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- [00:01]
A
Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. The Winter Olympics actually started today. Today. Tony, what's your favorite memory of covering?
- [00:09]
B
I'm Tony Kornheiser landing that exclusive with Sonia Henney right after she won gold back in 28.
- [00:14]
A
Oh, that's. Yeah, yeah, 28. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not 20, 28 people. We're not there yet.
- [00:20]
B
No. 1928. Do you remember Sonya Henney at all? Do you have any sense of what she looked like or what she did?
- [00:26]
A
Yes. Because in full disclosure, you and I have actually studied the Winter Olympics y and we came from. You have to know and you got to know something about it.
- [00:35]
B
She was a great skater. She won a billion medals.
- [00:37]
A
You actually liked it?
- [00:38]
C
I did.
- [00:39]
A
As much as I loved it, I.
- [00:40]
B
Really did love it. Welcome to pti, boys and girls. In today's episode, James Harden is a cav. Tom Brady plays it down the middle. And Steve Young joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with the Mavericks trading away the man they got for Luka Doncic, Dallas Delt 10 time all star Anthony Davis and three other players to the Wizards for Khris Middleton. Three other players, two first rounders and three seconds Wilbon. How do you make sense of this deal, Tony?
- [01:07]
A
At first blush, I first heard about it, I thought, oh, Anthony Davis is not going to play. Trae Young's not going to play. What is the point of this? But then continued thought about it, some things that really stand out to me that I think are favorable about this deal for the Wizards. First they didn't have to give up any of their own first round picks. Now they got to give up one of Oklahoma City's which is going to be 30th, let's face it, they're going to finish first in the standings and then last in lottery, last in draft picking. And also they didn't have to give up any of their young core of players represented most by sar who they got high in the draft last year. I know you, you watch the team much more than I do and you have a sense of how each one of these young guys koulibaly how they come along. I know you do and so I'm interested to hear you about this. So my thoughts are there's no risk. Yeah. Like if, even if Anthony Davis doesn't play much and I hope he does because I just, I know Anthony Davis a little bit, I root for him. But. But when you keep your own people, your own young guys that you need to build and you keep your draft pick so you keep your future, I think, with no risk. I like it.
- [02:14]
B
I'm much more cynical about it than you are and have been for a couple of years about this particular team that has tried to lose. Well, let me get to this because the first thing I want to say is we can now close the book on Nico Harrison. Nico Harrison, it turns out this is what he traded Luka Doncic for so far. Khris Middleton, nice player, 34 years old, can barely move and 29 games worth of Anthony Davis. Now they are accepting draft picks. They're in a complete rebuild. They traded away 25 year old Luka Doncic and they're now in a complete rebuild. That's why he should have been fired that night. The Wizards on paper, wow. Anthony Davis and Trae Young look great on paper. The problem, as you well know, is one of them is always hurt and now the other one is hurt. So we don't even know if they're ever going to play together. I don't know what the Wizards are doing. Are they, I thought they were going to build through the draft. Are they going to now try to win? They've been trying to lose for three years. To give you some context, last night they played at home. They were down at the half 72, 45 at home. So I, you know, so Sar may be a very good player, but the rest of the people you're talking about are indistinguishable from one or another. They're 6'4 to 67. You know, they have one good night and one bad night.
- [03:30]
A
So I'm of, I'm of the perception that they are done tearing down. I would think try to build a little bit, but Tony, nobody's. I'm not expecting Anthony Davis and Trey Young to be leading the parade when they have one. But I think you have to have vets, responsible vets, dependable vets, in practice, in locker room, on the road, on the bus.
- [03:53]
B
Well, they had, they had. Chris Middleton was one of their vets and McCollum was one of them. And then he got rid of both of them. So they got rid of both of them. Let's move to James Harden. Yesterday we talked about the possibility of him being traded. Today we are talking about Harden having been officially traded. Harden goes to Cleveland for point guard Darius Garland and a second round pick. Seems this one happened pretty quick. Wilbon, what does this mean for each team involved and for Harden?
- [04:16]
A
Well, for Harden it's going to mean more money. It won't mean as much money as he wanted, which was $80 million over two years. I think that's done. And he wasn't going to get that. And the Clippers let him know we're not doing that. And I don't blame them. So let's go to the Wizards. The Wizards. See, I'm fixated with the Wizards now. No, let's go to the Cavaliers. Tony. I think this actually helps them. They needed some size and hardening is a larger guard at six five plus and substantial as you know, and has some heft and plays a lot of games and takes a lot of punishment and he's done that over the years. And I think Harden is looking at this the way we look at it to say, you know what? I ain't got all that much time left. Let me be somewhere where they can win where there are bigs, including Mobley, who he can help make better. I like this. And it takes some, some pressure off of their star player who can go and get 45 points just like Harden used to be able to do in a playoff game. I like this for Cleveland.
