Loading summary
Host
Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome. On this Super Sports Thursday, May 28, 2026. This sports program begins now. Sports are the absolute greatest. And I'll tell you what. Last night a wagon continued to be a wagon in the NHL playoffs. And tonight the NBA playoffs can see the Western Conference find its champion if Oklahoma City is able to close it out in San Antonio against. A lot of people were projecting that this was going to be a heavyweight bout, one that was going to go all seven games. Well, we shall see if Wemby in the San Antonio spurs squad can extend this rivalry that we are about to see for probably the next 10 to 15 years. I am so excited to see how this Oklahoma City Thunder team, who everybody seems to hate watching. Yeah, I'm going to be honest. We had a great night last night as we were celebrating the state of sports as a whole, which is obviously up and to the right. Every rating for every league is somehow higher than it's ever been. And it seems like the interest in sports is certainly at a peak and hopefully it's only climbing because we believe that sports are the greatest on earth. So last night we had a little state of the sports type situation where we spoke to commissioners and one of the conversations with Adam Silver was about flopping. You know, about, hey, what's going on with the flopping, the flop and the flopping. And basically he started saying, like, it's a tough thing to officiate. We love what our officials doing. And it has gotten to a fever pitch now. And I think it's because this Oklahoma City team is maybe about to be in the middle of a dynasty run now. They've obviously already won title. They got all the players back and the pieces are reloaded and they are now more experienced in these championship games than they were a year before. And now it seems like they're comfortable. Hardenstein's coming into his own, just like he did last year against the Indiana Pacers when they inevitably won their first title out there. Their arena is considered by Tyrese Halliburton last night on the show State of Sports, he said, the loudest arena in everything. But outside looking in, everybody hates the way they play. So no matter what Adam Silver said, all anybody was thinking about was this Oklahoma City Thunder team. If Wemby and the San Antonio spurs can extend this to a game seven and inevitably win this Western Conference, I think a lot of people would say that's good for ball. If Oklahoma City goes on to win this and then they're favored on DraftKings right now. I believe if they were to win the Western Conference and take on the Knicks, an Oklahoma City team was to win the title again, then we all understand how sports are. That's how you win a championship. When Steph Curry came in and started draining shots and all of a sudden that is how you can win, everybody was starting to do it. So guess what we're going to see going forward? More OKC football. Because that's what people, whenever they see what champions do, especially if you're going back to back. Future ball is kind of on the line tonight.
Con Man
Scary.
Tone Digs
It really is.
Host
And there's a lot of people that don't think it's a good thing. But if you listen to how Tyrese was talking about it, and I do believe we're going to chit chat with Chris Paul today in the second hour, I think how he's going to talk about it, it's like this is kind of just taking advantage of what the game is. Yeah, high schoolers, middle schoolers. Hey, when you're taking it to the rack, we're extending arms because they can get. Aha. Balls going up. No balls going up. That's what you can do. It's gamesmanship. This is just like when we saw Patrick Mahomes, who we have the utmost respect for and obviously sounds like he's recovering very well from his late season injury, maybe ahead of schedule. There'd be times where he'd be running down the sideline. He would, you know, and we all were like, hey, soccer, Josh too.
Dan Orlowski
Don't do that.
Ty Schmidt
Can't be doing it out here.
Host
But then all of a sudden, 15 yards, okay, now we're in field goal range. Now all of a sudden, game change. Now they win the game. Is he the smartest football player now? Is he just utilizing the rules to his. His benefit? That's what he's going to say. This is what the game is. I don't know what you want from me. And that's what soccer players will tell you, too. The reason why we're doing this, because this is what the game is. And also we get a breather whenever we do that. So I think that's what basketball players are being taught. Like, hey, this is the game. This is how this is officiated. 3 points is better than 2 points. Also putting them in foul trouble is the way it is. Like, how do you stop that? I don't know how you stop that. Tyrese Halliburton said every time he goes and plays International ball. He gets his ass beat by and the refs don't call anything. And then when he comes back to America, he loves the NBA refs. He says, so great to have you guys back. You know, because he feels a little bit more protected. Do they have to just stop calling things? I wonder if they're able to put that to stop. Because if Oklahoma City continues to win and I like the way they play, by the way. I like the way they take advantage of everything. And I seen this SGA guy play in person. Bruce Lee said be water.
Con Man
Yes.
Dan Orlowski
Yeah, he did.
Host
He. He's just somehow he is with the ball wherever he needs to be and it's always going in. And then there's the, you know, and that's what people are sick of, I think.
Con Man
I can't believe you just said that.
Host
He's Bruce Lee. Like water.
Con Man
You like the way they play basketball.
Tone Digs
It's unethical, bruh.
Host
It's unethical, bruh. That's the toxic table at Boston Conner and Atay Schmidt Boston Celtics were potentially going to be in the middle of a dynasty as well. Until the small town Oklahoma City Thunder says excuse me, hey, actually we're going to think about building it out here where maybe you don't even know what's going and we're going to play a different style of basketball. You know, let's go to 1/2 of the Hammer Cowboys. AP Tone Tonight's a big deal, obviously. Huge line over under, how do we look as we look and a potential elimination championship crowning Western Conference championship night in the NBA.
Tone Digs
Yeah, the spurs are three and a half point favorites. The total is 218 and a half. When you look at it so far when the spurs are coming off a loss this entire season straight up which means just not against the spread. Just win, loss. They are 26 after a loss this season. They are 41 after a loss in the playoffs and then against the spread. So with the minus three and a half they are 18 and eight after a loss this season. So back in San Antonio spurs those stats will tell you, hey, spurs look good tonight. Maybe we could force a game seven and then in games when Thunder are dogs which does not happen very often, I can't remember the exact stat but it tends to go to the over. So over 218 and a half statistically trend wise would be the play tonight as well depending on how you fancy these things.
Host
Well, who's reffing? Do we know who's referenced? That's a good point because that Certainly matters from my understanding. And speaking of NBA reffing, Adam Silver last night said they're about to turn to Hawkeye technology to see who got the ball in and out of bounds. There's people that are upset about that. I think there's people that are anti, you know, modern technology kind of invading everything just in the world. I think there's a lot of people that are like that and I can certainly understand that. Okay. Especially with how good these things are. Okay. These AI things not perfect. We'll always need human.
Con Man
Hopefully.
Tone Digs
Yes.
Host
Can glitch.
Con Man
Yeah.
Host
So whenever we start depending strictly upon it, we have to always understand that there is going to be a moment where this thing is not going to act right. Like, that is just kind of how they always operate. So I don't think Adam Silver is saying that they're going like, completely dependent upon these things, but I think for a review purpose, they were thinking about having that or going to have that as an option. And I think that's smart play if you can have it. The. The NFL stadiums, we've always wondered why they don't have, you know, hey, we had camera down goal line every time, everywhere.
Chris Paul
Okay.
Host
We need a goal, we need a dynasty line. Every first we need one down there. And they're like, well, that's like 120 yard. It's a, you know, there's. There's a lot of the arenas in the tennis courts. I think the reason why it's been able to happen at the tennis thing is because it's pretty confined area there. Pretty. You know, the white lines are pretty. Football stadiums are so that's always been the excuse. Football stadiums are so big. But now I think we finally got to the point technology wise, where football stadiums can even have it now. So I appreciate the fact that they're doing that honestly, genuinely. But they have to be able to do it in an efficient manner. You know, like everybody wants efficiency in this shit. Everybody hates the technology whenever it's slowing us down, whenever it's fast and quick and gets it right. I think we're all on the same page. I genuinely believe that. But there's always going to be people that are. They're taking our jobs, which I completely understand as well.
Con Man
Yeah, I understand that. Respect that. But you would much rather have it be the other way than, you know, what happened in game five with the ball going off a homegrown foot like every sport should have. Replay, assist. We've seen it with the NFL. It's gone so well. How many times have there been flags picked up? Nope. He didn't catch it or the ball was changed or anything like that. And it helped the game and assisted the game. And it wasn't like, oh, look, the refs are doing this and calling that a catch. It's like, no, those things make the game more efficient. It also makes it go quicker. Like that thing with Chad Holmgren's foot, the ball going out of bounds. I'm harping on that because that's just the one that just happened recently and that's the one that comes to mind that would just help the game and just the fodder around the game and the officiating thing, there's always going to be error no matter what. But if you can assist them just a little, that's going to help the game more than anything.
Host
It sounded like the way Adam Silver was speaking about the NBA refs is that they are more open to the technological assistance. Because in the NFL, we were doing this show and it was before we got on this license on espn. We're just on the Internet. These refs in the NFL, they weren't the biggest fans of old no Monday morning quarterback happening in real time. After watching the film in super slow mo, there's a lot of pride that was happening. And the people that were supposed to be overturning the calls were also ex refs. So they were kind of in there. It was a real. There's real. Like these people don't know.
Tone Digs
It was odd.
Host
But that finally has changed, I think. Like, hey, these. These AIs, these computers, these digital advancements that we have now that we can see everything in 8k at some super slow mo speed that your eyes could never do, could actually make you more liked. Okay. Actually, this can actually get you out of this building a lot better. This can make your life a lot easier. We'll make you look smarter. We just got to be able to do it quick because remember the first time the NFL brought the Hawkeye technology into it? It was a preseason game and it took three and a half minutes for the Detroit Lions to find out where the ball was spotted. Is that not what happened, Foxy? That's exactly what happened. If that happens in the NBA, there will be a. Yeah, right.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Host
You know, especially with everybody who has eyes, the NBA is the most like,
Ty Schmidt
you're on top of the action.
Host
You're in that thing. Yeah, it's a cool little. They got a cool little gladiator like feel in those basketball. Now, not every basketball arena is packed out, okay? Which goes back to Adam Silverstein. We can't be having teams trying to lose. Yeah. Can't have that entire thing happen. But you get a good. These basketball, like Oklahoma City, that place. I think it feels like they're.
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah.
Host
On top. Madison Square Garden. That shit goes up. That thing feels like you're in there.
Con Man
Clippers, new one.
Host
Yeah. Oh, wall. That's right behind there. Those some good environments. Can't get the calls wrong though, because the fans feel like they know better than ref because they're basically getting some of the same views.
Ty Schmidt
Well, and it's just the technology is available now. For the longest time it wasn't available. Now it is. And I understand there's still kinks that you need to work out with, but how much money is being gambled on these g. Like that's just the easiest way to kind of publicly put it out there. Like, hey, there's no horseplay. There's no. These games aren't fixed because people love talking about that. Anytime there's a call that goes against, you know, maybe a bet they had, it's the easiest way to just squash all that. Like, nope, our league's on the up and up. Listen, this stuff is going to happen, but we do have the technology available now to make sure that these judgment calls in massive situations, they. They can get help and. And we can get the call right.
