Nightcap - Hour 1: Lakers can’t contend, Ingram leaves $40M on table, Travis Kelce retiring?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Club Shay Shay – Nightcap Episode

Title: Club Shay Shay
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts, The Volume, and Shay Shay Media
Episode: Nightcap - Hour 1: Lakers can’t contend, Ingram leaves $40M on table, Travis Kelce retiring?
Release Date: February 13, 2025

In this episode of Club Shay Shay, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe engages in an in-depth discussion with sports analysts and guests about pressing topics in the sports world, including the Los Angeles Lakers' struggles, Brandon Ingram's significant contract decision, and Travis Kelce contemplating retirement. The conversation is rich with insights, debates, and notable quotes that shed light on the current state and future prospects of these athletes and teams.

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1. Los Angeles Lakers: Struggling to Contend

Summary: The Los Angeles Lakers, once a dominant force in the NBA, find themselves in a precarious position this season. After a six-game winning streak, the Lakers suffered a significant loss to the Utah Jazz with a final score of 131-119. This defeat snapped their momentum and left them with a record of 32-20 heading into the All-Star break. The primary issues revolve around a lack of interior presence, defensive shortcomings, and inconsistent performances from key players.

Key Points:

• Defensive Issues: The Lakers lack strong defensive players, making it difficult to contest opponents effectively. The absence of Jackson Hayes due to a facial contusion further exacerbates their defensive woes.

  Unknown Sports Analyst [08:26]: "They don't have defensive guys... the Lakers needed much size and physicality which he did not provide."

• Inconsistent Player Performances: Alex Land's debut was underwhelming, contributing to the team's struggles on defense and rebounding.

  Unknown Sports Analyst [10:10]: "He had played well the last eight to ten ball games. He'd been really well... but tonight was a tough first start."

• Team Morale and Strategy: The Lakers appear uninspired and struggle to maintain their offensive momentum without reliable defenders.

  Unknown Sports Analyst [09:52]: "They came out really with no enthusiasm. They didn't defend. They didn't attack the basket."

Notable Quotes:

• Unknown Sports Analyst [07:56]: "They had to do a better job. JJ's gonna have to find a combination."
• Unknown Sports Analyst [16:01]: "He couldn't give it to you week to week."

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2. Brandon Ingram: Leaving $40 Million on the Table

Summary: Brandon Ingram made headlines by declining a lucrative $160 million offer from the New Orleans Pelicans, opting instead to sign a $120 million deal with the Toronto Raptors. This move sparked debates about player loyalty, financial decisions, and the overall impact on team dynamics.

Key Points:

• Financial Decision: Analysts question why Ingram would leave such a substantial amount of money on the table, especially after experiencing the culture and benefits of New Orleans.

  Unknown Sports Analyst [16:14]: "I don't know in what world... you leave $40 million on the table and choose to go somewhere else."

• Cultural and Team Fit: The decision may stem from wanting to be in a winning environment, despite the financial incentive.

  Unknown Sports Analyst [18:10]: "They got, they... no, no, no. He went to Canada. He went to another country because he wants to win."

• Health and Performance Concerns: Ingram's inconsistent health and performance may have influenced his choice to seek a new opportunity.

  Unknown Sports Analyst [28:09]: "He couldn't stay healthy. Brandon Ingram hadn't stayed healthy either."

Notable Quotes:

• Unknown Sports Analyst [16:25]: "Shannon, you're not playing basketball."
• Unknown Sports Analyst [28:30]: "40 minutes. I hate calling the man's last name, but... how you leave 40 million on the table?"

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3. Travis Kelce: Considering Retirement

Summary: Travis Kelce, one of the NFL's premier tight ends, is contemplating retirement following the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl 59 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. His potential retirement raises questions about his future in the league and the impact on the Chiefs' dynamics.

Key Points:

• Personal Reflection: Kelce expressed the need to evaluate his future, considering both his physical well-being and personal motivations.

  Travis Kelce [38:04]: "I'm kicking everything down the road as it relates to deciding on my NFL future. It's just a tough reality..."

• Performance Concerns: Analysts discuss Kelce's recent performances and whether his age is affecting his game.

  Unknown Sports Analyst [44:32]: "You can't do it with the regularity that you once could."

• Legacy and Impact: Kelce's decision could influence his legacy and the Chiefs' strategies moving forward.

  Unknown Sports Analyst [43:21]: "He had three touchdowns this year, Ocho. Three."

Notable Quotes:

• Unknown Sports Analyst [42:26]: "Everything you hear right now, Smoke. That's... That ain't never sm. That's smoke."
• Unknown Sports Analyst [44:37]: "You can't do it with the regularity that you once could."

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Conclusion

In this episode of Club Shay Shay, Shannon Sharpe and his guests delve into significant developments affecting major sports figures and teams. The Los Angeles Lakers' defensive struggles highlight the challenges of maintaining competitiveness in a highly dynamic league. Brandon Ingram's contract decision underscores the complex interplay between financial incentives and personal/team aspirations. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce's contemplation of retirement brings to the forefront discussions about athlete longevity and legacy. Through engaging dialogue and insightful analysis, the episode provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of these pivotal moments in the sports landscape.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Unknown Sports Analyst [08:26]: "They don't have defensive guys... the Lakers needed much size and physicality which he did not provide."
• Unknown Sports Analyst [10:10]: "He had played well the last eight to ten ball games. He'd been really well... but tonight was a tough first start."
• Unknown Sports Analyst [16:14]: "I don't know in what world... you leave $40 million on the table and choose to go somewhere else."
• Travis Kelce [38:04]: "I'm kicking everything down the road as it relates to deciding on my NFL future. It's just a tough reality..."
• Unknown Sports Analyst [44:32]: "You can't do it with the regularity that you once could."

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This summary encapsulates the core discussions of the episode, providing listeners with a clear and comprehensive overview of the topics covered without delving into the numerous advertisements interspersed throughout the transcript.

Transcript

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Yeah, he's been out for a minute.

Yes. Since Christmas. So it's gonna take him a while to get his rhythm back. But they didn't. They didn't defend. And when you don't defend and you don't shoot the ball well, you end up going down by 24, 26 points. You end up losing by 12. But the game really wasn't close. Don't let the final score fool you, right? The game was not this close.

All right, But. But listen, the Lakers. As opposed to the last game, as opposed to the last game, the Lakers came out flat. They came out flat. They played very uninspired. Obviously. Jack Hayes only getting seven minutes, having what, maybe four. Four points. What was it? Four, six points? Something like.

Yeah, yeah, four points, seven minutes.

Ever since he. Where. Ever since he was out of the game, I think he's the only defending presence that could really be inside the paint and be able to defend to some extent. After that, it was just a goddamn layup line, basically, for the Utah Jazz.

Lay up and dunk. How many lobs did you see? I mean, they're throwing lob from out of bounds.

