Hour 1: New Discoveries

Summary

Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron – Episode: Hour 1: New Discoveries
Release Date: July 22, 2025

Welcome to the detailed summary of ESPN Radio’s “Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron,” hosted by Matt Jones and Myron Medcalf. In this episode titled "New Discoveries," the hosts delve into several key topics surrounding the sports world, including critical discussions on NFL team management, contract negotiations, and a deep dive into WNBA player compensation. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the episode’s main segments, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps.

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1. Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones’ Press Conference

[03:01 – 11:19]

Matt and Myron kick off their discussion with a critical analysis of Jerry Jones, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Cowboys. They express frustration over Jones' frequent press conferences, questioning the necessity and professionalism behind his extensive media engagement.

Key Points:

• Jerry Jones’ Media Presence: Matt questions, “Why does Jerry Jones talk so much?” highlighting the rarity of other NFL owners being as vocal.
• Contract Criticism: The hosts dissect Jones' recent comments on player contracts, specifically focusing on Michael Parsons. Matt sarcastically remarks, “Just because we sign him doesn’t mean we’re going to have him,” criticizing Jones for what they perceive as undermining his own players.
• Impact on Team Dynamics: Amber (Myron) points out, “It’s an unnecessary distraction,” emphasizing how Jones' comments could affect team morale and public perception.

Notable Quote:

• Matt Jones [04:14]: “There’s a lot of things you can think about when you just as the player does when you're...”

2. Cincinnati Bengals and Shemar Stewart Contract Negotiations

[11:19 – 20:19]

The conversation shifts to the Cincinnati Bengals, focusing on the delayed signing of their first-round pick, Shamar Stewart. The issue revolves around contentious contract language that the Bengals believe could allow them to void the contract if Stewart were to commit serious offenses, such as being incarcerated.

Key Points:

• Contract Dispute: Mike Brown, Bengals President, stated, “...if that happens, we're not going to be, we're not going to be playing someone who's sitting in jail.”
• Stewart’s Position: Stewart insists that the Bengals are introducing unprecedented clauses, making the negotiation unique compared to other NFL teams.
• Implications for Future Contracts: The hosts debate whether such language is fair or if it sets a concerning precedent for player agreements.

Notable Quote:

• Mike Brown [13:15]: “...from our vantage point, it’s a form of foolishness it just ought to get done.”

3. WNBA Player Compensation vs. NBA

[22:40 – 33:38]

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to comparing the revenue shares between NBA and WNBA players. Matt highlights the stark difference where NBA players receive approximately 50% of the league’s revenue, contrasted by the WNBA’s 9%.

Key Points:

• Revenue Disparity: Matt states, “The NBA players get 50% of the revenue,” while Amber counters, “In the WNBA, that number is 9%.”
• Public Perception and Media: The hosts discuss how WNBA players are advocating for a larger share of the revenue, emphasizing the league's growth and increasing franchise valuations.
• Economic Arguments: They explore the economic justification behind revenue splits, comparing it to progressive taxation principles where higher income brackets are taxed more.

Notable Quotes:

• Matt Jones [23:21]: “Now that number changes a little bit by accounting, but let’s just for argument’s sake, say 50%.”
• Amber [25:00]: “Caitlin Clark is by far the most compelling bargaining piece they have ever had in league history.”

4. Top Five NFL Quarterbacks

[37:10 – 33:38]

In a spirited segment, Matt and Myron rank their top five NFL quarterbacks, providing insightful commentary and playful banter.

Myron’s Top Five:

1. Lamar Jackson

   • Commentary: “If you’re starting a team, I’m picking Lamar Jackson to run my team because I think he’s that good.”
   • Quote [43:28]: “He is the best quarterback in the NFL right now.”

2. Patrick Mahomes

   • Commentary: Despite recent performance dips, Mahomes remains a top contender due to his overall skill and star power.
   • Quote [41:19]: “He’s still the greatest quarterback of this generation.”

3. Josh Allen

   • Commentary: Recognized for his MVP status and resilience despite team challenges.
   • Quote [40:03]: “Josh Allen clearly is in that class of one of the best quarterbacks in this league.”

4. Joe Burrow

   • Commentary: Acknowledged for his impressive statistics, though the team’s defense issues are noted.
   • Quote [39:33]: “He had the greatest NFL season we’ve seen for a team that didn’t get into the playoffs.”

5. Jalen Hurts

   • Commentary: Valued for his effectiveness on the field, despite not being the most "sexy" playstyle.
   • Quote [38:21]: “He gets the job done.”

Notable Exchanges:

• Matt [38:21]: “But he gets the job done.”
• Amber [38:41]: “He's not as maybe sexy as some of the other quarterbacks.”

5. Additional Topics and Closing Remarks

[33:38 – 44:46]

The hosts touch upon various ancillary topics such as the TBT (The Basketball Tournament) and issues surrounding player participation, particularly focusing on YouTuber Jesser's absence. They also briefly mention upcoming segments and tease future discussions, maintaining an engaging and humorous tone throughout.

Notable Commentary:

• On WNBA All-Star Game and T-Shirts [25:00 – 31:57]: Matt and Amber discuss the impact of players, especially Caitlin Clark, in promoting WNBA causes through symbolic gestures like wearing "Pay Us What You Owe Us" T-shirts.

Conclusion: The episode wraps up with Matt and Myron teasing upcoming topics, including further quarterback rankings and additional WNBA discussions, ensuring listeners are hooked for future episodes.

