Mike Ryan (1:56)

LeBron James is here at $52 million now. What potential money could the Lakers want to take on? Could Andrew Wiggins be a piece that they would want now? He would complement Luka Doncic pretty well. Khaleel Ware, obviously as a young guy on a contract, he's a great lob threat for Luka Doncic.

Zaslow (2:12)

So he might be a Rich Paul publicly threatening teams. You better not draft Bronnie. He will go play overseas. Rich Paul, I don't know if you're aware, LeBron's agent. No communication here apparently between LeBron and the Lakers. LeBron actually wants people to believe.

Mike Ryan (2:32)

Paul is that if Giannis Antetokounmpo is a piece here and then becomes repped by Rich Paul, does that benefit LeBron James more? Does that benefit potentially the Miami Heat as they've had a reunion? Then there's Anthony Davis. That's a big question. Could he end up in Toronto?

Zaslow (2:48)

It's just like nonstop lies is what it is. How does LeBron expect anyone to believe he has not influenced the Lakers to draft Bronny James?

Greg Cody (2:59)

I just.

Zaslow (2:59)

And when the report comes out, how do you. How do you even utter that report? How do you expect anyone to believe that when those words come?

Mike Ryan (3:07)

The. The Sacramento Kings. Because demonte Sabonis is another guy that's been rumored to be wanted by Toronto. But where does that money go? Demar DeRozan now he's a big guy. He's that downhill threat we spoke about potentially for the Warriors. Who do they move over to Sacramento? Could that be Jonathan Kaminga? But then buddy healed. He's got 9 million, 9.6 next year, $10 million player option. You can move him over here and the Blazers. That's the interesting piece. Drew Holiday, how do you get LeBron James, Giannis and Ja. That's going to be pretty difficult because your entire salary.

Greg Cody (3:39)

I know how to get them back. Don't just fade it down, guys. I'm going to talk football.

Mike Ryan (3:43)

They're going to talk.

Greg Cody (3:44)

Hey, I'm going to talk football. I'm going to talk football.

Mike Ryan (3:47)

They don't care about that. If you wanted to move Andrew Wiggins potentially over to the Lakers in exchange for LeBron James and it was either Fontecchio or Rosier is expiring salary for them, then you could.

Zaslow (4:00)

Is it possible that Lebron. Okay, follow me here. Is it possible that LeBron says that he didn't ask the Lakers to draft Bronnie because he's distancing himself from his son so that if he gets traded he doesn't have to bring Bronnie with him? Maybe he's trying to distance himself.

Mike Ryan (4:21)

James says, I want to go to Miami. You move LeBron for Wiggins and Rosier expiring contracts. Wiggin the compliment. You could potentially acquire a pick from the Lakers as they have all of these picks here. You can get it in 2031. They're going to be bad by Then you get him. You potentially get John Morant for expiring money in a pick. Maybe that's Norman Powell. Maybe you add Jaime Hawkes as a. As a potential asset. But see if you can get a pick sent from Memphis. You take those two picks that you just acquired from the Lakers and the Grizzlies. You package them with the two picks you have here. You take K Wear, and whatever money you have left over, you send it.

Zaslow (4:49)

For y. Oh, my God, Braun, you demanded a trade from the Lakers. You wouldn't even make your son come with you? No, no, no. It was not my idea for Bronny to come to Lakers. I never told him to. I don't care about Bronny coming with me. Never. My idea. How about that? How about that?

Mike Ryan (5:07)

Carl Anthony Towns is a fascinating piece in all of this, because I don't know if the Blazers want him, but the rumors are that the Knicks want Drew Holiday. Now, why would they want Drew Holiday? What does Giannis been saying recently? He's been saying that he. He wants to play with his old teammates. So if the Knicks can potentially swing a deal for Drew Holiday, he's sitting here at $32 million, cats at 50, and you have Giannis's 54. So how do the numbers work here? Well, you potentially send Kat to Milwaukee.

Greg Cody (5:34)

All right, enough of this. Enough. I'm done with this. Stop. If they don't want to come back, it's fine. You guys can come back next Friday after the trade deadline, after that. Only thing that's been traded is George Hill. Every year we do this. Every year it's the same thing. And the trade deadline comes and goes, and there's never a giant trade.

Zaslow (5:52)

In all seriousness, I don't know if you tell, like, now. I'm being really serious. Of all seriousness, the Miami Heater, in these conversations every single year, this one is shaping up to be the wackiest of delusions. We're talking about the Heat acquiring John Morant and LeBron James and Giannis Onsintokounpo all at the same time.

Greg Cody (6:11)

That's correct. That's how the Heat always do it every year. I've been around in all the times where it is that somebody's trying to trade Michael Jordan for Alan Og because don't want to give anything away in order to get the best player. I've been doing that show for some form. In some form. Been listening to those fans for many, many years.

Mike Ryan (6:31)

Look, I don't want to break the fourth rail here, but I'm kidding about all three of them potentially being.

