January 3, 2025 • 29 mins
Rob and Kelvin tell us why Charles Barkley’s criticisms of JJ Redick over the role Inside the NBA has played in the league’s dwindling television ratings were spot on and debate whether Amon-Ra St. Brown is calling for a playoff format overhaul is his way of preparing for a Detroit Lions loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18. Plus, FOX Sports Radio NBA insider Marc Stein swings by to discuss the Miami Heat’s decision to suspend Jimmy Butler, the likelihood that Playoff Jimmy actually gets traded and more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the best of the Odd Couple.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Let's start here.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And if you were watching Inside the NBA last night
or on social media, you could have saw it or whatever,
because it was buzzing like crazy. But Charles Barkley finally
got a chance to address you. Remember the JJ Reddick
we comments, that's right, where he basically blamed inside the
NBA and stuff for the reason that the ratings are down,
(00:51):
which is this total malarkey, nonsense, boulder dash, poppycock, whatever
word you want to use. And I thought, I think
JJ Reddick is the biggest hypocrite going okay, because when
he was on ESPN, all he did was beat down
the NBA, told us about all the plumbers and butchers
and whatnot who played and disrespected the earlier era of
(01:15):
the NBA. So he's no better than anybody else. And
then he wants to get on his soapbox and say
the weeds and people aren't well you ever nobody battering
the product though, No, no, that's why it is the
pre eminent postgame pre and postgame show.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
The other the other networks have done it. We have Charlie. Yeah,
we got Charles. That's going to make sure you right.
Let's hear Charles and then we can go.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
He said something about we're the reason people aren't watching
this crappy product we got.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
That's what.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Yeah, like we know jacking up on hundred threes.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
JJ.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
I don't know Jason Monroe. I don't know who that is.
But JJ, you come for the King, you bet not.
Magg I can get you, brother, because I got Remember,
I got your Lakers games. You can't ht them flaws
they got You're just a dead man walker. They got
rid of Frank Vogel, who did a good job. They
got rid of darburn Ham, who did a good job.
If you came out that thing and you were gonna
(02:09):
change things with that same ugly girl you want them
to hang with.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Sixty fifty one.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Was your halftime with score Rudy Obert. He came in
after thinking I can make this thing work here, you can.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
On that pig.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Lecus think tell you come on, man, let me tell
you something, Rod Parker, I loved every minute of it.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
I'm just gonna be honest.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
You know what, I owe Jj Reddick an apology because
I only thought of JJ Reddick as a sharpshooter, but
now I look at him as an Alley ooper. He
threw the greatest allude to Charles Barkley, and Charles Barkley
did exactly what Charles Barkley does and what he did
not only as an analyst and a person on TNT,
(02:56):
Rod Parker, he did it as a player, full transparent,
authentically himself, brutally honest. And so for JJ to call
out the one guy who's been who he has been
the entirety of his career and our life, and knowing
Charles Barkley, stop it. Chuck Kenny and Charles, and then
of course Ernie being the maestro, that is what they created.
(03:18):
They roast teams, they roast players. You know who else
got roasted the Warriors because Charles didn't like all the
shooting threes and other teams shooting threes. He's been doing
that for a decade. He has been exactly who he
has been for all of this time. And to be fair,
JJ are not to be fair. But another thing about JJ,
and it kind of goes to Charles' point, JJ. I
(03:39):
don't know him personally, but there's something about him fields.
There is an element of like, you don't even know
what I'm about to do. You don't even know I'm
about to bring it, y'all, not even ready for what
I'm about to do.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
And there's a little bit of pump your breaks, JJ.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
You hey, who knows what time. Maybe you'll end up
being an excellent coach. But he kinda is coming in hot.
He's coming in breaking clip bowl cards, and you know,
and kind of you don't even know how smart I
am and you don't even guys don't even understand.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's like you got to slow your roll a little bit. Jay.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
They're calling out the media already, you know, twenty forty
games in.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
But that's who he is. It breaks a little bit.
That's who he is.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
He thinks he's smarter than everybody, and that he knows
more about basketball than anybody else who played and all that,
and he was gonna come and and and take the
same box of nothing and put it and and win
with it and show you that that it was already
here and that he didn't eat. But of course they
didn't make a trade, and they're gonna make another one,
(04:34):
probably right because they realized they don't have enough, okay,
and they didn't have enough for Darvin ham And I'm
not saying Darvin Hamm was the greatest coach I have
a coach, But it wasn't all his fall, That's all.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
It can't be because listen, you know how many coaches
have been paid by the Lakers to sit on the
couch or to go elsewhere. Darvin ham Mike Brown, Vogel,
who am I missing? By Byron scot Like at a
certain point, I mean, everybody can't be bad. Frank Voger
got to be sitting there somewhere confused, Like K came in,
(05:07):
fix things up, gave you guys an identity, a hard
nosed defensive team. Boom, we win a championship. You trade
all my pieces or get rid of them or don't
sign them. That made us a championship team. And then
you're like, hey, I took all the ingredients, but make
that same dish. How I'm supposed to do that. But
the idea that it's just if you look at it
as a whole, right, a whole piece of this puzzle.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
The media.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
Sure, maybe it is a puzzle, a piece of the puzzle,
but it is a bunch of other things. And I
think what you're seeing is these analysts like Charles Barkley
articulate what fans haven't been able to articulate, didn't either
know how to say it or didn't have the capacity
the way too say it right.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I don't have a national platform.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
So what Charles is saying, and Kenny and check, they're
just echoing what a lot of people feel. Something's been off,
something isn't quite right, and something needs to change. Nobody's
saying they're never gonna watch the NBA game it's the
worst thing ever. They're just saying some tweaks and changes need.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
To be made.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
But also, I mean, and then people say, ESPN and
other people have put on the over the top everything's
great NBA shows and they haven't been successful because people
have felt like they're not getting honesty. No one's asking
you to rip the league all the time, but when
(06:26):
something is bad, I think fans want to be told
that they're bad.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
When things are good, you could.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Talk about the good, but to sit there and act
like nothing's going on, or that the ratings on down.
It took Adam Silver a long time to even acknowledge
that that there's a problem. And that's what happens with
the ESPN has tried a million.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Combinations and they brought to this. Let's do that.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
His will bond is here's let's let's get some NBA players.
Let's talk about xson O. Nobody watched the numbers, aren't
there all right? So there is something. Kenny and Shack
and Ernley and Chuck they got a chemistry. And Charles's
honesty is what makes him musty TV. And I get it.
(07:16):
He doesn't watch all the games and he's not. That's
not what people are looking for. That's what Kenny's there for.
Speaker 5 (07:22):
Kenny is the real analyst who's gonna analyze and break down.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
That's why he's the one who runs to the board.