Final Notable Quote:

• Matt Jones [33:19]: “The WNBA players get 9% of the revenue... with that as a background, Myron, how do you think this is being presented?”

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Summary: In this episode of "Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron," the hosts provide a critical examination of NFL team management practices, particularly focusing on Jerry Jones and the Cincinnati Bengals' contract negotiations. They also shed light on the significant disparity in revenue distribution between NBA and WNBA players, advocating for fairer compensation in the WNBA. Additionally, their engaging discussion on the top five NFL quarterbacks offers listeners both analysis and entertainment. Throughout the episode, Matt and Myron balance serious sports commentary with light-hearted banter, making the content both informative and enjoyable for a wide audience.

Transcript

[Amber]

After Zoomies at the dog park, it's time for Drive up at Target. In goes a big bag of kibble and one squeaky chicken toy for the good boy. Drive up. That's ready when you are. Only in the Target app, just tap Target. This is the Amber and Ian podcast.

[Ian]

It is Amber and Ian here on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. But I am not Amber and I'm not even Ian. I am Matt Jones. Myron Metcalf. We are the hosts Sunday morning, Matt Myron here on ESPN Radio. And we are filling in tonight, tomorrow night and Wednesday night, three straight nights of excitement with us and Myron, Good to be with you. We did the show yesterday and now I get to spend what some people call the last sports dead week of the year. We get to spend it together. When there is nothing to talk about, ESPN puts Myron and I on the radio because. Because no one is more qualified to talk about nothing. How are you doing?

[Amber]

I'm good. Why do you think that is? You think that we're just good at random stuff? Because we kind of shine in like mid June to late July. We kind of shine. I feel like.

[Ian]

Let me tell you something. I am the Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann of mid June to mid July. ESPN Radio. Like, this is when. This is when we get our run. It is right through here for people who don't listen to us regularly. We have worked together for almost eight years and I have seen Byron at least once a week on Zoom for eight years. And today we logged on to the Zoom and that way we can see each other because he's in Minneapolis and I'm in Kentucky and you just looked at me and goes, when did you start wearing glasses? Now, I don't wear glasses all the time, but I do when I'm on the computer for long periods of time. And I've worn glasses every show Myron and I have done for eight straight years. And it took today for you to know that I've worn glasses for eight years you have looked at me and not noticed that I wear glasses on my face.

[Amber]

Well, I mean, we don't have evidence, you know what you're saying, necessarily. I mean, Myra is in like five.

[Ian]

Minutes, not even five seconds that I worked together for. But I've seen you years.

[Amber]

So I've seen you in person.

[Ian]

I wear glasses.

[Amber]

I've seen you in person a lot. I don't remember you ever wearing glasses. And on the Zoom, maybe I just wasn't paying as much attention. This looks like a new look. That's all I'm saying. It looks different from what I'm used to seeing.

[Ian]

Well, what is that? What, what is the new look, you think?

[Amber]

I mean, these, these glasses are more like that, modern, you know what I mean? They got a different look to them. So maybe that's what it is. They look, maybe so look more sophisticated, you know.

[Ian]

Well, well, thank you very much. I am very sophisticated and I'm glad to be here with you tonight.

[Amber]

Thank you.

[Ian]

And you and I have joked over the years of basically, when, when there's not a lot to talk about, you can go, is LeBron the goat right there. Like a handful of things.

[Amber]

I give you two segments.

[Ian]

But also, there's always something about the Cowboys. There was one year I did radio where I talked about Dak Prescott's knee or arm, I can't remember which one. It was for about six months. And so it was funny. This morning, as we're getting ready for the show, we find out someone gave a microphone to Jerry Jones. And now we have another Dallas Cowboys topic. Jerry Jones did a press conference today. First of all, I've said this a lot, Myron. Why does he do so many press conferences? Why does Jerry Jones talk so much?

[Amber]

I don't. I mean, he runs the team and he just.

[Ian]

But you don't hear from other owners. Like, I mean, you don't hear. Does the Houston Texans owner talk a lot?

[Amber]

No.

[Ian]

When's the last time you heard the Chargers owner talk?

[Amber]

Well, I mean, I think it's part of the problem, right? Like, part of the problem is it's a lot. Whenever Jerry speaks. But today was Pete. Jerry.

[Ian]

Today. Today was Pete Jerry. So he was asked about Michael Parsons and the contract situation with Michael Parsons, of course, a longtime Cowboy, their best defensive player, an anchor of the franchise. And Jerry Jones, the owner, had this to say.

[Amber]

Just because we sign him doesn't mean we're going to have him.

[Ian]

He was hurt six games last year. Seriously, we've signed. I remember signing a player for the highest paid at the position in the league, and he got knocked out two thirds of the year. Dak Prescott. So there's a lot of things you can think about when you. Just as the player does when you're.

[Amber]

Thinking about committing and guaranteeing money.

[Ian]

And then. And then later on he was talking about the contract situations and how sometimes they don't work out the way you want. Contracts are four or five years, okay?

[Amber]

There's a lot of water under the bridge.

[Ian]

If you step out there and do something in the first Two or three. You get hit by a car. Sicily. And so there's a lot to look at over a lot of years that.

[Amber]

Could make a big difference.

[Ian]

Have you ever heard of any clubs.

[Amber]

Committing to players and then they didn't pan out after they committed to them? We have.

[Ian]

So just in 40 seconds of audio, he notes, you could get hurt. You could get hit by a car. And then sometimes people don't pan out. And he's talking about his star player, Myron. What did you think of your guy, Jerry Jones's commentary?