Greg Cody (6:40)

Out of here. I mean, what are you doing? What are you doing?

Mike Ryan (6:45)

Minor penalty. Two minutes for explaining the show.

Greg Cody (6:47)

We get out of here.

Mike Ryan (6:48)

Fourth rail callback.

Greg Cody (6:49)

I know. Get out of here.

Tony (6:51)

That was a good call by him.

Greg Cody (6:53)

So the thing that I wanted to ask you guys about football because I thought, and I know that it's later in the week. Okay. But I thought that that Rams Seahawks game was so seismic in terms of the number of things being decided by nothing, by just whispers and inches and nonsense. So two of the things that I wanted to recall that we did not talk very much about. So reek. Woollen, I believe his first name is actually Tariq and it's shortened to Tariq. And I would have no confusion about that if the Seahawks had lost. Because if the Seahawks had lost, Woolen would have gone down as one of the all time goats on doing something dumb. Because when the score was 31, 20 and they finally got the Rams to punt and they were going to get the ball back and the game was going to be decided the next play with cutthroat cruelty of that sport, because they knew he was emotional, they knew he was going to be heightened the next play. The Rams in 25 seconds said, no, no, no, we target him in the corner with our best player. Go now. Oh, for sure. It's true. For sure. It's true that they know in those instances how to do that surgically. Like I've heard Chris Simms talk about this. They know that player was emotional. Go get him. Go attack him. Because this is a weakened player and this like the wild man in terms of when someone's weakened that you smell the blood and you go attack that. So that's a name that we would know historically for all time with blunders if the result had been different. Okay, but the thing that I wanted to put in front of you guys conversationally is when exactly and how exactly did football get to the point where. Where we were all good with the unsportsmanlike. We talk about penalties all the time. This wasn't a pass interference everybody was good with. Yep, that's taunting. And you can't call that there like everybody was good with. What an idiot. But nobody was saying, why are you calling a taunting of a bench in a game this important? With this and this many important things? That is what you're going to do to decide it. You're going to enforce the rules. And so whether you object or agree with what I'm saying, it doesn't matter. Fine. You believe in sportsmanship. When did it change so much though, that the consensus was, yeah, dumb guy. And not. You can't call that there. That guy's just talking to people on the sidelines. You can't be that interested in sportsmanship that you're going to decide this game and that guy's reputation for decades after this. With that call in that spot, I.

Zaslow (9:36)

Feel like it's implied, though I feel like the more egregious thing from a fan perspective is don't allow the official to do the shitty call. I think that is the overriding.

Greg Cody (9:48)

I'm not confused about why they called it. I'm talking about the shift that everyone's come over to repressions on sportsmanship where they've scrubbed out of the game, the talking so much that something that would be the most normal thing in the NBA is about to decide who's going to the super bowl because a guy gets emotional and wants to say to the sideline, eat this.

Tony (10:07)

It's going back to the NFL being the no fun league, right? Remember when you couldn't do dances, you couldn't do celebrations, you couldn't do any of these things. Like these refs are just turned into robots of. I see a call, I make a call, there's no contact.

Greg Cody (10:18)

But Tony, it's not the refs. It's. They brainwashed the audience too. Because no one, no one was. Everyone pounced on the guy. And I heard very few people wondering, how do you call that in that spot in this game? How is it that the referee, who doesn't want to make himself the call at the end of one of these games because he doesn't want to be responsible for deciding it. How do you not keep that flag in your pocket because a guy's woof into the sideline, Like, I don't know how it is that the league has been able to actually scrub all of us. Now I get how they've taught the refs. How is it that the rest of us are such sheep on this one?

Guest Analyst (10:52)

I don't think it's a matter of being a sheep. I looked at that play a couple of times on replay and what I noticed was that the player who was flagged actually steps over the line into the bench area of the other team. That's pretty egregious.

Greg Cody (11:08)

Did he do that? Because I thought he was still on the field. I don't think he crossed the sideline. He was close to it.

Dan LeBatard (11:12)

I believe he did okay.

Greg Cody (11:13)

But in the NBA, guys are closer all the time to the bench. Talking trash to the bench all the time in the NBA. Step over the sideline and woof at the sideline. I don't know how it is that this has become so normalized in the last few years that we've gone from Terrell Owens runs on the field with a Sharpie in his sock to you can't woof at a sideline. We're going to decide who goes to the super bowl based on this.

Tony (11:34)

Then do it to Steph Curry when he shoots a shot from the corner with his back literally on the. On the bench of the other team before it goes through the net, he turns around and looks at everybody while the ball goes through the net and then runs to the other side. We're talking about the same thing. Like I'm showing you. I did a great play.

Greg Cody (11:48)

What an effective league at scrubbing the personality out of the sport and also brainwashing its customers without us even noticing that they've done it because everyone pounced on Woollen. And I didn't see anyone pouncing at a referee when what I want my judges to do is not enforce the letter of the law. Use your judgment, please. And have better judgment than I do.

