Hour 1: Green Onion & The Chicken Man

Summary

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Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron

Hour 1: Green Onion & The Chicken Man

Date: May 10, 2026
Hosts: Matt Jones & Myron Medcalf (ESPN Radio)

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Overview

This episode of "Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron" dives into a wide range of sports topics with Matt and Myron’s signature banter and wit. They cover the NBA playoffs, the narrative around James Harden, quirky lower-division English soccer, the spectacle of the “Redneck Brawl,” and the experience of being a sports fan with no local community. They also preview the NBA draft lottery and take calls about fandom in obscure places, delivering plenty of laughs, personal stories, and memorable moments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. James Harden and the NBA Playoffs (02:14 – 05:57)

• Thunder vs. Lakers: Thunder dominate the Lakers, now up 3-0 in a lopsided series.
• Cavs and James Harden: Harden’s performance finally lives up to expectations. He scored seven straight points to secure a win and shift the series.
  • “He bounced back... He showed us like who he can be. That's the guy that Cleveland traded for... that's the guy you hope can convince Donovan Mitchell to stick around.” – Myron (02:58)
• Harden’s Postseason Narrative: Discussion about how Harden is criticized for postseason play, compared to Clayton Kershaw’s former reputation.
  • “I've watched these playoff games and not only do people assume he's not going to play well, they're ready for it.” – Matt (03:22)
  • “When he retires, when we look back, we won't just say how great he was. Most people will talk about moments like this.” – Myron (04:04)
• Fluctuating Weight Jokes: The hosts add in good-natured ribbing about Harden’s weight and body image.
  • “Any game you turn on, he might be at any different weight. There's never been anyone in sports whose weight fluctuates more.” – Matt (04:24)
  • “Every time he walks into the locker room, it's like me when I go home…” – Myron (05:01)

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2. Quirky and Lesser-Known Sports Events (06:13 – 12:00)

a. English Soccer’s Lower-Division Playoff (06:14 – 09:13)

• Matt explains the stakes of England’s promotion/relegation system, spotlighting Borehamwood vs. Rochdale in a “make-or-break” moment for the mostly amateur teams.
  • “This is the kind of thing where literally you're looking at your wife and going, honey, we can pay the electric bill if we win this game.” – Matt (07:25)
• Fun Facts: Borehamwood is the “British Hollywood”; Rochdale notable for poker player Jake Cody.
  • “I'm against him.” – Myron, regarding Borehamwood’s celebrity connections (08:26)

b. Redneck Brawl 13 (09:22 – 12:00)

• Annual bare-knuckle fight night in Knoxville, TN: Kentucky vs. Tennessee.
• Features, colorfully named brawlers: Crazy Shady, Trainwreck Tracy, Hillbilly Hands.
  • “...they had 30 boxing matches in Knoxville where people from Tennessee fought people from Kentucky in the Redneck Brawl 13.” – Matt (09:22)
• Myron jokes about the feasibility of attending:
  • “You think I'm just going to show up? I'll be at the hotel, man.” – Myron (11:38)
• Event was held on Mother’s Day, which the hosts found hilarious and perfect for the region.

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3. The Lonely Sports Fan – Loving Teams No One Else Cares About (15:44 – 22:33)

• Matt shares his experience as a Carolina Hurricanes fan in Kentucky—no local interest, no camaraderie.
  • “I walk around the state in my hurricane shirts, hats. No one cares. No one says, oh, you're a Hurricanes fan. I might as well just be wearing an advertisement for a weather disaster.” – Matt (17:09)
• How to build fandom when isolated:
  • “Social media has changed a lot of that... There are meetups.” – Myron (18:08)
  • Matt jokes about creating a rivalry with his neighbor just to have someone to bicker with (shovel story ensues).
  • Callers share their experience:
    • Brian in Arkansas: Washington Nationals fan mistaken for a Walgreens employee.
      • “Is that a Walgreens hat?” – As told to Brian (21:01)
    • Brent in Maine: Denver Broncos fan, alone in Orono. Dyed his Chihuahua orange for the Super Bowl.
      • “I had a beautiful little Chihuahua named Squeak, and I painted his tail orange...” – Brent (30:17)
    • Matt in Arizona: An Arizona Cardinals fan regularly outnumbered at home games due to transplants.

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4. Fan Behavior & Loyalty (33:18 – 35:34)

• Discussion of Philadelphia’s arena being overrun with Knicks fans, and the phenomenon of “bandwagon” fans.
  • “You cannot flip teams because your team loses. You can't.” – Matt (35:27)
  • “We don't protect bandwagons anymore.” – Myron (35:34)

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5. The Redneck Brawl – Listeners’ Connection (31:07 – 32:28)

• Listener “Green Onion” calls in, possibly knowing "Chicken Man" from the fight; the name comes from a love of green onion chips.
  • “Why do you call yourself Green Onion?” – Matt (32:11)
  • “I just love them.” – Green Onion, on sour cream and onion chips (32:20)
• Banter about what snack they’d name themselves after:
  • “I'd be named Cookies.” – Myron (36:01)

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6. NBA Draft Lottery Preview (38:38 – 44:10)

• Huge draft year: strong top-5 (AJ DeBonta, Darren Peterson, Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Darius Acuff).
  • “There may not have been a bigger draft lottery... If you get inside the top five, you're going to get potentially a franchise-defining player.” – Matt (39:00)
• Odds breakdown: Wizards, Pacers, Nets (52% top-4 odds), potential impact for franchises.
• Next year’s draft is expected to be "the worst draft in my lifetime" – Matt (40:14)
• Dream landing spots: Pacers (immediate contender if they get DeBonts), Jazz (local hero angle), Mavericks (improbable luck again).
• Least-desired outcomes: OKC or Sacramento winning the lottery, with Matt joking that if OKC repeats last year's luck, "they’ll have to disband the draft" (43:09).

