Hour 2 – LeBron’s Lakers Legacy, Barry vs. Messi

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show (Hour 2) – July 1, 2026

Episode Theme:
LeBron’s Lakers Legacy & The U.S. Soccer Debate: Barry vs. Messi

Hour 2 of The Dan Patrick Show hosted by Covino & Rich (in for Dan Patrick) dives into two major sports debates: LeBron James' complex legacy with the Los Angeles Lakers and the perennial question of why the United States men's soccer team lags behind global powers. Drawing in calls and opinions from fans and staff, the episode weaves humor and pop culture references into sports analysis, punctuated by memorable moments and lively debate.

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LeBron James’ Lakers Legacy

Main Segment: 02:09–24:14

Key Discussion Points

• Are Lakers Fans Ungrateful for LeBron?
  The panel questions whether L.A. fans have sufficiently appreciated LeBron’s time as a Laker now that he’s leaving. Despite guiding the Lakers to a championship, there’s a sense many fans saw him as an outsider—“LeBron in a Lakers uniform” (05:23, Covino).
• Championship Expectations and Comparisons
  High expectations and historic comparisons—to Magic, Kobe, Shaq, Jordan—shape how LeBron is viewed. “Because it's LeBron, everyone's like, yeah, whatever, he didn't really do anything. You win a title with a team, usually you are a legend in that town forever." (07:01, Danny G.)
• The ‘Bubble Championship’ Debate
  The legitimacy and perceived difficulty of the 2020 championship is contested:
  • “He won. Stop trying to minimize and diminish what he accomplished… it was highly competitive.” (05:24, Rich Davis)
  • “Life sucked for everybody…think of how bad it was to be in the bubble.” (08:44, Rich Davis)
• Unappreciated Superstar Syndrome
  The hosts discuss how LeBron’s career was always compared to legends. “Comparison is the thief of joy…” (17:03, Danny G.).
• LeBron’s Personality & Perception
  The tension between LeBron’s on/off-court persona and his actual achievements:
  • “There's a lot of ego involved. He casts a large shadow over an organization.” (11:49, Covino)
  • "I think that's almost all of it because this is a LeBron thing." (18:24, Covino)
• Fan Callers Chime In
  • Mark from Long Beach: “I think Laker fans are so damn ungrateful…Remember before he arrived, the six years previous…complete utter embarrassment and joke…If he doesn’t come here, they don’t win the title and he doesn’t bring him back to relevancy.” (09:40–10:41, Mark)
  • Len from Idaho: “I'm so glad Le Bomb is gone…Might even start watching my beloved Lakers again." (12:23, Rich Davis)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You wouldn't say that about Giannis or Jokic or anybody else...because you just wouldn't.” (07:01, Danny G.)
• “When all said and done, 40 years from now…we’ll remember, yeah, he did his thing, he broke the scoring record, he won the in-season tournament, he won in 2020.” (22:54, Rich Davis)
• “For the spotlight that's on him, the guy's really done nothing but like, rub you the wrong way…” (22:54, Danny G.)
• “You gotta separate the stats from those feelings.” (19:11, Rich Davis)
• “Comparison is the thief of joy.” (17:03, Danny G.)

Memorable Segment (16:26–19:44):
The crew riffs on how unfair comparisons in sports (and life) cloud appreciation—tying in social media envy, cultural expectations, and even how everyday people compare themselves to others, extending the “comparison thief of joy” metaphor.

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Hot Take: Barry Sanders vs. Messi – The US Soccer Conundrum

Main Segment: 30:38–46:26

Key Discussion Points

• Why Can’t Team USA Become a Soccer Power?
  Mike ("Cold Stone Steve Austin"), a lifelong Laker fan, transitions from LeBron talk to the soccer debate: “Why can't the United States men's soccer team be more competitive on the world stage than they are? We are in just about every other sport. Our women's soccer team is usually number one in the world.” (34:00, Mike)

• The Barry Sanders Hypothetical

  • “If Barry Sanders grew up playing soccer every single day of his life, you don't think that he would have a chance to rival Messi or Pele as one of the greatest that ever did it?” (34:21, Mike)
  • The panel considers whether US soccer’s lack of elite athleticism is cultural or structural: too many other appealing sports, not enough grassroots investment, and a “pay-to-play” youth system.

• Culture, Infrastructure, and Opportunity
  Callers argue European and South American kids spend far more time training, with elite club academies integrated into everyday life. In the US, sports are splintered, and youth soccer is costly and less universal.

  • “In Europe and a lot of places…kids are starting to play soccer at a younger age at academies…playing like six, seven hours a day…Whereas our kids are going to school for eight hours and then practice for like two." (41:48, Nico in Vegas)

• Women’s Soccer Dominance
  The US women’s team's global edge is credited to more opportunities and societal acceptance for female athletes.

  • “Women's sports here in the US…always going to dominate.” (36:13, Danny G.)

• Pathways to Pro Soccer
  Discussion on whether it’s easier or harder for an American kid to become a professional soccer player compared to NFL/MLB, and how financial incentives and visibility shape career choices.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “We’re oversaturated with other options.” (37:26, Rich Davis)
• “All our athletes with that kind of athletic ability are being channeled toward the sports where they traditionally are going to make money, which is football, basketball, and baseball.” (37:14, Mike)
• "If you're good enough, they'll pay you as a teenager to come and just train." (44:55, Mike)
• "Could you imagine…a Barry Sanders, a Jeremiah Love, or even a Peyton Manning with his size and IQ as a center back?" (43:34, Adam from Indiana)

Listener Insight (41:46–44:52): Multiple callers reference the lack of elite infrastructure for soccer in the US—“you need a ball” vs. “$10,000 a year for club soccer” (43:34–44:52)—and how American football lures away top talent from a young age.

• “We lost a lot of our best baseball players because at the time lacrosse was trendy.” (37:53, Danny G.)

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Engaging Banter & Tone Highlights

• Lighthearted Holiday Chatter: Jokes about holiday shirts, “Dicky Doodle Dandies," and “brown card” toilet paper analogies keep the show energetic and comic (02:09–03:33, 29:18–29:44).
• Pop Culture Parallels: Frequent comparisons to social media envy, “Love Island” references, and Michael Jackson as an “art vs. person” metaphor for LeBron (11:20, 18:29).
• Insider Jests: Ongoing needling between the hosts — “Covino hurt his neck sneezing,” (24:02) “Trying to snag Mr. Miyagi Miyagi style.” (24:22)
• Fan Inclusivity: Multiple live calls encourage audience voices, adding authenticity and everyday perspectives.