Speaker 5 (07:27):
Let me also say this too, the idea that Charles
Barkley has powerful influence over my mind. No, we all
know Chuck don't necessarily watch all the games, and we
also know Chuck likes to get on a little thing
like he hasn't liked the Lakers in the last ten, twelve,
fifteen years. You know, he didn't like some of the team.
The Warriors shoot, they're too small, they shoot too many threes.
(07:47):
What do you think about this team? That's just Chuck.
But let's stop acting like Chuck has mind control over
the viewers and as if we can't distinguish ourselves. Hey,
the product isn't necessarily as good. Something seems to be off.
We love the game, that's why we watch it. We
want it to be better. But Charles Barkley ain't influencing
me like that, you know what I mean? Like too
(08:09):
much credit, mind control over the viewer. It's all bad,
and I'm the reason why you think it's bad.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
It's to miss seventy five to three that people watch
like that. That's just that's not what people want.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
The same exact scheme high pick and rolls, high pick
and rolls, shut for three, like when we the Payday
and whatever whatever era you want to go with. There
were differentiating things between teams Steve if I say Steve
Nash and those Phoenix Suns. Every last one of us
knows what that team was, what it. Did you know
if I go to that Detroit basketball team, Sorry, Rog,
(08:44):
you know what they were about, Like you had teams
and you knew what they were, their style, what they do.
That's a part of what's missing, is not Charles playing
Jedi mind tricks on me to to make me think
that I'm not.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
I can see what's going on.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Get us up to date on these crying Lions worried
about changing the NFL.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
I'm a new man. New Year knew me.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
I'm not even about to jump over this table. I'm
just saying new Year knew me.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
Well to your point, everybody who listens to The Couple
knows this. But Sunday Night, Lions and the Vikings for
all the marbles in the NFC. The winner will win
the NFC North will be the top seed in the
NFC playoffs.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Can you tell Kelvin please? And we'll get a first round.
By what happens if the Lions lose the game.
Speaker 6 (09:39):
The loser of that game will drop down to the
fifth seed, will play in the wildcard round. But not
only that, they gotta play on the road.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Oh wait, rob G, Rob G in the words, remember
one said, ain't gonna be no problem, Ain't gonna be
no problem.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Let me ask you this and guess Lions or what
do you know? Their record this year on the road undefeated?
Speaker 5 (09:57):
Undefeated? Okay, ain't gonna be no problem. Ain't gonna be
no problem. And guess where I'll be Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I'm coming over. If the Lions lose a child, how
will I be?
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I will be in the parking lot in my call,
waiting for Monday show. I just want you to know
I'm not coming it on Monday, Rob, Do you know
that it's gonna.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Be like first day of school? So excited?
Speaker 5 (10:19):
I'll be in the park yes, Christmas.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Finished the challenges, you right over to the parking.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Shoot right after the chie you know, the fastest NBC
you know.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
So the fact that this game has so much writing
on it has not been lost on anybody, including Lions
wide receiver I'm Monross Saint Brown. He has a problem
with the way the loser is being penalized in such
a way take a listen.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
That's the craziest I'm thinking about now. It's one of
the craziest rules ever.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
The NFL needs to change into division winners obviously make
the playoffs after that.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Best record from seeding. That's how seat is gonna work.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
Best record, top four teams get you know, one through
four season, all the way down.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Why is he even entertaining that win the game? You
don't have to worry about all of that. I just
hate the idea because this is an anomaly. You know
that this doesn't happen rob not at This just happened
one other time in the NFL. Okay, So here's my
point is it doesn't happen that often, and you want
(11:24):
to make the divisions worth something, right, winning the division
otherwise what would be the point? Then then you're gonna
get rid of all the divisions. That's why you make
it worthwhile. So the NFL is not gonna change anything
because one year the Vikings and Lions happened to each
go fourteen and two.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
I think the only thing that would make it considerate
is we've had the opposite. We've had teams that were
just back when it was sixteen games. But you know,
seven and nine win their division. Cam Newton did that
a couple times where he won the division, like three
years in a row. Two of the three he wasn't
even above five hundred and so that kind of I
can see them saying, if you know, the rules committee
(12:02):
saying that is kind of watch that. But I'm gonna
not reward the Vikings or the Lions in this case
and give the you know, if it were the Panthers
of the you know, say this year, the seven to
nine Panthers, they get to get a bye, I can
see them saying, we want to line it up where
we're trying. I wouldn't want the Vikings or the Lions
to lose to that. Like I want to get the
Vikings or the Lions in the later rounds against the Eagles,
(12:24):
Like I could see them one and again that's not
the best teams, you know later in the in the conference.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Uh. We saw two years ago in baseball that the
best team's got the Bards and they all long.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
But you know, baseball is weird sport with.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Automatic that because especially because it's a one and done football, right,
But I think that that's the only reason why I'm
saying I could see them considering is like, well, now
that we have this, it still only happened twice, That's
what I'm saying. But now that we have that, you're
not hardly ever again twice. Where you're gonna have a
team that be fourteen and three, five seed. That is
(12:59):
absolutely crazy to think about. But but I think the
larger conversation is more so because it just happened the
only second time in history that it makes you go, oh, well,
I never even thought about that because it never happens.
But now that I'm thinking about it, that is kind
of crazy that Lions or Vikings would have to do
all this going the road and you can have a
(13:20):
terrible you know, the Falcons or the Bucks who didn't
have some great season. Now they get fourteen and three,
it doesn't matter, go and beat them. Choice, right, they're
gonna go go beat a team that's seven and nine
or whatever. I mean going the road.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
If you're gonna win a Super Bowl on make it
to the Super Bowl, you're gonna have to face some
challenges we talk about all the time when Eli Manning
won those two super Bowls, or get on the road,
go to Green Bed, Ben Roethlisberger and the did that
once too. Go go where you gotta go and win
the game. When Aaron Rodgers and the Packers won, what
(13:53):
were they a sixth seed?
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Right?
Speaker 5 (13:54):
There were six seed. They went on the road and
they played three rule games a super to get to
get to the Super Bowl. Listen, you can get it done.
And again I just mentioned and I wasn't even you know,
just trying to be funny, like the Lions are undefeated
on the road. They beat Minnesota on the road, they
beat Green Bay on the road, so they're doing right.
(14:15):
So it's not I don't think he's overly worried. I
think it's more of an observation like, oh, shoot, now
that this thing has happened for the second time, and
I guarantee you he doesn't know the first time. I
think it's the first time it's crossed his mind, like,
oh wait a minute.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
But when I first heard it, I thought to myself, Okay,
is this brown like greasing the skids so they lose?
