Furness Show 4-10: Corbin Smith, Eno Sarris, Gary Parrish.

Mariners with a huge comeback win against the Astros and Corbin Smith joins the show to talk about the Seahawks pre draft visits and who they might be eyeing as the NFL Draft draws closer.   Eno Sarris from the Athletic joins the show to talk all things MLB, who is the best team in the American League? What do we make of the Mariners slow start?   Daily Power Play.   CBS Sports College Basketball Analyst Gary Parrish joins for his last visit of the year to wrap up the college basketball seaon and look ahead to next season.   Checking the textline.   Softy joins for cross talk.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
That's Anders. I'm me in jess of Courses down in
Vegas with a new guy. So we're here with you.
We have a jam packed show, kind of our last
jam packed Thursday, just because we've got Gary Parris his
final visit today. He'll join us at two o'clock to
kind of put a rap in a bowl on the
college basketball season, kind of bigger picture view, thirty thousand
feet view, and we'll talk about next year and some
of the bigger things going on, transfer portal and I
all that stuff and look back on the college basketball

(00:21):
season brought to you by NOE. Why we appreciate Gary
coming on. You know, sarahs is going to join us
bottom of the hours week we visit talk to him
coming up then about all things baseball, including the Mariners
and what's going on. Kind of a very would you
say the American League's filled with parody right now? Anders?

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, I think there's not really a true elite team
in the American League. And the Mariners have a big
series coming up against Texas. They have a chance to
get one, maybe even three games back on the current
division leader.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Texas, the best record right now in the American League.
And I and they're nine and four, so they're five
above five hundred. So they scored one more run than
the Mariners. Yeah, which is wild. And I'll give you
the other one their minus satan run different on their
nine to four. Yeah, so now, Tiger. The funny thing
is the entire division is in the negatives in terms

(01:07):
of run differential, except of course the Los Angeles Angels,
who didn't see that coming.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
No.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
One at eight and four with a plus nine along
the way. I mean, the one team that probably looks
pretty good if you just look at run differential, it's
probably sometimes, you know, a decent indicator. We've done that
before over the years. Yankees are plus twenty three after
twelve games. How they've lost five, no idea, but they
have so many teams at five hundred or a game
or two below. It's just it's a wild start. So

(01:31):
we'll get to that coming up with you know, and
then mentioned Gary Perris. Corbin Smith in just a couple
of minutes is going to join us as well. We'll
keep an eye. We have Masters updates coming up at
twenty after the hour every hour on the radio station
throughout the day. I'll give you a couple at the
at the top of the hour. Just some headlines, but
they'll give you the storylines today with our master's updates
as well, the first major of the golf season. Most
important thing today that I heard was a question that

(01:53):
new guy asked. I hate this question because I think
it's an obvious answer. Has nothing to do with being
in Seattle, in and out versus Dix. It's Dicks all
the way. It's not even close.

Speaker 4 (02:01):
I can't.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
I have a hard time understanding how you can tell
me that the French fries are any good at that
in and out burger. They're like little pieces of cardboard
sticks the.

Speaker 5 (02:10):
Burgers and like the frozen ones you go buy it
the groceries.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, but they're not, which is even worse. That's worse.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
They're not.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
They're cut there. The problem is the burgers like they're fine, okay,
but like too much lettuce, too much tomato. I know
you can get no, man, you just some things you
can't mess with. A Dick's Deluxe wrapped in the gold foil.
You're done. Like, there's no there's no if fans or

(02:37):
butts whatever that relish sauce with the mate is is perfect.
If you want to amp it up. You add some
ketchup lit'tle ketchup and some French fries to it. That's
what you do.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
I add another cheeseburger onto it, usually because I like
like having the full deluxe and then another extra cheese.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Okay, so here's what I do, same thing. I usually
avoid the fries, but so I make myself feel better
by then also doing the same thing a deluxe and
cheeseburger like that. So good, and I've been good this year, man,
I'll tell you it has been hard because I leave.

Speaker 5 (03:08):
That arena it's right next to it.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
I leave that arena every night about eleven o'clock or so,
forty one times a year starving. I've only stopped once, yeah,
all year, only once. I've got two games left, so
thirty nine games in, I've only stopped once after a game.
I don't think so I'm gonna try not to.

Speaker 5 (03:30):
But season Tuesday come on.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
It only depends what the media meal is. Couple of
times it's like, okay, I can't eat that, so I'm
just gonna starve, and then you know, yeah I.

Speaker 4 (03:42):
Can't.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Mark was asking the other day about the smash Burgers too.

Speaker 4 (03:45):
I don't.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
I didn't hear the whole segment. But like, I haven't
had the smash burger at our friends the Silver Cloud,
I haven't had one there. If you want just this,
the smash burger at a pub restaurant would have you.
Then the Beer Hall, Queen and Beer Hall or Moss
and soon to be occidental. It's my man, Juice Gary.
Those guys they know how to make a smash burger
like nobody else. So we can we can end all

(04:08):
arguments about burgers right then and there. Go to the
Hall or Dix.

Speaker 4 (04:12):
Huh.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
Just go to Dick's. That's all you gotta do. Just
go to Dick's. That's the best. It absolutely flat out
the best. And you know, I'm a Seattle guy, but
it has not that. It's not even the Seattle thing.
It's just it's an institution and it's underrated and the
fact that they make it hard to find, like it's
when they open a new location. It's the greatest thing ever.
So man, it's not even if you want to comment
on that four nine four five one. I'm kind of

(04:34):
in that mood today. Want to do something a little
a little less serious. We could do that all right,
Ready for him? Here he is let's go.

Speaker 6 (04:40):
It's time to take a deep dive into all things
Seahawks with Corbyn Smith, sports reporter for Emerald City Spectrum.
All Seattle Sports, all the time, brought to you by
Jim Elliott with windomere real Est Date helping home buyers
and home sellers in Western Washington. Whether you're buying or selling,
contact Jim at two o six seven four six six

(05:01):
or at Jim That's Sold by Jim dot com. Now
with Gorbyn Smith.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Here's ian all right, I'm looking here at Emerald City
Spectrum dot com. Which players have Seahawks drafted after official
Have Seahawks drafted after official thirty pre thirty pre draft visits?
You got to sale storm story up there. We got
more Seahawks good, bad and ugly. Strong pitching and apt
offense leads to Mariner split versus Astros. Christopher Crawford wrote

(05:28):
that never never heard of him. Probably probably a reason
not to subscribe. If I see myline, this is Christopher
Crawford on it. If I see one, this is Anderson.
Oh my god. There it is player ratings out of
Cider and perform and three nothing loss of San Diego. Boy,
I was gonna pump the tires up at this website,
but I see names like Christopher Crawford at Anderson's Hurst, Like,
what am I doing here? What's going on? Corbyin? How

(05:51):
are you?

Speaker 7 (05:52):
I'm good man, thanks for having me and uh this
time I actually answered my phone.

Speaker 1 (05:57):
Oh good, don't worry about it.

Speaker 5 (05:58):
No worries, no worries. All right, we're two weeks from
the draft.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
Tell people about the top thirty visits of the thirty
pre draft visits. And because if someone's on social media
they're listening to us, they'll hear that all the time.
What does that mean?

Speaker 7 (06:12):
Yeah, you know a lot of people used to say
top thirty visits and that's kind of been dropped, which
I'm glad that that was dropped because it really confused fans.

Speaker 8 (06:22):
I think that they.

Speaker 7 (06:23):
Thought, oh, these are their top thirty players on their
big board, and that's not at all what it is.
It is thirty visits that teams are allowed to bring
in players that are non local. They can bring them
in to meet with coaches, with personnel staff. And then
there's also the medical component, which is probably the most
important part of these visits. It's a last opportunity to

(06:46):
look at players who are going to be potential first rounders,
but you're also gonna have guys that are Day two,
Day three selections, and you're always gonna have a few
guys there that are in the undrafted ranks. Just last year,
George Hallani from Boise State was one of the guys
that had a Top thirty visit with the Seahawks and
ended up signing with them as a priority free agent

(07:06):
and played in five.

Speaker 8 (07:07):
Games for the Seahawks last season.

Speaker 7 (07:09):
And so typically you're going to see a split there
the type of players they're going to be bringing in
to really encompass the entire.

