Revenge Of The Nerds

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
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(00:26):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All Yeah, it is
The I Couple. I'm Chris Brusar next to my main man,
Rob Parker, and you can follow us on Twitter. Yours
truly is at Chris Underscore brus Art and Rob can

(00:47):
be found at Rob Parker FS one. As always, we're
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a free rate quote. And we've are just what twenty
minutes away rib from the start of Game two of

(01:08):
the World Series. Yea an hour away from the start
of Game two of the World Series. Obviously a big
game coming up for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who fell
behind one oh a last night in Boston. They need
to win the night will get to that. We also
got some great guests coming up. We will be joined

(01:31):
in about thirty minutes by former All Pro running back
Maurice Jones Drew, now an NFL Network analyst, so that's
gonna be great talk all things NFL. And then the
second hour Marcellus Wiley, another former All Pro, but this
time at defensive back and of course now television and

(01:51):
radio personality, host of Speak for Yourself on FS one
and author of a new book called Never Shut Up
that's in stores now. He'll be in studio with us
for a couple of segments to talk about his book
and again all things in NFL. And then of course
coming up in the third hour, the Hot Seat as

(02:12):
always on Wednesday, and we've got Jonas Knocks. We're gonna
be roasted him and Marshmallows, yes, yes, he will be
in trouble. I'm glad he came back. He was on
the Hot Seat once before and did a good job
but still got roasted. And he had the guts to
come back today and try his luck. So that'll be fun.

(02:34):
So make sure you stay tuned. And now welcome in
my man, my partner, mister Rob Parker. What's happening, Chris
brusso great man, how are you? We did something today
that I don't think you didn't even do it right.
We tried something I never thought I would try. We're
at a meeting today, like the sub advertising sales meeting,

(02:54):
and they had vegan donuts called I don't know where
the fox five phone nuts we can get, Alex And
you know what it's because it's fake donuts in a sense,
like it doesn't have the real eggs or milk, so
they call them phone nuts. Have you ever had one? Oh?
They're great. I loved it. I got to say three
or four of them, but I ate two and didn't

(03:16):
feel full. And ironically, last night I was dying for
a donut. You know, they got this great donuts spot
out here now the universe wanted to go go there,
said you were gonna go get Yeah, I didn't. I
fall off the temptation. I'm trying to, you know, drop
a few LB's I got you, but the phone nuts.
Until I heard how expensive they were, I was like, oh,

(03:38):
this is my new dessert. But they're expensive, so it's
all real ingredients, so it's not cheap. It's like it's
it was delicious, though I had a chocolates a dozen
or something. It's thirty dollars for a dozen. Yeah, it's
easy digestible, though, Man, it's good stuff. I can find
other things. So I tried. I tried to piece and
I was like, okay. First I said I wasn't going

(03:59):
to do it. Tried it and I was like, that's
not bad. I had the double chocolate one. You only
had the piece, and then I got a second piece.
I can't remember what the second one was. I don't remember,
but it was good. It's very good. I was actually
impressed against like vegan stuff because you, like you said,
you were, like what you've told yourself. I'm never trying that,

(04:20):
Like why because I just I why not just try it?
I just don't want like fake stuff, like fake fake
it's plant based. It's better for you, right stuff, right,
I don't know, yeah, like donuts a real stuff. I
want the real stuff. I want the lord and the
and the yeast and the bad stuff. Otherwise you're such

(04:40):
a health conscious, you know. I try to keep yourself
in good shape. I try to eat right, you know.
I mean, just don't eat a lot and don't eat
laid and stuff. I'm not perfect, but I just try.
I had like a double burger today, lettuce wrap, no
bun because the bread is bad for you. So I
just had that and I'll just cut up the burger
and the lettuce with a little catchup and pickles and onions,

(05:03):
and that's it. I haven't had anything to eat since
accept those phone nuts. Is that it? Yeah? All right? Well, Chris,
we got a big show. Can't wait talk about so
many things. Game two of the World Series, obviously the
Dodgers needed. But let's welcome in the odd couple crew
because we wouldn't be able to do this fine radio
program without them. And let's say hello to of course

(05:25):
Rob g our producer, Alex engineer, Deb Carson, our anchor,
she'll keep us updated. And Kyla this she is our
interned all on the other side of the glass. On
this Wednesday, Chris was sorry, let's kick some ass on
this radio show. And yes, indeed, and let's get to

(05:45):
the World Series. Obviously that's the biggest story going on
right now in sports. And Rob, I watched that game
last night, Yes I know you did too, And what
I saw was it the seventh inning paid Joe Bias
had thrown gas. It's straight heat, Yes, Mos down two

(06:08):
Red Sox batters with his high fastballs that they went chasing.
And then Dave Roberts, Oh, I'm sorry, did I say that?
Is it even? But? Is it even? On Dave Roberts.
He was looking at his little analytics book. I don't
know if he got, you know, a call from on

(06:30):
high whatever, whether it was the front office, whether it
was Dave Roberts, whether it was both of them. He
made an analytical move and removed Bias from the game,
put in Alex Wood because he wanted the lefty righty matchup,
and the rest is history. The Red Sox hit a

(06:54):
home run run home run to put the game and
then at that time it was what five four right right,
and that Jeff score to run the move with the
move close one that the game is in. The oh
unit is a bloop and a blast. You would win
that game. You could easily win that game. And that
just you know what. I get the analytics I do.
I don't want to sound like I'm a dinosaur, and

(07:15):
I don't understand some of the matchups. Crest, I get it,
but sometimes you gotta have a gut a field. Somebody's
pitching well, even though it's lefty right and all that
other stuff. The guy has was throwing gas. He was
pitching well. Sometimes Jeff to have an eye test and say,
I know I should go with the left handed pitcher here,
but you know what he's throwing so well, I'm gonna

(07:37):
stick with him. I don't want anybody else on the
mount but by is because he's pitching well enough to
be able to make it happen and get that final out,
and it didn't happen. That's exactly right. And none other
than Alex Rodriguez agrees with you and me. I'm clavergasted
by that move. And look, we always talk about a
point guard. In order to be good, you have to

(07:58):
see the floor. A manager has to do the same thing.
What metric are they previewed that you take out bias,
who's dominating faces two hitters, strikes them both out. It
didn't make any sense. Scripted baseball. That's not working October.
It could work on the season. Scripted baseball does not
work in October. This is why a Rod is on

(08:21):
ESPN and Fox Sports one and doing nobody unprecedented. Okay,
people could hate on him all he wants Unprecedented Chris,
you've been we both worked for both networks. Right, he's nobody,
He's terrific, and he's not afraid to say the move
made no sense. He could be friendly with Dave Roberts

(08:42):
or what everyone do and they don't want to hurt
Dave roberts feelings or whatever. That is a real analyst
right there who called it the way season, Oh question,
he was right on the money. I don't know if
anybody was watching to say a rod is as real
as it comes there. It didn't make sense. There is
no way ten years ago, maybe even six years ago,

(09:06):
that a picture who he's looking that good, dominating, dominating?
You take him out? Why because some analytics told you?
And I'm getting tired of it, Rob, And I'm like you,
I understand the place of analytics. You're never going to
just completely say you don't need number, discount the science

(09:30):
and so on and so forth. But analytics is a
piece of the puzzle. It is not the whole puzzle.
And it's not just baseball, it's the NBA. Sam Hinkey
tried to run the Philadelphia seventy six ers based entirely
on analytics and where they give them. They were horrible. Now.

(09:50):
I know you can say, oh, well they got Ben,
let's see exactly, Let's see how well that works out.
Those are two guys that look they'll be stars. But
remember they also drafted Nerlands nowell, where's he? And jalil
Oka for two they had. They ended up so many
times in the lottery that they finally got lucky and

(10:11):
got two guys who looked like they could play, two
guys who've been hurt too. So I don't want analytics.
You should have an analytics department, but your baseball operations
or your basketball operations should not be run entirely based
on analytics. I'm getting sick of it. Eight seven, seven
ninety nine on Fox eight seven seven nine nine six

(10:34):
sixty three sixty nine. Give us a call. Do you
like this analytics stuff? Do you think it's gone too far? Rob?
I'm sorry, don't. I don't know if it's gonna offend anybody,
but it's revenge of the nerds. It it's a bunch
of nerdy dudes out of anything about sport. If sorry,
it's playing it at any level. You don't have to

(10:56):
be a pro. We didn't play pro, you know, we
didn't play big time college baseball, don't baseball. Some feel
there are analytest guys. I believe they can't watch a
game and tell you what's happened, No from from knowledge.
They can just tell you about the numbers. And it
is revenge of the nerds, the guys that never got
picked to play on the playground, and they were upset,

(11:18):
and they were maybe unfortunately they were bullied. I don't
justify that they were, you know whatever. They weren't the
popular kids, the cool kids, the end crowd, like the jocks.
But now they're they've taken over sports and they like it.
And it's gone too far, no doubt about it. And
as for all the Billy Bean, you know, they give

(11:40):
them so much props on all that. Can you tell
me the championships that the Oakland Age won with Billy
Bean's running that analytics stuff? No zero? And so everybody, oh, well,
you guys are dinosaurs. You're living in the past, and
you know you gotta have the right matchups. RBIs don't matter,
wins don't matter. They got all these different things that
are tell you, oh, no, walks and run scored matter,

(12:04):
strikeouts don't matter. They got all this other stuff and
it's been killing it's been killing baseball. It's killing the
game because I'm I'm telling I don't recognize the game anymore.
Rob g Our, producer just said. Dave Roberts, obviously the
manager for the Dodgers. Jess used the phrase on the
MLB network. Trust the process. Stop Stop. I'm a hinky disciple.

(12:29):
But here's all these guys, and then it's the other one.
If you don't want to play ball their way, they
won't look at all the older managers who they got
rid of. Remember we went they all John Farrell want
to win a championship with the Red Sox. They got Baker,
Dusty Baker's out of a job. Joe Girardi's out of
a job. Uh, we just saw um, Mike Sosher's out

(12:50):
of a job. And Buck Showalters out of a job.
And who's the Mets manager? I just uh just this year, no,
two years ago, just got fired. Uh, I just forgot
his name. But but they another one, another older guy
who they got rid of. Um, and this is where
we are now. They don't want those guys anymore. They
want these young guys. They want to be able to

(13:11):
hand you there, and they're not that's why they're not
paying these man No, they don't want to pay them.
They don't believe the manager has anything to do with it.
It's so bad here. Analytics led to what we saw
last night, or an over emphasis when the analytics because
again I'm not saying it doesn't have its place, but
it led to what we saw last night with Newon

(13:32):
Yas taking taking Alex Wood deep and ending Game one
for the chances for the Dodgers. It led to the
Houston Rockets missing twenty seven straight three pointers in the
Playoffs Championship Converence Finals against the gold Stake words, how
can they shot straight three I'm not straight because they

(13:54):
believe you should only shoot a three pointer or something
in the pain. And let me say this for all
the analytics lytics heads out there who are getting upset
with Rod Parker and me in terns of the NBA,
they love the Golden State Warriors. They say, the Golden
State Warriors are the team that you know, revolutionize basketball.
And that's true. With the three point shooting and all that,

(14:15):
the Golden State Warriors don't shoot too many three pointers.
Last year they were around twenty fifth in the league.
The pointers attempted. They were first in three point percentage,
but they want in the amountains. Kevin Durant is a
mid range killer. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and Draymond

(14:36):
Green and Durant, they all get backdoor layouts. They get
tons of backdoor layouts, off cuts. They don't over extend
themselves just to shoot the three pointers. People should learn
from that their balances and guess who else is balanced.
The Boston Red Sox right now, probably the best team
in baseball. They don't they use analytics. They don't go

(14:56):
they don't. Yeah, they don't go overboard. We've seen We've
seen them make move that go against analytics that have
worked out for them. You know what I mean? Well,
against the Yankees that series rock hole they play him in.
He gets this for the cycle, for the cycle in
the in the playoffs. And Terry Collins as the manager,
I was was taking enough of the Mets. He another
one older guy. All these older guys, they're done. They

(15:18):
don't want those guys anymore if you're not willing to
take their information from upstairs. And when the when the
Astros won the World Series last year, Chris aj Hingston,
manager didn't make out the lineup at all. The lineup
was handed to him from upstairs. Can you imagine one
of these old guys doing that. Never would happen, to
believe eight seven seven ninety nine On Fults, you want

(15:40):
to hear from you? Are you in on the analytics? You?
Are you buying it? Eight seven seven nine nine, six
sixty three sixty nine. Give us a call. We'll continue
the conversation with you. It's the eye couple of Fox
Sports Radios. It has its place, but there's times like
last night when Bayas is pitching great, just leave, men,

(16:00):
don't don't, don't put out the fire yourself. Eight seven
seven ninety nine On Fox Chris, We're gonna start with
Steve in Orlando. You're on the odd couple of Fox
Sports Radio. How you doing, Steve good good? Hey, don't
rip it too soon. It goes in the cycle. C
Ostein is the one to blame. Remember he was heavy
into analytics and he won a World Series with both

