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Matt
This is Matt and Myon, the podcast.
Myron
Progressive Insurance, here live on what is a beautiful Memorial Day weekend here in where I am in Lexington, Kentucky. Myon is in Minneapolis. Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday and most of you will be off tomorrow for Monday for work or hopefully a lot of you will be off. It is a huge day in sportsmeyer Metcalfe. You have. Let me just go over a few. It's the biggest day in auto racing of the year. As we speak, the Monaco Grand Prix is going on in Monaco, France, in the south of France. Beautiful people, beautiful boats, and terrible racing as no cars pass each other. You got the Indy 500 coming up. Then you got the Coca Cola 600. Then you have. The French Open is beginning. Charlton Orient or Charlton is playing Layton Orient in the League two promotion final. It's the final day of the Premier League, Myron. What a huge day of sports. Not. And also NBA conference finals and NHL conference finals as well.
Matt
Yeah. I mean, you didn't even mention Knicks, Pacers. Yeah, it's a big day. I mean, it's. It's one of those days where if you want to just sit home and set up a couple TVs and really enjoy the weekend, man, there's a. There's a lot happening. I see.
Myron
Which of those. Yeah, Charlton just won. They will be promoted. This is known as the $20 million game because they'll go from League One to the Championship. And as you can see, beautiful scenes at lovely Wembley Stadium this morning. Which one of these things do you care about the most?
Matt
Oh, they're celebrating because they got like, pay raises, basically. Like one of those.
Myron
Well, a lot of the guys, now that they're moving up a league, a lot of these guys will be cut for better players. So I think they should. Oh, whoa, wait a minute. I always think it's you.
Matt
This was a good thing.
Myron
It's like, okay, imagine if a college basketball team could move up from the Sun Belt to the acc. They would probably get in the portal and get some better players. That's kind of what Happens with this as well.
Matt
You show this is like a really heartwarming thing. And now I feel like it's the worst thing ever that could happen to these players if they get cut. But yeah, I mean, it's all fun. I mean, the tennis is cool. Obviously soccer happening, you know, big racing day. But obviously tonight in Knicks Pacers feels like the biggest thing happening, so. But also Edmonton. Dallas has been a great series, so I'm looking forward to all of it.
Myron
It is Sunday mornings presented by Progressive Insurance. Progressive protects your home with auto, boat, motorcycle and RV. They can save you money. Money. Visit progressive.com what are we thinking about?
Brianna
Trying to think, but nothing happens.
Myron
Nothing happens.
Matt
Time to find out.
Myron
This is off the top.
Matt
Flash off the Top with Matt.
Myron
All right, let's go. Off the top. And I guess the thing that we start with is last night in beautiful Minneapolis where Myron sits. Did you go to the game, by the way? Did you get out of your house and actually see people or.
Matt
No, No, I was with my girlfriend, some of her friends watching it. I didn't go to the game. I never go to games. I'd rather watch it like a place or a house. I never like going.
Myron
You don't like to socialize with people? You're not.
Matt
No, I just do it as a profession, you know, so I'm impressed for all the time. So, like, being at a game doesn't do a lot for me. You know what I mean? So I'd rather watch.
Myron
So even though he had the Western Conference finals in his backyard, he sat with his. His girlfriend and what did you all watch? Real Housewives.
Matt
We didn't watch Real Housewives. We watched the game. But my thing is it's a much better experience then you gotta. You gotta get out of traffic. That's my biggest thing is post game traffic. I don't like dealing with that, sitting in traffic for an hour. So. Plus kind of against the game in general.
Myron
At the game, you don't get a charcuterie board, right? So that's something you need.
Matt
Have you been in post game traffic? Like post game, Like, I don't do post game traffic because I'm always doing media stuff, so I leave once the crowds are gone. So I don't do well with post game traffic. But.
Myron
Well, I do feel sorry for you.
Matt
It was over early, right? I mean, so it was.
Myron
It was a terrible game. I mean, at one point, I think Minnesota was up 46 points. How do you explain that? I mean, what the. All three of these games have essentially Been routes. And the first two I kind of understood. It's Oklahoma City. Their defense is suffocating. But how do you explain a team. The. The best unit left in these playoffs is Oklahoma City's defense. And to just allow 140 plus. I mean, how does that happen?
Matt
It doesn't make a lot of sense. I mean, for it to happen, you got to realize the Timberwolves literally played the greatest basketball half in the history of the franchise. So it wasn't like they were very good. They were as good as they had ever been. 72 points in the first half was a record. Anthony Edwards came out, hit every shot. All of the role players, I mean, Terrence Shannon Jr. Outscored the MVP of the NBA. But. But here's my thing about OKC. You know, they did this against Denver a couple times. Like, I think they're one of those teams, Matt. And I think this happens at young teams. Their ceiling is extremely hot. I mean, they won the Western Conference by 16 games. That was the closest team to Houston Rockets. But they can also play to a level where you're like, how serious should we take you all as a championship contender? But that, to me, was not about OKC as much as it was about the Timberwolves playing literally, maybe the greatest game that the Timberwolves have ever played in that situation.
Myron
Yeah. When you're bringing in Terrence Shannon and the announcers are having to go. Now, a lot of you watching this don't know Terrence Shannon. And then one of them said, but if you watch college basketball, you might remember that he played at Illinois. That was when I go. I don't know if they were prepared for the. The Tarot Shannon minutes. I find this series extremely hard to prognosticate at all because we've yet to see either of these teams in this series in a close. In a close game, honestly. Oklahoma City went seven with. With. With Denver, so we were able to see them in clutch situations. Minnesota has somehow gotten to game four of the Western Conference finals and really not been in battles through a lot of their time. They've been kind of in. In these games where they've had huge leads or huge deficits. I mean, how do you even go about figuring out what these next four games or however many will be like?