[Amber]

I mean, is it a threat? Is he hitting people with cars? Like, what is he talking about? I don't. I don't know that this is the best way to negotiate a contract with anybody anywhere. I mean, at first, it sounds like he's blaming Michael Parsons for getting hurt, takes a shot at him, and then he takes a shot at Dak Prescott, who has nothing to do with what they're currently talking about.

[Ian]

Yeah, he takes a shot at his two. His most. Like, he literally takes a shot at his two most important players.

[Amber]

That part doesn't make sense. And then talking about contracts, he says, yeah, you could. You get hit by a car, I think.

[Ian]

What does he mean by that?

[Amber]

I don't. I don't know. And I don't know if he knows.

[Ian]

But when you hit my car, by the way, I don't know. I don't know what the leagues. I don't know if the league has a rule for get hit by a car. I don't know what it is. But that's an odd thing to say.

[Amber]

But also, why say that? Like, I mean, why. Why put. Make that a part of the conversation? I think Jerry has reached that stage in that age where. And you can see everybody on stage. If you watch the video, you can see people looking at him. Like, we got to take his microphone. You know, we gotta. Yeah, we gotta cut him off. Like, sometimes you gotta do that. Like, you know, if you've ever had an event or something, like, sometimes you just gotta take people's microphones. You know, you can't. You can't let anybody talk.

[Ian]

Or sometimes you might be in the middle of a race and you just have to replace the candidate. Sometimes you might need to go into it.

[Amber]

This ain't gonna. This is not.

[Ian]

Sometimes might need to go into a season and replace an owner. I'm just saying, like, there are times where you. There are times where you just. I don't understand how Jerry Jones. The people around him, don't just tell him, talk Less. Because this is. This is an unnecessary distraction. And you're right. I mean, the question was about Micah Parsons, and he found a way to criticize Dak Prescott in the middle of it. Like, they're. Don't they have to sort of take him and say, you've got to go somewhere else for a little while?

[Amber]

I think everyone's tried, but he runs the team. He runs personnel. It's his. It's his team. I think that's the problem is, like, he has surrounded himself mostly with family, mostly people.

[Ian]

Never a good decision anytime. The only people that work for you are family. It's a. That says something right there, right?

[Amber]

That's a part of the challenge. I mean, but again, somebody on that team has to be in charge of taking the microphone. Like, I grew up in black church, right? And black church can get long, and there was always somebody near the microphone who would shut it down, who would say pastor or.

[Ian]

Well, no.

[Amber]

Well, pastor would get up and, you know, maybe shut it down. Like, okay, thank you. And then.

[Ian]

Thank you, Sister Eloise. That's plenty of testimony.

[Amber]

You've been telling us about your dog who was sick and got healed, you know, and then you just got to move on. You need someone like that with Jerry because he's reached that stage where he's just going to say whatever. And, like, you know, sometimes older people. And I'm not. Not all old people sometimes, like, you get to that point with no filter, and you just say things that sound crazy to everybody else except you. And I think Jerry's kind of reached that stage maybe a little.

[Ian]

So what if. If you. So Michael Parsons retweeted. I guess JJ Watt tweeted something like, how you gonna be? I don't remember what he says, but he's, like, criticizing Jerry for doing it, and Micah Parsons retweeted it. So I have to assume that Micah Parsons was not a fan of this comment. Does it. What does it lead to?

[Amber]

It leads to turmoil in training camp. Every single question is going to be about this. It's going to be the focus of training camp, and I don't know why Jerry Jones would even put that on his team. If I'm like a Parsons who has a very successful podcast, he's going to talk about this because I think he has to. So I think this is going to.

[Ian]

Become a back podcast called. What's his podcast?

[Amber]

I don't know the name of, but it's a pretty popular podcast that he does.

[Ian]

How popular could it be if.

[Amber]

Among NFL guys, I think he's going to talk about it because he has to. And I think, to me, when you get to this stage of Jerry Jones is saying things that feel personal. If I'm like a Parsons, I would feel like I have to defend myself. Remember, Michael Parsons wanted to do the deal a year ago, which he would have made less money. So he's willing to give Dallas a discount, if you will. Now, if I'm him, I'm holding out till I get.

[Ian]

Every single podcast is called the Edge with Micah Parsons. Its last episode was January 16th.

[Amber]

I don't think that's the one. I think there's a different.

[Ian]

You think he has two podcasts?

[Amber]

I think he's on. I don't think that's the one. I think he's on a different one.

[Ian]

He's on a different one than the one that has his name on.

[Amber]

I think there's a different one.

[Ian]

So there's a different. There's a different.

[Amber]

There's a different Michael Parsons. You know what it is? I won't even say Pockets. He does Twitch. He does Screech. Yeah, he does streaming, like video game streaming. He does that. I think that's where I see a lot of the clips. So I think he does the Twitch thing. He's gonna talk about it because he has to at this point.

[Ian]

So you've gone from saying he has a very successful podcast to he. Man, I don't know games.

[Amber]

I don't know what these people do. I just. I think he's on tw. I believe he's on Twitch.

[Ian]

Micah Parsons looks like he was live on Twitch in 2023.

[Amber]

No, man, Michael Parsons has.

[Ian]

And by the way, he has 8,000 followers.

[Amber]

No, no, man, Michael Parsons.

[Ian]

I'm looking at it right here.

[Amber]

Michael Parsons has a podcast somewhere. He does not.