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7. Caller Humor & Community (44:25 – 45:53)

• Vince from New Mexico imagines callers like Green Onion and Nationals Guy as Redneck Brawl fighters, suggests pranking neighboring fans by planting rival flags.
• Matt demurs due to the local political climate: “I can't go sticking Canadian flags in people's yards. That's a good way for things not to go well...” (45:17)
• Ongoing search to interview real participants from the Redneck Brawl.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you're poppity pompity, Tuba de tuba. You just say names to just show everybody that you watched the Tour de France.” – Myron (01:47) (mocking cycling name-droppers)
• “I might as well just be wearing an advertisement for a weather disaster. Because no one.” – Matt (17:09) (on being a Hurricanes fan in Kentucky)
• “You want to make the neighbor who shovel you took who already has a problem with you, you want to make them a fan of the opposing team... That's how you want to build a bridge.” – Myron (20:15)
• “I had a beautiful little Chihuahua named Squeak, and I painted his tail orange, and then they snapped the ball over Peyton Manning on the first play of the Super Bowl, and it all went downhill from there.” – Brent in Maine (30:17)
• “I'd be named Cookies.” – Myron (36:01)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• NBA Playoffs & Harden: 02:14 – 05:57
• English Soccer Playoff Overview: 06:14 – 09:13
• Redneck Brawl 13: 09:22 – 12:00, revisited at 26:17, 31:07
• Lonely Sports Fans: 15:44 – 22:33, 28:46 – 32:28
• NBA Playoffs Discussion: 23:42 – 25:16
• NBA Draft Lottery Breakdown: 38:38 – 44:10
• Listener Banter / Redneck Brawl Speculation: 44:25 – 45:53

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Tone & Style

The show is relaxed, conversational, and punctuated with dry wit and inside jokes. The hosts blend serious sports analysis with playful teasing and frequent digressions into personal stories, making the episode feel accessible and entertaining for both hardcore sports fans and casual listeners.

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This episode is an excellent example of “Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron”—mixing analysis of the highest levels of sport with the quirkiest events and the deeply relatable woes of niche sports fandom, all wrapped in a banter-heavy, good-natured package.

Transcript

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[Matt Jones]

This is Matt and Myron, the podcast in all the Moments of Matt Myron, presented by Progressive Insurance, where Progressive Insurance makes bundling home and auto easy. You can learn [e-mail] and all the moments of that show that was one of the most ridiculous, and it was about a year ago, was Myron insisting that he thought he could do the Tour de France when? Or it is beyond belief that you thought you could ride 150km a day for 21 straight days, but you genuinely did. And I love that because that's the kind of thing Myron Metcalf brings to this show.

[Myron Metcalf]

Well, I mean, like, gravity is a part of it. That's all. I would say, like, gravity does a lot of. We don't even know.

[Matt Jones]

Only when they're going downhill, but sometimes they go uphill.

[Myron Metcalf]

I always see them going downhill. I've never seen them going uphill. It's just like they started at the top of a mountain and they just see who can get to the bottom of the mountain.

[Matt Jones]

I'll tell you what, when Taday Pagaccia and Giannis Vindigo make it up. Primo. Roll it, Roselyck. When they start the Tour de France this year, we'll.

[Caller]

We'll.

[Matt Jones]

We'll see if you can handle it.

[Myron Metcalf]

You're the only one that takes pride

[Matt Jones]

in knowing the top nine Tour de France riders.

[Myron Metcalf]

If you're poppity pompity, Tuba de tuba. You just say names to just show everybody that you watched the Tour de France.

[Matt Jones]

That's true. We have a lot of action from last night and today, including three things that were on the agenda that I don't believe Myron Metcalf knows about. And that's why we're gonna go off the top. What are we thinking about? I'm trying to think, but nothing happens. Nothing happens.

[Myron Metcalf]

Time to find out. This is off the top.

[Matt Jones]

Flash off the top with Matt and Myron. So this is the time of year I love. I like May in sports because there are random events, but there is also the mainstream. And that was the NB yesterday with the Thunder beating the Lakers to go up now three games to zero in a Western Conference series that is fairly uncompetitive. The the Cavs saw playoff. James Harden, you know, usually gets criticism for the way he plays in clutch moments. He scored seven straight points down the stretch to beat the Pistons and caused that series to go two games to one. Myron, did either of those games stick out for you? For me, James Harden was kind of the story of yesterday.

[Myron Metcalf]

I mean, he bounced back. He looked terrible in the first couple of games, had more turnovers and field goals. 11 turnovers, nine field goals in the first two games. But then he showed us, like who he can be. That's the guy that Cleveland traded for. That's the one that they think can make them a contender. And I think more importantly, that's the guy that you hope can convince Donovan Mitchell to stick around and sign a long term extension. So I thought that was a huge bounce back game, not just for James Harden, but for the whole franchise.

[Matt Jones]

Have you ever. Can you ever think of a player who is more of a, you know, without question, superstar that people rag on more for their sort of playoff or postseason performance? I mean, I've watched these playoff games and not only do people assume he's not going to play well, they're ready for it. And when he misses a shot in the fourth quarter, social media is already lighting him up. And I don't think people knew what to do yesterday when he scored those seven straight points and made a big play on defense.