Speaker 1 (07:15):
Draft, not just the first round. We will I think
Deshaun shed for example, an undrafted guy as well, was
an official thirty visit to and ended up having a
really nice career in Seattle before he went on to
become a coach too. So yeah, sometimes you can read
things into that along the way. And we're going to
have two more visits with you, and of course we'll
have a visit with you on Draft Day Day one,

(07:37):
a draft day two weeks from today. But your tea
leaves Corbyn, what are they telling you right now? What
do you think they're thinking they're the Virginia Mason athletic center.

Speaker 7 (07:47):
I think that the first round pick is going to
be one that is going to surprise them fans. But
nothing should surprise fans because to me, they have positioned
themselves where they truly can take the best player available.
So I'm just gonna throw a couple names out there
for you. Donovan Ezeraku from Boston College ranked second in

(08:07):
the country in sacks last year.

Speaker 8 (08:09):
I call him Gumby. He's extremely bendy.

Speaker 7 (08:11):
Around the edge, can get after quarterbacks, explosive athlete, valued
leader that Bill O'Brien raved about former NFL head coach.
I could see him being somebody there. Edge isn't under
the radar need for this team for twenty twenty five
and beyond. And I also think cornerback is a spot
that people should watch closely today. Baron from Texas would

(08:33):
make a lot of sense if he's there at eighteen
and Shavon Revel Junior coming off an Aco injury.

Speaker 8 (08:39):
I know that's gonna make some fans a.

Speaker 7 (08:41):
Little bit worried, but he's sixs three pounds and incredible
speed ball skills. My understanding, he's a couple months ahead
of schedule. He should be ready to go for training
camp at minimum. That is a guy that is now
very much back in the first round radar, and with
Rieke Wilanby in a free agent next year, has some
potential concerns down the line. I could see corner being

(09:04):
a spot that there's a surprise first round pick for them.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
Yeah, those are both guys we've talked about with Rob
rang with Greg Cosell, with Steve pelisl Those are all
guys we've talked about with those guys already, So I
think they're all kind of definitely possibilities. It is Corbus
Smith joining us here on the Beacon Plumbing Hotline Emerald
Cityspectrum dot Com. Yeah, I think it's an interesting dynamic
here because I think, you know, if one of the

(09:27):
top two tight ends is available, do you go down
that road? Maybe because I don't. I think there's a
need there, And I'm with you on the cornerback, I'm
not sure even free agency, you know, coming up in
the year for Riquel and if they're sold on him,
if Josh Job there, you know, what does Mike McDonald
think about that position group as well? What about John
Benton in the offensive line. He's the offensive line coach

(09:47):
and has some influence, we believe, an experienced NFL offensive
line coach, which they didn't have last season. What kind
of what do you think? I'm gonna ask you to
speculate here because I asked Greg Cosell about the Seahawk
incumbent interior linement, Ola, Jimmy, Christian Haynes, Bradford, let's lat

(10:09):
what's his name, Tala Lemeau, and whom oh and Sundell,
and he said he didn't know if any of those
guys are really good enough to step up, but you know,
hard to know right now. What do you think Benton's
thinking and what do you think his his thoughts are.

Speaker 7 (10:25):
I think there's two players from this group that have
a real chance to be the beneficiaries of his arrival.
And actually did a video series on this last week
on Emerald City Spectrum looking back at Benton's last five
coaching jobs and how guards and centers played the first
year that he coached them, and more times than not,

(10:46):
these guys had better numbers in pass protection, they had
better run blocking grades. Christian Haynes was one of the
best zone blockers in college football for three years running,
and I just feel like last year that the scheme
was not a good fit for him. This would be
a difference maker for him in an offense is probably
gonna be seventy plus percent zone concepts. I think his

(11:10):
athleticism and I just think he's gonna play with more
confidence in this scheme and the one that's gonna surprise people.
The more diggy I've done Olua. Timmy is not the
same athlete that Jalen Sundell is, but he is not
a slouch athlete either. He actually had pretty respectable change
direction testing coming into the draft a couple of years ago,

(11:31):
and his zone blocking on tape this past year was
pretty good. So you're talking about a guy that was
the Remington Award winner a few years ago. I think
the Seahawks still have reason to be optimistic that John
Benton can help him get to the next level and
that he can be scheme flexible here for the Seahawks.

Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, I'm I think we're gonna learn a lot about
what the coaching staff thinks about its current roster by
Saturday afternoon. And I know there's a whole draft the
best guy available Corbyn all those time types of things,
But like you said, they've done some things along the way.
They've added to the roster. You know, they've re signed
a couple of key guys, certainly Ernest Jones being at

(12:08):
the top of the list. There bring in the Cooper
Cups of the world. I think we'll know a lot
more what they think of this roster, especially year two
for Mike McDonald. You're one for that offensive staff. What
they think in terms of the incumbent's already on the roster. Yeah,
I would agree with you.

Speaker 7 (12:23):
I think the most fascinating aspect of it is just
seeing whether they're going to force the issue in the
first round for an offensive lineman, and I'm leaning towards
the it's probably going to be a small chance that
they're going to take an offensive lineman at pick number eighteen. Now,
if somebody like Kelvin Banks Junior, the tackle from Texas,

(12:43):
is there, that guy could be an incredible zone blocker
as a guard. He's never played guard, but I think
he's a guy that could do it, that might be
a player they look at.

Speaker 3 (12:52):
I still think.

Speaker 7 (12:53):
Tyler Booker can work in Seattle, even though he did
not test well. There's a lot of fans that are
gonna say, oh, slow foot at Alabama offensive lineman.

Speaker 8 (13:00):
We've already been there, done that with James Carpenter.

Speaker 7 (13:04):
Some of the other players in the league to haven'tlet
but look, the guy on tape has been excellent both
as his zone and gap blocker. He's nasty. They need
somebody that brings some nastiness. So I still think Tyler
Booker is very much a player that would be in
consideration for them there.

Speaker 8 (13:19):
But I think day two is probably the sweet spot where.

Speaker 7 (13:22):
They can go get a guard and or a center
to try to bolster their depth up front.

Speaker 1 (13:26):
All right, next week we'll be a week away. We'll
have more time to spend with you in the meantime.
Tell us about Emerald City Spectrum absolutely.

Speaker 7 (13:34):
Our website is Emeraldcityspectrum dot com and we've got nine,
soon to be ten teams that we cover in the
Seattle region, pro and college teams. Just six dollars a
month or sixty dollars a year, a little cheaper to
do it annually. We think you get more than your
bang for your buck with all the content we kick
out daily.

Speaker 1 (13:53):
I think that's very true, and I joke about it,
but you know, having guys like Chris and anders On.
There is great having you do with the seat covers. Fantastic.
Check it out and we'll see Spectrum dot com. We'll
talk to you next week, my friend. Thank you sounds good.

Speaker 8 (14:05):
There you go.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
That is Corbyn Smith joining us for a quick visit.
We'll jump in deeper next week with the draft two
weeks away. Two weeks from today is the NFL draft.
Eno saras all things baseball. We'll talk about the parody
in the American League so far and so much more.
But first an update from a gousta national.

Speaker 6 (14:26):
It's time for our weekly visit with Eno. Sarah's the
Athletic the best baseball insight you'll get from a nerd
with big League Here. He likes pigs of grips, food
and beer well, always dreaming up the next big baseball
stat Brought to you by Georgetown Brewing Tabrew open seven
days a week from ten to eight pm, makers of
Mannies Paleo Vote. He's up by IPA and the new

(14:49):
domestic style Lagger Tavern Beer. Your place to go for
local taste e craft beer. Now with Ian here's Eno.

Speaker 1 (14:58):
Ino sarahs joins his big thanks in Georgetown. I'm dowing
georgetownbeer dot com. You can go see what's on tap
at the tap room right now. I just tried the
Comet Lagger last week, Crispin refreshing. This light logger is
a perfect beer for aspiring astronauts, amateur astrologists, or any
person who occasionally glances upwards. I'm none of those things,
but I can tell you, Eno Serrus, it's damn good.

(15:20):
It's basically their tavern beer, which is as good a
logger as you're gonna find anywhere. It's that with some
Comet hops added to it. ABV is four point two
percent perfect spring and summer beer. Go check it out
of the tap room at Georgetown Brewing. YOUO, how are you,
my friend?

Speaker 9 (15:36):
Yeah, I'm doing great and well down here. At least
it's warming up, and that's perfect logger weather. I love
also because I run, and I know exactly how many
miles it takes the runoff of beer. I prefer the lower.

