The Best of Covino & Rich hosted by Dan Beyer & Monse Bolanos

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best of Covino & Rich Hosted by Dan Beyer & Monse Belanos

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Dan Patrick Show
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network
• Episode: The Best of Covino & Rich
• Release Date: July 15, 2025

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1. Introduction and Overview

The episode begins with Dan Beyer and Monse Belanos introducing themselves as stand-ins for Covino and Rich from Fox Sports Radio, who are broadcasting live from the All-Star Game festivities in Atlanta. The hosts briefly discuss their temporary roles and set the stage for a dynamic discussion filled with humor and insider insights into sports.

Notable Quote:

• Dan Beyer [00:31]: "We're doing great. They're on break. We're almost feeling like we're on break. We're doing great."

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2. NFL Quarterback Rankings Discussion

The central theme of the episode revolves around ESPN's latest NFL quarterback rankings. Jason Stewart initiates the conversation by expressing his surprise and disagreement with the rankings, particularly focusing on where Patrick Mahomes stands.

a. ESPN’s Quarterback Rankings: Top Four

Jason Stewart outlines the top four quarterbacks as per ESPN’s rankings:

1. Patrick Mahomes
2. Josh Allen
3. Joe Burrow
4. Lamar Jackson

He expresses skepticism about Mahomes maintaining the top spot despite recent performances.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Stewart [03:57]: "What I thought was surprising as chaos reign supreme in our pre show meeting..."
• Dan Beyer [05:07]: "All of this, who knows where it's at?"

b. Debating Patrick Mahomes’ Position

The hosts debate whether Mahomes deserves to remain at number one, considering criticisms about his offensive line. Stewart argues that evaluating Mahomes based on his team's offensive line is unfair, drawing comparisons to other quarterbacks like Tua Tagovailoa and Geno Smith, who similarly suffer from poor offensive line performances.

Notable Quote:

• Jason Stewart [07:25]: "But how is Bo Nixon the only other rookie quarterback in these rankings?"

c. Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert's Rankings

A significant portion of the discussion critiques the low ranking of Jalen Hurts, arguing that he doesn't receive the same grace as other quarterbacks due to his playing style and the offensive system of the Philadelphia Eagles. Conversely, Justin Herbert is acknowledged for his impressive skills but is still lower in the rankings due to team performances.

Notable Quotes:

• Dan Beyer [16:10]: "So now you take. Then Jalen Hurts plays behind this offensive line. That is great."
• Jason Stewart [12:05]: "He has the size, he has the arm, he has the mobility. He has everything that you would want in a quarterback."

d. Overall Critique of the Rankings

The hosts collectively express frustration with the rankings, feeling that they don't accurately reflect the performance and potential of quarterbacks like Hurts and Herbert. They argue that the rankings are influenced by factors beyond individual performance, such as team dynamics and offensive line strength.

Notable Quotes:

• Dan Beyer [21:08]: "It's literally just for us to discuss and tear apart."
• Jason Stewart [23:37]: "If you were to put Joe Burrow at one, I would be like, tell me more."

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3. MLB Honors and Steroid Era Controversy

Shifting gears, the hosts delve into Major League Baseball's recent decisions to honor controversial figures from the steroid era, specifically Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa. They critique the San Francisco Giants' decision to have Barry Bonds throw the first pitch, arguing that it undermines the integrity of the sport.

a. Barry Bonds' First Pitch Ceremony

Jason Stewart voices his disdain for Bonds being celebrated despite his involvement in the steroid scandal. The conversation highlights the generational divide in how fans perceive Bonds and similar players.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Stewart [26:13]: "How do we even consider home runs nowadays what's good, what's not. And it's, and it's Barry Bonds' fault."

b. Comparison to Pete Rose and Sammy Sosa

The hosts compare Bonds' honors to Pete Rose's induction into the Hall of Fame, discussing the double standards in how different athletes are treated based on their actions and contributions to the game.

Notable Quotes:

• Dan Beyer [30:16]: "The aeroids and the steroids in like, the 90s, whatever. So he has won. Sammy Sosa I, I put it this way."
• Isaac Loincron [34:29]: "There is a difference between it not being against the rules and... it's for their own financial benefit."

c. Impact on Baseball Records and Fan Perception

The discussion extends to how the steroid era has tainted baseball records and the ongoing debate about the legitimacy of records set during that period. The hosts express frustration over current celebrations of these players, feeling it diminishes the sport's credibility.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Stewart [36:07]: "A whole generation of people were raised on having 714 of Babe Ruth and 755 of Hank Aaron memorized."
• Isaac Loincron [35:34]: "Don't celebrate them. Don't take a day out of the year and celebrate them with a statue and a first pitch."

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4. LeBron James and NBA Tampering Discussion

The conversation transitions to the NBA, focusing on LeBron James and the contentious issue of tampering. The hosts discuss recent rumors and reports about potential trade attempts involving LeBron, criticizing the practices of agents like Rich Paul.

a. Speculation on LeBron James' Trade

Jason Stewart highlights a report where multiple teams supposedly contacted Rich Paul to trade for LeBron, labeling such attempts as tampering. The discussion questions why major stars like LeBron seemingly receive preferential treatment in negotiations.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Stewart [50:03]: "He gets that grace."
• Dan Beyer [52:07]: "It's his boy."

b. Critique of NBA Teams' Interest

The hosts express skepticism about any team's genuine ability to trade for LeBron, emphasizing the unrealistic demands that would come with attempting such a move. They discuss how LeBron's influence and demands make any potential trade nearly impossible.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Stewart [53:35]: "But there's really nothing much that they can do. Cause I don't think any team."
• Dan Beyer [54:43]: "It's like nobody has told you, yo, like, it's time."

c. Honoring LeBron's Status and Future Prospects

There is an acknowledgment of LeBron's long-standing impact on the NBA and the challenges he faces as he contemplates the future, including potential retirement and legacy considerations.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Stewart [55:14]: "The guys are in Atlanta... And I don't care what you say, Phillies."

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5. Miscellaneous Topics

Throughout the episode, the hosts touch upon various other subjects, including personal anecdotes about jury duty, reactions to listener tweets, and brief mentions of other sports events.

a. Jury Duty Experiences

Monse Belanos and Dan Beyer share humorous takes on the possibility of being called for jury duty, adding a personal and relatable element to the conversation.

Notable Quotes:

• Monty Belanos [25:29]: "We'll find out in a few hours."
• Dan Beyer [25:12]: "I chose to be a good person."

b. Listener Engagement and Social Media

The hosts interact with listener tweets, particularly mocking criticisms of Justin Herbert's career moments, showcasing the dynamic and interactive nature of their show.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Stewart [46:33]: "What a Monday. It is."

c. All-Star Game Festivities

The episode highlights the excitement surrounding the All-Star Game in Atlanta, with Covino and Rich actively participating, while the hosts continue their discussion remotely.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Stewart [55:14]: "The guys are in Atlanta taking in the all star festivities."

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6. Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reiterate their differing viewpoints on the discussed topics, emphasizing the ongoing debates in both the NFL and MLB. They conclude with promotional remarks for their shows and tease future discussions, leaving listeners with food for thought on the fairness of sports rankings and the legacy of controversial sports figures.

Notable Quote:

• Dan Beyer [55:42]: "This is an iHeart podcast."