Matt
I mean, again, okc, to me, if you tell me everybody plays their best basketball the rest of the way, OKC is going to win the NBA championship, and it might be easy for them. At the same time, we saw what they could do yesterday, and it was weird. They almost, like, waved the white flag. SGA didn't really play in the second quarter like they looked at. They had sort of accepted their fate. I think they'll come out much, much, much, much tougher tomorrow. I think the crowd's going to be crazy on Memorial Day weekend, but I could see OKC doing the same thing to Minnesota if they don't play the way that they did, because I do think they can be that good. They're just not always that good, which is how you end up in situations like last night.
Myron
For me, when I watch Minnesota, at least in the first two games versus this one, a lot for me of their success or failure is based on, am I watching a team that distributes the ball where Anthony Edwards is in control, he's not going too, too fast, he's getting his teammates involved, or am I watching a team where my man Julius Randle is backing it down with two dudes on him and hitting and shooting a little hook shot when he's. And I love Julius Randle, and he's been amazing in these playoffs, but, you know, they're struggling when they're giving him the ball at the block and saying, all right, man, do your thing and try to work it in. I felt like yesterday you were seeing their offense at their most efficient, everybody in their perfect spot, and that's a. That's a Minnesota team that can win the series.
Matt
Yeah, I think when Julius Randall hit, like, a couple of those turnaround shots early in the game, I was like, okay, it's over.
Myron
That's his shot. You know that's his shot. That little thing where he hits the little fade away. That's his shot.
Matt
But they kept falling, and then Anthony Edwards was flying all over the court. I mean, you could tell that they were not. They were not going to lose that game. Like, they came out like, we're not losing this at home. The other thing, though, is it's interesting. I think as sports fans, we think we want our teams to win by 40 points. We really don't, because then you get to, like, the second quarter, there's just no real drama. You know what I mean? There's nothing really fascinating about the game. And now you're sitting at the game and it's like, all right, do I leave? Do I stay?
Myron
So this series has been brutal. This series has been brutal for the NBA because on one hand, it's a chance to showcase maybe the two best young stars, SGA and Anthony Edwards. And on the other hand, I guarantee you that there hasn't been anyone that was not forced by a court order that has watched all three full games. Right. Like if you're a Minnesota fan, when you were down 40 against Oklahoma City, you went to bed last night. If you were an Oklahoma City fan, you went to bed. And then if you're a regular fan, no way you're going to sit there and watch these 30 and 40 point blowouts. I think for the league that probably saw this as a chance to really build up these new names, it has kind of been a bust in that regard. Just because these margins are so huge.
Matt
Yeah, I mean, it's hard to get into. Right. I mean, Pacers, Knicks is easy based on the storylines alone. And then you've had, you know, really three are two interesting games so far.
Myron
Right.
Matt
So now you go back to Indiana and there's just a lot of drama attached to that. You haven't had that with Minnesota and the Oklahoma City Thunder. And it's interesting. Like if another game is like that, let's say Minnesota wins by 20, 30. That's not going to help in terms of bringing people to that series. I also think the NBA is like, you know, if they can pick, they won't ever say it, but I think Minnesota, New York is probably what they, what they want. But I mean, okc.
Myron
Well, if the people in the NBA, if the people in the NBA can pick it, especially if they're attending, they don't want to be Oklahoma City because they don't want to go there because it's one of the five most boring places on earth. I mean, honestly, if you were to say to me, you say these things.
Matt
About all whole cities, man, I don't do that.
Myron
I'm gonna be.
Matt
Every city has character.
Myron
I'm not talking about the teams because I actually think Oklahoma City's team is fun to watch. I'm just talking about the people and the city itself. This is a broader concept. If you were to talk about major cities in America. Yeah, I think there's a really good argument that the two most boring cities in America are Oklahoma City and Indianapolis and we might get in the Finals. I mean, give. Okay, give me a more boring city than those two.
Matt
I love Indianapolis. I never agree with you on Indianapolis.
Myron
But give me a more boring city than Oklahoma City and Indianapolis.
Matt
I don't see cities that way. I mean, cities.
Myron
You don't see cities that way. What does everybody say?
Matt
Every city has character and personality.
Myron
Oh, does it?
Matt
Good people.
Myron
Okay, what is that? What is Oklahoma. Oklahoma City's character and personality.
Matt
Great brisket. Great brisket.
Myron
Okay, here's where, James, let me tell you something. Here's how you know when you don't have anything to say about a city, you bring up their barbecue. All right? Because that's all anybody ever does. No, no, that's true.
Brianna
Because.
Myron
Because people can claim barbecue. Barbecue in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky. Like, once you're bringing up. When you lead with barbecue, you got nothing to say about the city.
Matt
When you live in, the city has great barbecue. Memphis. Exactly.
Myron
That's my point. It doesn't have a character. When you say it's just Kansas City, a fun city is a great city. The moment you lead with barbecue, you have run. You know, there is nothing to say about.
Matt
What do you want a city.
Myron
To have along with 23 other cities, they have good barbecue. Give me another Oklahoma City. Give me another thing good about Oklahoma City.
Matt
There's a lot of.
Myron
There you go. It's Sunday MORNING with Matt Myron here on ESPN Radio. If you have something about Oklahoma City you want to give, I think we've done this before now. They've done this before and they said something like, you can go watch cows city fight back.
Matt
Oklahoma City.
Myron
There's nothing. There's nothing to say. Dodgers play Sunday night baseball tonight against the Mets. Coverage begins at 6 Eastern on ESPN radio. Myron's pause said it all. Now a city that is fun. New York has to go on the road and get a big win today. Will they do it? That's next here on Sunday Morning with.