Host
We were very lucky to kind of see what MLB's doing in the review process and then listening to people. All the commissioners last night mentioned technology advancement. WNBA commissioner Kathy Engelbert actually said, can't go through any meeting without AI being mentioned in some sort of form. Us going into the MLB to watch how much they were like working on this. The review process of every single. It's very obvious that every league is looking to do this. Like, hey, we are in the future. Let's go ahead and do that. People are going to be pissed though, Ty. They want to. Back in the day, some people, I think baseball has been one of the most open leagues to what modern can be like especially we have a fast attention span. Okay, let's get these pitch clocks down. We need to get these games shorter. Yeah, we got people on our phones going through two and a half minute videos. They can barely make it through that. Some people scroll to a video, they see 3 minutes and 15 seconds and they go, huh? Yeah, right. Who the hell do you think you are that you get that much of my life? I'm not going to do that. So baseball games used to be four Hours with not a lot of action happening in a percentage of that is unfathomable. They've adjusted, they've made the changes. They've got the game to a great place. Manfred, I think, understood that. And then listening to Jet passing, it feels like he understands that we're in a pretty pivotal time right now between the Players association and baseball as a whole. I'm worried now, okay?
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, so am I.
Host
Yesterday, before the conversation, I had a. For the good of ball. Mm. Players have to understand what's going on with baseball right now. Hell yeah. Baseball. Let's go. Stars are playing. We're about to talk about that right now. Stars are showing up, showing out every single time. And the league has to know. Hell yeah. Hey, we got this thing going right now. Good deals everywhere. We got prime time events taking place that streaming platforms are now taking. Home Run Derby, I believe is on Netflix. Okay. We got a season over here. We got ESPN over here. They're starting to. Things are going good. Can't have a. And from the way it sounds like Mr. Passen was talking last night and then Manfred was talking about. Those are two very different mindsets on how this is going to go. Hopefully they're able to come to an agreement because right now, ball is epic. Is that understatement or no? I feel like there's a lot of things happening in baseball right now that maybe have never happened in the history of baseball, which has been around for what, 700 years? Ty Schmidt.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. Been around for. I mean, well, at least, you know, the MLB has been around for well over 100 years. And that's kind of. Rob Manfred mentioned that yesterday too. He's like the product on the field right now is as good as it's ever been. You mentioned people doing stuff they've never done before. Debuts favorite pitcher in the major leagues, Christopher Sanchez, who plays for the Phillies. And the Phillies were really bad. Fired. Their manager hired Don Mattingly. This guy arguably just had the greatest month of May in the the history of baseball for a pitcher. He currently has a 44⅔ inning scoreless streak. So he didn't give up an earned run his entire month of May.
Host
Damn, that's a hell of a month.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, exactly. The all time record. Oral Hershauser for The Dodgers went 59 innings. But again, that's just. Just when you're starting every fifth day. That's unheard of. But he's been essentially unhittable for the entire month of May and is a big reason why the Phillies are, you Know, playing very well again. And then obviously you got guys like Shohei, who you, you really, you honestly like, you say the same thing about him every single time we talk about baseball. Last night he pitched again. He was unbelievable through six innings, had seven strikeouts, gave up one earn run. His ERA going into the month of June is 0.82. That is the ninth lowest ERA in the history of baseball since ERA was made an official stat in 1913. And there have been a lot of guys who have started games and have thrown at least fifth 50 innings pitch,
Host
which is kind of the quality that,
Ty Schmidt
so it's just like, it's ridiculous. And then also last night, for the second start in a row, he hit a leadoff home run as well. That's like, is that good again? It almost becomes what is baseball?
Host
Baseball is pitching and hitting.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. Making sure the other team doesn't score and then scoring. So he's, he didn't allow any earned or he gave up one earned run last night, but so he limited the other team. And then on in his first at bat of the game, he, well, he took, he took the lead at that point.
Host
No, but I'm saying he did top.
Ty Schmidt
Yes. Yeah.
Host
Tied the other team.
Ty Schmidt
Correct. And then the Dodgers are also very good. So he's got other teammates who can get base hits and drive in runs. They won 4 to 1.
Host
So this is his second leadoff homer in a week.
Ty Schmidt
Yes.
Host
Okay. On nights that he's pitching. Correct. Okay. So he literally walks in there and goes, all right, so you might give up one run tonight. Let's go ahead and make good on that right now. First pitch I believe was the last game. I don't know about this one.
Ty Schmidt
I don't think this one was.
Host
Okay, so whatever the case. So he literally, as soon as the top of the first is over or whatever, before he even pitches, he goes, okay, I'm good for one one now with the rest of the team. What a freeing feeling for him who's like, okay, so I can give up one. Already tied. The boys got me for everything else. Now we're roll head. Why didn't every pitcher do this? I think Skino could do this if they gave him, you know, I, I, I don't want to disrespect Shohei, please. Yeah, please. Listen, I was in that same. You're the only one, the only one in the history that could ever do this.
Ty Schmidt
No one else is doing this shit ever in history. No, no one's before coming closer. I mean you could say like Babe Ruth did it. But like he pitched a little bit and then they realized like, wow, this guy hits a homer almost every time he's up. Like, let's just make this guy hit. There has. And you see kids now are like trying to do it. Like there will be kids in college who like, oh, he's a really good position player. He's a good hitter. He'll pitch as well. This guy is an MVP hitter and an MVP pitcher. We're never going to see this ever again in the history.
Tone Digs
So stat wise on this one, this. So Shohei last night hit a lead off home run and then he pitched 6 plus innings and finished with 0 hits allowed. No other MLB player in the modern era has accomplished both of those feats over their entire career, let alone the same game.
Host
Okay. Hey, Shohei, thank you for existing, dude. We appreciate the fact that we're able to witness this and we'll continue to talk about it as you continue to do things that nobody's ever seen before. And his pitches are fun. I mean that was nasty right there. I mean I think it's like a movie. Like a baseball movie. What's.
Ty Schmidt
And he's still throwing hard. He's throwing 100. You know, it just like Skins won
Tone Digs
the Cy Young last year with a 197 and Shohei has a 0.82 right now. So that kind of puts you in perspective of how good he's been so far.
Host
Long season. Obviously. We hope he will continue what he's doing special. We should certainly celebrate it. We will. The Miz also, what he's doing is fantastic.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Host
As he had a 50 over 100 mile an hour pitch night the other night. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
I mean we may see that again. I don't know though. Like that's very hard to wrap your mind around. Like the human body is not supposed to do that. I don't know how this guy stays healthy. I don't know how his arm doesn't fall off and he has to like physically reattach it before every start. But he is absolutely filthy.
Host
He's an a. He's an actual canon.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, he's a.
Host
He's a. He's a. He's a cannon.
Ty Schmidt
He's a canon. And like a mixture of Gumby because he's like 6 9. So his body is like bendable and like goes in weird.
Host
So he's a pliable cannon.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Host
So in his release point. Right. They're saying this is like beer pong. If you were to be able to drop ball over cup Too, right?
Ty Schmidt
Exactly. Yeah.
Host
The.
Ty Schmidt
The mound is 60ft inches from home plate. By the time he's releasing that thing, he's basically like 49ft away.
Host
So that's what he said. 79 or something like that. I forget what the release point. He gave us the exact number. He knows what it is. And then I asked him what other people's are.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, I don't, I don't know.
Host
I'm just telling you where my is.
Ty Schmidt
Not that far.
Host
Go ahead and let this thing eat right here. A man who could have been an MLB pitcher. Actually maybe he's the first miss if he wasn't. Yeah. An 11 year NFL quarterback. Now the face of a 12 year NFL quarterback. A man who is now the face of football on espn live from his kitchen, per the ush. And now we can say a back to back Emmy award winning host.
Ty Schmidt
Wow.
Host
Damn analyst. Sorry, not host. No, not the host of that show. Congrats to all NFL Live folks and Dan Orlowski.
Ty Schmidt
And a baby Dan.
Host
Is that each one? That's one Emmy to start. Got one Emmy. We got another one.
Chris Paul
Rub it in our face.
Host
Congratulations. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dan Orlowski
This is the back to back.
Host
Congratulations. We're very happy for you.
Dan Orlowski
Thank you.
Host
Actually genuinely happy for what you guys. You know, got to, got to experience which was the industry. Sorry, the academy, which I do believe
Ty Schmidt
by way of the industry, I think
Host
that is now we're learning these things. See, these are things we don't normally learn. The industry saying you guys do a great job I think is a really cool thing. I hope you got a chance to take that in. I hope you got to enjoy that. And maybe no more sub tweeting for like a week, please. Okay. Because of this. Or no more motivational quotes out of context to make everybody go, come on.
Con Man
Dan, you okay?
Host
Dan. Okay, so maybe for a week of those, maybe we stay away because you're loved, buddy. You're doing a great job. You're doing a great job. You are doing a great job. Okay, Dano.
Dan Orlowski
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, man. Appreciate it. Means a lot. It was awesome. It's good to be recognized. I think it's hard, you guys know, to do a daily show in today's era. Back to back. Yeah, I do love the show. I love the group. I think it's hard to do good TV day to day. So thank you.
Tone Digs
You guys were very complimentary.
Ty Schmidt
Appreciate it.
Host
We were genuinely happy for you guys, actually.
Dan Orlowski
You were. Thank you, thank you.
Host
We know the amount. Especially as just strictly NFL show. You Know, we get a chance to talk about other stuff. So we appreciate what you do for the game over there, and congrats to your entire team. Stay hungry.
Dan Orlowski
Thanks.
Host
Speaking of staying hungry, let's go ahead and start talking about things. There's no way we're just gonna go ahead and walk by. That was in a tweet earlier. You saw.
Ty Schmidt
You have to, though. I mean, I saw it.
Dan Orlowski
You have to.
Ty Schmidt
Damn. Dan's got it.
Eric Johnson
You got it.
Ty Schmidt
He knows.
Dan Orlowski
You got to, man.
Host
You gotta just. Once you're no longer hungry, that's when the next hungry line will come.
Tone Digs
Ain't that the truth?
Host
Nipping at your heels.
Con Man
Get full.
Host
Yeah. You know, and that you won't be able to add a third onto the shirt that you're wearing there from the kitchen. Okay, let's talk about why you win. Let's talk about your ideas and opinions on things. I think you said JJ McCarthy would be a guy who would be very good leader for Minnesota Vikings. Okay. Injuries have happened, situations have happened. Things have happened, obviously, with the Minnesota Vikings, it hasn't panned out thus far, but obviously still early in entirety of long career, if long career was to happen. Now, Kyler Murray, lifelong Minnesota Viking fan who was looking for a new home after exiting the Arizona Cardinals signs with the Vikings. And now there's an open competition taking place. Now we're hearing them speak for the first time, and obviously, both of them spoke more than just these answers, but we did try to listen through the entire answers for both. Feels like this is good context for what the question that was being asked about how life is going side by side in the quarterback room. We're gonna play the video first, Dan, and then I'd like your take on both things with JJ to this point. It's been great. It's been great. Obviously, I know he's a younger guy, so any.
Chris Paul
Any way I can help him.