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Timestamps: Important Segments

• LeBron’s Lakers Legacy Begins: 02:09
• Is One Championship Enough in L.A.?: 07:01
• Caller Mark from Long Beach on Pre-LeBron Lakers: 09:40–10:41
• Debate on Bubble Title’s Legitimacy: 08:06, 21:35–22:06
• Comparison is the Thief of Joy: 17:03
• Mike’s Hot Take – Barry vs. Messi (Soccer): 30:38
• Why U.S. Lags in Men’s Soccer – Structural Insight: 41:46 (Nico in Vegas)
• Elite Athlete Hypotheticals – Tyreek Hill, Ochocinco, Rickey Henderson in Soccer: 42:50, 45:50
• Youth System/Club Pay-to-Play Issue: 44:52 (Adam from Indiana)

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Conclusion & Takeaways

This hour of The Dan Patrick Show underscores how mythical expectations and the culture of comparison shape how even generational superstars like LeBron are remembered—particularly in storied franchises like the Lakers. Simultaneously, it spotlights the structural and cultural barriers preventing the U.S. from realizing its full soccer potential, entertaining the possibility that had our best athletes (Barry Sanders, Tyreek Hill, etc.) pursued the sport, things might look very different.

Memorable Quote to Close:
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” (17:03, Danny G.)
—both in sports fandom and in life, a reminder not to let expectations undermine enjoyment of genuine achievement.

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For more lively debate and sports insights, check out Covino & Rich weekdays, and catch this episode live or on demand via Fox Sports Radio/iHeartRadio.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Hoda Kotb]

I turned off news altogether.

[Rich Davis]

I hate to say it, but I

[Unidentified Male Caller/Guest]

don't trust much of anything.

[Rich Davis]

It's the rage bait.

[Podcast Announcer]

It feels like it's trying to divide people.

[Danny G]

If we got clear facts, maybe we can calm down a little.

[Covino]

NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America.

[Rich Davis]

All new drinks are now at McDonald's with refreshers like the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher and the Mango Pineapple Refresher with popping Boba. To crafted sodas like the Sprite Berry Blast with berry flavors and cold foam. Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fire six. All new drinks are here now at McDonald's. Refreshers contain caffeine.

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio.

[Rich Davis]

Hey, that's us, Steve. El hombre Masuapo Covino. Guapos Locos Forever Canalito. And that's Richie Dicky Doodle Davis, because he's the guy that makes something called Dicky Doodle Dandies. Oh, every Fourth of July celebration. And by the way, guys, as Iowa Sam plays the glockenspiel, it's the first of the month.

[Covino]

Wake up.

[Rich Davis]

So wake up. Cash your checks, get up. The legend of the rent is due. Pay your child support, and let's have a great month. It's a holiday week and we're here to celebrate day one of the hat trick.

[Danny G]

You say the Dicky Doodle Dandies. Do you know what those are? Danny?

[Rich Davis]

Gary.

[Rob Parker]

I've been making.

[Danny G]

I've been making these for years.

[Rich Davis]

Why do you think they call Rich the Dandy Boy? No one said.

[Danny G]

No one's ever said that. Yeah, everybody behind your back. Hey, keep it down. Keep it down. I know you're. I know you're going to want to be outside my window making noise like Team Mexico.

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

That's right.

[Danny G]

By the way, that's why Ecuador lost. If he missed first hour. All that noise, that's home field advantage, man. Sorry, Tito.

[Rich Davis]

You say noise, I say el sondito. Stop the party.

[Danny G]

Dicky doodle dandies. Danny G. Get this. I do this every Fourth of July.

[Rich Davis]

You can share your secret.

[Danny G]

You can make kid versions or adult versions. You hollow out strawberries and you put blue jello shots.

[Covino]

Oh, I saw this on Triple D.

[Danny G]

You put blue jello shots inside the strawberries, and then you top them off with, like, Cool Whip. So it's like a jello shot inside a strawberry with whipped cream. Red, white, blue.

[Covino]

Guy Fieri pretended like he ate one.

[Danny G]

Guy Fieri. I. I invented these.

[Rich Davis]

Rich taught Guy Fieri these. Shout out to Guy Fieri. He's actually a friend the show. He's our Guy. Covino and Rich in for Dan Patrick,

[Covino]

Santa Rosa in the house.

[Rich Davis]

Hope you had a Norway, France, Mexico sort of night. And of course, today, usa, usa, usa. We'll get you pumped for that. We also got Mike, who runs this take. We do that on our show Monday through Friday, 2 to 4 on the west. Covino and Rich. He has a take. We discuss it. It's soccer related. Plus midweek major. The biggest stories in sports and pop culture. We decide are they mid week or major stories? Now we're talking LeBron. We'll talk soccer again. If you missed anything, catch it on the podcast. We're streaming live. YouTube.comino Enrich FSR LeBron. The question is simple and we'll elaborate, but are Lakers fans ungrateful? Because as it starts to sink in that he's moving on, I mean, he's taking.

[Danny G]

Rifle is a. A harsh word. Like, imagine if you told your kids or wife, like, you're ungrateful. It's all. It's a. It's a. It's a heavy duty.

[Rob Parker]

No.

[Danny G]

But all right.

[Rich Davis]

Outside looking in. Rich and I are transplants.

[Danny G]

Oh, your hair is rich. How about under you and John Cena.

[Rich Davis]

That's right.

[Covino]

Underappreciated.

[Danny G]

Yeah, I was gonna say, you know,

[Rich Davis]

you don't appreciate, I don't know, the vibe I'm getting outside looking in. We've been here in LA for a long time. We've watched a lot of Lakers. We've covered a lot of Lakers. I feel, I feel that the sentiment is. And I can understand that. He never really felt like a Laker. He just felt like LeBron in a

[Covino]

Lakers uniform, like an outsider.

[Rich Davis]

He did right? A little bit. And that's not to take away from the champion. I'm the first guy to be like, yo, he won. And the bubble was just as difficult, if not more difficult, than any other championship. So he won. Stop trying to, you know, minimize and, and diminish what he accomplished. And it wasn't just the championship. He turned the organization around. He made the playoff. What was his career stats? Danny G. With the Lakers.

[Covino]

Let me get that pulled up here.

[Danny G]

So you think he has it in front of him?

[Covino]

I do.

[Laker Fan Caller]

I do.

[Rich Davis]

Now I know.

[Unidentified Male Caller/Guest]

Yeah.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

So of course, 340 and 200.

[Covino]

As far as overall, overall playoff series record with the Lakers, seven series wins, five series losses. You talked about the 2020 Covid championship, with which some people diminish. We'll talk about that in a minute. Four playoff appearances, two missed playoffs, three first round exits, which Rob Parker was pointing to on the network yesterday. One Western Conference finals appearance in 23, and one Western Conference semifinal finals appearance, which was this past season.

[Danny G]

Wait, hold on, hold on. You're leaving off. And one NBA cup.