(16:22):
Bostin and the Cubs. But you know, now, like Live
at the Red Sox, now they're not really using it
as much, and so it will go back and people
will start copying winners. Right. But Steve, here's here's the
point that Chris and I have and we're together on
this today, is don't you have to even if you
got the analytics and you have to the binder with

(16:43):
the numbers, don't you have to look at bay As
and say, he's pitching great r he's dominating due, he's
on top of his game, no question, That's that's all
we're talking about. You heard Alex Rodriguez, he said analytics
don't work in October. Yes, look at the New York
Yankees help big time in the analytics. Haven't won the

(17:03):
World Series since two thousand and not talking about almost
a decade, and have been had great regular seasons based
on analytics hit games just past year. But in October,
like a Ryan said, the analytics don't always work because
the human element is even greater in October. A lot
of people, right, first time of the year, we see

(17:26):
Lebrons ain't the best basketball player in the world, have
issues in the postseason against Dallas in twenty eleven that
you know, not to be able to foresee. You could
not foresee that any circumstance. So if you're just looking
at the numbers, you you can't look at things like that.
Kobe Bryant, when you you roped the other day he
refused to shoot against Phoenix. Right, whether analytics gonna say
about that, he just said, he's playing hot potato with

(17:48):
the right I mean, so you you have to go
by your gut and let's go to Nieman in Montana. Nieman,
welcome to the Odd Couple. Hey, what's up guys, Thanks
for having me on again. Listen, Analytics are great to
know what works in certain situations, but it's only what
worked for the last game. Now. My thing with analytics
is that if you did the same thing against the

(18:08):
same team three times in a row, they're gonna have
those same stats as well. So they're gonna say, hey,
they beat us here, here, and here, this is how
we're gonna defend it. And if you don't change it
up a little bit, if you don't go with your
gut feeling in that second, in that moment, they're gonna
beat you because they've already got a game plan to
go against everything you've already been doing them over the past.
So that's true. That's true as well. Thanks for the

(18:28):
phone call, appreciate it. What about Jerome in South Carolina.
You're on the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What
you got, Jerome worried about the Dodgers having a left
down the night. That was a big blue that took
up to get them close to him. And then they
have a guy coming to the three run homer like
that that kind of took to win out of the sales.
So I'm worried about them. I left on the night

(18:51):
you calling give them? You know what? Hey, Jerome, You're
right about they were. They were one run down in Boston,
and now did you give up? You give up a
three run pinch at home run? You know what I
mean with somebody comes off the bench Cole and knocks
the game out of your out of your reach. That's
a big blow. They had the momentum, they had a
chance to win that game and it was taken away.

(19:13):
I just it must win tonight, absolutely a must win.
Can't go down. You're not beating them four of the
next five games, right. And here's the other thing. Remember,
let's go back just one year ago, Dodgers beat the
Astros at home in Game one. Astros came back, remember
was the home run in the ninth inning, and then
they wanted an extra innings and they beat the Dodgers.

(19:35):
In game two, they split and went to Houston. And
I'm telling you it's the same thing. You can't fall
down oh two, because then your margin for error is
so small. Four. You got five games left. You need
to win four. You can't. You just don't if you
split going back to Los Angeles and then you have
the next three games. Remember it's two three, two. You're
in the driver's seat if you split in Boston, Yeah,

(19:56):
it's a big game. Well, Rob, I gotta run this
by you, and I know won't like it, but you're
a big boy. No, it's Hey. The ratings last night
for game one, and I mean this is you would
think a TV's dream matchup with Boston, big market historic
franchise against the La Dodgers, big market historic franchise going

(20:20):
for its first World Series in thirty years for World
Series Championship, and the ratings were the lowest since two
thousand and fourteen. Why why do you think that is?
I don't know, and I just want to put it
in context. The numbers. The numbers were last night ten
point one I think in fourteen the Cubs, right, is

(20:42):
that the Cubs. It was ten point two and last
year was ten point one, so it's in the ballpark.
He didn't like. I don't want people to think that
it dropped off the table, but you would have thought
I would have thought, no doubt. What Dodgers and Boston.
Boston's a big city. Not numbers, but it's a big market.
And you know the Red Sox fans all over exactly

(21:02):
all over the country. We know that, and the Dodgers
are a big, big market. I'm surprised. It'll be interesting
to see Game two and I if it was compelling,
did it drop off last night and after the home run?
Did debt alter it? If it was a five four
game and close at the end where people have stuck around.
I don't know. I don't know all the things about
the ratings, but I will say I was when when

(21:25):
when that story Rob g showed us that sent that
to us today. I was surprised that it went down
and it wasn't even at least equaled what they did
a year ago, or you know what I mean, because
the Dodgers and Astros and I know Houston's a big market,
but again, it's kind of like think thought of as
a as a mid market, not a big market. But
there's there's a lot of talk about baseball being a

(21:46):
regional sport now, and you would have thought that these
two teams could, for lack of a better phrase, put
it back on the national map. I mean, because, as
you say, you got Red Sox fans all over the country,
you got Dodgers fans all over the country, and it
just didn't happen. You had two great pictures obviously a
legendary pictures. No no, no, that's a big matchup. And

(22:09):
there's no also Ran in the mix. Those are two stuffs.
It may speak to the lack of star power of
the en of the Major League Baseball's players. I mean,
who were there? We were talking about this before the show.
There might only be like two guys that have that
that are that must see TV personas, not games, but

(22:32):
personas Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper and Mike Troust's the
best player in baseball. But are people gonna tune in
just to see Mike Trout? That Key Betts is great,
but maybe he hadn't gotten that level yet where everybody
knows him. But I also think that stars and thinks
go it's all cyclical. You gotta remember, look at what

(22:53):
you wanted to just be honest about all the players
who have retired over the last seven eight years. When
you talk about a Derek Jeter and the but you
got new stars in the NBA. You get players that retire,
but new guys. But I'm just saying it's sick Nicole,
and it takes a little time for people to get
to know them. I'm just saying, there's a couple of guys.
Mookie Bets is a star, right maybe maybe maybe as

(23:13):
we go on, if he has a big World Series
or something, you know what I mean, he'll be more,
even more of a household name. But there are stars,
they just probably aren't as big household names. Yeah, yeah, Yeah,
it's the Eye couple. Chris Brussar, Rod Parker. We're coming
to you live from the Geico Fox Sports Radio studios.
It's easy to say fifteen percent or more in your
carrent shooters with Geico. Go to Geico dot com or

(23:35):
call eight hundred nine four seven auto. The only hard
part is figuring out which way is easier. And Thursday
Night Football continues this week with the Dolphins versus the
Texans on Fox NFL Network and Amazon Prime Video. And
now we're privileged to be joined by an NFL Network

(23:56):
analysts former All Pro running back, none other than Maurice
Jones Drew m jd. Welcome to the Eye Couple. How
you doing. I'm doing well, guys, how are you? Thanks
for joining us? And you obviously played the majority of
your career all but one year with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

(24:17):
I know you've probably been excited about, you know this
this last year and a half where they've been, you know,
a contender. They've fallen off the map the last few weeks.
What do you attribute that too? Well? I think, first
of all, you know, last year, after playing the way
they did late in the year, the expectations of his
prison for him. So that's been part of it. Everyone

(24:40):
expects him to win every game, which is great. And
so I think now they went through this slump last
year around the same time where Blake Bortles wasn't playing
as well and they were trying to figure it out.
Fournette got banged up a little bit, and and so
you know, normally teams, there are certain teams that go
through slump certain times. I think this is just the time,
the Jaguars kind of go through it. Then they get
their bye week. They normally win in London get their

(25:02):
bye because they go on their stretch. But the reason
I see this year is Fournette's not there. And so
Fournette is a guy because of his running style, his
running ability, he dictates, he dictates the coverage that the
defense is gonna run. They're gonna load the box, they're
gonna play man to man, and it makes it very
simple for Blake Bortles to kind of pick guys apart.
Running crossing rounds are quick routes from different things like that.

(25:24):
With him not being there, now, teams are running different
coverages and they're they're forcing him to hold the ball
a little bit and the pressure are yeah, the pass
rusher is getting to him. So going through and out
all the time, doing those different things is putting that
defense back on the field. Even though they're still playing
well in their ranked one of the top. I think
they've only given up six passing teschdowns this season. You know,

(25:44):
when you're on the field a ton, it's just hard
for a great defense to be great. So they got
to continue to work and I think they'll be fine.
And this is a game normally when they play throughout
the last couple of years, three years, I want to say,
they went into London and they've beaten some good teams,
and so if they can do that, I think they'll
be right back on tracks. Last year, I mean, Blake
Bortles had him, they went to Philadelphia, lit up the

(26:05):
Steelers at home, I mean, and then they were leading
twenty to ten in the AFC Championship Games in New
England and just couldn't get those big third downs that
are necessary. But this year, it seems like he's taking
a couple of steps back and it just seems like
it's time to move on or look at another quarterback.
But the one thing I want to ask is, I
mean Eli Manning. I just don't see him as the answer.

(26:30):
Eli Manning has his own issues. Do you think that
would work in Jacksonville? Well, I don't think they're gonna
they trade for Eli. We have to put the cap
in the space, right, So if you trade for Eli,
you're already paying Blake seventeen. You're gonna be paying another
quarterback around twenty twenty two this year. That's gonna be
too tough for them to do understand that organization and
being there, knowing the pieces there, they feel that they

(26:52):
can win with Blake Burrows. They understand that he's limited
in certain situations, but they know when they can play
the type of football they play where they don't they
don't turn a ball over. And I think that's the
biggest issue is that he's been turned the ball over.
It's either you know, obviously there was a kN City
game where he threw some picks. Last week he had
the fumbles. They know if they don't turn the ball over,
their defense will get him the ball back and they'll
be able to play the field position game. So kind

(27:15):
of that whole benching situation was to get him back
on notice and to get him to understand, like, you
can't turn the ball over when you played well when
that stretch and we never talked about the good Blake Bortles,
but that stretch he had in December where he played
really well, he didn't turn the ball over. He had
zero questions and zero fumbles, right, so they were they
were able to run the ball and really get after
teams that way. So I think again they just want

(27:37):
him to get back to that. Now. Granted, I think
in just in general, the backup quarterback position in the
NFL is horrible, right. I Mean, there's not many guys
that you could say, I need a guy to steal
a game or three for me, And so that position
needs to be, I think addressed more than the starter
because it's football. I mean, it's one hundred percent injury,

(27:58):
you know, regardless of who you are at quarterback. We
seem Aaron Rodgers go down. We've seen a lot of
other guys go down. Your backup quarterback has to be
a capable guy who can come in there and win
you games. And we haven't seen that in the last
ten years. I oh, let me, let me stop. Philadelphia
did it last year, so we haven't consistently in the
last couple of years. So I just think that's the

(28:18):
thing that needs to be You know, if you have
a quarterback and he struggles and you bench them, who
are you benching them for? And can that guy win
you some games? So I think that's just where the
Jags are right now, is they're just trying to get
Blake back on track, getting them, you know, not to
turn the ball over. Hopefully they get four net back
after the bye week and they'll be rolling. And then
there's some teams that they you know, some really good
teams that they play well against, the matchup well against

(28:38):
that we'll get their confidence back. It's the I Couple.
Chris Bruce are Rob Parker. We're joined by NFL Network
analyst Maurice Jones Drew, former All Pro running back and
m J d We understand you've got some information or
some insight into the leveand Bell situation and when he
may be returning into Pittsburgh. So I don't know exactly

(28:59):
when he's going to return. I think a lot of people,
you know, I knew that he wasn't coming back last week.
I mean, it just made zero sense for him to
come back last week because it's a bye week. There's
no reason to go back. So I don't know. I
don't um, you know, when I spoke with him, I
want to say two weeks ago that that wasn't the
plan to come back on the bye week. So I
don't know. I haven't I was spoken with him. I've

(29:19):
actually focused on, uh, trying to get my youth football
team into the playoffs and make some things happen. Every
time I go to work, everyone tried to say like, oh, well,
do you know what's going on? I was like, I
just know whoever that report was from ESPN wasn't right.
So that's why I want to make he wasn't in
the story. But he was never quoting I said that

(29:42):
he was coming back. I never read a quote he
said he was coming back, right, Yeah? That I mean people,
you know, I think sometimes we're in such our business
it's like who can get it first. Sometimes you may
hear something and think like you interpreted a certain way,
and then you know, you want to just make sure.
That's why I've never come out and said an actual date,
because things have changed throughout the course of the year.