Speaker 4 (15:48):
Abb I'm with you.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
I'm kind of in that same kick right now. I'm
going down that road. That's why I went with that
last week, or the tavern beer as well. All right,
here we are a couple weeks into the season, you
have a couple of things up I want to hit.
You'll have to explain to me in a minute what
stuff plus is. Okay, whatever that number is, stuff plus
I like, I love base of so many baseball numbers
like and some of the stats like they're like, okay,

(16:13):
I'm listening to that. That must be a really deep
analytical stuff plus. I like the simplicity of that. We'll
get to that in a second. Andrews and I were
talking about this though, in general terms, feels like in
the American League the word parody is coming into play.
I know it's only two weeks in, but is that
kind of what you may see this season, kind of
an American league where there's there's not a lot of

(16:34):
difference between the best in the mediocre.

Speaker 9 (16:37):
Yeah, it's it's wide open. It's something that I even
noticed ahead of the season when we went, you know
into the season, the preseason projections had four or five,
depending on which projection system you're looking at, had four
or five National League teams that were rejected to be
better than any American League team. So, you know, if

(16:57):
you're talking about Juggernauts, they were you know, mostly the Dodgers, Phillies,
you know, Mets. Those teams were projected to be ahead
of any American League team. And if you think about
the best teams in the American League, somebody like the Yankees.
They lost a big hitter in Juan Soto, They've had

(17:18):
way many injury problems in the rotation. So you know,
every really great team in the American League has had
some problems already. And I think it's wide open for anybody.
I mean, even you look across in the division. The
Astros are supposed to be one of the best teams
in the American League. They louse Spencer Araghetti and they
don't really have a lot more in the cover behind them.

Speaker 1 (17:40):
No, they didn't look good here in Seattle, the Mariers
winning their first series with the walk off yesterday over
the Astros. Tell me about the Los Angeles Angels. They're
eight and four, and I'm gonna use this number, and
you tell me Ian, I'm gonna teach you all summer
that we shouldn't even look at this number, or maybe
you'll tell me it's an okay number. They're the only
team in the American League last with a plus run differential.

(18:01):
Is that a number you ever look at, you.

Speaker 9 (18:02):
Know it is, it is, but it's usually a little
bit more useful, like as you get into the season,
because for example, if you went into Colorado or Colorado
came and visited and you just destroyed a bad team,
your run differential should be good. And if you it's
if you played you know, six, seven, eight, nine, ten

(18:24):
games and one of those games was a twelve to
one laugher or something of your run differential.

Speaker 3 (18:29):
Should be good.

Speaker 9 (18:30):
So I would say that the schedule has helped the
Angels to some regard. So far, they're going to have
they're going to have worse days ahead of them in
terms of schedule. I'd also say that, like you know,
maybe some of the worst teams in the American League
are not as bad as we think they are. I mean,

(18:51):
you know, they've been working in in Anaheim to improve
that team. They've they've signed free agents, they have young
guys like carry in Paris Is Its been a revelation
for them. They've they've got some you know, and they
they rush guys through the miners. So anybody they've drafted
recently and high in the draft is eligible to come

(19:12):
right and play for them. In the major leagues right away,
So they have a philosophy, they're doing something, They're trying
to get better. I don't think that they're a threat
for the division, but they're not terrible.

Speaker 1 (19:26):
You know, Sarah's from the athletic joining us botch by
Georgetown Brewing. How good is Texas? Are they the team
that in the first two weeks you thought they would be?

Speaker 9 (19:37):
Yes, I mean, you know, White lang are getting hurt
and then Evan Carter not being good was kind of
a little bit surprising to me. You know, Bankert and
injury can happen any time. Maybe he'll just go on
to have the season I expected them to. Carter is
just not as good as I thought he would be.
And you know, Jack Lyer getting hurt just exposes the
and Kumar rock A not being very good so far

(20:00):
has exploded that they don't have that much pitching depth
and they do rely on their starters to be healthy.
If they're going to be good this year, they have
to get good help from the guys they have at
the top of their rotation. So it is a flawed
team that was capable, you know, just look at their
last three years, you know, capable of being so good
that they can win it all, and capable of being

(20:22):
so bad that they could end up in the cellar
in the division. I mean, they're a really high variance team.
I mean, you look back on the Mariners last three
years and the Rangers last three years. It's very different stories,
especially since I feel like there's been a lot of
belly aching about how bad the Mariners have been been
like a very consistent sort of eighty five to eighty
eight win team, and the Rangers have been like, Okay,

(20:42):
we're either goinning seventy this year or we're winning ninety
and winning it all.

Speaker 1 (20:46):
That's what Jerry Depoto tells us all the time. Stop complaining,
we're good time. You know they'll be doing this to us.
Mirror fans. Don't do this to us.

Speaker 9 (20:57):
I know, I know, I know, I know how that
has sound.

Speaker 1 (21:00):
I mean, well, they lost Victor rollblist their leadoff hitter
or their right field or do an injury that that
goofy netting they have at Oracle Park in San Francisco
over the weekend. What kind of loss do you think
that is for Seattle?

Speaker 9 (21:11):
You know what sucks is that he is the one
guy that was making contact, we would We talked this
last week about how the rough start on the offense
has been strikeout related, and you know, with him going
out and rarely going to the outfield and rowdy and
you know, Solana becomes more important because he can actually
make contact. So you know, Polanco becomes more important because

(21:34):
he's actually making contact. I would suggest that instead of
kind of you know, doing the safe thing with Leo
Revos and and Rowdy Telez and all that. I know
that I know that Cole Young is not ripping it
up in the minors, but he makes contact and he

(21:56):
gets on base, and I think he has more ceiling.
So I'm hoping that he has a hot week or
two in the minors it looks better to them, and
then they pull him off because I would rather see
what I got with Cole Young, especially because Colt Emerson
might be the real deal and he's coming to So
you've got to sort through these options at some level,
like organizations have to figure out who they have, you know,

(22:20):
And so I would rather get a look right now
when I had a chance at at Young, and then
if and then maybe if Emerson's good, like get him
up to double A and and and and and get
his timeline going, because he could be he's the really
the most exciting prospect that the Mariners have.

Speaker 1 (22:38):
You're preaching the choir and why are you smiling in
there and your fists?

Speaker 4 (22:42):
Why?

Speaker 2 (22:44):
Chris Crawford has told us too, But Cole Young right
now might be your best second basement, not only long term,
but just because Ryan Bliss is out as well. So
you kind of need to win right now.

Speaker 4 (22:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:53):
Winning's good. Yeah, it's I'm with you. I think I
think we're all kind of the same way. We want
to see some of these guys all right before you.
So you know, tell me what stuff plus is and
why is Bryce Miller on your list.

Speaker 9 (23:05):
Stuff plus it just looks at the physical characters as
the pitches, So you know, like you said, it's aptly
named the stuff of a pitcher. We take that away
from the pitcher's own results and we just say, how
do pitches that spin like this and have this velocity
and breaking this way? How have they done across baseball?
And then we then we assign that back to the picture.

(23:27):
And what's good about that is you can look at
Bryce Miller and you know he's had some struggles early
on and he hasn't even struck out guys like he
normally does. And so you say, well's the stuff down?
It's not. And what the good news is that stuff
plus says that all of his stuff is there, His
pictures are moving like they normally move, he has the

(23:48):
normal velocity, he has a good miss. He's hadn't he's
even like pushed his mix to the point where he's
like a six pitch pitcher. He was like a two
pitch pitcher once, you know, so he's got a lot
of pitches. The stuff is there. What's missing? And I
talked to him about this is fastball command and there's
good news in that, which is that command comes and goes.

(24:09):
And that's why we separate out. We have stuff plus
and we have location plus. And the reason we separate
those two is that location plus is really noisy and
command is really noisy. Game to gain your command comes
and go, is your hamstring barking? Did you not get
enough last night? Those little things I think lead to
bad command. And he said, I'm going to spend my

(24:31):
next bullpen on fastball command. And that's it. Because if
you think of Bryce Miller, he's always had a good fastball.
He's always had a good fastball command. So I look
at this and I say, it's a blip. It's just
a weird thing that happened. He missed his spots by
three four inches at times and he got hit. Move
on next game, And there's nothing wrong with Brice Miller.

(24:52):
That's what stuff pluff can tell.

Speaker 1 (24:53):
And as as you mentioned guys who should eventually turn
it around. And an amazing sport, isn't it. Like you
just said, you can miss your spot by a couple
of inches, and it makes all the difference in the world,
Like it's it's right there, but you're just barely missing
right now. What a crazy sport he threw it.

