:29:22):
First year the Dodgers in LA, they did not play
despite it being a Friday night at the Coliseum because
they actually had a pre scheduled fireworks show.

Speaker 4 (01:29:33):
Well, that is a happy birthday, by the way, early
happy birthday.

Speaker 1 (01:29:38):
I'll be texting you on your birthday. Give me a call.

Speaker 4 (01:29:40):
But yeah, what's interesting about the fourth of July for
me is I always have baseball in the background of
the day, and for whatever reason, Memorial Day and which
unofficial kickoff of the summer, but also Fourth of July,
I always tie it to baseball, sure, and I.

Speaker 1 (01:29:58):
Always hope for a dugout clearing brawl.

Speaker 4 (01:30:02):
I don't know why but for whatever reason, like you know,
because there's always like you know, barbecuing and grilly and
somebody always has the the TV on. And I love
that point in the party where all of a sudden, somebody.

Speaker 1 (01:30:15):
Goes, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Look what's going on?

Speaker 4 (01:30:17):
And then everybody just stops and looks at the screen
and they're trying to sort it out and who started?

Speaker 1 (01:30:23):
Was it the hitter and the catcher? Was it pitch
er battery?

Speaker 2 (01:30:26):
You know?

Speaker 1 (01:30:27):
You know, the the umpire was it a bed strike call?
You know.

Speaker 4 (01:30:30):
I love that moment where the party stops because we
got to figure out what happened between the Phillies and
the Mets, you know what I mean. Like it's just
I love I love that aspect of sports. Also, all
of a sudden, in the middle of conversation and partying,
everybody has to shush so we can get to the
bottom of you know this, uh, this Boston Red Sox

(01:30:53):
New York Yankees brawl that just occurred.

Speaker 2 (01:30:56):
So it used to be a baseball tradition big time
back when it was just two leagues before division play
started in nineteen sixty nine, that whatever team was in
first place on the fourth of July was going to
end the season in first place. Now this didn't always happen, obviously,
but it was sort of like this ongoing tradition that

(01:31:16):
if you were in first place on the fourth of July,
that was going to be where you ended up. So
right now, looking at the Major League Baseball standings, we
got the Oriols and Yankee separated by games, so still
to be decided. There Guardians clearly in first place. They
will be in first place on the fourth of July.
So well, the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Mariners in first place

(01:31:38):
in that Ale West. He got the Phillies in a runaway,
he got the Brewers in a runaway, and the Dodgers.

Speaker 3 (01:31:43):
In a runaway.

Speaker 2 (01:31:44):
So good news for those teams based on the mythology
of being in first place on the fourth of July.

Speaker 1 (01:31:50):
By the way, the.

Speaker 2 (01:31:51):
Padres, although they lost today, I guess they just lost.
Things are pretty I like what John Paul Morosi said
a little bit earlier, saying, expect, you know, aj Preller
to start getting heated up month of July, month before
the trade deadline.

Speaker 3 (01:32:06):
What's the bets down there? I mean, what's going on
in Sandy with the pod race.

Speaker 4 (01:32:09):
Well, so anybody who's been paying attention to the now
you know they are low in the wildcard race.

Speaker 1 (01:32:16):
If we're even gonna start talking about the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (01:32:18):
Yeah, well right now they're the number two wildcard team
with the Braves, so they would be in the playoffs today.

Speaker 4 (01:32:22):
So yeah, season ends, they're in. It's been an up
and down, wobbly season. For every good thing they've done,
they've had equally yet opposite bad and they've dealt with
a lot of injuries. But I will say this, the
addition of Luisa rise Yes early in the season, I

(01:32:43):
think that's for a different play, but he's been tremendous
as a contact hitter for them, getting on base and
doing the things that he did prior to his trade,
he's doing it after. And then you know, look Aj Preller,
he understands that his job's on the line. So if
you're a general manager, it doesn't matter if you're in
the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA and you realize that

(01:33:04):
you are walking the plank as the season's going on,
you have to make a deep run in the postseason
for you to be considered. You know, the general manager,
president of baseball operations moving forward. So I think he's
going to try to take a risk at the deadline.
He's probably gonna trade away some assets, leverage more of
the Padres future to go all in on the season

(01:33:27):
if they allow him to, because that's the other part
of it.