- [05:16]
B
Okay, I'm going to talk about what I talked about yesterday. For perspective, here are the numbers of James Harden in the career regular season. 24 a game. 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 43.8% from the field, 36% from three. Here are his career playoff numbers. 22 and a half points, 6 and a half assists, 5 and a half rebounds, 42.5 from the field and 34 from three. Across the board, across the board. And I love James Harden, but across the board if I am, he's never won a ring and he's been in one final if I'm Cleveland, I make this trade because I want to win now this year I want to put him in the backcourt with Donovan Mitchell and see if they can get 60 points. Every single game. They got to the finals of the conference last year were beaten by Indiana and they were the favorites. They had a real good team last year. So I want Harden to take me over the top and I wish it to him, but I think to myself his playoff numbers are not what you want them to be.
- [06:11]
A
So if James Harden was ever going to have a sense of urgency this year about that.
- [06:16]
B
This year, this year.
- [06:17]
A
And playing with Donovan Mitchell is not a small thing. And I think. You know what, Tony, A little less can be better. Not that you want every number dropping, but I think that James does a little less with. Look, James Harden can go out there in playoff games and get you double digit assists.
- [06:31]
B
That's Right.
- [06:32]
A
Which on that team can matter.
- [06:33]
B
So we, neither of us has talked about the other team, the Clippers, who.
- [06:37]
A
Were the hottest team like a minute ago.
- [06:38]
B
I'm going to tell you this about the Clippers. He's a good guard. Garland's a good guard. He's 10 years younger.
- [06:44]
A
He is.
- [06:45]
B
It doesn't matter. They are a perpetually disappointing team.
- [06:47]
A
They really are.
- [06:48]
B
They have names all the time and they never win. And I am wondering if down the road we're going to see Kawhi Leonard suspended, but for that alleged no show job situation, I'm wondering, I'm just gonna.
- [06:57]
A
Jump in right there and say no.
- [06:59]
B
Okay.
- [07:00]
A
I don't think anybody's getting suspended, but it's a worthy question.
- [07:02]
B
Yeah.
- [07:03]
A
And now to Tom Brady's rooting interests in this year's super bowl. Says he ain't got one. The man who won six with the Patriots and whose image is forged into a 17 foot tall statue outside Gillette Stadium, tells Jim Gray, quote, I I don't have a dog in the fight in this one. May the best team win. Close quote. What do you make of that?
- [07:26]
B
I make of this that as a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, he is about to hire Clint Kubiak as his head coach. And today Clint Kubiak is the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Okay. I think Tom Brady is rooting for the Patriots inside, but he's hiring. He's not hiring Rabel. No, he's hiring Kubiak. So I don't think he wants to say anything that could get under Kubiak's skin at all. I think there's another part to this too. The last 10 days have been very tough for the Patriots in terms of the hall of Fame. They've seen Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft bounce. There is an obvious anti Patriot bias that is showing itself here because of things like Deflategate and Spygate and the way they won all the time. And I don't think Tom Brady wants to fan the flames of that by coming out strongly for the Patriots.
- [08:13]
A
I didn't think of any of those things, really. I think you've been watching too much conspiracy television.
- [08:18]
B
But I have that channel.
- [08:23]
A
Tom Brady, to me, he doesn't seem like a man driven by sentiment. And he doesn't have a dog in this one cuz he ain't wearing the jersey.
- [08:32]
B
Okay.
- [08:32]
A
You know what I mean? Like, I think he looks at it with great interest, but I just think that, okay, you know, it was fine. I was there once, you don't think.
- [08:41]
B
For old times sake, he roots for the Patriots. Maybe a little.
- [08:44]
A
But Tony, remember when Brady was living, allegedly making a living, he in New England and playing for the Patriots, he'd pop up and we'd see these pictures of him. All his off time was in California. You know, professional athletes aren't necessarily like the people who root for their teams. They're doing this, they're paid, they're mercenary.
- [09:02]
B
Do you think.
- [09:03]
A
I think Tom Brady falls closer.
- [09:04]
B
Do you think it's possible because Tom Brady, he has to acknowledge that his relationship with the Raiders has caused a lot of people to think in their hearts that he has got a conflict of interest in the broadcast. There have been rules against.