[Rich Davis]

Oh, yeah, yeah, that's right.

[Danny G]

Hey, you.

[Covino]

Did you watch the Knicks and the. In the spurs in the. In that last. I bet you'd even watch a minute.

[Danny G]

No, not at all.

[Rich Davis]

But there's a sentiment or feeling that his, his run with the Lakers was kind of mild. And I think that's only because expectations with LeBron James are so high, they're not realistic. You know, you wouldn't say that. As we pointed out yesterday, Mike, who runs his take, he was like, you wouldn't say that about Giannis or, or Yokich or anybody else, because you just wouldn't.

[Danny G]

If you win one title with a

[Rich Davis]

team because it's LeBron, everyone's like, yeah,

[Danny G]

whatever, he didn't really do anything. You win a title with a team, usually you are a legend in that town forever. As a Mets fan, you, you always make fun of me. How you go to Citi Field and then formerly Shea Stadium. You know, we're still living off the, off of the hype of Gary, Gary Carter's afro and Daryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez mustache. And it's, you know, 40 years later. You're right. If, if you're, if you're in Millie Walke, Giannis until they win another, everyone's gonna always be like, man, when Giannis won one in the 20 teens.

[Covino]

You know why this is different, Rich? You talked about the Knicks parade. We even talked about it a couple of days ago because there was more fallout from that senior executive that got fired from JP Morgan.

[Danny G]

Remember garbage can girl?

[Wells Fargo Credit Card Ad Voice]

That.

[Covino]

That parade went on forever. Los Angeles never got a parade after the Lakers won. It was almost like the. A celebration after the big earthquake in the Bay Area when they beat the Giants. It was subdued. So I think that's a big part of this. And a lot of people poo poo the. The title and call it Mickey Mouse and all that.

[Rich Davis]

So I think you're a subdued reason. Downplay that championship. Here's why. I'd love to have someone explain this to me. We all watched it. We had nothing else to watch except for Tiger King. We all watched the championship. It was highly competitive. From my standpoint, especially when you think about how difficult life was for you.

[Danny G]

Kavito loved. He loved.

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

Sucked.

[Danny G]

He loved Joe Exotic.

[Rob Parker]

Hold on.

[Rich Davis]

Life sucked. Joe Exonic is your hero.

[Danny G]

Kavito actually had a muller for a minute.

[Rich Davis]

Life sucked for everybody.

[Covino]

I could get Carole Baskin on the show for you.

[Rich Davis]

First. Get Carole Baskin on the show.

[Danny G]

Baskin. Not Karen Baskin.

[Rich Davis]

Baskin.

[Danny G]

Well, I don't want to either, Mayor.

[Rich Davis]

That's. That's Karen Bass. Now, if it was bad for us, think of how bad it was to be in the bubble. It wasn't easy. It was more difficult to play during that time.

[Covino]

They were in team fights. There were players arguing.

[Rich Davis]

It was the worst. It was so awkward. I thought it was more difficult to pull that off than a regular championship. I give them all the credit in the world. I don't take it away. However, LeBron's just that guy. And you could say it's because of his Me Braun attitude that it makes it easy for people to dump on.

[Danny G]

Right? I think the only cool part about the bubble was the emergence of Jimmy Butler's coffee brand. But besides that, it was tough. But yesterday, someone hit up Kavino and Rich. That's us. On our afternoon show.

[Rich Davis]

That's us, guys.

[Danny G]

That's us, guys. And. And actually made a good point about whether or not Lakers fans are a little ungrateful. Take a listen.

[Covino]

It was a call from Long Beach.

[Danny G]

There's so much drama in the lbc. What's up, Mark?

[Caller Mark from Long Beach]

I think Laker fans are so damn ungrateful. Just remember before he arrived, the six years previous to. That was the worst Era of Lakers basketball, they were winning 25 games a year. They were complete utter embarrassment and joke. And everybody talking about that youth movement with Ingram and Randle Alonzo Ball, they were going nowhere. When he arrived is when the turnaround began. So I don't, I don't know why they continually compare Kobe and LeBron. He never made it about them. If anything, LeBron only compares himself to MJ, which, let's be honest, as much as I love Kobe, he's my favorite player of all time. LeBron's a better player than him and to me he's still second to mj. But regardless of all that, if he doesn't come here, they don't win the title and he doesn't bring him back to relevancy. So I want to thank him for his service. And if I'm him, the move I make is forget going back home one more time. You did. Going back to Cleveland a third time would be a mistake. Go back to Miami. Manda wrongs with Pat Riley. They got Giannis, so you don't have to be go to guys. You got an elite defender in bam. They know they're going to win. And you got a great coach as Fulture. So.

[Rich Davis]

And he did promise, he promised more of championships in my end.

[Danny G]

Oh, that could be the anger. I promise you more.

[Rich Davis]

Not four, not five.

[Covino]

I mean, here comes three and four.

[Danny G]

I mean, listen, LeBron James, by the

[Rich Davis]

way, that was courtesy of us yesterday,

[Danny G]

courtesy of this guy and me on

[Rich Davis]

our show on the West.

[Danny G]

We forget, and it's easy to forget that the end of the Kobe era wasn't great ever. And there was a window of time where the Lakers really did stink. And there was that youth movement of like, this is the next generation.

[Covino]

Well, you got to bring up old

[Danny G]

stuff and it never worked out.

[Rich Davis]

You know, it feels like. You know how we often talk about separating the art from the person. Like Michael Jackson, man, you almost have to do the same for LeBron. People just have such a deep rooted dislike for the guy for whatever reason. You can't take away what he did for the Lakers.

[Covino]

Think you know the reasons?

[Rich Davis]

No, but that's the truth. So it's like, yeah, but he did bring a championship. He did change the course of the team. He brought so many stars to play alongside him.

[Covino]

Oh, I'm not discounting that. I mean, I'm a, I'm a lifelong Lakers fan and I understand both sides of it. I rooted for him on the court, off the court. Obviously people dislike him. There's a Lot of ego involved. He casts a large shadow over an organization, even separate the man from the player.

[Rich Davis]

And I'm not saying an organization like

[Covino]

the Lakers couldn't shake his shadow necessarily. So that's why there was a large portion of Laker fans who were like, man, I don't like this player, but I guess I have to root for him because he's on my team right now. And they have been the ones celebrating since the announcement.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, Len from Idaho hit me up. He goes, dude, I'm so glad Le Bomb is gone. Happy, happy, happy, happy. Says, I might even start watching my beloved Lakers again. And he also says, buy xrp. I don't know if that's a sign.

[Danny G]

And then he's giving you. Then he's giving you crypto tips.

[Rich Davis]

I'm like, oh, maybe I should now. I don't know. But I feel like he's not the. There's so many people that are like, good riddance. And I feel like that's an ungrateful sentiment when you did get a championship, you know, we just expected more because he's LeBron.