Speaker 1 (01:33:30):
If you are a lame duck, and he's not.

Speaker 4 (01:33:33):
He's not on the final year of his contract, but
it certainly feels like if something magical doesn't happen, he
may be on his way out. But if you are
in that situation, you got to make something happen. The
franchise has to trust your decision making and green light
whatever assets you're willing to put forth to improve your
lot or your luck this season. And so we'll see

(01:33:55):
what happens at the deadline. But the month of July
is interesting for all teams because there's always a lot
of player movement in baseball. Bad teams looking to sell,
good teams looking to buy.

Speaker 2 (01:34:06):
On the other side, I want to talk about star
power in sports in general and how it can rise.

Speaker 3 (01:34:11):
And we've been talking about Caitlin.

Speaker 2 (01:34:13):
Clark and you know, all the attention that she has
brought to the WNBA, and obviously all the people that
have followed her basketball exploits. I want to take the
flip side though, on somebody else who used to be
that person and is no longer And the question is
why tell you who that is? This is Fox Sports Sunday,

(01:34:33):
Steve Harvin, Rich Horbery. Here Fock Sports Sunday. We are
live from the tire rack dot Com studios.

Speaker 3 (01:34:42):
So it's uh and.

Speaker 2 (01:34:44):
We talk about Major League Baseball these days. We were
talking earlier with John Paul Morosi. Right now in the moment,
the two biggest stars are sho hey Otani and Aaron Judge.

Speaker 3 (01:34:56):
Am I right on that? I think?

Speaker 2 (01:34:58):
I think right now I would argue right in the
moment and certainly sho Heyo Tani is what we term
and in this case rightfully saw a generational talent like
we've never seen anything like sho hey Otani. And now
that he's not pitching this year and he's taken that
DH level to the next level. So, but it was

(01:35:19):
a little over two years ago, not five years ago,
not ten years ago. At the start of the twenty
twenty two season, if you were to watch the MLB Network,
if you were to watch any baseball outlet, every highlight
was of one player, Fernando Tatis Junior. He was the

(01:35:40):
fates of baseball. He was the future of baseball. My partner,
Rich Ornberger insisted that the San Diego Padres lock him
up as soon as possible, give him a huge contract,
and they did a fourteen year.

Speaker 1 (01:36:00):
Deal.

Speaker 3 (01:36:03):
And then disaster struck, first in terms.

Speaker 2 (01:36:06):
Of an injury, and then when he was about to return,
busted suspended for ped use. Now last year he returned
new position, no longer short stop, through in right field.

Speaker 3 (01:36:20):
He won a Gold Glove. Offensive numbers, though.

Speaker 2 (01:36:24):
Weren't at the level they had been, and now he
seems to have settled into what we call a better
than average player.

Speaker 3 (01:36:33):
But you don't see him being spotlighted anywhere these days.
You're in the midst of all this. In fact, I
feel you're responsible for this.

Speaker 2 (01:36:43):
No, I don't don't, But I mean the fact is,
I'm just curious because someone that was I mean, I'm
not exaggerating. He was the future, he was the face
of baseball. This was the guy, Fernando Tatis Junior. And
now he's just another guy. How is that playing in

(01:37:03):
San Diego? How does that play for you? Because you
you've had a front row seat for this entire thing.

Speaker 4 (01:37:11):
Well, to put it very simply, it's a huge disappointment
when a player of that caliber has a scandal of
that level. I remember when the news broke, I was
actually on a trip and I was taking the day
off from radio in San Diego, and I was I

(01:37:33):
was then kind of foisted into action. You know, I
had a bunch of interview requests because I covered the
padres on a daily basis. You know, people wanted to
talk to me get my thoughts about Fernando Tatis Junior
and all the things, all the facts that had come
out at that point that he was unaware of, you know,
the contents of a certain you know, anabolic agent in

(01:37:58):
a cream or salve that he was using to cure
his ringworm. And everything changed on the baseball landscape because
truly from an endorsement standpoint, with a variety of different companies,
not even sports really, I mean car.