Matt
Matt Zoo Zoo, Matt and Myron. The podcast.
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Myron
Raise the sails.
Brianna
Race the sails.
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Matt
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Roger, wait. Is that an enterprise sales solution?
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Myron
Sunday morning, Matt Myron. Knicks and Pacers taking place in Indianapolis. Big day of sports today in Indianapolis. You got the Indy 500. You got Knicks and Pacers, which is good because it is a terribly boring city. But today it is a bit, it is kind of the centerpiece, what he.
Matt
Does, crushing these cities.
Myron
Let me ask you, when's the last time you've been to Oklahoma City or Indianapolis, like, on a vacation? Has there ever been a moment in your life you're like, hey, I got a weekend off. Where should we go? Honey, I, let's go to Oklahoma City. You can't stop via Tulsa, and it'll be a lot of fun.
Matt
That's not fair. You can't judge cities like that based on if they're a vacation destination. But I've had some of the most fun of my life in Indianapolis. I mean, Oklahoma City, I had a good time.
Myron
Yeah, but that's because you're with all your NCAA buddies and you're at parties and you're doing that whole thing. It's not the city itself. It's just where things are, where you are.
Matt
Best steak in the world, literally at Elmo's in Indianapolis. Literally the best steak in the world.
Myron
I mean, it's the only steakhouse. Folks, even.
Matt
They've been judged. They've been, They've won.
Myron
Judged by who? Who's judged it?
Matt
Steak eating people.
Myron
Steak eating People. Is that a magazine? Steak eating people dot com.
Matt
It might be. It might be what? They've won stuff, I can tell you that.
Myron
Well, I'm just saying there's. Indianapolis is fine if you want to eat at O Charlie's, but if you want to have actually a unique experience in a city, Indianapolis isn't the place. It is, however, the place today. As. Brianna, do you, first of all, do you disagree with me about Indianapolis?
Brianna
Yes.
Jamie
Well, one, I'm calling you from Indianapolis.
Myron
Okay?
Jamie
So, like, we have, we're a huge sports town. I, I, I'm so shocked that you think we're boring like you.
Myron
I do. You lead, you lead America in targets per capita.
Matt
Stop it. Stop it. I don't. This is all mad. Not me. I didn't say.
Myron
I'm not saying this, I'm just saying you targets per capita, you have more McDonald's per capita than any of the top. Brian, I mean these are just, these are just facts.
Jamie
No, no. Okay. Second, Myron, I always agree with you, but I have a bone to pick with you.
Matt
Me? What? I do.
Jamie
Yeah. Well, okay, you said that the Knicks Pacers game is the biggest thing in sports right now. I have to be honest with you, it's not even the biggest thing in Indianapolis today like the Indianapolis 500 is. There are going to be 350,000 people in a small town in Speedway, Indiana. I am currently sitting in traffic. I'm going. It's going to take me 45 minutes to get to three miles to my parents house who live four blocks from the track.
Myron
No, she's exactly right. The Indy 500 is huge, Brianna. It's huge. It's the Kentucky Derby for people who haven't taken a shower, but everyone's going.
Matt
To turn on the pace.
Myron
It is a huge.
Matt
Why do you, why do you. Hold on a second. Why do you got to go to another level with people? Like, why do you got to go. Like, why can't you just keep it normal, man? Like, why do you got to say stuff like that? What? What? Come on, man.
Myron
I'm just saying, have you ever been to the Indy 500? I mean, Brian, let me ask you this. Would you consider the Indy 500 to be a class a classy place? For real? I'm being honest.
Jamie
Okay.
Myron
Would you consider it be a classy affair?
Jamie
There are two different kinds of people that attend the Indy 500. If you were in the Snake Pit, not so classy.
Myron
Okay, first of all, did you just hear that phrase? She said if you're in the Snake Pit.
Matt
What is the Snake Pit?
Myron
That phrase. Let me say when we do the Kentucky Derby, we don't have a part of the track called the Snake Pit.
Matt
So let's start with that money. Yeah.
Myron
And then secondly, what's the other thing? What's the other way to do it?
Jamie
Well, so, I mean, not to sound like bougie or anything, but like we usually have like pit and garage passes and we're like. And then we sit in like you're.
Matt
With the money people, Brianna? Is that what you're saying? Like you're around the money.
Myron
So the money people sit and breathe fumes in the, in the pit and sit and try not to get motor oil on them.
Matt
You're with the money people too, man. You're not with the common folk. You're with the money people when you go to places too.
Myron
No, I don't go to the Indy 500. I go to the sport of kings, which is a Kentucky Derby.
Jamie
You guys, you guys need to cover the Indy 500 next year. Go live from the Indy. If you're going to go to the CMAs. If you're going to go to the CMAs, you need to come to the Indy 500. You can go to the Snake Pit. You can go to the Pagoda. Tom Brady's here today. Gronkowski is going to be in the Snake Pit.
Matt
Michael Strange sounds like he lives in the Snake.
Myron
Let me tell you who's not going. I'm not going to be in the Snake Pit. But, but I, but Brianna, I appreciate you taking up for your city. Now I am giving her a hard time about the nobody taking a shower, although it's true. But I actually do Enjoy the Indy 500. In the last few years they've changed the, the way they do the cars. There's a lot of passing now. Last two years there's been a pass for the lead on the final lap. So it has gotten better. But it is still. I would just say it's not, you know, it's not necessarily the sort of human affirming place you would hope to fine.