[Ian]

18. He played vs. Dez Bright in Madden in 2023. That's the last time he was on Twitch.

[Amber]

There's something out there with Michael Parsons. He does do a lot of podcasts. Is it Quibi? No, he does a lot. He does a lot of podcasts.

[Ian]

Is he on Tim and Kubi?

[Amber]

No, he's.

[Ian]

What about.

[Amber]

He's going to relaunch it after this. He's going to relaunch it after this. It'll be a big deal.

[Ian]

Well, it's huge, clearly. It's Amber Ian here on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. More knowledge of the level Myron just gave you. Coming up, the Bengals and Shabbar Stewart. You might not know who that is, but an interesting story coming out of that training camp. It's next here on Amber.

[Amber]

This is the Amber End podcast.

[Ian]

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[Amber]

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[Ian]

Myron is still looking for the Micah Parsons twitch. He has of yet has not found it. On Amber and Ian on on ESPN Radio, Matt Jones, Meyer Metcalf, Micah Parsons Though not the the only story from training camp we have a Bengal story and for for, you know I'm in, I'm close to the Bengals here in Kentucky and the Bengals always have drama around draft picks or signing still waiting to sign Trey Hendrickson, although they're hoping to do that. But their first round pick, Meyer, was a guy named Shamar Stewart. He went 17th. He is the only first round pick that has not been signed yet. He's from Texas A and M. He's not been signed. And Mike Brown, the Bengals president, said that the reason they haven't signed it was because of an issue in language and I'd like to read you his quotes. This is from Mike Brown. Uh, Mike Brown says his agent wants it to be so that if he acted in a terrible fashion now this is all hypothetical but something that rises to the level of going to prison that would we would be on the line for guarantees for the future years that haven't been paid. And our position is no, if that happens, we're not going to be, we're not going to be playing someone who's sitting in jail. That's not what we're going to do. We've been here a long time. It's never happened and that's holding up this contract. From our vantage point, it's a form of foolishness it just ought to get done. So it's an interesting. Again, like the Jerry Jones quote, a lot of stuff here. They've got him sitting in prison, going to jail. Foolishness. What do you make of this language from another NFL executive?

[Amber]

Foolishness is a very specific word for people 70 and older, by the way. Right. So I mean, I think that's kind of. That really sums up how he feels. I don't know. The jail prison comment. Who knows what the negotiations really are. It sounds like Stewart wants a deal that most people in this position get, and it sounds like the Bengals, according to reports.

[Ian]

Was that true, though? I mean, do most people. I don't think most players want to have language. I mean, I don't know what the average deal, but is there language that says, like, no matter what you do, they have to pay you? But.

[Amber]

But that's where we're getting two different sides here. Stewart side is saying that the Bengals are trying to put language in the contract that makes it easy for them to get out of it. The Bengals are saying.

[Ian]

So what is Stewart saying? Cause I don't know if I've heard that.

[Amber]

Stewart is saying that they're trying to put in clauses in his contract that no first round pick has ever had in their contract that would allow the Bengals to get out of the deal if they go to prison or if whatever happens, he's. He's saying it's unique, that this has never happened. Which is why.

[Ian]

So it would seem like you could just put the language out there and let all the Internet lawyers decide what it is.

[Amber]

Well, let me.

[Ian]

But let's. Let's go back. Do you think in theory a player should have language in their contract that protects them if they get into, quote, foolishness and go to prison?

[Amber]

I don't know what foolishness is. I mean, go to prison. You know, I think in any contract that's probably detrimental conduct to some degree. But I don't know what's true or not because I don't know that that's what Shamar Stewart is asking for.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Amber]

What he's saying is what if it.

[Ian]

Says if you get into foolishness.

[Amber]

But.

[Ian]

We don't want to pay you, would you be for foolishness? Language in the contract?

[Amber]

You can't say foolishness because for someone in that demographic, that's a lot of things. That's not just prison. That's. That's.

[Ian]

Oh, you're saying for old people, foolishness can just be like listening to rap music.

[Amber]

You play your music too loud, going to bagels practice. That is definitely.

[Ian]

That is true. My grandfather would have been like, these kids are walking around with their pants down to their ankles and other foolishness. That's exactly right. You do. I think you gotta have more specific language than foolishness.

[Amber]

Being out past 10:30 at night, that's foolishness. Even if you're just going out to get something.

[Ian]

You know, my grandfather used to say nothing good happens after 11 o'. Clock. And you know, there's some truth to that. I mean, like there. Well, there's some good things that can happen. But I didn't like to talk about that with my grandfather.

[Amber]

But he's saying if you're out past 10 o', clock, you into some foolishness. They want that in the contract. So.

[Ian]

Okay, so let's just say the language though, we're to say if you get disciplined by the league. So I guess is the line that, I mean, he brings up prison. That's the thing that's weird to me.

[Amber]

It is.

[Ian]

It's like, who introduced prison into this conversation?

[Amber]

Yeah, I don't know. But if I'm Stewart, I'm going, what are you saying? You know what I mean? Are you assuming that he's going to get into trouble? The NFLPA has uniform contract. Language, like that's part of negotiations is that a rookie has a standard deal and the language attached to it. And what Stewart is arguing is that the Bengals want something different from the norm. If you tell me that every single first round pick is signed except the Bengals first round pick, I tend to think that it's something with the Bengals.

[Ian]

Why can't you just say it like it said, but bagels. You always say bangles like you're from. Like you're from the sticks.