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Key Takeaways:

• The NFL quarterback rankings by ESPN have sparked significant debate, particularly concerning the placement of Patrick Mahomes and the underappreciated Jalen Hurts.
• The MLB’s decision to honor steroid-era players like Barry Bonds is controversial and seen as undermining the sport’s integrity.
• LeBron James' situation in the NBA raises questions about tampering and the preferential treatment of star athletes.
• Personal anecdotes and listener interactions add depth and relatability to the hosts' discussions.

This episode of "The Best of Covino & Rich" offers a comprehensive and engaging look into current sports debates, backed by insightful commentary and spirited debate among the hosts.

Transcript

[Dan Beyer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Monty Belanos]

Hey, thanks for listening to the Best of Cavino and Rich podcast. Be sure to catch us live every day from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for Cavino and [e-mail] or stream us live every day.

[Jason Stewart]

On the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR a Happy All Star Monday and things are already crazy as we are just starting the week.

[Dan Beyer]

We're doing great. They're on break. We're almost feeling like we're on break. We're doing great.

[Jason Stewart]

They, they, they are on break because they're on All Star break.

[Dan Beyer]

Right?

[Jason Stewart]

But they were up early, relatively early in for Dan Patrick today. That's right on the Dan Patrick show as the guys were broadcasting live from the All Star Game festivities in Atlanta. So you got Monty and myself hanging out for the next two hours. We are going to talk some All Star Game. In fact, Monty and I are going to debate something because guess who's on jury duty watch this week. Monty Belanos. Yes, she is in today, but will she be in tomorrow?

[Dan Beyer]

I don't know.

[Jason Stewart]

We will find out. Jason Stewart is here, our executive producer.

[Isaac Loincron]

Hello, everybody.

[Jason Stewart]

Isaac Loincron is at the news desk.

[Monty Belanos]

Monty, just say you hate criminals and everyone's guilty.

[Dan Beyer]

Well, yeah, I'll see what I do. I don't even know if I'm gonna have to report yet. I just have to call later today.

[Jason Stewart]

All of us will give you our jury duty experience.

[Dan Beyer]

I can't wait. I can't wait.

[Jason Stewart]

Ryan Smith is on the ones and twos. Hello, Ryan. Hello. Just write your excuse in crayon. They will not ask you back. I had this. I did not serve on a jury, but I was drawn at one point to as they were trying to pick the jury and sat through the whole process. It wasn't just like you got to call in every day and not show up. I had to show up. Not only did you show up in the waiting room, they brought you into the courtroom for in events.

[Dan Beyer]

Like real stuff.

[Jason Stewart]

Real stuff. Yes, real stuff. So we'll give you some hints on. I don't think you should try to avoid it. I think it is our civil duty.

[Dan Beyer]

I know it is, but it's so annoying. I understand.

[Jason Stewart]

I get it. But it also means that you can maybe get some work done. I brought some work with me that I thought I was going to be able to get done during that time. It's not all bad. But you're doing your civic Duty. Just like we are in arguing over quarterback rankings. Because that is the headline today. ESPN on a night where home runs will be flying out of the ballpark in Atlanta in advance of tomorrow's spotlight on the All Stars. We're talking NFL quarterbacks today because ESPN started a series ranking the quarterbacks, running backs and players in the NFL at their positions. And the series started today. This will be going on over the next week or so when where they get information from scouts, from coaches, from executives and end up ranking the quarterbacks in the National Football League. What I thought was surprising as chaos reign supreme in our pre show meeting, I took one thing for granted.

[Dan Beyer]

What?

[Jason Stewart]

And I was, I was completely. I misjudged it. I felt that the sense that I got ultimately was way off base. I thought the true drama in all of this, and I still think there is drama, is what happens below. What is the current Mount Rushmore of active NFL quarterbacks. But when you look at a Mount Rushmore, there is a George Washington. And by that I mean there is a face in front. Now, I don't know if Jefferson and Lincoln. I don't know if Lincoln's at the end. You did. You've done media and TV stuff. Sometimes when you do an opening credits, it's better to be at the end because then they'll say and Monos as Cindy. Like that would be.

[Dan Beyer]

And you kind of remember it.

[Jason Stewart]

Yes. And there is, there is monetary stuff with that. Jason Stewart's appeared in sitcoms as well. There is something to the order that you are in, in the opening credits. And there is added value at the end, as you would say, you know, featuring Stan Fire. That's the big one.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Jason Stewart]

I was thinking Mr. Belvedere because I thought Bob Euchre was the, was the last one. And. But there is, there's added value to that.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Jason Stewart]

You are not eighth in line. You're actually second in line. Because whoever is first is first. They're the, they're the headliner, they're the big one. But then there is, there's value at the back end and you may pay more to that. So here's where I messed up in talking about sitcoms and everything. I thought the first four, I'm like, everybody pretty much agrees on this.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Jason Stewart]

Like we're all pretty good with saying Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes are the top four quarterbacks in the National Football League. And I feel like I was mistaken because Monsieur came in hot even though she does not have her wallet in.

[Dan Beyer]

All of this, who knows where it's at?

[Jason Stewart]

There's. There's discussions. And when you start to start to peel this onion away of these rankings, you'll see Patrick Mahomes, lowest ranking, four. Lamar Jackson, lowest ranking this year, six. You see Josh Allen, some exec or coach or GM put him fourth. There is stuff within this top four. When I thought all the drama happened.

[Dan Beyer]

After number four, I mean, yeah, the drama for me, instantly when I saw this, I was like, oh, Patrick Mahomes is still number one. He gets dethroned at super bowl, gets outplayed at the super bowl, has not a great year, and he's still number one. That's interesting.

[Jason Stewart]

Okay, if you had a vote, because Patrick Mahomes was put forth in all of this, if you had a vote, who would you put at number one?

[Dan Beyer]

Is this based on just last year's performance?

[Jason Stewart]

Yes.

[Dan Beyer]

It would obviously be between Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.

[Jason Stewart]

Okay, that.

[Dan Beyer]

Those two. If it's based just on last year's performance, those. One of those two I thought would be number one.

[Jason Stewart]

Let's, let's. Let's do a little mix then. Okay. Because obviously Patrick Mahomes isn't. But there's a reason that he's up there, so it can't be on last year. If you were to mix. It is. It's still Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

[Dan Beyer]

If I'm thinking of their entire careers, is because it looks like that's what this ranking is, right. Over the course of their careers.

[Jason Stewart]

I think it is an absolute sliding scale. When you end up reading the reasons why quarterbacks are thought to be good and thought to be not. And I'll just say this. Patrick Mahomes is being criticized because of a deteriorated, deteriorating offensive line.

[Dan Beyer]

Fair.

[Jason Stewart]

I think it's absolutely unfair because, I mean, the re. And the reason being is. Okay, so now are we getting more of a look at Patrick Mahomes because his offensive line is. So now we're going to discredit anybody who has a reasonable wall in front of them. Like, that's like.

[Dan Beyer]

So, like that wall makes a difference. That wall absolutely makes a difference. Is it fair? That's. That's maybe the question, but that is a factor. Yes. We are seeing a different play from Patrick Mahomes that we're not used to seeing.

[Jason Stewart]

I think it can be a. I think it's. Can be used as. So when Patrick Mahomes lost the super bowl, the Chiefs lost the super bowl to the Buccaneers, they didn't have any tackles in the game. There are two tackles were out and it showed. The Buccaneers got after the dominated them. That is where I say, well, he didn't have any, any tackles, but we can't play this game because it's picking and choosing. Because we would do this for every, every team in the National Football League. Tua's about to play behind one of the worst lines in the National Football League. Do you think we're going to give him any grace whatsoever?