Speaker 9 (25:09):
I mean, he threw an outside fastball to Matt Chapman,
and he wanted it to be like top of the
top outside black at the black top corner, and he
missed literally was just down three inches off that and
Chapman hit it off the field, double off him. I mean,
if he'd gone those three inches higher, he probably Chapman
would have swung under it and it would have been

(25:29):
a strike three. So I mean, that's that's the difference
between like any ending or any extending double you know,
and and that's that's how bad a bad adms go.

Speaker 1 (25:37):
All right, my friend, great stuff. Can't wait till you
make it up here. We'll head down to Georgetown Brewing.
In the meantime, I'll go check out Eno stuff on
his stuff plus that's at the Athletic. Yeah, stuff plus
at the Athletic from Eno Saras. Go check it out
on the MLB page. Good good, fun, fun conversations.

Speaker 3 (25:52):
Every week.

Speaker 1 (25:53):
I'm gonna learn something every week. I know this, and Emo,
we thank you so much. We'll talk to you next week.

Speaker 9 (25:58):
Yeah, tell him to send me some buddy stuff.

Speaker 1 (26:00):
I will let them know. They're probably listing right now.
I'll let them know. All right, that's Ito sarahs from
the Athletic. Theathletic dot Com quick daily power Play coming
up next.

Speaker 3 (26:11):
Malkin shoots one ed on gold of Pucks and I stop.
It's Crosby Stop.

Speaker 6 (26:18):
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Speaker 1 (26:55):
Tonight Crack and final road game of the year. Take
it on the Nights the Vegas Golden Knights seven o'clock
drop of the Puck six thirty pre game show Network Central.
Your guy, the Captain will have it for you. He'll
be at the thirty two bar and grill. I think
Chess will be there at the thirty two bar and girl.

Speaker 5 (27:12):
No at the game. Oh really, Okay, it's in Vegas.

Speaker 1 (27:15):
You should going?

Speaker 2 (27:15):
We know she I texted her and said you should
go check it out. What you say, they said, Yeah,
we should. That doesn't mean they will, but.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
We'll see if AK is able to make it out
of the casino downtown.

Speaker 5 (27:27):
Yeah, that's good point. That's good point.

Speaker 1 (27:28):
The h We Yeah, they're down there having a good
time at Circle. Okay, jealous we Uh, what do you
want to know? What do you want to know what
you want to know about Vegas. You want to know
about Seattle.

Speaker 5 (27:37):
Let's go Seattle first. You were hoping for the other answer, right.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
No, it's fine, all right. Kraken did score a power
play goal first one in five games the other night.
Of course, that made it a seven to one game.

Speaker 5 (27:51):
It's the Reshi Secon home run.

Speaker 1 (27:53):
The weird number here. They have one of the worst
records in the league been scoring a power play goal.
Really yeah, they have a five x one winning percentage
of scoring a power play goal. Now that's still playoff
seventeen thirteen and three. Yeahs, So you still need to
score in the playoff a power play goal if you're
a bottom feeder. This is a difference. I had this
conversation with Mike yesterday on Cracking Weekly. This is a

(28:14):
difference between bottom feeders and teams that are pretty good. Okay, okay,
the teams with the worst record when scoring a power
play goal this year at least one.

Speaker 5 (28:22):
It's gonna be all good teams, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (28:23):
No.

Speaker 1 (28:23):
San Jose, Chicago, Buffalo, Anaheim. So three of those San Jose, Chicago,
and Buffalo all are sub five hundred. When they have
a power player.

Speaker 5 (28:33):
Probably three worst teams in the league they are.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
Yeah, Buffalo, by the way, let me give you another one. God,
Buffalo eighteen straight years now without the postseason appearance.

Speaker 5 (28:42):
It's the longest in sports.

Speaker 1 (28:44):
So Heyer fans relax, are e lax is Aaron Rodgers
once set would be worse. She could be a Savers fan,
It's true. Vegas, by the way, quinch home ice the
other night despite a losing a shootout to Colorado when
they've had postseason home ice in the first round. This
happened three times in the history of the Vegas Golden Knights.

(29:05):
I would expect a long run again.

Speaker 5 (29:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (29:08):
Won the Stanley Cup, lost in the semi finals, lost
to Stanley Cup finals.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
So yeah, they're a good team, good hockey team.

Speaker 5 (29:17):
Who's your pick to one at all this year?

Speaker 1 (29:22):
Carpian, Well, I mean Winnipeg's gonna win the President's Cup. Yeah,
best record.

Speaker 5 (29:29):
I don't think they're the best team though, I.

Speaker 1 (29:30):
Don't know if playoff Hella buck is good enough in goal,
like i'd like to see them win it.

Speaker 5 (29:35):
I mean, I know they're very top heavy though they
don't have a ton of depth.

Speaker 1 (29:38):
Yeah, but there's a few teams that are like that too.
I know might pick who is it?

Speaker 5 (29:44):
Dallas?

Speaker 1 (29:46):
Yeah, if they get healthy, if they're healthy, if they're healthy,
Dallas is a wagon.

Speaker 5 (29:51):
Yeah, they're a wagon. Coloradom. I do it again too.

Speaker 1 (29:55):
I know what the networks are hoping for not to
see Winnipeg in the Stanley Cup finals for whatever reason.
That's well, it's it's just a nightmare for American television
ratings numbers. Dallas would be huge, Colorado would be good.
They would want one of those two attention in the West.
They'd love to have a Vechkin from the East. If
not him, I think Toronto still would draw.

Speaker 5 (30:19):
Absolutely. I didn't actually have the chances here too. They're
different kind of makeup.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
Let's talk after the first round and see if they
get out of the first round. All right, let's let's
before we get two.

Speaker 5 (30:27):
Carrieds make up in the previous Toronto's that I.

Speaker 1 (30:29):
See before, before we go down that road. Let's let's
see if they can get out of the Battle of Ontario,
probably Ottawawa in Toronto.

Speaker 5 (30:38):
That's a good series.

Speaker 1 (30:40):
What's what? What's what's more excited for Battle of Ontario
or a Battle of Florida.

Speaker 5 (30:44):
Battle Florida. Florida Tampa is a great series.

Speaker 1 (30:47):
They're both good series. Okay, all right, yeah, playoffs will
be fun. That'll happen next year. Last road game of
the year Tonight's and that's uh again, I believe bet.
And I just saw Terry Ryner engineer packing all the
gear up, which tells me you have to go to
thirty two thirty two. Mike Benton will be there, a
lot of people talking very loud. Got if you had
a new guy there, it'd be the loudest place in America.

(31:07):
All right, Well, take a quick break. Gary Parrish joins us.
Wrapping up the college hoops season.

Speaker 6 (31:12):
Next now from the Star Rentals Sports Tests Your ninety
three point three KJRFMS sports headline.

Speaker 1 (31:21):
By frost Brew cors Light choose chill. M's off today
after winning yesterday against the Astros down five to nothing,
a walk off win Julio with a two run double
to tie the game, randioll Rosarina a grand slam and
a walk off walk Uh. They are off today host
Texas starting in the world cracking tonight in Vegas, final
Roal game of the year, seven o'clock, dropping the puck
six thirty pre game right here on KJR. We have
a master's leaderboard coming up in about twenty minutes after

(31:43):
Gary Parrish, It's.

Speaker 6 (31:45):
Time for our weekly look at college basketball with CBS
Sports insider Gary Parrish, brought to you by No Lie Brewing,
the family owned, fully independent brewery, born and raised in Spokane.
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Speaker 1 (32:05):
Well, the music's playing, but it's the final time, I
guess officially for the year, the CBS College Basketball March
Madness music. Here we go. Oh man, it's kind of
a bummer. I always hate this, I always kind of
hate this, But here we are. Gary Parish joins us,
brought to you by our good friends at No Lie
Brewing out in Spokane. I'm gonna be there actually next Friday,
I think, or Saturday next week. I'll be out there

(32:26):
and can't wait to enjoy hopefully some good weather the
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(32:48):
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Speaker 3 (32:59):
How you doing good?

Speaker 1 (33:00):
I'm good? All right, it's done, it's over with. We
had a couple of fantastic finishes the last two games
of the tournament, didn't.

Speaker 3 (33:06):
We It was a wild final four.

Speaker 10 (33:09):
You know, if you add up the scores of all
three games, the point differential is as close as it's
ever been in a three game totality of the final four. So,
what was on paper the strongest final weekend of the
regular season we've ever seen, I think actually lived up
to expectations.