(30:03):
I know earlier in the year when he you know,
he was just gonna miss a couple of weeks, but
obviously after some players spoke out, he was frustrated about that,
you know, and so that kind of changed a little bit.
And so he wants to continue to I know, his
goal is long term success, not right now right as
the running back position. We all know this. You can

(30:23):
play running back and you can get hurt tomorrow. I
think he's come out and said that, and so he
wants to make sure that he is compensating the way
that he should be compensated, which I think we all
would compensate him as with the number one offensive weapon
on the field at all times when he's out there,
and Pittsburgh want to compensate him that way, and yet
they want him to come back and play and get
four hundred touches in a year where you're just not

(30:44):
giving him any security. I don't think that's okay. And
so you know, when he does decide to come back,
which I think will be this year, because I feel
like when you look at the rules, you have to
come back by a certain time in order to get
that accredited season this season to be able to go
into free agency, you know he'll be back ready to go.
He's talked about, like you said, the four hundred touches

(31:05):
and all that, and you you were a guy that
was heavily used, you know, in receptions and obviously carries.
In your sixth year, I believe you you had almost
four hundred touches. That was your best year. But then
from there, you know, it was a decline. Just explain
for listeners how a season like that and why a
guy like Levian is concerned and how much toll that

(31:29):
takes on the running backs body because you were still young.
I mean, you were twenty six. But I'll say this,
after I got that rushing title, I held out all year,
all trading camp came back week one. I want to
say about week six, I was leading the league in rushing,
so there was no decline. I just broke my foot
in that situation. That's I mean, that's similar to Earl Thomas.
You land wrong, you step wrong, your foot breaks. That's

(31:51):
the reason why we're holding out because in that situation,
I felt like my production had deserved or warn't more
obviously more cash or money. Um, but when you do
get four hundred touches, and you consistently get four hundred touches,
those are hits that are that your body is only
going to only have a certain amount of hits in
your body that you can take. And so if you're

(32:11):
going to continue like a guy like Lebon, who you know,
was got drafted in the second round, has played well,
been one of the tops back since he's been in
the league, has continue to get better. Um, you have
to start risking. Okay, should I take another four hundred
touch season? And granted I know the pay is X,
but what about the long term security? Right? And then
you then right right after you sign your right after

(32:33):
you say no to your deal, the rams of give
Todd Gurley and not give earned Todd Gurley earned it
a huge deal and then a couple like a month later,
David Johnson gets a deal, right, And so in those situations,
I think Levion is just saying there was no respect
in the in the money that was being offered to me.
I know a lot of people don't want to hear that.
You don't like to hear it. But he called a

(32:53):
worth um and he knows his worth and he understands it,
and you know, he understands that it's better that's for
me to not because Letten, let's all put this out
there too, that he's not holding out. He he's not
under contract. So yes, the pitstom saters have his rights,
but he's not being fined for missing anything. Yeah, he
has it, he doesn't have a he hasn't signed his contract.

(33:15):
So in that situation, you know, Leveyon is saying, I'm
not going to put myself at risk because especially at
the position that gets hit every play to go out
there get hit carried the ball. And I think, you know,
a lot of people think that he's really upset with
James Connor. He has James Connor has nothing to do
with his situation and what he's trying to try to
get accomplished. He's actually applauding for him than what he's doing,

(33:37):
and he understands the opportunity that he's given James Connor
by not being there, and James Connor is doing a
great job of taking advantage of that opportunity. Right. But
when you see week one, James Connor get thirty five
carries or touches, imagine what Leveon Bell would have got
week one. A few to showed up. And so that's
where his mind of thought is, is I have to
protect myself And it's not and it's not the coaches,

(33:58):
because as a coach, you just want to win the game, right,
So you're gonna play, You put your best player out there,
You're gonna try to get in the ball to win
the game. So you you're just putting yourself in that situation,
going out there and obviously putting yourself in harm's way,
no doubt. Marie, thank you so much. We appreciate you,
all right, again. Thursday Night Football continues this week with
the Dolphins and the Texans on Fox NFL Network and

(34:22):
Amazon Prime Video. If Lebron had played as well as
this group of guys, maybe the Lakers would be better
than oh and three. I'll explain. It's Bruce Hart's Big
Six coming up on The Eye Couple. When you're hiring,
you don't want to waste time sorting through dozens of
irrelevant resumes. You want an efficient way to get to

(34:43):
a short list of qualified candidates. That's why you need
Indeed dot Com. Post a job in minutes, set up
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on qualified candidates using an intuitive online dash. Discover why
three million businesses used Indeed for hiring. Post a job

(35:05):
today at indeed dot Com slash hire search for greatness
Search Indeed. 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. It's The I Couple Chris Brusard
and Rob Parker on Fox Sports Radio and it's time

(35:28):
for Bruce Ars Big Six. The Weather girl, are you
ready the heat? Like Lebron, We're going big. It's go town.
It's Brussard's Big six, all right. This week with the
big six, I'm going with the best six players in
the NBA over the first week, the guys who've had

(35:51):
the best start to the season in the first week
of this year's NBA and number six. It's gonna shock you.
Zach Levine, Chicago Bulls guard in his fourth year, has
taken the league by storm. So far. He's averaging thirty
two points a game. Wow, when sixty two percent shooting.

(36:13):
He's a guard, he ain't a big man, a big man,
and he's shooting forty five percent from three. I know
the Bulls haven't won a game, but Zach Levine has
been monstrous. And I was talking to a league executive
the other day. They said I'd rather have him than
Andrew Wiggins. And remember both of them were in Minnesota
and they chose to trade Levine and keep Andrew Wiggins

(36:34):
at number five. Kyle Lowry, now no Kawhi Leonards gone
to Toronto and taking that that country I shouldn't even
say city, but country by storm. But the real driving
force behind their four and old start. Remember they beat
the Boston Celtics. Too. Has been Kyle Lowry. When Kawhi
Leonards sat out a game, Lowry led Toronto to victory

(36:58):
over the Washington Wizards and outplayed John Wall. Lowry twenty
one points, leading the league with and assist with ten
a game, sixty percent, shooting fifty eight percent from three.
Tearing it up. At number four, Yannis Adeti Kumbo Milwaukee.
He's three and old. He's averaging twenty seven points, sixteen rebounds,

(37:19):
and nearly six of games the game. Yeah, they're three
and old. I'm just playing. I mean this, this dude.
I don't know if he can keep it up with
the rebounding, but this is incredible. At number three, Nikola Yokich,
gonna be an All Star this year, leads Denver to
a four and old start, including a victory over Golden's
Denvers for real different good. He fills up the box
score to a seven foot playmaker twenty three points, ten rebounds,

(37:43):
seven assists, sixty one percent shooting fifty percent from trey.
At number two, the Clippers had him let him go.
Blake Griffin off to an enormous start, rob in the
twenty six points, eleven rebounds, almost six six six assists.
The game scored fifty last night and including the game

(38:05):
winning which yes, and a big time when over Philadelphia
dunked posterized Joel embiad in the process, and at number one,
none other than Anthony Davis. This one might have been
obvious to people. The New Orleans Pelicans right now look
like one of the best teams in the league. I

(38:26):
mean they are playing lights out basketball, averaging one hundred
and thirty two points a game. It's unbelievable. Thirty points,
thirteen rebounds, five assists, and three and a half blocks
a game on fifty nine percent shooting. I mean, Anthony
Davis is off the charts this year? Are best player
right now? Are you missing a page from notes where

(38:48):
Lebron I mean he came to LA has not been
supposed to be all about. There are several other guys
I would have mentioned off to a better start than Lebron.
He'll get it together, obviously, but right now he's not
and played like one of the best players in the
league yet. All right, it's the Eye couple of Fox
Sports Radio. It is the Eye Couple. I'm Chris Brussarry
that's my main man, Rod Parker. You can follow us

(39:10):
on Twitter. Yours truly's at Chris Underscore, Bruce sar rob
is at Roy Parker f S one and we're coming
you live from the Gueco Fox Sports Radio Studios. Fifteen
minutes could save you fifteen percent or more in your
car insurants. Visit geco dot com for a free rate quote.
And man, we got a special guest. We had a

(39:31):
special guest in studio yesterday with us. That was Terrell Owens,
and now we got none other. I want to just
say that, dude, I know who y'all talking about when
I say that we're gonna give his government. Marcellis widely
let me let me give the rundown. Y'all know him before,
I know he likes hearing this too. I ain't mad

(39:53):
at me, all right, Former all pro defensive end obviously
in the NFL and now host of Speak for Yourself
on FS one and an author with a new book
that just came out yesterday. Make sure you pick it up.
It's in stores now called The book is called Never
Shut Up. Let's welcome in our man, Marcellis widly man.

(40:15):
It's great to have you in students. Oh man, I
love you guys. You know that, and it is great
to hear it, just because I remember the days where
there was nothing to say after the name. You remember that,
And now we got Marcellis Echo echo Chris, Chris. You
left out one thing. Okay, come on, he's an Ivy leaguer,
graduated from Colombia. Don't he saved that for you? That's

(40:36):
all he did that, you know, hey, Ivy leaguer that
league Jo also graduated from Yeah, yeah he did. I
wish he repped us a little more, had come on
to Columbia, graduated from Columbia undergrad respect. But but those
other two schools are the ones you hear more. I
know you don't hear Columbia as much. Nah. He didn't

(40:58):
have a great experience there, so I get it. But
you know, but that just makes it bigger for us, baby,
because let me ask you this quickly about Columbia because
my daughters, one of my daughters is at penn Ones
at Michigan, and they lived at Columbia, right, and I'm
not I'm just both y'all went there. You were grad
the right grad school for me. The reputation that they

(41:18):
got from people they knew they went there was that
like this is where fund goes to die. What they
said Colombia. They said that our universe is Chicago, which
we visited to. And they said that about Columbia League
schools because my daughter's at Penn and they you know,
they all the schools don't have that rep do you hear?
Rap I lived it all right, So it's true. I

(41:41):
tell you it's economic based. And it's because Columbia is
a smaller campus. It's a quad um only of what
ten blocks maybe at that small town uptown, small student population.
So what happens is you get so comfortable within those
borders and as soon as you step out, two things
hit you. One, how it electic, it is people from

(42:01):
all over the world, Milton Pot you love it. And
then the cost. You're like, wait a minute, I'm in college.
I don't have any money. New York dude. I used
to go to the City Bank on the corner, and
thank god because it was next to a Columbia campus,
you could withdraw ten dollars because if they would have
said twenty minimum, I would have never got my money out.

(42:21):
I only had like eighteen thirty five Every year you
know what I mean. So Columbia because of the location,
I think sometimes scares people. Wait, therefore your fund stays
on campus. Then you start to say, man, the same thing.
You know what else is cool is the restaurant they
used to eat at on Seinfeld is on the corner
of Broadway in like one thirteen. It's really called Tom's,

(42:43):
but they called it Monks on the show. But that's
the exact dynami it was when Seinfeld was huge, probably
oh yeah, big time. Man, it was great. I mean
not only Seinfeld was huge, the East Coast, West Coast
Beef was huge. Yeah. And I'm from Compton, LA, and
I'm in New York and snooping them is crushing the buildings,
and I'm like, I'm not from LA right now, but

(43:07):
i am. And then I go to LA and They're like, yo,
you in New York were biggieing on them guys. And
Lauren Hill went to our school and we used to Oh, man,
it was an amazing dollars show. So I saw Dave
Chappelle's first comedy show ever for a dollar run. DMC
came through Onyx Lords in the underground. Huge acts would
come through Columbia because it's New York City for one dollar. Man,

(43:30):
I saw so many great acts at the time. Tell
us about the book, what made you write it? And really,
I mean, obviously we want people to read it, but
just give us a little taste of what we get
if we bought the book and read it. Yeah. I
think five years ago a publisher came to me and said, Hey,
your story is amazing. We want to tell it to
the masses. But I thought that they were coming in

(43:50):
a way that it was going to be a third
and goal Super Bowl glory, typical football book. Didn't want
to write that. Man, I don't want to talk the
typical experience. But then that kind of parlayed into what
it actually is, which is a memoir to inspire. Um.
I was born in a place where the stats and
the circumstances told you you wouldn't make it. And I

(44:12):
was a guy who at a young age put the
cape on, said I'm responsible for not only myself but
my family, and it's time to get up out the hood.
And so I used my only two tools I had
in my belt, which was my athletic success and my
academic eagerness, and I just said, I'm always gonna be
this balancing that to get out the hood. Then I
got to Columbia, so all the naysayers in the Hood

(44:33):
was like, Wow, this dude went to an Ivy League school.
We didn't even think he was gonna make it out
the hood. And then I'm at Columbia, and they shifted
all of a sudden. They said, You're not gonna make
it to the NFL to the worst school ever for
football because Columbia lost. What did you think like when
you went to Columbia. Were you thinking I'm gonna get
a great education and be you know, whatever or something else,

(44:57):
or were you really thinking I'm going to the NFL
through Columbia. Yeah, man, great question, because I had to
be responsible with my decision. I wasn't the typical seventeen
year old saying I'm going to the football factory. I
was recruited to football factory. Yeah, but I couldn't go
there because too many of those guys came back to
the hood. Too many of those guys didn't make it

(45:18):
in the real world. They had great careers and then
you look up they're either broke or going through the
same adversity that they did before they even made it
to the league. So I had to make a responsible choice,
and that was to give me the best safety net
possible based on my decision. So I had to play
the long game. I couldn't play the four years and
Rose Bowl game. I had to play when I'm done