Speaker 1 (01:38:13):
Companies and watch companies and you.

Speaker 4 (01:38:16):
Know, and then all the other typical sports endorsers like Gatorade.
I mean, he was going he was becoming the face
of Major League baseball and it all changed in an instant,
And things like that can alter your legacy forever. So
the fallout from that is he's still beloved in San Diego.
I think a lot of people were heartbroken over the scandal,

(01:38:39):
but he's still one of their more productive players, and
as a result, he's still he's still considered to be
valuable to the franchise and valuable to the fan base.

Speaker 1 (01:38:49):
The problem is, though, regardless of.

Speaker 4 (01:38:52):
How great his star shines over the course of his career,
regardless of how much a fan loves or adores his
efforts on a baseball field, he most likely, unless something
major changes, will never be a Hall of Famer. He
will always have this hanging over his career, for the

(01:39:15):
positive and the negative. If he falls into a slump
at any point in the near term, people are going
to say, yeah, well, he's a different player without the
performance enhancing drugs.

Speaker 1 (01:39:26):
And if he has success, people are.

Speaker 4 (01:39:28):
Always going to speculate that he's back on performance enhancing
drugs or they're going to side eye his success with
some level of suspicion.

Speaker 1 (01:39:39):
So it's an unfortunate reality.

Speaker 4 (01:39:41):
Look, there are a lot of choices that you make
as a professional athlete, and I remember being an NFL
player and having opportunities to, you know, to do things
that I was uncomfortable with.

Speaker 1 (01:39:56):
And I had.

Speaker 4 (01:39:57):
People and players tell me that if you do this
or you do that, it's going to make you better.
And it's a very alluring proposition when you're young and
you're making good money. But if you play better, or
if you stay healthier for longer, you'll make a lot more.
So I understand the stress and the pressure, and I
understand the reasoning behind that decision. I think he made

(01:40:20):
the wrong decision.

Speaker 1 (01:40:21):
Ultimately.

Speaker 2 (01:40:22):
Well, here here's the good news for Fernando Tatis Junior.
Regardless of what happens in his future in Major League Baseball,
for the next ten years. After the season, he is
guaranteed three hundred and thirteen million dollars three hundred and
thirteen million dollars guaranteed.

Speaker 3 (01:40:41):
Correct for the next ten years. So let mek you
a question.

Speaker 1 (01:40:47):
Let me ask you a question. Over the next ten years, say.

Speaker 4 (01:40:51):
He stays on pace and he has superstar level numbers,
right right, Do you think it's possible at the conclusion
of it career, if he has one of those superlative
careers where it's undeniable, yeah, that.

Speaker 1 (01:41:05):
He's a Hall of Famer. Do you think it's possible
that he will be in Cooper's twe well.

Speaker 2 (01:41:10):
Rich, The fact is you and I had this conversation
with John Paul Morosi when the suspension was handed down,
and we asked him that I said, let me let
let's let's chalk this up to a youthful mistake.

Speaker 3 (01:41:25):
Right. He was what at twenty two at the time
when this whole thing went down. I believe so. So
he made a mistake.

Speaker 2 (01:41:33):
And if he goes on to have three thousand plus
hits and five hundred home runs and checks every box
on what would be perceived as a Hall of Fame career,
he's out like he has no chance.

Speaker 3 (01:41:45):
Of making the Hall of Fame. And John Paul Morosi
was very straight.

Speaker 2 (01:41:50):
No, no, and he draws, I mean, when you look
at a Rod's numbers, right, I mean, come on.

Speaker 3 (01:41:58):
We'll talk about we're talking about what are.

Speaker 2 (01:42:00):
The the hand top ten resumes in the history of
Major League Baseball.

Speaker 3 (01:42:06):
No chance because he tested positive.

Speaker 2 (01:42:09):
Manny Ramirez, hall of Fame gone. I mean it just
I look at obviously I take a completely different tact
on this. By the way, every other sport does as well.
We have Antonio Gates didn't make the Hall of Fame
on the first ballot, why he tested positive for pd US.

Speaker 1 (01:42:34):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:42:34):
We actually had Shannon Sharp call our radio station because.