[Dan Beyer]

No.

[Jason Stewart]

No. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Geno Smith can't catch a break. We know what Seattle has done with their offensive line over the past decade. Plus they have not invested in it at all. And we're Geno Smith, Gino like. And that may be in part for Geno Smith. The point is, is we're not doing this to the other quarterback, C.J. stroud. The Texans for some reason stunk last year as an offensive line. But nine times out of ten we're talking about how CJ Stroud took a step back from last year to the year before. That's what I just don't think is fair.

[Dan Beyer]

I mean, you're not wrong that the grace is usually given when they've already performed and done it. When they've reached what Patrick Mahomes has reached or even Lamar Jackson, you know, with his MVPs. With the ones you just mentioned. They're not getting the grace and maybe they should get the grace for the reasons you mentioned, like the O line that TUA is about to have for this year. But they don't get the grace because they haven't done it. It's like, what am I giving you grace for? Is that fair? No, but that's the reality.

[Jason Stewart]

It's the world that they live in.

[Dan Beyer]

It is the world I get.

[Jason Stewart]

I get it. And if Patrick Mahomes had to play behind the line, that to a place in Miami maybe isn't even close to what's going on. But I do think Patrick Mahomes as a quarterback also is better equipped to maybe handle some of the deficiencies they may have in the line. I think that the Chiefs in terms of when they tried to build up their line also tried to help their. Their running game in a lot of ways. Starting to split hairs here. But it's just the. That was one of the lines in there of that was used against Patrick Mahomes is you have a deteriorating offensive line.

[Dan Beyer]

I think with these top four, you're splitting hairs. With all of them you can make an argument for. Yes, you know what I mean? For all of them to Shuffle around.

[Jason Stewart]

And that's why I thought with Joe.

[Dan Beyer]

Burrow and his O line.

[Jason Stewart]

Well, that's the thing that I thought heading into this, this argument was I felt like we took everything with a grain of salt and are just under the understanding that there's a Big four, that there is a current Mount Rushmore in the National Football League, not necessarily caring who is the George Washington head of this quarterback. And maybe it's Mahomes, because when you look at the. The other three that are there with Lamar and Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, Mahomes is the one to be the first.

[Dan Beyer]

Absolutely. He's George Washington of these. Of these right now. Yes, absolutely.

[Jason Stewart]

So there's. There's some of those. Of those four.

[Dan Beyer]

Of those four.

[Jason Stewart]

Because Matthew Stafford ends up being put into the rankings. And it's so funny, not in the top four, but Matthew Stafford did receive a few top four votes. I don't think any of us would say that right now when we look at the current class of quarterbacks in the National Football League, that Matthew Stafford is number four. And it's no disrespect to him. He's just in the sunset of his career. There are injuries that are piling up. But somebody did think that right now, maybe to your point of what last year was, that he was fourth in the National Football League.

[Dan Beyer]

And those people, I feel, that have ranked him at 4, give him the grace for what he did when immediately landing in la. He delivered. So it's like he gets that grace.

[Jason Stewart]

He gets a fast track.

[Dan Beyer]

He gets a fast track. That's not fair. But that's why he gets the grace and that's why he gets the fast track. I am also surprised as a Chargers fan that I see Justin Herbert here. I feel like he gets a lot of criticism for not delivering, for losing games where they have the lead. It's like everyone, including me, still holding on to what is Justin Herbert actually capable of. He gets the grace because of hope.

[Jason Stewart]

I think of all the stuff that we talk about that he probably gets the bigger pass on it because of what is or what isn't around him. They now have invested heavily into that offensive line. And so if we're talking about the same Patrick Mahomes sort of thing, while it's used as a bit of a scapegoat for. For Patrick Mahomes, I almost feel that it should be used as something that maybe would hinder Justin Herbert. I. I just look at Justin Herbert is having everything that you would want in a quarterback.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah. And I think that's what a lot.

[Jason Stewart]

Of people feel and that's why he, it's, it's a gift and it's a curse because he has the size, he has the army, he has the mobility. He has everything that you would want in a quarterback. And so when you're doing a quarterback ranking and we're using to your point, was this 2024, is this your career? Is this what you have done? Is this what's around you? There's a lot of stuff that with Justin Herbert can be used as excuses, but ultimately when you're saying, this is the guy that I would want, he checks all the boxes.

[Dan Beyer]

And, and, and it's always so split with Justin Herbert. Even looking at this lowest ranking unranked, there are people who didn't rank him at all. And then the highest one is three. He's such a split when it comes to the opinion that people have of.

[Jason Stewart]

Justin Herbert as, as a Chargers fan. I'm sorry to put you on the spot. I'll even have Jason come in and Isaac come in as well because Isaac does the pre and post game for the Chargers. Can you guys tell me what Justin Herbert's moment is in the National Football League? Yeah, no, it's Isaac Lorencron.

[Monty Belanos]

I hate to say it because it was a long time ago, but he put together as great of a performance individually as you will ever see in this league. In the regular season finale of his second year, 2021, literally the final game of the regular season, Raiders versus Chargers. Winner goes to the playoffs, loser goes home. He carried the team that there were seven season on the line plays in that game, meaning it's a fourth down or there's one second left and if you don't make any of those seven plays, you lose. And he completed passes on all seven against a ferocious pass rush. I think he had to throw like 32 out of 33 times in that game. And the pro, you know, that answered all questions about Justin Herbert individually in that game. But to your point, Dan, that was something. That was four years ago. The playoff sample size is only two games which they lost for reasons that really didn't have to do with him.

[Dan Beyer]

There haven't been a lot of. That's a good one. I, I mean, I'm going to go more recent this past year against the Bengals. That game at in LA at SoFi, where the Chargers were, were came out hot and they look great. And then you started getting the feeling that you got against Jacksonville because the Bengals started cutting that deficit and you were like, is Justin Herbert and the Chargers, are they going to let this one slip? But they didn't. And he threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to preserve that game. But for a moment it was like, oh, my gosh, that moment of Justin Herbert and the Chargers are going to let this one slip again when they were up by double digits.

[Jason Stewart]

Sure, sure. I. Isaac, you got it.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Monty Belanos]

Wasn't that the game where one of those. The go ahead touchdown pass. He was basically getting knocked down.

[Dan Beyer]

Yes, yes. He had two good touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, and one of them he was getting knocked down.

[Jason Stewart]

This is all perfect because I think the Bengals wore orange pants in that game.

[Dan Beyer]

I think so.

[Jason Stewart]

Yes. Yes. That's what I remember most. And what we remember most in the Chargers game, unfortunately for Justin Herbert, is the Raiders going for the win. Everybody getting the Brandon Staley timeout wrong and criticizing Brandon Staley for what happened in that scenario and saying that he was an idiot when he wasn't like that was. It was completely as Raider fan Ryan says. Am I, am I right? Are you just trying. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Dan, you are correct. Because people want to just use that situation and they took it and ran and didn't understand football. And so Brandon Staley, for as much as he did wrong, he wasn't wrong in that scenario. The Chargers just needed to tackle Josh Jacobs on the ensuing play that wouldn't have allowed Daniel Carlson to kick a 48 yard field goal. So I'm, I, I think all of this was great and it's perfect. But again, I remember the pants.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Jason Stewart]

And it's a game that the Chargers lost again, not to Justin Herbert's fault, but that's what it is. So when you have someone like Jalen Hurts, and this is the part that frustrates me is because Jalen Hurts does not have the height. Jalen Hurts is a, is more of a dangerous runner than Justin Herbert is. Justin Herbert is, is very mobile. But not like Jalen Hurts.