- [09:14]
A
Say it out loud, right? Yeah.
- [09:16]
B
And there have been rules against where he can be physically and where he can't be. Do you think that part of this is. This is just an easier lane to drive. Let me stay away from the Patriots. Let me stay away from that.
- [09:25]
A
It just. That seems so calculating.
- [09:27]
B
Yeah.
- [09:27]
A
I don't want to suggest that Brady isn't calculating. But you know what else Tom Brady can do? Like other goats, like Michael Jeffrey Jordan, like Wayne Gretzky, if he chooses to. He doesn't have to care. Right.
- [09:40]
B
Let's take a break.
- [09:41]
A
He doesn't have to care at all.
- [09:42]
B
Coming up, how can the Patriots put Drake May in a position to succeed on Sunday? We're going to ask Steve Young and.
- [09:47]
A
We'Ll ask him which way is leading.
- [09:49]
B
I love those helmets.
- [09:50]
A
I do, too.
- [09:51]
B
I love those helmets.
- [09:52]
A
Classic. We don't like newfangled uniforms and anything.
- [09:55]
B
We don't like anything new because we're old. We're muppets.
- [09:57]
A
Yeah.
- [09:58]
B
We're just too old now.
- [09:59]
D
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- [11:48]
B
Sources close to the NFL have informed PTI that it's Super Bowl Week.
- [11:52]
A
No.
- [11:52]
B
Which makes it a perfect time for a visit from our great friend and the man who helped me lead the Niners to victory In Super Bowl 29, hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young. Steve, let's start with this. Sam Darnold made a Super bowl when he was backing up Brock Purdy, and he's now in it as a starter with Seattle. You made two Super Bowls as a backup before starting. What did you learn as a backup that helped you as a starter?
- [12:15]
C
A ton. You seeing it is vital. All of it, right? The hoopla, the unique, getting tickets for your family, making sure everybody has the travel stuff, the elongated week, the media. You watch it. And then if you're a good backup, you're preparing to play, you're ready to go. You know, you're emotionally, physically, mentally ready to go play. So you've done the work. You've, you've prepared to play in the super bowl and then you got out and maybe you didn't play, but you've seen it. And so that's a huge ad. And then you see someone play great, you're like, oh no, that's how it's supposed to look. And I'm telling you, when you, when you get, you can sit home in your like Drake, make it visualize all he wants. He has not seen it, but Sam has seen it and makes a huge difference.
- [13:02]
A
So interesting and good transition to Drake May Steve, because he's in this game in his second season and there's so many things now that we are aware of that are necessary to be in place for a quarterback to be successful. Is Drake may already set up for that or do the Patriots have longer way to go?
- [13:23]
C
No, I. It feels like, you know, this is not the old Patriots. This is not the hoodie mumbles, you know, robot kind of, you know, this is. And look, they were great. No one's gonna say anything bad about it. That's how they did it. This is a more wide open, fun loving group. And so they're gonna do it differently. And Drake is that guy. He's the guy that's the cheerleader of the team. And so there's. They're young, they don't know yet. This is all happening like really now. It seems early and I just. I think that that's in their favor right now.
- [13:55]
B
They don't.
- [13:56]
C
They haven't had to deal if they get beat. They have to deal with a Super bowl loss and how that drama and you know, if they win, obviously they're on their way. But I just. This is for Drake. They're in a perfect spot to go shock the world. You know, I don't think anyone had them on their card in preseason, that's for sure. And they built their way here and I think it's real and think Drake is the guy that I think the key is don't get them out of the game plan. Young players in the super bowl, you don't want to give up a big special teams touchdown, get down by 10 or 14 and get out of your game plan. You want a young quarterback to be able to stay in what we've talked about for a couple of weeks. And that'll be key given what you.
- [14:36]
A
Know about both these teams. Having seen them. Which way are you leaning?
- [14:43]
C
Well, I mean, you love the juggernaut that the Patriots are from nowhere, and I love that not from now. I mean, that's really kind of been a fun surprise. The Seahawks have been playing playoff football since January 4th when they played the 49ers for the right to have a week off. And I just. They watching them in person, it was a revelation. I mean, I watched them all year, but like in person, they are all of that. That defense is. They're number one for a reason. And when number one defenses show up at the super bowl, it's a thing. And that thing is real. So I would. If I had a choice, I'd run over the Seahawks with that defense. And then Jackson, Smith and Jigba is the most unique, fascinating, amazing player to watch move his body. You Just can't imagine. Like, it's like. I don't know what is. It's like a ballet kind of feel. It's like body. I don't know. I don't know how to describe it. Maybe it is describable. But he has all of that. You could throw the ball, that guy and then have those two runners and a good line. I mean, look, you know, you get two super bowl teams. Like, which one do you want? Like, that's a stupid bar fight, right? It's a question. But. But no, it's a great question, Michael. It's a great question. But I think I would run Seahawks because it's just. I think they're all of that right now.