They lose, So then you know what I mean, because
you're putting it out there and then you'll have something
to complain about. And then if the Lions go on
the road right there, Sea and lose to somebody Bucks
or something. Right, then they'll be like, this wasn't fair, right, Oh,
(14:49):
this wasn't fair. We should we were fourteen and three,
we should have had a by or we should have
been this, that and the other thing. That's the part
that I don't like. I just wouldn't have entertained it.
I don't even if he's at asked, dude, the only
thing I care about is Sunday we win the game
and we'll have what we what we worked for all year.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
I do to mind it. I don't mind if he
goes that is kind of wild. Has that ever happened before,
because I'm sure he doesn't know they go, oh, it's
hap me what other time he's like, oh, that is
kind of crazy. But at the end of the day,
we got a team in front of us. We're going
out there to win and smash whoever's in front of us.
That's you know, that's the answer. But remember this is
the era of podcast, It is the air of you know,
I gotta get my stuff out there. Because the first
place he entertained this was on his podcast. This was
(15:30):
the first time that he actually talked about it. And
then obviously the reporters got a hold that say, hey,
you said this before, But I don't think he's overly worried.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I mean, I think this team has been built the
way they.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Are, way the defense is right now what I saw
Brock perty do I'm afraid if I'm a Lions fans, No,
I'm just talking about just in general.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
Listen, but don't break rob Gee. Look at their defense
that I caught him the Detroit Lions. That But that's why.
The only thing I say, and I'm not even saying
lightning is what I'm saying. Their defense here's where you
Here's one thing that I'll say though, And I was
telling Rob g this.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Their defense isn't great right now.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
It was actually really good throughout the season to all
these injuries, but it hasn't been great the last four
or five weeks or so. We all know that injuries.
But the thing you have to do, Vikings or the Rams,
if they were to lose and go face the Rams,
whoever may be, you better keep scoring. The Buffalo Bills.
Did y'all see that game destroying the Lions? Josh Allen
looked like the greatest thing since cy spread.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
And you know how I won the game the Bills. Well,
that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
You better keep scoring because that's the one thing the
Lions are gonna do.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Keep scoring.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
That had the biggest plus differential plus my points differential
in the entire NFL, the number one offense. So I'm
just saying their defense can give you Vikings twenty five
twenty six. You hey, just put it on the board.
Y'all got twenty six, Well, y'all better maybe get to
thirty because this offense is going to score. Jared Goff
is going to produce. They're gonna run the ball, and
(16:59):
they're gonna have t plays and they're gonna score. So
that's the thing. I'm not saying they're unbeatable now because
of this defense, but you.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Got to keep say.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Giving up thirty one plus in three of their last
four game, that's a lot of points they went on
them to try to win.
Speaker 5 (17:12):
How many they win, that don't matter. What do you need,
it don't matter, It doesn't matter. That won twice out
of the four.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
And and you better win them boys are fourteen and two.
All I'm saying is when you look at it as
you get to this.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Out of that, the Vikings aren't like some and you
already beat the Vikings already in there, so they kind
of owe you one, and they this is like.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
You beat hackers. We beat them twice, okay, but this
is the Vikings.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
You'd have won Sam Donald's this and then they got
the coach and you got the defense like they got.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
They got a good defense. That defense is really flores.
I just I don't know, say you butt in Miami.
I'm gotta feeling the Lions might get skunked in this game?
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Is that possible? Thirty one? Nothing is that? Is that too?
Did you just now?
Speaker 5 (17:55):
He went the boy, Rob g we always went a
whole showed out in extreme Rob Parker, I was I
was worried about so I thought it was new Year,
New you for a minute, thank you for coming back
to Earth and giving me a rock stock.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
The minute short because not just they gotta lose thirty one.
Nothing is Jared Gof's gonna throw for two ix.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
It's gonna gamble four times and none of them work.
None of the plays worked three times.
Speaker 5 (18:20):
Fourth and go at the goal line, they're gonna get
stopped three times. Hey, the best part about this, Rob
Gi for the next one is it seventy two hours
or forty eight hours. Rob Parker is about to be
a Sam Donald fa hating on them all year. Boy,
you about to have a Sam Don to believe I
got his jersey at home. I can't wait to see
(18:40):
you with your Sam Donald palm palms. Where are you
watching the game? I might pull up? Oh you not,
I might pull up. I can't watch games like that.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Nah, I might pull up on you because the last
time we had that what was that playoff game where
where Tom Brady threw the interception against the Chiefs and
who is it?
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Ford lined up? Do you remember? I can't remember what
was his first name? D four? You remember lined up offside?
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Yeah, that was a game losing interception and it got
called back and I could not believe. We were all
out at a sports bar. That's what Chris was used
to hang out with, living out here in LA and
all that, and we all went. It was like twenty
of us. I was so sick. I was like, I
can't watch games. I had to walk out. I walked out.
Speaker 5 (19:25):
Chris was like you disappeared because you know it was
a Brady and all that. You say, Yeah, I need
a smoke break, Rob, you don't even smoke.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, I need it one after that? Tell you yeah, whatever,
I'll text you. I'm gonna pull up.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
Mark Stein Fox Sports Radio, NBA Inside in the Steinline
on Substack to break it all down.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Happy New Year to you, Mark, Thanks for joining us.
What's up.
Speaker 7 (19:58):
The not So Old Cup? Well? I apologize if it's loud.
I'm at getting ready to watch the Calves and MAVs
in Dallas, so it's a little bit louder than it
should be. But hopefully it's not too bad.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Now.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
No, you've got a good photo. It sounds great. It stinks.
No Kyrie to night, huh.
Speaker 7 (20:13):
You know, I mean, look, the MAVs are the MAVs
have a billion health issues right now. I'm men, no Luca,
no Kyrie. But honestly, honestly, I got I gotta tell you, Rob,
it's my first look at the Calves in person all year, right,
And I know I know you guys want to talk
Tommy Butler, but I'm I'm, I mean, the Calves are
such a good story that no one is talking about.
I mean, they're on a seventy two and ten pace ridiculously.
(20:37):
I'm really looking forward to seeing these guys for the
first time from up close.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
All right, let's go with the Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
I'm not surprised that the pat his comments yesterday to
the media didn't sit well with pat Riley a new organization,
because he sounds like he wants his joy back, so
basically said that he didn't really want to be there.
Give us some details on what's going on here.
Speaker 7 (21:04):
Well, I would actually say that this is playing out
probably unlike it would anywhere else. I mean, it started
the day after Christmas when pat Riley came out with
a very forceful statement and said we are not trading
Jimmy Butler. And a week later, Jimmy Butler has publicly
acknowledged that. You know, he was flat out as can
(21:26):
you get your joy back as a member of the Heat, right,
he said probably not? And the Heat respond today with
a seven game suspension for conduct detrimental team to the team.