Matt
But like at the derby, you with the people with the hats and the sky boxes and the people with all the big check. So you're not with the first of all, you're not getting your feet dirt. You're not walking among the people without the money. You're not in that group.
Myron
I'm just saying if you want to know what the Indy 500 is like go to auto mechanic garage and just like, just inhale and then.
Matt
Hats. Would that make it?
Myron
They do have hats, but the hats have, have holes in them. That's the only difference. Like they have the same hats.
Matt
This, this country on country crime, man, that you commit man, the way you talk about other. You can't stand people that you think.
Myron
Are at a lower level. I love the South. I love the South. The south is me. I'll go anywhere in the South. I love the South.
Matt
Yeah.
Myron
I'm, I'm one of the very few Southerners that is both progressive and loves hillbilly music. With that said, Indiana is the worst if you're ranking states. Well, excuse me, Nebraska is the worst. But after Nebraska 49 on the thing is Indiana. That's just how it is. I've been there. I mean we border it. Just Indiana has the negatives of the south, but also not the positives. Culture of the South. It's just the South. If it's in a strip mall, that's Indiana.
Matt
I had a great burger in Nebraska some years ago. I mean, Nebraska's got some good stuff, man. And those people know how to party and get behind.
Myron
What do you mean they know how to party? No, they don't.
Matt
Oh man. Like a Nebraska football.
Myron
No, a Nebraska football game is a lot of fun. You're exactly right. If you're in town for Nebraska for a football game, I highly recommend it. Just make sure you get the flight out after the game is over because it is. Be there on that Saturday and then go do something else. 859-888 ESPN we didn't really get to the Knicks and Pacers, so we're gonna have to do that. Rodney and J.T. and Jamie, we will get. Jamie apparently is really mad. We'll give him a chance maybe to calm down because I'm, I'm making rational arguments. We will deal with all of that and we will get to the basketball game. That's next on Sunday morning. Matt and Myron Matt and Myron the.
Matt
Podcast.
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Matt
Final score.
Myron
The Timberwolves by 42, 143 to 101 and the Oklahoma City lead in the western final cut to two games to one. They did everything better than us from.
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The jump tonight, so dug ourselves a hole. We can learn from it.
Myron
Obviously not our best punch. Shay's an MVP for a reason. We know he's going to find his rhythm.
Advertiser
But it's not just about Shay.
Myron
He's going to need all the guys to step up to make his job easier. You get punched about getting back up when you play a really good team.
Matt
It looks like that.
Myron
So we got to come out with a sense of urgency and then see where the game leads. It is Sunday morning. Matt Myron on ESPN Radio 888. Say ESPN. One person writing in on the text machine says, Matt, what's so great about Kentucky? It's the last state I'd go to. I'm from Massachusetts. Indiana is so much better than Kentucky. You're insane. There are Appalachian mountains, there's bourbon horse farms, tons of great stuff. Indiana's best thing is watching a car race once a year. I think that's fairly clear. Norris Cole is a two time NBA champion. He's gonna be hosting shows on ESPN radio throughout the NBA finals, which I'm excited to hear. Norris, real quick, before we get to basketball, you've traveled everywhere in your NBA days. When you went to Oklahoma City and Indiana, did you just take a lot of naps or were there things that you actually could do in those places?
Brianna
Well, actually, it was fun for me because I'm from the Midwest, so I understand how to do things in cities that are, quote, unquote, small and not, you know, so tropical. So, you know, I have a good time. Indiana is about hour and a half away from my hometown, so anytime I was there, I would sneak home. Oklahoma City is actually pretty nice. You know, if you're into like museums or if you're into real estate, museums.
Myron
What museum did you go to, Norris?
Matt
Exactly. A lot of great museum in Oklahoma City.
Myron
What museum did you go to?
Matt
There's a lot, man.
Brianna
There's a lot of museums especially, you know, with the bombing and stuff like that. There's a lot of music.
Myron
I actually bet that. I bet that is a good museum, actually. All right, well, Norris won me over, unlike Myron. All right, so let me ask you about a little bit basketball. These first three games, the Western Conference have been excruciatingly boring for the average fan because they've all been blowouts. What have you seen? Like, how does a team that loses by 30 back to back nights come back and win by 44? How does that even happen?
Brianna
And that's just the swing and flows of basketball. In the three point shot, the first time they played, one team made all the threes, another team made hardly any threes and it's like they just switch roles. This time the Timberwolves made all day threes and their bench was dominant and OKC missed all theirs and their bench wasn't dominant. So it's like they just flip flop.
Myron
Is it that? Like why? Like is there something that happens before that that leads to the shots going in or sometimes is it just the roll of the dice of whether you make them?
Brianna
Well, sometimes it's just. That's just the way the ball bounces. You know, Minnesota was back home. You know, they were sleeping in their own beds. They were in their home realms, they were back in their own practice facility and they had a lot to play for. You know, they were down 2 0, so you can't come down and go down 3. Oh, so no, they had some desperation that they needed to play with, which they did.
Matt
Norris, you know what it tells me when I see a game like that? It tells me how good the NBA is today compared to what it was 30 years ago. I know a lot of old school people say, oh, it was the best back then, but I mean, when guys like Terence Shannon can come in and help you blow out the number one seed, I mean, I think that to me is a statement. I mean, when you hear those arguments, Doris, about the old school versus new school, like, how do you respond to that?
Brianna
Well, I have mixed feelings about it because I do believe that, you know, some of the old school basketball, you know, guys played, you know, harder. The game was a little different though.
Matt
Come on, Norris, they couldn't have played against you all. I mean, some of those dudes had part time jobs, you know, at the library.