Speaker 3 (33:30):
We got three compelling basketball games.

Speaker 10 (33:32):
I don't know that they were the three most beautiful
games we've ever seen, particularly the one on Monday night,
but we had compelling basketball. And what was interesting about
all three games is that they all featured second half comebacks.
There was a point where it looked like the team
that lost in the second half was ultimately going to
win the game. And that was especially true in both

(33:54):
of Houston's game, First the way they stormed back and
upbeat Duke in the final men and then two nights
later they had the exact same thing happen to them
Florida storm's back and wins the National Championship. Just a
really fun weekend that was kept off with a wildly
compelling National Championship game that ended in a way that

(34:14):
I don't think many of us saw coming.

Speaker 1 (34:16):
No, it did not, And you know it's what it's
heartbreaking on so many levels, Like if you know it was,
you know, for Duke and their players, especially the guys
that have a one time chance like a Cooper Flag
to win a title and do that, heartbreaking. For Houston
to have a shot and not get off at the end, heartbreaking,
And just I think you set it best though, And

(34:36):
I think this is important thing to remember because people
will always talk about the great comeback that one team made.
But for a great comeback, it's got to be two sided, right,
whether it be Duke in the in the semi finals,
or whether it be Houston in the championship game. It
takes two to tangle.

Speaker 10 (34:52):
In other words, Gary, Yeah, when you are particularly the
Duke Houston thing, like when you're up the way Duke
was up with twelve minutes to go in that game,
eight minutes to go in that game, two minutes to
go in the game. If you lose that, it is
never going to be just an amazing comeback by the
other team. You have to contribute to it. You have

(35:13):
to play a.

Speaker 3 (35:14):
Role in it.

Speaker 10 (35:15):
And that was one where I did not think Duke
was losing that game until you looked up and they're
down a point with you.

Speaker 3 (35:24):
Know, a couple of seconds to go.

Speaker 10 (35:27):
Up until that moment, it felt like Duke was advancing
to the national title game, and then it just flipped.

Speaker 3 (35:34):
Same thing on Monday night.

Speaker 10 (35:36):
There were moments in the Houston Duke Semifinal and the
Houston Florida Title game where you could, very reasonably, as
somebody who covers college basketball, say Okay, I think we're
done here, Like when Duke is up double digits with
eight h five to go, or you know, up multiple

(35:57):
possessions with less than a minute to play, like, okay,
we're done here. And then the game flipped and Houston
wins it. And then when Houston is up twelve points
with a little more than fifteen to play in the
second half. I know that's a lot of time, but
in that moment, Houston's up twelve points, given that it's
the best defensive team in America and the temple at

(36:17):
which they play is very, very slow. I'm not a
math major, but just it's something like a twenty point
deficit in real basketball terms, and at least that's what
it feels like. Meantime, Walter Clayton Junior is giving Florida
absolutely nothing. It was totally reasonable in that moment to
say we're done. Here gets about to happen. Kelvin Samson's
gonna win a national championship. Houston finally, after seven trips

(36:40):
to the Final four, is gonna win a national championship.
And then Florida hung around, hung around, flip the game,
and then it ends with Houston not even getting a
shot off on any of its final four possessions. The
stat and there's a million of them that are just
crazy connected to this game, but the one I settle
into pretty quickly that I thought hammered home exactly how

(37:03):
big of a collapse this was on Monday Night by
the Cougars down the stretch. In the first thirty eight
minutes and thirty nine seconds of the game, Houston only
turned the ball over five times thirty eight minutes and
thirty nine seconds. In the final one twenty one, they
turned it over four more times. They almost matched their
turnover total for the entire first thirty eight plus minutes.

(37:25):
In the last one plus minute, Houston just fell apart
in a way that you'll never see again. And I
guarantee you like that. I hope to God Calvin Samson
finds himself back in that position and is able to
close it out, because if not the way that ended,
we'll eat at him forever because I know that he

(37:45):
badly wants to have a national championship and he had it.
It was right there for the taking, and they just
let it slip away.

Speaker 1 (37:52):
Yeah, And I think you know, I hold out hope
for Kelvin that because there's a it's not the same
because it's first round. Verse is the championship game in
a minute and a half, two minutes left to go.
But our other former Washington State head coach, Tony Bennett,
who lost, became the first one seed to lose with
sixteen and then bounce us back and wins the national
championship the next year. I'm hoping Kelvin has the same thing.

(38:13):
They're kind of connected in that regard, and I don't
like it for either one of those guys who you
know we're fans of out here in the Northwest. Gary
Parrish joining us by to my no Live brewing CBS Sports,
I in college basketball, cbsports dot com. Let's let's talk
some bigger picture items as we head into the offseason
with college basketball. Your top twenty five and one came out.
Gonzaga fans will get to you guys in a second,
because luckily it's and one, you're twenty sixth Just a

(38:37):
spoiler alert. Gary's got you number twenty six, but you
have Houston right up there, like you think they might
go back there next year.

Speaker 3 (38:45):
I got them preseason number one. Most people do as well.

Speaker 10 (38:48):
Obviously, it's a lot of projecting at this time of
the year, but based on where they're at in this moment,
it appears they're going to bring back three starters from
this team that just went thirty five and five, finished
second at Ken Palm and runner up in the country.
So that would be Milos Uzanne, Joe Tugler, and Emmanuel Sharp,
three starters coming back. Then they add Pop Isaacs, who

(39:12):
played at Creighton last year averaged sixteen points per game
in eight appearances, then had to have a season ending surgery,
but he will be healthy by the start of the season.
There's another guard to throw in the starting lineup, and
they're also enrolling a five star center named Chris Sinak,
who is you know, projected to slide in there and
start right next to Jojo Tugler.

Speaker 3 (39:32):
So here's a Houston team that's.

Speaker 10 (39:34):
Been to Sweet six straight Sweet sixteens, been to two
of the previous five final fours, and is returning three
starters from a great team and supplementing the roster with
you know, possibly an upgrade at one guard and a
five star center McDonald's All American at another starting position.

(39:56):
They're they're loaded again, and that's why it should be
no super if Kelvin Sampson in that program of back
in the final four. Obviously nothing's guaranteed, but that will
be one of the best teams, if not the best
team in the country once again next season, or at
least it should be on paper.

Speaker 1 (40:11):
Well, and let's let's kind of talk about the bigger
picture world, because as I'm looking at your top twenty
five and one's, it really is truly the you know,
kind of the same old, same old. And that's not
a criticism by you, it's it's the power conferences and
it's the power schools. I find it interesting because what
you're basing it on is returning players. Almost sure, it's

(40:31):
based on as you kind of wrote, it's based on
these guys all returning. We are seeing more and more
of that in college Purdue might be the best example
of all, I mean, right, because they bring back Fletcher Lawyer,
Braden Smith, Austin Rent. I mean, they bring up all
these guys. And are we starting to see that now
more in college basketball. I'm gonna get to the other
the mid majors in a second, but where these power

(40:53):
conference teams are able to retain good players for three
or four years like we used to see twenty years ago.

Speaker 10 (41:00):
We are at a point and this is one of
the beautiful things about NIM And I know not everybody
loves this what's happening and all this money being thrown
around and players bouncing from one campus to another. But
one of the good things about it, even if you
don't like the way the sport's being run right now,
is that we are keeping more good players in school
longer than they otherwise would be. We have reached a

(41:22):
point because the money is so vast that unless you
are locked and loaded guaranteed first round pick, it is
maybe not, in fact probably not financially sensible for you
to enter the NBA draft. And even if you are
a first round pick, if it ain't lottery pick type stuff,
it might not be financially sensible for you to enter

(41:44):
the NBA draft given that you can likely make more.

Speaker 3 (41:46):
Money in college basketball.

Speaker 10 (41:48):
And there was a big headline yesterday that sort of
illustrates this.

Speaker 3 (41:52):
JT.

Speaker 10 (41:52):
Toppin is the reigning Big twelve Player of the Year.
So young man who started his college career at New
Mexico and probably a year and a half ago was
making like twenty five thousand dollars to play college basketball
at New Mexico. Literally two seasons ago, he got whatever
he got to transfer to Texas Tech and played this
past season and was awesome Big Twelve Player of the Year,

(42:15):
Legitimate NBA prospect. You could find him in mock grafts
anywhere from say fifteen to forty. But he was like
one of those guys that he could go through the
process and maybe get into the teams or the twenties,
possibly sip in the thirties or forties, but like he
was in a different era of basketball. This young man's
off and on his way to a professional career in

(42:38):
whatever form it's going to be. He's not even thinking
about coming back to college. Well, here's what Texas Tech did.
They sat down with him and they said, here's four
million dollars four million, if you'll just commit to coming
back to school right now, do not even go through
the process. If you go through the process, then yeah,
we might have this money when you come back, but
we might not because we can't wait six weeks to

(43:00):
let you bounce around from one NBA city to the next.