Zaslow (12:12)

How much does it have to do with us not knowing and we would never know or remember the referee's name?

Greg Cody (12:18)

I think it has more to do with the fact that that league has successfully scrubbed the personality out of the sport because it is so interested in forcing rules and sportsmanship.

Mike Ryan (12:27)

Unless there's a turnover, then you can run anywhere you want and do whatever dance you want to do with your whole team.

Tony (12:31)

I think.

Dan LeBatard (12:32)

I think it's baked into the game.

Zaslow (12:33)

That is weird.

Dan LeBatard (12:34)

And composure and execution, those are things that help you along the way. Two years ago, Miami this season essentially ended because Jacoby George, a dude that you were always worried about, decided to take a swipe at someone and hand his team a crucial penalty. And you learn from it.

Guest Analyst (12:49)

I mean, officials are taught not to regard the score or the time on the clock when they decide a penalty.

Greg Cody (12:57)

Yeah, I want my judges to show judgment. It's why they're judges.

Guest Analyst (13:00)

I don't think you're in the majority.

Greg Cody (13:02)

That's fine. That's fine. I prefer my judges to have interpretation. Man, I could teach AI to follow Letter of the Law. Why don't I just replace all the officials? Like, I could teach AI to follow letter of the law. I want perspective, nuance, and a human being using judgment. Who's more qualified at judgment than I?

Mike Ryan (13:21)

Where's the line of like when you don't make a call.

Tony (13:24)

Clutch moment.

Mike Ryan (13:24)

Eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. That's not close enough.

Dan LeBatard (13:28)

All I ask is that they're consistent that if I can get a beat on what kind of game we're going to have in the. In the first quarter that's going to play out through the rest. I thought the College Football Playoff was excellent in that regard and that, okay, they're going to let these guys play. That's the kind of game that we have to win out there. Fine. I like that each game takes a unique aspect, so I never want to eliminate that. All I want is consistency.

Greg Cody (13:50)

So the other thing that I wanted to ask you guys about the game is, and again, so many fascinating things about who's going to be remembered forevermore as the best team in football in this sport. Over things that are being decided by fractions and nanoseconds. We all agree that Sean McVay knows what he's doing, is obviously brilliant. We were talking yesterday about the fact that as air traffic controllers, there's way too much that has to be processed in such a small amount of time at the end of that game. What happened with that challenge and a timeout on a play where his guy on Precision, Cooper Cup, McVeigh's guy makes another third and 10 play by inches where all of us were watching, all of us real time, all of us didn't get it. That spot's no good. He did not get there. We're watching on television. We don't. It's a. It's a better angle. And we're watching it several times. McVay gets one shot at that. The smartest coach in the league are one of the smartest ones. Burns a timeout because he doesn't know whether he should challenge or not. In a moment where the guy who's the best at all the genius details isn't being accused of choking when they could have used that timeout. Now, I understand how it happened. Obviously, that's Cooper Cup. He taught him how to do that. Cooper cup gets those 10 yards because he knows exactly where it is that he's got to be. But how is Sean McVeigh supposed to process all of that in that moment? And why is he not being accused of choking when they needed that timeout? Needed they. They needed to stop that play from becoming a first down.

Tony (15:26)

The interesting part of it, too, is that you see him mouthing to the officials, do I get that timeout back once he threw the flag? Do I get that timeout back. And he's waiting. He's listening to probably two, like 200 people in his ear saying, no, we don't get that back. Yeah, we get that back. And he's talking to the referees and he's like, do I get it back? And they're like, no, you don't. And he's like, oh, my God.

Greg Cody (15:42)

Can you imagine the situation? Like, let's think about all the things that go into preparation. Right? So Diana Rossini is telling us earlier this week, yeah, these guys, Vrabel knows whether that official calls pass interference 16% more of the time than another. So he'll try to deep pass in that situation because he knows that that official has more leniency when it comes to making a call. If these guys are not meeting their families, seeing their families, because every day takes 20 hours that they've got to pour into. I've got to be slightly better than Vrabel this week. And all of it comes down to I've got to be able to see from the sideline whether Cooper cup, the guy I taught to do that, got those inches. And my angle is worse than anybody else's in the place. Everybody watching on television has a better angle at this and gets to see it more time, gets to see it again. I'm just listening to voices in my head and I didn't have a good angle. And how the hell should I know whether he made it or not? It was half a yard. I don't know. To me, it's crazy, but he has.

Mike Ryan (16:34)

Someone in his ear that is seeing the angle we're seeing.

Dan LeBatard (16:37)

No.

Tony (16:38)

What do you mean?

Mike Ryan (16:39)

There's somebody in his ear that's watching?

Dan LeBatard (16:40)

Yeah, but. Yeah, but there's like a 30 second countdown clock. Like, it's really hard. You ever try to cue up a sound on our show? Like it's a process.