[Amber]

You always sound bingo or something. Bengals. I don't know how to say.

[Ian]

I'm the one from the country. And you just speak normal language and you go, this is my Metcalf ESPN Radio. Cincinnati Bengals. Like it's Bengals.

[Amber]

I don't think that's what they do, Matt. Like, I've had this argument so many times since I moved to Connecticut because I say Bingles and everybody. It's not being cry. It's not the phrase or the band.

[Ian]

It'S not the singers. It Bengals, I'm here. We do not say bangles.

[Amber]

Let me tell you something. Y' all got 37 letters in your Alphabet. We don't all have that Alphabet. And you all expect us to be able to say things. Half of your Alphabet is just sounds. It's not even letters. Is a letter to y'. All. It's a sound to y' all in your Alphabet. Like you all just throw different sounds into your Alphabet and you expect us.

[Ian]

To be able to do it. Make your point about the first of all, tell me which team's president we're talking about the Bengals.

[Amber]

It's not the Bengals. It's not the Bing. It's the Bengals.

[Ian]

Bengals. But you are right, the Bengals tend to be involved in, for lack of a better term, foolishness more than a lot of other teams that definitely involved in foolishness. So you do. There is an argument, I think you make a good point, that if 31 teams have signed their player and the Bengals haven't, what is it about the Bengals that. Or. Or Shemar Stewart, like one of these two parties has to be being unreasonable. And I guess we don't really know because we're not in the room.

[Amber]

Well, yeah. And again, if you tell me that Stewart is asking for something that no player has ever received at a rookie deal, okay. But it feels like everybody else across the league has figured it out with their draft picks and the Bengals are the ones who are, you know, whatever they're upset about. Man, I just don't understand. I said. I said bank. I don't know how you want me to say. I'm not gonna say Bengals because I don't know how to say that. That's not. Bingo. I don't know what you all are talking about.

[Ian]

People in Cincinnati, they called the Bengals. While we're on this topic. Will you just tell me quickly?

[Amber]

Wait, hold a second. I'm not gonna let Cincinnati decide how I'm supposed to talk.

[Ian]

Will you tell me quickly? The city where Pat Kelsey coaches college basketball.

[Amber]

I love her. Louisville. That's how you say it. Louisville. Love. That's how y' all say it.

[Ian]

Louisville.

[Amber]

Louisville. That's how y' all say it. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not letting y' all decide how.

[Ian]

People should talk across the country.

[Amber]

Man, you're missing my point.

[Ian]

All right. Do you think this gets worked out? Like, is it. Do you think this. Because, I mean, we are. We're 50 days from the start of the season and they have yet to do one thing with their first round pick.

[Amber]

I mean, he's going to sign it because he wants money, so he'll sign it. It just. I don't think he's going to get what he wants.

[Ian]

The question is just whether or not it's going to say he can foolish.

[Amber]

If he can't be involved talking back. That's foolishness. There's a lot of fool.

[Ian]

You got to watch out for the foolishness. And according to the WNBA players, the owners have been engaging in foolishness and they stood up for it during the All Star Game. That's next here on Amber and Ian on ESPN radio.

[Amber]

Amber and Ian, the podcast on WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want, like that dream house or ride, is a great feeling. That's why the State Farm personal price plan can help you save when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer, availability, amount of discount accounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.

[Ian]

It is Amber Nien here on ESPN Radio. He's MyroMech. Have you heard him in the intro? You know, it's big when we end up in an intro. That doesn't happen a whole lot. Matt Jones here with you. So WNBA players, they wore the pay us what you owe us T shirts. I think it's very important for people to understand for a second because, because I will say, when we had this conversation Sunday, I guess that was yesterday, I didn't know all the details of the, of what, of the difference. But let me go, I heard, I read this today and I think it's important. So the NBA, in the NBA right now, the players get basically about 50% of the revenue.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Ian]

Okay, 50% goes to the owners. 50% goes to players. Now that that number changes a little bit by accounting, but let's just for argument's sake, say 50%. In the WNBA, that number is 9%. Okay, that is a 41% difference, a significant difference. A lot of times the argument about what these women should get paid go, you know, comes down on to do they deserve this? They don't make as much money as this. This is honestly like a percentage question, 50% to 9%. Now, I'm not going to like bore people with marginal tax rates and things that are complicated, but it is generally perceived that as leagues make more money, the. Not only should the raw dollars go up, the percentages should go up as well. Because the percentages, it's sort of like the same reason you, you tax rich people at a higher tax rate than you tax poor people. As the money goes up, the amount, the percentage, the percentage math becomes a little different and it becomes more. It doesn't hurt as much as these leagues make more money, Myron. I think the 9% should come up. That is what the players are asking for. They're not only asking for more raw dollars, but really what they're asking for is get that percentage up from nine to whatever number. With that as a background, Myron, how do you think this is being presented? Is it being presented in a way where the public is on the WNBA player side?

[Amber]

I think so. I mean, you know, the shirts, whatever you think about the shirts, they were going to go viral. I think that was the goal. And I think they did that. You know, to wear them doing warm ups, to have all of the stars wearing them, including Caitlin Clark. I think that was a statement and I think what you said matters. Listen, there's a whole bunch of econ majors who've suddenly come out over the last couple weeks who are trying to tell me what I should think about negotiations with the WNBA and its players. All I know is the league is clearly growing. The league is clearly in a completely different place than when they signed the original CBA during the pandemic in 2020. And now they're saying, we know that there are new franchises coming. Matt, it costs $250 million to get into the WNBA right now.