Speaker 3 (43:03):
Working out for people.

Speaker 10 (43:04):
Because if you decide to stay in the draft, then
you know all the other good players are gone. So
if you can commit to us right now, we can
commit to you right now at the rate of four
million dollars. And he said, okay, And that kind of
stuff is going on all around the country right now.
Maybe not to that extreme.

Speaker 3 (43:19):
That's a.

Speaker 10 (43:20):
That's a that's the high end of every conversation we're
talking about. But right now you're you're watching college programs lure, yeah,
players from one campus to another, but players also who
would otherwise be ready to pursue a professional career. They're
coming back to college because in JT. Toppins case and
in a lot of players cases, there's a lot more

(43:41):
money to be made playing college basketball next season then
there would be for them if they were playing professional
basketball next season, even in some cases professional basketball in
the actual NBA.

Speaker 1 (43:51):
Yeah, I'm just looking through here. I mean, the minimum
salary for an NBA player one point one five million,
I believe is what the minimum salary is two way
contracts to the G League to make around five seventy eight.
You're talking about numbers far greater than that right now.
It's Topping and many other guys across the country. And
if you don't get drafted, or if you get a
second round pick and you don't get signed and you

(44:11):
go right to the G League, your salary is basically
not even livable, right, I mean, it's like close not
even to a living wage at that point. So you
are it benefits you greatly if you're that guy to stay,
unless you're probably a lottery pick.

Speaker 10 (44:25):
Well, like, here's another one, Tyrese Proctor at Duke. Now,
any sort of normal year, he would just be entering
the NBA Draft. He'd be picked twenty third or forty
third or somewhere in between those numbers. But he would say, hey,
I've been to Final four, I've done about everything I
can do in college. It's time to get on with
my professional career. And that might be what he'll do.

(44:46):
We'll see. I'll leave it up to him. But Duke
could very easily without even stretching itself financially, just say hey,
if you want two million dollars to stay in school,
we'll give it to you right now.

Speaker 3 (44:55):
And that's the.

Speaker 10 (44:56):
Way this is happening all over the country. And you know,
there's some argument about let's just go back to JT.
Topping for a second. There's somebody out there, I'm certain
who would try to explain to him and you and
I that he still should maybe consider entering the NBA
draft because then you get picked, then you're on your
rookie contract, and every year you stay in college is

(45:19):
a year later you get to free agency, and you
want to get to free agency as soon as possible.
And that makes perfect sense for somebody like Cooper Flag
or Dylan Harper, somebody you know is going to be
picked in the top five and is going to get
a second you know is always going to be extended
and then gonna hit free aight, like they're not going
to wash out of the league in a few years.

(45:40):
But honestly, unless you're like one of those level guys,
there are people picked fifteenth, twenty third, twenty eighth every
year they and they're out of the league after one contract, right,
So I understand the logic behind no, you still want
to get in the NBA and get your clock started.

Speaker 3 (45:57):
But if you're JT.

Speaker 10 (45:58):
Topping, if you're being honest with yourself, here's what you're saying.
My dream is to play in the NBA for twenty years,
but it might be two. I don't know. Nothing is
guaranteed except for right now. This Big twelve school will
give me four billion dollars to play college basketball next season.
So my options are inter a draft, and I don't
know where I'm going to be picked, don't know where

(46:19):
I'm gonna end up living don't know if I'll end
up with a guaranteed contract or not. Don't know if
I'll be splitting time between an NBA franchise or the
G League. But either way, just common sense tells me
I'm gonna be sitting on the bench all next season somewhere,
or I could play in sold out arenas twice a
week for five months, on national television every game, fly

(46:43):
charter flights everywhere, and oh, by the way, make four
million dollars and also be a preseason first team All American,
perhaps the preseason National Player of the Year.

Speaker 3 (46:51):
When you put it on the table like that, I think.

Speaker 10 (46:53):
It's a pretty easy decision to come back to school,
and a lot of people around the country are going
to make similar decisions for similar reason.

Speaker 1 (47:00):
Absolutely, Garry Perry is showing a CBS Sports, so you know,
the lack of Cinderella is this season. We just saw that.
You know, the TV ratings were really good because big
brands were there, and we understand that, and we've talked
about that. You and I've talked about this before. Listen
VCU in a final four, George Mason in a Final four.
It's a cool story. Not as many casual fans watched
the networks don't like it because the numbers aren't there,
then advertisers don't want to spend as much money. The

(47:22):
trickle down effect is real, the one thing, and I'm
not pushing back on that because usually the way what
I love about the NCAA tournament Normally I know it's
a one and done, but normally things take care of themselves. Now,
a couple of times those teams loyal in Chicago, they
get blown out when they get that deep. That's almost inevitable.
But by and large, when we get to a final four,
it may not be four number ones, like we haven't

(47:43):
had that since oh eight, but we still have good,
big brand, compelling matchups when it's all said and done
in the Elite eight, Sweet sixteen, even the final four.
My only pushback on that is the one thing I
love about college basketball. Three hundred and sixty four teams
or whatever it is. Every year they go in thinking
we have a chance to get in the field, like
we have a chance to get in the field. And

(48:04):
while that will always still be the case with the
automatic bids, the frustration I have as a college fan,
I guess maybe it's because of my school is that
we're unable to keep players and develop players anymore. It's
turned into a farm system. And I guess my only
thing would be Gary. I wish there would be a way,
and I think it's bad, and that the father of
me says this too. I think it's bad for a

(48:25):
kid when you're going to three schools in four years,
or in the case of Nate Calmes, I'll use him
for example, from Washington State four schools and four years,
Miles Rice, three schools in the last three years. You
know you're trying to get paid, but man, there's got
to be something you and I well, maybe I'm not sure.
With the great new the gig you've got. I know,
with my gigs, both TV and radio, I can't just

(48:48):
up and leave. I have a contract that I've got
to fulfill. I wish there was something a little bit more,
not punitive, but just some way to kind of guys,
keep guys from making rash decisions.

Speaker 10 (49:00):
We will get there someday, but it will have to
come when everything is collectively bargained and unionized and we
start treating this like an actual professional sports league. But
I will say I understand all of the frustration I
talk about this stuff matter of factly sometimes and it
comes across I recognize like I don't care about anything

(49:22):
other than big brands, and I don't care about the
little guys at.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
All, and that's just not true.

Speaker 10 (49:27):
It's just that again, I try to talk about it
matter of fact, you know, in a matter of fact.

Speaker 3 (49:31):
Way and practically.

Speaker 10 (49:32):
So the first thing you said to me was interesting
there that it feels like at Washington State now you're
kind of a feeder school, Like your identifying prospects, enrolling them,
develop them, and then watching bigger schools with more money
in bigger conferences just buy them right off of your campus.
That is happening. Here's what I would say. It's been

(49:54):
happening to you on the coach side forever. Calvin Sampson,
Tony Bennett, Kyle Smith last year, Kyle Smith last.

Speaker 3 (50:02):
Year, Georgia.

Speaker 1 (50:03):
There's a lot of coaches we wish they would have
taken but they didn't. I wish they would have taken it. Rycaun.

Speaker 10 (50:10):
So what is the history of Washington State basketball? If
you have great if you have a great coach, he
will leave for a better job. That is the history
of the school. Well, now, it's the same thing for
the players. It's no different like that. That's just sort
of where you are in the sport, in the hierarchy
of the sport, and so where I sort of land
on this while just thinking about it practically is the

(50:33):
same way. When Kyle gets a big job offer, or
Tony or Kelvin or George or any or any coach ever,
I always look at him and I go, that's amazing.
They took a job and it was the best job
they could get at the time, and then they did
so well at it that they were able to get
a bigger job, and then they took that. You know
who else did that? In my own life? Me, that's

(50:54):
what I did coming out of college. I took a
newspaper job because it was the best job I could
get that I worked at so hard, and then fortunately
somebody else said, hey, we'll give you a bigger job
if you want it, and I took it. That's all
Tony Bennett ever did, It's all Kelvin Sanson ever did,
it's all Cal Smith ever did, And frankly, that's all
these players are doing right now now. Is it great

(51:15):
for the sport broadly speaking? No, I don't think so,
because if you're a Washington State fan, you probably are.

