Hour 3: Turning Tide

Summary

Detailed Summary of "Hour 3: Turning Tide" from Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron

Released on July 13, 2025

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Introduction

In the "Hour 3: Turning Tide" episode of ESPN Radio’s Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron, hosts Myron Medcalf and guest host Andrew Salchunas engage in a lively discourse on the current state of the NFL's quarterback rankings, the evolving dynamics in other major sports leagues, and interactive segments featuring listener-submitted hot takes. This episode delves deep into the merits of emerging quarterbacks, challenges established perceptions, and fosters engaging conversations with the audience.

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1. Debating the Best Quarterback in the NFC

Timestamp: 02:05 - 09:13

The episode kicks off with an intense debate surrounding the top quarterbacks in the NFC, centering primarily on Jaden Daniels.

• Myron Medcalf asserts, “[...] Jaden Daniels is already the best quarterback in the NFC” (02:05). He highlights Daniels' impressive stats, including over 850 rushing yards, six touchdowns, and a solid touchdown-to-interception ratio of 23-9. Additionally, he points out Daniels' remarkable performance on fourth downs, converting 87% of them (02:30), and emphasizes his pivotal role in revitalizing the Washington Commanders, giving fans renewed hope (02:34).

• Andrew Salchunas challenges this view by comparing Daniels to other notable quarterbacks like Jared Goff and Matt Stafford. He questions whether turning around a struggling team should elevate a quarterback’s status, drawing parallels to Matt Stafford's trade to the Rams, which led to a Super Bowl win (02:48).

• Myron counters, maintaining that the Commanders were "broken from top to bottom" and praises Daniels for carrying the team to the playoffs, a feat no one anticipated (03:45).

The conversation then broadens to include other star quarterbacks:

• Myron discusses Joe Burrow’s statistical excellence but contrasts it with Jalen Hurts’ tangible achievements, such as leading his team to two Super Bowls and securing a championship ring—something Burrow has yet to accomplish (05:43).

• The debate continues, with Andrew advocating for Burrow’s recognition based on his value to the Bengals, despite Myron’s emphasis on postseason success as a key metric (06:23; 08:04).

2. Evaluating Top NFL Quarterbacks

Timestamp: 09:13 - 35:57

The hosts delve deeper into the standings of top NFL quarterbacks, assessing both statistical performance and leadership qualities.

• Jalen Hurts emerges as a focal point. Myron underscores his dual-threat capabilities and leadership, deeming him one of the most difficult quarterbacks to rank due to his consistent performances (07:21; 35:40).

• Andrew supports Hurts, noting his Super Bowl appearances and victories against elite quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, arguing that Hurts' achievements should solidify his position in the top five (34:39).

• The discussion touches upon other quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and CJ Stroud, with Myron expressing reservations about certain players despite their talent, emphasizing that postseason success ("achievement") should weigh heavily in rankings (07:21; 35:23).

3. Listener Engagement – "King of the Mountain"

Timestamp: 12:15 - 36:36

The interactive segment "King of the Mountain" invites listeners to submit their hottest sports takes, sparking diverse and passionate responses:

• Glenn from Atlantic City (13:03) criticizes Major League Baseball’s handling of the strike zone, drawing comparisons to tennis’s technological advancements for line calls.

• Jared in St. Louis (20:50) makes a bold statement against Mike Tomlin being a first-ballot Hall of Famer, citing Tomlin's playoff record and questioning the Steelers' managerial standards.

• Chucky from North Carolina (27:15) offers a hypothetical scenario involving Phil Jackson coaching the Lakers, critiquing his adaptability to the modern NBA.

• Corey from New Jersey (32:07) advocates for Jalen Hurts as "the most underrated quarterback in the league," highlighting his impressive completion percentage (80%) and dual-threat abilities.

Ultimately, Jared’s provocative take on Mike Tomlin clinches the "King of the Mountain" title (22:53), showcasing the show's dynamic engagement with its audience.

4. Broader Sports Perspectives

Timestamp: 17:39 - 35:57

Beyond quarterback debates, the hosts explore various sports topics:

• LeBron James' Legacy: A caller challenges the notion of retiring LeBron's jersey, arguing that his playoff performances and contributions to the Lakers don't warrant such an honor. Myron counters, acknowledging LeBron's undeniable impact and championship achievements (30:05).

• Houston Sports Teams: Gator from Texas (17:39) posits that all three Houston professional teams—Rockets, Astros, and Texans—are poised to reach their respective championships, highlighting key players and team dynamics.

• Aaron Rodgers’ Legacy: Myron discusses how off-field actions and public perceptions have impacted Aaron Rodgers' legacy, despite his on-field prowess (30:05).

5. Fun and Games – Making Predictions and Bets

Timestamp: 36:36 - 45:18

The episode transitions into a more lighthearted mode, with the hosts and callers making predictions on ongoing games and events:

• Major League Baseball Predictions:

  • Cubs vs. Yankees: Myron favors the Yankees, noting their recent improvements, while Andrew opts for the Cubs based on their current performance (40:16).

  • Mariners vs. Tigers: Both hosts back the Mariners, albeit for different reasons—Myron for Cal Raleigh's potential home run record (41:14) and Andrew for the Dodgers’ strong pitching lineup (42:53).

• Home Run Derby Bets:

  • Cal Raleigh is a preferred pick by Myron, who guarantees his performance, while Andrew chooses Matt Olson for his consistent swing (43:32).

6. Concluding Remarks

Timestamp: 45:38 - End

As the episode winds down, hosts reflect on the day's discussions, congratulate Jared on his winning hot take, and tease future segments. They also share a humorous moment about the guest host Andrew dealing with production issues and the noisy air conditioning during Myron's remote hosting setup.