[Dan Beyer]

No.

[Jason Stewart]

And so now you take. Then Jalen Hurts plays behind this offensive line. That is great. So now this goes to the Mahomes argument. We're talking about Patrick Mahomes, and maybe we may affect him because of the offensive line. But then when we try to analyze Jalen Hurts, we don't do the same. Now listen, if the Eagles, I feel if the Eagles, if the Chargers, if you had an opportunity to pick your quarterback from scratch, it's probably Justin Herbert because he checks the boxes of tall are mobile in the whole deal. I Just think, we completely discredit someone like Jalen Hurts because of how good of a runner that he can be. Or we say Jalen Hurts has a great offensive line. Look at all the weapons around him. How about Jalen Hurts not turning over the football? How about Jalen Hurts getting the football to the people that he needs to get the football to, which you may think that that's lowering the bar. It's a lot more difficult than you would think completion percentage wise. Jalen Hurts did those things. And that's the problem that I have is you look at Jalen Hurts in, in these rankings and he's ninth, ninth after. So it's like, what does the guy have to do after winning a Super bowl to be able to even be in the top 10? Like, this is likely the highest that he's ever going to be. And. And so Jalen Hurts is not getting that grace that I feel someone like Justin Herbert has had, because Justin Herbert checks these boxes of what we think is a prototypical quarterback. And that's just not in my mind. Yeah, it's nice to be 65 and to have the cannon of an arm that Justin Herbert has. But if you're getting me first downs, if you're getting me into the end zone, if you have a play that is unstoppable because of your quads, I'm sorry, like, you have to, you have to take everything into account and not just live in the bubble of the check marks that you are living in. And that's what I think some execs and scouts are.

[Dan Beyer]

You are not wrong on your descript description of how Jalen Hurts is looked at or criticized or the opinions. I. Everyone thinks that the quarterback sneak is not a skilled play. And it's like, well, nobody else can do it. Especially to the success of Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. And I was for not, you know, banning that. If you figure out how to stop it or you, you know, do it as well and he does not get Grace. I don't know what he has to do. And just like he did thrown my homes where it's like, okay, my homes can't go down, but this guy's nine. When you have seen his play get better over the years. You know, I think years ago I may have said that I found the Eagles a little boring. A couple of years ago I may have said that they, they're not boring, Green. That's why they're no longer boring. You know what I mean? Their, their offense has definitely spiced things up. And I Don't know what he has to do. And I don't think he, I really don't think there is anything he can do.

[Jason Stewart]

No, not, not if you're putting him ninth after a year where he did progress in a lot of different ways.

[Dan Beyer]

In a lot of different. And won the Super Bowl.

[Jason Stewart]

And again, it's almost like Saquon Barkley is being held against him.

[Dan Beyer]

That's another good point.

[Jason Stewart]

For as much as, for as much as I think people would take Justin Herbert over Jared. Excuse me, Over Jalen Hurts. Jared Goff is eighth. Yeah, I, I, I'm, I'm just, I'm surprised again that Jared Goff would be ahead of Jalen Hurts.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Jason Stewart]

I feel like I pile on Jared Goff a lot for what may have went on at the end of the Rams tenure. There's no arguing what he was second in passing yards last year. But it's also a Detroit team that, again, is set up a certain way. So if we're going to use one criteria to criticize Jalen Hurts, then you can't use the same one to commend Jared Goff. And for a team that was second in the NFL and plays run last.

[Dan Beyer]

Year, with your example of the Saquon Barkley being used against Jalen Hurts. I don't know if Derrick Henry was used against Lamar Jackson.

[Jason Stewart]

Sure.

[Dan Beyer]

And that's, that's a perfect example.

[Jason Stewart]

So here were the rankings, and I apologize for not doing this off the top. Mahomes 1. Mahomes 1. Josh Allen, 2. Joe Burrow, 3. Lamar Jackson, 4. So that was the four that I thought was unarguable. But we can, I guess, argue within the four if, if you want on this Mount Rushmore, Jaden Daniels was five on the outside. I think it's a very trendy pick. But Jaden Daniels also has everything that I would want in a quarterback, even more so than even Jalen Hurts, because I feel that Daniels is a better passer than, than Jalen Hurts. Stafford is sixth. Then you have Justin Herbert, then you have Jared Goff, then you have Jalen Hurts. And then you have Baker Mayfield.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah, Baker, that's coming in number 10.

[Jason Stewart]

And then, then they cut it off at 10. They said Jordan Love and C.J. stroud were honorable mention. But that right now is your top 10 quarterbacks, according to this ESPN ranking of execs and coaches and NFL personnel.

[Dan Beyer]

It's literally just for us to discuss and tear apart.

[Jason Stewart]

It is. But how in the world is Lamar Jackson ever going to be 4 higher than 4th? If he's not higher than what he was right now?

[Dan Beyer]

I don't know about that one. And how is Patrick Mahomes going to come down if he didn't come down after last season?

[Jason Stewart]

Yeah, I don't.

[Dan Beyer]

I don't know how you move this.

[Jason Stewart]

I don't know how. Let's. Let's do this as we wrap up this segment. So it's. How does Lamar Jackson ever grow? How does Patrick Mahomes ever fall? How do people in Cleveland still have jobs if Baker Mayfield is at 10? Do we have. Do we have. How did Tua get votes in this, considering that's all we do is shred Tua? And how is Bo Nixon the only other rookie quarterback in these rankings?

[Dan Beyer]

All good questions.

[Jason Stewart]

I know people are Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, or others who were mentioned in these rankings. Did we miss any more House Jason, Ryan Isaac? There's just a lot of questions in all of this, but how is Jared Goff higher than Jalen Hurts? How is Jalen Hurts ever going to get up from number nine?

[Dan Beyer]

I don't know. He. I have no idea what he has to do.

[Jason Stewart]

She's Monty Belanos. I'm Dan Byer. Did we. I think we exhausted. We squeezed the juice out of these quarterback rankings.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah, it was fine.

[Jason Stewart]

Again, I thought 5 to 10 was where, like, the real conversation was because of Hurts.

[Dan Beyer]

Right.

[Jason Stewart]

And then to your point about Mahomes and then Lamar Jackson and I don't even think we did a deep dive on Josh Allen. He was the MVP last year. I know she's my.

[Dan Beyer]

Because we were. We were content with him at second.

[Jason Stewart]

Yeah.

[Dan Beyer]

I think that's what it was.

[Jason Stewart]

I'm honestly fine with any of them in the top four. If you told me that Lamar was four or Lamar was one and not four, I'd be like, all right, I'm cool.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Jason Stewart]

Josh Allen, 1 4. All right, I'm cool. Joe Burrow, who I think is great. And I even. I even said coming in from college, I thought that Joe Burrow, just because I always stands in the pocket, look like Tom Brady. I just feel like he resembles him more than anybody else does. But if you were to put Joe Burrow at one, I would be like, tell me more. Tell me more.