Host
Obviously. I feel like, you know, I've played seven years now going on eight, so I'm considered a veteran, even though I don't see myself as that.
Chris Paul
Give him any knowledge that he needs.
Host
Again, you know, we're both competitors, and I know, you know, we both want what's best for the team.
AJ Hall
Has he been receptive to hearing?
Host
Of course. Of course. Yeah.
Tone Digs
He's.
Host
No, he's overly acceptive, you know, and he's. He's always communicating, asking questions, stuff like that. So it's been good.
Ty Schmidt
Jj, what's your relationship been like with Kyler so far?
Con Man
You know, it's just like two Guys, in a classroom, you know, he sits on one side, I sit on the other side. And it's the coach's responsibility to teach us and coach us.
Ty Schmidt
So is there any awkwardness, like, between you two?
Host
Awkwardness?
Con Man
You know, it's just like the same feeling, you know, when you're in high school and there's another person on the other side of the room, that's just kind of how it is. So I wouldn't say there's any awkwardness.
Host
Okay, so I'm. I'm awkward. I'm feeling awkward and uncomfortable just listening to his answers. Now, on that note, young lad, I think he has his own form of leadership, but it feels like he's viewing it in a fashion of, we're both in the room trying to learn the same stuff. Let's go to work. Kyler trying to say, hey, I would be willing to help with anything. Should we read into any of these answers? Because I'm going to let you know how I feel. I think Kyler, who a lot of people have wondered if he's a good teammate, if he's a good professional, if he's good, all these things, I'm not saying they're valid reasons to wonder these things. This is just the things that are kind of wondered about Kyler Murray publicly. So going into a competition situation with the top 10 draft pick at a place I was eager to see how it was going to be navigated, Kyler has seemingly potentially had a. I don't say a humbling moment, but a reality perspective on life moment whenever he leaves Arizona. And everything that I've seen and heard and watched from him with the dreams of him and a Kevin o' Connell offense are like, holy shit, we've seen this with a lot of guys. We saw it with Sam Darnold, we saw with Mac Jones, we saw it with Josh Dobbs, Baker Mayfield, Carl Win, we saw it with, no, I'm not talking, just Kevin o' Connor talking about quarterbacks getting another opportunity after a first time actually not working out in the long run. It's like, is Kyler about to have that with Kevin o' Connell in an offense that we know is incredibly proficient? They're like, no, it's a competition with jj. So Kyler, I think, has an interesting viewpoint going into the competition to begin with, because if he wanted to be, you know, a shitty teammate, he could. Here, I think he could try to be. Instead, it felt like he was trying to come from, I'm an older guy perspective. What did you learn from those Two answers. And what are your thoughts on how this is all going to play out in Minnesota, Dan?
Dan Orlowski
I think, though, yeah, it was a uphill battle for JJ McCarthy on the field in this competition. Hearing the answers, it f. Sounds like there's an uphill battle off the field as well. And if, if you haven't, I guess, divided the locker room or lost the locker room, I don't think that answer is helping you. Okay. One, I. I want to give kudos to Kyler. He comes across mature. It sounds like good leadership. It might be like coach speak and right thing to say, but there's a reality to that with JJ's answer. And I like JJ. I've supported a fan for JJ. Like, I'm rooting for JJ. At times it just feels like it's. At least publicly, it's an act. I have to have this bravado type of response or something like that. And. And you're on the same team. At the end of the day, you're on the same team. We all know you're competing. We all know you're in the same room. At the end of the day, whoever plays better is more than likely going to win that job. So for you to have that type of response of like, oh, we're just in the same room.
Host
Yeah. Yeah.
Dan Orlowski
It's almost. I don't want to say you're. It feels like you're trying to divide the locker room like, are you team JJ or are you team Kyler? And he comes across that way at times.
Host
Okay. I can understand where you're coming from. I hate the fact that we are breaking down a quote like this the way we are. Sure. But I do think it is just one piece of the entire puzzle that we've been seeing here for a bit and wondering how and why, because Coach Harbaugh, a man that we have respect for, but obviously he was coach at Michigan when JJ McCarthy had all the success that he had and recruited him out of IMG and everything like that. Said he had the greatest workout in the history of quarterbacks or something like that after his pro day and then talks about him being the best quarterback. And I think his opinion carries a lot of weight with a lot of NFL people, as it should. So I think we all immediately had super high hopes for JJ McCarthy for one reason or another. Yeah, we. We did too. We watched him in the Rose Bowl Throw 102 mile an hour fastball to the sideline.
Con Man
Yeah.
Host
On a rollout.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Con Man
Almost got picked off.
Host
Yeah. As he. As they beat Alabama There, I mean, it was. We saw him in his games, we heard about his leadership style. But since the NFL has happened, it's just been an interesting walk watch. It's been a very interesting watch. And that. That interaction right there is certainly just another piece on it. And then to your point, Kyler, very comfortable. Very. Like, very rarely did I see him comfortable speaking. Right. In Arizona. I don't think I ever really heard him comfortable speaking. I love what he's doing. I love that this is where his life has taken him. I appreciate the fact that he was a Vikings fan growing up, and I appreciate that maybe everything that we have thought that Kyler could become is still very possible in a place that needs it bad. Hey, hey. They need it over there in Minnesota, don't they, Ty? That NFC north is getting real good, real quick, and they were not too far away from a Super Bowl a couple years ago.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. And I don't know if you believe in, you know, like the football gods or if you ascribe to that, but I think a lot of people do. And listen, this isn't just me saying this as a Packers fan. They won 14 games with Sam Darnold. We're, you know, what? Like. Like three minutes away from being the number one seed in the nfc. They lost. See you later, Sam Darnold. We're going to bring in J.J. mcCarthy. He's the guy. He might be the best quarterback ever. Per Hardball. I think it's already been. It's already been written in stone in time. Listen, I. I hope that Kyler Murray is good this year. I don't think the Vikings are going to win a Super bowl in my lifetime.
Host
What? How old are you?
Ty Schmidt
I'm 35. I just don't. Listen, they. They've been through all the trials and tribulations up to this point. Point. They haven't gotten it done. You just don't do that. You don't write off a guy like that and then have it immediately. I'm talking immediately blow up in your face. Like, usually it's you get a couple years. Hey, it didn't work out. We're gonna have to do something else. You know, every year with this guy already, it's like, Jesus Christ, we gotta go get Rogers or we gotta go get Kyler Murray. Like, they. They haven't publicly really said it yet, but it's like, this guy. We're done with this guy. We gotta figure. Well, and I'm just saying, I know we all love KOC but now. Now the. The now The Heat's going to start turning up on him.
Host
Why is that?
Ty Schmidt
Because it was. Yeah, because it like they. Everyone's been killing Quia Dofa Mensa and, you know, rightfully so. I mean, he's not there anymore, but like, KOC is the head coach. He's the quarterback whisperer. For how long were we talking about. This guy can win with anybody. It doesn't matter. You put someone who could, who is a little bit accurate, you put him in his system and he's going to figure out he's going to win games with them. Boy, we all saw J.J. mcCarthy play last year.
Host
Year.
Ty Schmidt
And I'm not saying he's the most accurate guy, but Kevin OConnell clearly thought, Hey, I can make this guy into someone special. And now it's. I mean, we're what, two years removed and it's like, this guy's not special. Kyler Murray, though, he might be special in my offense again. So I'm just saying, I'm just saying they better win, they better win quick because this, this could get ugly.
Host
Damn. What you just been nod. You're gassing him up right now. You know he's a Green Bay packers fan. This is Green Bay Packers.
Ty Schmidt
That has nothing to do with this.
Host
Yeah, nothing. Of course, nothing.
Dan Orlowski
But what I agree on his sentiments. Like, I think Kevin OConnell is a tremendous coach. Tremendous. We all know what this league is about. And if you go, I think that has to factor into the, the decision making as well. At the quarterback spot is who, like, who do you think not only, like, gives you the best chance to win. Now, that absolutely is factoring in, but who do you see and. Or want to be your future guy? I just, I, I sit there and I go, you're not going to survive two straight years of subpar quarterback play. When I believe they're still searching for a general manager. Am I right with that? Yeah, the Vikings, they're still searching for a general manager.
Host
Do we not think Kevin o' Connell is trying to be general manager and coach right now? And then they're going to have him maybe, maybe hire somebody.
Dan Orlowski
But you got to win. You're not going to survive multiple bad years with bad quarterback play. Play as great of a coach as he is.
Host
Yeah, we agree. We believe. I believe.
Ty Schmidt
So do I. But that's what I'm saying is like, you can't. Like Dan's saying, you can't have another bad year. And we can't keep saying, like, quarterback. This guy can win with anybody.
Dan Orlowski
They're about 500. You can't.
Chris Paul
Last year, I think their quarterback play
Dan Orlowski
was like third worst in the league or something. I think by statistics and Metrics they
Host
won 14 games the year before that. So the thought about Kyler though, in that offense, you're saying the same things I'm saying about maybe him having like a humble or a perspective situation taking place once he leaves Arizona, now going back to like his childhood team that he was a fan of and now having a different idea of what he needs to do. I think that's a big deal for Kyler. I genuinely think that.
Dan Orlowski
I agree completely with the leadership element and we're taking a snippet of a quote and kind of evaluating that. But I agree with just the comfort that he said it in as well. I would tell you this, this will come down to does it work with Kyler or not? In Minnesot, you guys have probably heard this. Kevin OConnell as the play caller, he's top five in under center and play action pass. Okay. When it comes to doing both of those, Tyler did that about three times per game in Arizona, three times. Now Kirk Cousins under Kevin Oconnell did it about 10 times a game. I think Sam did it about nine times a game. So a lot more than Kyler. I'm not telling people Kyler can't do it. I'm just telling we haven't seen Kyler do it a lot. So how comfortable Kyler gets running that offense is the number one thing, the number two thing. And this is the next level of it. If you just watch where Kyler has struggled as a player, I would tell you one of the main areas is throwing crossing routes across the middle of the field, sideline to sideline, guys running sideline to sideline. Okay. I think 14 or 15 interceptions. I tracked them 14 or 15 interceptions since 2000 on crossing routes by Kyler Murray. Okay. That's the most in the NFL over that period. One of the main staples past concept wise for Kevin o' Connell is the crossing route. And so while I agree, like I'm hopeful, there are those two areas that I sit there and say, can he do the play action under center game consistently? And then how much does he improve? Because it might be a vision thing with Kyler, it might be a vision thing with Kyler. How much does he improve throwing those crossers?
Host
Well, okay, so in the throw in the crossers could be something that maybe isn't changeable. Right? Because Kyler is shorter than most quarterbacks. Especially whenever you're trying to let Me
Dan Orlowski
jump on that real quick. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Okay, let me real quickly. It is changeable, I believe, because
Host
the
Dan Orlowski
way I think that really good coaches do it is you change the ability with the pass protection scheme. AQ would be great at this. If you think of Sean Payton with Drew Brees, they were really good at, I would always say, like think of an accordion. They were really good at their play action game, almost stretching their offensive line out. And so because of the pass protection or the play action pass protection concept, they would actually build in passing lanes for Drew Brees andor quarterbacks to have a bigger window to throw through rather than trying to see and throw over.