Key Quotes with Timestamps:

• Myron Medcalf: "I think he's the best quarterback in the NFC, period." (02:05)

• Andrew Salchunas: "Let's talk about Matt Stafford because Matt Stafford... should Matt Stafford be considered the best in the NFC because he took that team to the Super Bowl?" (02:48)

• Myron Medcalf: "Jaden Daniels deserves praise for essentially turning water to wine in Washington, getting that team into the playoffs." (04:51)

• Glenn from Atlantic City: "For baseball to allow to put up the strike zone, the K zone, and still allow umpires to call ball to strikes any way they want is egregious." (13:03)

• Jared in St. Louis: "Why is Pittsburgh held a standard now that somehow ESPN... thinks like Pittsburgh's the standard of football and they've been mediocre for 10 years?" (20:50)

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Conclusion

"Hour 3: Turning Tide" serves as a comprehensive exploration of the current sports landscape, offering insightful analysis, passionate debates, and engaging interactive segments. Myron Medcalf and Andrew Salchunas, alongside their audience, navigate the complexities of quarterback rankings, evaluate the legacies of sports icons, and inject spirited predictions into the mix. This episode exemplifies the dynamic and multifaceted nature of sports discussions, ensuring listeners are both informed and entertained.

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Transcript

[Andrew Salchunas]

Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for 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 of $45 for a 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. See mintmobile.com this is Matt and Myron, the podcast Sunday morning presented by Progressive Insurance. I'm Andrew Salt Cunas filling in for Matt today. We got Myron Medcalf sweating in his studio right now. Hang in there. You got about an hour left. All right, coming up at 12:15. Right around 12:15, we want your hottest sports takes. You guys have started something new on the show called King of the Mountain where people try to give their hottest take and we have a winner take all match. But it sort of stemmed from a take that was given in the past. I believe it was Paul Fine Bomb you guys were talking about. And then you started having callers chime in on this. And so as of this week, we had almost dueling takes surrounding one name, even though I think they're kind of in the same charts, just different. Pew. Because one person went a little bit further when it came to Jaden Daniels. ESPN is touring the country as SportsCenter's 50 States and 50 Days continues today with Nicole Briscoe at the Whitewater center along the Oklahoma river, catching Nicole throughout the day on SportsCenter as she reports from Riversport in Oklahoma City. So Harry Douglas, who we had on earlier in the show, hosts of Freddie and Harry, he was on on sportsmanlike and he was talking about Jaden Daniels. Because we've reached that stage in the summer, we start looking toward the next season and who's going to be the best, who's going to be the worst. And Harry Douglas said that Jaden Daniels is already the best quarterback in the nfc.

[Myron Medcalf]

Well, I think he's the best quarterback in the nfc, period. You talk about a guy who rushed for over 850 yards and six touchdowns and only had what, 23 touchdowns to nine interceptions. This is a guy who on fourth down, the Washington Commanders completed 87% or converted 87% of those four fourth downs. They were 20 for 23. This is a guy who put a.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Franchise in a an organization on his back when they were at their lowest.

[Myron Medcalf]

Times and actually gave Washington commander fans hope. So now when you look at 20, 25, Commander fans can walk around loud and proud and talk about their quarterback, talk about their organization.

[Andrew Salchunas]

So here's one thing. I'll push back on with Harry and I wish we had more time when we spoke with him earlier. I don't care that he took the commanders out of a tough spot like then that means Jared Goff should be considered one of the better quarterbacks because he took them to an NFC title game or I don't know. Let's talk about Matt Stafford. Because Matt Stafford, they trade him to the Rams and and they win the Super Bowl. So should Matt Stafford be considered the best in the NFC because he took that team to the Super Bowl? Every single year there's a quarterback drafted within the top five picks and some work, some don't. But the ones that work, if we're basing it off of that, that he took a team that was down in the dumps for a long time, I don't think that should really give you more points because there's a lot of franchises that have tough times and then all of a sudden come out the mud or come out of the weeds because of the quarterback. That doesn't, for me, give him more points in this conversation, Myron.

[Myron Medcalf]

It does for me. I mean, I don't know that Washington was in a tough spot. I feel like they were broken from top to bottom, you know, from ownership to front office to leadership. I mean, there was such a mess and no one thought Jayden Daniels could do it. I mean, Caleb Williams. My problem with the Caleb Williams narrative is people are saying, well, he had nothing coming to the season. We were saying this is the best situation for a number one pick that we've ever seen. And then suddenly we got into the year and be were like, well, he has nothing. Well, that's not true because that wasn't what we were saying. Jaden Daniels had nothing. And I think everything that Washington did was on his shoulders. So I think he does deserve praise for essentially turning water to wine in Washington, getting that team into the playoffs. No one, absolutely no one, saw that coming. And if we're just talking numbers, there aren't a lot of guys who competed with him last year. Now can he do it again? I mean, that's a whole different conversation. But I think he's already cemented himself as one of the top quarterbacks, at least in the nfc. And I think even in the NFL again, if this production continues.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Now, I can once again bring up another quarterback, Joe Burrow, because he was with Cincinnati. Cincinnati, we all know about the Marvin Lewis, you know, 500 record for like 20 years. And I know they had some success, especially with Carson Palmer. But if we're talking about taking a team out from a certain idea that this is always a 500 football team and they go to the super bowl, they take down Patrick Mahomes, then Joe Burrow should get more love or just as much love as Jaden Daniels. I know Daniels did it as a rookie, but it's not like Joe Burrow was a 10 year vet when he took that Cincinnati team to the Super Bowl. Now speaking of Joe Burrow, Chris Canti on Unsportsman like, it's almost like they did their own king of the mountain. Myron. Harry Douglas says that Jaden Daniels is the best quarterback in the nfc. Chris Canty is talking about how Jaden Daniels could be in the top five this season. And take a listen to the player he thinks he pushes out.

[Myron Medcalf]

Jaden Daniels. If he does get into the top five quarterbacks in the National Football League. And I get that, that's a big if. But if he does get in, the guy that we're worried about being pushed out or being replaced ain't Jalen Hurts is Joe Burrow. That's the guy. Jalen Hurts has established himself in this league. Jalen Hurts has been to two Super Bowls. Jalen Hurts beat Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. He's got a ring. I've seen it from Jalen Hurts. We have yet to see it from Joe Burrow. Remember I said you judge greatness in this league by a few different things. Championship rings, all pros and MVPs. Joe Burrow ain't got none of that.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah, but Joe Burrow did get to a Super Bowl. If we were to talk about getting to a Super Bowl, Josh Allen hasn't done that yet. I'm not saying that Josh Allen should be out of the top five. What I'm saying is I think there are four quarterbacks that are in the top five. And five is the one that you could debate. I'm a Philly guy. Jalen Hurts. I could even debate that Jalen Hurts is not in the top five to say that Joe Burrow could be pushed out. If Joe Burrow was not on the Bengals last year. That team wins two games because of how bad that defense was, Myron.