[Myron Metcalf]

I mean, the only one close is, what was it? Clayton Kershaw before he showed up in the post.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, but he won. I mean, ultimately he won. He won.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah, but before he won, that was probably the closest thing. I mean, James Harden's been in the playoffs, I believe every year of his career. I think it's 17 straight years. So we have the biggest sample size of any superstar who struggled in the postseason. I think that's the narrative. And I think when he retires, when we look back, we won't just say how great he was. Most people will talk about moments like this.

[Matt Jones]

What I like about James Harden is any game you turn on, he might be at any different weight. There's never been anyone in sports whose weight fluctuates more. I literally, in game one, I remember looking and watching him and Going, you know, James looks like he's in pretty good shape. And then yesterday he looked like the day after Thanksgiving. James Harden. And I, I like that is a man who you, you talk about. Every day on the scale is an adventure. I think it's like that for James Harden.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah. Every time he walks into the locker room, it's like me when I go home and they're like, oh, you looking, you looking good. Looking good. You know, because black folks won't tell you that you put on weight to say, yeah, you look, you look healthy.

[Matt Jones]

He's definitely a guy who prefers the road color jerseys over the home whites.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah, he does, he does. Oh, he wants his whole war troll, you know, he's dealing. That's the only NBA player, equipment, guys,

[Matt Jones]

and can we get an alternative black jersey?

[Myron Metcalf]

That's the only NBA player. When he takes pictures, is talking about angles, right? Like, you gotta shoot him at the right, like, oh, man, don't get me, don't get me from the side, man. You gotta get me from that Instagram angle, man.

[Matt Jones]

All right, from, from above, not below.

[Myron Metcalf]

Now, James, he does, he does fluctuate a lot, but, you know, in shape.

[Matt Jones]

He made big shots, big shots. Like, there's still a thing where he has the ball at the end. I'm pretty happy. Now. I have two events, though, that are not NBA hockey playoffs, etcetera, That I wanted to put on your radar that I don't think you probably knew about. Okay.

[Myron Metcalf]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

One of them is this morning, and it's just started. I like to bring up on this show sometimes soccer in Europe because I love the stakes that are involved and people always, don't always realize. All right, in Europe, they have four divisions that are. You've heard of the Premier League, but then there are three under that and they are considered professional divisions. But then below that are another eight divisions that are part time. But the good thing about British soccer is you can move up and down. And every year the top part time division, three teams get to move up and become professional teams while three teams go down back to part time. So if you can't, I mean, in some ways there is are very few sporting events with more at stake. This is the difference between you having a full time job and a part time job. Right? Okay, first and second place move up, but third, third place, they have a playoff for it. And today, as we speak, two teams, Boreham Wood and Rockdale are playing and the winner of the game becomes full time. Everyone on the team gets to become a full time Soccer player. This is massive. Okay? This is the kind of thing where literally you're looking at your. At your wife and going, honey, we can pay the electric bill if we win this game. It is happening right now. Boreham Wood and Rockdale. Now I had James, he was gonna look up for us a fact about these two teams so that we as cause this will be over before our show is over. James, can you tell me something? Let's start with Boreham Wood. All right. Boreham Wood.

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[Matt Jones]

been home to several film studios and many shots of its streets are included in final cuts of 20th century British films, which has earned it the nickname

[Myron Metcalf]

of the British Hollywood.

[Matt Jones]

So this is the British Hollywood, Myra. Boreham Wood. So are you excited that the British Hollywood. See, think about that. You live in Boreham Wood. There are superstars all around you. There's Idris Elba and there's Pierce Brosnan.

[Myron Metcalf]

I'm against him.

[Matt Jones]

And you're like, hey, can I get full time? Boreham Wood has that chance today.

[Myron Metcalf]

You mentioned Idris Alba, but you know, yeah, it's interesting. So like they just go from like a part time check to suddenly getting full time.

[Matt Jones]

Well, I don't know about benefits. I haven't looked at the. But, but. All right, so that's bore one. Now tell me about Rockdale.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah, not, not a lot on Rockdale, but I have this little tidbit.

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[Myron Metcalf]

grew up in Rockdale.

[Matt Jones]

So the World Series, that's all I got.

[Myron Metcalf]

Are they both in England?

[Matt Jones]

Are both of these both in England? Yes, they're both in England, Yes. Okay, so who are you for today? Boreham Wood or Rockdale?

[Myron Metcalf]

I can't vote for a place attached to Idris Elba. I think you mentioned Bournemouth. Is that so? Give me the other guys.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, now that's event one. Event two was last night and you have missed it. But I still want to tell you about it. Okay?

[Myron Metcalf]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

Last night at, in Knoxville, Tennessee at the Knoxville Coliseum, they, they had something for Mother's Day which I like called the Redneck Brawl 13. Oh, they brought in people from Tennessee. The theme was Tennessee Fights Kentucky. Okay, so they had 30 boxing matches in Knoxville where people from Tennessee fought people from Kentucky in the Redneck Brawl 13. So for instance, the main event was Crazy Crazy Shady From Newport, Tennessee vs train wreck Tracy from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Could I have interested you had I known about it in Redneck Brawl 13 in Knoxville, Tennessee?

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah, I would watch it. I would, I would definitely watch It, I mean did you have to sponsor it? Like couldn't you just open up a parking lot so you could buy a ticket?

[Matt Jones]

No, you could buy a ticket.

[Myron Metcalf]

I know but did you have to set it up like real fights or could you just throw? You know what I mean? That's just a Friday night right between.