[Danny G]

Because Kobe meant so much to this city, and because Kobe was such a legend and beloved, we forget that after all those NBA titles, they were thinking like abe Lincoln. From 2013 to when LeBron came here, what, 2018, 2019, there was a window of time where I'm looking it up right now, Danny. 27 wins, 21 wins, 17 wins, 26 wins. It was like, bottom of the barrel, Beth. And LeBron comes in and sort of brings the team back to, like, all right, they're an automatic playoff contender. They're an automatic title, you know, contender. It only happened one time.

[Covino]

Well, it wasn't that easy. When he first got here, Rich, he had a little bit of a nagging injury when he first arrived. That affected him. Yeah, it took. It was a slow burn. It was.

[Rich Davis]

Jeannie Buss put out a thank you, and I'm sure you saw it by now, but LeBron James did tweet out, no, thank you. Truly an honor to wear the purple and gold while trying to continue the greatness and legacies that came before me. Hope I made a few proud during my stint. He tried to make his mark as a Laker, but he always felt too LeBron. That is the feeling I think a lot of fans had.

[Danny G]

I think it's. I'm not saying Laker fans are ungrateful, don't get me wrong. But I think what you're looking at is by comparison. Let me explain. If someone were to ever lead the Cleveland Browns to a Super bowl, they would just need to win one, and they'd be the greatest person ever.

[Rich Davis]

Now, if you got him in, win more than one.

[Danny G]

If Drake May wins the super bowl for the Patriots, you know what it's going to be like. Yo, man, that's pretty cool. Tom Brady won a six.

[Rich Davis]

You need a but. You need four more.

[Danny G]

But. But you're holding LeBron to the standard of Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, James Worthy, Shaquille o', Neal, everyone before him. So you're talking about the most storied franchise in the NBA, maybe, other than the Celtics. So LeBron winning one just wasn't enough for the. For the standards. It's like.

[Rich Davis]

And he's compared to Jordan Laker fans, Are you like, all right, Laker fans

[Danny G]

stay at the Four Seasons. Like, you could like.

[Rich Davis]

But I'm saying that is, you know, that is unfair. Or you could say that's totally fair, considering he is LeBron and he has a standard or an expectation. But it seems like. Seems like based on the feedback and the feeling we're out here in Los Angeles, that there's some ungrateful fans for what he did. There's like a sentiment. We even pointed this out on our show yesterday, Rich. Like, his. His time in LA was sort of mild, as you put

[Danny G]

was mild based on. Again, you guys are all ignoring my greatest point of all points. By comparison, if you dated kinky, crazy girls in the bedroom and then compared to a girl that's like, sort of

[Rich Davis]

conservative, were you hanging Love Island?

[Danny G]

Have you seen that show? Geez, people do anything.

[Covino]

Yeah, but it's genuinely.

[Danny G]

But what, What?

[Rich Davis]

Literally.

[Danny G]

Literally, if you're in Toronto, Kawhi Leonard bringing you a title was glorious. That's it. You. You won one, right?

[Rich Davis]

He's trying to do it again. Like, by the way, you know, LA lost some big stars yesterday. Seriously. But they also star power.

[Covino]

Both teams also needed a youth movement.

[Rich Davis]

No, no doubt, no doubt. That's big time change.

[Danny G]

I'm just saying it's. It's like, it's all. It's all comparison games. It really is LeBron James.

[Rich Davis]

When you play, it's got like you always so my.

[Danny G]

You're a Yankees fan, dude. Like, if a Rod won one World Series with you guys, I think it's foolish to.

[Rich Davis]

To think. And we've seen it like those days of the Chicago Bulls, even the Golden State warriors, they're done. It's. It's a.

[Danny G]

It's.

[Rich Davis]

There's a parody that hasn't existed. And that's great for baseball, that's great for basketball. Like, to expect more is also unrealistic. I know I got one. If the Yankees got one right now, I'm pumped. In 2009, our expectations are, no, you got a repeat. I'm not saying that's a bad take. I'm saying, like, stop being unrealistic. It's. I think you're absolutely right, but it's not realistic in today's game.

[Danny G]

Like, a Rod won a World Series with the Yankees and he was an MVP around that same time. But everyone's like, yeah, yeah, you know what? But Jeter won five. It's all comparison games. In relationships, at work, in life, we. We hate that. Comparison is the thief of joy. Have you ever heard that? Have you ever heard that saying, comparison is the thief of joy?

[Rich Davis]

Who you get that from?

[Danny G]

Probably like Gary Vaynerchuk or something. But when you look on social is

[Rich Davis]

the thief of joy.

[Danny G]

Don't look at other people. I'm Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary Vaynerchuk. But think about it. You go on social media, Covino's guilty of this. We'd be like, dude, why is everyone swimming in a cenote in Tulum? And here I am sitting on my ass at home.

[Wells Fargo Credit Card Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

Why is everybody having so much more

[Danny G]

fun when you go on social media,

[Rich Davis]

I'm feeling it for Dan Patrick, everyone else living like kings.

[Covino]

I hate how all my neighbors have electric cars and I'm paying $7 a gallon.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah.

[Danny G]

But if you compare yourself to everyone else, go on social media, you'll feel like a. You'll feel like ass. And that's what we do in sports. You compare yourself to the organization you play for. Like I said, Drake may. If he were to win a Super bowl, it would be like, yeah, it's really cool, man. Hey, you know, the Tom Brady won six now, but if you won for the Cleveland Browns or Jets, you make a statue for you.

[Rich Davis]

I think it's that and I think it's unfair. But I also think it's definitely how LeBron robs people the wrong.

[Danny G]

They don't.

[Rich Davis]

That's.

[Covino]

I think that's almost all of it because this is a LeBron thing.

[Rich Davis]

Separated. We have talked, still do moonwalk dance moves and listen to Michael Jackson.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

I still appreciate what LeBron did for the Lakers and not necessarily, you know,

[Covino]

ride with the guy on RPM Drive show. We've had more than one conversation about how people are not going to appreciate just fans. Sports fans in general are not going to appreciate what LeBron did for the NBA as a league, as an association, until he's long, by the way, I'm not saying.

[Rich Davis]

I'm not comparing LeBron to Michael Jackson. I'm saying you need to. If you don't like him for whatever reason, like, you just don't like him, you got to separate, like the fake

[Covino]

reading of the book. There's a list of things that rub people the wrong way.

[Danny G]

Most people compare LeBron to Michael Jordan. Cavito pairs to Michael Jackson.

[Rich Davis]

Well, because I'm saying you gotta separate the man from the artist. You got us. If you don't like him for as a man, which that's your own thing, and you're entitled to feel however you want, you gotta separate the stats from those feelings.