Brianna
Don't disrespect those. That laid the foundation for us. You had guys that played all 82 games for nine and 10 seasons without, without private flights, without Normatex, without, you know, cold and hot plugs, without Cairo Chambers. And they still was able to put forth a good effort and good product out there on the court. So I respect the, I respect the old heads, the OGs, but also, you know, we have some good talent nowadays. The NBA is much younger now. The average age is much younger now. So, you know, there's some things that the old school players maybe don't, you know, they don't like, but that's because the guys are younger now. And so, you know, I respect both eras. I try not to disrespect either one.
Myron
See, Norris is like ready to run for political office now. Look at that. Like he's giving the age. Like Norris is sitting there saying he loves them both.
Brianna
You and I both remember, you got.
Myron
Remember I have some basketball cards, Norris. I got some basketball cards from the 80s of dudes that look like me. And I know those dudes cannot, could not be playing against some of these athletes we got right now. Norris. I'm just saying a lot of them look like me. It look like me if I didn't go to get a haircut. You can't, you can, you can't. Those guys regard Anthony Edwards.
Brianna
Come on, Norris, man, listen, some of these guys can't guard none of them either.
Matt
Norris. Anthony was on average 48 points a game in 1985.
Brianna
Nah, no sir. No sir, no sir. We're not gonna disrespect the old heads like that. We're not gonna do it because the game is different. These guys don't have no idea what it's like to have to go through the lane and get body checked. Could they mentality handle that? Because right now, anytime they even get blue on, they, they flail and fall down and stuff like that. So we don't know if they can handle that in the 80s or 90s. We don't know that. We can't just assume that.
Myron
I love it. I like, I like Norris is take it up for the uses language, the old heads. I, I love it. Good stuff. All right, so let me ask you, going the Knicks series, you know when you lose heartbreaking game like the Knicks lost in game one one that they had already put in their minds is this is over, we've won. And then you lose the next one, not quite as heartbreaking, but another close one. How do you bounce back and then go on the road to what's going to be a terrible, terribly difficult environment? Norris, how does a team move on to make, to try to challenge that.
Brianna
Well, one, you, you. You embrace where you are. You know, your feet have to be present where you are. So you have to say, hey, listen, hey, we. Are we down too old? But then you look and you look at how close the games are in the details and the mistakes that you make. You take it and then you make those improvements and you focus on one game. The good thing about the Knicks, they've shown that they can play well on the road, and so they just have to do what they've been doing, take their game on the road and get one win. Playing in Madison Square Garden, planning the pressure of being a New York Knick, they're not going to be rattled by the Indiana fans. They're not going to be rattled by anywhere they play because nothing is worse than the media circus of New York City. So I think that's one of the reasons why they play so well in the role, and they just have to buckle down and get one win because all the games have been close. So it's not like it's been a blowout every game they've had a chance to win. And so they just have to pay attention to those small details and get it done, close it out.
Matt
Carl Anthony Towns was on the bench for a lot of the fourth quarter. They couldn't go to him. It was a defensive liability. And, you know, clearly that that has become a problem in this series. What do you do if you're Carl Anthony Towns? I mean, how should he handle that? Because it didn't seem like he liked the idea of him not being more effective in the fourth quarter.
Brianna
Well, this is where accountability kicks in. You have to be accountable. If you're a star player, you get to shoot most of the shots. You know, you get to make a lot of money, all of the money in the playoffs. It's not about any of that in the playoffs. It's about doing what needs to be done in order to win. And you cannot be a liability. You don't have to be David Robinson defensive player of the year, but you cannot be a liability out there for your team when you're one of the max players. It just can't happen. And that's where, you know, you have to sacrifice and say, hey, listen, I have to give more effort. I have to give a better focus on the defensive side of the ball, you know, and I was fortunate to see that, you know, which is one of the reasons why I have two championships, is because the star players on the teams that I played for Chris Boss sacrifice and played defense, even if it took away from his offense. The same thing with, you know, Ray Allen. You know, he wasn't like a lockdown defender, but he was not a liability ever on the court. He. He guarded his yard. You know, Dwayne Wade, LeBron, they guarded their yard. And so even though they were offensive, you know, our offensive force, they still was not liabilities. And Steph Curry, the same way, he wasn't a great defender. He's not a great defender, but he's also not a liability. And so I think Carl Anthony Towns and Brunson, if they want to take the next step and become champions, they have to address that part of their game.
Myron
All right, Norris, I'll get you out with this. Right now I'm watching two laps to go with the Grand Prix of Monaco. I'm looking at your career. You've played in Monaco for a year. What's it like? It's. Is it as glamorous as it looks on my television right now?
Brianna
It's very exotic. Yes, it is. It's small, though. It's very small, but the views are amazing. They might have some of the best views in the world. You know, some of the best water views, cliff views. They have some of the best shopping, exclusive shopping out there. Great food. It's a very nice place, the French Riviera.
Myron
Yeah. Well, Norris, that sounds like that was being a fun place to be. Well, I disagree with you about the old guys on my basketball cards, but I am excited to hear your opinion on ESPN Radio during the NBA Finals. Norris, Cole, thank you very much.
Brianna
I appreciate you guys.
Myron
All right, thank you. Let's go. Jamie is in Indiana. He's mad at me. Jamie, go ahead. If you want to take up for your state incorrectly, feel free.
Matt
Yeah.
Brianna
So are you normally. Are you from closer to Middlesboro or Owensboro? Let's start there.
Myron
Yeah, I'm from Middlesborough, right next to Cumberland Gap. That's where Daniel Boone crossed over and helped create the rest of America. It is a beautiful place down there.
Brianna
For a while, so I know where that's at. But where do you live at now?
Myron
I live in the beautiful city of Lexington, Kentucky. Horse farms everywhere. It is the epitome of the American dream.