[Matt Jones]

Yes, but they, they had a theme this year. People from Kentucky fought people from Tennessee who won. And I haven't got. Well, I haven't gotten the results but they were one of the fighters name, he calls himself Hillbilly Hands and he, and he fought Train Wreck. He fought Train Wreck.

[Myron Metcalf]

Tommy, I know who everybody in that building voted for. I tell you that much. They gotta take a poll on that one. You can make some assumptions out there.

[Matt Jones]

Are you telling me that they didn't have to go to the electoral college for that one? They could just go by the popular vote?

[Myron Metcalf]

That, that is. I'm pretty sure what that makeup look like, but is it bare knuckle? Is it boxing gloves? Which one?

[Matt Jones]

It is bare knuckle. Yes. They're apparently legal bare knuckle fighting in, in Kentucky versus Tennessee. So next year when they do it, Myron, I will invite you and we can go to Hillbilly Invasion 14 since we missed this one.

[Myron Metcalf]

You think I'm just going to show up? I'll be at the hotel, man.

[Caller]

I'm not.

[Matt Jones]

You don't stream it place for you.

[Myron Metcalf]

I don't think it's the place for me at all.

[Matt Jones]

You get in. My favorite part is that they did it on Mother's Day. What a perfect event for the moms.

[Myron Metcalf]

That's. That's real man. I love it.

[Matt Jones]

Happy Mother's Day by the way to all of you out there. We are going to talk about what's it like when you root for a team and nobody else cares. Plus we will preview the NBA games of today and we'll let you know. Rockdale versus Borum Wood. That's next here on my Matt Myron on ESPN Radio.

[Myron Metcalf]

Matt and Myron the podcast.

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[Matt Jones]

Matt Myron here on ESPN Radio. Myron, we have a listener who is from Borum Wood. Oh yeah, they said Matt, your pronunciation is off. It's Borum, not Boreham. I don't think I enunciated it like that. I don't think I said Boreham like country.

[Myron Metcalf]

You did say it like that, Matt.

[Matt Jones]

It's actually a beautiful part of England. And if you're trying to root for the underdog though, you should take Rockdale. It is a much more difficult part of England and it would mean more to them than it does though. Does those of us from Borehamwood or

[Myron Metcalf]

Boreham that sound like things that rich people say about the hood. What does it mean, a more difficult part of the city? Like just say black or the more diverse? Like what are you poor? Like what are you talking about a more difficult part of the city? You mean the place that ain't got good water and no grocery stores and no restaurants? That place? Like just say that. Don't say a more difficult part. That's such a British thing. A more difficult part of the city. Get out of here with that. I'm rooting for Rockdale, though, now, for sure.

[Matt Jones]

All right, I will keep you up to date. It's still no score between Borehamwood and Rockdale.

[Myron Metcalf]

More difficult part of the city.

[Matt Jones]

I have a question for you. And I would like for people who live in other parts of the country that deal with this to call in eight at eight, say espn. As you know, Myron, I'm a big Carolina Hurricanes fan. Have been since I went to law school in Carolina 20 years ago. Love the Carolina Hurricanes. They have had an amazing start to the NHL playoffs. They have swept their first two series. They beat the Ottawa Center Senators 4. Oh, and then they beat the Philadelphia Flyers. So they're eight. No, they. They cannot be playing better than they're playing right now. And I've watched every game and I get excited and I'm not even a huge hockey guy, but I love the Hurricanes. Rod the Bod. Brenda Moore, our coach, the players, Stank Oven has been scoring goals every game. They call him Stanky Leg, like everything's been going well. But here's my problem. Yeah, I watch these games and. And I get really excited when we score. We want in overtime to win the series. I get up, I'm pumping my fists. I'm going crazy. But my problem is no one in Kentucky cares but me. There's no one for me to trash talk. There's no one for me to celebrate with. There's really no one who enjoys it, but I do. But me, I walk around the state in my hurricane shirts, hats. No one cares. No one says, oh, you're a Hurricanes fan. I might as well just be wearing an advertisement for a weather disaster. Because no one.

[Myron Metcalf]

Like, you're pro hurricane.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, they walk around thinking I'm pro hurricane because they don't even know it is a team. Okay, so here's my question for you. I'm sure this is something that people deal with all around the country. And like, so let's say you live in, I don't know, Wyoming, and you're a main black Bears fan. That has to be a lonely existence.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

So my question is, when you're like that, when you root for a team that not only no one there cheers for, but no one there even acknowledges the existence of, what do you do? What do you do in those circumstances? How do you make it to where what is a big part of sports, which is the communal part of it, can exist for you when you are alone rooting for.

[Myron Metcalf]

But, I mean, I Feel like social media has changed a lot of that. Right. Like, it's brought fans in those situations together. There are meetups and there are sports.

[Matt Jones]

Such a sad existence to, like, sit there and tweet your way to fandom and happiness.

[Myron Metcalf]

You in Kentucky as a Carolina Hurricanes, but your problem is you just expect people to gravitate to you and what you like or something. Like, people are supposed to show up in Be like, matt's a Carolina Hurricanes fan.

[Matt Jones]

We should be, too.

[Myron Metcalf]

Like, it's an odd thing, I would think, because I don't. I didn't know how you even became a Hurricanes fan until you just said that about going to law school. But I think there are a lot of fans in those situations who come together online and then they meet up in places.

[Matt Jones]

But what could I do? I thought about, there's a neighbor across the street that I don't like.