And you just don't see that in the NBA. You
don't see a team willing to take such a hard line,
(21:47):
and it just kind of illustrates that, you know, the
Heat operate the way they operate, and they're never going
to change. But you know, this thing, I would say
still has a lot of twist in turns to go
because although the Heat now are saying, you know, as
part of their statement tonight, they said we will now
field trade offers for Jimmy Butler, but the reality is
(22:09):
there are a lot of there's a strong case to
be made that waiting until the summer is the right move.
So I don't know that we're going to see a
Jimmy Butler trade between now and the trade deadline on
February sixth. It's far likelier that it's going to stretch
into the offseason.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
See, I'm with you, Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Basically, he's trying to strong on the Miami Heat to
give him one hundred million dollars or whatever he wants,
and they refuse to be a part of that. I
would I wouldn't make a move now, Kelvin I will.
I mean, that's that's too. I don't care if you
Lebron d Wade, whatever you were. Now, Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
But let me ask you this, Mark, I'm not asking
you to be the president of the Players Association, but
do you think there's anything where they can say, hey,
seven games for what show us what Jimmy did that
warranted this suspension?
Speaker 7 (22:57):
Yeah? I think they will. They will at least look
at it and run that ground ball out to see
if there is any appeal that can be filed because agains.
You know, you don't often see a team suspend a
player for seven games. But look, this just happened, and
you know what kind of options the union has. I
(23:20):
think we're you know, I think they're still trying to
ascertain is there any mechanism for them to try to
push back on this? But like I said, you know,
one way or the other. You know, I don't think
we were going to see Jimmy on the court for
the heat after what happened these last few games and
last night's press conference. So like I said, this is
(23:43):
this is a saga with lots more twists in turn.
And yes, the trade deadline is February sixth, but again,
I mean the heat, there's you know, the heat. Can
they want maximum flexibility, so they're not just gonna like
you know, there was all to talk about Phoenix. You know,
(24:03):
Phoenix would love Jimmy Butler, and they would, the Suns would.
But the only way the Suns could do it is
by offering Bradley Beal, and the Sun, I mean, the
Heat don't want Bradley Bial's contract. Bradley Beal has one
hundred and ten million left on that deal after this season.
So I think Miami will continue to be judicious and
(24:23):
patient and try the best they can to trade Jimmy
Butler on their term if they can pull that off.
Speaker 5 (24:31):
Mark Stein our guest Fox Sports Radio NBA Insider, the
Stein Line and of course the Steinline on Substack joining
us now the Yat couple, Rock Parker, Kevin Washington.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Hey, I love Charles Barkley going after JJ Reddick.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I did because JJ Reddick was the one who threw
it out there that.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
They're the reasons that people aren't watching the NBA because
they criticized the product.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
How surprised were you did, Charles? And of course Ernie
of course was trying to do the high AI.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
Yes, move on to the highlights during it, but they
made for some good TV.
Speaker 7 (25:05):
Well, look, I mean that show is in a class
by itself. It's been in a class by itself for decades.
But remember I already told you this last week. I
know you don't want to believe me, Rob Parker, but
I promise you we are just the ratings. Like the
whole ratings discussion, I promise you rating TV ratings have
(25:28):
never met left. I know you don't want to believe me,
but no.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
You know what, this is my problem. I'm okay because Mark,
here's my problem. You're saying that with the NBA, okay,
but all they talk about is the NFL TV ratings,
even though there we see plenty of bad games, okay,
and we know gambling is big with the NFL.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
And then people throw it down.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Baseball's face because baseball is one hundred and sixty two
games in the NFL is seventeen and they want equal
rating for each game. But nobody ever says, well, how
can you compare one baseball game compared to one NFL game?
Wouldn't it be ten games to one? You know what
I mean to TV ratings. But now it's okay. The
(26:15):
NBA's waitings are down, and waitings don't matter, but they
matter for baseball and NFL as all people talk about
a TV waiting, So which one is?
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Well?
Speaker 7 (26:24):
I guess I have a different perspective on it because
I feel like, and you know, we're both old enough
to remember this. You know, in the late seventies the
dialogue was so strong about the NBA is on the
verge of going out of business. Yes, and since then,
since the late seventies, until Magic and Burd came into
the league, and even after they did, what's wrong with
(26:47):
the NBA? It's just it is. It is a question
that is constantly posed. It's a national sport unto itself,
and that's that's why this dialogue even exists. Because I
just feel like people are what's wrong with the NBA
the minute ratings are done, what's wrong? What's wrong? The
NBA had a great Christmas? So what does that mean?
Did it all get fixed in a week? I mean again,
(27:08):
like I said, it's an antiquated way of evaluating how
people are following a sport, at least on my scorecard.
I know many don't agree, but that's my perspective.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
Look, I think it's somewhere mark in the middle, and
that NBA by far dwarfs all the other American sports
leagues when it comes to social media, engagement, views.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
And all that. So I can kind of get where
you're going from.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
But I do think we all agree that there are
some issues with just stylistically and also narratives and storylines.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
We're kind of missing that.
Speaker 5 (27:39):
Let me go back to something we started with, where
you are at getting ready to see the MAVs in
Cleveland the Cavaliers. You mentioned something, you said the Cavaliers,
nobody really talks about them, and that's a great point.
What do you think it is that would need to happen?
I mean, they got some good stars Downavig Mitchell Garland.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Why aren't we talking a couple they need it?
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Just a couple of years ago, they didn't talk about
the Denver Chicken ull gets all year until they want
to say season winning.
Speaker 7 (28:06):
It's a great question, and I'm just as guilty as
the next pundit for not talking about them enough, because again,
I'm going to say it, twenty nine to four, seventy
two win pace. And I was one of the naysayers.
I was one of the guys coming into this season
who thought their core four doesn't fit. They're finally going
(28:27):
to trade someone and you know, Kenny Atkinson as the coach.
It's not going to make that much of a difference.
And I couldn't have been more wrong. And the only
soul as I have is that I'm not alone. A
lot of us got this wrong in assessing this Cleveland team.
And what's been so good for them is they've increased
their three point volume each successive month of the season.
(28:49):
And the best thing they're doing is they've reduced Donovan
Mitchell's workload to thirty one and a half minutes per games.
It's the least Donovan Mitchell's ever played, and he's going
to be so much fresher in the postseason, in such
a better position to do damage in the postseason. And
you gotta give Kenny Atkinson a lot of credit. There's
(29:09):
been some great coaching jobs in the NBA this year,
like Jamal Moseley with all the injuries, Orlando's Face Hylu
with where he has the Clippers.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
I think was one of the best coach.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
On the floor for one second. But I'm telling you,
Tenny Atkinson clinch Coach of the Year in the NBA
without fifteen and O start like he is going to
win Coach of the Year and this Cavs team. Like
I said, i'm i'm I can't say it enough about
how good they've been.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Honestly, here's Mark Stein. Hey go enjoy the game. Happy
New Year to you.