Speaker 3 (51:21):
Go on some levels, start to go, what is even
the point.

Speaker 10 (51:23):
Of this, Like, we can't be good rebuilding every year,
and now we can't even build into something good because
before we even get to that place, the players are leaving,
you know, annually. I get that that's not ideal. I
know all the player movement. People just you don't even
know who's on one roster from one year to the next.

(51:44):
That's not great either. Free agency at the end of
every season is not good for any sport. But I'm
less concerned about the players bouncing around as often as
some others when they bring up education, because people are right,
this is not the way to pursue a college career
going to four different colleges.

Speaker 3 (52:05):
Credits aren't going to transfer smoothly.

Speaker 10 (52:07):
You're going to end up doing more time in the
classroom or at least online classes than you otherwise would.
But I think it's important for all of us to
stop thinking about these young people as traditional college students
and start thinking of them about start thinking of them
as young people who have a defined period of time,
in most cases four years to make as much money

(52:29):
as possible, and right now there is so much money
available that if my son were a basketball player being
pursued by power conferences, I would not tell him that
our goal is to graduate from any school in four years,
as much as our goal is to find a place
you want to be and be happy and then but

(52:50):
beyond that, we got to maximize our earning potential right now,
because in many cases across the country, the most money
these young people will ever make, probably doing anything in
their life is what they can make right now playing
college basketball. And I just am never going to get
too upset about somebody pursuing that there are young people

(53:10):
right now who come from nothing and have nothing, and
they are quite literally becoming millionaires millionaires to play college basketball,
changing their families' lives. And so every time I start
to get a little frustrated by the constant player movement,
I try to settle back on that fact and just
be happy for the people who are, you know, in

(53:32):
many ways changing, you know, changing their lives. In some cases,
I don't mean to get hyperbolic, but in some cases
this is true breaking.

Speaker 3 (53:40):
A generational.

Speaker 10 (53:43):
Trend of poverty, Like you're breaking some real cycles here
in some cases.

Speaker 1 (53:47):
I agree, I have philli you and I will talk
about this again. And I also have a feeling that
I'll be calling you at some point over the next
six or seven months before we start doing this all
over again, because that's what we do when we love
talking to you. And let me just say once again,
thank you. I know you do a few of these country,
and I also know you're incredibly busy during the college basketball season,
but we've had you on now for a long time.
I know it was pre pandemic, so at least since

(54:07):
twenty nineteen, and I enjoy it immensely. I know Jess does,
Andrews does, our producers do, and our listeners do too, Gary,
and I really you know, hopefully they're checking out the
podcast and checking out what you do online. But our
passion for college basketball, I think we've shared it with
our listeners here in Seattle, even though it's not a
hotbed for college hoops. But people do enjoy it. They
love having you on. So I appreciate you carvering out

(54:29):
time for us here in Seattle the last few years.
And a huge shout out to Jonasindy Bryan at Nola
Brewing for all of their support as well, But thank you, sir.

Speaker 10 (54:36):
Yeah, Nolai has been awesome to help us bring all
of this together. And then, man, I just tell you,
there's a lot of people who can talk about college
basketball with you, and the idea that you picked me
just is I can't thank you enough. It's an awesome
time every time I get to spend a few minutes
with you, every time I hear from somebody in the
in the market, you know via Twitter or email, like,

(54:58):
I get some nice notes here and there, and so
it's always kind. I enjoy our conversations and I appreciate
you let me do it.

Speaker 1 (55:03):
We'll do it again next year, and we'll probably check
in with Garret at some point during the offseason as well.
Thank you so much. Take care. We'll do a quick
master's update coming up next Nightey three point three KFM.

Speaker 6 (55:16):
You're listening to the home of the Husky, the Kruken,
and Seattle's best NFL Draft coverage gen the twenty twenty
five NFL Draft. Now back to Ian Fernez, probably brought
to you by Snowball Me Casino on Sports Radio ninety
three point three kjr FM.

Speaker 1 (55:35):
All right, here we go, wrapping things up we'll get
check the text a second. Two weeks from today will
be Day one of the NFL National Football League Draft.

Speaker 2 (55:52):
I gotta get on some of that audio. I'm through
like last week, so I gotta get this week's up there.

Speaker 1 (55:58):
Rober Rang's going to join us tomorrow. We'll talk both
tight ends and he wants to hit on some day
two day three running backs. Well, so we're gonna do
that tomorrow with Rob at two o'clock on the show tomorrow,
Daniel and Neil also tomorrow. Let's get some text in
four nine four or five to one. Gary's the best.
Have enjoyed his insights for years on your show. Is
this is two five three? Thank you. We love having

(56:19):
Gary on. That's been one of those I didn't know
where I I think I was listening to this podcasts
like back in twenty eighteen inch or something, and I'm like,
this gotta be fun to get on, and Kay Shockey
reached out to him and he said, yeah, let's do it.
And then Noela is a huge big thanks to Noel.
I too, huh good on. Those guys are fun. They're
a huge college basketball people. And we've hat Gary on

(56:41):
ever since. And I mean like in our area, college
basketball becomes a thing in March. But I think with
Gary on starting in January, I think people kind of
get a little more enthused about it, which is good.
So we'll see Marcus well said Greg, I think you
make Gary. I wish I could have gotten paid for
playing baseball. They even use my degree. I think only
my lawyer and doctor friends do that. The only thing, Marcus,
what that is is that you wouldn't have got paid

(57:03):
much to play baseball. I don't think unless you're an
SEC school like those guys aren't making a lot of money.

Speaker 5 (57:08):
It's true.

Speaker 1 (57:09):
If any let's see two O six and I'm not someone,
oh this is actually there's two back to back. Only
someone who has their whole livelihood tied to college basketball
believes that the money being thrown around is good. It's
not good. Go form a minor league. You are killing killing,
killing the other sports. There's nothing about this that says
student athlete. And I'm not someone who begrudges the athletes
making money. But do go do it under a minor league.

(57:29):
See who cares and pays when there aren't universities involved.
The answer will be G league level excitement.

Speaker 5 (57:35):
Yeah, it's good point.

Speaker 1 (57:38):
I understand what he says about what Gary was saying,
and yes, Gary makes his livelihood through college you know,
good chunk of it through college basketball and so and
if you're in his his you know. The criticism or
the counter I have with Gary is that he his
world is tied to big brands and big brands, people
watching CBS sports, people downloading his podcasts that are college

(58:00):
basketball fanatics from the big brand. I get that. My
point to him is maybe it was different for him,
but most jobs and even the coaches. Yeah, the coaches
can freely move, right, Kelvin moved Tony, But like we
talk about the guys, even they have contracts. They have contracts,
they have buyouts, so there's a financial penalty. At some point.

(58:23):
You just can't convince me that it's a good thing
that players are playing for four schools and four years
three schools. I forgot, Hayley van lyt Lyft played for UCLA, right,
so she played for UCLA, Lewisville, LSU, and TCU. How

(58:47):
is that good? Okay, Financially it's great. College is more
than listen, if you can come out with no debt,
that's the biggest win. You can have in college. If
you come out with money in your pocket, that's that
it's just good for you. There's more to college than that.
There's more to being an eighteen to twenty two year
old than that. Relationships, networking, things like that. I think

(59:08):
I believe, or maybe I'm the If I'm the dummy,
I'm the dummy. I'm sorry. I just think they're more.
I think they're important. I think there's an important part
of that. Absolutely most of us do. Most of our
growing up, during those formative years, make mistakes, do things.
You know, it's just it's just to me, it's odd,
but so be it. I think I like the one
time transfer, you want to do it? Transfer one time?
Second time? I think I think we should go back

(59:30):
at least nothing else to this, to sitting out of year.
I think maybe people would consider where they're going more
carefully at that point, I believe.

Speaker 2 (59:37):
But I think it's a good balance because you get
the one free one right if things maybe they're freaking out, you.

Speaker 1 (59:42):
Get one for free. Yeah, and then after that, you know,
because the problem is, and it's not just us, Well
you think Gonzaga they've lost a ton of guy. Yeah,
he's got him his number twenty six in his top
twenty five and one, so he maybe the one Gonzaga
would be. Zega's lost a ton and they're a half
in college basketball, they're one hundred percent half. Yeah, you know,
but it doesn't always work out for you, Like Michael

(01:00:03):
Ojai is the greatest example. Kid from Kentwood, leading scorer
in the in the Western West Coast Conference two years
ago for Pepperdine, leading score all conference. Goesa Gunzaga played
six minutes in the final game that they played. Feud
in whatever it was him and feudin't jive. Make better decisions. Okay,
we're good, We're getting well done, Softy joins us.