Host
And Kevin oconnell will be able to
Dan Orlowski
do that, I would imagine. He's very smart. I would imagine.
Host
So we got no worries.
Con Man
I don't think so.
Host
And Kyler's not scared to drop one of these things. No passing lane is over here. Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and take that thing over to guard, you know, as the heads over the center, maybe. You know what I mean?
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Con Man
Jefferson Addison, Juwan Jennings.
Host
I mean, not a bad. What. Have you seen the running rushing stats whenever Kyler's running and then Kevin o' Connell rushing stats?
Con Man
No.
Host
So when Kyler Murray is at quarterback, the rushing stats for the Cardinals, 27.4 attempts a game. So if he's able to do the play action, obviously this will only cook even more. 133.2 yards a game, 990 touchdowns in 87 games. Wow. The Vikings, 101.6 rush yards per game. 30 yards less than that, obviously. 29th in the NFL since 2022. So Kyler is automatically upgrading the rush game, which could only help Kevin OConnell's pass game, you would assume. But can you understand turning his back to the defense? That's what we're wondering, right, Dano? That's what we're wondering. Yeah. Can he.
Dan Orlowski
Yeah, it's a big deal.
Host
Can he do this?
Tone Digs
He definitely didn't do it in college either.
Host
No, it's. College is literally. Yeah.
Tone Digs
Lincoln was not catch and throw that.
Dan Orlowski
Yeah.
Host
Kyler, though, at this stage, I think this is a good time where he's. Yeah, I will.
Dan Orlowski
Kyler's done some of it. I mean, he did a little bit, you said.
Host
Yeah. He Track 9, 10. Maybe we need to do Sam Darnold. That's a interesting couple stats you threw out there. He does about three times. Kirk, say nine.
Dan Orlowski
It's just. How can you do it consistently more. I think that's three give it a
Host
little bit it 3x, maybe 4x more.
Con Man
First time with the franchise left tackle. You could argue with Daw Duras. Yeah, makes him a little.
Host
And also a facility, right?
Con Man
Yeah.
Host
First time ever having like a facility. From the report cards that got leaked publicly. I don't like that they got leaked publicly.
Ty Schmidt
No, I shouldn't be doing that.
Host
That's good journalism whoever did that. The entire story of the Vikings though will be was J.J. mcCarthy the right move or not? And if Kyler goes on to have the success this year, they'll move on from J.J. mcCarthy. That'll be Kyler's team. All so much to figured out. And maybe you know, this Bravado character isn't just a character. Even though it feels like it might be a movie character. Maybe this is just actually who he is, you know, maybe he's got to find his way this JJ McCarthy and hopefully this year could be the year. Now let's talk about some teams that have seemingly figured out which way they are headed but having a little bit new things going on. Go ahead, Tone.
Tone Digs
Yeah, Dan, I wanted to talk about a couple playoff teams last year who have new play callers, different situations. Obviously start with the Panthers. Dave Canales, the head coach has been the play caller. He got that job because of being a play caller and he is going to relinquish those dudes duties. And then up in Seattle, obviously Clint Kubiak goes to the Raiders. So Seattle no longer has him as the oc. They have a first time OC play caller as well. What are your thoughts on those situations?
Dan Orlowski
Don't like either of them. I would start with Carolina. I think if you're hired because of your play calling, you should not give up play calling. I think Canales is good as a play caller. It's, you know, this game it's probably, if we're being honest, it's that's probably 150 million dollar loss. I think if Bryce Young and then beat the Rams he would have got extension this offseason. I'm not saying they didn't because of him. He played great in that game but I just believe the optics of that upset. He's probably under top five pressure quarterback wise in the NFL and so going into this season. And so I don't like the fact that coach Canales has given up the play calling. I believe their new offensive coordinator Brad Izik as to my knowledge has never called plays for me. I don't understand how that happens. I know at some point everyone has to Call their plays for the first time. Time. I don't know if it should be with a quarterback that's having, you know, an enormous year on top of his shoulders. I think Carolina is going to be good up front offensively. It'll really be about their really secondary and third option pass catchers. Tet was obviously very good. You know, does Coker take a step forward? Xavier Leggette, they draft Brazil out of Tennessee. Sanders is a good tight end, so. But it's, it's. I don't like the fact that the head coach and the play caller has given up the play calling duties. With such a big year on tap for Seattle, I would say the very same thing. I don't know Brian Fleury. I know that he has history with Sam Darnold. I believe that they were together in 23 in San Francisco. I think most of his background is on the defensive side of the football. I know he's been around the Shanahan tree and some different offensive positional roles. I don't believe he's ever called plays again. I don't understand how we're hiring these people in these roles that are really important roles. The defending super bowl champion and saying, saying let's do this for the first time. I'm sure Kevin Petullo is a good football coach. I'm sure he knows a ton of football and can dial it up. X's and O's for the Philadelphia Eagles. Last year, they come off winning the super bowl, they take a coach and Jason say, you've never done this before. Go do it. And obviously it did not go well. And I'm not sitting here saying every telling everybody that that's going to be the case in Seattle. But I, I don't love it.
Host
Yeah, you're pretty down on both those pretty quick.
Dan Orlowski
Geez.
Host
I mean, as soon as the question was asked, you were kind of down and out on it. It seems like you're a bum. Dot you remember with Mac Jones, you remember with Mac, whenever they put Matt Patricia as the offense coordinator, I think for him you said very loudly, my least favorite move in the entire NFL is the offense coordinator position at the New England Patriots. Because the quarterback. You talk about, Bryce Young. Young. He really just hit it. Now we're going to change it. Even though the person's still in the same building. That feels interesting. Obviously Idz had success as the wide receivers coach there, I believe. So he does have some offensive wide receiver stuff and hopefully he'll do well for Bryce. But why would you want to change that. We don't know. Canales maybe wants to oversee more. I don't know. Sam Darnold's got to be like, come on, you know? Yeah, finally. Finally got the everything off my shoulder. Didn't win in the super bowl mvp, but still won a Super Bowl. Who cares? Got paid. Kind of made everybody regret everything that they've ever said. You can win with me as quarterback. And I go, okay, now let's go back square one. Also, we got a brand new play caller. It's fascinating times to make those decisions, but if they end up working out, nobody will care. You know, some teams have gotten better, some teams have gotten way worse with new play callers because obviously it can affect everything. Shout out to Philadelphia Eagles. Now. There's another place you've been pretty high on. Go ahead, Ty.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, Dan. What about Tampa? I think a lot of people kind of forgot that they fired Josh Rizard and hired Zach Robinson. He came over from Atlanta. But Baker is obviously one of those guys who's had about 100 different OCS play callers. What are you expecting from the Bucks this year?
Dan Orlowski
I think on paper they're a championship contender in the nfc. I really do. I think everything that was attached to last year was about health for them. I think their roster is one of the best in the NFL. Their offensive line, I think they started last year, nine different offensive line combinations. Nine. Year before, I believe it was like three. And the year before in 2023, it was. Everything about Tampa for me is their offensive line from an offensive perspective. I think Baker's awesome. I love Bucky Irving. Their tight end Otten is really good. I think they're receivers and I know they lose Mike Evans. Mecca is going to take a huge step forward. McMillan's a really nice player. They still have Godwin, so they've got plenty of people to throw the football to. Plenty. Everything will be about their offensive line. If their offensive line is healthy and stays healthy, I think he's going to be an awesome offense and an NFC championship contending team. I guess the question mark, the unknown is the defense. My thing with the defense is this one. They've invested in that front big time. Obviously they have Vita Vea. I believe they signed Ashon Robinson. The defensive tackle is a free agent. So you got two veteran defensive tackles in free agency. Okay. If Ruben Bane is who everybody who, you know, I trust in the draft process says he is, then you've got Bane, you've got Yaya Diabi. They've invested. I think they've got some young players in the back end. I got, don't forget this was the team that I think like week five last year, maybe week six, week five, they went to Seattle and I think they hung like 40 on them. 38, 40, something like that. And then the injuries just started to decimate their football team. I think they're really talented.
Host
Yeah. And Mike Evans, obviously, that's a huge, I mean that's so many touchdowns, so many big red zone situations, first down situations, obviously deep shots. How will they just post that? And I'm excited to see how he does with the Niners. I mean that's kind of been an under talked about story in his entirety. Good news, first game of the year, we'll see him in Australia.
Ty Schmidt
That's right.
Host
Taking on the Los Angeles Rams. Last question for us. Did you happen to see last night's state of sports and Matthew Stafford saying all the right things? He said, you know, Ty Simpson, although he, he was Alabama who kind of ass, you know, go Dogs, hadn't felt obligated to obviously put on there. He said, I'm ready to help him. That's what I've been around a long time. Do you think that's strictly because they just paid him the amount of money that they just paid him that he feels that way or do you think he's felt that way the entire time? Because it felt like to me that Matthew Stafford is very content with who he is. Whenever we are talking to him, I'm incredibly pumped for him that he has gotten to a stage of life, especially after having a Super bowl win and all the records and everything that he's done and put his body through that it feels like he does understand that he is going to be a first ballot hall of Famer. We think.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Host
You know, with the first ballot hall of Fame. So that feels like a different mindset, you know, that's a different. Maybe a younger player would have. Do you think this is how all Staffords would have been like in Detroit and maybe at the beginning in LA and now la? Like what are your thoughts on that type of relationship with Ty Simpson and anything else that he said last night as we chit chatted about him looking ahead head being healthier than he obviously was last season going into the year?
Dan Orlowski
Yeah, I saw a bunch of the clips from the stuff on Social or on Social from last night. Outstanding as always. I think you got to pinch yourself in some of those moments, by the way.
Host
Thank you, man.
Dan Orlowski
Yeah, it's awesome, dude. Thank you.
Host
I don't really have hungry pinch. It's not really my thing, but. But I will. We did last night.
Dan Orlowski
So I don't know. Do you ever take a step back and be like, oh, the playoffs for one of the major main sports. Sports is over. You're the guy they go to. Like, it's pretty awesome.