[Myron Medcalf]

I mean, Joe Burrow had. I think you made the case that Statistically, at least, Joe Burrow had the best season in the NFL. I mean, if you look at the numbers. So I don't. I don't agree with Canty there. Here's my problem with the Jaden Daniels conversation. I think we can talk a lot about how great last year was, how he stood out in a class that a lot of people thought Caleb Williams was the star of, would be the face of that class. And maybe he's ultimately could be third or fourth in that class, maybe fifth. We did the same thing with CJ Stroud.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Absolutely.

[Myron Medcalf]

We had so many conversations about CJ Stroud being a top five quarterback. CJ Stroud himself was on like a podcast tour last summer saying, yeah, it's like Joe Burrow, Lamar and me, you know? And then year two, there was a bit of an awakening. Things were more challenging. So that could happen to Jaden Daniels as well. Joe Burrow is established. Joe Burrow has proven himself. It's Burrow, Lamar, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and guess what? Only one of those guys has a ring. So we can't just base it on rings. We can't just base it on that being the standard when three of the top four unanimous top four quarterbacks in the NFL don't have a champion.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Oh, yeah, and he's the one that's been there. Out of those four names that you mentioned, Lamar hasn't made it to the Super Bowl. That should not be a knock on him for not being in the top five. Josh Allen's not been to a Super Bowl. That should not be a knock on him being in the top five. Now, if you want to go off of the Jalen Hurts point that he made. Yeah, Jalen Hurts has been to two, and he has won one of those Super Bowls, and that's why he should be in the conversation for top five. But if we're talking about pushing one guy out, I don't think you can push Joe Burrow out just because he hasn't won an All Pro or he hasn't won an mvp. Seriously, if we're talking about what MVP truly means, Most Valuable player, I said this last year, Joe Burrow actually probably should have won because if he is not on that Bengals team, that Bengals team might win two games. That defense was so bad, the fact that they finished with the record they had is. Is to me why he was the most valuable player. I know he wasn't going to get it. I know it was going to come down to Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson because those teams won and those teams got to the playoffs and those team made deep playoff runs. But if we're talking about what the, the title really means, most valuable player Joe Burrow was the most valuable player because that Bengals team isn't doing anything without him.

[Myron Medcalf]

Last year, I mean, he, he had a strong case for it. I think he definitely deserved consideration. I mean, we get caught up in Lamar versus Josh Allen, and clearly those guys are the four. Like, those are the four kings at quarterback. And I don't think Jaden Daniels is in that group yet. Now, granted, if Jaden Daniels has another phenomenal second season, I think that he certainly could be in the mix as a top five guy. However, I would like to make the case that the real guy he's going to push out is a guy that we don't want to mention, and that's Lamar Jackson. Because at the end of the day, as prolific as Lamar Jackson has been, as great as the numbers have been, the results in the postseason have not been there. And if we get another year of Lamar Jackson falling short in the postseason, well, Jaden Daniels to me might be the guy that we decide is fourth out of five or maybe just a member of that class. But I don't think it's Joe Burrow who's been to a Super Bowl. It's two other guys in that top four who've got to prove that they can get to that stage before we start talking about bumping out Joe Burrow.

[Andrew Salchunas]

So coming up next, your chance to play King of the Mountain. Call 888-729-3776. That's Triple H, say ESPN. We want your hottest sports take. Call in, have the best take, and you are the winner. You are the king of the Mountain. It is Sunday morning presented by Progressive Insurance here on ESPN Radio and the ESPN app.

[Myron Medcalf]

Matt and Myron the podcast.

[Andrew Salchunas]

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[Myron Medcalf]

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[Andrew Salchunas]

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[Myron Medcalf]

Call now with your hottest takes.

[Glenn]

Hello?

[Myron Medcalf]

And then Matt and Myron will announce the hottest of them all.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Is his destiny gonna be fulfilled? My destiny awakens. This is the King of the Mountain champion.

[Myron Medcalf]

The King of the Mountain.

[Glenn]

Ladies and gentlemen, your winner and new.

[Myron Medcalf]

King of the mountain, Glenn in Atlantic City.

[Glenn]

Lifelong, lifelong sports fan. Love myself some baseball. But for baseball to allow to put up the strike zone, the K zone, and still allow umpires to call ball to strikes any way they want is egregious. How does Major League Baseball allow that? A player argues a bad call, they kick him out of the game.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Dead wrong.

[Glenn]

Tennis has it right. Tennis has gone away from the umpires. They use the lasers and everything is.

[Myron Medcalf]

This game is smooth.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Now, I gotta admit, I appreciate that an Atlantic City man was the winner of King of the Mountain last week.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Because I go, I go to Brigantine, which is two minutes away from Atlantic City. So I know all about AC down the Jersey Shore. This is Sunday Morning presented by Progressive Insurance with Matt and Myron. I'm Andrew Salchunas filling in for Matt. So let's get right to it. You can call in at 888-729-3776. That's Triple H, say ESPN with your hottest take. Let's go to Mike in Florida. Mike, you're on Sunday Morning with Matt and Myron.

[Glenn]

Yeah. First of all, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl. Not one man. And Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson won Super Bowls, but that didn't make them elite quarterbacks. And 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. Those are not top five numbers. He's a game manager. He's a game manager.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You're a stat reader, and that's okay. That's okay. It's your take. You're allowed to have that opinion. You're allowed to have that opinion. Now, here's the thing, Myron. I'll say this because I want to keep on going. Is game manager necessarily a bad thing? I say no. There's my hot take. I'm okay with a game manager as long as you're not throwing interceptions left and right. That's part of the reason why they had their collapse two years ago was because Hertz couldn't keep the ball under control. That's my take.

[Myron Medcalf]

I mean, I think it's a pretty strong take. Game manager isn't a bad thing.

[Andrew Salchunas]

It's not.