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

You do.

[Covino]

And this was also the media's fault, because whenever there was a big topic in our country, politics, whatever it was, they would always run to LeBron and say, what do you think about that? And instead of him saying, ah, you know what? I got to study up on that before I comment, he would comment and then everybody would tear him apart because he was uneducated on the topic.

[Rich Davis]

Oh, but Danny G. On the flip side, what's more aggravating when people don't say anything at all, right? Like, we hate those BS answers. We want to know what people think. Sometimes when you. When you hear the standard BS answers, it aggravates you. So now that he's outspoken, we don't like that either. So you got to make up your mind. I think people, how do you feel about LeBron? How do you feel about his next move? I think we're getting that circus sideshow. I think it's going to sell a lot of tickets. I think it's going to be amazing. It's like a super group. Like, as I said yesterday, it's like, it's like audio slave on the basketball court. You're going to have a super group of golden guys out there selling tickets. It's going to be huge for the NBA and it's going to be a lot of fun to see. Will they compete? Yeah, they'll compete. Will they win it all? The west is too strong. And these young is a young man's league, period.

[Danny G]

So it's so wild to me, the expectation that is held for LeBron James, that winning a title for a team wasn't enough. Wasn't enough. Let me ask you this. If. Let's just say in a different alternate universe, Danny garbage, the fact that we

[Rich Davis]

have to ask this question Shows everything. He was unappreciated.

[Danny G]

If LeBron never came to the Lakers, let's say it's an alternate NBA universe where, flip it, he went to the Clippers and Kawhi went to the Lakers. If Kawhi wins one as a Laker, don't you look at it a little different? Like, oh, he won one for the Spurs.

[Covino]

I mean, I feel like if it was the COVID title, people would still be, you know, making the same jokes, the same, it's the same low hanging fruit. And I feel like that's going to hang over the Lakers for a long time until they win a regular season, you know, and then NBA finals, a full season. Because Covino, Rob Parker, you heard him yesterday as we were leaving the network, his whole take was, that's Mickey Mouse, it doesn't count. And we, we've. How many years have we heard that?

[Rich Davis]

I just, I can never wrap my head around that specific downplay because everyone was the. Yeah, everyone was trying.

[Covino]

And it was one of the hardest years of all of us.

[Rich Davis]

All of us, everybody. You think it was any easier for the NBA players to be away from their families in a bubble? And how much tension was in the air amongst the teammates and other teams?

[Covino]

And the one thing I pointed out on our afternoon show yesterday, The Lakers were 52 and 19 before COVID So it's not like they were scrubs that just got lucky in this bubble.

[Rich Davis]

Now, and we're not saying all Lakers fans are ungrateful, but there's definitely a feeling of he was unappreciated. But there's also a feeling that maybe his run here was a little mild, but I think it's because of the man, not because of his numbers. And I'm not saying he's a bad guy at all. I'm just saying I think that's the vibe I'm getting. And there is a vibe that he never did feel like a Laker, just LeBron in a Lakers jersey and, and LA didn't embrace him the way they embraced Kobe or anybody else as a result. But when all said and done, when all said and done, 40 years from now, we'll look back and people will remember, yeah, he did his thing, you know, he broke the scoring record. He won the in season tournament. He won in 2020.

[Danny G]

It's a wild how he just rubs people the wrong way. Yes, but he's, but when it comes to like off the, off the court stuff, like doesn't do any crimes or doesn't, you know, he's Great. Never had, never had. For the, for the spotlight that's on him. The guy's really done nothing but like, rub you the wrong way yet. There's guys.

[Rich Davis]

He's no Johnny Gill, that's for sure.

[Danny G]

But there's guys and women outside of their entertainment or sports world that do terrible things. We're like, we still love them.

[Laker Fan Caller]

Yeah.

[Danny G]

LeBron, you don't like. You don't like the way he reads a book, you know, you don't like that he's a little, you know, at times stealth, indulgent.

[Rich Davis]

I guess I will make it pretty clear. Rich and I have always been and Danny g. Supporters of LeBron, but we still understand why some people don't enjoy him. But his whole career spanned the run

[Covino]

of our show, man, purely on the court. There were some things he did last season at that age where all of us came in the next day on the network and we're like, holy guacamole. You saw that?

[Rich Davis]

Yeah.

[Danny G]

Like, that guy's doing windmill dunks and he's in his 40s.

[Covino]

What in the world?

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

My God.

[Danny G]

Most 40 year old guys, like, pull a hamstring, play the men's softball.

[Covino]

Covino heard his neck sneezing a couple weeks ago.

[Rich Davis]

That's true. It's true. So Fox Sports Radio, Dan Patrick, how do you feel about LeBron's next move? But right now, how do you feel about his time in la?

[Danny G]

It wasn't Steve's daddy Camino did hurt his neck. Remember what it was from he. I'm trying to hurt his shoulder. Trying to swat a fly.

[Rich Davis]

I did. I tried to snag Mr. Miyagi. Miyagi style. Pop my, like, rotator cuff. I'm on the IL for six months now.

[Laker Fan Caller]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

Career over.

[Danny G]

So that's a true story, by the

[Rich Davis]

way, and I'm not proud of it.

[Danny G]

Your thoughts on LeBron. And Big Mike comes in here next, as we call them, Cold stone.

[Covino]

Who?

[Rich Davis]

Cold Stone, Steve Austin.

[Danny G]

He comes in here, he's got his segment of the week, we call it. Mike runs this take where he has a preposterous thought. He's the guy around the office that's always chirping. So we're like Mike, once a week, come on the show.

[Rich Davis]

I know it's soccer related, Rich. World cup related, so.

[Danny G]

Well, hey, you know, we bring in Mike next. We'll do that and a bunch more. Having fun. And for great Dan Patrick on a Wednesday here at Fox Sports Radio. Let's go.

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app hey, it's me, Rob Parker.

[Rob Parker]

Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of piping hot baseball talk featuring the biggest names and new makers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Laura Maxwell]

Working as a dedicated Fidelity advisor, I always ask what's important to you. I'll look at those priorities and goals alongside your full financial picture to build a comprehensive plan designed to help grow and protect your wealth. With proactive portfolio insights and an eye on taxes, I'm here to help you make the most of your money. I'm Laura Maxwell, and I'm a dedicated Fidelity Advisor. Learn [e-mail] Wealth Investment Minimums Apply Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC Member NYSE, SIPC Hey,

[Hoda Kotb]

I'm Hoda Kotb, host of the podcast Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together. We're gonna have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people, like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming.

[Rich Davis]

I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand post depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety.

[Hoda Kotb]

Olympic champ Shawn Johnson revealed why she had no choice but to be a gymnast.