- [15:54]
A
Well, there's something I got to follow up on. As a person who threw the ball to Jerry freaking Rice, you see in Jackson, you see him in some sort of way that is on that level with Jerry Rice.
- [16:08]
C
I do. Because the change of direction. Jerry had just an immediate, like a. Like an abrupt ability to change direction. But it didn't feel abrupt to him. It looked abrupt to everybody else. Some tried to cover him, but him, it was like nothing. And that and Jackson, Smith and Jigba feels the same ways. Like, it's like he moves his body so much quicker than everybody else and he makes people miss and he doesn't go to the ground a lot. That's Jerry too. Like, it's just like there's a. They're both kind of a ballet masters. Like, their body position, always in a good spot, catching the ball, ready to move in a way that's kind of unusually, you know, abrupt. Like I said, abrupt everybody else, but to them it seems smooth. It looks smooth. It's like, man, I like. Do you think I like him?
- [16:58]
B
We will get you out of here on this. Last night you coached in the Pro Bowl. I watched you introduced. I assumed you coached the nfc, but you told me you coached the AFC. Anyway, it's a flag football game. You used to play in the actual Pro Bowl. How different was it to coach in this format?
- [17:15]
C
Well, I mean, we played a real game. You were under duress. I had Bruce Smith coming at me and, you know, and my lineman had 30 minutes twice in two days to get ready to go play. And if you're going to play, if you're going to go play a game with a team that's been together for two 30 minute practices, defense is going to be winning. It's done faster. And so in that way, I took the beatings in the Pro bowl, it was. I remember limping out of the hula. Whatever was that called? Hula Stadium.
- [17:42]
A
Aloha. Aloha Stadium.
- [17:43]
C
Aloha Stadium. I remember looking out of there like, I've never taken a beating like this in my life. This would be after the Super Bowl. Those are the days when it was the week after you go to Hawaii, you go to the super bowl, come home for the parade, and then head to Hawaii and go and play another game. And so it was. It was pretty unsustainable, I think, through time, especially as owners now made $200 million investments in players. And, you know, they're going to, you know, you don't want to. You don't want to ski, you don't want to mountain climb. You want to climb Mount Everest, but you want to go play in the Pro bowl full speed with, you know, the guys coming after you. No, that's not going to work. But the front. But the flag stuff is real. Everybody needs to get ready for this flag. Football is exploding, and it's exploding all the way to the Olympics in 20, 28. Men and women, gold medals. USA is going to have a team. You hope. There's some NFL players on it. And that's what I talked to the guys about yesterday. Hey, look, this is. This is Pro bowl flag. But you guys got to get ready to go get a gold medal. If I could have gotten a gold medal back in the day when the Dream Team was going with Michael Jordan and Magic and they're going to go, you know, they're going to get a gold medal and football doesn't and hockey does and golf does and baseball does, like football now can get a gold medal. It was different yesterday. The guys were more in tune to the flag game. It was a joke, more of a joke before. I think it's. It's becoming very serious about the flag stuff, and it's happening all over the world. It's amazing.
- [18:58]
B
Yeah. What a gold medal wouldn't mean for every athlete. Golfers want the gold medal. Tennis players want the gold medal. They all want it.
- [19:04]
C
I would take a year off of the NFL. I'm not telling them to do it. I would. If they force us, they go, I'm taking a year off. I don't care what you do to me. I don't care. I'm going for a gold. I want my gold medal. That's. I would do it. I would give my left arm. Well, I don't know if I give my left arm. I mean, my right arm, right arm.
- [19:19]
B
You pass with your left arm. What are you, nuts? Thank you, Steve. Steve, as always, thank you.
- [19:24]
A
Appreciate it.
- [19:26]
B
Let's take one last break. Still to come, the jets make a hire they hope will finally fix their lousy offense.
- [19:31]
A
And Kawhi is in linen, his name to the game that many thought he should have made already. That's flat football. We just learned a lot, didn't we?
- [19:41]
B
Yes.
- [19:42]
A
Yeah.