Speaker 2 (01:42:39):
Of his jealousy of Antonio Gates, saying that he should
never be considered for the Hall of Fame because he
got busted for PDS. Guess what next year, Antonio Gates
will be in the Hall of Fame. I can guarantee
you he didn't get in first ballot, he will definitely
be second ballot. Other sports don't hold these athletes account them.
Only baseball, Oh, just base holier than that. No, you

(01:43:02):
you've you've basically compromise the integrity of the sport. And
I'm like, you mean the integrity of sport the Bannon
entire race of people for sixty years. Yeah, that's where
you're that. You're talking about the integrity of that sport. Yeah,
it's such give me this hi road about pedus and
everything else.

Speaker 3 (01:43:20):
It drives me freaking nuts.

Speaker 1 (01:43:23):
It's such a lame excuse.

Speaker 4 (01:43:25):
And don't get me wrong, like JP Morosi, he's a
friend of ours, he's a friend of this show, and
he appears on this station often. I would never say
that JP Morosi is misguided in his own thought process,
because I believe he's one of the smartest voices on

(01:43:45):
baseball that I've ever spoken to, and I frankly that's
ever covered this sport.

Speaker 1 (01:43:49):
I think he's that good.

Speaker 4 (01:43:51):
However, I will say this, I think that oftentimes we
hold athletes to a standard that is improper, right, I
think that. I think that when you look at every
single president of the United States, when you look at everything,
every single successful business leader, when you look at every

(01:44:12):
single person, I mean hard stop, every single person is
flawed and every single person has done wrong. And if
you're telling me that over the arc of an entire career,
if there was one blemish, and specifically a blemish earlier
in the career, like Fernando Tatist Junior, like you mentioned,

(01:44:34):
in his early twenties, making a mistake that could have
long standing effects on how people view his career, you're
telling me that there is no reconciliation. There is no
ability for him to make good on this promise of
being a clean, excellent baseball player and being included in

(01:44:55):
the Hall of Fame at some point. Should he have
the numbers in the stats and the career in the
success and blah blah blah, you're telling me like, I
just feel like that's a purity test that no person
should have to undergo to be included in the conversation.
And I've expressed those thoughts to JP. Morosi feels very

(01:45:16):
differently about the situation, And I just think that that's
the reason why I don't really put much value into
halls of fame, whether it's Canton for the Pro Football
Hall Fame, or Springfield, Massachusetts for the Pro Basketball Hall
of Fame, or the Basketball Hall of Fame, or or
Cooperstown for the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame.

Speaker 1 (01:45:35):
I think they're all ridiculous.

Speaker 4 (01:45:36):
I think they're deserving of ridicule because all of them
are subjective.

Speaker 1 (01:45:41):
They don't include all of the.

Speaker 4 (01:45:42):
Best players, so how could we possibly consider them.

Speaker 3 (01:45:47):
Valid well or not?

Speaker 2 (01:45:48):
In the other case, they're the best, are that you
could say there are too many players, like in other words,
you know, Dion Sanders made there should be different levels
of hall of fame, And to some.

Speaker 3 (01:45:58):
Degree I agree.

Speaker 2 (01:45:59):
I I wouldn't put as many people in these halls
of famous as they do. But for baseball, I mean
no Bonds, no Clemmons, no a Rod, no McGuire, No Sosa,
no Palmero, A five hundred three thousand guy. I mean
go down the list, not to mention Pete Rose and
I just no, no, there's no credibilities at Hall of Fame.

Speaker 3 (01:46:22):
None. And I'm the opposite of you.

Speaker 2 (01:46:25):
I'm way over obsessed with these Halls of Fame, and
baseball to me is the absolute worst because of their
omission of the greatest of all time.

Speaker 3 (01:46:34):
All right, that's fine. I was trending right now.

Speaker 2 (01:46:37):
Moncey came in just jumping out of her skin today.
She's like, did you have a big Saturday night?

Speaker 1 (01:46:44):
And everything?

Speaker 10 (01:46:45):
Not a big one, you know, just swing out with
a friend, I drink or more whatever whatever.