[Myron Metcalf]

Oh, don't talk. Not neighbors. You know, you just leave neighbors alone.

[Matt Jones]

Well, I've thought about maybe trying to get him to cheer for the other team so that I can.

[Myron Metcalf]

You try to create a rivalry?

[Matt Jones]

Yes. I've tried to sit there and say, why don't you become like, we might play the Buffalo Sabers. Why don't you become a Buffalo Sabers fan just so I have someone to bicker about it with.

[Myron Metcalf]

Is he a hockey fan?

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. I don't know anything about him except that he doesn't like that I borrowed his shovel.

[Myron Metcalf]

But, oh, no, wait. This is the shovel family.

[Matt Jones]

This is the shovel family.

[Myron Metcalf]

So tell the story for people that don't know Matt's took a shovel one morning. They didn't ask. The family borrowed it. Borrowed a shovel, didn't ask to take it, then put it back. They saw him take it. And then I started a whole neighborhood feud.

[Matt Jones]

Started a whole neighborhood feud of Matt goes on people's porches and takes their shovels and. And. But I've got to work make this work for me. So maybe make him. So, like, if we play the Hurricanes in the next round, will play either the Buffalo Sabers or the Montreal Canadiens.

[Myron Metcalf]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know anyone from Buffalo and I don't know anyone from Montreal, so I have no one to even dislike. Like, how can you.

[Rich Eisen]

I don't know.

[Matt Jones]

I've never met a person from Montreal.

[Myron Metcalf]

You've had some bad ideas before, but you want to make the neighbor who shovel you took who already has a problem with you, you want to make them a fan of the opposing team. So now you could just yell at him about his team. Yeah, that's how you want to build a bridge. You want to make them a Sabers jersey.

[Matt Jones]

888, say ESPN. If you are around the country and you are a fan of a team that is random compared to where you live, what do you do? So Brian is in Arkansas. Brian, do you have a situation like this?

[Caller]

Yeah, I wear a Washington Nationals hat almost all the time and I've had three or four people say, is that a Walgreens hat?

[Matt Jones]

It does look like.

[Myron Metcalf]

It does look like.

[Matt Jones]

Wait a minute. So I love this. So you walk around. Where in Arkansas are you?

[Caller]

Almost up on the Missouri border. Pretty close.

[Matt Jones]

So you're on the Arkansas Missouri border. And how did you become a Washington Nationals fan?

[Caller]

I'm from suburban D.C. well, that's a boy.

[Matt Jones]

That's a change. You move from suburban D.C. to the Arkansas Missouri line. So you get there and you walk around and people think you're supporting Walgreens.

[Myron Metcalf]

Like you play for Walgreens. Like you play for a Walgreens softball team or something.

[Caller]

Yeah, I guess they come up to

[Matt Jones]

you and they like, I'm a CVS man. You watch your mouth, Brian. So, Brian, how do you, when, when you root for the Nationals, what do you do? Like when they won the World Series, do you have some way to celebrate in rural Arkansas?

[Caller]

No, not really.

[Matt Jones]

So you just kind of sit in your room and it's. And it's. It's lonely, isn't it?

[Caller]

Oh, sure, absolutely.

[Matt Jones]

Well, first of all, I think you should also become a fan of Walgreens. Just two birds, one stone and it'll work. Thank you, Brian. So that's my question for you. Eight, eight, eight, say espn. What do you do when you're a fan of a team that has no connection to where you are? And can you give me a reason to hate Montreal and Buffalo besides just acting like my neighbor is from there? That's all next here on Matt Myron on ESPN Radio.

[Myron Metcalf]

Matt and Myron the Podcast.

[Rich Eisen]

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[Matt Jones]

Matt Myron here on espn. Remember you got today Knicks and Sixers, Timberwolves and Nuggets. Have you been disappointed that the Knicks and Sixers and the Lakers and Thunder have kind of been uncompetitive series?

[Myron Metcalf]

I haven't been disappointed because I think we're on a collision course for a very dominant OKC team that I think is competing against the warriors and spurs and all the other great teams the last 20 years to try to get multiple championships. And the Knicks, which I think that finals will be a really fun Finals will be great.

[Matt Jones]

But this has been a pretty disappointing playoffs to me. I mean I can't, I can't remember early playoffs that have been less interesting to me. Now with that said, I mean that you did have a series. The there have been a couple upsets, so that's been part of it. I mean, I'm not saying that it's been awful, but it's just been. There have been too many series where it's just been completely uncompetitive. And that to me has made it to where I just haven't been as into it as maybe I would have been most years.

[Myron Metcalf]

I mean, I think the Knicks are just playing at a level that maybe we didn't think they could play. I mean, the Knicks look great, so I think it's more about the Celtics losing.

[Matt Jones]

The Celtics losing, though, is part of the issue. If this were a Celtics Knicks series, I do think it'd be more competitive.

[Myron Metcalf]

Well, they didn't beat the team. They had to be.

[Matt Jones]

They did.

[Myron Metcalf]

So I mean, like, so I think the better team is here. I mean, had Embiid been healthy, who knows, right? But I think the Knicks are so good it may not matter who they face until they see okc. Like they're legit right now.

[Matt Jones]

Yes. By the way, Myron has a request and since I do most of the planning on the show, I like to make Myron's requests come true because he doesn't do a lot of Myron asked if he thought we could get someone who either had been attended or who had fought in the Redneck Brawl last night in Knoxville's Coliseum. There were 30 matches. Yeah. So what I'm asking is if any of you that are listening fought in the event or if you know one of the People. Maybe you know the twins that fought each other. Little Spicy and Little Donnie. Maybe you know them. Maybe you know newcomer Cake Ball who beat Big Daddy T. Maybe you know, Chicken Man Walker Dog. If you know any of those people. Yeah, you can. If you can get ahold of us. We'd like to have someone on From Redneck Brawl 13.