It was lob city. It was lob city. Now, also, one of the things you have to notice about this game, too, when the Jazz played the Lakers the first time, they turned the ball over, I think maybe 18, 19 plus times this game, they were able to protect the ball a little bit more. They didn't have as many turnovers. And obviously with the Lakers coming out as flat as they did and the Jazz being efficient as they were from the line. I forgot. I think Collier had 20. What is it? Why you say, Laurie?

Marketing.

Yeah, marketing. A young bull was balling, man.

Yeah, yeah.

Young bull was balling.

Yeah. He versatile. He could score, he can rebound. He could facilitate. Yeah, he. I mean, he's been an all star. He's been an all star. We know Jordan Clarkson can. He heated up with the best of them. John Collins had a nice game tonight. 17 points, eight rebounds and assist two blocks. But, yeah, you could tell early on, no show the way the Lakers came out. They came out really with no enthusiasm. They didn't defend. They didn't attack the basket. They look at the free throws. They missed 13. They crawled free throws and you're 17 to 30.

Yeah, I mean, listen, Luka is going to take Luka a little minute to get going to get his rhythm back. Also Reeves, you're going to have games like this. You're going to have games like this. It's hard to be on every single night. It's hard to be on every single night. And tonight just happened to be one of those nights where he was now.

He had played well, he had, Reeves had really played well, say the last eight to 10 ball games. He'd been really well. Had a career high 45 points. And when Luka and LeBron were both out of the game, played well the other night when, when Luka first got there. So yeah, he had a down night tonight. He didn't shoot the ball. He ended up with 15 or 11 assists. Did a great job of facilitating. Only had one turnover, so you can live with that. But he didn't shoot the ball well. He was one to 10 from the floor, from the three point line. Jackson Hayes left with a facial contusion. So that's probably why you got a land playing. Probably more minutes than you really wanted him to play. Coloco also got nine minutes, but they just don't have bigs, they don't have bodies to really throw at people. And the guys that they throw out there, that's all they're doing. They're throwing out there. Jackson Hayes is really a guy you don't, I mean, none of their bigs. You run offense for Ocho, right? They run lobs. Getting off the a, you want points, get it off the rim, offensive rebound and put it back in. That's how you're gonna get your points. Because we're not running anything for you right now.

Obviously, I think if Jackson Hayes is there, he's some type of defensive presence, obviously with his length, he's tall. And the Lakers just couldn't seem to keep up with the pace that the Jazz had the whole game.

Well, they got, they, you know what? They, they, they end up taking the lead. Cause the Jazz had a little score, a scoring drop and that's what happened. You know, it's a game of run. Yeah, the Lakers got their run and then all of a sudden like they, they relax, wouldn't play any defense and lay up, layup, dunk, lay up three, three, three, three, three. The next thing you know, the game is blown wide open. But they're gonna have to do a better job. JJ's gonna have to find a combination. Look, he's trying to, he's searching Right now, right. The three guys that you know gonna start is probably reeves, Luca and LeBron. We'll see mixing match with Jackson Hayes. Probably Rui is going to be that the. The other guy that starts. Right. But Vanderbilt's got.

Ooh, ooh.

It was rough on him tonight. Uh, Bronnie got in at mop up time, got him a nine quick points, hit two threes, one or two from the free throw line.

Nice little floater like, look, look float. Look float in the paint.

He look.

He looked good. Yeah, he looked very comfortable. Look very comfortable. Very poor, very confident, especially in the shot selection.

Yeah, but it's hard for me to believe that Dwight Howard wouldn't be better than Alex Lynn. It's hard for me to believe that. I ain't saying he gonna be. We don't need Dwight. See, people say, well, you keep talking about Dwight. You don't need Dwight Howard to be Orlando Magic. Dwight Howard. He can't. Nor should you expect that from him. But what they got? So you tell me Dwight Howard can't be better than the colloquial. Really? He can't be better than Alex Lynn?

Just.

That's all we're asking, to be better than that. Not be all NBA, not be defensive player of the year, not be that. Just be better than that.

Okay, okay, okay, okay. I see. I see what you're saying. Okay, I have a question for you then. So how long. Obviously we have the All Star break coming up right now. How long has the Lakers figured out. How long has JJ figures out what pieces he needs to be able to contend each and every night?

Well, you're not contending. This team, this roster is not built to contend, okay? It all depends on who you get in the first round matchup. You might can. You might can steal. I mean, Luke and LeBron might can steal it, but that's as far as you're going, right? You're not beating any team to have.

[Chad Ochocinco Johnson]

You're not going.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

You're not going to be okc. Not.

[Chad Ochocinco Johnson]

Not with this.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

Right? You're definitely not. And you what. What you gonna do with Yolk now? Jamal Murray went crazy tonight. He had 55. Jokic had a quiet night. They say, jamal, I've been carry you like I've been doing what I do.

Go ahead, handle that for me.

Go ahead and take it over. And he dropped 55. And everybody knows Jamal Murg can get Hibachi hot. Yeah, and he got that tonight, right? But no, they're not. They're not. They're not. They're not really, you know, doing anything, not with this roster. Now, like I said, LeBron and Luka could probably get hot and can steal your series, but after that, that's where the buck stops. They're not good enough to really do anything. They don't defend at a high enough level. Now, they can control the clock, they control the pace of the game. Both of these guys with the ball in their hands can control it. But I just don't see enough on the defensive end because at the end of the day, it still comes down to defense, win championships and they don't have nearly enough. So, damn, they go into the break on the loss. But they had won six straight, so they win last six or seven and 131 to 119. They have to be pleased at 32 and 20, a lot better than what they were last year at the All Star Game. We'll see what they do. Luka gets some time off. LeBron is the only one going to the All Star Game, so it'll be interesting to see what the guys do with their time going into the break. But I ain't like what I saw tonight. I ain't gonna even lie to you. I ain't gonna hold you on that, Ojo. I didn't like what I saw tonight.

Listen, it's so funny how the game of basketball works. Listen, you play, you played two, three nights ago, having however many nights it was, you come back playing the exact same team, exact same personnel, and you come out completely flat. You look completely different. Turnovers.

You did turn.

They did turnover.

What did turnover. And they didn't get back. Nobody got back there loafing like, Babe. I ain't getting no foul. And they, they moping and, you know, I wish LeBron would stop doing that, because sometimes, you know, he turns the ball over, he doesn't get a call that he thought he should have got, Bro, get back. And he don't, he lagging back. And then they bust a three.

Well, you gotta understand now, he's a little older in the age now, you know, having, having to shoot back down that court every time a ball is turned over. When you, when you.

No, I say I ain't say, hey, all I'm saying is don't walk, okay? O I, I, I, I ain't say, you gotta be Speedy Gonzalez, but just don't walk. Just don't walk. Give me a little, give me a little bit more effort because the guys are looking right. You can't miss a shot. Get mad. They didn't call A foul. Mope down and then shrink.

Transition. Yeah, yeah, I got you. I got you.