[Dan Beyer]

I'm willing to listen.

[Jason Stewart]

Yes.

[Dan Beyer]

Yes.

[Jason Stewart]

And then Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes, which it's tough to argue, but to your point now, how are you ever not going to be one after that?

[Dan Beyer]

Exactly.

[Jason Stewart]

All right. She's Monty Belanos. I'M Dan Beyer. The guys are living it up in Atlanta. Kivino and Rich, Danny G. Spot all having a good time. So Monty and I are holding it down today. Coming up next on FOX Sports Radio is Isaac lorencron, Jason Stewart and Ryan Smith.

[Monty Belanos]

FOX Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app.

[Jason Stewart]

Okay. It may have been a day off. Sorry. Everything blends into one during the summertime, Monty.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Jason Stewart]

But somebody threw a pitch this weekend and somebody here at Fox Sports Radio is not very happy about it. Welcome in. We are in for Covina on Rich. We're not the only ones here. Isaac Loincron is at the news desk giving us the latest. Jason Stewart's our executive producer and our technical producer is Ryan Smith. It's a big day for you, Monty, because in a couple of hours we'll find out. Or you will find out. We won't find out until tomorrow that you may have jury duty tomorrow.

[Dan Beyer]

I know I've never had to report. Everybody's like, why don't you just throw it away, y'? All? I've been throwing it away for years, and this time I chose not to. Okay. I chose to be a good person. And now I'm waiting. But the times that I have called in, I've never been asked to report. So I've never actually gone in like you have. The times that I've, that I've, you know, called in like, oh, you don't need to report. So I'm hoping I don't need to report.

[Jason Stewart]

Okay. I'm just going to tell you next time, don't say you threw it away. Don't give me the air quotes that you called in when, when you didn't call. This is, all of, this is all responsibility. Monty could be on jury duty tomorrow.

[Dan Beyer]

Yes, Yes, I could be. We'll find out in a few hours.

[Jason Stewart]

Find out if you're back with us tomorrow or not. You'll find out in a couple of hours. We'll find out tomorrow. It was on Saturday that the Giants and Dodgers played baseball in San Francisco. And what a day it was to honor Barry Bonds. Barry Bonds throwing out the first pitch to the in the game between the NL west division rivals. I don't think that it is a sign of healing. I think that it is a sign of the San Francisco Giants promoting one of their own. But Jason Stewart, our executive producer, had a big, big problem with the Giants and Barry Bonds putting on a showcase on Saturday.

[Isaac Loincron]

And there's context for this, right? Because they, the owner of the Giants, I think just recently said that there's likely going to be a statue in front of AT&T Park. And then also Sammy Soso, remember he was brought back to Wrigley to a standing ovation recently. And I think it's a disturbing trend, as I pointed out in my, in my ex post, disturbing trend of like Major League Baseball forgiving the steroid era. Like the the faces of the steroid era, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa bastardized the sport more than anybody. They, they are the ones that ruin the record books. They're the ones that, that were the poster children for that era. So it's like you always hear this, oh, everybody was doing it. They were just doing it better than everybody. Like, there are so many like justifications for that era that I saw this weekend in my post and I thought, well, this probably makes for a good sports talk fodder because I can't believe how forgiving people are and I can't believe that the current leadership in baseball acknowledges that that was an era that they're embarrassed of and they shouldn't have looked the other way and now they're celebrating the key figures of that era. It doesn't rub me the right way, but I'm an old curmudgeon baseball fan.

[Jason Stewart]

I will say this, that I think that there is a unique audience and it doesn't mean that it's a small audience that is up in arms over this. I think that it I am not surprised that Barry Bonds got cheered for the San Francisco Giants. I think baseball fans are mad at steroid users when they're not when they're not on their team.

[Dan Beyer]

Okay.

[Jason Stewart]

So and I'm only saying this because Ryan Braun of the brewers was one who was caught up in a later scandal with Bosch in Florida. Part of what a rod was was brought into and each, each team may have their own player in in terms of supporting it for the Giants, it just happens to be one of the best that they've ever had for the Brewers. I ride abroad like truly was was a great Milwaukee Brewer. Not up there with with you Molitor and how they're revered. So Bonds is at a different level but it's I expect Jason to be mad as a baseball fan, but I don't expect Giants fans to be mad. I actually don't expect Major League Baseball to be mad about it because it sure seemed like they were fine with how everything went as it was going on. I think the farce was feeling that they were mad about it. So it's such a unique sort of deal. But I, I get why it turns you off, but I don't know what we need to do to Barry Bonds, especially if it's a home baseball game, to penalize him. Does he have to stay away? I mean, he's been a coach in Major League Baseball since then. Right. So why shouldn't he have the opportunity to go and at least throw out a first pitch in front of the home fans who really, I feel, have absolutely no problem with what he did throughout his career in San Francisco?

[Dan Beyer]

So I hear where you may not like it, Jason. I understand, but I am not bothered by it for a couple of reasons here. I think the fact that Barry Bonds never won a World. I'm right, right? He never won a World Series. Right. That adds to it. Like, if he would have won and let's say he won a lot. I think that's part of it. Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire won one, but did Mark McGwire, when he won one, was he on the steroids? Wasn't that before or like at the start?

[Jason Stewart]

Mark McGwire in 1989 and he wasn't.

[Dan Beyer]

The aeroids and the steroids in like, the 90s, whatever. So he has won. Sammy Sosa I, I put it this way.

[Jason Stewart]

I would be shocked if Mark McGuire wasn't on something in the, in the.

[Dan Beyer]

In that year, a year he's got one.

[Jason Stewart]

I, Jose Canseco was so ripped. Yes.

[Dan Beyer]

Like, and they, but they, they didn't win a bunch. Like they were. Yes, the, the, the, the Bash brothers. Right. But like, I think them not winning is one of the reasons it doesn't bother me. Also, I understand, like, they cheated. So you still have to hit the ball. To me, knowing the pitch is worse than you juicing up. Like, if I'm a pitcher and you know what I'm about to pitch, that I would not stand for knowing that you're juiced up. I'll be like, try and hit it anyway. I'm still going to try and strike you out. Like, yeah, they're stronger, but they start to hit the ball. So that's another part of it. And Barry Bonds specifically going out for the Giants game, like, I don't care. I, I don't know if it's that I'm moving on and forgiving. I don't know if I genuinely was ever really mad, if I'm being honest.

[Jason Stewart]

I, and I think that that's part of where it is in baseball. There was, I don't think there was ever a point where Barry Bonds is hitting 73 home runs in a season in Giants fans are like I'm not watching this crap.

[Dan Beyer]

Exactly.

[Jason Stewart]

You know, like.

[Dan Beyer]

Or baseball fans. Not even just Giants fans. Right. Like you were tuning in to see.

[Jason Stewart]

Barry Bow at the time.

[Dan Beyer]

At the time.