[Ian]

Well, let's, let's talk about that for just a second. In 2020, when the last CBA negotiation was done, the price for an expansion team was $50 million. Now the price for an expansion team five years later is $250 million. Now that is. That's a significant difference times the amount. And I think that is, as you said, Myron, it's something important to consider with this.

[Amber]

Yeah. And you know, there are a lot of people are talking about whether or not they're making enough money. Let's be clear on, you know, the WNBA and what money they're making for their owners. Right. The NBA wasn't profitable. Profitable for its first 40 years. And you want to go back to 2017. Half the league was losing money in the NBA. We're talking about the NBA. So, like, all these people are suddenly econ majors and feel like they know the numbers. I don't believe you. What I do believe is there's a new media deal. Clearly, it costs a lot more to get in. And, Matt, that's also a sign of the value of these franchises. People are coming into the WNBA because they know that it's going to continue to grow. So I understand why the players are saying, wait a minute, we want a piece of that pie. We want to make sure we being. We're being compensated fairly.

[Ian]

Yeah. I mean, so the question of whether or not, look, whether or not they make money is a piece of this, but it's not the only piece, because there are businesses every day that don't, quote, unquote, make money, don't make a profit, but their value goes up. Right. I could give you a ton of businesses right now that are. That the. The value of them increases exponentially and they never turn a profit. Right. So you cannot turn a profit. But if you're. If the, the worth of your team goes up, it's still a valuable thing to have. So I. The profit question, by the way, the. The WNBA did make money last year. It was the first year they actually made a profit. They're. They are projected to make a stronger profit this year. And then when the new TV deal comes, they're going to make an even bigger profit, but the profit is only a part of it. I think that valuation of the franchises, which I have to admit, when we talked yesterday, Myron, I didn't know about what the valuation of those franc. I actually think that's a really important piece. Now. What we don't know, though, is just like with Shemar Stewart, Martin, we don't know what the negotiations are. We don't know how far apart these two. Two sides are.

[Amber]

Yeah, no, we don't. We don't have those details. But I think it's. The reality is they see what's coming. And here's the thing about this cba. These players also know that they're setting the stage for what comes in the future. You know, it's not just about them. It's about the next generation of players. And how many players right now have.

[Ian]

To go overseas like a true politician? Well, now it's just about the next generation. This is about our kids.

[Amber]

It is. Caitlin Clark is making $78,000 a year. There is. There is.

[Ian]

No, that's ridiculous. That's ridiculous. On. There's no way that can be justified.

[Amber]

That can happen. Right. Like, if you don't believe anything else about the numbers in the wnba, Caitlin Clark who is, I think Matt, the, the. A top three most popular basketball player in the world right now. LeBron, Steph, Caitlin Clark. That's the order.

[Ian]

In my opinion, you may be right.

[Amber]

So if that's the case, $78,000.

[Ian]

No, let me ask you this.

[Amber]

To be able to pay Caitlin Clark 78K.

[Ian]

All right, so if you're an advocate for the players of the wnba, this has been, this is a pretty good weekend. You have an all star game where Caitlin Clark does not play and yet the TV ratings are pretty good. Better than probably people would have thought with Caitlin Clark not playing. You get the stud bud stream that's on Twitch. Much more popular even than the Micah Parsons dream, which you like so much. And it's a good week. But then Kelsey Plume.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Ian]

Makes a comment in the post game press conference. Do we have the Caitlin Clark part of her comment? Do we have that?

[Amber]

We have that.

[Ian]

Or is this, is that what this is? Here's what Kelsey Plume says in the post game presser.

[Amber]

That was a very powerful moment. We didn't, at least as players, we didn't know that that was going to happen. So I think it was kind of like a genuine surprise.

[Ian]

But the T shirt just united front.

[Amber]

Was determined this morning that we had a meeting for. And you know, not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that. But no, we were just, we had a very. That really needed to be mentioned. I'm trying to make a situation light. Okay. But, but yeah, no, I think it was just all of us getting on.

[Ian]

The same page for the game.

[Amber]

We wanted to do something that was just united and collective. And I thought that was a very powerful moment and got the point across. And you know, sometimes you don't have to say anything.

[Ian]

The last sentence is key. Sometimes you don't have to say anything. Maybe Kelsey Plume should follow her own advice. You know, one of the things that happens, I think with that WNBA fans and players get, get frustrated with is that the conversations about off the court drama overshadow the games. Yeah, I think that's a fair criticism. But then Kelsey Plummer, you can't do stuff like this, right? Like, I mean, you've had such a good weekend. You show this moment of unification and then after the game you basically throw half the players under the bus by saying they didn't show up to the meeting.

[Amber]

It's the worst thing you can say. I mean, for, for a group that feels like they're so intentional about everything they've done this weekend and then Kelsey says that it doesn't make sense. Here's the thing. Whatever people feel about Caitlin Clark in the wnba, she is by far the most compelling bargaining piece they have ever had in league history. And at the end of the day, she's driving up the value of the entire league. And if they get their money, she's going to be a big part of it. So I don't know why you take a shot at Caitlin Clark and her team in a moment like this.