Brandon Ingram declined $160 million with the Pelicans only to accept $120 million with the Raptors.

But listen, I have a question. I don't know in what world. Chat, y'all stay with me real quick now. I don't know in what world where. It's that bad. We leave $40 million on the table and choose to go somewhere else. You ain't nobody finna see it and tell me. Listen, I just left. I just left New Orleans for a week. Six, six, seven days straight. You ain't gonna tell me based on what I saw in that wonderful city, culture, the people, the food, the architecture, the history that you.

You ain't playing basketball.

She don't want to be there.

You ain't playing basketball.

Well, the devil is a lie. Who.

You just saw Tyreek. You just saw tyreek complain. Making 32 million in Miami with all that water, with all that nice weather, with all the women down there. He complaining. Now, you want to try again?

Now, wait a minute now. Now, listen. Now, that's apples and oranges. You talk about two different scenarios. You talk about a tyree kill that just came off a season that was nothing like. Like he felt it should have been. You had a quarterback that gotten hurt. He wasn't getting the ball like he felt he should. He was frustrated. Stay with me. He was frustrated about, for one, not putting up the numbers he should. Two, not getting the ball the way he should. And three, he got in front of that camera before he cooled down. That's calling the rule number one. After the game, you make sure you go take a shower and calm down before you say anything you shouldn't say before you get in front of that camera. Now, you're not going to tell me that New Orleans is that bad. Even if you do play the game of basketball to the point where, you know what? I'm not coming. I'm not coming back here. I'm not signing here. I'm going to leave $40 million on the table. I'm going to go somewhere else and play for 120.

Not going somewhere else. He went to Canada. He went to another country because he want to win. You say frustration. Who wants to be there? You see Zion. You think Zion want to be in New Orleans?

I mean.

I mean, hold on. Did Anthony. Did Anthony Davis want to be in New Orleans? So I'm just trying to figure out the players that they've had that wanted to Be there. You say you can't understand why. Because I want to win. I can't win there.

Well, listen. Well, you know what? The onus that's. That's on management. Management needs to make. Make it a place some kind of way, some shape way, film form or fashion, where people want to come. He need to do what you need to do.

Because Ocho, see, it's great for you, Ocho, if you're a tourist. I'm trying to win.

I ain't no goddamn tourist. I'm from New Orleans. I'm from New York.

You a tourist, you go down there for a couple of days, you get to eat the food you get to get. But I'm saying these guys got to live it. They want to win. That's not conduct. And New Orleans is not conducive for winning. It's okay. It's not a knock on the city.

I got you.

But who. But let me ask you a question. What big time fridge decided with New Orleans? I'll wait. You just take your time. Chad, we got time. We just getting started. Tell me the big time fridge in deciding with New Orleans.

I understand what you're saying. I understand what you're saying, but you didn't hear what I said first. The onus is on management creating an environment where people want to come to. You know, there was a time where people didn't want to come to the heat. You know, there was a.

They always wanted to come to the first of all. First of all, how many big. The only thing you traded for Jimmy Butler. I mean, you got Jimmy and LeBron was. LeBron was. But Ron ended up being a trade. He did him a solid, right. They didn't get kd. They didn't get no big mother free agents.

Yeah.

So why you over there huffing the public talk about coming to Miami where. When? Who.

Let me. Let me finish. Let me finish.

Okay.

There was a time when nobody wanted to come to Cincinnati. You know that. Oh, don't nobody have a problem.

They still don't.

Man, stop playing. Yes.

What big time friends that y'all got.

All of them want to come. I said they want to come. The timing hasn't been right for them to.

Oh, no. You say they want to come. Who?

I'm just telling you.

And I'm not an owl. I don't sit on the tree. I can't turn the head all the way around.

The big free agents that. That have been. That. That have been available. You listen to me. That's where they wanted to go. They just didn't say anything public and it didn't work out in their favor.

Why didn't they go?

I just told you it didn't work out in their favor.

Why?

Money.

So you. So in other words, they want to go to Cincinnati knowing they not going to get paid, Knowing Mike Brown has been cheap, Knowing the Bengals have been cheap their entire. Their entire existence.

Well, I'm really. I'm just. I'm just telling you now listen. Who's the owner? Who's the owner in New Orleans, huh? Who's the owner? The Pelicans.

Ms. Gail Benson.

Mr. Benson.

Wait, Gail. Ms. Gail Benson?

The husband died more than Saints, Gail.

Yes.

Oh, that man, that's good, girl. You for real? Yeah, man, I gotta. I gotta talk to Ms. Benson. I gotta talk to Ms. Benson because. Listen, what I saw in New Orleans, there's no reason why two things can't coexist. The Pelicans having a winning. A winning mentality. And it all starts at the top to go along with the goddamn city that is winning itself. I know what the hell I saw the past week. I was out there. I told you, I'm from the seventh world. I'm from uptown. Now I'm from uptown. Matter of fact, you want to go with me in March?

For what?

Uptown Super Sunday?

No. Well, let me ask you a question, Ocho.

Talk to me.

How many big time fridges signed with the house Atlanta? Oh, you was in Atlanta?

Oh, nice. Hey, that's a place to be. Ain't it though?

How many big time for basketball Free. I just signed there.

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[Unknown Sports Analyst]

Hey, they don't have a. How many people. They don't have a winning environment. They have a winning city. Though the aesthetics are very pleasing outside the arena, I could tell you that. I don't go there often. I'm just telling you what somebody told me. I ain't telling you what I know. I'm telling you what I heard. Atlanta is a beautiful place, huh?

So the man.

So is Houston. What is Houston? What do you consider Houston, huh?

Yeah, I like Houston.

Okay, I know you like Houston. I'm talking about the environment, the team.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They're.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

They're young, they're up and coming. I love what I may is doing with that team. Sungoon was an all star. I like Jalen Green. I mean the guy is 20, what, 22 years of age balling out. They got, they. Amin Thompson. They got a nice young squad. They got a nice young squad. Probably need one more veteran, you know. Van Fleet. I like Van Fleet. I like Brooks. They get after you. They play hard night in and night out. They had a little rough patch where they lost about five or six games in a row. But you can deal with that. I think they're going to be just like the, the, the Texans. The Texans are going to be a place that you got a quarterback. You got Nico Collins, you got Demo Ryan, who has a great defense. You see they got Danielle Hunter, they got Will Anderson Jr. They got Stingley Jr. They got some nice pieces. They got some nice pieces.

They do.

There are a few players away. They was able to lure Larry Tunsil.

Yeah.

The problem that they had is that Bill O'Brien ruined it when he trade a damn running back for all pro wide receiver. Where the hell they do that at?

Right.

I never understood that. And then you had the situation with desean, you had a situation with Deson. And we don't need to get into it, but we know what happened.

Yes, sir.