Greg Cody (16:48)

But here's the other part about it, Chris. You say that. You say that it. They're seeing the same things we are. They're doing it with a clock the way we're not. I watched it 10 times and still wasn't sure.

Mike Ryan (16:59)

I know. I went back and forth.

Greg Cody (17:00)

Like, I'm sitting there watching it. They keep replaying. And I'm like, no, I don't think he made that. Like, he was going down. How did he make that?

Mike Ryan (17:06)

That's why in that spot, if you're worried about the timeout, you just throw the flag. If you're gonna call the timeout, you throw the flag and then the timeout only leaves if you're wrong.

Zaslow (17:13)

Yeah.

Dan LeBatard (17:13)

It's easy for us to say. That's why it's not a choke job. It's hard, right? Anybody could see, like, I changed my mind three times on that replay. It was hard.

Mike Ryan (17:21)

But if you ask him, he probably looks at that like, I screwed that up. I should have just thrown that y.

Zaslow (17:24)

Why?

Dan LeBatard (17:24)

Because you've had three days. He had 40.

Zaslow (17:26)

It's all hard.

Greg Cody (17:27)

Mike getting to the top of sports hard. It's all right.

Dan LeBatard (17:30)

Which is why I'm not saying he's a choker.

Greg Cody (17:31)

We all say everyone chokes all the time. You know, everything.

Dan LeBatard (17:34)

You choking that hard? I don't think he choked it, but that's.

Greg Cody (17:36)

That's textbooks definition choking, not knowing how to use your timeouts is almost textbook definition of my mind melt.

Mike Ryan (17:42)

Mario did that.

Dan LeBatard (17:43)

He would probably get a lot of for it. I think there are degrees. Not kneeling in that, like, that's super hard. I don't think that's textbook. If that were textbook, he probably handled it better.

Greg Cody (17:53)

But I actually, I don't actually think, though, that people are lending the nuance to say I'm not calling him a choker, because I know that was hard. I just think they're not calling him a choker.

Dan LeBatard (18:04)

Well, that's. That's a disease of man. Well, honestly, like, come on, everybody thought that was hard, right?

Zaslow (18:10)

They're not calling him a choker because it's. It's like never something that we label a coach as, which. Which I. I don't necessarily agree with. I think there's plenty of instances making.

Greg Cody (18:20)

A brain fart mistake in a moment when you' one responsible for the decisions is textbook definition choking. Yeah. No matter how hard it is.

Guest Analyst (18:30)

I think that's too harsh. I think when the difference between a first down and not is. Is an inch and you're.

Greg Cody (18:36)

Greg, you can't lose the timeout, though. Like, you get.

Guest Analyst (18:38)

Okay, that was a mistake.

Dan LeBatard (18:39)

No, but that, that, yeah, you gotta. You gotta just throw the challenge flag because you're gonna lose a timeout anyways if you lose.

Greg Cody (18:45)

So you can't look that when you say that was a mistake. It's a mental mistake that costs the chance to the. For the Rams by their coach to the Super Bowl. Like, if, if we're going to be experts. Okay. As Bam Adebayo says, if we're all going to be couch coaches. Right. Like, and Mike's sitting here clamoring for.

Dan LeBatard (19:02)

You have to understand, the league also decides arbitrarily when they're gonna inject themselves and say, stop playing. You don't have to challenge this. We're gonna go ahead and never know.

Zaslow (19:10)

When you're allowed to challenge and when it's the referees who I never saying this for months.

Mike Ryan (19:16)

Eye in the sky. Slippery slope.

Dan LeBatard (19:17)

Yeah, it is. Because saying it, he called any of.

Zaslow (19:20)

The rules of the game.

Mike Ryan (19:20)

He called the timeout whenever they want.

Dan LeBatard (19:23)

He called the timeout to buy the league more time for them to decide something that was pretty obvious. So you could say Sean McVay choked, or you could say the league should have decided. Let's replay that a lot sooner because it was a very close play as it unfolded.

Tony (19:36)

Also, when he asked the referee, the referee had to ask another referee if he was gonna be able to get that timeout back. He's talking, he's like, hey, does he get this back or not?

Greg Cody (19:42)

Too many rules.

Dan LeBatard (19:43)

The system failed. Sean McVay, what's a catch?

Greg Cody (19:45)

Oh, so he's a victim instead of a choker.

Dan LeBatard (19:47)

I do think so. I do think so. Like, it was very obvious that was a close play. And the league decides again arbitrarily when going to review close play.

Zaslow (19:56)

Did the league review the Bills play, the interception? They didn't review that.

Greg Cody (20:00)

Right.

Dan LeBatard (20:01)

They're just going to make him use a challenge on something that we all agree is a close play. I can understand the hesitance there.

Guest Analyst (20:06)

See, I give an accomplished coach the benefit of doubt in this case because McVeigh, as I imagine that McVeigh's got somebody in his left ear saying, that's short of a first. Throw the flag. And you've got somebody in his right ear saying, no, no, no, let's not waste that. That's the first down.