(45:40):
playing football, if it's in four years or if it's
in a decade of playing pro. I got to open
up doors with my resume, and I couldn't go to
a factory for that. And you know what, when you
go to schools like Columbia, there's so many people we
just were talking who you know are in these spots,
you know, in these big corporate and they do open doors. Well,

(46:02):
oh you went to Columbia, Columbia. I mean, it just
changes things for you once you once you graduate from absolutely, man,
you're presumed intelligent. I mean, I don't even have to
tell you by GPA. I'm having these casual conversations with
people on the airplane, walking down the street, and you know,
we all know how it goes when it comes to
perceptions and stereotypes. Big black Compton football player. Man, that doors,

(46:26):
damn they're closed. And when you say where you're graduating,
way it changes man, high brows hit the top of
their head right, Columbia, and everything else shifts and then
all of sudden we're having different conversations about more meaningful things.
So that's why I had to go to see you.
What did you studying? Like, if you hadn't gotten to
the NFL, what would you be doing? You know, now
you're a broadcast obviously, but did you major in communications

(46:48):
and want to do all right? I was going to
be a school teacher at most, a dean. I love
the Fork in the Road kid still to this day.
In part why I wrote the Book of Inspiration is
for that kid, because I was one of those kids.
I was one of those kids that had the gunshots
go right by me. I was one of those kids

(47:10):
that had the families in the gang and all that
stuff was hitting me at home. I was one of
those kids that it could have went right or it
could have went wrong. And I want to always grab
that kid and say, do the right things, play the
long game, persevere through this, and more importantly, never shut up.
Like the title of my book, Your Essence, my world
kept telling me who I was, and I was like, nah,

(47:31):
I'm something else. And I was around people who had
low ambition. We all know about the drugs, the gangs,
the poverty and competent in South Central but no one
talks about the low ambition. People not living out their
fullest desires. They're going to jobs, not careers, and their
spirit is getting dimmer by the day. That's why cats

(47:52):
be living on the edge. When I grew up, like
I'll just be in a grocery store, somebody snapped and
I'm like, why is everybody on this emotional edge? Is
because they're not living there fulfilled life. So I just
had to get out of that. Do you remember it?
Was it Hollywood Shuffle was the movie? Do you remember
that movie? And the grandmother the whole way they were
they were they were trying to be movie producers, right, yeah,

(48:13):
and the grandmother she kept saying the same thing over there,
you know, there is work at the post remember, And
that was the whole line. But that's how a lot
of people think. But what are you talking about. You're
trying to be a movie producer. You better go down
to the post office and get a job, and then
you live these miserable lives. And I'm not knocking anybody
as a postman, no, but you know, what I'm saying,
because you don't dream first, you don't go out that

(48:34):
There's all I always used to say, there's always working
the post office. The other way around, you go and
dream big, you can't and if you can't make that thing,
there's always that other job. You know why. It's crazy
that you said that. Okay, So I grew up and
everybody in my family I'm not talking about my mother
and father, everyone light company, you know, just utility jobs.
Guess where my mother worked, well, post off that rust

(48:57):
when my dad worked. Wow, you want saying. So when
you say that, I know what I mean. No, and
I take it the right way. I was a youngster
who realized that my mom and dad never dreamed of
the reality that they're living. And that's okay, but it's
time for me to start dreaming. And I put all
this on my back, and like I said, I had
to be responsible with my choices. Do you you know

(49:19):
I grew up in the Midwest, and all I knew
about Compton was what I heard from NWA. Right, So
I had this view, especially on this show right now
and I'm here, you know, I had this view of
what Compton was like, and then over the course of

(49:39):
my life, I've met I M I know probably eight
people from Compton, uh, not even including you, that I
know personally, that are all doing well, like journalists, photographers, doctors.
Does I know like you you mentioned some of it
gunshots going by your stuff. But does Compton get somewhat
of a bad Is it as bad as people perceive,

(50:02):
you know, outside of Compton or outside of California maybe,
or are there kind of two Comptons or you know,
tell me about it? Yeah, all right, So first, it
depends on when you were born and when you were
raised in Compton. So I'm preing in WA. I'm born
in nineteen seventy four. So when I'm going through my
rearing years, it's the eighties, early eighties given in Wa

(50:24):
to material that they're going to write about in the
late eighties, right, So gang violence, the drugs, all the
poverty wasn't glamorized. It wasn't storybook. It was just WHOA,
this is the reality and it's hell. So crips and
bloods were really crips and bloods. I'm talking about borders,

(50:45):
like if you cross that street, you literally thought I
may get killed if I wear this. Jordan sweatsuit. I
literally are gonna get jacked at minimum or get killed.
I didn't wear red ever, because I was like, I
am not getting smoked over some hat and it's craziness.
So then in wa Hits and all of a sudden,

(51:06):
now you're like, people think it's cool, some people think
it's fashionable, some people think it's old. Its like intimate reporting,
and I'm like, no, that was reality, and it's shifted.
It got harder in some respects, and it got easier
in some respects because now the fakers who thought it
was cool kind of diluted it. And it was all
right for me because it made it more peaceful, it

(51:26):
felt like. But the point of it is growing up
in Compton. The best way I could say it is
you're in a race and there is some monster behind
you called just issues, drugs, gangs, poverty, whatever it is,
and it's gonna eat those who can't outrun it. But
those who do survive that race and outrun it, oh man,

(51:49):
we ready for the world. You're already, good man. It's
just an inspiring story when you just talk about it,
because a lot of people grew up that same way,
and you could take a path you know, there's a
path that you could either go that way. It's very easy.
Most people give in because giving in is the easiest route.
Right now, you don't expect anything from me. My parents

(52:11):
didn't do anything, you know what I mean. You're can
make all the excuses in the world. My brother didn't
turn out, so I should fall in that same pattern.
And a lot of people aren't willing to fight, and
you gotta fight for really what you want in your beliefs.
The other thing like that, like that, like this is
what I want. I don't care what came before me.
I don't care what other people are doing. This is
what I want. Yeah, I had a grandmother who raised
me in the church. And regardless of your religious beliefs,

(52:33):
if you have them or not, one thing that really
stuck with me is something she's always reading the Bible
to me, and she's like, the gates to Heaven are
narrow and few come between. And when I heard that,
I was thinking more in my life circumstances. That means
most things, people are going to be sheep and they're
going to fail in terms of could they live out

(52:54):
a greater being, greater existence. So I started to realize
that when I felt lonely, maybe I was on the
right path, especially in no circumstances and in that environment.
So when I start thinking about success, as they say,
it's always crowded at the bottom of the ladder because
everybody's trying to come up right, right, But when when
you get to the top, like a pyramid, it ain't

(53:15):
that much room at the top of the pyramid, right.
So I started to climb and realize people were falling
off and people were just not doing the same things
and effort and achievement, And that actually was encouraging to
me because I'm like, I'm going and rarefied air if
I'm the only brother here, if I'm the only athlete here.
So I just kept using that as my fuel. The

(53:35):
other thing I was gonna say, even going up in
your neighbor But now this happened to me when I
was going out and I grew up in the middle
class neighborhood. We had own home and all that. It
wasn't Jamaica queens. It was nice, Okay, I just I
hope so and you know, I'm gonna cut you out
because I got tired. I got to Columbia around brothers
and others, and it's weird when you're from the hood.
It's almost like stick your chest out. I survived, but

(53:57):
I was like, you stick your chest out. Your mom
and dad prepare for you and gave you something that're
always clounsing on you. Born on third base, my son
right now born on third base, right, And I damned
to be mad at that. You better go score everybody
trying to get there. And I was gonna say. The
thing that I always admired about some of my friends

(54:19):
was they knew early on that I wanted to have
this career. I always wanted to be a sportswriter from
nine years old and all this stuff, and they used
to go out. I just wanted if this happened to you,
where they would be going out and maybe getting into
some stuff that they shouldn't be getting into. They would
not let me go. They would go like these were
real friends. They would go like, we're going here, and Rob,
you're not coming. Yeah. Did you have friends like that

(54:41):
who looked out and tried not to get you, knowing
that maybe you had a future and they didn't want
to mess it up. Yeah. Man, I was blessed to
have like layers of that so I had the friends
who were like, you ain't about this life, Wiley, and
you know what, you seem like you're gonna make it
out of this, so go ahead and do that. But
then I also had another level of protection, which is
my own. Now, no one raises their hands to be

(55:02):
born into some gangs to ass family, right. I didn't
say I want to thug uncles, but I had them,
you know, And two of them got murdered, one of
them committed suicide, just from real, real gang life activity.
And I was growing up just thinking that's my uncle.
And then you look back at pictures, You look back
at moments, you're like, oh he was really just you
didn't know at that time they were how deep the

(55:24):
not at all? Man. Now I look back at pictures like,
oh he wore blue and everything he got, curling rolls
and stuff like gang stood out. But I didn't know
that it was just my uncle tyrone. So then if
that didn't work, which usually that was it, my sister,
who was two years older than me, always a great
ahead of me, always ready to throw them hands, throw

(55:45):
them things, warned everybody, don't you ever touch my brother,
because I was her little teddy bear, and she was
the enforcer everywhere I went. So it wasn't just my
name in terms of my family alliances. It wasn't just
because I had that potent you my sister had. My
sister sent dudes to the hospital in elementary school, and

(56:06):
I told her not to do it, but she would
just tear or due to buy them. All right, it's
the Eye Couple Chris Brus Rob Parker were joined by
Marcellus Wiley in studio. We'll continue this conversation and get
into some NFL stuff and the Clipper Fox Sports Radio.

(56:33):
It's the Eye Couple of Chris Bruce and Rob Parker.
And and let me tell y'all, this car shopping can
be confusing. I hope you know that terms like dealer,
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(56:55):
Trust me, when you're ready to buy a new or
even a used car, make sure you visit True Car
to enjoy more confident car buying experience. And we got
a great guest in studio. It's none other than former
All Pro defensive end, co host of Speak for Yourself
on FS one and author of a new book, Never
Shut Up, that's in stores now make sure you pick

(57:18):
that up. And also an IVY League graduate Marcellist widely.
Now we want to get into obviously some football and
some basketball, which you're a big Clippers fans know it, um,
But football right now, I want to ask you this
about the Oakland Raiders. There was a story today an

(57:39):
athletic about players. Seven veteran players were quoted, most anonymously,
but one, Lee Smith, was actually on the record. But
they're concerned, Like basically, it looks like John Gruten's lost
the locker room and guys are concerned. Lee Smith's concerned
that guys are gonna just, you know, give up on
the season. You still got eleven or ten games left,

(58:00):
Like what is it, like, what do you think it's
like for these guys to be in a locker room
where the coaches apparently appears to be all about the
future and getting draft picks. Anybody could be traded at
any moment. You're not gonna win, like you know, you're
you're basically out of the playoffs already. It seems like

(58:21):
what is it like when you got such a long
way to go in a such a grueling sport, when
you're in that situation. Yeah, So defeating um, you got
to think about what's happening and the impact that has
on a locker room, the oldest locker room in the
NFL as well, because that's veteran Layton UM. So when
you talk about a veteran locker room, typically you think
about when now, But this is just the opposite. They're

(58:43):
talking about, Hey, we're gonna demo this team and then
rebuild it once we get to Vegas clean slate. So
here's the thing that's going on. If you're a veteran
on this team, you feel like there's a glass ceiling
in terms of your power. You feel like in your
flex you can't go there because everyone's expendable, including you
good players. John Gruden walked in there and said, what's

(59:05):
the time. Give me the list of the top five
players we got on our squad, and he said, okay,
let me get rid of them. At least three of
them dudes, right markat King Khalil Mack and now we
see Amari Cooper. So Derek Carr gotta be shaking in
his booze every time he hears criticism. And then look
at the youngsters on his team, who you think, Oh,
they feel good because you know what, this team is old.

(59:27):
He's getting rid of all these older veterans. No, no, no,
because if we cut the big dogs, guess what, you
little pups are way more expendable than them. You haven't
proven a damn thing in this league. So you look
at this situation, it's kind of damning all around. You
don't agree with what he's doing, No, not at all.
There's never been a situation in the NFL. I think

(59:48):
that's just turnkey. Every coach gotta come in there and
do what coach. You gotta go get something out of
a player. You gotta manage certain situations of personalities. You
gotta do your job. He walked in here and saw
a roster that won twelve games just two years ago.
And look, they underachieved last year and obviously a little
hangover effect from no Derek Carring to playoff the year before.