[Jason Stewart]

Yes. I think in later years you can feel scorn like Jason. I do. And I, and I looked at Jason's tweet. I didn't realize he tweeted it until today. Jason. But the responses to it. If you don't mind me. Shut up. That was from. From Marshall Eric in the south side. Right. Signed Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose. That's one I'll get to. Somebody wrote hey Alberry knew it was the cream in the clear. Someone bad. Take Jim Rome voice. You gotta be okay like those sort of. So you're getting a lot of hate with all of this. But the Pete Rose thing pops up. And the thing with, with Pete Rose was there was, there was the opportunity where he was betting against his team just for the whole sake. And it's argument is oldest time of the day you don't bet on him is the day that you're not betting on your team to win. So if you're betting on the Reds one day and then you don't bet on them the next, that means you're not as confident that they're going to win the next. So in essence you think that the day before the first day is the day that they're going to win. So then you also may use your bullpen in a different way, may play different players in a different way. There's a slippery slope when it comes to Pete Rose. I don't know. And you can maybe tell me on what people may think that the slippery slope is on the flip side of Barry Bonds just trying to be the best and trying to. Trying to win in set records. It may be ruining the baseball record book. But again, I don't think San Francisco Giants fans care. I don't know if Milwaukee Brewer fans care that Ryan Braun did what he did. I don't know if Cubs fans, obviously not anymore hate what Sammy Sosa did. But on the Rose thing, I think that there are two sides to it. On the steroid thing, I'm not sure that there are two sides to it.

[Isaac Loincron]

I always say this, that like the, the Pete Rose thing, I think like tears at the fabric of the game. You know, you always hear this the second that your audience thinks that they're showing up for wwe, you've lost the credibility of your sport. And if they think that players on the field are compromised or throwing the game, then that works at the fabric of the sport. The steroid guys were doing something that was against the law of the land. People say that it was against the rule. It wasn't against the rules in baseball. And I always say this. There's a difference between it not being against the rules and. And the players union literally, collectively bargained the inability to test them for that. It's not. It doesn't mean it wasn't against the rules. Now, these guys did it for their own financial benefit. Like, for whatever reason. The revisionist history is that these guys did it to levitate the interest of the game. They were each in it for themselves.

[Jason Stewart]

I agree with that.

[Isaac Loincron]

It was borderline. Minor leaguers can make tens of millions of dollars. You know, people making tens of millions of dollars could be hall of Famers. So they weren't there. There was. There were no good guys in this whole thing. But I just think that to celebrate the people that jeopardized the credibility of the record books, Aaron Judge had a home run number, 350 this weekend. Okay? We should be celebrating the fact that he's the fastest player to ever do it. The problem is, how do we even consider home runs nowadays what's good, what's not. And it's. And it's Barry Bonds fault. It's Sammy Sosa's fault. So for me, it's just like Monty just said. What do we do to penalize these guys? You don't need to penalize them any more than they already have. They're not in the hall of Fame. They've already kind of reached, received their penalty. But just don't celebrate them. Don't take a day out of, you know, the year and celebrate them with a statue and a first pitch. I think that's my problem.

[Jason Stewart]

I understand it. I just don't think that the San Francisco Giants, and that's who we're talking about here, are the ones that had a problem with it or have a problem with it afterwards. Now, they may have been the ones to turn the blind eye, just like the 29 other teams in Major League Baseball, but there's, There's. I understand the numbers portion of it. Like when we talk about the home run number, I still, I think bonds is 762. Is that what. Is that what the number is? Or is it763?

[Isaac Loincron]

I'll take your word for it. I honestly don't know.

[Jason Stewart]

We know it's 755 for Hank Aaron and Isaac. Do you know what it is?

[Monty Belanos]

Well, I think you just made a great point by saying that for the record, it's 762. But a whole generation of people were raised on having 714 of Babe Ruth and 755 of Hank Aaron memorized.

[Jason Stewart]

And those, those are the people like Jason. In essence, a little bit of myself where I don't look at Barry Bonds's record as being the real record. 61 is a lot easier to remember than 73. Even though McGuire hit 70, it was a round number, and that was before Bonds ended up breaking it a couple of years ago. But when McGuire stood at 70, that did say something to me. And then it kind of went away. Where 61 ends up being the magic number. And it, it goes away because bonds broke 70. And then we obviously know what happened after that. But I think that the continuous penalty is how Monty thinks it, how Isaac thinks of it, how I just explained it to myself. That's the constant penalty. I can't fault the San Francisco Giants for honoring one of their own. Now, if Major League Baseball were tonight in Atlanta to bring out Barry Bonds to throw the first pitch, then I have a pro, then, then there's a problem with it. But in terms of, of the local team and how they're doing it, I just, I, I think of the audience right now that 22 years ago, 23 years ago, those people who are maybe early teenagers, 13 now, they're in there buying prime in their late 30s, they're going to want to go to the ballpark and see the guy that made the summer of 2002 so magnificent. And so that's why they want to go and see Barry Bonds.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah, I think you just hit it. If this was just the All Star Game in Atlanta and you're sending Barry Bonds out, I think it would actually raise a lot of questions. And a lot of people be like, why him? The Giants, that's their dude. He's always going to be their dude. But I will also say the fact that Aaron Judge is hitting faster than anybody, the.350, surpassing Mark McGuire by almost 200 games. It goes to show that who. Look at y'.

[Jason Stewart]

All.

[Dan Beyer]

Y' all cheated. And there are players that are still doing this better than you right now. So maybe that's why it.

[Jason Stewart]

Like, I'll tell you what, when we were on Judge Watch 461 may not be the penalty that Jason Stewart wants for Barry Bonds. But I think it says a lot more. Just like the point of not remembering what the actual number was that Bonds ended up finishing with. I just remember that the single season in the home run, one of them ends in a three and one of them ends at a two with bond. So I wasn't sure if it was 7. 62. But 73 is the home run number. But it's moments like Aaron judge hitting number 62, us having to couch it or characterize it by saying it's the American League home run record stinks like that. That part stinks about it. But we were watching everything that Aaron Judge was doing up until that point point. There has been years prior to that when Giancarlo Stanton was getting close, when he had what, 57 or 59, didn't have nearly as much of the hype, which I think Judge being a, a member of the Yankees helps with. But like those, those are the things. Like, again, it wasn't like, oh, he's 15 away from 73. We were still talking about about 61. That's why I bring up Stanton. Just because he was in the National League at that point and he was getting close to Roger Maris's market.

[Isaac Loincron]

You talk about 98 and you talk about 2002 and all these memories that these Reuters were providing their fans. Don't you feel duped? In other words? I look back on that. I too was excited for all that. As a baseball fan, I was ignorant to what was going on. But then after it was revealed that all these guys were cheating, then I, then I felt bad and I felt worse because I fell for it. It's kind of like the Milli Vanilli thing. It's like, we're not putting Mill Vanilli in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame because they were shams, they were cheated. Like, people who went to their concerts feel probably really stupid right now.

[Jason Stewart]

I don't know if this is. This just popped into my head. I did not feel stupid like you did.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah, no, I didn't.

[Jason Stewart]

I don't feel like they pulled one over on me then.

[Isaac Loincron]

That's the difference, I think, in this argument, right?

[Jason Stewart]

Yeah, I think so. I also think that there's something happening right now where, like I joke, so James Wood's a first time All Star for the Nationals. And I remember I talked to you guys of. There was a stat that came out that like James Wood had the second highest exit velocity of any player in the big leagues outside of, like Shohei Ohtani or something like that.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah. And we were like, what the hell does that mean?

[Jason Stewart]

Yeah, but, but, but new baseball is like, that's freaking amazing.

[Dan Beyer]

Right?