Mike Ryan (20:22)

He can't be getting mixed message.

Zaslow (20:24)

Boy, that's in his head.

Greg Cody (20:26)

Wait, so Diana Rossini did tell us earlier this week that Vrabel now has the guy. Didn't she say that McVeigh used to have for all of these circumstances in his ear? And McVeigh botched that because there are a lot of people in your head said, love the night. Reach for Zinn after Dark, a limited cocktail inspired series for those who get up when the sun goes down.

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Greg Cody (22:16)

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Mike Ryan (22:18)

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Dan LeBatard (22:51)

The right, right size st. All I have put in my body today is.

Mike Ryan (22:57)

Three cups of coffee and an entire cup of honey. Don't let him fool you. He said in the break that he's jittery.

Greg Cody (23:04)

This is the D?

Zaslow (23:05)

Ler show with the St.

Greg Cody (23:10)

Tony do me the favor of doing I want you to go bet the Castle and I want you to go bet the Castle.

Dan LeBatard (23:15)

I got a good one.

Greg Cody (23:16)

Better than Zaz. Bet the Castle. Yeah, because he took the Nets plus 11.5 and they lost by 60. So you get ready to bet the Castle. But I am actually here for what Mike Ryan just did and I hope everyone in sports and sports radio and sports argument television follows me on this. I am here for analysis now, taking in what it is Mike has suggested, which is anytime anything in sports happens that is questionable, someone wanders over and says but it was hard. It was hard to get to that point. So you're saying, Mike, that after a 17 game season longer than any other. That basically decapitated all the 49ers that the Rams getting to the end of that season. And watching Cooper cup, who used to get 2,000 yards for them as the second receiver for the Seahawks, convert the seventh, third and long they had in the game by millimeters, and having Sean McVay have to decide with a worse angle than the rest of them with millions of people talking in his ears, telling him different things, you're saying that was hard.

Dan LeBatard (24:22)

Yes.

Greg Cody (24:23)

And so he should be forgiven for.

Dan LeBatard (24:24)

A mistake and I should be commended for my bravery.

Greg Cody (24:26)

Let's apply that to all of sports all the time. Let's be consistent, like you're asking referees to be. Anytime anyone in sports does something that's stupid, wrong, or a mistake, we should come over and discuss how hard it was to get to that point.

Dan LeBatard (24:40)

Yes.

Guest Analyst (24:42)

What?

Dan LeBatard (24:43)

So what's so ridiculous about this? Mario Cristobal should have known that one was easy. I agree that one was easy. Kid also didn't fumble. But that's besides the point. This one very hard. Oh, we have breaking NFL news. Interesting. Well, probably not that interesting. Cleveland Browns have made a hire. No way.

Mike Ryan (25:01)

Someone said yes.

Dan LeBatard (25:03)

Someone said yes. And that someone was Todd Monkin.

Guest Analyst (25:06)

Oh, my God.

Zaslow (25:07)

Really?

Dan LeBatard (25:08)

A little surprised there.

Guest Analyst (25:09)

Wow.

Dan LeBatard (25:10)

A little surprise there.

Greg Cody (25:12)

That's not a great name for enthusiasm. No, it isn't just Monkin.

Mike Ryan (25:16)

It's too less for me.

Dan LeBatard (25:17)

I'm actually kind of. Of seeing how this impacts Miami because he's got friends on the Miami staff.

Greg Cody (25:22)

Always run it through that prism.

Dan LeBatard (25:24)

It's important. Trying to keep my oc.

Greg Cody (25:26)

I do think, though, that what I am doing there. Just to be clear, that is not an indictment. My daughter. Of Todd Monkins resume. It is not an indictment in any way of his past or his coaching.

Mike Ryan (25:39)

I'm with you.

Greg Cody (25:40)

It's just the name.

Guest Analyst (25:41)

Yep.

Greg Cody (25:42)

That name is not. That is not a name that will ever trigger enthusiasm, no matter what it is that you have said. It's not the time.

Mike Ryan (25:49)

I think it's. It is.

Greg Cody (25:50)

Tommy Mon.

Mike Ryan (25:51)

Tommy Monkin. And I'm like, all right, we got some intern munchkin.

Guest Analyst (25:54)

That's the name.

Greg Cody (25:54)

Okay. Well done, Tom.

Mike Ryan (25:55)

Tommy Monkin. I'm like, this is a young guy. He's probably a good offensive mind. Todd Monkin. I'm with you. The last name's not great. Great either, but I just don't think Todd's good.

Greg Cody (26:04)

All right, let's go out to Tony. Tony is betting the castle. We are grateful for all our sponsors around here. Grateful for our new ones as well. And all of us, all of us love, oh, Dan. Everything that White Castle stands for.

Mike Ryan (26:15)

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Greg Cody (26:18)

Wet Bet Castle.