[Laura Maxwell]

There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to me.

[Rich Davis]

It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it.

[Hoda Kotb]

Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Announcer]

Granger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building you're managing all of. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, Filters ready to clog. H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-Grainger click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Rich Davis]

Summer smells like citrus in the sun. Turn your home into a daily getaway with Pura's new summer collection. Find your flow and fragran and explore the [e-mail] Covino and Rich Monday through Friday. Normally two to four on the west, five to seven on the east. Everything at Covino and Rich if you want to see our stupid faces. Actually, better yet, if you want to watch the show now or later, we're streaming live. People are chatting it up. What up nw Happy birthday by the way. Art day. Superbird, Lisa Bri, Tommy Guns. A lot of people chiming in live at Covino. Enrich FSR at CovinoEnrich FSR on YouTube in for Dan Patrick. Day one of the Dan Patrick Hat Trick.

[Danny G]

Not only is today day one of the hat trick, we are the messi of Fox Sports Radio.

[Rich Davis]

Everybody's saying it.

[Danny G]

Today's another day that people love to bring up every year.

[Rich Davis]

Oh, the first of the month.

[Danny G]

It's like the most annoying thing in the world of sports.

[Covino]

I know what's coming.

[Danny G]

Don't say what it is. I want to see if I'm going to let you think about it for a second. Today is the. Is the day that once a year. Hey Rich, you know what today is? There's your hint and I hate it.

[Rich Davis]

Today's the day you get the brown card. That's what today is.

[Covino]

Think about Rich's love of baseball.

[Rich Davis]

Okay, so we'll let you know. Yeah. Someone.

[Danny G]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

Throw the brown card on Rich Davis, everybody. Toilet paper is a foul. Brown card issued dry TP smears and leaves extra men on the field, if you know what I mean. Dude Wipes are XL wet and built to close out the game properly. Send. Get this, this is great. Send a free 10 pack to a TP user you know at Dude Wipes.

[Danny G]

So if you know someone that's got a stinky. Yeah, yeah.

[Rich Davis]

If you're living like George Washington on Rich's shirt like our forefathers. If you're stinking like Abe Lincoln and you're still just using TP brown card issued, send them the dude wipes dudewipes.com brown card.

[Danny G]

You like my, my holiday shirt. 1776 National Champs.

[Rich Davis]

Honestly, it's like, it's comparison like you said. You know how LeBron doesn't get the credit because he's compared to the greats?

[Laker Fan Caller]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

Your shirt's just okay compared to Sam's.

[Danny G]

I know. Honestly, Sam, you outdid Us all. I was Sam's got how much you pay for that? He's got. This is probably like an ins. I probably bought this on Instagram or TikTok for like 30. For like 30.

[Rich Davis]

I saw it on social media and

[Danny G]

I was Sam bought a $10 bootleg Team USA jersey at CVS Pharmacy. Just caught my eye and reeled me in. I'll be honest, you win the day. I think that's fantastic.

[Rich Davis]

I feel like you bought some Dr. Scholl's and got that for free or something.

[Unidentified Male Caller/Guest]

I don't know.

[Rich Davis]

That's so funny. Came wadded up in like a little capsule.

[Danny G]

No, the C coupon printed out a mile long and one of the coupons said free shirt.

[Rich Davis]

It's so funny. I'd like to redeem my free shirt. All right. Now on our show every Wednesday we do a few things. We always have fun. Okay? Super fun time.

[Danny G]

That's true.

[Rich Davis]

With Covino and Rich, we do something called midweek Major. We got that. Coming up, biggest stories in sports called Midweek Major. And Mike, who runs this take? Let's get into it.

[Danny G]

Who's the microphone assassin?

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

It's time for Mike who runs this take.

[Rich Davis]

Who?

[Covino]

Big Mike may get to be in charge of this segment, but he still doesn't run this place. He really doesn't even run this segment when you think about it. Because his mic can be turned off by Sam at any moment.

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

That may be true, but big Mike does get to pick the topic and then CNR offer their strong opinions on it. Consider it a warm up to midweek Major. Mike, who runs this take. Who?

[Rich Davis]

Mike. He runs this place. But on Wednesdays he runs this take.

[Covino]

Never heard of him.

[Rich Davis]

If you're watching the show on YouTube, don't be confused. It's not Bruce Willis. It's not stone Cold. It's the cold stone Steve Austin of Fox Sports Radio.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

That's so sweet of you.

[Rich Davis]

It's not Rick from porn stars. But you know what, Mike, I got a compliment. You're a handsome dude and I love your your national pride today, bro. You're true USA fan.

[Danny G]

Before we get into Mike's take, video producer Spock, can you do a side by side of Mike and Sam because Mike has the actual logo and when you compare it to Sam's bootleg, it's funny because they're trying. You're realizing on Sam shirt what they're trying to do.

[Rich Davis]

You know, Sam, how do you do it, bro? How do you do that on purpose?

[Danny G]

Sam's intentionally awesome.

[Rich Davis]

It's like, someone took Mike's shirt and

[Danny G]

they closed their eyes and they tried to draw my shirt like the colors. They drew my shirt when they were closing their eyes and looking at Mike shirt. Like, the color scheme. The color scheme's the same, but the colors are swapped,

[Laura Maxwell]

man.

[Danny G]

So anyway, Mike, you got your hot take of the week or what?

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

First, actually, I did want to weigh in on this whole LeBron Laker tenure and how that turned out. I'm a lifelong Laker fan.

[Danny G]

Are fans totally taken for granted or what?

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

No, I think. I think they are. And I think the fans that I mean. Good. Look, I'm. I'm happy he's leaving because I think it's what's best for the team.

[Rich Davis]

When he came in its course, right?

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

And when he. When he showed up in la, I was like, all right, I guess, let's see. I've never been a fan of the guy, LeBron. And when he was here as a human being, maybe I wasn't the biggest fan, but he did his job on the court, man.

[Danny G]

Yeah.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

I don't think anybody can sit here and say LeBron did not bring it on the basketball court for the Lakers every night. Giving him his all brought a championship like. And. And while I'm a Lakers fan and I will defend the bubble championship, the Lakers did have one slight advantage in the bubble, and that is the fact that. That they were the old team, right? They were. They were the guys that. And it was a shortened season. They didn't have to travel. They got to stay in the same place.

[Rich Davis]

But those apply to all the teams.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

Sure, I understand, but as. As an older team, it helped the Lakers a little more than some of the younger teams who didn't need as much rest. But that's. That's negligible. And that's not why they won the championship. They won the championship because they were the best team.

[Rich Davis]

You know, it doesn't make sense. And I'm giving you credit, Mike. You made me think about this. He gave his all, right? He stayed in incredible shape. So how could we, in one side of our mouth, say it's incredible what

[Danny G]

he does for his age and then

[Rich Davis]

criticize the guy for not doing it, you know, doing more?