Speaker 3 (01:46:52):
I was here it I just love that. I love
that about our Moncey.

Speaker 2 (01:46:57):
She's she's just uh now, I'm not gonna say burns
the candle as well.

Speaker 9 (01:47:03):
You know, I want to grow up one day.

Speaker 3 (01:47:05):
Yeah, no, No, don't want to do that.

Speaker 1 (01:47:08):
Miserable.

Speaker 3 (01:47:09):
Do I look like I ever grew up?

Speaker 1 (01:47:11):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:47:11):
No, do you know that?

Speaker 1 (01:47:12):
Yeah? But you know what, I look at him, he's
look how good he's doing.

Speaker 9 (01:47:16):
I know, I know he's doing.

Speaker 3 (01:47:20):
Just that's a matter of opinion, believe am I in
my world? I'm doing great?

Speaker 1 (01:47:25):
Yeah? Oh yeah, No, I honestly do think you're doing well.

Speaker 9 (01:47:27):
Yes you are. You're living your best life.

Speaker 1 (01:47:30):
You really are.

Speaker 3 (01:47:31):
No one else would want to love it, but good
for me.

Speaker 10 (01:47:36):
All right, fellas, let's start in the w NBA. Obviously,
Kitlin Clark, Diana Tarossi. There's a couple of videos on
social media that.

Speaker 9 (01:47:44):
I want to mention because this whole time, you know,
we've been.

Speaker 10 (01:47:46):
Talking about how Diana Tarassi has kind of handled Kitlin
Clark coming into the w n B A y'all Who
Sports has a video wrap before the game. Diana Tarrossi
didn't just give her a high five, hugged her and
they had like a little moment. Brittany Griner hugged her
and said something and you could see Kaitlyn Clark smiled.
Then ESPN has another video during maybe a timeout or
they're probably waiting for a free throw, Diana Tarassi and

(01:48:08):
Katelyn Clark all smiles, laughing, exchanged a couple of words.

Speaker 9 (01:48:11):
So it's nice to see that. Now, how is the
game going?

Speaker 10 (01:48:14):
The Mercury are beating Indiana Fever fifty five. Actually, no,
the Fever have just taken the lead. It's fifty seven
to fifty five with about four minutes to go in
the game. Kitlin Clark twelve points, eight rebounds, seven assists
so far. Aleah Boston leading the way though for the Fever,
she's got fourteen points and eight rebounds. As for the

(01:48:35):
Phoenix Mercury, Britney Griner is the leading scorer.

Speaker 9 (01:48:37):
She's got fifteen points.

Speaker 10 (01:48:38):
Diana Tarossi four of eleven from the field, one of
seven from.

Speaker 9 (01:48:41):
The three point line.

Speaker 10 (01:48:42):
She's got thirteen points and right now again Fever on
top fifty seven to fifty.

Speaker 9 (01:48:46):
Five, less than four minutes to go in the third quarter.

Speaker 10 (01:48:49):
On the other side of the WNBA, with Angel Reese
in the Chicago Sky they're beating the Links fifty seven
to fifty six with about seven minutes to go in
the game. Angel Reese, she is three of ten from
the field. She's got seven points and eleven rebounds so
far in the game, and they just have a one
point lead.

Speaker 9 (01:49:05):
Let's move on to Major League Baseball. This is so annoying.

Speaker 10 (01:49:08):
The Astros and the Mets are in the bottom of
the ninth inning in New York and they're on a
rain delay, tied at four, I'd be so annoyed.

Speaker 9 (01:49:15):
I'd be like, why can't we just wrap this up?
Tied at four apiece on a rain delay, I know,
not the way to go.

Speaker 10 (01:49:20):
The Royals beating the Guardian six to two bottom of
the eighth, A tie game between the Rockies and the
White Sox three to three.

Speaker 9 (01:49:27):
They're gonna start the eleventh inning.

Speaker 10 (01:49:29):
The Giants probably upset that the Dodgers hit seven homers
in the or seven homers seven runs in the eleventh
inning yesterday to beat them in San Francisco, so they
came out swinging. They're beating the Dodgers three zero, top
of the third, Tigers up on the Angels one zero,
top of the third, Twins with the lead over the
Mariners one zero bottom of the second.