And that kind of set him back for a year or two. But they were able to get cj. CJ Look, CJ looks to be what he's supposed to be hella down here this year. But I expect him to bounce back and play better next year. We'll see what they do. They lost a lot of their receivers. Tank Dale got injured, Stephon Diggs got injured. But I love the addition of Joe Mixon. They're a couple of pieces away. They're going to be right back. They're going to be right back in the mix. But I think that's the thing. Listen, Brandon Ingram did not make this decision. Didn't take this decision lightly.

Right?

It wasn't. Oh, man. Okay, fine. He had been sitting there for an extended period of time, and he realized it. He said, first of all, the guy that y'all want to build this thing around, he can't stay healthy. Now, for the most part, Brandon Ingram hadn't stayed healthy either. So let's be all the way with that.

Yes, sir.

So he. I mean, hey, I understand he's looking at Zion, and Zion can't stay healthy. But Brandon Ingram missed a lot of time also. And Pelican fans, y'all know that. So it was like, man, let me go ahead and bounce. Like, I go to a team, you know, they got Scotty Barnes. I like Scotty. They got that.

I mean, look, 40 minutes.

I hate calling the man last name, but.

[Chad Ochocinco Johnson]

Huh?

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

How you leave 40 million on the table? Come on, now. What are we doing?

Look. Oh. See, the big mistake that I made a lot of times that I put myself in that situation. You can't put yourself in that situation. You wouldn't have, but. Oh, money can't buy happiness. The man ain't happy.

Listen, money can't buy you happiness. But you know what? Money can't buy you? It can buy your time. It can buy you time.

He done bought a hat all the time. He would have been in there.

Boy, you know what?

Hey, look at. Look at what you call them. Look at. What's the guy name?

Talk to me.

Okay? Look at Melinda Gates. Bill gates. Worth 200 million. 200 billion. She said I'm gone, I'm gone.

You know, I don't even.

Like you said, money can buy happiness.

I don't even like the fact that you bought that up. Because I'm just saying, listen, the fact that we have billionaires in this world. The fact that we have billionaires in this world. And one of the things with little girls growing up, they're taught, you got to find you somebody that's able to provide and provide you with stability. If Bill Gates and a few other billionaires that I named not too long ago on one of the shows have not been able to keep a woman happy long term. They just have it.

At the end of the day, Ocho.

What chance do us normal folks have?

Well, you gotta be happy, Ocho. You make it seem like it's older than women. Men get divorced, too. Men leave relationships.

I ain't never seen. I ain't never. What? Don't do that. When the last time you seen A man initiated divorce. I ain't seen. I ain't seen it in a very long time. More.

More time. More times than not, it is the woman initiating.

Right.

But it's the woman that's also getting fed up.

Right.

With something.

Right?

Right. So it's not something that she did. She. Women don't haphazardly do things. Women are very methodical. They're very thoughtful. They're not just rushing out. They're not, see a guy, see a guy, see a guy will leave a great woman for a fine thing. That ain't how women think. Women don't think like that.

Right.

Women are very methodical. Women are very meticulous. When a woman leaves a man and they've been in a relationship for an extended period of time.

Come on now.

She's had it up to here, Right. Now, you notice I said here because when she had it up to here, she stayed.

Right.

When she get to here, also, what.

You need to understand too, uncle, you got to think about this. When a woman is fed up before she gets to here, and she's right here, all her checks, all her checks and ducks got to be in a row. All her I's gotta be dotted and all her T's gotta be crossed before she gets to here so she can exit. The plan has to be played out completely. She can't leave until she knows exactly what plan B is.

Yeah.

And it's going to execute itself because you can't leave and then be dead in the water. Which is why. No, when you talk, when you talk. When we talk about billionaires and their wives in marriage and divorce, you notice they always take half with them, right?

Yeah. I mean, a lot of times they're like, look, look here. I ain't taking half because. Because neither one of them had prenups. So theoretically, they could have got a big old chunk. They could have got more than what they got right now. 40, 50 billion. They ain't nothing to laugh at.

Yeah.

But I think the thing is, a lot of times when women, Women already. See, women already told you what they're unhappy about and, you know, fix it.

Right.

We don't. We know. We ain't listening.

Yes.

Going by and then like, man, I don't know what happened. Well, she kind of told you.

Yeah.

And she dropped breadcrumbs. Not only did she tell you she dropped breadcrumbs that made a loaf.

Oh, over time.

[Chad Ochocinco Johnson]

That you didn't hear.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

You made the loaf over time now. Yes. Talk to me first.

First overall pick, Markel folks is back in the NBA. Folks has agreed to a contract with the Sacramento Kings. The 26 year old guard has spent first half of the season without a deal following the expiration of his rookie contract extension in summer of 24. He could see early playing time as the squad tries to fill the boy apart. Guard left by the Aaron Fox who was traded to the Spurs. Will folks ever be able to show why he was the former? No, no, he's never. Wait, is it that ship is sailed?

Is it here? Is it still here? What if here is fixed now? I think that's the barrier he couldn't get past. Hold on mentally.

Didn't they take him over Jason Tatum? They took him over Jason Tatum.

He was like that, huh? Never forget he was like that. What? The reason he took him on patient is based on what he showed Ocho that shot.

You don't normally take a guy with that with a shot that looked that defective. The mechanics. Come on, Ocho.

I mean, we can't talk about.

You're in more times than not, ain't nobody listen, no matter how good he is. I don't believe a number one receiver is going number one overall as a body catcher.

Right?

You gotta be able to pluck the ball. You gotta be able to play in traffic. You gotta be able to transition. So if you got that many flaws.

Number one overall, I mean, listen, listen. Shots can be fixed. Lethal shooter is right there down the street. He's not too far. You get with him in the off season if it's that big of a problem. Hell, Sean Marion, remember his shot, he.

Went first overall though. See, that's the thing.

You take a guy like.

You take a guy like 15, 16. Think about it. You take a guy number one overall, he's supposed to be franchise changing. He's supposed to be LeBron, Shaq, that's what he Akeem, right? A Will Kareem, Magic Johnson. That's what they're supposed to be. A Dwight Howard franchise altering. He wasn't that.

AI, I have a question. Based on what you saw, folks come out of college, you didn't think once he got where he was going, he had to be franchise changing based on the film that he put up in college.

Well, I looked at him, I mean, he was like he had a lot of hit or miss, but I was just always leery of that shot.

Okay?

It just concerned me. It did. You think somebody would have took Sean Merriman number one overall?

He would have had. No, hold on, hold on. He would have had to Be extremely dominant in other. In other.

And he was, he was an outstanding defender.

Yeah. Awesome.

I mean, he turned himself into. He. And with that shot, he turned himself into a decent shooter. Can make threes.

Yeah.

But he could defend, he could rebound. But it's just, I just, it's just hard. No, too much time has passed for him to, to live up to what he was where he was selected, the slot that he was selected as.

Right.

No, he, he not living up to that now, can he. Hopefully he can have a, A, a, a, A serviceable career.

Right.