[Jason Stewart]

And so, so now, and maybe Jason doesn't want to hear this, but if you were to tell somebody what Barry Bonds exit velocity was at that time compared to, you know, what it is now, they may be blown away by those numbers. They're maybe not caring about the numbers that Isaac cared about, that you cared about, Jason, that Ryan cared about, that Monty cared about, that I cared about of 61, of 7,55 and of those numbers. And us being fans of those numbers and trying to be protector of the record books may start to diminish even more as time goes by. So then, at what point do you say to Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds, people don't even care about the records anymore, but we're still going to hold you out like that. I, I, maybe to your point, that's the principle of it. I just don't think that at some point I do think that there has to be some lenient leniency. And I just look at the Giants and being like, they never felt that it was bad. Maybe, maybe they felt dirty as Bonds was and Balco were being dragged through the mud. But at no point did I, do I feel that the Giants had any sort of backlash for what Barry Bonds was.

[Isaac Loincron]

They never did. The Giants fans from day one have always been behind the guy. They really haven't even wavered. I know that for a fact.

[Jason Stewart]

And Sammy Sosa was up and down. Sammy Sosa was also busted with an illegal bat.

[Dan Beyer]

Right, right.

[Jason Stewart]

So, like there's, he was doing it.

[Isaac Loincron]

Just for the fans. Is that what he said? I cork my bats for the fans. So you're on roids and you cork your bats.

[Jason Stewart]

So that's, you know, there's, there's something with that. Do you think steroids and corking your bats are the same thing? Honestly, Honest question.

[Dan Beyer]

I mean, they're both cheating, right?

[Jason Stewart]

That's, that's the point.

[Dan Beyer]

That's the point. They're both cheating.

[Jason Stewart]

Like I look at, I look at steroids, I'm more, I'm more appalled by corking of the bat.

[Dan Beyer]

I am, too, than, than the steroids. I am, too, because you still have to hit the ball.

[Jason Stewart]

Yes.

[Dan Beyer]

Like you, you still have, you're strong enough, but you still have to hit the ball. But I am more offended by the corking of the bat.

[Isaac Loincron]

I remember that being an argument at the time on sports talk radio that, you know, Arnold schwarzenegger couldn't hit 50 home runs in a year. And I'll always say this. It takes an intense high level skill level of hand eye coordination to hit a baseball on a major league level. So I've never argued that point. But I will say this like the Jason Giambis of the world that were able to make $300 million in their career as opposed to just kind of have a career. It takes those high level handball coordination people and it just made everyone this, this like fake. I don't even know what you say this. There's just a certain quality to it that's just artificial and I'll never get over that part. So I think that's my problem.

[Jason Stewart]

Also the players, some of the players had much longer careers. Crazy to think that Bonds would be a better hitter in his later years than he was early on in his career. But it's Roger Clemens like. And we grew up in a time, Monty, you weren't born yet. Where Roger Clemens was the deal in the 80s and then to do the things that he then ended up doing in the 90s with the blue Jays and the Yankees and it kind of being the same Roger Clemens. And I do feel, I do feel dumb to that point of looking back and saying, look at Roger Clemens. You go, you go, old man. And then just being naive to it. So there's. I, I think that if you're a fan of those teams and that's what this is, you're not going to be bothered. But if it was a league wide thing again with the All Star Game, then it's a bigger issue. Remember when Pete Rose. It was in Atlanta, right? Was it at the World Series where they did the all Century team and then Jim Gray asked him the question.

[Isaac Loincron]

Was that Fenway or.

[Jason Stewart]

I thought it was Atlanta.

[Isaac Loincron]

Was Itlanta okay? Yeah.

[Jason Stewart]

Or I thought it was a World Series.

[Isaac Loincron]

Am I mixing the Ted Williams thing with.

[Jason Stewart]

Yeah. Isaac Loincron has got some information.

[Monty Belanos]

Yeah, it was before Game 2 of the 1999 World Series in Atlanta, Braves, Yankees.

[Jason Stewart]

Yes. So there's Pete Rose at that point of a Major League baseball thing being welcomed back. And, and I'll say this, there were more people on Rose's side than. I think, I don't think there are people who are passionate for Barry Bonds. I think there are people who are indifferent to Barry Bonds right now. You're passionately against it. There are more people I think are passionately against it than are passionately for Barry Bonds. But with Pete Rose, different story. There were passionate people for it. And passionate people, passionate people against Pete Rose. And I think that's what also made his situation so unique. By the way, Pete Rose is getting in the hall of Fame because he's dead. Like that is. It's, it's true. Cause you will hear people say, oh, of course, now that he's gone, you put him in. No, that's the reason that he's in. The rule that Rob Manfred in Major League Baseball wrote is your lifetime ban is done when you're dead. So if Pete Rose, we're still alive today, he would not be in the hall of Fame. And Monty and I would be having this conversation with Jason at another time whenever Pete Rose. But that is, that is why Pete Rose is now in the hall of Fame. Barry Bonds may have to wait till that point to be honestly blunt to it, to truly get past it. She's Monty Milanos. I'm Dan Beyer. It is Fox Sports Radio. We are in for Cavino and Rich here on fsr.

[Monty Belanos]

Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio Apple.

[Jason Stewart]

Monty Banos. I'm Dan Byer in for Cavito and Rich here on Fox Sports Radio.

[Dan Beyer]

Woo.

[Jason Stewart]

What a Monday. It is.

[Dan Beyer]

What a Monday.

[Jason Stewart]

I got a great tweet. Chris tweets in. So Justin Herbert's career moments have been against the Bengals, historically bad defense and a 2021 regular season game. Yeah. No way he's number five. LOL. No, he's not number five.

[Dan Beyer]

He was not number five.

[Jason Stewart]

But still, I think Chris is pointing is a little bit of what's here now. The Lamar Jackson haters would say, well, where's Lamar's playoff success? Where's this huge run of playoff success?

[Dan Beyer]

Right?

[Jason Stewart]

Even Josh Allen for the great games that he had and how close they were to knocking off the Chiefs in the divisional playoffs. It's kind of the same thing. But I would just. I, I just thought the tweet was funny.

[Dan Beyer]

It was. No, I chuckled. I chuckled.

[Monty Belanos]

Not to make it personal, but I don't think Chris is 100% objective because his profile picture includes in a Joe Burrow jersey and he's apparently from Ohio.

[Jason Stewart]

I'm just saying I think it's a cute picture. It's a little kid. Yes. Yes, Chris. Yeah. Good job. Yeah, I get it. I but I will say this. I think that we're always taking Joe Burrow ahead of Justin Herbert. So the top four there's no. There's no threat of Justin Herbert right now. Right now, Right now, breaking the top four. But things could change in 2025.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah, we've been saying that for a few years. We'll keep saying it.

[Jason Stewart]

Let's go to the update desk. Isaac Loincron gives us the latest of what's happening today.

[Monty Belanos]

When I'm not cyber stalking our listeners.

[Jason Stewart]

That's. That's great. Love the after show. Yeah, Big fans. And again, Kavino and Rich are in Atlanta at the All Star Game. They'll be there tomorrow again with Dan Patrick. Will Monty Belanos be here tomorrow? We don't know because she's on jury duty. She is on jury duty. Today is clean. But we don't know about tomorrow yet.

[Dan Beyer]

We don't know. We won't know for a few hours. So exciting times.

[Jason Stewart]

Just like that. Pitching matchup, bullpen game, tbd, who the starter is.

[Dan Beyer]

Just like that.