[Myron Medcalf]

But I do think elite quarterback is a different conversation that most game managers aren't involved. Jalen Hurts is the most difficult quarterback in terms of deciding where he's ranked, because this guy does beat Mahomes and probably should have two super bowl wins over Mahomes, but I don't think anyone puts him in the same class as those guys, so. But I thought that was a pretty strong take. I like it.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Take. I just don't agree with it. I think he's better than Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer, but that might just be Philly bias coming out. I get it.

[Myron Medcalf]

That's. That's. That's fair. But, hey, the people, it's their king of the mountain. So if that's what he. If that's what they like. So it's so far, strong. Let's see what else we got.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Let's go to Mike in Illinois. Mike, what do you got?

[Glenn]

Hey, good morning, guys. Hey. I heard earlier, and I don't want to just because I don't want to be incorrect, but I heard on one of the shows, and maybe with you guys earlier, Somebody said in 10 years, the Lakers are going to want to have LeBron back and raise his jersey to the rafters.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yes, Hello. That was me.

[Glenn]

Yeah. If that happens, in my opinion, that would be the biggest farce in sports history.

[Andrew Salchunas]

History.

[Glenn]

How in the world has LeBron earned any right to have his jersey raised to the rafters? Less times not making the playoffs as a Laker than making the playoffs, getting swept out. When he does make the playoffs once, that is Absolutely. A ridiculous, ridiculous thing to say. And that's. That's my take on it.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Okay. Another strong point. Take myron.

[Myron Medcalf]

I mean, LeBron did bring them out of a really tough drought. I mean, you got to give him credit as a guy who, like, is responsible for giving the Lakers the one modern championship they have after Kobe. So, I don't know.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I think there were some bad years after Kobe, man. Some bad years. They thought that Lonzo Ball was going to turn something for the Lakers, and it didn't. He's an NBA champion. I know people have the. The Mickey Mouse championship that people like to make fun of because it was in the bubble, but championship is a championship, man. He brought them to that.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah. My, my. You know, Miami, Cleveland, and LA will all hold ceremonies for LeBron when it's all said and done, and they will all retire his jersey. That's just the reality. He. He's left an undeniable mark on all those franchises in different ways.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Now. Another strong take. Let's go to Gator in Texas.

[Myron Medcalf]

Number one. We got it. Well, we got to pick a king so far.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Oh, my God. Yeah, that's right.

[Myron Medcalf]

Mike, number one. I think you're trying to beat Mike.

[Andrew Salchunas]

With the Jalen Hurts.

[Myron Medcalf]

The Jalen Hurts take. I think that's still number one for now, but someone's got to beat that take.

[Andrew Salchunas]

All right, let's try Gator in Texas. What's up, Gator?

[Glenn]

I'll tell you, this hot take is hotter than this Houston heat. I think Houston, all three professional teams can make it to the championship. We got KD with the Rockets. Now with this young core, the Astros are first place in the als. In the words of Jeff Passon's, the Astros are inevitable. They got a chance to take it off. Then, of course, the Houston Texans Coach d' Amico Ryan's with that hot defense. Oh, yeah. So I think all three teams could be able to make it to the championship and bring home the trophy.

[Andrew Salchunas]

That's a strong take because I don't think he's totally off base. I mean, I don't think C.J. stroud's getting his tee. I mean, he's got to go through Allen Mahomes, Lamar. That's going to be really hard, but that's what makes it a hot take. But the other two are actually legitimate possibilities.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah, I mean, you know, the Texans one is what threw me off a little bit. I mean, it's strong, but I don't know that that the Texans are even in that conversation. Let's Bounce back after last year. Now, if you would have said Houston Cougars, men's basketball, Sampson and those guys, I'm with you. That could be their third championship. I like that he's. His name is Gator. I don't think he's topping Jalen Hurts guy right now.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah. See the three championships I saw in Philly, the Eagles and the Phillies and The Union, their MLS team. Three championships in 100 days. They lost all three. Pretty tough to go over three, but they got there. They got there. Let's go to Mark in Ohio, who's trying to beat Mike right now at the. Jalen Hurts take. What's up, Mark?

[Glenn]

I just want to say Angel Reese being on the COVID of 2K, I think, is ridiculous. Caitlin Clark, everybody knows she's the face of the wnba. I don't know why we keep holding her back. She's not an Olympic team. She's not on the COVID 2K. What's up with that?

[Myron Medcalf]

Yes. That's a strong take. I mean, I know it was a big. A lot of people feel like, yeah, Caitlin Clark should be on the COVID of. Of 2K, Andrew. I mean, you know, she's the biggest star by far. I think Caitlin Clark is top three most famous basketball players in the world right now.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Here's what's going to happen. I can guarantee you that Caitlin Clark will one day be on the COVID of 2K. That's a guarantee. That's a guarantee. Right? And it could probably be as early as next year. I mean, Angel Reese is still doing a lot of tremendous things in the WNBA. Fastest player to what, 40 double doubles in the career. So it's not like Angel Reese stinks. I know a lot of people like to talk about the shot and they like to poke fun at her, you know, online, but it's not like Angel Reese is a bad basketball player by any means. She's part of the reason why the WNBA is getting more and more attention, deservedly so, because it is those two players.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah, she's the number two star, I think, you know, in the WNBA in terms of names that people know. Strong take. I don't think this show or any other show should put an Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark take as the king of the mountain at all. It's just kind of a weird time.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah. Oh, definitely a weird time.

[Myron Medcalf]

Thanks to one of our former colleagues here at espn. So for me, I think we still. I know you don't like it, Andrew, but I think Michael and Jalen Hurts is still. Still number one. Somebody's got to beat Mike, it's all.

[Andrew Salchunas]

About hottest takes, right? And calling the Super Bowl MVP game. Manager. That's, that's kind of, that's kind of take ish. Let's go to Jared in St. Louis. What's up, Jared?

[Glenn]

Hey, how you guys doing?

[Andrew Salchunas]

How you doing?

[Glenn]

Good, good, good, good. My big take is I don't understand why everybody's on Mike Tomlin's first ballot hall of Fame guy. They're like, oh, he has no losing record. That's not, that's not a Hall of Fame, a ballot thing. Like, he's 8, 11, the playoffs in 10 years, he has eight straight postseason losses. He's up there with the Carolina Panthers, the Cardinals, the Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta and the jets as not having any of these playoff wins. He's three and nine in the playoffs in 14 years. Like, what are we talking about? Why is Pittsburgh held a standard now that somehow espn, not you guys personally, but seems to think like Pittsburgh's the standard of football and they've been mediocre, mediocre to trash for 10 years now.