Mike Ryan (26:19)

Bet the Castle presented by White Castle. Hunger says eat. Cravings say eat this. And with White Castle's hundred percent beef, grilled onions, melty cheese, and steamy buns that hold it all together, how can you not crave thy castle?

Dan LeBatard (26:31)

Steamy buns.

Mike Ryan (26:33)

So good, dude.

Tony (26:34)

Yeah.

Greg Cody (26:34)

So go ahead, Tommy. Go ahead, Toddy.

Mike Ryan (26:39)

Thanks.

Greg Cody (26:40)

Go ahead and give us both your bet. Which has to be better. Again, we debuted and I'm sorry. I want to publicly apologize to White Castle for this. The first time we did this, Zaslo said, take the Nets at the Knicks plus 11 and a half. And also Mike Brown is going to be fired soon. And the nets promptly scored 66 points in an NBA basketball game and lost by 54.

Zaslow (27:02)

Like I said, you always got to buy the hook.

Greg Cody (27:05)

Okay? So he was saying you got to buy 40 points there. 40. What was it? 43 points there plus 55. Tony, what is the. What are you betting the Castle on, Dan?

Tony (27:14)

Oh, well, I'm very excited because it's the first time I have White Castle burgers in a long time. And now we have them here in the studio. So I'm going to put them in real quick. Quick, put them to cook and then I'll give you my, my, my bet here. Bet in the Castle. Here we go. Put in 60 seconds.

Mike Ryan (27:26)

Let it rip.

Tony (27:26)

Okay.

Mike Ryan (27:26)

Love the sound of a microwave.

Tony (27:28)

I'm gonna give you a couple of stats here and then I'm gonna give you the bet. So this is basketball related, all right? You've got a player that has 18.8 points a game, six rebounds a game, four assists a game, shooting 28 from three and free throws shooting 80%. Or a player who's got 18.7 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game. Game 3.6 assists per game, shooting 42% from the three point line and 90 from the free throw line. Those are the two stats of Cooper Flag and Con Canipple. My bet the castle is Bet the castle that con canipple is your rookie of the year over Cooper Flag. I know that's crazy. I know people are going to say there's no way Cooper Flag is generational. If you look at what Cooper of what Con Caniple is doing for the Charlotte Hornets, you'll be very surprised. He's had a lot of really good games. Games true shooting percentage of. Of 63, where Cooper's is more of, like 54. Bet the castle con canipple is your rookie of the year.

Greg Cody (28:22)

That is a great one, actually, because you are telling the truth there. Cannipple has been great for them, and Charlotte is a little bit better than Charlotte's Fun Dan. It's because of him, though, because it's. It's not ball. It's because of him. He is a very good player, and he's very good. Early.

Mike Ryan (28:39)

And just like that, lunch is made. Made. 60 seconds.

Greg Cody (28:42)

Man.

Tony (28:42)

I'm gonna open this up real quick.

Mike Ryan (28:43)

I want to do this next week. I need to eat one of these things.

Greg Cody (28:45)

Yeah, save some of those for me. We all like the White Castle burgers around here. Nobody's got any complaints. So you go ahead and take. So that's good. Good work by you, Tony. At least in part, because you can't be proven immediately wrong by 50 points the way Zaz was. You just put it off in the distance and you can't embarrass yourself.

Tony (29:03)

Sprinkle it out there. Hey, April, June, Someone will figure it out.

Guest Analyst (29:06)

We'll win.

Tony (29:07)

We won't win. Doesn't matter what.

Jayson Tatum (clip) (29:08)

Whatever.

Greg Cody (29:08)

Well done. Excellently.

Tony (29:09)

I'm gonna take a bite of this.

Greg Cody (29:11)

Go ahead, enjoy.

Dan LeBatard (29:13)

That's the good stuff.

Mike Ryan (29:14)

I'm going out there.

Zaslow (29:14)

I'm getting a bite too.

Tony (29:15)

No, don't take this.

Greg Cody (29:16)

No, don't let it move it. Yes. Don LeBatard is there. Back in my day.

Guest Analyst (29:21)

There is, actually.

Zaslow (29:23)

Were you not gonna tell anyone?

Dan LeBatard (29:25)

Wait a minute, you guys. Guys, it's a Tuesday. Stugats.

Greg Cody (29:30)

Here's your guy, Greg Cody with Back in My Day.

Guest Analyst (29:40)

Okay, here it is. Sorry, adultery.

Dan LeBatard (29:47)

We're waiting for this one.

Zaslow (29:49)

This is the D. Lebatar show with this two Gods.