Speaker 11 (01:00:26):
Next, riding in on the horse, Here he comes through
the rain, the sleet, the snow, this liquid sunshine that
is spring in Seattle.

Speaker 1 (01:00:45):
Dave, Softy Maller joins.

Speaker 12 (01:00:47):
Us, We are literally in the touchdown terrace end zone
sweets east side of Husky Stadium. I am staring at
the greatest setting in college football, and I will not
get to see one player make one play or one
hackle or throw one pass.

Speaker 1 (01:01:01):
As they've moved inside of the indoor facility.

Speaker 4 (01:01:03):
Everything's inside.

Speaker 12 (01:01:07):
There is however, a bar behind me open. It's fully stocked.
Is unlike Jimmy is on first and the Emerald Quick Casino.
They they got to lock up the booze.

Speaker 4 (01:01:16):
Man.

Speaker 1 (01:01:17):
You don't have a key. They don't give you a key.
Of all people, all of all people, you don't have
a key.

Speaker 4 (01:01:22):
I had a key like three or four years ago.

Speaker 12 (01:01:23):
And then I realized over the summer when I tried
to sneak in here, it was no longer working. So
when I was a kid, I would sneak in here. Well, yeah,
the time I'd sneak in here when I was a kid.

Speaker 1 (01:01:32):
But they didn't have a bar then. Back then they
just had They had a track and a moat.

Speaker 4 (01:01:36):
There was nothing here.

Speaker 12 (01:01:37):
They used to drive the helmets on a rack outside
the heck head and we walk over and just take
what we wanted.

Speaker 4 (01:01:42):
So let's go to the football team.

Speaker 1 (01:01:44):
So what are you up to today?

Speaker 5 (01:01:45):
Down there just hanging out and out.

Speaker 4 (01:01:47):
Man Millon's on today. The gas Man's gonna swing by.
Who gas to know?

Speaker 1 (01:01:52):
Yeah, I guess refresh my member.

Speaker 4 (01:01:54):
Sports talk radio Pioneer in the city of Seattle. Okay, okay,
we'll be here.

Speaker 12 (01:01:58):
Yeah, he's gonna come on by and talk some dogs
with us. I think he's getting bored on the peninsula,
so we had to get the hell out of there.

Speaker 1 (01:02:04):
And he jump on the ferry and drive and come
down to see it, or what.

Speaker 12 (01:02:06):
I hope he did, man, because traffic on the way
from my house was freaking terrible. We had one of
those what do you call it, atmospheric creeks whatever.

Speaker 1 (01:02:13):
The motmospheric river.

Speaker 12 (01:02:16):
Yes, we had one more of those come through and
now it's gone, of course when I get inside, So
dealt with that. But gas is gonna come by. Brett
Boone's gonna hop on at four. God what did he
text me yesterday when they were down five nothing yesterday?

Speaker 1 (01:02:29):
Oh god, Yeah, there's a lot of there's probably a
lot of there's probably a lot of people are saying
in texting and tweeting things at that point in time
that looked back on me.

Speaker 12 (01:02:36):
Well, it was funny when it was five nothing. I
look across the street at T Mobile and everyone's leaving. Yeah,
and they all showed up at Jimmy so they you know,
it was pissing rain yesterday too, and they came over
and they started just watching the game on TV. In there,
they're going nuts inside Jimmy's watching the game.

Speaker 1 (01:02:51):
But how many people they think were left there? Because
when it got to be when it was fourteen thousand,
maybe five nothing, and then then it was six four
right top of the ninth, they got they got scored
to run in the top half, Like did you I
want if you if you looked out, do you remember
looking outside one of six to four and seeing more
people leaving at that point?

Speaker 12 (01:03:06):
I just remember looking up at five nothing in the gates.
Like we used to do uh with with Boone when
the Mariners were terrible. Yes, we would just have him
tell Loop Panello stories.

Speaker 4 (01:03:19):
On the ear.

Speaker 1 (01:03:19):
What I'm saying when they were terrible?

Speaker 4 (01:03:21):
Yeah, well like every year. Well but they've been okay
the last come no, I know, you know what I'm
talking about. I do, I know?

Speaker 12 (01:03:27):
All right, So Booneye texted me at two o'clock yesterday, well,
shaping up as a Loop Panella story week.

Speaker 4 (01:03:32):
So they came back on the over the day.

Speaker 1 (01:03:35):
I know what, I'll be honest with you, I'd rather
listen to a Loop Panello story than worry about the
first what twelve games of the season.

Speaker 12 (01:03:40):
Anyway, I'd rather do anything than worry about the first
twelve games of the year. I always tell myself, and
I know I I violate this every single year. I'm
not gonna have any emotions, pay any attention whatsoever until
like maybe June, right, and then by the middle of April,
I'm pissed off.

Speaker 4 (01:03:58):
Just play the first couple of months behind the and
the you're done. Yeah, let me know what. June first,
here's the standings, here's where you're at. Blah blah blah.

Speaker 1 (01:04:05):
Let's go right, that's not in your DNA. But and
and listen, if you actually take.

Speaker 4 (01:04:11):
Off the entire month of April and May next year
not even be here.

Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
I can give you months to take off, but you
would do.

Speaker 4 (01:04:17):
Uh, you could do noon to seven.

Speaker 1 (01:04:19):
Yeah, I'm gonna do it that. If that were to happen,
there'd be a Ryan Divish sabbatical coming my way.

Speaker 12 (01:04:26):
I think I think you actually owe us man two
hours a radio.

Speaker 4 (01:04:29):
Holy cow, dude.

Speaker 1 (01:04:30):
Yeah, let's let's touch base back in fall with Monday
night football, with the noon to three Thursday night football.

Speaker 4 (01:04:38):
Yeah, you know what crime.

Speaker 1 (01:04:39):
Monday night football, Thursday night football.

Speaker 4 (01:04:42):
You think I'm doing during the fall, same damn thing You're.

Speaker 1 (01:04:45):
Doing Monday night football, that's right, Thursday night football. Well,
you're what you're doing Saturday Huskies, you're doing cocktails of
the ameral Queen casinos.

Speaker 5 (01:04:54):
With cracking games.

Speaker 8 (01:04:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:04:57):
The NBA to.

Speaker 1 (01:05:00):
Well, let's ask your buddy Adam Silver the East.

Speaker 12 (01:05:03):
Coast trips in the same week for the Sonics and
the kracking.

Speaker 4 (01:05:06):
That sounds good to me.

Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
Baby some purple she would tell, you're just gonna do
like a streaming show.

Speaker 4 (01:05:10):
Only that. Anyway, we're not even done with a schedule.
We got more. You haven't even.

Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
Asked me what else are you doing today?

Speaker 12 (01:05:16):
Mike Homegren's gonna come by. What he's talking to the
team after practice. That's right, Mike Holmgren's addressing the Husky
football team after practice. He's gonna be like Lawrence Taylor
and Waterboy. Remember that speech he gave kids, don't do drugs.
Bigger guests today said, don't do crack A bigger deal
on your show today, home Greun Gas.

Speaker 4 (01:05:37):
Well, I got more Land Zerline is gonna come by
the show.

Speaker 1 (01:05:40):
I'm gonna still go all all still. You can only
have a good gas I've done yet. Yeah, And Bret
Boone and Brett Boone. Wow, that's a big show.

Speaker 12 (01:05:52):
You tell me, man, you you be the judge of
which one of those is the leads the marquee.

Speaker 4 (01:05:56):
I think all of them are candidates.

Speaker 1 (01:05:57):
Man, I'm gonna always go with home runs, Sir.

Speaker 12 (01:06:01):
I gotta find my favorite drop here when Dick goes out.
You know the one I play when Dick goes out?

Speaker 1 (01:06:04):
Which one is it?

Speaker 4 (01:06:05):
From Ghostbusters?

Speaker 5 (01:06:06):
Yes, it's true.

Speaker 4 (01:06:07):
This man has no Dick.

Speaker 1 (01:06:09):
And with that we've bid you a do survive for
the mild mannered and marginally objectionable Inverness. This is Paddled
Day saying so long everyone,