Moving forward. O. He was out of the league. Yeah, he was out of the league for first half of the season. What guy, you know, that's out of the league for first half of a season all of a sudden comes back and you like, well, you know what? Hey, we sure made a mistake on him.

Right.

It doesn't happen like that. I mean, it's.

Well, listen, I'm hoping he comes back and makes a difference. He feels in that role, in sacrifice that De'Aaron Fox leaves and he can come in and be efficient and be somewhat. If not what we thought he would be, be some close to it.

Right. But here's the thing. You can have a quirky shot a la Ben Simmons.

Yeah.

But normally you need to be 16. Ben Simmons was an all NBA defender, right? He was. Oh, he was an all star.

Yeah.

Six foot ten, could handle the ball. But you see, eventually that caught up with it.

Yeah.

Because he became afraid to shoot the basketball. You see, I can't teach you how to shoot if you're afraid. See, I can't teach you how to swim if you're, if you're afraid of the water. You can't learn how to swim.

You heard, you hear what you just said? Ben Simmons was scared to what? Marquette shoot. He became scared to do also.

What?

So guess where that starts from.

Well, he's scared to go to the basket because he didn't want to get fouled.

He didn't want to get fouled?

Yeah.

This is a contact sport. It's a physical game. How could you not?

Now I'm gonna send you to the free throw line.

Oh, so he don't wanna again.

Yeah.

See, guess where that starts at.

Yeah.

Mentally they are. They, they already, they're already beat mentally before they even get to the game. So you can't even play the game freely because there are certain parts of your game you don't want to get exposed.

Yeah, I just.

Before you even play.

I just thought Ben Simmons didn't Work hard enough on his game. It's hard because I see guys, look at Austin Reeves. Yeah, Austin Reeves has gotten better and better. An undrafted free agent has gotten better and better and better and better. But it's hard for a guy to not. To get. To not get incrementally better if he or she doesn't work on something.

I have a question you ought to get you.

I'm not saying you finna take. I'm not finna say the guy about to be Michael Jordan or Kobe. Right, right, right. But you can get better. Go back and look at Ben Simmons. Ben Simmons ain't getting better in nothing offensively. As a matter of fact, the number.

Went down also the two. Comparing the two. Austin Reeves has no choice but to get better. Austin Reeves has no choice but to improve. Austin Reeb is already behind the eight ball in general as a basketball player. Ben Simmons. What?

Six.

What? How tall is Ben Simmons?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Six.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

Ten.

Six? Ten. Put the ball on the floor. Shoot. He can't shoot that well. He can defend. So there's a difference in Austin Reeves having to bust his ass to get to the point where he's at right now. He has to work.

[Chad Ochocinco Johnson]

Oh, I see what you said.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

He has to work in.

You see what you said? So Ben Simmons came in as the number one pick and felt that, you know what? I ain't got to bust my ass. Which goes to my point. It's hard not to get incrementally better if you work at something, you know, another. If I can. If I only collect one can a year. Ocho, in 50 years I'm gonna have 50 cans, right? As opposed to not collecting any. I go two or three years and don't collect any, guess what I'm gonna have? Nothing.

Nothing. Yeah. And I.

And that's the thing. It's hard for me. There is no way six foot ten man. Listen, man can handle the ball, can defend. He can defend like four or five positions. He can guard a smaller point guard. He can guard a two, a three, a four.

When I look at Ben Simmons, I know chat don't get on me like this, but I see Ben Simmons. He should have been Jayson Tatum before Jayson Tatum. He should have.

He should have been LeBron. He should have been a bigger LeBron, Magic Johnson, because that's what he was. He's a point guard. He's a 6 foot 10 point guard.

And he can facilitate like crazy.

Yes, yes. That's what he should have been.

Yeah, I mean, and he could defend. Yeah, I mean that's crazy. That's crazy. That's crazy.

Some of the biggest busts of all time in NBA history. And we use that term when we say bust. Obviously you get to the NBA, there's a success, but when you are the first overall pick, you're supposed to be franchise altering. Anthony Bennett. Whoo. Lord have mercy. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Greg Oden. Greg Oden, I think would have been successful had his knees not gave out on him.

Yeah, the injuries. Right, right, the injuries, yeah.

My homeboy from Savannah, Purvis, Ellison, his knees gave out on him. Markell's fault, but he had a knee injury and a shoulder injury. He tried to change his shot, but it just didn't work. But I wish the young man the best of luck. He can't be no more than what, 26, 27 tops. Cause he got to be like the same or 26. So he's still, hey, hopefully young fella can get a couple of years stick, get an opportunity, get some playing time. Cause I've seen him, I've seen him, you know, have good games, just not consistent. Me, I've seen him, I think I saw him one game, he had a triple double, had like 20 something. But playing at the pro level, being a starter, it's all about consistency. That's what it's about. Because any guy on a given, any of those 450 players on a given night. Let me take that back. Not the top, let's just say the top 75 players, we know what they can do, but the other 250 can give you hell on a given night. The problem is they can't be consistent like the other 75 to top 75 can. That's what separates go. It's all about consistency. The restaurants that do the best business, what are they they consistent? The service, the quality of the food.

Yeah.

The hospitality, Consistency.

Yeah.

That's what it's all about. Travis Kelsey isn't ready to make a decision on retirement following the chief super bowl loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl 59. Speaking on the speaking on his New Heights podcast, Kelsey said he's kicking everything down the road as it relates to deciding on his NFL future. It's just a tough reality and you know, I think I'm going to take some time to figure it out and I think it owe it to my teammates to do that. If I come back, that's going to be something that's wholehearted decision and I'm not half assing it. And I'm fully, and I'm fully here for them, I think I could play. It's just whether or not I'm well motivated or it's the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person that takes on all that responsibility.

Listen, as a man, as a human, as a football player, as a competitor, knowing Travis Kelce, personally, understanding him, knowing how the season ended, the competitor in him is going back to get it done the right way. He's not going out like that. The last taste of his mouth is not going to be defeat to the Steelers. Especially with a scoreline like it was. Them 22 points don't even count. He lost.

Is his body able? I get all that mind. Is his body able? You saw what you saw, Ocho.

Yeah.

No, no, no, don't say yeah, you saw what you saw this year.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear you.

Okay, so now that. So let's, let's be real, let's have a fair conversation like we do.

Everybody listen, can I, can I take a little bit off my plate and still be able to eat when I need to? Can I take a little bit off my plate and still be able to eat when I need to? Can I have Noah Gray take the chunk of the plate?

No, no, that's Travis Kelsey. Great players don't get that out, don't get that luxury. What great player, you know, did they allow you to do that in Cincinnati?

Oh, no.

So I want to know, you've covered this game, you've played this game. What great player gets to take when he's playing a skill position, gets to say, okay, take some time, bro, you good. Take some time off. We ain't even worried about you. No, no, because you know what, I'm not saying people in the fan, the people in the stands, right, all they see is 87 and they see Kelsey on the back and they expect him to be that 10 time Pro Bowler, that all Pro that they're used to. They won't accept anything else, Right?