[Andrew Salchunas]

So he mentioned we have our winner. That's it. That's a great one. Because he mentioned, I think, I think.

[Myron Medcalf]

We have our king of the mountain.

[Andrew Salchunas]

He mentioned teams like the Jets, Jets, Dolphins, Panthers. Right? They don't go to the playoffs. They don't go to the playoffs. The Steelers do. And the winning record, I get it, it's been a long time since they performed in the playoffs. But Mike Tomlin not being a first ballot hall of Famer is an insane take, but it's a hot take. So Myron, Mike the winner or Jared?

[Myron Medcalf]

Jared. Right?

[Andrew Salchunas]

Jared is the winner.

[Myron Medcalf]

I think Jared right now, I think, I think he is the winner. But are we going to keep going on this, James, or what are we doing? Let's, let's. Can we keep going?

[Andrew Salchunas]

We can take a couple more.

[Myron Medcalf]

Let's do more. Let's do some more. King of the Mountain. So far I think It's Jared and St. Louis. But I'll tell you what, Andrew, here's the thing. Yeah. It, it feels like the tone around Mike Tomlin is shifting. Absolutely. Feels unique to me.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah.

[Glenn]

All right.

[Andrew Salchunas]

We could talk more about that. And we want more of your takes. 888-729-3776. That's triple eight, say ESPN right now. Jared in St. Louis is the king of the mountain with Mike Tomlin. Shouldn't be a first ballot hall of Famer. We want more of your takes and we'll talk a little bit more about that coming up next year on ESPN Radio and the ESPN app.

[Myron Medcalf]

Matt and Myron the Podcast.

[Andrew Salchunas]

With a.

[Myron Medcalf]

Venmo Debit card, you can Venmo more than just your friends.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You can use your balance in so many ways. You can Venmo everything.

[Myron Medcalf]

Need gas?

[Andrew Salchunas]

You can Venmo this.

[Myron Medcalf]

How about snacks?

[Andrew Salchunas]

You can Venmo that. Your favorite band's merch?

[Myron Medcalf]

You can Venmo this or their next show?

[Andrew Salchunas]

You can Venmo that. Visit Venmo Me Debit to learn more.

[Glenn]

You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that.

[Myron Medcalf]

You can Venmo.

[Andrew Salchunas]

The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license by MasterCard International, Inc. Card may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Sports are all about teamwork and so is insurance. Whether you need an in person or digital assist, State Farm is there to help you choose the right coverage for your home car and more. Get a game plan that helps fit your life and talk to State Farm today. State Farm with the assist. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability and eligibility vary by state.

[Myron Medcalf]

Call now with your hottest takes.

[Glenn]

Hello?

[Myron Medcalf]

And then Matt and Myron will announce the hottest of them all.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Is his destiny gonna be fulfilled? My destiny awakens. This is the king of the bowling champion.

[Myron Medcalf]

The king of the Mountain.

[Glenn]

Ladies and gentlemen, your winner and new king of the mountain champion.

[Myron Medcalf]

Glenn in Atlantic City.

[Glenn]

Lifelong lifelong sports fan. Love myself some baseball. But for baseball to allow to put up the strike zone, the K zone, and still allow umpires to call ball strikes any way they want is egregious. How does Major League Baseball allow that? A player argues a bad call, they kick him out of the game.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Dead wrong.

[Glenn]

Tennis has it right. Tennis has gone away from the umpires. They use the lasers and everything.

[Myron Medcalf]

This game is smooth.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Now. Glenn will be happy tomorrow night because there's no need for balls and strikes. Tune in for Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby as the game's best sluggers vie for long ball supremacy. Coverage begins tomorrow night at 8 o' clock Eastern on ESPN radio and the ESPN app. So that was last week's winner, but currently in the lead. Jared in St. Louis. Going with Mike Tomlin isn't a first ballot hall of Famer. So Myron, before we get back to more of our greatest takes that we got going on right now, let's talk a little bit about Mike Tomlin. You get the sense that sort of the tide is Turning for a lot of people and how they perceive Mike Tomlinson.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah. You know, and I'm saying this as like a national radio guy, but, like, from what I've heard, Pittsburgh people have been saying a lot of this for a while. Right. But I think we're just now maybe catching up nationally to sort of this idea of Steelers fans maybe being disappointed with what they've seen from Mike Tomlin. You know, nationally. He is the golden child in a lot of ways. Like, he's the. The guy who came up as a coordinator and then just such an inspirational dude. He wins the super bowl and just has such a presence about him. But it feels like people are kind of getting tired of Mike Tomlin. I don't know if that's fair, but it's not the same buzz from a couple years ago, that's for sure.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Well, and I could tell you from experience, when the Eagles were going to NFC Championship games, left and right with Andy Reid, but they couldn't win the big one. They couldn't win some of those NFC Championship games. And then when they finally break through through, they can't win the Super Bowl. There are a lot of Eagles fans that were ready to move on from Andy Reid. So I get what Pittsburgh Steelers fans are going through, but the only thing that I can say is you don't know what the other side could hold. Like, it was bad. Chip Kelly was not good with the Philadelphia Eagles. So just because you move on from the guy that you want to move on from doesn't necessarily mean that the next option is much better. This is Sunday Morning presented by Progressive Insurance, Matt and Myron. I'm Andrew South Tunis filling in for Matt. So let's see if anybody can take down Jared. Let's go to Chucky in North Carolina. Chucky, good morning.

[Glenn]

Hey, good morning. Thank you for taking my call. I appreciate it. I want to preface very quickly before I say what I say, I like J.J. redick. I think he's a good guy. My first opinion on him with his squad is his mishandling of Dalton. Connect with what connected in the big dance and all that talent right now, it looks like it's going to waste, but I'll put that aside. Here's a jocksta position for the Lakers. If you took Phil Jackson, you put him on that bench as the coach and you got LeBron Luca Austin, the new center and connect, what would Phil Jackson do with that squad? JJ I'm going to post that on social media. You got some work to do. So there's My. There's my hot take.