Brianna
So the guy who's so proud of being from south of the Mason Dixon made sure to move north of the Mason Dixon.
Myron
Lexington is not north of the Mason Dixon. It is still south of the Mason Dixon. Again, people in Indiana don't even have basic math. This is what I'm Talking about. Talking about.
Matt
I'm trying to figure out the point. Like, what's the What. What was the call? The goal of the call? Like, you got to take it home, man. You got to.
Myron
Yeah, Jamie, you made my point. I appreciate the call. This is 888.
Matt
Say ESPN maybe didn't land the plane, man.
Myron
This is what I'm saying. Jamie in Indiana proved exactly why I said it was the four night.
Matt
Like, what was.
Myron
I mean, my man, I literally said, I'm in the same state from where I grew up. And he somehow made it cross the Mason Dixon Line into Cincinnat. This is the kind of.
Matt
You say Mason Dixon Line, it's hard to take you seriously from there. Right? Like, I don't know if that.
Myron
There are very few. There are very few times the Mason Dixon Line is brought up in a way that's positive.
Matt
It usually does not work out for anybody. When I hear Mason Dixon Line, I'm like, whoa.
Myron
Yeah. Let me just say that's one of those words. You know what?
Matt
Just.
Myron
Just get the Mason Dixon Line out of your vocabulary. It's just not a lot of times it comes up in a positive frame of events.
Matt
Yeah. Don't use that everywhere. That's all I'd say. You better look around the room before you say Mason Dixon Line.
Myron
It is Sunday morning with Matt Myron on ESPN Radio. I will tell you one thing minor. Just when you cross the Mason Dixon Line. There are three buildings when you cross the Mason Dixon. Okay? One is the very historic Underground Railroad Museum, the Harriet Tubman. And it's. It's because. Because when you cross that Ohio river, that was the place, right? But then it is sandwiched in between the Red Stadium and the Bengal Stadium, and there are just drunk people everywhere. And I've often thought, poor Harriet Tubman. Did they have to put her museum right here along this line of bars along the river?
Matt
Yeah. Yeah. They could have been a better. Better. They could have had a better one. Any part of Mason or Dixon.
Myron
Sunday morning on ESPN Radio.
Matt
More your calls, Matt and Myron, the podcast.
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Myron
Emmett. We love Matt Jones, host with us at ESPN radio, but he is the nominee this week. I'm gonna make it prediction. Save this audio and you can use it in five years. You'll never win a Super bowl or make a Super bowl with brock Purdy at 60 million each. You can make it on rookie deals because you can go get $58 million worth of other talent. But if he has to be the guy, you're going 8 and 9. Oh, I don't know if that's necessarily the worst take of the week. I think he's a good quarterback, but.
Matt
I'm kind of picking up what Matt.
Myron
Is putting, putting down. Will he have enough support to take.
Matt
His team to the Super Bowl?
Advertiser
I mean, he won me over when.
Matt
He came back from 17 down at.
Myron
Halftime of the NFC championship game.
Matt
You might look at total numbers and.
Myron
Whatever and say there are more impressive quarterbacks.
Matt
I think Brock Purdy has proven poise.
Advertiser
In big games, which is what I.
Matt
Want from a quarterback the most.
Myron
It's a nominee. Is he gonna win worst take of the week?
Advertiser
No, but it's.
Matt
But it's a nominee.
Myron
I resent the nomination. First of all, I think our producer James Steele had a role in the nomination. It's not an honor to be nominated because it was a false nomination. My take is correct and I give Emmett credit for taking up for me because my take is correct. Brock Purdy at $60 million is not gonna win you a Super Bowl. I hope you keep that audio for eternity. And I will stand by Myron going forward. Forward.
Matt
I got a little personal man on this on, on the weekend sports morning shows kind of.
Myron
Okay. I appreciate it. They weren't, they didn't take a shot. Emmett was on my side. Aaron's wrong, but he's a very nice fella. He's from Cleveland. He's got, you know, he hadn't seen good football in 20 years. So he doesn't.
Matt
I mean, it's a good dude. They're both good guys.
Myron
No, no, I like them both. They're both very good. I'm saying to you that it isn't the worst take. So I guess I didn't win James. I was just a nominee. You were a nominee. Okay. Because of things that they had said about Rock Party the week before. They weren't really. They didn't have a lot of bad things to say about the contract. And so I figured I would get their temperature with your very good take. There's a very good take. It's a unique take.
Matt
Yeah.
Myron
Everybody's praising the 60. Everyone in the NFL, in the NFL media world, they act like the question is whether or not he's a good quarterback, etc. That's not the question. Question is not whether he's a good quarterback. The question is, is he a max 60 million dollar quarterback? And on that I think the answer is no.
Matt
But you just don't like that next tier quarterbacks at all. Like you don't think where I push back is like you have to pay someone. If you don't have that young quarterback, you know, the rookie deal. But if the market determines that that's the price, then you have to pay it. So for me, my challenge is you essentially say that there are five or six quarterbacks who actually deserve to get paid, then there are rookie deal guys. And once you get to the Jared Golf, Brock Purdy kind of guys, then.
Myron
I'd rather have, I'd rather have a 15 or $20 million dude. That's one notch below Jared Goff and Brock Purdy than Jared Goff and brock Purdy at 60. That's my take. I'd obviously rather have the great quarterback or the rookie quarterback. That's good. But I'm not paying $60 million for Daniel Jones. I'm not playing $60 million for Brock Purdy. I'm not paying that. I'm just not.
Matt
It's 53 million. I mean technically. And a lot of the money with Brock Purdy is front loaded. So again, they can get out of this maybe in two years if they don't think it's a good situation. But, but I think if you're gonna pay Tua and Trevor Lawrence, like that's not paying 2.