I think, I think we still get that. I'm just saying. I believe that's one thing for me to say. It's. See, I'm not inside his body. I'm not inside. It's one thing for me to say it based on obviously what we saw this year. The chemistry between him, the rapport between him and Mahomes, I think he can still do it. I'm just saying now that's up to him. But knowing the way it ended, he ain't going out like that, I can tell you that.

Ocho, the thing with Great Players and I was. I was a pretty good player. Yeah, you and I.

You was just can't do. Ocho, you were nice.

You can't do it. You can't do it with the regularity that you once could.

Right.

You see how he can summons it up one game and then he'll disappear for four, he'll summons it up again and he'll disappear for three. You see in the playoffs, he had that one big game against Houston and then the other two. Yeah, you see what happens? That's what happens as you start to age.

This is the funny thing. Even with him aging, even with him not being able to summons it up every game, you have a quarterback that can overcome you. Not some of this up. Because every different game when the Kansas City. When the Kansas City Chiefs play, it's somebody else day. One day. One day it was Marquis Brown. One day is Xavier Worley, One day is Noah Gray, one day is Travis Kelsey. So you talk about that Houston game where he went crazy. Well, the following week it wasn't on him. Somebody else had a day. That's the joy of having a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes. You ain't got to be on every single game.

When you great, you can. You. That ain't how it works for a gay. A guy with his grade. You can't just be running right out there and you go three or four games catching one to two passes. That's what he was talking about. Hey, you saw the man on the sideline last super bowl when he didn't.

Get the ball, he was hot.

You think that man gonna be able to come out there and run around, put all that time in and catch one to two balls a game?

Yeah, sometimes.

And the fast twitch is not there like it once was. He barely got out of his stands. Guys were already moving. He was still in his stance. So. Yo, you watched the game. Everybody saw it. Chat. Y'all know I'm not making it up. Y'all saw what you saw. What you saw.

Hey, I understand what you're saying, but ain't nobody going out like that. You know that. I know that. Regardless of what he said.

Do you keep saying going out like that? What's to say? It's not going to get worse?

It's not going to get worse.

How do you know?

Well, the quarterback over there with number 15, the head coach over there, his.

Last name, he did he have. So what number did he had on last year and how did he look? What number did he have on last year?

You know, the competitor that young bull is, you know. You know what he is. You know, he not going out there. You know, he's not going to say, you know what? Okay, I'm done. I can tell you that now. We can make a sponsor. We want to make a.

Let me ask you a question. He comes back. What? He comes back. What does that do? Does that change your perception of Travis Kelce? Does that move him up or down your ranking? Because I got him as the goat right now, so I'm trying to figure out him coming back, making another Pro Bowl. Does that change your perception of Travis Kelce, who and what he is?

No, but that's not why he's coming back. It's not for him to change our perception on how we feel about him as a player. He's already solidified. What he's done is already concrete. He's coming back for him. Not for us.

Him for what?

And he doesn't eat the taste.

What can he do for himself to make himself feel good?

Like, yeah, go out on. Go out on his terms, on the way he wants to go out. And not with a bad taste left in his mouth like this game has. That's the only thing I can think of. I understand.

Let me ask you question.

I understand everything you're saying. I'm with you. I'm with you.

When Tom Brady walked away, do you believe Tom Brady can still play under the right circumstances? He couldn't play at Tom Brady's level. See, that's what you're missing. See, you're looking at him just coming back being a guy, right? A guy. Travis Kelsey's used to being the guy. Tom Brady used to being the guy, not a guy. That's two different scenarios. And Tom realized I'm not Tom Brady anymore. And see, when you, Tom Brady, you get measured to a younger Tom Brady, not to the guys that's playing now. Because Tom Brady still could not play half the guys that's in the league.

Yes, sir.

But he couldn't be that guy anymore.

Right. So basically what you're saying, you don't want him to go out like Aaron Rodgers.

I'm like you when it comes to that. But I know what I saw this year.

Yes, sir.

And I know the chat saw what they saw this year, too.

Yes, sir. I got you.

And that was the hardest thing. Cause I had to watch film of myself a lot. And I just had to come to the conclusion now I could have came back and played. I mean, I left. I left my last year. I had over 700 yards almost 800 yards. And I missed the last game. Had eight touchdowns. I just couldn't. So I just couldn't give it to you week to week.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

Like old ladies. Hey, round two, Shannon.

All right.

On Saturday, it's a Monday. Here's my IG. I get around 2. Saturday, it's a Monday.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Don't bother me.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

I got enough for you. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. I need to build back up. I need to recharge. I need to recharge. So. So you believe. You believe Trav comes back?

Come on, man. Let me give him a composure now. Hey, my goddamn A.C. not on, man. Okay, go ahead, Go ahead, Go ahead. I'm ready. That was a good one.

So do. Do you believe? You believe Travis comes back?

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Listen, everything you hear right now, Smoke. That's.

That's.

That's smoke. That ain't never sm. That's smoke. That's smoke. That's smoke.

No, no, no. He taking time because guess what? Go back and look at the tape.

Yeah.

Ocho, it got harder and harder for him to create separation, right? They had guys covered. In what lifetime would they ever put Demar Hamlin on Travis Kelce? In what realm would they ever do that? Right? Where they would take linebackers and they would take safety and say, you got it.

Yeah. It's a complete mismatch. In general, just in general, the Travis Kelsey we know. But I can tell you one thing, even the way he looks now, he won more matches than he lost. I can tell you that. He won more matchups than he lost. But listen, I understand what he's saying. This is something that not very many players are given the opportunity or afforded the opportunity to be able to do, to be able to decide whether they want to come back or not. Travis Kelsey is in a position similar to that of a quarterback.

Yeah, but. But I. I think the thing for him, with nothing left to prove, right? There are a lot of opportunities. Be it the media, be it in the movie, in the TV space.

Right? Right.