Speaker 9 (01:49:47):
The games that have wrapped up. The Pirates beat the
Braves four to two.

Speaker 10 (01:49:51):
The Phillies came back to defeat the Marlins seven to six,
Red Sox Rafael Devers with a two run homer, and
they defeated the Padres four to one.

Speaker 9 (01:50:00):
All over the Blue Jays eight one.

Speaker 10 (01:50:01):
Aaron Judge did hit his major league leading thirty first
homer of the season. The Rays shut out the Nationals
five zero, the Brewers all over the Cubs seven to
one was the final score, and the Cardinals just beat
the Reds to zero. Now, what's going on at the
Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Speaker 9 (01:50:16):
There's a lot going on, guys. There's a lot going on.
It's the fourth and final round.

Speaker 10 (01:50:19):
Cam Davis ashke Batiya still in the lead at eighteen
under part overall, Cameron Young is one shot.

Speaker 9 (01:50:25):
Back back to you guys.

Speaker 2 (01:50:27):
All right, MONSI, thank you very much. I'm going to
steal something from our show yesterday.

Speaker 3 (01:50:33):
I'm gonna ask you all. Well, this was the fourth
of July.

Speaker 2 (01:50:36):
We had a fourth of July trivia we did and
Rich I'm gonna ask you a question because none of
us could get the answer to this question.

Speaker 3 (01:50:45):
Okay, maybe you can.

Speaker 1 (01:50:46):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:50:48):
The most purchased fourth of July foods? Yes, okay, hot
dogs and buns are one?

Speaker 1 (01:50:55):
Two? Yes?

Speaker 3 (01:50:56):
Yeah, so hot dogs and buns are one two? What
is number three?

Speaker 1 (01:51:01):
Do condiments count?

Speaker 3 (01:51:03):
No? Because I asked, I said mustard and no it's
not a condiment.

Speaker 1 (01:51:07):
Okay. The third thing?

Speaker 2 (01:51:12):
Hot dogs are one, hot dog buns are two. I
most purchased fourth of July foods?

Speaker 3 (01:51:18):
What's number three immediately.

Speaker 4 (01:51:20):
The knee jerk response, I'm sure is hamburgers are hamburger patties.
But I'm going to sidestep that, and I'm gonna say
corn on the cob.

Speaker 2 (01:51:29):
Now, corn on the cob is an interesting answer because
corner on the cob sales increase by a greater percentage
for the Fourth of July holiday than any other food item.

Speaker 3 (01:51:41):
Interesting, but it's not the number three most purchased Fourth
of July food.

Speaker 2 (01:51:46):
All right, last, last guest, can I can I just
say something real quick though? Yes, Chris, I cannot remember
the last time I've had a corn on the cob?

Speaker 4 (01:51:55):
Wow, really, but sales before you should have, By the way,
I had one recently.

Speaker 3 (01:52:02):
You know what.

Speaker 2 (01:52:03):
I was at Universal Studios and I had a corn
on the cup.

Speaker 3 (01:52:06):
Was absolutely delicious. You sell that at Universal Studios?

Speaker 1 (01:52:10):
Oh yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:52:10):
And the uh yeah, and the Harry Potter area that
restaurant over there, and Harry Potter phenomenals.

Speaker 3 (01:52:17):
Oh so good.

Speaker 5 (01:52:19):
Way there is a comfortable way to eat corn on
the cob and a theme park.

Speaker 2 (01:52:22):
Yeah. No, it was in a restaurant, in a restaurant,
and it was absolutely delicious.

Speaker 3 (01:52:29):
Anyway, So again I'm looking for.

Speaker 1 (01:52:33):
A cot awake.

Speaker 3 (01:52:34):
I don't know, I'm with you. I mean I love
corn on the cup.

Speaker 1 (01:52:38):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:52:38):
So third most purchased Fourth of July food outside of
hot dogs and hot dog.

Speaker 1 (01:52:44):
Parks, I'm gonna say popsicles.

Speaker 2 (01:52:46):
Popsicles, all right? The answer is and we all guess.
We all had guesses yesterday. The answer is potato chips.