- [19:42]
B
First of all, I didn't know it was in the Olympics, but a gold medal for any athlete.
- [19:45]
A
Anybody?
- [19:46]
B
Yeah.
- [19:46]
A
Yeah.
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B
If you can be eligible. Sure.
- [19:48]
A
Absolutely.
- [19:49]
E
All right. Here's some breaking breakfast news as we start the new year. Everybody's talking resolutions, eating better, staying on track, and this one's actually easy. Kodiak frozen power waffles and flapjacks are a quick win.
- [20:03]
B
Heat and eat.
- [20:04]
E
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- [20:48]
F
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- [21:23]
B
Happy time people. Happy 64th birthday. Dan Plisak, the left handed reliever pitched for six different teams in his 18 years in the majors. Plisak's career record was 65 and 71 with a 364 ERA. Plisak made three all star teams while pitching for the Milwaukee brewers, where he spent the first seven years of his career. From there, Plisak went to the Cubs, the Pirates, the Blue Jays, the Diamondbacks, and ultimately ended his career with the Phillies. Plisak is still the brewers all time leader in saves and he is quite good on the the MLB Network.
- [21:54]
A
He is Tony. He had an edge as a pitcher but it conveys beautifully to the studio where he is great to watch.
- [22:02]
B
He is good. Happy anniversary Los Angeles Lakers. On this day 39 years ago, the Showtime Lakers set an NBA defensive record by holding the Sacramento Kings to just four points in the first quarter of their game. The quarter ended up with the Lakers up 40 to 4. Those four points were the the lowest total in any quarter since the introduction of the 24 second clock in 1954. Four Points is a shocker, but it's not the record anymore. Amazingly, a decade later, the Lakers held another opponent to a record low when they limited the Dallas Mavericks to just two points in the third quarter of their game. And the two points weren't even on a made basket. They were two free throws from Derek Harper.
- [22:42]
A
You know who else is on that team? Tony? That's Pre Dirk, A.C. green, Shawn Bradley, Michael Finley, among others. You think they'd score more than a couple free two?
- [22:51]
B
Yes. You think anybody would? A melancholy trails to Mickey Lolich. The longtime Tigers left hander has passed away at the age of 85. Lolich won 217 games in his career and made three All Star teams. But his standout stretch came in the 1968 World Series. Denny McLean had won 31 games for the Tigers that season. But Low Lich was the ace of the fall Classic throwing three complete game wins over the favorite St. Louis Cardinals. Two of them in elimination games and the last one in game seven. On the road on two days rest over Bob F. Gibson.
- [23:24]
A
People who watch us will know that I'm repeating myself. But how can you say that baseball as a product now is as good as that? The drama for what you just said alone can carry you for a month.
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B
It was a great.
- [23:37]
A
Unbelievable sports at that. And the people.
- [23:40]
B
Come on, let's go to the big fitness.
- [23:42]
A
Let's do it.
- [23:42]
B
The jets hired Frank Reich as offensive coordinator. I know he's your boy.
- [23:46]
A
I know you like him. Frank Reich is a hell of a coach. I don't know who his quarterback's going to be, but you know I root for Frank Reich. The NBA added your boy Kawhi to the All Star game. You all right with that?
- [23:55]
C
Yes.
- [23:55]
B
I think you deserve to make it anyway. And it's in their home gym.
- [23:58]
A
It is. It is. That makes sense.
- [24:00]
B
The Olympics open with mixed doubles curling today. That excited you?
- [24:05]
A
You and I have both gone to see curling. I'm not sure if that's an indictment or not. Miami Ohio nipped Buffalo by deuce last night. Stayed unbeaten. I think that's a big deal.
- [24:16]
B
It's probably a big deal because there are only two undefeated teams. Like there's Arizona as number one and these guys are number 23.
- [24:23]
A
I mean, Ohio.
- [24:24]
B
Yeah. Close game. Pretty good. Last one. Thunder at spurs tonight. You intrigued by that?
- [24:27]
A
They've sabotaged it.
- [24:28]
B
How?
- [24:29]
A
I mean, SGA's injured is his arrest. He's out for a couple of weeks. Other than that, I think Wimby's playing. We don't know. There's a bunch of other doubtfuls and questionables and outs. They've sabotaged the best game of the week. Nobody wants to play for the playoffs anymore.
- [24:44]
B
We're out of time. We'll try and do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser.
- [24:47]
A
Trade around that. I'm Mike Lovine. Same time tomorrow, Knuckleheads.