[Andrew Salchunas]

All right, well, thanks, Chucky. We appreciate it. I mean, my, my question is, can Phil Jackson still coach? It's been 14 years.

[Myron Medcalf]

I don't.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Like, is he still up to date with today's NBA?

[Myron Medcalf]

Well, I mean, you know, Phil also conveniently had MJ and Kobe right at the end of the day, he lost me at the Dalton Connect take. Like, I don't. I don't know that. Like, we need to be talking about if Dalton connect is being used the right way. He's been given opportunities. It just. I don't think he was sort of a first year star. Good player, but not necessarily the difference maker.

[Andrew Salchunas]

They weren't beating the T Wolves in five. If Dalton connect plays, right? Like, it's not all sunshine.

[Myron Medcalf]

It wasn't that.

[Andrew Salchunas]

All right, so Jackson.

[Myron Medcalf]

I'm going to a time machine or something. I don't know what he's talking about.

[Andrew Salchunas]

All right, let's go to Mike and Indy. Mike, you're on Sunday morning here on East Pin radio. Mike.

[Glenn]

Yeah, in Mike in Indianapolis. Here. Grow up. 20 minutes south. My whole life, man, I just want to say super hot take here. I enjoyed watching my Irish lose the natty championship. I had my heart ripped out watching Indiana lose the finals. So super hot take here, man. Anthony Richardson, most improved player. Colts are losing the super bowl, baby. Let's go Indy. Can't wait to see that happen for us as well. So that's my hot take.

[Myron Medcalf]

Well, we, we wanted hot takes, not 3am last call at the bar takes.

[Glenn]

Yeah.

[Myron Medcalf]

You know what I mean? Like, that's how that sounded.

[Andrew Salchunas]

That almost was like a therapy session.

[Myron Medcalf]

Fine line. It was. Yeah.

[Andrew Salchunas]

That was almost.

[Myron Medcalf]

Tell somebody.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I'm going to try to enjoy the pain that I've been dealt with over these years.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah. Probably more likely that Anthony Richardson struggles and Shane Stichen is fired by Week 6. Then the Colts making some sort of run I think, in the. In the postseason.

[Andrew Salchunas]

All right, let's try Frank in Wisconsin. First two, first two, not so hot. Lukewarm takes. We need hot. Let's go to Frank in Wisconsin. What's up, Frank?

[Glenn]

What's happening, fellas? Thanks for taking my call. I think my hot take, Roger should have retired a Green Bay packer only for the sake of his entire legacy. Has kind of been a little bit tarnished over the last couple of years. I'm a Jets fan, you know, but personally, I, I think his. His relationship with, you know, front office, other players, it's kind of gotten a little bit of a bad rap over the last three seasons going from the jets, the Achilles comeback. I love the competitor in him, but I think he should have retired a Green Bay Packer and quit while he was ahead.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Well, the thing is, and thanks, Frank, is that both parties needed to agree to that. They were ready to go to Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers felt a certain type of way and was ready to move on. It's not like he could have just stayed there.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah. And you know, it's okay if you move on. I think you can move on and still come back to Green Bay and be the guy in terms of people recognize you, acknowledging you, praising you in some sort of ceremony. I just think Aaron Rodgers completely has mishandled the last three years of his career in terms of setting up his post football future.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah. Now when we talk about legacies, like our legacies totally tarnished when we remember who Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback, was back in his prime. Like, I don't think so. Like, I know a lot of people did that with Jason Peters because Jason Peters stuck around the league for so long as the left tackle. I don't all of a sudden forget that he's a Hall of Famer. Like Aaron Rodgers is still a Hall of Famer.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah, but he's an unlikable hall of Famer. Oh, I get that.

[Glenn]

Yeah.

[Myron Medcalf]

He's made the story less about football and more about all the other stuff.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Right.

[Myron Medcalf]

Which is odd because to me, like, you could retire being TV for the next 30 years if you want, host a show, whatever you want to do, and people would love you. It almost seems like Aaron Rodgers, his goal has been to make sure as many people dislike him as possible before it's all said.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah, you could do the magic mushrooms just on the side without people knowing about it. Let's go to Corey in New Jersey Cor, on Sunday morning here on ESPN Radio.

[Glenn]

Hey guys, what's going on? So I guess my hot take would really be that Jalen Hurts is the most underrated quarterback in the league.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Oh, okay, explain.

[Glenn]

Yeah, so he isn't always the flashiest guy. So I guess that's why he doesn't get the love that like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Mahomes gets. But he has the highest adjusted completion percentage in the NFL, 80%. Which is incredibly great. And honestly, he is probably going to go down by the time that his career is over as the best dual threat quarterback in history. Probably. I mean, the guy is great and gets undermined because how great his team is around him. But he's probably the most undervalued superstar in the league.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Okay, Corey, thanks for the question.

[Myron Medcalf]

Your world, Andrew. I'll let you. I'll let you look, take this.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I understand where he's coming from. I'm gonna guess that Corey is. Is an Eagles fan. And if you ever listen to people talk nationally like, this is the first time where we're hearing Jalen Hurts top five, legitimate top five conversation. The fact that Chris Canty said that Jayden Daniels could push out Joe Burrow and not Jalen Hurts, that, like, that's a totally different conversation that we have had previously. But the fact that the conversation is happening, that means we're seeing a bit of a change. So that's good that he's getting the love that I think he deserves, going to two Super Bowls in three years. But to say that he doesn't get a lot of recognition. When they went to the super bowl the first time, every time I turned on a tv, Jalen Hurts was on. Yeah, there was a commercial with Jalen Hurts on it because people do love Jalen Hurts. Now, you said it earlier. He's one of the hardest guys to debate, though, because he doesn't have the arm of Josh Allen, the speed of Lamar Jackson. He may be dual threat, but he doesn't have the elite speed of Lamar Jackson. The elite arm strength is Josh Allen. He just does everything above average, which to me, that's good. And I think people will recognize that as more and more wins happen. But I think he does get slighted because of the team around him. But name me the top quarterback that didn't have top talent other than Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, and that's why they're considered the goats.

[Myron Medcalf]

Let me ask you real quick. You putting Jalen over Jayden Daniels right now?