Speaker 7 (29:44):
All right, guys, we'll catch up soon.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Be good.
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for the Odd
Couple at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the best of the Odd Couple.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Let's start here.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And if you were watching Inside the NBA last night
or on social media, you could have saw it or whatever,
because it was buzzing like crazy. But Charles Barkley finally
got a chance to address you. Remember the JJ Reddick
we comments, that's right, where he basically blamed inside the
NBA and stuff for the reason that the ratings are down,
(00:51):
which is this total malarkey, nonsense, boulder dash, poppycock, whatever
word you want to use. And I thought, I think
JJ Reddick is the biggest hypocrite going okay, because when
he was on ESPN, all he did was beat down
the NBA, told us about all the plumbers and butchers
and whatnot who played and disrespected the earlier era of
(01:15):
the NBA. So he's no better than anybody else. And
then he wants to get on his soapbox and say
the weeds and people aren't well you ever nobody battering
the product though, No, no, that's why it is the
pre eminent postgame pre and postgame show.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
The other the other networks have done it. We have Charlie. Yeah,
we got Charles. That's going to make sure you right.
Let's hear Charles and then we can go.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
He said something about we're the reason people aren't watching
this crappy product we got.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
That's what.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Yeah, like we know jacking up on hundred threes.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
JJ.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
I don't know Jason Monroe. I don't know who that is.
But JJ, you come for the King, you bet not.
Magg I can get you, brother, because I got Remember,
I got your Lakers games. You can't ht them flaws
they got You're just a dead man walker. They got
rid of Frank Vogel, who did a good job. They
got rid of darburn Ham, who did a good job.
If you came out that thing and you were gonna
(02:09):
change things with that same ugly girl you want them
to hang with.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Sixty fifty one.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Was your halftime with score Rudy Obert. He came in
after thinking I can make this thing work here, you can.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
On that pig.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Lecus think tell you come on, man, let me tell
you something, Rod Parker, I loved every minute of it.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
I'm just gonna be honest.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
You know what, I owe Jj Reddick an apology because
I only thought of JJ Reddick as a sharpshooter, but
now I look at him as an Alley ooper. He
threw the greatest allude to Charles Barkley, and Charles Barkley
did exactly what Charles Barkley does and what he did
not only as an analyst and a person on TNT,
(02:56):
Rod Parker, he did it as a player, full transparent,
authentically himself, brutally honest. And so for JJ to call
out the one guy who's been who he has been
the entirety of his career and our life, and knowing
Charles Barkley, stop it. Chuck Kenny and Charles, and then
of course Ernie being the maestro, that is what they created.
(03:18):
They roast teams, they roast players. You know who else
got roasted the Warriors because Charles didn't like all the
shooting threes and other teams shooting threes. He's been doing
that for a decade. He has been exactly who he
has been for all of this time. And to be fair,
JJ are not to be fair. But another thing about JJ,
and it kind of goes to Charles' point, JJ. I
(03:39):
don't know him personally, but there's something about him fields.
There is an element of like, you don't even know
what I'm about to do. You don't even know I'm
about to bring it, y'all, not even ready for what
I'm about to do.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
And there's a little bit of pump your breaks, JJ.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
You hey, who knows what time. Maybe you'll end up
being an excellent coach. But he kinda is coming in hot.
He's coming in breaking clip bowl cards, and you know,
and kind of you don't even know how smart I
am and you don't even guys don't even understand.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's like you got to slow your roll a little bit. Jay.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
They're calling out the media already, you know, twenty forty
games in.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
But that's who he is. It breaks a little bit.
That's who he is.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
He thinks he's smarter than everybody, and that he knows
more about basketball than anybody else who played and all that,
and he was gonna come and and and take the
same box of nothing and put it and and win
with it and show you that that it was already
here and that he didn't eat. But of course they
didn't make a trade, and they're gonna make another one,
(04:34):
probably right because they realized they don't have enough, okay,
and they didn't have enough for Darvin ham And I'm
not saying Darvin Hamm was the greatest coach I have
a coach, But it wasn't all his fall, That's all.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
It can't be because listen, you know how many coaches
have been paid by the Lakers to sit on the
couch or to go elsewhere. Darvin ham Mike Brown, Vogel,
who am I missing? By Byron scot Like at a
certain point, I mean, everybody can't be bad. Frank Voger
got to be sitting there somewhere confused, Like K came in,
(05:07):
fix things up, gave you guys an identity, a hard
nosed defensive team. Boom, we win a championship. You trade
all my pieces or get rid of them or don't
sign them. That made us a championship team. And then
you're like, hey, I took all the ingredients, but make
that same dish. How I'm supposed to do that. But
the idea that it's just if you look at it
as a whole, right, a whole piece of this puzzle.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
The media.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
Sure, maybe it is a puzzle, a piece of the puzzle,
but it is a bunch of other things. And I
think what you're seeing is these analysts like Charles Barkley
articulate what fans haven't been able to articulate, didn't either
know how to say it or didn't have the capacity
the way too say it right.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I don't have a national platform.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
So what Charles is saying, and Kenny and check, they're
just echoing what a lot of people feel. Something's been off,
something isn't quite right, and something needs to change. Nobody's
saying they're never gonna watch the NBA game it's the
worst thing ever. They're just saying some tweaks and changes need.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
To be made.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
But also, I mean, and then people say, ESPN and
other people have put on the over the top everything's
great NBA shows and they haven't been successful because people
have felt like they're not getting honesty. No one's asking
you to rip the league all the time, but when
(06:26):
something is bad, I think fans want to be told
that they're bad.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
When things are good, you could.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Talk about the good, but to sit there and act
like nothing's going on, or that the ratings on down.
It took Adam Silver a long time to even acknowledge
that that there's a problem. And that's what happens with
the ESPN has tried a million.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Combinations and they brought to this. Let's do that.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
His will bond is here's let's let's get some NBA players.
Let's talk about xson O. Nobody watched the numbers, aren't
there all right? So there is something. Kenny and Shack
and Ernley and Chuck they got a chemistry. And Charles's
honesty is what makes him musty TV. And I get it.
(07:16):
He doesn't watch all the games and he's not. That's
not what people are looking for. That's what Kenny's there for.
Speaker 5 (07:22):
Kenny is the real analyst who's gonna analyze and break down.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
That's why he's the one who runs to the board.
Speaker 5 (07:27):
Let me also say this too, the idea that Charles
Barkley has powerful influence over my mind. No, we all
know Chuck don't necessarily watch all the games, and we
also know Chuck likes to get on a little thing
like he hasn't liked the Lakers in the last ten, twelve,
fifteen years. You know, he didn't like some of the team.