(01:00:10):
But to demo this team, you should have been able
to work with what you got and still be competitive.
And don't you think part of it too is some
of the players have an issue with him not being
held accountable. When you give a coach a ten year,
hundred million dollars contract, he's untouchable. Nobody should ever, everybody

(01:00:31):
should have to, you know, play or work to keep
their spot, do you know what I mean? And I
think that that's come back to bite them. They thought
it was great, Oh we gotta lock him up. And
I get it, he gave up a TV job and
all this, But I think that contract has actually hurt
the Raiders. Yeah, you think about it, man, our calendars
are not in sync. You got ten years and guarantees

(01:00:53):
and I got the next play and no guarantee. We're
not in the same boat. We're not pulling it in
the same direc action coach. And look, most coaches understand
in the NFL today, you're expendable as well. Mid season,
early season, Hey, we lose a few games, the owners
tapping at you, and he gives you that kiss of death. Oh,
his job is safe. You know what that means? The

(01:01:14):
next week we're gonna fire him. So every other coach
thirty one, let me stop thirty other coaches because Belichick like,
you ain't firing me tomorrow. But you know, but everybody
else is dealing with a different situation and the fires
held to their feet. But you look at this situation
ten years. But I think what no one is talking
about is this is coming from upstairs. A cash poor

(01:01:37):
team like the Raiders is saying, clean house, get us
under this cap. Well, they have thirty two players next
year under two million dollars in salary cap. What the
hell does that? Whisper to you or yell to you
that we ain't trying to win right now, right all
about Vegas, Robin I have talked extensively on the show
about the piss poor job we feel that the NFL

(01:02:01):
Players Association has done. If any athletes basketball, baseball deserve ball,
deserve guaranteed contracts, I think it's the NFL athletes and
Marcella's even if it's just a three year, a real contract,
they give out a lot of folding contracts. Hey, you
got an eight year deal, but it's only the guarantee money.
It's really your only right because most of the time

(01:02:22):
they let you go and you never collect that. Yeah,
that's the only Yeah, that's the only thing. I would
disagree that they're doing a poor job. I would say this,
you gotta think about any negotiation you're in in your
quiet moments, quiet hours, think about the other side of
the table because they gotta win two or it's not
really a true negotiation. Somebody just got beat up and

(01:02:44):
the owners are sitting there sent you guys are walking liabilities,
human risk factors that no one's trying to ensure, let
alone me trying to ensure. So it's not about motivation,
it's about you're gonna get hurt and you're gonna miss
games and give it that who you are is going
to happen. So I think they've done a great job

(01:03:04):
of closing that gap between NBA and Major League Baseball.
By doing this, you get a Kirk Cousins. Okay, you
could get a five year, one hundred and twenty million
dollar monopoly contract, or you could get three years eighty four. Fully,
that's the contract I'm talking about your point. So I
think that's happening much, do you think Because we've talked
about how we feel, like like we've talked about Leavian

(01:03:27):
Bill and we disagreed on him hold nowaday or what.
I think that's all he has to do, but not
a hold out because he didn't have a contract sign
but he's essentially because he's gonna have to sign it
in a few weeks. But the point is I've said, look,
they got to change the CBA, and the only way
they probably can do that when it's up in twenty
twenty is to strike. Is that realist? Because football players,

(01:03:51):
you only got a short window, you probably want to
get that money. Is it really talk to us as
a football player? Is it realistic that dudes will sit out,
maybe give up a season to get guaranteed deals, maybe
for other people down the road versus themselves. Hell no,
you haven't read my book fully yet. But we just
talked about when I came through and you think I'm

(01:04:13):
gonna get there and they got that money in front
of me, and I'm gonna say, nah, you know what,
let me say, stay poor little. But this is do
any difference though, And I hear you, I hear you.
But all you have to do is looking up at
the way Major League Baseball takes care of its players.
It's through, it's through giving. You gotta give to get
and until people NFL players understand that, and it can't

(01:04:33):
always be about you. I always tell people all time,
when when you were tired You know, if you know
many games you have to play in the major league
to be eligible for pension. One day on a major
league roster. You don't have to play No. Eight ten
years to be eligible. Yeah, same thing. You get a pension,
you get lifetime healthcare. Those are things worth fighting for.

(01:04:54):
And you just saw with the Hall of Famers talking
about that they don't get healthcare and all these guy
as are hurting and whatnot. And then you have a
league that's going around bragging about how much money it
makes your union and I say you, I know you're
not in anymore, but your union also made an agreement
about the CTE where the NFL is gonna You know,

(01:05:17):
they came to an agreement with the league the concussion lawsuit,
and the judge, no, not in the history of legal uh,
judges who have these agreements said, oh no, even though
both sides agree to it, said I will not sign
this because it's too long. You never see that a judge.
Usually if two sides come to an agreement, a judge

(01:05:38):
is just gonna rubber stamping. He looked at the money
and was like, how could the union agree to that.
It's not enough? Yeah, that's that's kind of how we feel. Yeah, yeah,
well one, baseball and football is not analogous. Um, we're
talking about guaranteed contracts and then talking about how come
you guys don't fight the same when one has a
guaranteed climate and one doesn't. So in a larant coliment,

(01:06:01):
if I signed for six years and just say eighty
million in baseball, I'm getting my six years eighty million,
and I know that. So I come in with a
different armor. I come in with different weapons versus a
football player. Whereas the media and salary, the average salary,
everything's lower. But here's the real example of why football
is in a different position. Baseball's heritage in their union

(01:06:23):
all the best union in the country. Well yeah, and
also and also the oldest. Like let's just when we're
talking to generational wealth, the beauty of generational wealth is
the accumulation of interest. So all of a sudden, third
generation Johnny at Columbia is not going to act the
same as first generation Marcellist. And I'm the NFL is
almost first generation Marcellist. Where it's like you're asking me

(01:06:45):
to do things that in my sacrifice, I don't even
have anything in my nest egg to even talk about sacrificing.
So it's a blind conversation to a football union and
they're fighting. What goes underreported is the health benefits and
the billion dollars that they added to it in twenty eleven.
Not many people walking around the street is hearing it.

(01:07:05):
All we're hearing is everyone's broke down and crippled and
no one's helping them. Um. I think the union is
doing a good job, not a perfect job. But if
you're gonna ask, and we're gonna base this union based
on are you getting guaranteed contracts with the players? If
you're not happy with a Kirk Cousins contract and more
improvements on that, you're never gonna see a fully guaranteed

(01:07:26):
contract in arts. But I'll say this too, and and
oftentimes the only reason that you have free agency in
this country is Kurt Flood with Saint Louis Cornels gave
up his career, He went to court, you know what
I mean. It cost him, but that's the only way
you get things changed, and sometimes you but that's that's
that's one guy. But what I'm saying is getting all

(01:07:46):
these players together. You can't tell me that if you
really are together and you're right with the With the
baseball players, they have a war chest. Yeah, they they
have money ready, and this is what has to happen.
You have to save enough money up to that when
that moment comes, and then it comes to Marcellus who
has to pay his mortgage and din't have any money
the union page. That's what happens in baseball. When they

(01:08:08):
walk out, they pay your bills. Yeah, exactly, you know
you're gonna I wish. I wish because I agree with
Rob is saying, and I wish the players would be
able to get this chest to be right, to get
what I think that I don't know. I used to
be in a player in Hawaii and at that time,

(01:08:29):
I think we were saying our ward chest was like
three hundred million, like that was just set aside for
legal fees if necessary. Right, there are thirty two owners
and let's just say average worth net worth is two billion,
that's sixty four billion. And if they want to set
aside just ten percent, that's six point four billion. And

(01:08:50):
you're going to court. And you know what, before there's
innocence and guilt is wealth. It's the rich man wins. Right,
You're going to court where somebody was saying he would
lawyer you to death. That's that's a feudal fight. I
think they're doing a tremendous job, but closing the gap.
I grew up in the world where my dad was
talking about if you big and you fast and you're strong,
be the heavyweight champ in the world. Be Muhammad Ali

(01:09:12):
in the seventies. Right then that transition to you know what,
be in the NBA because that's where you want to be.
And it's still the NBA. But now football is closing
the gap. Like we see Aaron Rodgers off for one
hundred and seventy million, y'all, Like, let's just be one
hundred with this. Like football is now in a place
where you're like, you make some good money a few players,
and then the NBA you got Wait a minute, wait

(01:09:35):
a minute. Let's look at the Lakers roster right now.
Because I used to do this in the media, because
I used to laugh. I'd be like, yo, you make
media cast is making more than half the Lakers, Like yeah,
we got Lebron, we got but Alonzo. But then you
start looking at the bottom of that roster, casting there
making hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it ain't Lebron money.
Lebron makes more in a game than some of those
casts make. The minimum in the NBA is about five hundred. Yeah,

(01:09:58):
it's a lot of But you got a guy, average guy,
like a Tim Hardaway. Me better than average Tim Hardaway
Junior guarantee seventy one seventy two million dollars. Oh, now
we're having a different conversation, and you know you don't
get so. So no one raises their hand to be
a football player. First, someone push your hand down. Say
you're not playing basketball. I'm telling you, like in high school,

(01:10:18):
I want to play basketball. That scooping. You can you
stay around for one more secon's with the wife, So
blame you, blame y'all? Cool? All right, we will be
back to continue the conversation with Marcellis Wiley. First, let's
bring in deb Carson for West Trendy. Hey, guys, no
score yet in the World Series Game two Dodgers in

(01:10:39):
Red Sox scoreless, bottom of the second inning, both of
the pitchers looking good. David Price on the hill for Boston,
Hunjin Ryu for La NBA. DeAngelo Russell with eighteen so
far as the Nats will lead the Cavaliers seventy two
fifty four, four to go third quarter in Cleveland. Mavericks
up at the half at Atlanta, fifty eight to forty
eight over the Hawks. Kawhi Leonard leading Toronto with sixteen

(01:11:00):
right now, and the Raptors have forty six home lead
over the t Wolves. Late second quarter halftime in Miami.
Heat up forty seven forty five over the Knicks. Hornets
are at the Bulls and they lead twenty seven twenty six,
eleven to go. Second quarter. It's a home lead for
the Rockets twenty six twenty four over the Jazz late
first quarter. What does it mean when Geico says just

(01:11:21):
fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on
car insurance? Means you probably should have gone to Geico
dot com fifteen minutes ago. And finally, Guys, after three
days of deliberation, a jury in Manhattan found two former
Adidas personnel and exec in a former Adidas consultant, Jim
Gatto and Merle Code, as well as aspiring agent Christian Dawkins,

(01:11:42):
all found guilty on all counts in the college basketball
corruption scandal. They will be sentenced in March. Of course,
they are expected to appeal their decisions, but obviously this
will be the first of many lawsuits I'm sure involving
college hoops and corruption. It's funny. I read that story, Depp,

(01:12:03):
and I'm just so numb to the college basketball and football,
you know, just the scandals in college right, and it
didn't even phase me. Did you see the Jim Beheim quote, Yes,
the players shouldn't get paid. Yeah, we're gonna talk about
that tomorrow. I just like, he's just they don't make
anything like like he looked at looked down on the players,

(01:12:24):
like he's making all the money. They don't deserve any money. Yeah. Today,
to me, it's just funny. The charges, the argument that
the trio defrauded the University of Louisville and the University
of Kansas in the process of helping funnel money and
recruits to those schools. It's like, Okay, yeah, I guess
technically so, but didn't those schools benefit from the funneling
of course? And don't tell me they didn't know. Yes,

(01:12:44):
come on, exactly all right, it's the Eye couple. Chris Brussar,
Rod Parker coming you live from the Geico Fox Sports
Radio Studios. It's easy to say fifteen percent or more
on your car insurance with Geico. Go to Geico dot
com or call eight hundred nine four seven Auto. The
only our part is figuring out which way is easier.
And Marcello's I had one more football question before we

(01:13:06):
get to the NBA and the ys and other stuff.
You've been very outspoken on the the violence of the football.
They're trying to make it safer. We've heard a lot
of hell, yeah, I know. I think that football is
a dangerous sport and it's gonna be a dangerous sport

(01:13:27):
no matter what you do. And we got to live
with that. But we'll get back to that after in
our next segment coming up right after this breaks The
Eye Couple of Fox Sports Radio. Be sure to catch
live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and
Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific,
Brought to you by Progressive Insurance, creators of the Name

(01:13:48):
Your Price tool. Choose from a range of coverage options
and pick the price that works for you. Visit Progressive
dot com today. All right, Marcelli is widely joining The
Eye Couple in studio Marcellus, obviously an All Pro former
NFL player, talk to us about how you know a
lot of former players have criticized the rules changes and

(01:14:10):
they're not letting you hid and this and that, and
I'm with those players. I think that it's a dangerous sport.
Let's accept it. Try to make it safe as you can,
but understand it's gonna be dangerous no matter what we
do unless you make it flag football. Where do you
stand on? Man? You and them old players just wrong? Man,
y'all sound you gonna do? Y'all sound like hip hop
is dead now? I can't stand you it is? You

(01:14:32):
know what? You know what you know? Y'all know you
ain't in the mumble rap either, I am. You know,
we am wrapping the eighties and nineties. JJ fad Tell
me what they said at the end of that song,
sum of no no, no never never. Yeah, that was it.
That was what they were talking about, cost effects, go bucks,
kicking it, bus kicking it. Okay, that ain't that. That

(01:14:56):
was one group. You know what? My name too, nam,
But do you want me to keep going foos nikens?
Which come on? But look, we always hold on to
our error. That's who we are as human beings. We
and we only remember highlights of our error, don't We
don't remember the low lights. We don't remember the average.
We only remember the top. And it's funny now every