Host
Oh, yeah, I never thought of that. What I thought. The only thing I thought of is, oh, no. These people think Jalen Brunson, Timothee Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Spider, James Harden. Atkinson's gonna give some quote, Danny's gonna give some quote. That's who these people that are, you know, paid for that particular show are thinking about. So us getting presented the opportunity, incredibly honored to do something. But how do we make something that would like make it anywhere near okay to be presentable at that time? So, yeah, there was. Afterwards, there was a sit down. Oh, I can't believe that just happened. That was pretty cool. Yeah, we felt really. And the execution from the graphics department to everybody in the back, I mean, it was a whirlwind of like a 24 hours. And to all the commissioners that came by and obviously Shefty and Rap Sheet kind of sitting there together and cool. Yeah. And PK and Monica McNutt was incredible. Jet passing immediately after the entire thing. It was cool. We were very, very thankful for everybody that stopped by and for the opportunity. But yeah, I don't like the pinching thing, but we definitely did sit back and do a whole like, wow, that was a fucking crazy run from New York, Baby Midas New York to that, to how everybody just executed immediately. It was really cool. It's almost like we were planning for. For it for years, but instead it was just like a 24 hour, 48 hour thing that really came together. So thank you for watching and we are very lucky to do it and thankful to do it. You're right. Yes. And I said a thank you to ESPN obviously for the opportunity because that's crazy that we got to do that. But thank. Yeah. But Stafford was great. I would say. He had a sun shining on his face. Did you see him with the teeth? The teeth were glowing.
Dan Orlowski
Best smile in the NFL.
Host
The sun was just like. He was glowing. He looked like a Los Angeles.
Ty Schmidt
Looked young.
Host
He looked like a movie.
Tone Digs
A beautiful sunroof.
Host
He did. He looked like a movie.
Dan Orlowski
Gray coming through the beard.
Host
Yeah. The whole thing. But the way he talks about, I think Matthew.
Dan Orlowski
Yeah, I think. I think this version of Matthew is probably the most complete from a player and a person And a competitor. I, I've known him obviously a long time. I think he's in the ideal
Ty Schmidt
frame
Dan Orlowski
of mind where the journey and the destination are both the same for him in many ways. Like, I think he truly loves and has the chip on the shoulder of like, yeah, I'm the old dude and I still do it better than everybody. I'm the old dude in the locker room and I can still hang with the young fellas, whether, whether it's shooting the breeze or busting chalks or whatnot,
Host
shooting the bridge, you know, like, I
Dan Orlowski
could still hang in that regard, but then I can go out and be a killer on the field. And I absolutely think that the dream scenario for him is, you know, win the super bowl in LA and call it a day. But I think that it's genuine that he wants to help Ty. I think it's genuine that, you know, he realizes how lucky he's been in many ways to get to go to LA and finish his career in LA with Sean McVay. And I'm sure the Rams organization and Sean feel the same way way. And I think he wants to just leave his very best footprint on the organization in the league. And would I love to see them trade for AJ Brown or sign Stefan Diggs. Absolutely. But yeah, I think he's in a very good place, allegedly.
Host
One of those was potentially going to happen here earlier this offseason and then something happened, then there was a different kind of pause on situation. Maybe things are going to heat back up. We'll find out.
Dan Orlowski
I think it's a no brainer.
Host
Hey, we'll find out. We will find out. As the days roll on, we might have a rap sheet report from the golf course in the next hour about that entire situation, so you have to stay tuned. Mr. Back to back Emmy award winner. Have a good one, Dan. We appreciate you. Ladies and gentlemen, Daniel from the NFL. That's obviously always a conversation to the NHL that is in the middle of trying to figure out who will be taking on the Vegas Golden Knights. Last night the Kayniacs and the Hurricanes took a 31 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens in an athletic a speeding win. They had three goals in the first period, basically none for the rest of the game until an empty netter. And congratulations to the Caniacs who are seemingly the wagon that we thought they were. Joining us now is a Colorado Avalanche legend, a standing cup champion, a man who played 18 years in the NHL and one of his horses just came in second in San. Ladies and gentlemen, Big Horno Eric Johnson. How you doing? Doing, pal?
Eric Johnson
Oh, a lot better now. Boys, what's going on?
Host
Hey, great shirt. I heard. We didn't. Wait. How are we doing in the iihf?
Con Man
It's for another kid.
Chris Paul
Sid.
Host
The kid just made it four, nothing. Yeah.
Tone Digs
Love you, Sid.
Ty Schmidt
We. We don't give a. That tournament.
Con Man
Yeah, we got.
Host
We need the clean sweep, right?
Eric Johnson
We got men's Olympics, women's Olympics, Paralympics. Now we need the World Championships back to back. Let's go.
Host
No, we're down. Four, zero. Horn. Never say never, baby.
Eric Johnson
Never say never.
Host
Okay, okay. Ho. Okay. You're right. I'm sorry. I even doubted.
Tone Digs
How much time do we have left?
Con Man
Yeah, like 30 seconds.
Tone Digs
Five minutes.
Host
Five minutes. It's over.
Eric Johnson
Five minutes. We're toast.
Host
We're toast.
Tone Digs
This one doesn't matter.
Ty Schmidt
It doesn't.
Host
It does matter. To who? Cuz? Listen to him. Hey. How many world championships?
Tone Digs
Yeah, but if you're screaming into a black hole.
Host
Yeah, you're right.
Con Man
Plus, that's the excuse for losing the Olympics. World champ.
Eric Johnson
I got a world championship story. This is Fantastic. This is 2007. I'm 19. Team USA calls. I just finished my freshman year at the University of Minnesota. Wet behind the ears, young pup, right? And I get a call that I'm going to Moscow for the World Championships for Team usa. We're staying in this hotel in Moscow. There's a bowling alley, there's a strip club. Club and there's a casino. All in the entire hotel. And I'm 19 years old.
Dan Orlowski
There's.
Eric Johnson
There's. I'm just like sensory overload. What the hell's going on here? I didn't partake in all of it, but I did partake in some of it. But 19 years old, you couldn't eat any of the food there. So we'd walk to McDonald's every day. Casino, bowling alley, strip club, 24 hour buffet. Unbelievable.
Host
Moscow. How did we win? No.
Eric Johnson
Hell no.
Host
No, no, man.
Ty Schmidt
We're.
Host
Oh, wait, no. We're pulling for you. Okay? We are over here pulling. I remember that one. I remember being disappointed. Remember how bummed that? Did we hear what these players were doing over there? There. They're at this bowling alley all night.
Tone Digs
You were in Morgantown watching every game?
Host
Every game. I'm like, we're going to Moscow to win this world Championship. The Canadians care, though, so I want to let you know that seems to be a little bit of a problem. Problem. Sidney Crosby, obviously, down there. The Canadians seemingly beating the United States in the quarterfinals of the IIHF World Championship, literally right now, as we speak, had hopes, even though we are now officially toast. Speaking of toast, are the Montreal Canadiens completely toast or cooked here? And are the Carolina Hurricanes kind of reminding everybody exactly who they are? Is this inevitable Vegas Golden Knights Carolina, or do you think the Canadians can potentially pull one out and save the Syrians Carries Horno?
Chris Paul
I think.
Eric Johnson
I think it's going to be tough, and I think the reason it's going to be tough is the hat. The Habs have been outshot in the first handful of games here, 136 to 65 through four games. They have four shots combined in the third period in games three and four. So what Carolina does, and I text you the other day, is it's like going. Going uphill on a down escalator. Like you think you're making progress and then you're in the same spot where you started. So especially with Carolina going back home, it's going to be so tough for Montreal to just try and make a series of this thing. And let's be honest, they're playing with house money anyway. No one thought they were going to get this far. They look tired. Carolina looks fresh. That rest at first started out as rust for Carolina. Now it's looking like the rest of the is really. Is really paying off. And you know, if you're going to piss like a puppy, you got to stay on the porch.
Host
This is the big Dog series. Yeah. Seems like, yeah, you got to get out there and really let the hose out. And Hurricanes are certainly doing that at this moment against Canadians going into their home. Tomorrow night, it will be a potential series decider in front of a bunch of Kayniacs down in Raleigh, North Carolina. Congrats to the boys. That Jarvis boys eventually heading to the Stanley cup final. Cannot wait for that. Okay, let's go to the west and talk about what's going on over there. Obviously, your Avalanche team we were all speaking very, very highly of. I think the entire hockey community was incredibly impressed by what the Avalanche could become. Them and the Carolina Hurricanes were on a collision course and maybe just sweeping their way all the way to Lord Stanley cup to find out who's the best of the greats right now. Instead, the Vegas Golden Knights under torch have just become an absolute wagon, and the Avalanche get swept out of the out of the Western Conference final. What the hell happened, Horno, and what are your thoughts on this Vegas Golden Knights team? It feels like they do have the juice and they might be lifting and hoisting Lordo whenever it's all said and done yet again.
Eric Johnson
Yeah. So I think let's start with Colorado. I think everything went wrong for them at the exact worst time and the exact same time. McKinnon wasn't at 100%, Makar wasn't at 100%. Nichushkin wasn't at 100%. 10. And let's be honest, most guys are playing with something throughout this time and this late in the playoffs, but what Colorado had, everything went to shit all at once. Vegas always got one more save and they made one more play. The series was closer than a sweep. But let's be honest, that game four that Vegas played, I haven't seen a more complete defensive game in a long, long time. They were just, just.
Ty Schmidt
They were.
Eric Johnson
They had the abs in a straight jacket. Like the abs just couldn't do anything. They're the most high powered offensive team in the National Hockey League and Vegas just always had numbers above them. And what I appreciate about that the most for Vegas is everybody buys in to play the same way. Like, could Mitch Marner or Jack Eichel have more goals and more points?
Host
Sure.
Eric Johnson
But are they going to maybe sacrifice a little bit on the defensive side to get those points? Points, yes. So they all buy into the defensive structure, which is allowing them, of course, to just completely shut teams down. And they do, as the great Claiborne Farm always says in Lexington, Kentucky, they do the usual unusually well. And what does that mean? They just do everything that looks so simple to perfection and they make it look so easy. Is it hard to check? Yes. Is it hard to defend? Defend, yes. But all four lines, all 6D are committed to doing that. And that's why they're going to the Stanley Cup Final. And, and one thing that John Tortorella said, that really struck my ear when I heard it the other night, boys was in the regular season, he coaches at them. In the playoffs, he coaches with them. So there's a completely different script that you flip from regular season to the playoffs, of course. And I hit another great long line. I don't give a about analytics. I don't give a about expected go goals. I care about actual goals. Towards is just a walking quote machine. He's just breathe a life of fresh air into the Vegas Golden Knights and it'll be interesting to see what Colorado does. I think a lot of questions are being asked and we'll see where they go from here.
Host
You're the best, Horno. We appreciate the hell out of you. Ladies and gentlemen, that's standing cup champion and horse Hoove placed second at Santa Anita this past weekend. Owner ladies and gentlemen, Eric Johnson. Yeah H. Thank you Hornel. All right. Hour one wraps up with some great hockey break. Yeah. Vegas Golden Knights. He coaches at them hate me now coaches with them. Love you later Torts of course Must
Con Man
have read the book.
Host
Unbelievable. Vegas Gold Knights might really have it. Stars all across the board. Mitch Marner leading the playoffs in points. He's saying could he have more probably but he's buying into defense.