The Warriors shoot, they're too small, they shoot too many threes.
(07:47):
What do you think about this team? That's just Chuck.
But let's stop acting like Chuck has mind control over
the viewers and as if we can't distinguish ourselves. Hey,
the product isn't necessarily as good. Something seems to be off.
We love the game, that's why we watch it. We
want it to be better. But Charles Barkley ain't influencing
me like that, you know what I mean? Like too
(08:09):
much credit, mind control over the viewer. It's all bad,
and I'm the reason why you think it's bad.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
It's to miss seventy five to three that people watch
like that. That's just that's not what people want.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
The same exact scheme high pick and rolls, high pick
and rolls, shut for three, like when we the Payday
and whatever whatever era you want to go with. There
were differentiating things between teams Steve if I say Steve
Nash and those Phoenix Suns. Every last one of us
knows what that team was, what it. Did you know
if I go to that Detroit basketball team, Sorry, Rog,
(08:44):
you know what they were about, Like you had teams
and you knew what they were, their style, what they do.
That's a part of what's missing, is not Charles playing
Jedi mind tricks on me to to make me think
that I'm not.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
I can see what's going on.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Get us up to date on these crying Lions worried
about changing the NFL.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
I'm a new man. New Year knew me.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
I'm not even about to jump over this table. I'm
just saying new Year knew me.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
Well to your point, everybody who listens to The Couple
knows this. But Sunday Night, Lions and the Vikings for
all the marbles in the NFC. The winner will win
the NFC North will be the top seed in the
NFC playoffs.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Can you tell Kelvin please? And we'll get a first round.
By what happens if the Lions lose the game.
Speaker 6 (09:39):
The loser of that game will drop down to the
fifth seed, will play in the wildcard round. But not
only that, they gotta play on the road.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Oh wait, rob G, Rob G in the words, remember
one said, ain't gonna be no problem, Ain't gonna be
no problem.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Let me ask you this and guess Lions or what
do you know? Their record this year on the road undefeated?
Speaker 5 (09:57):
Undefeated? Okay, ain't gonna be no problem. Ain't gonna be
no problem. And guess where I'll be Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I'm coming over. If the Lions lose a child, how
will I be?
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I will be in the parking lot in my call,
waiting for Monday show. I just want you to know
I'm not coming it on Monday, Rob, Do you know
that it's gonna.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Be like first day of school? So excited?
Speaker 5 (10:19):
I'll be in the park yes, Christmas.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Finished the challenges, you right over to the parking.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Shoot right after the chie you know, the fastest NBC
you know.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
So the fact that this game has so much writing
on it has not been lost on anybody, including Lions
wide receiver I'm Monross Saint Brown. He has a problem
with the way the loser is being penalized in such
a way take a listen.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
That's the craziest I'm thinking about now. It's one of
the craziest rules ever.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
The NFL needs to change into division winners obviously make
the playoffs after that.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Best record from seeding. That's how seat is gonna work.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
Best record, top four teams get you know, one through
four season, all the way down.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Why is he even entertaining that win the game? You
don't have to worry about all of that. I just
hate the idea because this is an anomaly. You know
that this doesn't happen rob not at This just happened
one other time in the NFL. Okay, So here's my
point is it doesn't happen that often, and you want
(11:24):
to make the divisions worth something, right, winning the division
otherwise what would be the point? Then then you're gonna
get rid of all the divisions. That's why you make
it worthwhile. So the NFL is not gonna change anything
because one year the Vikings and Lions happened to each
go fourteen and two.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
I think the only thing that would make it considerate
is we've had the opposite. We've had teams that were
just back when it was sixteen games. But you know,
seven and nine win their division. Cam Newton did that
a couple times where he won the division, like three
years in a row. Two of the three he wasn't
even above five hundred and so that kind of I
can see them saying, if you know, the rules committee
(12:02):
saying that is kind of watch that. But I'm gonna
not reward the Vikings or the Lions in this case
and give the you know, if it were the Panthers
of the you know, say this year, the seven to
nine Panthers, they get to get a bye, I can
see them saying, we want to line it up where
we're trying. I wouldn't want the Vikings or the Lions
to lose to that. Like I want to get the
Vikings or the Lions in the later rounds against the Eagles,
(12:24):
Like I could see them one and again that's not
the best teams, you know later in the in the conference.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Uh. We saw two years ago in baseball that the
best team's got the Bards and they all long.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
But you know, baseball is weird sport with.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Automatic that because especially because it's a one and done football, right,
But I think that that's the only reason why I'm
saying I could see them considering is like, well, now
that we have this, it still only happened twice, That's
what I'm saying. But now that we have that, you're
not hardly ever again twice. Where you're gonna have a
team that be fourteen and three, five seed. That is
(12:59):
absolutely crazy to think about. But but I think the
larger conversation is more so because it just happened the
only second time in history that it makes you go, oh, well,
I never even thought about that because it never happens.
But now that I'm thinking about it, that is kind
of crazy that Lions or Vikings would have to do
all this going the road and you can have a
(13:20):
terrible you know, the Falcons or the Bucks who didn't
have some great season. Now they get fourteen and three,
it doesn't matter, go and beat them. Choice, right, they're
gonna go go beat a team that's seven and nine
or whatever. I mean going the road.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
If you're gonna win a Super Bowl on make it
to the Super Bowl, you're gonna have to face some
challenges we talk about all the time when Eli Manning
won those two super Bowls, or get on the road,
go to Green Bed, Ben Roethlisberger and the did that
once too. Go go where you gotta go and win
the game. When Aaron Rodgers and the Packers won, what
(13:53):
were they a sixth seed?
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Right?
Speaker 5 (13:54):
There were six seed. They went on the road and
they played three rule games a super to get to
get to the Super Bowl. Listen, you can get it done.
And again I just mentioned and I wasn't even you know,
just trying to be funny, like the Lions are undefeated
on the road. They beat Minnesota on the road, they
beat Green Bay on the road, so they're doing right.
(14:15):
So it's not I don't think he's overly worried. I
think it's more of an observation like, oh, shoot, now
that this thing has happened for the second time, and
I guarantee you he doesn't know the first time. I
think it's the first time it's crossed his mind, like,
oh wait a minute.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
But when I first heard it, I thought to myself, Okay,
is this brown like greasing the skids so they lose?
They lose, So then you know what I mean, because
you're putting it out there and then you'll have something
to complain about. And then if the Lions go on
the road right there, Sea and lose to somebody Bucks
or something. Right, then they'll be like, this wasn't fair, right, Oh,
(14:49):
this wasn't fair. We should we were fourteen and three,
we should have had a by or we should have
been this, that and the other thing. That's the part
that I don't like. I just wouldn't have entertained it.