Myron
It says I'm not paying 2 of that amount of money.
Matt
What are you gonna do though? So you're just gonna go out on the open market, Ended up with Mason.
Myron
It was nice. I love you. I wish you the best. I'm not paying you that. If somebody else will give it to you, then that's fine. I will pay you 30. Somebody else wants to give you 55. It was an honor having you. And then I'll go spend my 30 on somebody else.
Matt
But you won't get in the playoffs, though. I mean, that's the thing is like playoffs anyway. Well, he's been in the playoffs before. My point.
Myron
He didn't get in the playoffs last year.
Matt
You know when he started pay that next.
Myron
You know when he started not getting the playoffs, Myron, the moment they started giving him $60 million because they couldn't get.
Matt
I mean, none of that's fair because.
Myron
They couldn't get around him.
Matt
All right, I got.
Myron
We got people angry at me. I don't need you angry at. You're angry at me. Every week I got other people angry at me. Yeah, let's go to LS in Virginia. What do you got? LS.
Brianna
Yo, Matt, I love y' all. Show Myron you cool, but you wrong, man. Michael Jackson is from Indiana. We gotta leave Indiana alone.
Matt
That's true.
Myron
What happened when Michael Jackson. What happened when Michael Jackson got to be 18 years old? You know what? He left. That's what happened.
Matt
Hold on, hold on. Don't, don't, don't.
Myron
You know, when he became a store a star, you know what he did? He skedaddled. That's why. So I'm not saying Indiana can't produce good things. I'm saying when they do, it's good. They're going elsewhere.
Matt
Yeah, I'm going to interject here. Right. Michael Jackson is from Gary, Indiana, and I assure you nobody wants us with Gary, Indiana. So I think we. I think we carve out a section for Gary, Indiana and leave them out of the broader.
Myron
Gary, Indiana is basically Chicago. It's not Indiana, it's Chicago. So. So I'm. I don't consider that part of Indiana at all. Let's go to Tony in New York. Go ahead, Tony.
Brianna
Hey, man, I got an issue with your. Your whole situation with the 80s and your basketball cards. I don't know who your basketball cards are, but if you recall, Magic Johnson was in 85. Who Nowadays, game can stop Kareem's hook shot from, from, from.
Myron
Listen, were there good players in the 80s? Listen, were there good players in the 80s? Of course there were. Could Magic Johnson play today? Of course he could. Could Kareem play today? Of course. Could Bird? Of course. I'm saying to you, though, 30 to 40% of the league in the 80s could not step foot on the court now. They just couldn't they couldn't guard anybody. They would have no chance. Are there people that could play? Yes, of course there are. But the. But the average player in the NBA in 2025 is better than the average player in the 80s. I don't even think that's controversial, Tony, because you.
Brianna
You talk about the average players like, like. Well, the average players from the 80s were the Michael Coopers, the Byron.
Myron
First of all, Michael Cooper was not an average player. Michael. Michael Cooper was an all star, okay? Michael Cooper's not just some dude. Put some respect, Tony. On Michael Cooper's day. Tony, I'm gonna give you a chance. Will you apologize to Michael Cooper right now? Say your song.
Brianna
Michael Cooper. Because I 75 since Kareem go got there. I've been a Lakers fan since 75, since Kareem got there.
Myron
He was always my favorite player.
Matt
A bunch of those Lakers could have played. A bunch of those Lakers could have played with anybody. But there's a lot of other guys who could not have played. And. And why do basketball fans not want to say the game gets better? That's the weird thing to me. Football fans are fine with it. Hockey fans, baseball fans. Every other league's okay with it, except basketball fans.
Myron
All right, let me just read you real quick. We got like 20 seconds. Here's some dudes on the 85. Milwaukee Bucks. Paul McCasky.
Matt
Don't bring in my Bucks. No, no, don't bring Paul McCaskey.
Myron
You think Paul. How about Randy Brewer?
Matt
You think my Bucks out.
Myron
Brewer can guard people now.
Matt
Incredible player.
Myron
Stop it. Paul Mc. Randy Brewer. Don't bring up Michael Cooper. Don't disrespect Michael Cooper.
Matt
Don't miss.
Myron
We'll take more of your calls and we'll get a little bit more WNBA story. That's next here on Matt and Myron.
Matt
Matt and Myron, the pod.
Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron – Episode: Hour 1: Matt Makes Everyone Mad Release Date: May 25, 2025
Hosted by Matt Jones and Myron Medcalf of ESPN Radio, "Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron" delivers an engaging and comprehensive dive into the world of sports every Sunday morning. In this episode titled "Matt Makes Everyone Mad," the hosts navigate through a whirlwind of sporting events, heated playoff discussions, and spirited debates about the cities that host them.
[00:35] Myron Medcalf
The episode kicks off with Myron setting the stage for a bustling Memorial Day weekend in sports. He highlights a variety of significant events taking place, emphasizing the global nature of the weekend's lineup:
Monaco Grand Prix in France: Described as a glamorous event with "beautiful people, beautiful boats, and terrible racing" due to stagnant car performances. "As no cars pass each other," Myron laments, suggesting a lack of excitement on the track.
Indy 500 & Coca Cola 600: Premier automobile racing events that draw massive crowds and intense competition.
French Open: One of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, attracting top talent and tennis aficionados.
Soccer Action: Specifically, Charlton Orient facing Layton Orient in the League Two promotion final, dubbed the most significant day in the Premier League.
NBA and NHL Conference Finals: Both leagues are deep into their playoff runs, heightening the stakes for teams and fans alike.