[Myron Metcalf]

Meat and taters, too. I mean, throw me out there.

[Caller]

So.

[Myron Metcalf]

Meat and taters, yes.

[Matt Jones]

By the way, there's. There's a name here. Allison the blue hair. Ali Daddy. She would be nice to have on as well if she's. If she's available.

[Myron Metcalf]

Somebody who fought on that car.

[Matt Jones]

Myron specifically requested Billy the Baby Maker Lightner, but I don't know if he will be available.

[Myron Metcalf]

So I think they're all gonna be available.

[Matt Jones]

So if anybody has those, let me know now. I asked before the break. The Carolina Hurricanes. I'm a lonely fan here in Kentucky. No one cares. Did any of you have similar situations? And we'll skip. We had a bunch of people. A couple people got scared. So let's go to Jeff and Indy. Jeff, have. Do you have a situation like that?

[Caller]

Matt and Myron, thank you for taking the call. Matt, I'm going to let you judge on whether this is similar to what you're talking about. About 54 years ago, my parents moved to Bristol, Connecticut,

[Matt Jones]

home of espn.

[Caller]

Yes, it was before that time, but anyway, I. My dad put up a basketball goal being from Indiana because we didn't want to move, you know, and. And my brothers and I were all out there shooting basketballs on a Friday night. The next morning, on a Saturday morning, we wake up and there's all these kids in the neighborhood. They got hockey sticks, trying to put the basketball up in the goal. And I'm. I ran out of my life. No, no, you sh. It like this. You shoot was funny.

[Matt Jones]

You know, you're making that up. I mean, that's not true.

[Myron Metcalf]

What year? Wait, hold on. What year did they not know about? 1935. Like what. What year was it?

[Caller]

1 71. I was probably 10 years old and

[Myron Metcalf]

they didn't know basketball in Bristol, Connecticut.

[Matt Jones]

You guys are acting. You're acting like you went off to a different planet. I do think in 1971. I appreciate the call. I do think people in Connecticut had heard of basketball. I wonder what Bristol, Connecticut was like before espn. It's not exactly a bustling metropolis now. I wonder what it was like when. Before they put all the studios there, it was empty.

[Myron Metcalf]

I mean, that's why they put the Studios there because they got open for

[Matt Jones]

cheap land and they were able to get it. And if those of you who've never been to Bristol, Connecticut, it is crazy. ESPN is, like in the middle of nowhere, and then there. There is espn. It's kind of a wild thing. Let's go to Brett Brent in Maine. Go ahead, Brent.

[Caller]

Hey, Matt. I. Myron, first of all, everybody says this, but I really say this. Your show is great, but I'm calling because I'm fascinated because how and why you pulled Maine Black Bears out of the hat.

[Matt Jones]

I was trying to think of a random state in. Maine is kind of a random state. I think it's beautiful. I love Portland, Maine. I think it's a gorgeous place. But, you know, it is kind of a random state, which is why I said the Maine Black Bears.

[Caller]

Well, Portland is not where I live. That's the southern part of the state.

[Matt Jones]

Where do you live?

[Caller]

I live in Orono, Maine. O R O N O. That's where Black Bears are.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, is that where. I've never been to that campus. So who do you cheer for, in or no?

[Caller]

Well, the women's basketball team has made it to the NCAA tournament a few times.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, but I'm talking about on our topic. Who do you cheer for that people in Maine do not cheer?

[Caller]

There you go. I cheer for the Denver Broncos.

[Myron Metcalf]

Okay, well, that's random, but we got there.

[Matt Jones]

So how do you. Do you have anyone to celebrate with you in or. No. As a Broncos fan?

[Caller]

No.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. So it's sad, right? If the Bronco, like, last year, they're playing in the AFC Championship, you're probably so excited, and it's just. There's no one to talk about it.

[Caller]

With the worst day in my. Not the worst day in my life, but a bad day was when Seattle killed us. I had a beautiful little Chihuahua named Squeak, and I painted his pale orange, and then they snapped the ball over Peyton Manning on the first play of the super bowl, and it all went downhill from there.

[Matt Jones]

So you painted your dog's tail orange for the Super Bowl?

[Caller]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

And you were watching it by yourself. And you were watching it by yourself?

[Caller]

No, at the time, my. My then life was here and. And she was a Bronco fan, too.

[Myron Metcalf]

Turned into a Lifetime series. Man, we get this.

[Matt Jones]

All right, well, I appreciate the call.

[Myron Metcalf]

I like people, like, give their whole, like, PBS special biographies.

[Matt Jones]

I like it. We get to know people. Now. We have this man here. He calls himself the Green Onion. And he lives in Kentucky. He says he might know one of the fighters Green Onion. Do you know one of the fighters from the Redneck Brawl?

[Caller]

Well, hey, my aunt. This is Green Onion. I'm living Goose Rockets in Clay County. You might have been through a time or two.

[Matt Jones]

I actually do know where you are in Clay County. All right, go ahead, sir.

[Caller]

Well, I don't know that I know the chicken man, but I went to Alice Lloyd College and we used to call the head chef there Chicken man. And so I don't know that it's the same man, but did the head chef.

[Matt Jones]

Did the head chef at Alice Lloyd College, was he the kind of guy that liked to fight?