[Andrew Salchunas]

I am right now, yes. And it's not because of Eagles bias. It's because he has done it multiple times. Now, that that doesn't mean Jayden Daniels can't surpass him one day, but right now, I mean, Jalen Hurts has been to two Super Bowls. Like, that can't be ignored. And he was great at both Super Bowls.

[Myron Medcalf]

Jalen over Dak Prescott.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yes, Dak Prescott. Statistically, maybe not. But the quarterback, because it's not just about numbers. The quarterback, Jalen Hurts isn't losing the games for you. Dak Prescott has lost Cowboys games.

[Myron Medcalf]

Jalen over Jared Goff.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Interesting conversation because both guys have similar talent around them and they make the most of the talent around them. That's a tough one for me. It really is. I will go Jalen because he does more, because he has his legs right now. Jared Goff uses his arm more because he has to. But Jalen hurts does more overall. But I think that is a tough one because those two guys are very comparable. They both have great running backs, great offensive linemen, great wide receivers, great tight ends. They're very similar. Their situations are the same.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah. It's interesting once you get into Jalen hurts because I think you can make a case that some of the guys in that next tier are as if not more talented as passers. Clearly. But I also think achievement has to count for something in that next tier as well.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Right.

[Myron Medcalf]

Like, and he has what none of those guys. He has what Lamar and Joe Burrow and Josh Allen don't have. And to me, what legitimizes Jalen hurts is he did it against the King.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Right.

[Myron Medcalf]

He did it against the guy who will be this generation's Tom Brady. And that has to count for something.

[Andrew Salchunas]

He outplayed Mahomes in both Super Bowls. He won one, lost.

[Myron Medcalf]

He should have two.

[Andrew Salchunas]

But he, I mean, Eagles should have two.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah, they should have two.

[Andrew Salchunas]

All right, coming up next here on Sunday morning, it's take your pick ESPN Radio.

[Myron Medcalf]

Oh, we got a winner.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You gotta, gotta tell everyone who the winner is. Oh, I think it's Jared, right? Mike Tomlin.

[Myron Medcalf]

I think It's Jared in St. Louis.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah, Jared in St. Louis with the mic. Sorry about that. Yeah. Congratulations.

[Myron Medcalf]

We got music. We have congratulations music or like, what do we have? We didn't think about that.

[Andrew Salchunas]

That'll be next week.

[Myron Medcalf]

Okay.

[Andrew Salchunas]

We're gonna add to the week two.

[Myron Medcalf]

It's only week two, Andrew. So we just cool the gang, celebrate.

[Andrew Salchunas]

That's what you got coming.

[Myron Medcalf]

We're still figuring it out, but yeah. Congrats to. To Jared in St. Louis on Mike Tomlin.

[Andrew Salchunas]

All right, take your pick. Next here on ESPN Radio, Matt and Myron.

[Myron Medcalf]

The podcast.

[Andrew Salchunas]

The Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University helps you go from I know the way to I've arrived with our top 10 ranked online MBA. Gain skills you can learn today and apply tomorrow. Get ready to go from make it happen to made it happen and keep striving. Visit Strayer Edu Jack Welchmba to learn more. Strayer University is certified to operate in Virginia by Chev in its many campuses, including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia. This episode is brought to you by Polestar. There's only one true way to experience the all electric luxury SUV Polestar 3 and that's to take a test drive. It can go from 0 to 60 in as little as 4.8 seconds with the dynamic handling of a sports car. But to truly understand how it commands the road, you need to be behind the wheel. Up to 350 miles of range. The 3D surround sound system by Bowers and Wilkins. It's all something you have to experience to believe. So book your Test drive for Polestar 3 [e-mail] Congratulations to Jared for winning king of the mountain. This is Sunday morning presented by Progressive Insurance, Matt and Myron. I'm Andrew South Junice filling in for Matt. It's been a lot of fun today. Myron, have you kicked on the air conditioning yet? Because what people don't know is that Myron is a trooper. He has been doing the show remotely in a hotel room, but the air conditioning unit is so loud that he has suffered for you. So that you don't have the loud rumbling of the AC unit. You should kick it on. We're almost done. You got to let the room cool down a little bit.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah, I was thinking about that, but it honestly sounds like an 89 Chevy, you know, with 313,000 miles on it. You know that, like, it's just one of those. It sounds like a diesel engine. So it's 90 degrees here in Augusta, Georgia, and it just feels. It's getting intense at the start of the show. I could handle it, Andrew. And then right now, it's like I'm suffering a little bit. So just one more second.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I will say you never lost your fastball. You've kept it cool all show long. Nobody knew about the AC issues until we just brought it up here at the end. I hope the people of ESPN are listening. The people?

[Myron Medcalf]

Yeah. But I'm actively dealing with dehydration, too, though, you know, so that's the other part.

[Glenn]

I think he just didn't want to.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Get called a Karen for turning on the AC like he was for calling the cops.

[Myron Medcalf]

Maybe, maybe. Maybe I didn't. I don't want that to become my thing where, like, you know, people just make fun of me here at ESPN Radio.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Look, you're staying strong, and I'm proud of you for it. All right, it's time now to take a pick. All right. James Steele.

[Myron Medcalf]

What was that?

[Andrew Salchunas]

I don't know.

[Myron Medcalf]

What was that?

[Andrew Salchunas]

I need you to know this is Lady. No, no, no, no. So this is labeled sun. Take your pick with bed. Okay. That, to me, says that there is production attached because it says with Bed. So I clicked. I agree with you.

[Glenn]

And then it was all in the.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Same array and James was like no production. So I clicked the production in a panicked. Anyway. That was poor labeling by the normal board up. I'm just a fill in. Well, you're doing a great job. Really, really threw curlin under the bus there. All right, let's go. Take your pick here. First up. Let's go. Cubs at Yankees today. Yankees are favorite here.

[Myron Medcalf]

Myron, who you got? Yeah, I mean, obviously Cubs are playing really well. The Yankees have been heating up after we kind of decided that they were a disaster, a failure and that they should fire Aaron Boone. I think you could literally play Yankees takes for the same time in the last four seasons. Like we've been saying the same thing, but here they are. Feels like they're turning the corner. Give me the Yankees to win this one.