I don't even if he's at asked, dude, the only
thing I care about is Sunday we win the game
and we'll have what we what we worked for all year.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
I do to mind it. I don't mind if he
goes that is kind of wild. Has that ever happened before,
because I'm sure he doesn't know they go, oh, it's
hap me what other time he's like, oh, that is
kind of crazy. But at the end of the day,
we got a team in front of us. We're going
out there to win and smash whoever's in front of us.
That's you know, that's the answer. But remember this is
the era of podcast, It is the air of you know,
I gotta get my stuff out there. Because the first
place he entertained this was on his podcast. This was
(15:30):
the first time that he actually talked about it. And
then obviously the reporters got a hold that say, hey,
you said this before, But I don't think he's overly worried.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I mean, I think this team has been built the
way they.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Are, way the defense is right now what I saw
Brock perty do I'm afraid if I'm a Lions fans, No,
I'm just talking about just in general.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
Listen, but don't break rob Gee. Look at their defense
that I caught him the Detroit Lions. That But that's why.
The only thing I say, and I'm not even saying
lightning is what I'm saying. Their defense here's where you
Here's one thing that I'll say though, And I was
telling Rob g this.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Their defense isn't great right now.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
It was actually really good throughout the season to all
these injuries, but it hasn't been great the last four
or five weeks or so. We all know that injuries.
But the thing you have to do, Vikings or the Rams,
if they were to lose and go face the Rams,
whoever may be, you better keep scoring. The Buffalo Bills.
Did y'all see that game destroying the Lions? Josh Allen
looked like the greatest thing since cy spread.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
And you know how I won the game the Bills. Well,
that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
You better keep scoring because that's the one thing the
Lions are gonna do.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Keep scoring.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
That had the biggest plus differential plus my points differential
in the entire NFL, the number one offense. So I'm
just saying their defense can give you Vikings twenty five
twenty six. You hey, just put it on the board.
Y'all got twenty six, Well, y'all better maybe get to
thirty because this offense is going to score. Jared Goff
is going to produce. They're gonna run the ball, and
(16:59):
they're gonna have t plays and they're gonna score. So
that's the thing. I'm not saying they're unbeatable now because
of this defense, but you.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Got to keep say.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Giving up thirty one plus in three of their last
four game, that's a lot of points they went on
them to try to win.
Speaker 5 (17:12):
How many they win, that don't matter. What do you need,
it don't matter, It doesn't matter. That won twice out
of the four.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
And and you better win them boys are fourteen and two.
All I'm saying is when you look at it as
you get to this.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Out of that, the Vikings aren't like some and you
already beat the Vikings already in there, so they kind
of owe you one, and they this is like.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
You beat hackers. We beat them twice, okay, but this
is the Vikings.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
You'd have won Sam Donald's this and then they got
the coach and you got the defense like they got.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
They got a good defense. That defense is really flores.
I just I don't know, say you butt in Miami.
I'm gotta feeling the Lions might get skunked in this game?
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Is that possible? Thirty one? Nothing is that? Is that too?
Did you just now?
Speaker 5 (17:55):
He went the boy, Rob g we always went a
whole showed out in extreme Rob Parker, I was I
was worried about so I thought it was new Year,
New you for a minute, thank you for coming back
to Earth and giving me a rock stock.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
The minute short because not just they gotta lose thirty one.
Nothing is Jared Gof's gonna throw for two ix.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
It's gonna gamble four times and none of them work.
None of the plays worked three times.
Speaker 5 (18:20):
Fourth and go at the goal line, they're gonna get
stopped three times. Hey, the best part about this, Rob
Gi for the next one is it seventy two hours
or forty eight hours. Rob Parker is about to be
a Sam Donald fa hating on them all year. Boy,
you about to have a Sam Don to believe I
got his jersey at home. I can't wait to see
(18:40):
you with your Sam Donald palm palms. Where are you
watching the game? I might pull up? Oh you not,
I might pull up. I can't watch games like that.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Nah, I might pull up on you because the last
time we had that what was that playoff game where
where Tom Brady threw the interception against the Chiefs and
who is it?
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Ford lined up? Do you remember? I can't remember what
was his first name? D four? You remember lined up offside?
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Yeah, that was a game losing interception and it got
called back and I could not believe. We were all
out at a sports bar. That's what Chris was used
to hang out with, living out here in LA and
all that, and we all went. It was like twenty
of us. I was so sick. I was like, I
can't watch games. I had to walk out. I walked out.
Speaker 5 (19:25):
Chris was like you disappeared because you know it was
a Brady and all that. You say, Yeah, I need
a smoke break, Rob, you don't even smoke.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, I need it one after that? Tell you yeah, whatever,
I'll text you. I'm gonna pull up.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
Mark Stein Fox Sports Radio, NBA Inside in the Steinline
on Substack to break it all down.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Happy New Year to you, Mark, Thanks for joining us.
What's up.
Speaker 7 (19:58):
The not So Old Cup? Well? I apologize if it's loud.
I'm at getting ready to watch the Calves and MAVs
in Dallas, so it's a little bit louder than it
should be. But hopefully it's not too bad.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Now.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
No, you've got a good photo. It sounds great. It stinks.
No Kyrie to night, huh.
Speaker 7 (20:13):
You know, I mean, look, the MAVs are the MAVs
have a billion health issues right now. I'm men, no Luca,
no Kyrie. But honestly, honestly, I got I gotta tell you, Rob,
it's my first look at the Calves in person all year, right,
And I know I know you guys want to talk
Tommy Butler, but I'm I'm, I mean, the Calves are
such a good story that no one is talking about.
I mean, they're on a seventy two and ten pace ridiculously.
(20:37):
I'm really looking forward to seeing these guys for the
first time from up close.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
All right, let's go with the Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
I'm not surprised that the pat his comments yesterday to
the media didn't sit well with pat Riley a new organization,
because he sounds like he wants his joy back, so
basically said that he didn't really want to be there.
Give us some details on what's going on here.
Speaker 7 (21:04):
Well, I would actually say that this is playing out
probably unlike it would anywhere else. I mean, it started
the day after Christmas when pat Riley came out with
a very forceful statement and said we are not trading
Jimmy Butler. And a week later, Jimmy Butler has publicly
acknowledged that. You know, he was flat out as can
(21:26):
you get your joy back as a member of the Heat, right,
he said probably not? And the Heat respond today with
a seven game suspension for conduct detrimental team to the team.
And you just don't see that in the NBA. You
don't see a team willing to take such a hard line,
(21:47):
and it just kind of illustrates that, you know, the
Heat operate the way they operate, and they're never going
to change. But you know, this thing, I would say
still has a lot of twist in turns to go
because although the Heat now are saying, you know, as
part of their statement tonight, they said we will now
field trade offers for Jimmy Butler, but the reality is
(22:09):
there are a lot of there's a strong case to
be made that waiting until the summer is the right move.