(01:15:16):
players coming out so the league so soft. Here's the thing,
here's what the league has realized. Our business model has
to reflect our audience. What is our audience? Fantasy football
players and people who just want to come in here
and see high scoring offenses and points. Super Bowl forty
one thirty three despite a top four defense in Philadelphia

(01:15:37):
winning it, they gave up thirty three points. So here's
the NFL. Now, let's protect our investment quarterbacks first foremost,
and I respect because to was in here yesterday he said,
I'm I'd be upset if I was in the league
if I'm another position, because they want to protect the quarterbacks.
But what about the rest of us. Look, it's been
an evolution of football from day one. Look if this

(01:15:59):
NFL soft, what do you call the NFL? That came
right after they were smoking cigarettes and head slapping? Because
you know what, them old dudes were saying, Oh y'all soft,
y'all can't take the head slap. So then they moved
to you can't cut block, and then they moved to
you know what on special teams, no more weds blocking
number two on ones, like and now we're at you
can't touch him at the five yards and you can't

(01:16:19):
slam the quarterback, sack the quarterback like he's your son.
That's fine with me, you know why, because if I
d ddt you, destroy you, land you on your neck,
or if I just lay you on the blanket, guess
what I get one sack. Guess when we get the
yardage that's behind the line of scrimmage. The messaging in
football Steve Atwater, Ronnie lot My finger fell off, but

(01:16:40):
I'm still bawling. Look, that's not for the civilized. Here's
the audience of the NFL. Also, it's second generation athletes
like me who are sitting there, like Drew Brees and
his kids. Hey man, y'all better clean that thing up
or I don't need my kids out there, why because
they don't need to be Football is gonna go where
boxing went one and two Soccer moms. Soccer mom sitting

(01:17:02):
there saying CTE what we're not having it. We're not
having it now. So if you don't clean that thing up.
That's what you're gonna lose the next generation. But some
of the things, some of the helmet to helmet hits,
this was my problem, and they not calling it like that.
We're make sure we get the basketball and we don't
have a lot of time. But yeah, I don't want
to do that. Yeah, yeah, just quick. I was just
saying some of the helmet to helmet hits I thought

(01:17:24):
were not always called. Okay, that's all I'm saying. Let's
get on Chris Paul. Give us the Chris Paul. You
got to take people of bashing him now because of
the fighting what went on, and now everybody's saying he's
not a bad good teammate, he's a bad guy. All
these wolf tickets out there, all these chumps out there,
and that was all my homeboys that are chumping too.
Uh baby, big baby. David's my neighbor. What's up, boy,

(01:17:44):
I know, tweeted Ryan Holland's my dog. Very right. You
know what it is, Chris Paul's a barker. You know
who else is a barker? Kobe Bryant, but the Kobe one. Ah,
So I'm in practice, I'm at the baseline. You're barking.
You're barking, you bar it's time for me to bark back.
Or wait a minute, that's a five time champion barker
at me. Let me swallow my pride. But then when

(01:18:06):
I hear you Chris Paul doing the same exact thing,
you know why I don't receive it the same way
because they ain't work for you fully, bro. So if
it ain't worked for you fully, why are you over
there imitating somebody who has done that. If you're not
a don Dono with hardware, we know you get graded differently.
I'm a broadcaster that I'm going to say the same thing,
whether it's me ten year player, All Pro, no Super

(01:18:28):
Bowl championships, or if five were drafted to New England
instead of Buffalo, I would have won two championships before Frenze.
All of a sudden, it means something different, It impacts different.
That's a Super Bowl champion saying what Marcelli said, completely
different complexion. Marcellers, did Lebron James come here to win
championships so to be the next mail Streep? Which one

(01:18:50):
both and ain't nothing wrong with that. That's what the
Lakers are. Lakers have never been just singular and focused.
Ip stacking that movie. Stop I'm like that and rapping
and all that couple. It's bigger than Nino Brown. Stop
blaming the players. The owner of the Lakers, doctor Jerry Buss,
the pH d physicists, came to the organization that said,

(01:19:13):
we bring in showtime. You know what that means. Went on?
The court, went off, the court, forum, club opens, actors, celebrities, sidelines,
cheerleaders first time in the NBA. More importantly, watch my
entourage and if y'all know doctor bus, y'all know what
that entourage looked like. It looked like, hey, we got
more going on in just basket, all right, but he
gotta win on the court. Marcellist, great time, man, We

(01:19:36):
watch this show. One speak for your samily itself or
Fox Sports one. Buy the book Never Shut Up. It's
in bookstores now. Marcellus Wiley, The Eye Couple. Fox Sports Radio,
make sure you go and pick this up. Man, great job, Yes, love, Yes,
indeed it is the Eye Couple. I'm Chris Brusorry next

(01:19:56):
to my main man, Rod Parker, and as always we're
I'm going you live from the Gueco Fox Sports Radio Studios.
Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more in
your car insurance. Visit geco dot com for a free
rate quote. And Rob, you want to give us an
update on the World Series. It is one nothing Boston.

(01:20:18):
David Price pitching pretty well through uh I think this
is the bottom of the third? Is that where we're
at bottom of the third? And one nothing? So Dodgers
I haven't been able to break through yet, but it's
still early. They got plenty of time. A bloop in
the blast and you're right back in the game. You
gotta lead. So a good one tonight in Boston. The

(01:20:38):
only thing Chris, forty five degrees in Boston, I know
it's October and when they come back for game three,
when they come to LA on Friday, eighty seven supposed
to be the temperature for games I know, so big,
probably one of the biggest ever. Yep. I mean that's
a big difference. Sometimes you get away in October with sixties.
You know it's cold, wants to sun goes down, but

(01:21:00):
not that bad. Forty five is cold. You can see
a little wind blowing two out there. The Dodgers, of
course down one. Oh, and it didn't necessarily decide the
game but it certainly was a big factor. In the
seventh inning last night, Dodgers down five four, Pedro Bayaz
is just throwing fire right by two batters strikes him

(01:21:23):
out swinging. They both chase high heat, and then EDWARDO
Nonez comes to the plate for the Red Sox and
Dave Roberts with the analytics book in his hand or
certainly in his mind he may he takes out Bays
brings in Alex Wood strictly for the analytics. He won

(01:21:43):
the lefty righty matchup, and Nonez takes him deep three
run homer. Any chance the Dodgers had a coming back, certainly,
all the momentum is gone. And Rob, you and I
we do agree on this, even though we're the odd couple.
The analytics stuff, sometimes it just goes way too far.
And last night you could easily say, oh, you guys

(01:22:06):
say that after he gave up a three run home
run and the pitch wasn't that great and Nunez went
down and got it. You could sell all that stuff.
But this was a first guest, not a not a
second guest. When you when when it's happening, I'm like
Bayez is pitching his buttle eight. Don't fix it if
it ain't broke. It's just let this guy. And it

(01:22:28):
can't always be about the matchup. Sometimes it's just my
guy is pitching, is throwing better. Yeah, I don't care
who's coming up for them. No, he's got it tonight,
their nights. When he don't have it, I get it.
Take him out. He had it last night. And I
don't think that Nunez would have hit him if he
would have left bias in. I just I really don't
think so, not last night, not the way he was

(01:22:48):
throwing the baseball. And Chris, he's been pitching well for
the Dodgers for the last month, five weeks a month,
he pitched very well. It just doesn't make sense to
me when a guy had is it going like that
to take him out. I mean, he was mowing them down,
and you just took him out because you had a

(01:23:10):
scorecard tell you you should do that. You had a
Denny's menu that said you never seen those big things,
those sheets, you know, the big menu. Yeah, oh yeah, no, no, no,
I gotta take him out here, and regardless of what
how he's throwing or anything else. And I think sometimes
there's got to be a feel as you manage. Chris
and I think Dave was being lost over managers and

(01:23:31):
these of these these uh geeks who have taken over
baseball now all the shifting in to take care of
over his basketball too, all the ship we've seen it shifting. Uh.
Strikeouts don't matter, Wins don't matter. Pitcher wins game that
they don't count. They don't look at that stuff RBIs

(01:23:52):
or anybody can knock. No, anybody can't knock a run in.
Everybody can. But what we like walks. If you get
walks and you score run you're good. And again my belief. Look,
I'm not trying to say get rid of analytics. Analytics
is a key component to running a sports organization, baseball, basketball,

(01:24:13):
whatever it may be. But analytics is not the end
all be all. That's what we're saying. Analytics should be
part of the equation, part of your baseball or basketball
operations department, but it shouldn't be running the department. You
should run the department as human beings. And sometimes you
should manage as a human being with your gut feel,

(01:24:35):
with what you're seeing, with you know, understanding, not just
two percentages. And then right, we should play a Rod.
A Rod said it terrifically. Here's what he said last
night after new Yes goes deep against Alex Wood. I'm
trypergasted by that move. And look, we always talk about
a point guard. In order to be good, you have
to see the floor. A manager has to do the

(01:24:57):
same thing. What metric are they preview that you take
out bias? Who's dominating faces two hitters, strikes them both out.
It didn't make any sense. Scripted baseball does not work
in October. It could work during the season. Scripted baseball
does not work in October. A question. We're glad he

(01:25:17):
told it like it was. I mean, he didn't mention
any words. You just told I'm flabbergasted. This is the
guy who now is a face of Major League Baseball
analysts right work on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball and on
Fox Sports FS one. How many guys do that because
the guy the guy's spot on when he's talking about
the sport, it's spot on. Rob Geez got some interesting statistics.

(01:25:40):
Hit us with it, Rob, Yes, sir, just a piggyback
on that analytics conversation. Now, in Game one, the Dodgers
became the first team ever to not start any of
its top four regular season home run hitters in the
World Series game, and now they've done it two games
in a row. It makes no sense. And you're playing
at a whole run friendly ballpark. Why because the Red
Sox have left handed pitching, you can't hit a ball.

(01:26:03):
I can't hit a home run off a lefty. I'm sorry,
it doesn't make sense. And I'm gonna say this great,
this is speculation, but I don't know for a fact.
I don't think this is Dave Roberts. I think this
is coming down from on high. It's come no, no, no,
it's coming from upstairs. No doubt. He's just doing what
he's told to do. That's what they wanted managers. I

(01:26:25):
gave you the list earlier of all the uh old
managers who got pushed out. Terry Collins from the Mets
Buck Show. Walter's gone, Mike Socier's gone, Joe Girardi, Dusty Baker,
Dusty Baker, and John Farrell with the Red Sox who
won a World Series and and and Girardi, Dusty and

(01:26:46):
um uh who's the other one who got fired that year?
And Farrell all got fired after after making a play off, right,
you don't. You guys don't. Joe Girardi was one game
from the World Series. He got fired. They didn't go
that far this year, and aj Henchen Houston last year
won the World Series where he didn't make out one
single lineup. The lineup was presented to him from the

(01:27:10):
analytics department of people upstairs in the front off eight
seven seven ninety nine on fix eight seven seven nine
nine six six three six nine. Give us a call
if you want to weigh what do you think of
the analytics revolution in sports? I've called it revenge of
the nerds. You know a lot of guys that weren't athletes,
weren't coaches, anything like that, and they're they're just looking

(01:27:33):
at the papers. They're looking at the stats and looking
at the analytics and making decisions based on the data.
And again that has its place. Those guys have value.
I just don't think they should be the ind all
making the final decisions all of the time. And the
other part is, and we brought this up, is there's

(01:27:54):
a difference between regular season and postseason where people who
are great player was wilt or can't deal with the pressure.
So those numbers aren't really legit because now you're playing
on a bigger stage, in a bigger game, in a
bigger moments watching. Yes, this is totally different. We saw
Lebron James, the best basketball player in the world, struggle meltdown.

(01:28:18):
It was Dallas in twenty eleven. Now, how would you
ever think that was gonna happen based on your data?
You couldn't. You couldn't come up with that. We saw
Kobe Bryant just refuse to shoot against Phoenix in the
playoffs in the game seven. What when would the data
tell you that was gonna happen? I mean it just

(01:28:40):
you can't make it. Last year, the Houston Rockets maybe
the most analytical team in the league. They only want
to shoot three? What happened or get in the paint?
They missed twenty seven straight three pointers. How about seeing
the ball going the basket, saying you know what we need? Okay,

(01:29:00):
hold off on the threes. Four minute, let's let's get
the major. See the ball going the bast let's get
can we get it? I want you to not hang
hard and do this, come off the screen and knock
down a mid range jumper. We need to stop the streak. No,
they kept putting it up, kept putting it up. In
the Lost Melo made fun of it. Carmelo Anthony uh
with the Rockets now, of course, future Hall of Famer

(01:29:22):
joined the Rockets this year. In the preseason, he hit
like a twenty two foot or a long two foot
along two as they call him. They say that's the
most inefficient shot in basketball. They're thinking it's hey, step
one foot back and get three points for it. He
hit one of those shots, turns to the bench and apologize.