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

That's what I'm saying.

[Rich Davis]

You know, anyone else that could do what he did for the Lakers, I think there's a lot of people that are ungrateful for what he did. And Mike's a fan, so I take your take on it.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

All right, well, let's get into the take. I'm actually talking about today because we're all about the World cup these days.

[Laura Maxwell]

Yeah, right.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

I heard Rich talking earlier about how he's decided he really just loves a shootout.

[Danny G]

It's true. It's true. I realized when it was two, nothing. Mexico. I'm like, what else is on tv? I realize I just love a close game.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

I get it. But the question has always remained, why can't the United States men's soccer team be more competitive on the world stage than they are? We are in just about every other sport. Our women's soccer team is usually number one in the world. Like, we have the capability to do it. The question is, why can't we? Why don't we?

[Rich Davis]

Okay.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

And I know you guys were talking a little bit earlier and Rich was saying he didn't know anybody growing up playing soccer. And I really think. And that's my take today, is that's really what it boils down to, is in most other countries in South America and Europe growing up, every single child plays soccer. Every one of them. We don't even do that with football or baseball out here. Maybe most kids play baseball, but not every single one of them. Those other countries, every single one of them is playing soccer. Like, if Barry Sanders grew up playing soccer every single day of his life, you don't think that he would have a chance to rival Messi or Pele as one of the greatest that ever did it?

[Rich Davis]

That's a high take.

[Danny G]

Now, I have thoughts on that. But is it fair to say in the United States more kids use their feet to play kickball than soccer?

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

No, that's not fair. Not anymore.

[Danny G]

No meaning, like, all right, if you take every kid, did you want it

[Rich Davis]

straight or bouncy when you were playing kickball?

[Danny G]

A little in between. A little bouncy. I don't want it too bouncy. How do you want a little bouncy, Danny? Too bouncy.

[Rich Davis]

You know what? I don't even want to say it.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

Easy.

[Danny G]

He was gonna say he likes his kickballs like he likes his boobs. I'm sure he was gonna say that.

[Rich Davis]

I was gonna say I like my TikTok videos. Like how I like how I like my kickball.

[Danny G]

Oh, bouncy. So my thought is not every kid played soccer in the United States, but every kid played a hell of a lot of kickball. So I think more kids use their feet playing kickball in their life than soccer. But here's the deal. I'll tell you why Team USA Women's always does well. Probably because around the world, in a lot of cultures, women are not only discouraged from playing sports, probably aren't allowed to. And I think women's sports here in the US around, compared to around the world, always going to dominate.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

Very valid point.

[Danny G]

Someone made a point to me recently because I used to say that same thing, Mike, where it's like, what if all the best wide receivers in football or what if all the elite athletes, you know, all the NBA point guards, like, decided to play soccer instead? But then when you realize Messi, who's the best is like 5, 8, 5, 9 is size and strength really?

[Rich Davis]

Well, that's why Barry Sanders is a good example. If he would have said to or if he would have said LeBron, it's like, yeah, that's not the makeup of a soccer player.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

You're talking about an extreme example. I mean, look at Wayne Gretzky. Wayne Gretzky was not your prototypical NHL player and he's the greatest of all time. So that's a one off. When you're talking about a guy like Messi, I'm talking about Mbappe. And you look at Erling Holland and you look at Harry Kane. These are big, strong, fast guys that have serious athletic ability. And in the United States, all, all of our athletes with that kind of athletic ability are being channeled toward the sports where they traditionally are going to make money, which is football and basketball and baseball.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, we're oversaturated with other options.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

Right?

[Rich Davis]

I mean, options that seem more appealing for American culture.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

I mean, you've seen all of the parents out there in youth sports that are all convinced their children are going to become professional athletes. You don't get that in soccer. You get a yso mom, you get soccer moms.

[Unidentified Male Caller/Guest]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

So in other words, the same way we lost Kyler Murray to football, he could have been a baseball player. We're losing tons of superstars that could have played soccer to other American sports.

[Danny G]

I grew up on Long Island. My analogy would be we lost a lot of our best baseball players because at the time lacrosse was trendy. And I remember being like, why? Why?

[Rich Davis]

I thought you lost him to fist pumping on the East Coast. Yeah, Tony was a great baseball player until he started pumping his fist at the club.

[Danny G]

Your thoughts, Mike? Mike poses the question on his take of the week.

[Rich Davis]

It's a two part doozy. Actually. The question's, you know, why? Why do you think that we're not embracing soccer? We're not as good as we should be. And would Barry Sanders right. Isn't that part of it, Yeah.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

I mean, what would our greatest athletes would we rank on the, on the national stage as some of the greatest soccer players that ever lived?

[Danny G]

Well, to put in perspective, Mike, we're in the field of 32 now and I looked it up and we are predicted to go to the quarterfinal. So if the, if the team, if team USA does their best, they will make it to the final round of eight and then they'll predict. Predicted to lose to Spain. Right. If you look at the bracket the right way. Okay, so top eight ain't too shabby.

[Rich Davis]

But you're saying that's huge.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

Absolutely. That would be huge progress.

[Danny G]

But what you're saying is if we dominate in so many sports, the Olympics are always on the high medal count. NFL football, major league baseball, Japanese players come here. If we're elite in everything, what's the deal with soccer?

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

Exactly.

[Laker Fan Caller]

Right.

[Danny G]

Your thoughts at 87799 on Fox. Weigh in on Mike. Cold stone Steve Austin.

[Rich Davis]

Cold stone Steve Austin.

[Danny G]

Take your feedback. Next in for Dan Patrick, it's Cavino and Rich.

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

Fox sports radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows@fox sportsradio.com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

[Rich Davis]

You believe it's July 1st holiday week.

[Rob Parker]

I know.

[Rich Davis]

Holiday.

[Danny G]

Celebrate.

[Rich Davis]

Celebrate. Hey, Rich, got bang snaps, if you know what I mean. Bang snap.

[Danny G]

Oh, no. People don't know.

[Rich Davis]

Got your sparklers ready for the holidays? We're Covino and Rich and we're happy to be here. Day one of the Dan Patrick Hatrick. The Dan Patrick Hatrick live from the Fox sports radio studio. Remember, after the show, the DP podcast and our stream goes up. Danny G, our super producer puts up our podcast every day. There's even a best of the week so be sure to search Covino enrich. C O V I N O Convino Enrich. Wherever you get your podcast, follow rate and review. Five stars and we appreciate it. That's brown car Davis. Rich Davis here. It's Cavino and Rich and the phones are hot. We do this every Wednesday with Mike who runs this place. Who or as we're calling today, cold stone Steve Austin. Rick from Pawn Stars. Our very own Rick from Pawn Stars, the handsome Mike who runs this place.