[Jason Stewart]

I will be here. We just don't know if Monty Belanos will be.

[Dan Beyer]

I could do it from jury duty. I'll just be on the phone. I'll let you guys listen.

[Jason Stewart]

We're gonna have a play on. On Monty's current situation coming up next hour. But right now we have more important things.

[Dan Beyer]

The watch 2025.

[Jason Stewart]

My watch 2025 launched on the week of the 4th of July. Monsieur Bolognos and I were in on Fox Sports Radio and It is all LeBron all the time. What a weekend it was for LeBron. What a weekend it was. Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports that four teams have contacted Rich Paul to say that they are interested in trading for the Star. And you just gave me the open hands, like, what's the deal? Did you see my tweet that I sent out late Saturday? This is not the biggest portion of it, but I just don't understand the motion or the example that Rich Paul is giving. I also gave Monty like 3 milliseconds to answer before I just continued to talk. I realized that you're good.

[Dan Beyer]

No, you're good.

[Jason Stewart]

You can't. If you're another team, you can't reach out to an agent and say, we'd like to acquire your player. When that player is signed a contract and is under contract with another team, it's what they call tampering. The watch 2025.

[Dan Beyer]

The watch 2025.

[Jason Stewart]

So think about this. Think about this. The Knicks go to Giannis's agent. Hey, we'd like you in New York. I just signed a deal with the Bucks. Yeah, but you can make more money in New York.

[Dan Beyer]

We're interested.

[Jason Stewart]

You can't do that. Guess what you want to get out of Miami. Jimmy Butler. Come here.

[Dan Beyer]

Come here.

[Jason Stewart]

Yeah, you can't do that.

[Dan Beyer]

Well, just like we're talking about NFL quarterbacks getting some grace. LeBron apparently gets grace. Apparently, you can tamper when it comes to LeBron James, and it's okay. You can even tell the masses about it, and it's okay. He gets that grace.

[Jason Stewart]

Then we found. Then we found out the team said, apparently called Rich Paul. So they can be fined and docked draft picks for doing this.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Jason Stewart]

Mavericks. The watch 2025.

[Dan Beyer]

The watch 2025.

[Jason Stewart]

Warriors. We know the Cavs would call.

[Dan Beyer]

Absolutely.

[Jason Stewart]

And the Clippers.

[Dan Beyer]

No.

[Jason Stewart]

Yes.

[Dan Beyer]

No, no.

[Jason Stewart]

That's the report. Teams. Was it Scoop B?

[Dan Beyer]

Yes, Scooby. It was something like that. And I was like, is this a real thing? No. Stay away from the Clippers, LeBron. Go ruin another franchise. Go bother another franchise. Stay away from the Clippers. No, thank you.

[Jason Stewart]

I'm. I'm not surprised it would be the Warriors. I very surprised it would be Dallas.

[Dan Beyer]

Why that would be so great for Nico Harrison. Why the story would.

[Jason Stewart]

The Lakers can screw again.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah, exactly. The story would continue.

[Jason Stewart]

And I'm not. I'm not surprised by the Clippers, not surprised by the warriors, surprised by the Mavs, not surprised by the Cavs. But Brian Windhorse said recently it'd be very difficult for the Cavaliers to be able to do something like darn near impossible.

[Dan Beyer]

Whatever team thinks they can trade for LeBron, you're going to have to give up so much.

[Jason Stewart]

You think? Yes, you're going to have to give up. You're going to have to give up something to make it work. If. Because of LeBron's salary. But I don't think the Lakers want a boatload in return because if he's going to pull this crap. And again, Nazi. You said it. He tweeted a congratulation to the contract extensions that were given to members of the Cavaliers front office.

[Dan Beyer]

Yes, he's going to go back home.

[Jason Stewart]

Because one of them is his boy.

[Dan Beyer]

It's his boy.

[Jason Stewart]

But LeBron tweeted five times in the month of June. He's tweeted at least twice as much in July. And we're at the 14th. How do I know that? My half birthday is in two days and that's the midway point of the month. That's how come I know.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah. Here's my thing. I feel that, like, LeBron will not let himself be traded for a low ball package because then he admits that he is not worthy of it. He's gonna be like, no, no, no, you need to throw in a bunch of people because that's what I'm worth.

[Jason Stewart]

I understand that. It's like the company you keep exactly is what you got.

[Dan Beyer]

Right.

[Jason Stewart]

I just, I don't think any team is equipped to acquire LeBron James.

[Dan Beyer]

No, of course not.

[Jason Stewart]

And so that's, that's why the, that's why when the Lakers said we're not going to give you a longer contract, it kind of screwed things up for LeBron and why it made this upcoming year so bad. But there's really no other, nothing that really any other team can do to make this work except figuring out a buyout with LeBron, which I don't think he's going to do, which is the reason why he opted into his contract. He could have just been a free agent. He wanted to, but he's like, I want my, I want my money, I.

[Dan Beyer]

Want my free agent.

[Jason Stewart]

So I don't even think a buyout is, is, is on the table. I get what you're saying, like you're, you're going to say like you're not gonna, you're not gonna have LeBron end up being traded for, you know, two packs of baseball cards.

[Dan Beyer]

Right.

[Jason Stewart]

I get that.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Jason Stewart]

But there's really nothing much that they can do. Cause I don't think any team. And again, it's, we're not Talking about the 29 other teams outside of the Lakers. We're talking a select few that LeBron would be willing to go to. And I don't think that those teams are ready, by the way, all of those contenders right now. I mean, you'd have to think the Mavericks are contenders with, with Cooper flag at least in the playoff contender. Warriors, if you would add LeBron obviously would be. But they're all trying to win an NBA championship, so that's. So it's a limited pool already, by the way. LeBron shows up, says that he doesn't have anything to say, and then Dave McMenamine has a two minute report on.

[Dan Beyer]

Him having nothing to say.

[Jason Stewart]

Yeah, I just.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah. That's impressive though, to make a story out of nothing. You know, LeBron and the Lakers are stuck together. It seems that way. Yeah, it seems like they're stuck together.

[Jason Stewart]

And I think he's doing everything that he can to make waves and figure out a way where he can have his way. The problem is with LeBron is just mad because the Lakers were the first person, the first team to tell him no.

[Dan Beyer]

Right. And that's the problem, is that he probably has never had a person be realistic with him. Like he has. He has all. Yes. People around him.

[Jason Stewart]

Yes.

[Dan Beyer]

It's like nobody has told you, yo, like, it's time. You've been in the league for 23 years. It's not. It's not the same anymore. It's okay that you're not the dude. You're a dude and you're going to be a great dude forever. But yes, Luca is the future. And if he were just to accept that. But it's an ego thing.

[Jason Stewart]

Get ready for that. Clippers James 23 Absolutely not.

[Dan Beyer]

The watch 20:25 away from the Clippers.

[Jason Stewart]

Kavino and Rich brought to you by Travis Matthew Apparel designed for confidence and comfort no matter where the day takes you. Visit travismathew.com and receive 20 off your first order when you sign up for email. That's travismathew.com for 20% off your first order when you sign up from email. The guys are in Atlanta taking in the all star festivities. As is one of the young stars in major league baseball. And I don't care what you say, Phillies. It's about time. She's Monty Belanos. I'm Dan Byer in for Covino and Rich. That's next on Fox.

[Dan Beyer]

This is an iHeart podcast.