Tone Digs
Canes are still a favorites to win
Host
it all as they should be but the rest Russ thing really did seemingly come to fruition. Yeah yeah they are. This Carolina Hurricanes team is unbelievable in their barn Live a lot barn Jarvis boys sire Hour two on the other side. Be a friend. Tell her friend something nice. As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery. They're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop
Ad Voice
by if you've ever wanted real energy without choking down something that tastes like regular regret. Bucked up is the answer. The flavor is the thing people keep coming back for. Insanely delicious, which is not a phrase usually associated with energy drinks. And they're built on real science backed ingredients. Clean energy that actually works without the garbage you don't want. Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked up at buckedup energy.com Grab a Bucked up and feel like a million bucks.
Tone Digs
Are
Host
the greatest. Aren't they? Y We are so incredibly lucky that we get a chance to celebrate them every single day. As the NHL and NBA playoffs are carrying us in. MLB stars are hitting dongs and pitching heat all over the diamonds across the United States of America. Sports are delivering for us in a massive way on the courts, on the ice, on the fields and certainly in the drama. So many storylines to be developed, trades potentially happening here in the near future that is involving super bowl champion all pro players like AJ Brown. New contracts are being signed, firings are taking place. The world of sports never stops. That's why we're incredibly lucky that we get a chance to cover it all. The talks to tables here at Boston Conner and at Ty Schmidt, I guess all good news coming out of New England, con man. And I think that's what this time of year is all about. I did see that your quarterback potentially got asked about a little bit of weight he might have put on from year one to year two, where he was asked if he's a little bit thicker, you know, with like three Cs, and he said, I think that's a. I think apostles. I think that's a pause. I'm not sure. But what are the words coming out of the New England Patriots? Because I'll tell you what, it was a rough couple weeks there to be a New England fan.
Con Man
Yeah, rough couple weeks, you could say rough couple months. Perhaps even on the Internet. All the words are fantastic. First of all, Caleb Lomu, the dancing bear that we got from Utah, who plays tackle, apparently he was taking first team reps at right, can also move to left. Not sure if that is going to happen. We'll see how the season plays out. But yeah, you mentioned it. Drake May is in fact a hog right now. He is huge. 2C's, 3C, 4C's the guy put on. Maybe.
Host
Probably.
Con Man
I'm not talking about it. Maybe that's where you went to. Sure, that's doing well too. But he is looking fantastic. Romeo Dobbs, who we got from the packers, looking like wide receiver one. And we'll see what happens with A.J. brown and Stefon Diggs. Feels like both those guys still on the table up in New England. But yeah, vibes are very high and it is el. Everybody's loving everybody. Okay. In the best type of way. So, I mean, to be completely honest with you boys, I wouldn't be so surprised if we're seeing the New England Patriots right back in the super bowl,
Host
there was a time where I think you were a little bit worried about everything was going on. Are we really worried about how is this what we are? This is not what we are. There's a little bit of that, then there was a little bit of. What's that called? Whenever you don't think you should be the person that you are.
Con Man
Imposter syndrome.
Host
There it is. You started thinking about maybe there's a little imposter syndrome with this New England Patriots scene because of how many people were saying easy schedule, easy schedule. And then you start seeing what was happening even Conor, I think, was starting to have those thoughts now. He swallowed them and buried them anytime he needed to speak to us publicly. But you could tell by some of the questions he was asking when he was asking him that he started to wonder if this was a fake Patriots team, if this was not a. Like, hey, should I be as excited as I am because of all the amateur drama that was happening, very amateur bush league type stuff that was kind of happening around it all. And then now you get a couple good quarters quotes, get a couple videos coming out, and Connor's just, I never thought that. That, Never ever thought that we were supposed to be in the Super Bowl. It's not our fault. We didn't schedule these people. Did you see Drake May, his accuracy? Baron, everybody? Are we talking about him being an accurate quarterback? Are we just talking about him being a big quarterback, a young quarterback? What is the conversation? Oh, we can have all those conversations. It is nice to see you back. I want to let you know that from the rest of us, it is great to see you all the way back in the. Yeah, we're supposed to win the Super. Super Bowl. We have a great head football coach, we have a great culture, we have a great young quarterback and we have the ability to go on a run again. It is great to see you back too, Connor, because it was tough there for a bit.
Con Man
It was hard not to.
Host
I know it was hard. I know it was hard.
Con Man
I couldn't really tweet about anything regarding the Patriots for a little bit there. You really couldn't even. There's still some stragglers, but those are just the haters. And yeah, Drake May had the third most accurate season in the NFL history. And every single coach in the NFL is like, hey, being accurate is the most important thing. And then you're Talking about Josh McDaniels too. Year two in the system. I kept forgetting. Oh, wait, Drake May is only in his second year. Last year as an mvp. You know, candidate probably should have won it if Dan Orlofsky didn't love his buddy so much. And then you're talking about, that's not true.
Host
Dan Orlofsky's only one out of the 50 votes, but he is a vote.
Con Man
And Dragon only lost by one vote. But again, hey, look, it was one of those things where once that subsides and then you just start focusing on ball. Not. Not the fuck, just ball. Yeah, Patriots are back. Even though the NFL gave us the hardest starting four games in September since 1986. But that's okay.
Host
That's on paper.
Con Man
That don't matter.
Host
Everybody's hard. It's the NFL.
Con Man
Well, that's not what we heard last year with our schedule.
AJ Hall
But.
Host
Yes, yeah, but you even started to believe it a little bit whenever you started seeing some stuff going on until.
Con Man
Until the playoffs when we played the four best defenses in the NFL and what we do played really well until the last one.
Host
See, so.
Con Man
So yeah, tell me. We're back. Okay. In Lomu. Wait till you see this Caleb Lomu character. He is. He's quite the tackle. And by the way, he's a stick. He has like a one handicap. He's an absolute athlete.
Host
Let's go to one half of the Hammer Cowboys. AP Ton, you look cool. I see the baseball cap today.
Tone Digs
Hell yeah.
Host
Hey, SK night. Oh, is it?
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Con Man
Skino. Here we go.
Host
How Skeen's doing? We've been talking a lot about Shohei. Are the Pittsburgh Pirates still a good team? And Skino pitches tonight. Against who?
Tone Digs
He pitches against the Cubbies tonight.
Host
Okay.
Tone Digs
He is 5. 0 with a 0.5 ERA at night. So good bounce back spot for sky are still really good. The standings in the NL Central are absurd. Every team is above.500. Every team is within two games of each other. So not a real big deal. The whole first last thing is not a real thing in that division.
Host
What the hell.
Tone Digs
What?
Con Man
Since one of the Red Sox did last.
Host
Oh, day one. What are they the first day of the season?
Con Man
No, because we won our first game, but we were just in dirt.
Host
What the hell.
Tone Digs
We played the Braves a lot. A good ball.
Host
Yeah, the Red Sox are ass. But. But look at the Pirates there.
Tone Digs
Look at that division. It's insane. Those two through five there all one game apart. And then the brewers, who just somehow continue to be the brewers are in first. But no, SK Is doing great. Should be a great ball ball game tonight in Pittsburgh.
Host
Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is noted Cincinnati Reds fan who is only above us in the division because they've played one less game. Okay. Is what I saw there. Ladies and gentlemen, college football national champion, super bowl champion, Emmy nominee. Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, A.J.
Ty Schmidt
hall
Host
the Academy.
Tone Digs
Thank you.
AJ Hall
Yes. Good to be on here and you know, shoot the breeze with you guys. Good service.
Host
Why'd he say that? He didn't want to say it. That's my thing.
AJ Hall
Why did he pause so long? I just want to know why. You could just say it. You don't have to pause and think like, ooh, what can I substitute here?
Host
Well, I immediately thought to Myself. Is it dice? Like, is Stafford in there? Like, you know, like, easy, come on, jump. You know, Is he doing. Is he doing all that? I didn't know. And then whenever he went to Breeze, we're like, oh, we all know what you just did. You just said shit in your head like they did.
Ty Schmidt
But he was never gonna say it. Like, he wouldn't say it to you in person if we weren't on the show either.
Host
But I think he wants to. I think when he's all alone by himself in front of that mirror, I think he's saying it all. I think there's f words coming out. I think he's screaming. And then real loud in there. Kiss him in a soundproof because kids can't hear.
Ty Schmidt
Right.
Host
Obviously wife can't hear. Because he wants to say it. You know, he'll go, these mother fudgers.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. Does he gag, though?
Con Man
Is it like a. Oh, my God.
Host
Yeah, we'll ask him next time. How'd you feel about our journalism last night?
AJ Hall
H. It was legit.
Host
Good.
AJ Hall
Like it was. I actually didn't get to watch it live, so I watched it later last night when I got home, which was better. I could kind of zero in a lot. A lot easier. Yeah. You guys kept it moving like I was a real professional. No program.
Host
Thank you. I wish you would have potentially just did a fake watch.
AJ Hall
It was on the tv. It was on. It was on.
Host
Thank you.
AJ Hall
Put on three or four different ones. Yeah.
Host
Yeah. With different accounts, too. All those. Have three, four different accounts as well.
AJ Hall
Yep.
Host
I keep score at.
Ty Schmidt
Thank you.
AJ Hall
Exactly. They definitely get.
Con Man
No. No point to think about that. Up and to the right, baby.
Host
Yeah, everything. It's been a lot of fun. We appreciate all the opportunities. Joining us now is. Amanda's going to break it. Tonight's Western Conference potential deciding game in San Antonio as Oklahoma City looks to get back to the NBA Finals and maybe go back to back as the New York Knicks are waiting on them to decide who will be winning the Larry o' Brien joining us now is a man who is going to be smarter than us forever in this particular sport. And he is a man who I believe Steve could potentially still get buckets on all of us.
Con Man
I wouldn't go that far.
Host
Chris Paul. Wow.
Chris Paul
Wow. I heard that.
Con Man
Good.
Host
Yeah. They feel like. Connor. Connor, were you implying yourself if. Because the way you said it, it sounded like you had been in the lab and maybe you're about to cook. Chris Paul, is that kind of what you meant to say whenever you were talking I mean, what do you think these things are?
Dan Orlowski
Are, huh?
Con Man
Those are basketball shoes.
Chris Paul
What you got on? Halle shoes.
Con Man
Yeah. You've never seen the Halle Scooby Doos?
Host
No, they're not the Scooby Doo. Those are spongebob, spongebob, spongebobs.
Tone Digs
Whatever I get, knock it off.
Host
We'll send you a pair of Hallies. Maybe you'll be able to lock down.
Chris Paul
Nope, nope. See that jump, man, right there? Yeah. We ain't gonna do that.
Host
Good decision. Very good decision. I, I, I appreciate that. Well, let's talk about. About the Pumas, and let's talk about Halle. We talked to Adam Silver last night about some of the things that are going on in the league. He mentioned, you know, teams tanking and that being something that keeps them up at night and trying to figure out the lottery and all that. And then I mentioned flopping, and he basically said, you know, there's embellishing they're selling, and then there's the fooling of the referees, and he thinks the refs are great. And then we asked Tyrese because Adam Silver basically said, like, coaches are teaching people people how to flop. Here's what Halle had to say.