So I don't know that we're going to see a
Jimmy Butler trade between now and the trade deadline on
February sixth. It's far likelier that it's going to stretch
into the offseason.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
See, I'm with you, Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Basically, he's trying to strong on the Miami Heat to
give him one hundred million dollars or whatever he wants,
and they refuse to be a part of that. I
would I wouldn't make a move now, Kelvin I will.
I mean, that's that's too. I don't care if you
Lebron d Wade, whatever you were. Now, Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
But let me ask you this, Mark, I'm not asking
you to be the president of the Players Association, but
do you think there's anything where they can say, hey,
seven games for what show us what Jimmy did that
warranted this suspension?
Speaker 7 (22:57):
Yeah? I think they will. They will at least look
at it and run that ground ball out to see
if there is any appeal that can be filed because agains.
You know, you don't often see a team suspend a
player for seven games. But look, this just happened, and
you know what kind of options the union has. I
(23:20):
think we're you know, I think they're still trying to
ascertain is there any mechanism for them to try to
push back on this? But like I said, you know,
one way or the other. You know, I don't think
we were going to see Jimmy on the court for
the heat after what happened these last few games and
last night's press conference. So like I said, this is
(23:43):
this is a saga with lots more twists in turn.
And yes, the trade deadline is February sixth, but again,
I mean the heat, there's you know, the heat. Can
they want maximum flexibility, so they're not just gonna like
you know, there was all to talk about Phoenix. You know,
(24:03):
Phoenix would love Jimmy Butler, and they would, the Suns would.
But the only way the Suns could do it is
by offering Bradley Beal, and the Sun, I mean, the
Heat don't want Bradley Bial's contract. Bradley Beal has one
hundred and ten million left on that deal after this season.
So I think Miami will continue to be judicious and
(24:23):
patient and try the best they can to trade Jimmy
Butler on their term if they can pull that off.
Speaker 5 (24:31):
Mark Stein our guest Fox Sports Radio NBA Insider, the
Stein Line and of course the Steinline on Substack joining
us now the Yat couple, Rock Parker, Kevin Washington.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Hey, I love Charles Barkley going after JJ Reddick.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I did because JJ Reddick was the one who threw
it out there that.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
They're the reasons that people aren't watching the NBA because
they criticized the product.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
How surprised were you did, Charles? And of course Ernie
of course was trying to do the high AI.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
Yes, move on to the highlights during it, but they
made for some good TV.
Speaker 7 (25:05):
Well, look, I mean that show is in a class
by itself. It's been in a class by itself for decades.
But remember I already told you this last week. I
know you don't want to believe me, Rob Parker, but
I promise you we are just the ratings. Like the
whole ratings discussion, I promise you rating TV ratings have
(25:28):
never met left. I know you don't want to believe me,
but no.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
You know what, this is my problem. I'm okay because Mark,
here's my problem. You're saying that with the NBA, okay,
but all they talk about is the NFL TV ratings,
even though there we see plenty of bad games, okay,
and we know gambling is big with the NFL.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
And then people throw it down.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Baseball's face because baseball is one hundred and sixty two
games in the NFL is seventeen and they want equal
rating for each game. But nobody ever says, well, how
can you compare one baseball game compared to one NFL game?
Wouldn't it be ten games to one? You know what
I mean to TV ratings. But now it's okay. The
(26:15):
NBA's waitings are down, and waitings don't matter, but they
matter for baseball and NFL as all people talk about
a TV waiting, So which one is?
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Well?
Speaker 7 (26:24):
I guess I have a different perspective on it because
I feel like, and you know, we're both old enough
to remember this. You know, in the late seventies the
dialogue was so strong about the NBA is on the
verge of going out of business. Yes, and since then,
since the late seventies, until Magic and Burd came into
the league, and even after they did, what's wrong with
(26:47):
the NBA? It's just it is. It is a question
that is constantly posed. It's a national sport unto itself,
and that's that's why this dialogue even exists. Because I
just feel like people are what's wrong with the NBA
the minute ratings are done, what's wrong? What's wrong? The
NBA had a great Christmas? So what does that mean?
Did it all get fixed in a week? I mean again,
(27:08):
like I said, it's an antiquated way of evaluating how
people are following a sport, at least on my scorecard.
I know many don't agree, but that's my perspective.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
Look, I think it's somewhere mark in the middle, and
that NBA by far dwarfs all the other American sports
leagues when it comes to social media, engagement, views.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
And all that. So I can kind of get where
you're going from.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
But I do think we all agree that there are
some issues with just stylistically and also narratives and storylines.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
We're kind of missing that.
Speaker 5 (27:39):
Let me go back to something we started with, where
you are at getting ready to see the MAVs in
Cleveland the Cavaliers. You mentioned something, you said the Cavaliers,
nobody really talks about them, and that's a great point.
What do you think it is that would need to happen?
I mean, they got some good stars Downavig Mitchell Garland.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Why aren't we talking a couple they need it?
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Just a couple of years ago, they didn't talk about
the Denver Chicken ull gets all year until they want
to say season winning.
Speaker 7 (28:06):
It's a great question, and I'm just as guilty as
the next pundit for not talking about them enough, because again,
I'm going to say it, twenty nine to four, seventy
two win pace. And I was one of the naysayers.
I was one of the guys coming into this season
who thought their core four doesn't fit. They're finally going
(28:27):
to trade someone and you know, Kenny Atkinson as the coach.
It's not going to make that much of a difference.
And I couldn't have been more wrong. And the only
soul as I have is that I'm not alone. A
lot of us got this wrong in assessing this Cleveland team.
And what's been so good for them is they've increased
their three point volume each successive month of the season.
(28:49):
And the best thing they're doing is they've reduced Donovan
Mitchell's workload to thirty one and a half minutes per games.
It's the least Donovan Mitchell's ever played, and he's going
to be so much fresher in the postseason, in such
a better position to do damage in the postseason. And
you gotta give Kenny Atkinson a lot of credit. There's
(29:09):
been some great coaching jobs in the NBA this year,
like Jamal Moseley with all the injuries, Orlando's Face Hylu
with where he has the Clippers.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
I think was one of the best coach.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
On the floor for one second. But I'm telling you,
Tenny Atkinson clinch Coach of the Year in the NBA
without fifteen and O start like he is going to
win Coach of the Year and this Cavs team. Like
I said, i'm i'm I can't say it enough about
how good they've been.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Honestly, here's Mark Stein. Hey go enjoy the game. Happy
New Year to you.
Speaker 7 (29:44):
All right, guys, we'll catch up soon.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Be good.
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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