[Chad Ochocinco Johnson]

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[Unknown Sports Analyst]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Ochocinco Johnson]

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[Unknown Sports Analyst]

I mean Travis Kelsey is going to get to have an opportunity to make a lot of money. His podcast New Heist with his brother does extremely well. You know, you know, you hear that he wants to get in tv. He wants to get in movie, right? Movies. You talk about a guy that's six foot five, you know, statuesque. We'll see how well he can act. He did a great job on Saturday Night Live. One of the best performances for an athlete that you're gonna see. So it tells me he does have the chops in order to do it right. But for me, if I'm him, I'm gonna think long and hard because. And the thing I would tell him retirement is there ain't no league that you can go to. It's not like golf. You can go to the senior circuit or you can like tennis. They gotta senior, you know, got a little thing that you go play and you see Philip Hoosis and McEnroe and, and Roddick and all those guys playing. Sometimes you see Agassi jump out there. They're not that in football. And so retiring in football is final. I would take a month or two and think seriously, really hard, am I going to put the time in? The time. Because as you get older, Ocho, now you got to do things differently. You can't train the way you train like you once could. Hey, you know, when you're young, hey, you can hit a lick of the promise. I, I, I hit a lick today, and I promise I'm gonna work harder tomorrow. Yeah, you don't work like that, right? Your due diligence, your eating needs to be on point. You're training. I'm not saying you need to train smarter. Your body can't withstand that kind of intensity. And that's what I had to learn the hard way, Ocho, because as I got older, I was still trying to train at that intensity. Not so much the intensity, it's the volume that got. I still had the same intensity, but it was the volume that I was still trying to do. I was still trying to run 15, 2200s. I was still trying to run 20, 25, 110s. I was still trying to do that volume at the intensity that I was doing in my 20s. Well, I got into my 30s tomorrow, I had the Maypop hamstrings. I run two of them. They may pop, Ocho. That's what I'm saying. That's all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying. So that's the thing that you got, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta factor in, right? And so I don't, I don't want, I don't want people and that's like I said, that's, that's his call. But I don't want people like man Trav stealing. He can't get open no more, right? Ain't got nothing to prove. I promise you, if somebody would have told Travis Kempson, okay, here you are, you a rookie. We're gonna allow you to go to five Super Bowls. You'll be a 10 time Pro Bowler, you'll be a four or five time All Pro, and you'll win three Super Bowls. And you'll be regarded one of the two greatest tight ends to ever play.

Right?

You say he turns that down. Say, nah, I wanna play long. Does he take it or does he turn it down?

You taking that, you know that in a horse.

So it's definitely going to be interesting to see. But I, I, I can tell it bothered him. There's a lot that bothered him this year. He didn't have, he didn't have the type of season that he wanted. Yeah, he didn't have the individual success. Let me take that back. He didn't have the individual success. He had the team success. They won the division again. They won the AFC again. They didn't win the Super Bowl. So that's the ultimate, the ultimate goal. But he wanted that thousand yards. Yeah, he wanted, he wanted those numbers. I mean, I don't even know how many. Trust. I mean, I think he might have had fewer than five touchdowns. How many touchdowns do you have, Ash? Because he was on pace two years ago to get a thousand. But remember, he sought out the final game, Ocho, because they were already slotted into the third seed. They want to run the risk of getting him injured. And so he saw he, I think he was like 30 yards short of getting another thousand, which would have been eight, eight or nine consecutive thousand yard seasons. He had three touchdowns this year, Ocho. Three.

Hey, they listen, they get it done offensively in a multitude of ways. That's all they got to say.

But in order for this offense to really be effective, he has to be dominant. When they got rid of Tyreek, he was dominant. Go back and look at it. I don't think I'm lying. Stanley Superfan pays for a billboard begging Art Rooney to trade Tomlin or sell the team. The standard is mediocrity. Trey Tomlin will sell the team. Rooney, we've had enough. The standard is mediocrity. Trey Tomlin or sell the team. Paid for by Kevin Adams.

Mediocrity. 17 win season above 518. 17 win season.

That's mediocrity. How many super bowl appearances? They haven't won a playoff game since 2016 is 2025 mediocrity?

So let me. Let me ask you a question. So, yes, they let. They let Tomlin go, right?

Yeah.

His name is Kevin Adams. Huh? Kevin Adams.

Yep.

You let Tomlin go. Who you bring in, What. See what happens. What happens there?

That's the same thing men and women do. I can't get out of a relationship because who I'm gonna get to replace what I got, and I stay in a bad relationship. You see what you did?

Hey, you see? And you know what happened? 98% of the time, they leave that person thinking the grass is green on the other side and be right there watering nothing but goddamn soil.

But here's the thing, though, Ocho. If. If Mike Thomas say the standard is the standard, six Super Bowls, where is being above.500 the standard?

Well, hold on. How you.

You said that?

Hold on. All right, well, listen, we got to be realistic as well now. We have to be realistic as well. You have to build yourself up to having a Super bowl team. You know what that takes? It takes personnel, you know. You know what else that takes? It takes personnel, a quarterback, a quarterback that is consistent. We don't have any question coming into the season who's going to be a starter. There's some factors that come into play, even being able to get to the standard.

So Mike Tomlin has. Has no say in personnel. He has no say in fridge. He has no say in the final 53. He has no say in anything Draft.

Yeah, he does. He does.

So he bears some culpability.

Yep.

When Ben. When Ben was getting old. When Ben was getting old, not the last year, but when Ben was getting old, did they go out and get another quarterback?

Nah.

When Favre was getting old, what did the packers do? They went and got Rogers. When Rogers was getting old, what did they do? Ojo? They went out and got Jordan Love. When Ben Roethlisberger was getting old, what did they do? They let him wither on the vine.

They let him.

That's Tomlin. Let him wither on the vine.

Oh, that's a good one. I ain't never heard that before. Wither on the vine.

So I'm just saying, I mean, when. When you watch the ste. When you look at the Steelers, at any point in time, do you say, you know what? That didn't even go to the Super Bowl. When was the last time you said it, Ocho?

During my tenure. As a matter of fact, during my tenure Every, every year we played them, they were a team whose identity was their offense. No, their identity was their defense. They had opportunity to go to Super Bowl. Now, I haven't seen that. Still, the game in general, the landscape of the game has changed in general. As far as the Steelers, the Browns.

No, they, they, they've been shifted. They shifted once they got Ben Ab and Labyon. They were offensive, basically.

Offensive, yeah.

But they were an offense. They used to be a defensive base. Early, early in Ben' they were a defensive based football team. They had Troy, they had rc, they had Ryan Clark, they had Peasy. You know, they had those guys like.

Foot Timmons, James Farrier Timmons.

Right.

Yeah, I, they, I, I haven't, they haven't given us that feel in a very long time. In a very long time. But in order to do that, in order to find that consistency again, it takes time.

But here's the thing.

It takes drafting, it takes off season acquisitions. It takes finding a quarterback, finding a franchise quarterback. That's where it all starts, huh? That's where it all started. And you don't have a franchise quarterback, then you have to have a dominating defense. You got to have a dominating defense and a quarterback that gets you by week to week and doesn't put your team in harm's way. That's hard.

Let me ask you a question.

Remember the year the Bears went to the Super Bowl?

Yeah. Who are the quarterbacks? Yeah. Rex Grossman dominate. Those days are over. Ocho, you ain't got a defense good enough to overcome that. Those days are over. Those days over. So I don't even know why you would attempt to build your team like that, because that's not happening. They won't allow you to play that type brand of football anymore. But when you look, but here's the problem that he has.

Talk to me.

Lamar Jackson is 27. Joe Burrow is also in that division.

Yeah.