Chris Paul
Yeah, for sure it's being taught. I don't think it's as much head coach teaching as much as it is, like, player development. Even before you get to the NBA. It's just something that you kind of work on by nature. I think the best scorers are the best, usually the guys who get to the free throw line the most. So it's definitely something they work on. Even in pickup, they're working on how they can draw fouls, things like that. Like, I think that's a part of the game.
Host
I think it's interesting here, Tyrese. No, wait, wait. This is the future of the. I say.
Chris Paul
Can I say something? Can I say something, please? I think he made a great point about embellishing calls versus, you know, fooling a referee, because I am under the impression, I mean, obviously, you guys are NFL guys, but I think we have the best officials in sports. Like, I believe that. Especially when you go play, like, in the Olympics or in FIBA or something, you're like, damn. Like, I really. Every time I go do that, I get back, I'm like, I go to the rest, like, hey, I missed you guys. You guys are awesome.
Host
Okay, so Tyrese maybe doing a little public plea to the refs, letting them know, once again, anything. Yeah, okay. That's what it sounds like. You.
Chris Paul
A lot. A lot of that going on, right?
Host
There, hold on. Okay. Not a bad idea. Not a bad idea.
Chris Paul
I mean, he was right. He was right. Exactly. What he said about it being part of training now. Right. Like a lot of guys, when you. With trainers, you do a move and you go through extend your arms just because that's part of the game, people reaching for stuff. So that is part of training now. He was exactly right about embellishing calls and things like that. But you are taught that at an early age now. And I. I can't do it. I. I have a hard. That's actually hard to do.
Host
What's that? That's a skill. You're saying that has to be trained. There's only. That's why you see this. Like, that's why SGA is so good, because he's very highly trained at getting the benefit of, you know, their doubt for the ref, I guess, which is the big game, is just trying to get the ref to believe that something had happened.
Chris Paul
No, I think all players have a way of if you driving and being able to hit a guy and then take the bump. But when you talk about, like, extending the ball. Chauncey Billups was one of my, like, vets, like a guy who was a vet to me, and I appreciate Ch. CH was one of the first guys that I ever remember who used to extend the ball on a drive. But what's funny back then is that if you didn't foul him, he would throw the ball over the goal. Yeah. He didn't know how to finish unless you fouled him. So then when James Harden started doing it and all these players, that is a real skill. Like you. You won't just find a guy who can go in the gym and do a hard move and extend the ball and be able to pull it back in and score.
Host
Okay. So you're just providing more opportunity for them to hit you in the arms is the goal. But the. Exactly the issue and why he was probably not condoned or taught before was because you think that's loose ball management or whatever. So that was probably. Why did people just start doing it? They just figured out. Why do you think Chauncey just figured out that it was a good idea? And then why do you think now is the time where it's seemingly becoming like, hey, this is just a. You got to be able to have a jump shot. You got to be able to have the triple threat position. You got to be able to dribble between the legs. You got to be able to draw fouls as well. It's seemingly Becoming just a part of basketball. Is that what we should expect for the next generation? That's coming through right now. Now?
Chris Paul
Well, it's part of the game. It's a part of being smart. So when you drive, when I was growing up, you was taught to sort of like, tuck the ball, right?
Tone Digs
You.
Chris Paul
You sort of, like you coming through on a hand handoff, right? You get the ball, then you bring it back out to lay it up. But this right here, now, where guys extend the ball is just a part of a part of the game. And it's. So you draw more fouls so that you catch guys trying to make plays. It's just part of it.
Host
I hate it, Chris.
Tone Digs
Well, there's different that and falling as well. Like, there's a. I get that. Like, sticking your arms out so you get hacked so then you can, you know, and one and stuff like that. But there's a difference between that. Kicking your legs out, falling on every shot.
Host
Yeah, there's like a difference between getting a bachelor's degree and everything. There's some doctors of sport there.
Con Man
Yeah, I don't like that.
Tone Digs
You like this unethical ball?
Host
No, I just. I think, think if you're going to be allowed to do it, people are going to take advantage of the situation. Certainly, like, if. And I think that's probably what basketball players are saying. Like, hey, if this is a thing, competitors will find a way to take advantage of every situation. Like, that is how it goes. Literally, that is how that.
Chris Paul
That's what happens. I. I told you guys, I've been on a competition committee for, like, 17, 18 years. Rules change or whatnot, but you got the smartest players in the world. You always going to find. Find somewhat of a workaround. And I think sort of what happened was teams are trying to generate points, right? You're trying to get to the foul line to get extra points and all these things, but it's really hard. So when you play against these elite guys who extend the ball, now, you gotta be a smart player, too, because in the locker room, just know that the coaches are saying, when this guy drives, do not really. Like, Greg Popovich is notorious for, like, the first play of a game. If they were playing against the guy who draws a lot of fouls, if a guy reaches and does something that they said don't do. Oh, you coming out, you out.
Host
Got it. So that's how we stop it is we don't reach. Can the refs. Is there a different way to officiate? Because Tyrese did mention before he started seemingly publicly smooching.
Ty Schmidt
Smooching.
Tone Digs
But he was.
Con Man
He was kissing. And. But are.
Host
Are we all voting in favor that he was kissing? Tripping.
Con Man
Yeah, it was a referee to round.
Host
Oh, yeah. That was an high before the even vote. So everybody thinks that was to the refs of the NBA right there.
Eric Johnson
Yep.
Host
Okay. Well, before he did.
AJ Hall
Smart play.
Host
Yeah. Easy, easy.
Con Man
He's flopping with his words before he's even.
Host
He's flopping with his words. He's trying to get calls before he even has to even do a embellishment or whatever.
Con Man
You're kind of promoting it.
Host
No, I'm not. You like it. Okay, so this where I'm going to go. How do we stop it? The refs, like the Feba refs, are they the ones that have to stop? Like, do you have to. Do the NBA refs have to just stop calling all this stuff? Like, how do you stop it? Or is this just kind of what we should just expect basketball to continue to be?
Chris Paul
I don't know. I'm not a ref, thank God.
Host
Is that how you would stop it? Can we get. Can we get. You're. Yeah. Making no rules. You're in there deciding what the rules are. So how would you stop it? How do you say. Yeah, not.
Chris Paul
Well, you got to. Well, it. It's funny. Years ago, years ago, they tried to put in a anti flopping rule, right? So if you flop, you got a warning, and then if you flopped again, it cost you $5,000. Then if you flopped again, I think the penalty went up. So you'll see it during the game, something happens and you see all the guys doing sort of like this. Like that's the. The signal for flopping. So they gonna have to call it.
Con Man
Sweet.
Host
I like that. Sweet. Yeah, because you would think flop would be like a dive. Yeah, like, like. Or yeah. Maybe a wobble. Yeah. What if they're all.
Chris Paul
Y' all know what's interesting though, is that as fans and people that watch the games, when they freeze it, like on social media or something like that, when it's frozen or it's slow or. Or they slow it down, it really can look a lot worse than it actually is in a real game. Like, you can't always tell that somebody actually got elbowed in the nose. Right. You can't always tell.
Con Man
Well, and that's what we said. Like the. The flopping is so hard to officiate. So how could. Because how do you know if it's a flop or some guy actually just ran you over like it. That.
Host
That's.
Con Man
Why is there an answer to changing it or. Or what?
Host
I don't know. And Chris says, above my pay grade. Don't ask me these questions. Questions. Right. That's all right for now. For now. I got Chris Paul.
Chris Paul
I didn't got enough text for questioning it.
Host
Yeah, I could imagine. I got enough. He said, I got a youth team that right now you should see. We're in the lab too. Yeah, they're gonna call it. Until they change the rules, we will be stacking fouls on the other team as quickly as possible. Okay. Is that the story of tonight? What is your thoughts on what the story of tonight will be? Because obviously, obviously, this spurs team has always answered.
Tone Digs
The stats say that 26 after a loss.
Host
They answer. They answer. They answer. Everybody thought this would go to Game 7, but obviously Oklahoma City has a chance to kind of close this one out. How do you see this game going and what do you expect of both of them?
Chris Paul
I expect a big game from San Antonio. But like okc, they've been there before, right? They know how important this game is. And given their series last year, they know game seven, anything can happen. I know the spurs going back home, you get to sleep in your bed. All that energy and excitement. Excitement. And while a lot of people say OKC has this, you know, veteran leadership, they've been there. I keep saying it's nice to be there for the first time. You don't have any expectations. You're just going out there and you playing hard. So it's gonna be a great one tonight.
Host
Go ahead, A.J.
AJ Hall
what about Caruso? Can you explain a little bit his impact? Like this dude comes off the bench and seems to give this team a jolt every single time he's in. He's draining threes. I know he's draining a lot more threes in the postseason than he did in regular season as far as percentage, but can you explain the impact he has?
Chris Paul
So in the league, they call it a make or miss league, right? And I give Caruso so, so much credit because if you see in the game, sometimes he'll miss a shot and then they'll get the offensive rebound and they throw it right back to him and he shoots the next one just like he made the one before. And that's what you want, especially in the playoffs. You can't be out there second guessing yourself and questioning yourself. He done seen it enough. Now coming from the Lakers series, being in the San Antonio city series, it's easy. They they saying, shay, you're not going to beat us. We're. We're going to live and die with Caruso, Dort and all these guys shooting shots and Caruso is stepping up game after game.
Host
You're talking about a robin conversation there potentially. Tone has a question for you about that old narrative.
Tone Digs
Yeah, Chris, we were talking about the other day with Big Perk and we were talking about, you know, Wemby needs a Robin. And then we brought up Steph Castle and. And then we were talking about how Castle has to guard sg sga and then also on the offensive side get buckets. Like how obviously you were somewhere between seven and nine all time, all defensive NBA. So how hard is it to that waste all that energy? Not waste all that energy, exert all that energy, are covering SGA and then go back on the other side and try to get buckets.
Chris Paul
It's hard. I did it consistently for 12 years. 12 years I was making every play just about on offense and go a lot of times the best player on the other end. But that's why you're a team. And somebody like Steph, I know how he trains, how he works out and all that stuff, but they got so many other ball handlers. They got Fox, they got Fasale, they got Dylan Harper. They have so much depth on that team. And right now in the playoffs, when you get to this point, don't nobody care how tired you are. Everybody's tired at this point. So in these situations, everybody's like just fine. A way, find a way.
Host
I hope that this series gets extended tonight. Yeah, really I do. Genuinely for the good of sport, but also for the good of basketball. Like these two teams. What the next? We got 10 years here. Yeah, yeah.
Chris Paul
Long time. Long time. They fun to watch, man. They. I mean that wholeheartedly, both teams. And getting to be in the locker room, especially last year with San Antonio, just seeing the building that took place for them to get the there. It's dope to see them on the stage.