[01:48] Myron Medcalf: Highlights the promotion aspects, mentioning "Progressive Insurance, here live on what is a beautiful Memorial Day weekend..." setting a vibrant tone for the discussions ahead.
[03:15] Matt Jones & Myron Medcalf
Transitioning into the heart of the episode, Matt and Myron delve into the ongoing NBA Conference Finals. The focal point is the Minnesota Timberwolves' astonishing performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
[05:07] Matt Jones: Analyzes Minnesota's historic run, stating, "The Timberwolves literally played the greatest basketball half in the history of the franchise." He praises players like Anthony Edwards and Terrence Shannon Jr., who outshone even the MVP of the NBA.
[07:05] Myron Medcalf: Reflects on the unpredictability of the series, noting, "This series has been brutal for the NBA because on one hand, it's a chance to showcase maybe the two best young stars, SGA and Anthony Edwards. And on the other hand... huge leads or huge deficits." He expresses frustration over the lack of close, competitive games, questioning the future dynamics of the series.
[09:14] Myron Medcalf: Criticizes the large point differentials in playoff games, arguing that "sports fans really don't want their teams to win by 40 points" as it diminishes the drama and engagement of the games.
[10:01] Matt Jones & Myron Medcalf
A heated and humorous debate ensues between Matt and Myron regarding the liveliness of the cities hosting major sports events. Myron smirks through the conversation, asserting, "If you were in the NBA, in the NBA media world, they act like the question is whether or not he's a good quarterback, etc. That's not the question. Question is, is he a max 60 million dollar quarterback?"
[11:20] Matt Jones: Defends cities like Indianapolis by highlighting their unique offerings. "I had a great burger in Nebraska some years ago. Nebraska's got some good stuff, man."
[11:53] Myron Medcalf: Challenges the notion of city appeal, especially criticizing Indianapolis and Oklahoma City as "boring." He remarks, "If you want to know what the Indy 500 is like, go to auto mechanic garage and just inhale."
The banter becomes more intense as they engage with listeners:
[16:35] Brianna (Caller from Indianapolis): Defends her city passionately, "We're a huge sports town... there are going to be 350,000 people in a small town in Speedway, Indiana."
[17:01] Myron Medcalf: Attempts to counter Brianna's points, humorously dismissing Indianapolis as ideal only for specific events like the Indy 500, while maintaining his stance on its overall dullness.
[26:11] Guest: Brianna
Introducing Norris Cole, the hosts expand the discussion to include perspectives on basketball's evolution. Norris engages in a dynamic conversation about the contrast between old-school and modern NBA players.
[28:32] Brianna: Offers a balanced view, acknowledging, "I respect both eras. I try not to disrespect either one."
[30:04] Brianna: Pushes back against Myron's critique of older NBA players, stating, "The average player in the NBA in 2025 is better than the average player in the 80s." She emphasizes the physicality and defensive prowess of past players, questioning if modern players can handle such challenges.
[33:46] Myron Medcalf: Shifts focus to the Knicks and Pacers series, particularly critiquing player performances and team strategies.
[31:16] Brianna:
Analyzes the New York Knicks' resilience in the playoffs, advising, "They have to buckle down and get one win because all the games have been close." She underscores the importance of focusing on details and maintaining composure under pressure.
[32:10] Matt Jones: Criticizes the Knicks' strategic choices, especially concerning Carl Anthony Towns' limited playtime in crucial moments. He questions, "What do you do if you're Carl Anthony Towns? I mean, how should he handle that?"
[32:31] Brianna: Emphasizes accountability, "If you're a star player, you get to shoot most of the shots... you cannot be a liability." She references past champions who prioritized defense and team play over individual accolades.
[35:00] Listener: Jamie from Indiana
Jamie passionately defends Indiana, particularly highlighting the grandeur of the Indy 500 and criticizing the hosts' portrayal of the city. Myron counters humorously, dismissing parts of Indiana as extensions of Chicago and reiterating his stance on city dullness.
[43:35] Listener: Tony from New York
Engages in a robust debate about the capabilities of 80s NBA players, challenging Myron's assertions. Norris Cole interjects to defend the skills of past legends like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, ensuring respect for both eras.
[46:28] Myron Medcalf: Wraps up the listener segment by teasing future topics, particularly WNBA stories, maintaining the show's interactive and engaging format.
[38:51] Myron Medcalf:
Delves into the NFL, specifically criticizing Brock Purdy's hefty contract. Myron predicts, "You'll never win a Super Bowl or make a Super Bowl with Brock Purdy at 60 million each." He argues that such contracts hinder teams from acquiring other talented players, emphasizing budget constraints over strategic team-building.
[39:21] Matt Jones: Challenges Myron’s stance by acknowledging the market dynamics, saying, "But you just don't like those next tier quarterbacks at all." He underscores the necessity of financial decisions in shaping team rosters.
[41:26] Myron Medcalf: Reiterates his position, preferring to invest in moderately priced quarterbacks rather than overpaying for mid-tier talent. "I'd rather have the great quarterback or the rookie quarterback. That's good. But I'm not paying 60 million for Brock Purdy."
Throughout this episode, Matt Jones and Myron Medcalf deliver a spirited and in-depth exploration of current sports events, particularly focusing on the NBA playoffs and the dynamics within key series. Their candid debates about city liveliness and player contracts, coupled with interactive listener segments, offer a multifaceted perspective on the ever-evolving sports landscape. Special guest contributions from figures like Norris Cole enrich the conversation, providing expert insights and balancing opinions.
Notable Quotes:
This detailed summary encapsulates the vibrant discussions, expert analyses, and entertaining debates that Matt and Myron bring to their listeners every Sunday morning.