[Ian]

Yeah. And, I mean, she was talking about the whole team.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Ian]

But she says team Clark. And so her name is going to make it to where people. You know, where it's going to be talked about like that. It is unfortunate. It was a really poor decision.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Ian]

You know, ask anybody. In a previous life, I was a lawyer, and I was involved in labor contract negotiations, and we. I actually was involved on both sides, both on labor and corporations. And here's the one thing both a corporation and labor will agree. The worst thing that can happen to labor is have a division within its ranks. Right. That's the worst thing that could happen. If you're the WNBA and you're sitting here trying to figure out what to do, you hear that Kelsey Plume line and you like it, right? You like it. And if you're the WNBA players, you can't have that happen. And she. I think she was kidding. She probably thought, oh, this will be lighthearted.

[Amber]

But it was a.

[Ian]

It was a dumb move, Myron. It just was on a weekend that otherwise, I think, probably helped their cause.

[Amber]

Yeah. Sabrina Unescu sitting next to her, she's laughing, but she's also not. You can tell.

[Ian]

She says something like, I don't think you needed to say. Yeah, something like that.

[Amber]

And she's laughing when she said. But she's being serious. I think at the end of the day, this is the worst thing you can do to try to show some form of division after you have such a great weekend. And this is what we're talking about. We should be talking about the shirts and the negotiations. Instead, we're going, okay, Somebody took a shot at Caitlin Clark's team, and that becomes the narrative.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Amber]

And then they'll blame us. Then they'll blame the media and say, you guys are running with narratives. You're the one that's knocking your own players in the middle of this negotiation. That's not on us.

[Ian]

Yeah. Well, that. It is often the case that these conversations do not become about reality. They become about abstractions. I do think the reality of NBA players get 50% of the revenue and WNBA players get 9% of the revenue.

[Amber]

Yeah.

[Ian]

Not total dollars. Percentage is an important difference people to understand. I don't think the WNBA players can rationally make the argument they should get 50, but I also don't think the owners can rationally make the argument they should get nine. So they're going to have to figure out there's got to be somewhere in the middle that makes sense. Now on this show they like to do top fives. Today the topic is top five quarterbacks. Myron will have his next I'll have mine in a couple hours. Like once I can marinate over Myron's poor choices, we will let him him set the bar low. Next here on Amber.

[Amber]

This is the Amber in the End podcast. Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order.

[Ian]

Oh sorry.

[Amber]

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[Ian]

Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. Now I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Amber]

Of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. New customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks busy. Taxes and fees extra.

[Ian]

See mintmobile.com@the buzzer. Or at least the Elam ending Ending THE STAR Former UConn players beat the Green Mountain Men of Vermont in the second round of the TBT tournament. Just ended on a three pointer. Do you enjoy the TBT tournament?

[Amber]

Meyer Metcalf yeah, I've been in some TBT games, man. It's a really fun event. And the one thing I covered the TBT a couple years ago, the one thing that I think people miss is how many of those guys haven't had the chance to play in front of their fans, you know, family and friends in America because they've been playing overseas. So it's a cool event.

[Ian]

It is. The Kentucky team won last night on a shot at the buzzer and the Connecticut team just won. So I think.

[Amber]

How's the YouTuber doing?

[Ian]

Jesser. Jesser. Jesser never showed up. The YouTube star Jesser was supposed to play with the Kentucky team, and then he two days before said there were scheduling conflicts. So I don't know how the game was scheduled from the beginning, so I don't know how his schedule got conflicted. I think it was because most people were kind of making fun of the idea that they had put Jesser on the team, but he did not end up playing much. Byron, much to your chagrin.

[Amber]

Too bad. Yeah, we don't need to do. We don't. I just don't like the idea of a guy who hasn't earned an opportunity just getting.

[Ian]

You got to earn your way to la familia in the tbt. All right, it is now time for the event we have during this show. That was a really great intro. It is the top five.

[Amber]

ESPN Radio was NFL Rank up from the top five faces of the NFL.

[Ian]

Roger Goodell, Patrick Mahomes.

[Amber]

Jerry Jones is the face in the NFL to the top five challengers to the champs, the Baltimore Ravens. It's their time.

[Ian]

The Detroit Lions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

[Amber]

At number one on my list and everything in between. This is. Is ESPN Radio's NFL rank up top five quarterbacks.

[Ian]

Number five. You know, kids, if you're listening at home and you're going, can I be a broadcaster? Learn to do intros like the thing that we do on this show. Those are really good. All right, Myron, this is your ranking. What's number five in the top five quarterbacks?

[Amber]

Number five is Jalen Hurts. Has it been on enough of these lists? Should have two wins, I think over my homes. In the super bowl, they just destroyed Kansas City, and no one could deny that. And I know there are a lot of people are saying, oh, Jayden Daniels and maybe some other names, but you got to give Jalen Hurts credit, man, for. For going out and beating Goliath the way that he and the Eagles did. Maybe you don't like his style. Maybe people don't like the way he plays. He's not as maybe sexy as some of the other quarterbacks.

[Ian]

Whoa.

[Amber]

But he gets the job done. You know what? I'm. I'm not. I'm not saying how he plays.

[Ian]

You know, seems like a handsome guy in terms of the way the man's.

[Amber]

Flashy, the way he plays. So number five Would be Jalen Hurts.

[Ian]

All right, put. Put number. Record. Oh, sorry. Myron does not think Jalen hurts is sexy.

[Amber]

No.

[Ian]

He does, however, think he's flashy. What's next?

[Amber]

You respond to each one, right? Number.

[Ian]

Oh, I respond no. Well, I gotta wait and give my list. I'm giving my list in a couple hours.

[Amber]

I'm not just gonna read off my quarterbacks. We're supposed to have a back and forth about these.