So While you going 9 and 8 every year or you go 10 and 7, what is that going to get you? Patrick Mahomes is about to turn 30. Josh Allen is 28. So I'm just trying to figure out what is that? What is 10 and 7 going to get you? What is 9 and 8 going to get you?

Right.

Oh, Mike Thomas has never had a losing season.

Right.

He didn't want a playoff game in nine years. Make sure you put that in, make sure you put that in the bio too, Mike. To never had a losing season. He also hadn't won a playoff game since 2016.

I just want to Know. I just want to know what the alternative is, that's all.

You cannot be afraid of the unknown. See, that's the problem.

I can tell you what's going to happen with the unknown. Listen, we've been around this game long enough. You know it's going to happen.

Happen.

Let him go and find out. Let what? Kevin Adams wants to happen. They said that and we gonna.

Did they say that with Brett Favre?

Huh?

Did they say that with Brett Favre? Yes or no? Did they say that with Aaron Rodgers? Yes or no?

You do. You do know. And we have. No, wait.

Let me ask you a simple question.

We were able to see a simple side of what was coming after Brett.

No, you didn't.

You knew it.

You did not see. You saw what Aaron Rodgers played one game when Brett Favre got hurt. You didn't see no sample size. He played one game. Jordan Love played one game and it looked terrible against Kansas City. Do you remember when Aaron Rodgers had Covid and he couldn't play? And you saw Jordan Love play against Kansas City out of the. Look. Did you think Jordan Love, the Jordan Love that we see now, did you think he was going to be that after watching that Kansas City game? I'm just asking.

I don't. Listen to me. Don't listen to me. Listen to Kevin Adams and go ahead and. Go ahead and let coach go watch what happened.

No. Oh. At some point in time, 10 and 7. Not going to do it.

I understand.

If the standard is a standard. If your standard is playing for Lombardi's, they're not close. Yeah, maybe a new voice.

Why are they not close? It ain't the coach's fault because your coach ain't on the field. He ain't on the field. You know what you need? You know what you need to.

When it was at the case, Coach.

Belichick used the right time, right? Now look at all the teams that were in the playoffs this year. What is the common denominator? They all had what at the helm, running the show. They all had a what? A consistent. What A consistent quarterback. Hey, the Chiefs. The Ravens, C.J. stroud and Co. Early round playoffs, he comes in and turns and what did he do to the franchise?

It's funny that you said the Ravens. I remember the Ravens had a quarterback in Joe Flacco that took him to the Super Bowl. What did Ozzie Newsom do? He drafted a quarterback.

Oh, well, what's the last time we had Lamar Jackson just sitting there in the draft?

You drafted a quarterback, Ocho, because You don't wait till the quarterback wither.

Right?

You don't wait till the fruit fall off the tree. You see, you wait. See, you wanna wait till the very end.

Not me. Not me. I ain't. Not me. Not.

Yes.

Not me. I'm just.

Because. Because.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because. No, because.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

You say you fear the unknown.

Oh, I don't feel the unknown. We talk about him. Fire. I'm talking about firing fire. And Tomlin. When there's nothing in place, there's nothing in place. You ain't planting Nancy. But you want Tom gone. What? That's it? That's all you know have you have your ducks in a row. Let everybody go.

Let.

Let him go. Okay, what's next?

It doesn't always work out like that where you have the perfect. Well, we got a CEO. He's going to retire. And we got the CEO in waiting. It doesn't work like that.

Right.

That's. So if. So, in other words, you want perfect life, you know, you don't want.

Hey.

You want. Hey. This is what happens. We already.

No, it don't have to be. It don't have to be perfect, but I damn sure want some answers. I want something to fall back on. I want that. I know it ain't nothing to fall back on right now. I can tell you that.

So you. So you good? So you good for the next 10 years? Be 9 and 8, 10 and 7.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Listen, I ain't got no horse in the race. I am not. I love the Steelers. I love the fans. I love the people. I love ownership. I love the coaches. I love the former players. I'm a Bengal. Listen, if they don't figure it out, that's better for us. Shit, I'm not tripping. That's better for us. Now, I'm just speaking standing into context. That and what Kevin Adams is saying, to let the man let Mrs. Tomlin go. Well, I mean, what's your backup plan? You got to have a backup plan. Listen, before a woman leave, she already knows what the backup plan is. Huh?

Yes.

Yeah. She don't just. You don't just up and leave just to be up and leaving and be like, okay, I'm back at square one. Now what do I do? That's not the way things work. That's not the way things operate. Especially at that level, if a move can be made, they're going to have an. And strategy, an exit plan, before they just do it as a fan. They just want, you know what? Fuck it. Get him up out of here. He got to go.

I think the thing is, look, the Rooneys, this is a family business. They've owned the Steelers since 1933, with the exception of maybe a year or two. And that's where the McGitchey purchased an estate. I think they still have a share of the team, but for the most part, this is Duroney's bait, darling. Now, they have some other brothers that's in the casino business and things of that nature, but this is their baby. And guess what? Y'all ain't got no basketball team in Pittsburgh and your baseball team.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Terrible.

[Unknown Sports Analyst]

So guess what? The fans gonna come out and the ruining the. They've had three coaches since 1969. Chuck, no, Bill, Cower, now Mike Tomlin. All of them. None of them got fired. They walked away on their own terms. Right. The Rooneys are looking at it like we're not bad. They're just good enough to give the fans false hope. You know, they're not close.

Hold on. You know what? You rather be the. You rather be the Steelers? You'd rather be the Cowboys. Talk about false hope.

Which is heavier, a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers? They weigh the same. The only difference is the Steelers have been to the Super Bowl. They have been to an NFC championship game. I think they lost to the. They lost to the Patriots. That might have been the last time they won a playoff game. Right. It's just tough because this is not the Steelers that we're used to seeing. We're used to seeing the Steelers really like in 10. Like really have a serious legitimate chance of getting to and winning a Super Bowl. Right. And we haven't seen that. That's not something that we could say that we've been able to say for the last damn near decade.

O been a long time. Been a real long time.

And it's not like the Ravens are going to get worse. The Bengals are going to try to try. Hey, it's like, look, we're wasting Joe Burrow prime years. Cleveland, Cleveland is Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleveland. The Browns are the Browns. But at some point in time. Ocho, all I'm saying is I don't advocate anybody getting fired, but all I am saying is this. At some point in time, 9 and 8, 10 and 7 ain't gonna cut it. And losing in the first round. You're right.

You right. I can't argue with that.

The volume.

[Chad Ochocinco Johnson]

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[Unknown Sports Analyst]

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[Unknown Sports Analyst]

Torres here and I'm Austin Hankwitz.

[Unknown Podcast Host]

We're the hosts of Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories produced by Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks. Catch up on seasons one and two and join us for a brand new season of the podcast as we talk to small business owners about how they manage and grow their businesses with the help of platforms like Intuit QuickBooks.

[Unknown Gambling Analyst]

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[Unknown Sports Analyst]

Success Stories on the iHeartRadio app, Apple.

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