Greg Cody (30:04)

So I want to get to a little bit of sound here, because a lot of us were talking during the Olympics of the position that Steve Kerr was in where Halliburton wasn't going to play and Jason Tatum. It was very controversial that Steve Kerr didn't play Jason Tatum at all in the Olympics. But it was funny to hear Halliburton on the Mind the game podcast that LeBron does. Now. Who's he do it with? Is it Steve Nash now? Is that who he does it with? Now here's Tyrese Halliburton telling the story of how it is, you know, how Matt Damon. The line in. Oh, man. What is the name of the poker movie round? No rounders. Thank you. That Matt Damon says, if you don't know who the sucker is at the table, then the sucker is you in poker. Here is Halliburton looking around the Olympic room, where Steve Kerr is telling people that somebody's not going to play. And Halliburton realizing, wait a minute, is this me who's not going to play?

Dan LeBatard (31:00)

I have a great story. I've never told anybody this story before. We're at the Olympics. We're in the back doing film before the Olympics start. And before it starts, it's like, all right, we're going to have the team meeting where we acknowledge that all 12 guys cannot play. Steve starts talking about everybody can't play. And Bron is talking about how, you know, in the 04 Olympics, I didn't really play that much. And you kind of. You got to put your pride aside. You know, it's about bigger than you. And Katie's over there. Like, at the end of the day, with 12 all stars, everybody's good. We're always trying to win, right? And I'm sitting there, and I'm listening. I'm like, yeah. And as we start film, I'm like, but who are they talking about?

Greg Cody (31:35)

Like, who are these?

Dan LeBatard (31:36)

And I'm looking. I'm looking around. I'm like, oh, he ain't talking about him. He ain't talking about him. I'm like, aw, they talking about me. I'm sitting there. I'm like, oh, no, this is what it is. I was like, oh, I was sitting there. I'm watching film. I can't even pay attention to Phil. I'm so. He's over. It's over, man. I get no PT out here. It's over.

Greg Cody (32:02)

It. It really feels like the Pacers in the finals was 7 million years ago because of how bad they are. Because. Just because he got hurt. So obviously, that Olympic team was great. He was not the only one hurt by not playing. Here's Jayson Tatum on the pivot telling a similar story.

Jayson Tatum (clip) (32:19)

I couldn't. I couldn't process. I couldn't understand. I'm like, you know, being first team, all NBA, I mean, it's me and four of the guys in the world. And at that time, the four other guys was all European, so it was like I was the only American. And then you get to the Olympics, and it's like, I didn't play in two of the Games. It was hard to process.

Greg Cody (32:39)

I've got some more Tatum sound here that I want to add to that, because Tatum has given voice to the idea a couple of different times that he's not properly appreciated, not properly regarded by history, even though he's obviously a champion and an excellent player who has grown over the last few years before getting injured. Let's hear.

Dan LeBatard (32:58)

I agree he is not appropriately looked at by history.

Greg Cody (33:02)

Let's get to the sound from Jayson Tatum.

Jayson Tatum (clip) (33:05)

You know, a lot of times, like former players come back and whether it be Rondo, KG Paul or Cedric Maxwell who's like, who works for the team or, you know, they talk about the 86 Celtics like, like the thing they all have in common is they won. They won one or multiple championships. So as you know, you striving to be a great player. It's like, you know, if I the career I had right now, if I had it with the Grizzlies, like I would have a statue outside the arena, right? But now I'm chasing people like Larry Bird where the standard is so much higher. And it's like, you don't want to be the great player of the Celtics that, oh, you the one guy that didn't win.

Dan LeBatard (33:46)

Like chasing Larry Bird, the basketball player. Larry, Larry Bird. Jason, you're not chasing Larry Bird.

Greg Cody (33:54)

Larry Nance.

Dan LeBatard (33:55)

You're chasing Jalen Brown. You're chasing Derrick White. Those are the guys you're chasing because they played their best game in the NBA Finals. What is this inflated sense of self worth? And if a stat a statue in Memphis, what I am honestly super, super pumped. I don't have to subject myself to Celtics basketball day in and day out.

Zaslow (34:21)

I'll tell you what, we both those players weren't playing during the Olympics. Tyrese Halliburton, I would make a case that Tyrese Halliburton, who is not going to play a single game in the NBA this year, based on what's happened to the Pacers, he should probably win MVP this year. And Jayson Tatum, you go look what Jaylen Brown is doing with the Celtics right now. Now who are a pretty fun story. Even though in the Zazlow Mansion it's always up the Celtics. Jalen Brown is a better player than Jason Tatum is.

Mike Ryan (34:44)

I like this take chasing Larry Bird.

Dan LeBatard (34:46)

Build you a statue.

Mike Ryan (34:48)

I don't think I've ever heard a player like just flat out during a career, I'd have a statue.

Zaslow (34:51)

If I played on that team, I'd have a statue.

Dan LeBatard (34:53)

What do you think of life?

Greg Cody (34:56)

He's not wrong that if he had won a championship in Memphis, that is the kind of thing that gets you at a franchise like, like that point that he's making is a good one. That if, if you're a championship less franchise, the standard is obviously going to be higher.