(01:29:43):
He's laughingly, but he's like, hey, I'm sorry, but I
mean right, And analytics takes away balance. Like you look
at the Boston Red Sox. They obviously they use analytics,
but they're a balanced team. They obviously hit homers, they
obviously have great pitching, but they also will manufacture some
runs and they also will go against the books sometime.

(01:30:05):
Well Brock Brock u hop Yeah, it was in the
Yankee series. The analytics said, don't play him. They played him.
He hits for the cycle, right. I mean, so you
just gotta go with your gut in a lot of
these things, whether it's football or basketball. But I was
talking about the balance, and in baseball it's taken away

(01:30:31):
small ball, it's taken away the stolen base, it's highlighted
the strikeout. In basketball, it's taken away a lot of
the mid range play with a lot of teams. I
think it's it's hurt post play and things like that.
So a game is better when there's balanced, when there's
some posts, some mid range, some threes, when there's some

(01:30:54):
homers and some manufacturing of the runs and some stolen
bases and things like that. No doubt about eight seven,
seven ninety nine on Fox. What about rawool in California,
you're on the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What
you got? Yeah, what I want to say is it's
a lot like what you said. You know, Adelex does
have its place, but there's places where you have to
play against it. Like you know, back when when Dave

(01:31:15):
Roberts himself is playing for the Red Sox, everybody knew
he was gonna run, right, so tells you don't run.
But what did he do? He ran, He scored and
gets his chimps and you know what exactly, and he's
a hero in Boston. But I think that's why I
think he in his gut, he probably feels a lot
differently than a lot of stuff they're doing. But they're
having him do right for the phone call. Appreciate it.

(01:31:38):
We're only a week into the NBA season, but Rob
Parker already it's calling tonight's Lakers game a must win
for Lebron and his crew. He'll explain, or at least
try to. Next. It's the Odd Couple Fox Sports Radio.
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(01:32:22):
a job today at indeed dot Com, slash hire, search
for greatness Search Indeed. You are tuned into the Odd
Couple Chris Brussard and Rob Parker on Fox Sports Radio.
And Rob, I just bought a car recently, and I'm
telling you, man, car shopping can be confusing. There returns
like dealer price list, price invoice, but truecar gives you

(01:32:47):
what you really need? What did other people pay for
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what's a good price and what's a bad price. Trust me,
when you're ready to buy a new or even a
used car, visit Truecar to make sure you have a
more confident carbuying experience. And Rob, let me give you
an update. I was just say World Series Game two

(01:33:08):
in Boston, the Dodgers have an uprising going. First, two
guys got hits and then David Price just issued a walk.
So the bases are jam and there are no outs.
The beginning for the Dodgers right here, and the Dodgers
are trailing one nothing in the top of the fourth

(01:33:30):
and up to the plate is Matt Kemp, who last
night hit a home run over the Green Monster last
night fourth oldest to hit a home run in the world.
Your prediction to today on the Herd about Manny hit.
You can see you getting full of yourself time. You
know who said it with confidence too, Manny Machildo, three

(01:33:54):
run Homer the night. That's what you said, all right?
Looks like a sack fly the scene right help tied
up at one, So the Dodgers and Red sucks one
one a Dodgers don't have two men on and one out.
Another chance you got a man is scoring position. Second,
they could take the lead. All right, all right. One

(01:34:16):
of the LA's other team that's is not enjoying the
success that the Dodgers are so far this season is
the Los Angeles Lakers and three with Lebron James here
and Rob, I just want to say this before I
give you the floor. All right, even after tonight's game,
there are seventy seven games remaining, seventy eight seventy eight

(01:34:40):
games remaining in the regular season after tonight. But you
are saying that tonight is a must win for the
LA Lakers. Time explain ounce it is a must win
in that Phoenix is one of those teams when you
look at the schedule that they have, they should be
able to beat the They've been in every single game,

(01:35:01):
would your Greek Christ Yes, they've had this, Okay, They've
had a chance to win every single game. Lebron James
came here to make things different. It doesn't make sense
when every people go well or you expect those are
three playoff teams. No, they lost with all Lebron James
last year. They're supposed to win some of these games.
And if you get off to an old and four
star Chris, look at the schedule after tonight if they're

(01:35:22):
old and four. Colin even mentioned it today that I
think six of the next seven they will be underdogs
in those games. Can you here? It is Denver Los
host Denver? Then they go at two. San Antonio lost two,
Minnesota lost host Dallas. That the game they be favoring
in at Portland's loss host Toronto loss host Minnesota. When

(01:35:50):
they could be three and ten, three and eight, right,
whatever it is, it isn't good and they could be
three and ten after their first thirteen. Here's why it's
important to get this rot. You don't want it to snowball.
And the other thing, Chris, there's not a lot of
leadway in the Western Conference. You can't dig yourself a
big hole. Would you admit that? Well, we've seen it

(01:36:12):
Portland a few years ago, rally late. You've seen it happened.
It's not easy. I'm just saying, do it. But you
have seen teams, you know, rally late to make the playoffs,
even in the West. But no, I get it. You're right.
In fact, the West is even deeper than a lot
of people thought. The Clippers. I mean, it's early, but

(01:36:32):
they look legit like. They look like they're a playoff contender.
Denver looks to be better than we expected. Memphis. Now,
again it's early, but remember they have Marc Gasol and
Mike Conley and the rookie jarr And Jackson's playing well.
They look better than expect. And here's the other part.
Last year when the Lakers won those thirty five games,
but the young players, they weren't taking that team seriously, Chris.

(01:36:55):
They were nice people. Just on the Lakers who come
to town. They're young, right, young bucks, you know what
I mean. And they might have Warriors lost to them
once and they might have won a couple of games.
But I'm telling you what, Lebron James on your squad,
you ain't taking that lightly at all. That game you're
up for if you're not, if you're gonna be up
for one game that week, it's going to be that
game when the Lakers come to town. So that's what

(01:37:17):
makes it tough. And that's why I'm saying this is
a big game. To be able to try to get
that get a W and just get off the schnide.
You don't want it to go. Do you want it
to go? Oh and seven? Oh and eight? You don't
want to start the season like that. What I'll give
you is I won't use the term must win, and
obviously you don't mean it literally. Right, it is about

(01:37:38):
as big as a game four can get, right, Okay,
as a game for in an eighty two game season.
It's about as big as it gets. They need to
win for all the reasons you said the schedule is
going to be tough, they're really because it's one thing.
I can't say. It'd be easier if they were getting
blown out, but they've been in these games, they've had

(01:37:59):
a chance to win. They got the best player in
the world. They're looking for him to deliver them at
least in a couple of them, and he didn't do it.
He hasn't done it yet. And God forbid they go
to Phoenix and get run off the court or something.
Beat beat, but do you know what I mean? And
then you would go, oh, what's going on here? We
got the suspensions, brandon Ingram not playing, U Rondo's not playing.

(01:38:23):
We're looking more time with Lonzo, We're looking at cousmy.
We're looking at different things and then not winning. And
I just think that it's not the way that anybody
would have drawn up how they were gonna start with
Lebron James. I don't care what anybody said. Maybe not great,
but not win. People. Yeah, people thought it would be tough,
but not winning. Maybe not. And it's only three games.

(01:38:44):
I mean oin three. It's not in seven, not o eight.
Maybe we see if it gets there, that'd be shocking,
but right now it's only only three. Scott in Pennsylvania
has been waiting a while. You want to talk about Lebron.
Welcome to the Eye Couple. Hey, what's up, guys, what's happening?
I just want to say I love you guys. You're
one of the most color friendly talk show host I

(01:39:06):
mean I wait forever for other guys that I never
get on if you guys are always there and I
just really appreciate it. Thank you. Now, we appreciate you
chiming in what you got for us. Yeah, I've just
got a couple of things. Number One, does run those
confrontational style appeal to Lebron? Or will we find a

(01:39:29):
situation where Run though might be dealt by the February
February eighth trade deadline and number two going to one
level lower. Just a question how many NCAA executives would
be willing to undergo a light of Dector test regarding

(01:39:53):
the Adidas paid to play scan collegiate basketball. I'll let you,
guys go, I love you, thank you forever, thanks gott
appreciate it. I'll answer that none. No, none, because they'd
be afraid that they'd be implicated. I agree, right And
with the he asked about what was this question about
the Lakers and would Rondo be traded? To trade Lebron

(01:40:15):
wanted Rondo for two reasons. One, he respects his decision
making and his basketball and he wanted he wanted a dog.
And you know he Lands is a dog. Beasley's a
dog and he I mean dog in a good way,
a tough guy. And yeah, that's what Rondo is. So
we'll see, I mean, by February, who knows where this
team will be and what could happen. But right now,

(01:40:37):
Rondo's a part of this team, and I think that'll
be the case for a little while. All right, let's
go to deb Carson, debb, what's trending a little excitement
going on in this World Series game. Just one out,
two on for the Dodgers. It is now nodded at
one apiece. Boston scored early in the game on an
RBI single from Ian Kinseler, and just now Matt Camp

(01:40:58):
with an RBI sack fly that where it stands right now?
One apiece for the Dodgers and Red Sox. And they
are in the top of the fourth inning in Game
two of the World Series k and there we go
and a strikeout, so two outs now, but again what
a piece is? Where it stands right now? It's going
to be a great game. I just feel it. Yeah.
NHL Action Wednesday's Discover Card key matchup Toronto Maple Leafs

(01:41:20):
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Moving to the NFL. A couple of notes for you.

(01:41:43):
The Giants are trading defensive tackle tackle Damon Snacks Harrison
my favorite nickname by the way in the NFL, Snacks
to the Lions, headed therefore a fifth round pick. The
Eagles confirmed defensive end Derek Barnett is out for the
season with a shoulder injury. Finally, a lot of second
guesting going on with the Raiders, of course, Coach Gruden
dealing Khalil Mack to the Bears a couple of months ago,

(01:42:04):
then sending Amari Cooper to the Cowboys. Today, Coach Gruden
told reporters, quote, I don't see us making any more trades.
I didn't see us making a trade the other day either,
though I really didn't. Sometimes, like I said, your plans change,
whether you like it or not. He was then asked
about quarterback Derek Carr. I don't see us making any
more trades. Certainly, I don't see us trading our quarterback

(01:42:27):
end quote. And of course a lot of folks were going, yeah,
but you didn't see trading Khalil Mack or trading Mary
Cooper either. So more stirring of the pot going on
there in Oakland. And we got an update in Boston.
Queen quig with a clutch two out RBI single the
center field and the Dodgers have taken the lead. Looked

(01:42:50):
like Price was going to get out of it. He
struck out Hernandez for a second out. That's right, thanks, Brie.
I what a man to deliver any any sound bite
from him. Even Atlanta is awesome. Isn't it fun? By
the way, to see Matt Camp kind of rejuvenated? Oh yeah,
no question. That a tremendous year. Yeah, all right, dad,

(01:43:12):
thanks a lot, thank you. All right, it is time
for the hot seat, damn, son. The current temperature beyond
couple are making it hot in here. Damn time to
sit your butt down in the hot seat now, gentlemen,
this next guest must be a glutton for punishment. I

(01:43:33):
thought he's already still burned up from last time he
was on the mere Mortals. Don't go once in the
hot seat. This guy's back for a second time. Fox
Sports radio host Jonas Knox Jonas, how you doing? Oh
I'm great, man. You can't wait to go to Jonas?
I like I like you forty two man. That doesn't

(01:43:55):
mean we're gonna take it easy on you, but I
like it. How did the doctor treat those last Bird,
You're all right, let's go, sir. It is the hot seat,
the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. For those of
you don't know, the person in the hot seat gets
thirty seconds to defend their hottest sports takes and they

(01:44:18):
gotta go toe to toe with Chris and Rob two
on one, and Jonas knows the deal. You guys know
the deal. Let's get right to it. One of Jona's
hottest takes. Here, he says that spit gate and a
little scuffle between the Rockets and the Lakers last week
might actually be a positive for Brandon Ingram and the
guys in the Purple and gold. Jonas, you got thirty

(01:44:39):
seconds to finger take. Brandon Ingram has always at this
knock that maybe he's a little too soft, maybe guys
can rough him up a little bit. He needs to
bulk up. He's a little too subservient, he's a little
too quiet. And now he shows guys around the league
that not only will he throw hands, but he will
land if he throws hands. You may not like that
it's a cheek shot. You may not like that it

(01:45:01):
was a fight on national TV. But I could promise
you guys around the league watch that, and they take
a second guess when they go, you know, maybe we
don't want to rough this guy up a little bit
because we're not sure whether or not he's gonna throw
on us. I think it was great for his reputation, Jonas.
Nobody is scared of brandon Ingram, all right. Trust me,
there's nobody in the NBA that's looking at that toothpick

(01:45:21):
with all due respect because he's a great, very good player.
If nobody's looking at him saying, oh, I can't mess
with Brandon Ingram. I mean, it wasn't like he stepped
to somebody that was ready. He went and threw a
sucker punch. You're right. People have told me he might
be too nice. He needs some dog in him. So
I get where you're coming from with that. But no,

(01:45:42):
this is not going to change his reputation as far
as players, you know, walking on eggshells around Brandon and
Jonas Bruce, Okay, I'm good, I'm good. If not, listen,
it's not about how much damage the guy can do.