[Ian]

My back and forth was that you didn't think Jalen Hurts sexy. I think he is a very handsome man.

[Amber]

I didn't say he wasn't. I'm not. That's not what I said. Chiseled jawline, not as sexy in terms of how he plays. I shouldn't have said the word. But you know what I meant. You know what I meant. Generally speaking, that is an okay back and forth. You said he wasn't sexy.

[Ian]

Generally speaking on sports shows.

[Amber]

I don't.

[Ian]

I try. I try not to use the word sexy in sports.

[Amber]

I wasn't getting involved in that. I just.

[Ian]

All right, what's number four?

[Amber]

Number four, Jimmy Joe Burrow.

[Ian]

Who's speaking of.

[Amber]

What's wrong with you, man? That's Joe Burrow. Obviously, statistically played maybe better than any quarterback in the league. They didn't get the job done getting to the playoffs. But if you talk about performances by players who didn't get into the playoffs, Joe Burrow may have had the greatest NFL season we've seen for a team that didn't get into the playoffs. So didn't get the job done. The defense was horrible. But in terms of how he played, I thought Joe Burrow put up MVP numbers.

[Ian]

I mean, they have two straight years they haven't made the playoffs. I mean, like, at some point, you know, and I don't think that's his fault at all. One of those years he was hurt. But this is a big year for Joe, don't you think? I mean, you know, the Bengals re signed his receivers that he wanted. This is a big year. They've upgraded the offensive line. I mean, the Bengals. I think this is a big year for Joe. He comes in at number four on Myron's list. What's next?

[Amber]

Number three. Number three is Josh Allen. For me, the reigning MVP who just, you know, he's proven that he can get the job done. Even with the team losing key pieces like Stefan Diggs. I think Josh Allen clearly is in that class of one of the best quarterbacks in this league. Still trying to get over mountain. Mahomes but beyond that, I don't think anyone can deny that he is in that special class of quarterbacks in the NFL. And last year proved it a lot, playing with a bunch of young guys, a bunch of anonymous guys that people may not know. And he was still very effective. So you got to give Josh Allen a lot of credit.

[Ian]

Got married, though. Does that. Is that going to be an issue? You know, when. Sometimes when people get married? I don't know. I'm not married, so I can't say. But you've been married. Do you think that's going to have a negative? Ned married Haley Stanfield, who looked amazing and did a great job in Centers.

[Amber]

Yeah. It ain't marriage that messes you up. It's divorce. So I think he's okay right now. Is that it?

[Ian]

It's not marriage, it's divorce.

[Amber]

I think he's okay right now. Call me in five years.

[Ian]

She's really good. Sinners is great.

[Amber]

She was incredible. I mean, she made a great movie.

[Ian]

I didn't know that was her, but I didn't know. Also didn't know Josh Allen was.

[Amber]

You got to be. You got to be tough to watch to be married to somebody who's on screen doing romantic scenes.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Amber]

You got to be really confident in your relationship, I think. Right.

[Ian]

You're right about that. But, you know, well, I was going to give you a mountain, say, and I'll skip it. What's next?

[Amber]

Number two.

[Ian]

Number two, Give me Patrick Mahomes.

[Amber]

I know people may be surprised by this, but surprised to me, compared to what Mahomes has been, who is the icon who has sort of been treated like something that is not human over the course of his career, as he should be, because I still think he retires and it's going to be Brady versus Mahomes. But I also can't ignore that over the last two years he hasn't been, I think, the best quarterback in the league. Just if you look at the numbers. Yes. The postseason results, everyone's going to say, how can you deny that? But I think there are a lot of quarterbacks because of that Kansas City team and what they're able to do, who could be in that role and they probably would get to a Super bowl and maybe win one as well. Mahomes is still the greatest quarterback of this generation, but right now he's not my number one quarterback.

[Ian]

Wow. Well, I have some thoughts, but I will save it until our number three, the nine o' clock hour when I do my list. There's a tease. That should keep people around. So what's number one? Number one will Levis.

[Amber]

The postseason results haven't been there for Lamar Jackson. Right. But if you go back to last year and what happened last season, I mean, if Mark Andrews doesn't drop a pass, there were a lot of things that were out of his control. There are a lot of things that were not Lamar Jackson things. I know everybody wants to put everything on him, but I also can't ignore what should be Back to back. MVP should have been a third MVP. 65 passing touchdowns over the last two years, 74 he's accounted for, including rushing. I think he's the best quarterback in the NFL right now. If you're starting a team. I'm picking Lamar Jackson to run my team because I think he's that good.

[Ian]

There you go. Myron's top five. Lamar Jackson comes in at number one on his quarterback list. I will do my list a little later on and correct the deficiencies in Myron's list that he just did. But before then, there's still a lot to go on. There's a team of geriatrics in the NBA. We'll deal with it next on Amber and Ian.

[Amber]

Hey, it's Michelle Smallman. And coming up Tuesday, Chris Canty will have to answer for comparing Kayla Williams to Patrick Mahomes last year.

[Ian]

Yikes.

[Amber]

You don't want to miss that.

[Ian]

It's unsportsmanlike.

[Amber]

6Am Eastern right here on ESPN radio, ESPN2 and ESPNU. Thanks for listening to Amber and Ian the Podcast. You can listen to Amber and Ian live weeknights from 7 to 10 Eastern on ESPN radio, the ESPN app, and on SiriusXM channel 80. Amber and Ian the podcast ESPN Fantasy.

[Ian]

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