Dan LeBatard (35:10)

And I would too if I did that with Memphis, if I carried the team to a title, which is not something that he's done. Like, you better ask for Jaylen Brown to be in Memphis with you if you want that statue.

Guest Analyst (35:21)

I just think this guy's got an overinflated sense of where he stands in history. If he's comparing himself to the Steph Curry's and the LeBron James, it's ridiculous. In my opinion, Jayson Tatum, not unlike, say Jimmy Butler is like, he's got to be regarded as a consensus superstar.

Greg Cody (35:40)

Wait, he is.

Guest Analyst (35:41)

Okay, he is.

Greg Cody (35:42)

He's a. Look, Jason Tatum is one of the five. Look, you guys are being really insulting, okay? You can't just say flatly Jaylen Brown is better than Jayson Tatum. You can't say it flatly. You cannot. Jaylen Brown has always benefited from the fact that every team is game planning for Jayson Tatum. Like that. The game plan on Jaylen Brown was take him to his left. Take him to his left. You can't do that with Tatum.

Tony (36:03)

Dan, I would agree, but this year has been the example of like and we've had obviously a big sample size of half the season of no Jason Tatum. And Jaylen Brown is balling.

Greg Cody (36:11)

That is correct. He's getting the usage rate. And he is also an excellent player in the league. And they won the championship because they have two excellent players, one of whom was decided to be the second option on that team because it all rotates around Tatum. I agree.

Dan LeBatard (36:25)

Well, no, not with that part. I thought you were talking about Derek White.

Greg Cody (36:29)

Derrick White has also been excellent with that team. And I won't dispute what it is that you're saying that Tatum's numbers statistically in these championship moments are down. I will tell you that the team has no chance of winning with Jaylen Brown as its number one option. Anything meaningful, like they can surprise you, but they did. They can be better.

Dan LeBatard (36:49)

No, they did. 21 finals MVP Jalen Brown was their number one option.

Greg Cody (36:52)

He was not their number one option. He was the one who played better. They were. The usage rate was still Tatums. Mike, the use. Everything was being game planned around slowing and stopping Tatum and Jaylen Brown was ready and willing and able to eat in that circumstance.

Dan LeBatard (37:08)

Can I admit something? I don't like him and it affects everything I say about him.

Greg Cody (37:12)

And the same is true of Zaslow.

Dan LeBatard (37:14)

I have a very clear bias. I don't like Jason Tatum for a Couple of reasons. He's a Celtic. Don't like them because it's also at the Celtics in my house too. But also he bothers me. I don't believe him to be as good as the hype. I just don't like him.

Zaslow (37:29)

Try hard.

Dan LeBatard (37:29)

He's a very. He's a try hard. He's like youtubing like celebrations in the locker room. It's just not my deal, babe.

Zaslow (37:35)

What are they gonna say now?

Dan LeBatard (37:37)

And it affects everything I say about him. I'm a hating ass hater when it comes to Jason Tatum.

Greg Cody (37:41)

We did it.

Guest Analyst (37:42)

Enough with the statue talk. Enough with the statue talk. Come on. He's not to me. He's not a top tier player in the league. He's second tier.

Greg Cody (37:51)

No, that's not. Greg.

Dan LeBatard (37:53)

I'm with him. Second tier. God, this feels. I feel liberated. I want to do tear talk. Who's not as a person. Seems like a fine guy, seems like a good dad, but I just don't like. I don't like the idea of him.

Zaslow (38:05)

I'll tell you who tier one is. The guy who not on his team this year went from Eastern Conference champion to worst team. Tyrese Halliburton. That's a tier one player.

Tony (38:15)

He was the most overrated player voted on by the players last year. So how can he be the. The mvp?

Greg Cody (38:22)

Guys, please look up for me. Just. I have not looked at his numbers, but what Jayson Tatum is averaging over the last couple of years and what his efficiencies are. Because you're being really disrespectful with your biases. You don't have to think he's as good as he thinks he is. But you can't make Jayson Tatum a second tier player and be taken credibly in your opinions on basketball.

Zaslow (38:46)

Let me ask you something.

Greg Cody (38:48)

Can a super.

Zaslow (38:49)

Can a first tier player get no minutes and your team goes undefeated and wins a gold medal?

Tony (38:56)

It's a bit of a rhetorical trick. Yeah.

Dan LeBatard (38:58)

Dan, I'm going to keep it real with you. There is no data that you can present to me that will change my mind on this player. I am entrenched because I don't like him. And while I pride myself on a man that admits when he's wrong, the day will never come with Jason Tatum. So you're just going to have to get used to of that.

Greg Cody (39:15)

But to be clear, I am pleased with some of the progress we are making both in America and on this show. You are willing after this very difficult hour that we've had together. You are willing to try and get everyone around the movement of when someone on television is yelling about someone choking in a big spot. You're willing to come with me and just explain that was really hard thing they were trying to do and we shouldn't be this critical 100% unless that.

Dan LeBatard (39:45)

Person is Jason Tatum.