Speaker 5 (01:52:57):
Wow, That's that's what I would have said if I
had a chance to guess.

Speaker 2 (01:53:01):
The irony is fourth get this Fourth is hamburger buns,
not hamburgers, but hamburger buns.

Speaker 10 (01:53:11):
You never get a hamburger Steve desperate times.

Speaker 3 (01:53:16):
I'm not gonna say never.

Speaker 2 (01:53:18):
I wouldn't say to either because I've had, because I've
had combo, Hamburger and hot Dove.

Speaker 3 (01:53:23):
I've done that before, hot dog, pizza, hamburger.

Speaker 2 (01:53:26):
But potato chips. Do you have a lot of potato
chips around the rmburger estate?

Speaker 8 (01:53:31):
Does?

Speaker 5 (01:53:31):
What kind of potato chips?

Speaker 1 (01:53:32):
Are?

Speaker 5 (01:53:32):
Just general potato chess?

Speaker 3 (01:53:34):
It just says general potato chips.

Speaker 1 (01:53:35):
Okay, yeah, well listen. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:53:37):
By the way, other favorites are watermelon, sweet corn.

Speaker 3 (01:53:40):
We talked about, baked beans, tortilla chips.

Speaker 1 (01:53:42):
Dude, watermelon. You know what.

Speaker 4 (01:53:44):
Another thought came to mind was like potato salad or
Macaroni's house.

Speaker 2 (01:53:49):
Absolutely, And that's another thing I think when I talked
about corn on the cot or you know, yellow corn
sales go up by the biggest. I think potato potato
salves second on that list. As far as increase of
sales at the Fourth of July holiday.

Speaker 4 (01:54:04):
I mean, just figure whoever like potato salad corporate, They're like,
I mean, we really got a I mean, everybody, it's
all hands on deca. It's the fourth of July. Because
at no other point in your life are you thinking,
you know, it sounds good potato salad?

Speaker 2 (01:54:19):
Like nobody has ever said that except do you like
the German potato salad?

Speaker 4 (01:54:25):
You mean with the vinegar instead of the mail? I mean,
is it my preference? No?

Speaker 1 (01:54:30):
But Steve, have I ever turned down a meal?

Speaker 8 (01:54:34):
No.

Speaker 4 (01:54:34):
If somebody serves me German potato salad, chances are I'm
gonna stare them directly in the face and I'm gonna
say to them, this is just what I needed.

Speaker 8 (01:54:42):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:54:42):
This is my favorite.

Speaker 2 (01:54:43):
I mean, I have a million eating stories of rich
that I love, but one of my favorites was we
were in Vegas to cover a fight, and he had
not done this from a media standpoint, right, So, and
I'm a veteran of many, many, many many fights over
the year. So I told him, they're gonna have like
a breakfast mafet, real nice breakfast buffet for the media.
So we go in and they got like an omelet

(01:55:05):
bar separated and then like a buffet area with everything else.
So I go over to the buffet area to get
some food. I sit down, and Rich gone to the
omelet bar to get an omelet. Obviously, he finishes the
omelet and then he goes back to the buffet. So
I had finished my buffet food, but Rich, Rich did
the omelet first, ate that, and then he went for

(01:55:28):
the full hall and at the buffet, and he wanted
to take it all in experts.

Speaker 1 (01:55:33):
See, everyone knows like it's a rookie move.

Speaker 4 (01:55:36):
You don't go to you don't go to the buffet
hungry see the omelet first.

Speaker 1 (01:55:41):
Yes, and then you go to the buffet.

Speaker 3 (01:55:42):
And did not slow him down at the buffet. I
promise you that. But it was it was impressive. I
was I was odd. Actually, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:55:49):
What kind of week are we looking at coming up.
We'll tell you this is Fox Sports Sunday, Steve Harbin,
Rich Rmberger. Fox Sports Sunday takes me to like Staple
Centers where this takes me formerly known as Staple Center.
Once again, we are live from the tire Rack dot
Com Studios want to thank the crew today, Brilliant across

(01:56:13):
the board. Moncey of course providing updates, extraordinary, Chris on
the board, unmatched in his ability to keep this show
humming every single Sunday.