[Caller]

Well, yeah, he went to Alice Lloyd College. My Aunt

[Matt Jones]

Myron, he went to Alice Lloyd College. Of course. Why do you call yourself Green Onion?

[Caller]

You remember him? Lay's Tater chips that had the sour cream and onions in them?

[Matt Jones]

Yes,

[Caller]

I just love them.

[Myron Metcalf]

Green Onion.

[Matt Jones]

So you just decided to go by that name? Yeah, well, that's why Myron goes by the name Skittles. So I understand it's very, it's very similar. Appreciate, appreciate, appreciate the call. Let's go to Brandon in Oklahoma. Go ahead, Brandon. Brandon. All right. No Brandon. Let's go to Matt in Arizona. Go ahead, Matt.

[Caller]

Hey. Yeah, I'm kind of standing this on its head. You don't have to be away from where your team is to be a lonely fan, okay? Between. Between all the transplants that we have here from other states and the snowbirds, you're outnumbered. Every home game there is nobody.

[Matt Jones]

That would be tough. So you go to Arizona, Cardinals games and like, you all almost never have a home field advantage.

[Caller]

Right, Right. Especially if it's any California team. I mean, it's just a 45 minute flight from LA. You got half of the eastern seaboard here being snowbirds during the winter because they, they, you know, you come here because you don't have to shovel sunshine.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, well, that's depressing. I appreciate the call. You know Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid. Deal, Deal. Dealt with that in game three. Were you disappointed that Philadelphia's arena got massively overrun by Knicks fans?

[Myron Metcalf]

Well, let me just first say. He just wanted to get on and say that you don't have to shovel sunshine like he was just, he was just waiting to get that. That phrase, line. Yeah, I mean, listen, I don't have a problem with it at the end of the day, you know, if fans are willing to pay a premium to get into the building.

[Matt Jones]

But it is disappointing. I mean, Philadelphia is a proud city and with a great sports town and A great sports history. I mean, that. That's disappointing that the Knicks came. It's one thing to do it in Arizona where he's right, there's all these transplants. But when you are in Philadelphia, how you going to let the Knicks overtake your arena?

[Myron Metcalf]

Sixers fans aren't Eagles fans. I mean, like, that would never happen at an Eagles game. But it's not. It's different. I think. And I understand Sixers fans. It's been a lot more hot and cold. You think about just all the turbulence they've dealt with with Embiid and the injuries and so I understand.

[Matt Jones]

But they knocked out the Celtics. Don't you show up just in appreciation for the fact that they knocked out the Celtics?

[Myron Metcalf]

Not when you show up in this series and it looks like you're playing a team that's on a different level. Nobody wants to show up for what they think is a loss. I think that becomes the issue. Like if had they won one of those games have been more competitive.

[Matt Jones]

What do you think about the guy in the video who changed and flipped from a 76ers fan to a Knicks fan after the game?

[Myron Metcalf]

I'm not surprised. There are a lot of fans like that who do those things who are just sort of. They jump on whatever bandwagon. We don't protect bandwagons anymore. So I actually don't blame the fan. I blame the people who just left.

[Matt Jones]

I think the fan bases of both teams should have yelled at that guy.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Like he should never be able to show his face in Philly again. You cannot flip teams because your team loses. You can't.

[Myron Metcalf]

I think you shouldn't be able to. But I think the bandwagon doesn't matter anymore. People just go where they want. Unfortunately.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I don't like that. Eight, eight, eight, say espn. If you are someone in another city or if you know someone who is in the redneck brawl potentially. I like that guy. Named himself Green Onion. If you. If you were to name yourself after your favorite snack, what would it be? Myron?

[Myron Metcalf]

Cookies.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Myron Metcalf]

I'd be named Cookies.

[Matt Jones]

It's Matt Jones and Cookies Metcalf right here on ESPN Radio.

[Myron Metcalf]

Sound like a stripper. Matt and Myron the Pod.

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[Matt Jones]

It's Matt Myron here on ESPN Radio. We're going to get back to your calls just in one second. There are people who are telling me it's a good idea for me to turn my neighbor into the opposing fan. That way I can have a rivalry whether he knows it's a rivalry or not.

[Myron Metcalf]

You know what you should do if you do that? You should buy him a shovel too. Like buy him a jersey. I would buy him a Buffalo Sabres jersey and a shovel and present it as like a gift and say, hey,

[Matt Jones]

I'm gonna come outside though, if we beat you and talk trash and yell

[Myron Metcalf]

into your head like, hey, we want you to be a fan of the opposing team because that'd be a fun little rivalry between us. Also, here's a show.

[Matt Jones]

Today at 3 o' clock is also the NBA draft ladder. Usually that that's at night during the week. Today it's at 3 o' clock and there may not have been a bigger draft lottery. I don't know. I can't remember the last time we had a draft where I think you can make a really legitimate argument that if you get inside the top five, you're going to get potentially a franchise defining player. Now, not all five of them will become that, but I do think there are five that can. AJ DeBonsa, Darren Peterson, Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson, and I'm going to throw in Darius Acuff. Everybody always stops it at 4, but I'm going to throw in Darius Acuff from Arkansas and say, I think there can be five in this draft. So because of that, the odds and the sort of pick, like a lot of teams can walk out of here with something good. To give you an example, the Washington wizards have a 52% chance of a top four pick. The Pacers a 52% chance. The Nets a 52% chance. The Jazz a 45% chance, and the Kings a 45% chance. So all those teams are going in there, in my opinion, half and half for a chance to change their franchise. Theoretically today, Myron, this is a massive day and I think four, maybe five teams will walk out of here going, we can change the way we play.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah, I mean, I think also next year's draft is considered a fairly weak draft.