[Danny G]

I'm looking at our feedback people runs a take. People are talking about the odds of being a pro soccer player and I'm trying to make sense of this. Is it easier or harder to be a pro soccer player?

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

Well, there, there's. Well, it depends Pro soccer player as opposed to a pro.

[Danny G]

What I mean, NFL player, major league

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

baseball player, Easier to be proud pro soccer player than a pro NFL player. Maybe not a pro baseball player because we're talking about minor leagues and. But in soccer, there are so many leagues and so many semi pro leagues.

[Danny G]

Is the path to big money is what I'm asking? Is there a path to big money in soccer that would make it worth it for a young kid?

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

That's another reason there is a path to big money. Absolutely.

[Rich Davis]

That's why American players are Weston McKinney.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

These guys are making huge cash overseas.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah. But they see the glitz and glamour and paydays of an NFL star baseball star. So they're choosing that as opposed to soccer. So riches or Mike's take is, you know, why aren't we embracing soccer? Why aren't we as good as we should be? And he says that Barry Sanders would, would arguably one of the best if he played soccer while he was in diapers. Like people around the world. So let's go to the phones. 877-99-ON FOX. Danny G. Who do we got?

[Covino]

Let's start in Las Vegas with Nico.

[Rich Davis]

Nico in Vegas.

[Danny G]

Nico, what's up, bud?

[Laker Fan Caller]

Hey, how's it going, guys?

[Danny G]

What's up, man?

[Laker Fan Caller]

Yeah, so really, it also kind of comes down to the time on task. So a lot of in Europe and a lot of places in the world, kids are starting to play soccer at a younger age at academies. So they're playing like six, seven hours a day, five, six, seven days a week, and then have games. Whereas our kids are going to school for eight hours a day and then practice for like two hours a day, if they even practice five days a week. So it's also the infrastructure is very different with soccer in worldwide. And even now, you can see with Europe, basketball, like teams like Barcelona have a basketball, have volleyball, have soccer, and that's how they run it. So they prioritize very different things. Education's not as big as a priority. And even our players like you mentioned, like Flo Balagun or Anthony Robinson, you listen in the talk, they have accents because they've been in Europe since they were little kids.

[Rich Davis]

So football is life for other places.

[Danny G]

Football and season three.

[Rich Davis]

You know, you got me thinking, Mike, who runs this? Take who you said Barry Sanders. But when you think about other guys of that stature, like, like a Rickey Henderson, imagine if a guy like him was playing soccer and stuck with it

[Danny G]

from the time he was, he was a kid.

[Rich Davis]

Like, yeah, it'd Be a different. We'd have a different culture in the world of sports.

[Danny G]

Listen, I don't know how it is globally and maybe here in the US where we're catching up with the ridiculousness of, like kids in Travel Ball at 5, 6 years old if they're in diapers already kicking a ball in Europe. Maybe, maybe we're. Maybe we'll catch up because it's pretty absurd here with travel ball.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

Now.

[Laker Fan Caller]

I.

[Danny G]

One more for now and then we'll go to all the rest next. Who do we got? Danny?

[Covino]

Adam in Indiana played on our national team.

[Danny G]

Yeah. What's up, Adam?

[Rich Davis]

Hey, buddy.

[Danny G]

Hey, guys.

[Unidentified Male Caller/Guest]

Hey, guys. Thanks for having me.

[Rich Davis]

Hey, thanks for coming.

[Unidentified Male Caller/Guest]

Yeah, yeah. I was actually a goalkeeper coach for the Haiti women's national team, is what I was. Yeah. Yeah. So one of the things is we, you know, we love our American football. Right. And I've always said this very similar to what you said with Barry Sanders. You know, the, the athleticism, the size, the IQ in the sport. Imagine that, you know, growing up playing soccer with no country has a football like we do. They have the soccer. We have American football. And that is so many kids play that. But can you imagine, like you said, a Barry Sanders, a Jeremiah Love, or, you know, even a Peyton Manning with his size and IQ as a center back, you know, American football. And that's starting to change a little bit with youth systems. But so in the past 20 years, so many more kids have grown up playing football rather than soccer. And that's why you see our women so good. We don't have a massive sport like, obviously basketball, yes, for women, but American football is so big here in America that most kids are playing that. And to a gentleman's point, I was talking youth systems earlier, and even here in Indiana, we have it. I mean, some of the top quality youth systems are 10,000 plus a year. In Europe and South America, there's more opportunity to get seen and play with a youth academy because the cost is either free or much lower because you're scouted and brought into that academy rather than, hey, mom, dad, you got to pay $10,000 to play on this team.

[Rich Davis]

So, yeah, you just need a ball.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

And if you're. And if you're good enough, they'll pay you as a teenager to come and just train.

[Rich Davis]

That's amazing. Hey, thanks so much for the call and the insight. Like Rich said, we're going to get to everybody's phone call, so hang tight, keep your chonies on, we'll get to you. And if you have more to say about it. 87799 on Fox. Because we got World cup fever. And this team is good. So it's. It's got us extra excited. And it makes you wonder, you know, why aren't we embracing it more and why aren't we better?

[Danny G]

Want to do one more Danny or what?

[Covino]

Sure. Tripp in Vegas said he can go quick.

[Wells Fargo Credit Card Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Danny G]

What's up, Tripp?

[Rich Davis]

Make it snappy, buddy.

[Unidentified Male Caller/Guest]

Hey, gentlemen. I was going to. Same thing that Nico said in Vegas. It's just infrastructure. First of all, who's this Mike guy? And then it's just infrastructure. We don't have. We don't have that here in the United States. The same. But even gymnasts or what? It's developed at such an early age. And then I got an athlete for you. At his size and speed. Imagine if Tyreek Hill.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

Yeah, right.

[Rob Parker]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

And it's not that these guys didn't play. I don't know. He may. He may have. Remember Ocho Cincinno? Even I got sucked into American football culture. Like we always start off with soccer and end up somewhere else.

[Caller Mark from Long Beach]

Was it.

[Danny G]

Wasn't it Ochocinko? That was a pretty good.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah.

[Danny G]

Oh, yeah. We're talking about elite athletes.

[Laura Maxwell]

Hey.

[Danny G]

Your feedback. We'll wrap this up next. We'll get some. Some more NBA off season moves. Maybe talk a little NFL. Getting closer and closer. So all coming up in for the great Dan Patrick Kavino Rich right here on fox Sports Radio.

[Rich Davis]

USA. USA.

[Mike (Cold Stone Steve Austin)]

USA.

[Rich Davis]

USA.

[Unidentified Male Caller/Guest]

All day.

[Rich Davis]

Let's go.

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