[Andrew Salchunas]

All right, I'll go the opposite they manga on the mound right now for for the Cubs today. He's been tremendous this season and the Cubs had a nice win yesterday. Maybe they want to keep that going. Going to the All Star break because that lead in the NL Central has gotten tight. So I'm going to go against you and I'll go with the Cubbies. All right. Sticking with Major League Baseball, the Mariners and their potentially record breaking catcher are small favors over the Tigers today in Detroit. Myron, who do you got?

[Myron Medcalf]

Well, first off, America should be rooting for the Mariners. I mean, Cal Riley hits one more home run and he ties Barry Bonds for the record in terms of most home runs before the All Star break. So the Tigers obviously have been a better team this year. But give me for the upset. Give me the Mariners. And not only give me the Mariners, give me Cal Riley hitting two home runs to pass Barry Bonds going to the all star break at 40. And then maybe America will start talking about the new home run king.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I'll ride with you with the Mariners. Maybe not the two home runs for Raleigh, but I'll go with the Mariners as a fake line reader, the fact that they're in Detroit. Detroit, one of the better teams of baseball in Seattle, the favorites. That means Vegas is telling me something.

[Myron Medcalf]

Yep.

[Andrew Salchunas]

So Mariners. Oh, by the way, found out someone changed the production here. Okay, I'm gonna defend my other board up. I was kind of upset with them. They literally moved the starting point of the bed so that it doesn't have the production. All right. It's supposed to clear wine. And I just let you do that so that I can look up what the Odds are for Cal Raleigh to hit two home runs today on ESPN. Bet it's plus 1600 for two home runs today.

[Myron Medcalf]

Bet it. You want to be rich? Bet that you're putting your money in your mouth. It's going to happen. It's good. I'm putting my money where my mouth is. All right, Guaranteed bet.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Let's not guarantee.

[Myron Medcalf]

Don't call me if it doesn't happen.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I heard it. Yep.

[Myron Medcalf]

No, I don't want to guarantee. Let me pull back the guarantee.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I'm going to want my 50 cents back.

[Myron Medcalf]

Myron, that definitely won't come back to.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Haunt you next week. All right, stay with the Major League Baseball. Dodgers are a favorite today in San.

[Myron Medcalf]

Francisco to play the Giants on ESPN. Bet.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Minus 145. Who you got? Mine.

[Myron Medcalf]

I think the opposite storyline going to the break is all the pitching injuries they've had with the Dodgers and clearly like, how much. What are they going to do with Shohei, you know, is he going to ramp up in the weeks ahead? We'll find out. But I still think they have enough, despite sort of their rotation situation to go out and beat the rivals, the Giants and get the win on the road today before the break.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Yeah, one of those pitchers that you're going to rely on in terms of sustaining it is Yamamoto and he's on the mound today. So I too will go with the Dodgers. So you and I back to back picks on the same here.

[Myron Medcalf]

All right, one more.

[Andrew Salchunas]

There's a lot here. So we're just going to go through the Home Run Derby contestants and their odds. Cal Raleigh, obviously, plus 250 to win on tomorrow. O' Neill Cruz, Pirates outfielder, plus 300. James Wood, plus 450. He's the Nationals outfielder.

[Myron Medcalf]

Matt Olson, a hometown guy, Braves first baseman.

[Andrew Salchunas]

He's at plus 700. Brent Rooker, Athletics outfielder, plus 850.

[Myron Medcalf]

Byron Buxton, who had a cycle yesterday, plus 850.

[Andrew Salchunas]

He's a Twins outfielder.

[Myron Medcalf]

Jess Chisholm, Yankees infielder.

[Andrew Salchunas]

He's plus 1,000. And so is Junior Cabanero, raised third baseman at plus 1,000. Myron, who do you got to win.

[Myron Medcalf]

The home run tournament tomorrow? There's only one guy to pick, right? And that's Cal Riley. Not just because he is approaching Barry Bonds. Territor, one home run away from like the all Star break record, but he's built like a guy who can win the derby. Like the derby isn't just how many home runs you've hit to this point, it's how many can you hit back to Back to back. And Cal Riley is built like a guy that catcher build I think will help him as he is hitting home runs all night. So for me I think you got to pick Cal Riley.

[Andrew Salchunas]

I'll go with the guy who's playing in the stadium. I'll go with Matt Olson. That smooth left handed swing last year. Teosco Hernandez was the winner. It was my pick. So I'm hoping to go back to back years. It's usually the guy that people don't expect to hit the to win the Home Run Derby. So I'll go with Matt Olson in that smooth left handed swing there in Atlanta to win the Home Run Derby.

[Myron Medcalf]

Is that a guarantee that Cal Raleigh.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Will win the Home Run Derby?

[Myron Medcalf]

You guarantee that one. Bet on it. Guarantee.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You could guarantee two home runs in the Home Run Derby from Cal Raleigh.

[Myron Medcalf]

Guaranteed.

[Andrew Salchunas]

You want to, you want to go with that guarantee?

[Myron Medcalf]

No, I'll give you the whole guarantee. Two home runs today and he wins the derby. Guarantee.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Home Run Derby coverage on ESPN Radio tomorrow starts at 8:00pm and then the All Star game on ESPN Radio Tuesday coverage begins at 7:00pm Eastern. Myron, thanks a lot for having me a part of the show today. It was a lot of fun. Great job. James Steele and Rachel Robinson, the great Disney traveler that you are. Everybody have a great rest of your day. Game day is next year on ESPN Radio.

[Myron Medcalf]

Thanks for listening to Matt Myron the Podcast. You can listen to the show live every Sunday morning at 10am Eastern on ESPN Radio, the ESPN app and on Sirius XM channel 80. Matt and Myron the podcast Foreign.

[Andrew Salchunas]

In 1979, the first words spoken on ESPN weren't just an announcement. If you're a fan, they were a sports prophecy.

[Myron Medcalf]

What you'll see in the next minutes, hours and days to follow.

[Andrew Salchunas]

Glad you're with us tonight.

[Myron Medcalf]

May convince you you've gone to sports heaven. And right now you're standing on the edge of tomorrow.

[Andrew Salchunas]

This fall, the next era of ESPN begins. Sports forever.