[Matt Jones]

Not fair. It's the worst draft. It may be the worst draft in my lifetime.

[Myron Metcalf]

So you've got to get it now if you're trying to get a future franchise player. To your point, this draft has five, six guys at the top and then it's got some other guys, you know, your lacks, Linda Borg's from Michigan, other guys who could be really good at the next level as well. So this is one of those drafts that could really alter a franchise th this whole draft.

[Matt Jones]

I don't think people realize this could be through the top 10, the best draft of all time on paper, of course. You see what happens when it. After it goes. And next year's is likely the worst draft of all time on paper. Like I. Absent the first pick, Tyron Stokes, I'm not sure there's anybody that NBA teams would get really excited about. I'm sure there'll be a couple people develop, but it won't be like this. So kind of everything's on the line.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Do you. Are you excited to see which team gets this? And then I would say this. Which team would you like to see get the number one pick?

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah, I mean, after last year, you gotta be excited. I mean, the Mavericks had I think under a 2% chance. I think 1.6% chance to get number one. They got it. They land Cooper flag after the Luca trade, they got a better chance to get the number one pick this year. So I just think AJ The Bonds of Darren Peterson, as you mentioned, Cam Boozer, those guys are franchise players. And I think whoever gets a shot at one of those guys.

[Matt Jones]

Caleb Wilson, who would you like to see get it?

[Myron Metcalf]

I mean, I don't. I don't know that I necessarily have a. Have a preference. I think the most fascinating idea would be what happens if Dallas does it again. Right. Like, what happened if Dallas gets the number one pick.

[Matt Jones]

So you, You. You would love to see, like, Cooper and DeBonts a play together.

[Myron Metcalf]

I mean, you can. That would be. If you're the Mavericks after going from the Luca trade to that. I mean, that. That's how you make people forget about that if you end up with the number one pick.

[Matt Jones]

I think what would be interesting is there's a couple teams that I think immediately become fascinating. One is the Pacers, because they are in this situation essentially because Halliburton got hurt. Now, you go put an AJ DeVonts on that team, they got a shot to win the east next year.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yep.

[Matt Jones]

Wouldn't you say that?

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah, they're that good.

[Matt Jones]

He's that good. And then you have a team like the Jazz, you know, AJ debaza played at byu. He's kind of like a hero in Utah. You put him on that team, I think all of a sudden, you know, maybe you reinvigorate that Utah franchise. So I think those two, to me, are fascinating. Which team would you like to see get the number one pick the least? Because to me, I have the easy answer. But what would you say the easy

[Myron Metcalf]

answer is going to be? Okc. Oh, well, that's another.

[Matt Jones]

People don't realize one of these teams, OKC could get it. Yes.

[Myron Metcalf]

OKC has a one and a half percent chance to get. That would be the number one big. Which, remember Dallas last year, I think was at 1.6%. Could you imagine OKC finding a way to get.

[Matt Jones]

You're right. That's the worst one. You don't. That one. They'll have to disband the draft if they do that. That would be the worst. I'll say this. I don't want to see DebonSA or any of these guys in Sacramento. I mean, I just don't want to because. Well, because it'll be 10 years before I hear the player again.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

And I. So I. I mean, one of these guys is probably going to end up in Sacramento, but I don't want to see that.

[Myron Metcalf]

Myron. Yeah. I mean, again, we've Seen a lot of players go to obscure places, SGA at Oklahoma City, and they turn it into something. And Sacramento does have a legacy. They just haven't been great in a long time. I think there are a number of guys who could be stars, but OKC has a chance to get the number one pick. That's about similar to what Dallas had. And then here's another team that people aren't talking about enough. The Golden State warriors have a shot at number one as well. And you say, okay, a 2% chance. Let's ignore that. We can't ignore any of these odds because of what happened with Dallas last year. And then the final thing is this is all about to go away, like, because of the tanking thing. They're going to change all the rules,

[Matt Jones]

which is crazy because next year's draft would be the draft people would want to take on the least. Like, no one's going to take for next year because it's going to be such a terrible draft. Let's go to Vince in New Mexico. Our Vince. Go ahead.

[Caller]

Hey, Myron. First of all, I haven't laughed so hard as y' all show, Matt. Y' all are phenomenal. Hey, don't you feel like the Green Onion and the dude that wears the Nationals hat on the Ozark border there? Don't you think they would be great participants in the next redneck rumble? And one of them would have to move, of course, the national stand would have to move to Tennessee or Kentucky, obviously, which he sounds like he could do that very easily. And then they are part of the rumble. And then, Matt, here's what you do. Go stick a Sabres or Canadian's flag in his front yard. As soon as they win at night, don't steal another shovel, put a T shirt on top of it, and then wake up the next morning, get your paper and go, man, I did not know you were such a fan of.

[Matt Jones]

Well, let me say this. You got to understand, sir, where I live, I live in what would be politely defined as Trump country. I can't go sticking Canadian flags in people's yards. That's a good way. That's a good way for people to not. For things not to go well for him.

[Myron Metcalf]

You got to fix. You got to fix the neighborhood, man. They had a meeting about you. You got to fix it with this.

[Matt Jones]

I can't be doing that. We're going to talk a little bit of baseball and more. Still looking for our people from the event last night. This is Matt, Myron,

[Myron Metcalf]

Matt and Myron, the podcast.

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