(01:46:04):
It's about the potential of damage. You remember rutnett o'door
the Rangers. He cracked tooz A Batista with that clean
right hand rupett o'door since then has never been messed with.
And I'm telling you, in a league, and you guys
know this, in a league where so few guys will
actually throw a punch let along land one, if you
can change your reputation like this, and if you can
get a little bit of a reputation as a guy

(01:46:25):
who may actually throw down, I think that puts him
at a certain level in the NBA. Not that he
could whoop anybody's ass on the streets or anything like that,
but I do think it makes guy's second guess. Jonas
stopped with all the nonsense you mean brandon Ingram will
swoll up on a referee. He ran up on a
referee like he was big and bad, and then you
know what he's just done. He might have started the

(01:46:47):
Lakers on an Owen six or seven run by not
being president. That's why it's a bad move, man. Think
about the future. These games that he's missing might be
the reason that they were the a seat and getting
knocked out in the first round. Come playoff time, you
smell that roun Yes, that's the smoke from Jonas turning

(01:47:08):
up its unbelievable score that round ten eight for the art.
Of course you went. Of course Bobby ballwashers. I can't
get a fair stake of the show, all right. Topic
number two, it is the hot seat on the arc
couple Jonas knocks in the hot seat. Jonas says he's
one of the few guys in all the sports media

(01:47:30):
that you can't really put all of the blame on
John Gruden for the demise of the Oakland Raiders. Jonas
thirty seconds the finger take. Yeah, this a lot of
this goes on us because we completely misread this team.
We thought the team that went twelve and four a
couple of years ago was the real deal. Go back
and look at that season, how many bad teams they played.

(01:47:52):
Go back and look at how many playoff teams they played,
and they've had one win out of four games against
playoff teams. It was an overrated roster. We wanted so
badly for the Silver and Black to be back, and
then we got overhyped and excited about it. John Gruden
stepped in and said, this ain't almost cracked up to
be bye bye. You gotta go. Let's turn the key
on this, No, jan is it me right? Go ahead?

(01:48:15):
I just want to make sure Jona Jonas, You couldn't
be more wrong. We didn't overread this. The Raiders overread
it when they gave un over They gave too much
money to a coach who wasn't even good in his
last job in Tampa Bay. He took Tony Tony Dungee's
team won a super Bowl. Go look at his record.
He didn't get anything done down there. This just shouldn't

(01:48:37):
be a shock. He wasn't good. He could talk a
good game on television, but he wasn't a great coach
in Tampa Bay, and he ain't a great coach. And oklo,
I love that Tony Dungee. I like Tony Due. He's
the savior. If Tony Dungee was so great, why didn't
he want a super Bowl with that team. It's like
when people ripped Chip Kelly and say, yeah, he only
went ten and six the first year because they were
Andy Reids guys, or to mean the same Andy Reids

(01:48:59):
guys who are four and twelve the year before. Gruden
deserves a little bit more credit as a quality head coach.
He's gonna figure this thing out. The Raiders are gonna
be fine. How About as a quality draft because he's
getting all these draft picks. Where's the evidence that he's
gonna do the right thing with them? How do you
how do you let Khalil Mack go? And then weeks

(01:49:21):
the following weeks you're talking about you need a pass, right,
I mean, come on, you know what, you want to
use those draft picks for Jonas to get another Khalil Mack.
And it wasn't like Khalil Khalil Mack was at the
end of his career. He's still young, He's got ten
more years left at this level. I mean, I'm sorry.
John Gruden has destroyed this team. Now they're reports that

(01:49:44):
the locker room has turned against him, that you know,
Derek Carr could be in trouble and on the trading black,
I mean, what's going on? Hey, hey, referee, he's hitting
me after the Beltway from the odd eight round for Jonas, Baby,
that's what talking abby. It's coming down now. It's a

(01:50:06):
round three of the Hot Seat. Jonas Knox on the
Odd Couple. This is the hottest take of them all.
Jonas Knox has a problem with the Odd Couple. Chris
Brussard and Rob Parker eating phone nuts in their big
advertisement meeting Jonas. You got thirty seconds, go for it.
This is just another example in the in the oldest

(01:50:27):
tale in time that celebrity changes people. Because I remember,
I remember Rob Parker and Chris Brussard when they did
a Sunday show before my Sunday show with Brady Quinn.
You couldn't meet a couple of nicer or more humble
individuals in sports radio. All of a sudden, they get
a five day a week show and they're eating fake donuts.
Are you out of your mind? It's disgusting. I'm embarrassed.

(01:50:49):
I don't know these people anymore. I almost didn't show
up for the interview because I was so ashamed to
myself for being associated with them. Jonas, these phone nuts
were absolute, resolutely, positively delicious. I mean, and I felt
good at I ate two donuts that three, didn't feel full,
didn't feel bloated, didn't feel sick, felt like I actually

(01:51:13):
wanted another one. I mean, it was great. I'm telling you,
I am sold on phone nuts, and I hear you're
a health guy. They're vegan, there's no refined sugar. If
they weren't so expensive, I'm beaten bonnuts every day. But
they are, so I won't be. But I'm proud that
I phone nuts. Listen, these guys have changed America. They

(01:51:34):
are not the same individuals that I knew when I
met him on Sundays. They have completely Think I saw
Rob Parker sanitizing the studio Today's I would think it
came to that. I don't even want to go have
wings with Rob. I think he's can ask for chopsticks
when we're out so you can eat his wings and
not get his hands dirty. Same has changed these men.
I'm embarrassed by it. I get a donut, a bandycamp,

(01:51:55):
a pink box with a dozen in it, but don't
get phone nuts. What are you doing? Shoon this? You? Hey?
You gotta live with the tides, my man. I was reluctant.
I went in that meeting. I sat there. What I say, Chris,
I'm not eating them. I'm not eating no, no, no,
don't no donuts with seaweed in them or see uh
buck wheed or whatever. And you know what, I tried it.

(01:52:16):
I opened my mind. That's why you move forward to
the future. The odd couple is moving forward. We're not
doing as We're not doing that stale radio that they're
still doing when Jonas is on the air, I'm sorry,
did not say that we're moving forward and we're already
we're gonna take it to the next level and phone nuts.
We're all about it, and that is the Is Jonas

(01:52:40):
still there? Like? Is he? Is he? Okay? No? Yeah?
Jonas you okay, yeah. They're wrapping the belt around me
right now. You know what around here? You know what
they are wrapping. That's when they put you on the
uh the gurnie to take you into the ambulance. That's
what unbelievable. They have completely changed sanitizing Graspjonus's shocked at

(01:53:05):
what you've become. I'm a proud ead of Phonas. But
that is the one and only Jonas Knox. Follow him
on Twitter at Jonas knox Man. Great job, We appreciate it.
Gotta get you back into hot seat. Check him out
week days from six to seven pm Eastern Time on
Straight Out of Vegas with r J Bell and weekend

(01:53:25):
overnights on The Jonas Knox Show only on Fox Sports Radio,
and We'll be back with thanks Jonas. Fox Sports Radio
has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch
all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com
and within the iHeartRadio app search f SR to listen live.

(01:53:46):
You tuned into the odd Couple Chris Brusart and Rob Parker,
and we're coming to you live from the Geico Fox
Sports Radio studios. It's easy to say fifteen percent or
more in your car insurance with Geico. Go to Geico
dot time or call eight hundred and nine four seven auto.
The only hard part figuring out which way is easier.

(01:54:09):
And Rob, you're calling it a must win for the
Los Angeles Lakers the night at Phoenix against a young,
you know, very much struggling Phoenix Suns team, even though
they have a lot of talent, they're obviously not ready
for prime time just yet. And you know who else
may think it's a must win are some of the

(01:54:30):
oddsmakers on the internet, because Luke Walton has been named
the most likely coach to be fired first by the oddsmakers,
And people say, and we did this topic this morning
right on television, undisputed right. And I think that people go, oh,

(01:54:53):
how could that be, because there's expectations whenever you get
Lebron James period. Even I know people could say, well,
this is the first year, and it's kind of a look. See, Nope,
it's not gonna Do you think I get he should
be the favorite just because I've looked through the league.
There really aren't a lot of guys you're looking at.
If you think there's a lot of guys with no

(01:55:14):
expectations team, yeah, and first year coaches, some guys obviously
established that aren't gonna get fired. Do you think Luke
should be on the hot seat? See? I don't think
he should be on the hot seat, though I think
that it could be only from this standpoint, if you
get off to a terrible start and get buried in
the Weston Conference, you're not gonna just sit there and go,

(01:55:36):
well it's okay, and and we'll just see how this
thing plays out. You think it will be right to
get he'll be the scapegoat. He got to be a scapegoat.
And he wasn't hired by Rob Pelinka or Magic Johnson.
I mean that's just a fact. And I brought up
David Blatt. David Blatt was hired by uh Dan Gilbert.

(01:55:58):
Gilbert that was his guy. The old what happened they
went to the finals his first year, Chris he got
fired the next year, didn't he go to the finals? Yeah,
that's what I'm trying to tell you. You'd be like,
how could you fire a guy got the finals this
first year in the NBA didn't matter. So I'm just
saying I think that there is expectations no matter what

(01:56:18):
people think. People think, oh, well, you know, this is
just the look see year, and they're not expecting Lebron
to win. They're not expecting Lebron to be three and
ten thirteen games into the season either. I think what
the Lakers need to do and I just think this
is best for their basketball team and their organization going forward,
because no matter how good things work out this year

(01:56:40):
with this group of players, they're not winning the championship,
but you could set a tone for the future and
maybe put yourself in a better position going forward. I
think the front office, Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka need to
empower Luke Walton to really coach Lebron James because right
now Luke Walton has got to be walking around on

(01:57:01):
eggshells around Lebron because he knows Lebron has more problems.
And I don't think Lebron wants to get rid of
Luke or anything like that. I don't think that's in
his mind, but we know how powerful he is. He's
the best player in the world. And Luke has got
to be, you know, hesitant to coach him. That's just
human nature. And you've seen how Lebron's been in the

(01:57:22):
past in organizations. If but Eric Spoilster, that's the best example.
Pat Riley. The Heat players wanted Eric spost out after
their struggles early on ninety eight. Pat Riley said, look,
this is the guy that's gonna coach. If you're gonna win,
it's going to be with him. Eric Spoisterer had the

(01:57:43):
security and the authority to make the types of changes
he wanted to make and have Lebron play the way
he thought was best of that team, and they won
two out of fortune. What he have going for him
was he was pat Riley's guy. So if yes, Luke oldness,
who's god but Genie bust But it's up to now.

(01:58:04):
Granted Genie could do it if she wants, she could
really say the magic and Luke, Look, Luke is not
gone where She's not gonna do that. Not if Lebron
ain't happy with where the coach Bron, He's not going anywhere.
He's like, but if he's not happy, you don't bring
in a guy like that and then have him unhappy
with the coach. But they to coach it. What about

(01:58:25):
Miami Miami? Pat Riley said this is the guy and
Lebron James wants to win. If Magic and Rob Perlink
and say, look, Lebron, we think Luke's a good coach,
you got a bright future. We're keeping him. You gotta
win with him, Lebron's gonna have to do it. Now,
I'm whether I'm I'm just saying that's the only way

(01:58:46):
you're gonna get the best out of Luke Wall Now
I'm not. I don't know that he's gonna be a
great coach or a grand Popovich Steve diferent. I'm just
saying it's it's gonna be more difficult for him to
coach without being empowered. That is the only difference is
Lebron could get the pushback from Riley because the guy
won championships and had a pedigree. Magic Johnson, I'm just saying,

(01:59:11):
but Magic didn't hire No, But I agree, I agree.
Obviously that's not that's not the same point. If Magic says,
you know what this is my guy. This is now.
Maybe he doesn't want to do that, but I'm just
saying it's gonna be hard to get the best out
of a coach if he does any coach no I

(01:59:31):
give he doesn't have the empower and magic. It's not
like he can't say this isn't my guy now. Maybe
he just doesn't feel that way, which most front offices don't.
When they come in, they they may have somebody they
will us to bring their own guys. You know how,
I understand that and not get that, But I'm just saying, uh,
Luke is in a tough situation, not only because you know,

(01:59:51):
you've got such a great player like Lebron who does
wheel power, but you also got a bunch of young
players who are of similar ability. So he's got a
work that rotation. You've been tuned in for the last
three hours to The Eye Couple Chris Brussar and Rob Parker.
Check out our podcast. Go to iTunes, go to Apple Podcasts,
go to SoundCloud whichever one you want to and download

(02:00:15):
The Odd Couple podcasts. Please leave us a comment and
leave us five stars. It really does make a difference
if you're enjoying what you're here, make sure you get
the podcast, all right, Rob, So the Dodgers doing it tonight.
I think the Dodgers will get the split the Lakers,
and the Lakers will lose to the stop It, Stop It.

(02:00:37):
Lakers win, Dodgers win. Odd couple pers

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