Speaker 3 (01:56:25):
It's a little bit of a miracle, but we make it.
I know what it is. I know it is.

Speaker 2 (01:56:29):
And then our our producer Bo, who is fully invested
into the Lakers, and uh, I've been corresponding honestly with
Michael Thompson throughout the show today, asking about any type
of obstacles that would prevent Clay Thompson from being a Laker,
and he made it clear there are no obstacles. If

(01:56:51):
he chooses to be a Laker, he will be a Laker. Bo,
how do you feel about that?

Speaker 3 (01:56:56):
That's cool, that's cool.

Speaker 5 (01:56:58):
Yeah, I'll take it.

Speaker 3 (01:56:58):
Yeah. I mean they need a big in the worst way.

Speaker 5 (01:57:01):
They need They've got to trade guys too. There's no.

Speaker 2 (01:57:04):
Yeah, and they just got well, Dilo really gave him
a gift by picking up his option, so he's he's
very tradable. Why would you trade a guy who averaged
eighteen point shooting forty one percent threes?

Speaker 3 (01:57:17):
Why would you trade that? Yeah, that doesn't make sense.

Speaker 5 (01:57:20):
I wouldn't. But they're going to uh Rich.

Speaker 2 (01:57:25):
By the way, a little update here on the Fever
versus Mercury game. Uh Phoenix had an eleven point halftime,
Laida blew it, and now all of a sudden they
are trailing at home to the lowly Indiana Fever. But
pretty much Diana Tarassi and Caitlyn Clark are matching shot

(01:57:45):
for shot. Diana Tarassi is two for eight from three
point land and Caitlin is two for nine, so almost
shot for shot. Yeah, yeah, sorry, I can't. You know,
people see what they want to see, isn't that what
we always say?

Speaker 3 (01:58:05):
People see what they want to see.

Speaker 1 (01:58:07):
Look, perception is reality exactly. I mean, the reality of
all things.

Speaker 4 (01:58:13):
Is if you know, if everybody agrees that Kim Kardashian
is interesting, well then she's interesting.

Speaker 3 (01:58:23):
Is the Emperor wearing clothes?

Speaker 1 (01:58:24):
Well, we don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:58:26):
We don't know, because again, perception is reality exactly. You know,
It's just the way life goes and sports are no different.
So that's the reason why when going back to the conversation,
we had second segment of the show with JP Morosi
about show Heyo Tani yeah, and will he or won't
he win an MVP even though he's only dhing. The

(01:58:48):
truth of the matter is, it doesn't really matter if
he's the best baseball player in Major League Baseball or
in his league. All that matters is that enough people
believe he is. That's all that matters. And you know,
whether people will have a hard time with it because
he is only dhing this year or whatever, it doesn't

(01:59:10):
matter if enough people believe that he's the MVP.

Speaker 1 (01:59:12):
Guess what, he's the MVPN. There's no arguments about that.

Speaker 2 (01:59:15):
We didn't talk about the JJ Reddick press conference and
it same as a new Lakers coach, I mean, when
Rob Polenka is a piece of work. When he insisted, well, actually,
JJ Reddick insisted that at no point did Lebron even

(01:59:35):
address him possibly being a Laker coach until it was
official that indeed JJ Reddick would be the coach. Like
that was the first acknowledgment of any kind, according to
JJ Reddick and Rob Polenka, that Lebron even spoke of
the possibility or the probability that JJ Reddick would be

(01:59:56):
the next head coach the Lakers. I don't know how
you can say these things with a straight face. I mean, seriously,
I don't know how you can sit there in front
of all those people in the media and claim that that.

Speaker 3 (02:00:09):
Was a fact. I mean, come on now, I mean
the obvious question to JJ Reddy would be simply this, do.

Speaker 2 (02:00:16):
You believe if you were not co hosting a podcast
with Lebron James, that, with your complete lack of experience,
you would have been considered for this job?

Speaker 4 (02:00:26):
He said to himself, though he was pretty good at
the youth level, Yeah, as a head coach, he's got

Speaker 3 (02:00:31):
A youth coach mark coming out on Fox Sports Radio