Host
Yeah, we appreciate obviously the opportunity to kind of watch and I love the way the OKC team has already become heels, you know, because, oh, they don't play basketball the way that we want. If I'm going to play LA Fitness, I'm playing basketball a certain way and I like the way they're doing basketball. And there is a chance that basketball does start to follow suit behind okc, especially if they go back to back because everybody is going to want to do what the championship camps do. And you're already hearing Chris Paul say hey, if they're not changing, they're not changing rules. What you want us to do, okay, if we can steal an extra one and also get that guy off the court, I mean, this is everything we want. They get in foul trouble, we get bonus shots. That guy gets off the court, and we get more points. What do you want us to do?
Con Man
Bring in the AI ref? That's what we want.
Host
You. No, it's not for those types of calls. AI is strictly for the out of bounds, is use them for both. What are you gonna have? Go ahead.
Chris Paul
You know what, though? You know what, Pat and I think about how everybody sort of talks about OKC now. And I remember, obviously, I played against Golden State in those days where they were winning games, winning championships, and I got a chance to play with Draymond and Dre. He might have said it recently, but I remember even watching him, right? Watching games, the way that I watch. When you watch them play, it just looked like they were fouling all the time. It just looked like it. And I remember somebody said one time.
AJ Hall
Time.
Chris Paul
If you play that way, they can't call everything, right? They just can't call everything. So if you come out there and you sort of grab and you hold and you do that from the beginning of the game, it just. It can't call everything.
Host
Hey, listen, they can't give you six fouls in the first quarter, okay? So let's go ahead and set the tone on what this is going to be early, and then let's go ahead and keep going on that note. Big man, very, very large guy who's been playing a lot. Go ahead, Ty.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, Chris, we had up big perk on yesterday, and he. He said that, you know, a lot of people maybe have been given Wemby a little bit of a pass when he isn't playing as well because he's been playing so many more minutes than he did in the regular season. And he did look tired last game. Is that something where, like, you think he even notices that, or would that be, like, after the series is over? It's like, damn, I've played a lot more minutes than my body's used to. Like, I think everyone who is watching expects him to have a massive game tonight, but how big of an impact are those extra minutes having on him?
Chris Paul
I mean, this league now is all about analytics, so there's people within the team that's showing you and telling you this. But the other thing that players know is that you're training for this, right? Even as the regular season Ends and through the playoffs, you're training for these moments. So I know Vic, Vic is so calculated. He's training, but it's hard. It's your first playoff series, your first, I mean not series, but your first run. There's a lot of emotions that go into this. You not gonna play your best every single game. It's a long series. But I'm not worried about him being tired or anything. It just might have been a tough game.
Host
All right, let's talk about a team not being tired because they got so much damn wrestling. Okay, let's talk about the New York basketball. Knicks. Go ahead, con man.
Con Man
Yeah, Chris. The Knicks are basically on the greatest run in NBA history. I think they've 111 straight in there, like plus 261, three closeout games to win the series by 30 plus points. Should we buy stock in the Knicks now? Because it does feel like the spurs and OKC are almost eating each other up in this series. And then the Knicks are going to be healthy, full strength, coming off more rest after closing out on Monday. How should we be viewing this Knicks team? And is this one of those teams that just got got hot at the right moment and nobody can stop him now?
Chris Paul
And this Knicks team, first thing I got to say about them, I got to give a huge shout out to Leon Rose and William Wesley and Leon and how he done constructed this team. It's been an up and down year, I know for that team. But you get hot at the right time. And see, I see this video right here with Leon and his son Sam right there, who's actually Jalen's agent. To know that all this stuff happened off trades and movement and all that stuff from the front office. And the scariest team to play against is a team that believes in themselves, right? And this team right here, whatever they've had going on all season right now, it don't matter. They locked in. They believe in each other. Shamon coming in off the bench. Male. Oh gee. This, this team right here, they. They rolling.
Host
Yeah. And I personally appreciate that. You know, Coach Brown is obviously running them a little bit differently than they did in the past. You talk about moves that they make. They make the Eastern Conference finals and fire the coach. And it's like you kind of laugh at it. You laugh at the move. You're like, this is ridiculous. What are you guys expecting? You're expecting to win the whole thing. And then here we are. It's like, yeah, yeah, that is exactly what we were thinking every time we Ran into another team. We were seemingly getting out coached because they had been prepared all season with a deeper bench. We couldn't keep up with the good teams in the end. In seven game series this year, very different roster construction, very different usage of the team, and then also sweep so we get the amount of rest that we potentially need. The team seemingly ready to win it all for the last couple years, just finally need to get over the hump. Bruce, this is what you guys were dreaming of whenever all the moves were made. Yeah, it's been unbelievable.
AJ Hall
I think Wendy said it once. They went to Carl Anthony Towns playing more of like a point center where he's like kind of, you know, holding
Host
the ball up top of the, top
AJ Hall
of the key, and everyone's kind of moving around off the ball. It's just turned into a massive party at Madison Square Garden every time we're, we're playing. It's been unbelievable. Chris, I. I guess my question is, what, what would you do to. To maybe try to slow that look down? You know, obviously it's more diverse now where it's not just Brunson, you know, tearing people apart and until they're, they're doubling them. So, like, what, what would you do with the, the Cat at the top of the key?
Tone Digs
Look,
Chris Paul
man, it's tough because I think a lot of people loved when you just seen the ball in Jalen's hands for, for so long, for most of the game. But that was sort of how they were orchestrated. I mean, Cat is so versatile. He. He can shoot it, he can drive. You saw in that, that Cav series every time they closed out on him because he could shoot the ball so well, he would drive, drive. But they just, right now they play like a complete team. And I think that's a huge credit to Mike Brown because you getting Those minutes from McBride, all these different guys that's coming in off the bench, it's going to be tough. I'll tell you this, what benefits the Knicks and what you should really be scared of right now with them is I feel like the last few years, their runs that they were having. Jalen was the series were going long, right? So you had like Pacers and these teams that could pick him up full court and sort of tires him out, man. They've been what, two sweeps back to back? Yeah, they gonna be well rested.
Host
4 games, 23 days or something like that. I forget what the stat was. It was like the lightest schedule, what from offseason times that they've had. Definitely perfect. Remember OG had a hamstring and then he didn't have to play. And then, oh yeah, we got another week and a half off anyways, it's like that's a really good situation to have, especially if your team had been run off the court this the last couple of years out of exhaustion because you didn't have enough players. Which is exactly what happened against the Pacers, for sure.
Tone Digs
Yeah.
Host
Yeah. Good for you guys. Congrats to the Knicks and also congrats to whoever takes it home tonight. Let's hope this goes to game seven. And you are you live at TST right now. You're down in North Carolina.
Chris Paul
I'm down here. I'm down here. We missing a concave.
Host
What would you.
Chris Paul
What was the name of your team?
Con Man
It was a good run.
Host
Well, why don't you just go look at some stats and then you'll see who Concaveha is. Okay. As an owner of tsu, you need to know Indish lookout Gene Fit, okay has picked up the torch.
Chris Paul
A lot of 2, 0.
Host
Yeah, a lot of the lads from concave out there. Mr. Ruggles, with the press down there. Oh, look who it is. That was in target time. Okay, remember, target score time or target goal time is just one more goal than whatever team is leading becomes. The final goal has to end on a game winner. And the boys from Gene Fit. There's Big Meat. Steph, former Mario's playing gold black boots down there. Yes, absolutely. Oh, this would be one where Meat would take a shot instead. He's grown, he's mature, he's a daddy. Passes and Gonzalez. That's TSD soccer. That was last night at about midnight because they took on the Hoosier army, which is the Indiana University Hoosier alumni team. The Indiana University Hoosiers in soccer. Eight time national champions. Really? They took a lot of pride in that. That TST tournament is fantastic. It's electrifying. Obviously, baby boy on the way, it was tough to kind of judge on whether or not I'd be able to get down there. We are missing it as well. How are the vibes down there and what are you guys looking forward to this weekend?
Chris Paul
Vibes are great, man. We seen Gene Fit last night to see the familiar faces and the guys that continue to come back in the women's tournament. Now we got got a mixed tournament, so the energy's high. I'll be out there. It starts at 2 today. I think the last games go to like 9, 30, 10, 10 o'.
Host
Clock.
Chris Paul
But y' all know what it's like being here, man. It's just really fun and cool vibes to be out here.
Host
Yeah. That sports complex down there is gorgeous. It is absolutely gorgeous. The city of Cary crushes it. And hopefully we will be returning next year, you know, hopefully. All signs go. Tough to schedule something that far out.
Ty Schmidt
Tough schedule time down there, too.
Chris Paul
And playing. And playing again, huh? You. You playing?
Host
No, I think I went out the right way. I kicked a ball out of a stadium like that is beautiful.
Dan Orlowski
Cross.
Tone Digs
And what happened when you kicked it out of the stadium?
Chris Paul
We got, like a home run derby this year, too.
Tone Digs
I heard.
Host
I was a little bummed out about that.
Tone Digs
Like a long kick contest.
Host
No. Yeah, I think it. They got a. I think home runs.
Chris Paul
Yeah.
Host
Somebody will pass it, and then I guess it's a kickball situation. Yeah. Like meat. Oh, meat. Should do pretty good at this. But who's going to pass him? The ball coach?
Ty Schmidt
No, it doesn't sound like it. Maybe Black boots.
Host
Chris, I know that you're an owner of TST and you probably can't do any bias. Don't be. Don't be scared. Go poke your head into the Jean fit trailer and say, hey, boys, you got enough talent in here to win it. Let's all go in the same direction. Come here. And there's a chance.
Ty Schmidt
And then dock after you say that.
Host
Duck out after you say say that. But let the boys know that we obviously wish we were there with them. We appreciate you joining us from there, and good luck all. TST weekend and the rest of the summer.
Chris Paul
No doubt. Appreciate y' all, fellas. I'll see you soon.
Host
That's Chris Paul, ladies and gentlemen. Chris See Brea with the absolute cracker.
Con Man
That was.
Ty Schmidt
Talk about just a timeless classic, that guy. He looks the exact same every single year. I don't know how he does it.
Tone Digs
That's a true footballer.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Host
And then guy with long dreads right there. Rugs.
Dan Orlowski
Rug.
Host
He. He is saying something to somebody in there that makes them want to Absolutely. Absolutely shoot. What? See the spin turn.
Con Man
Spin, yeah.
Host
Spin turn with the touch. Turns around. Absolute strike. He's been training with Mike Barwis. I've been watching the film, getting ready for this.
Tone Digs
Makes sense.
Host
Mike Foss, obviously, you're all absolute fire. Put him on Team usa.
Con Man
Foss, steal that. Was that him?
Host
No.
Con Man
Yeah.
Host
So I do believe Foss, who had been preparing, you know, I mean, what a rocket.
Con Man
That was insane.
Host
Put him on Team usa. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Legit.
Con Man
Well, it doesn't really matter.
Host
Yeah, it doesn't Matter.
Tone Digs
We always. We knew this was always.
Host
All right, boys. I want to hear after we lose.
Tone Digs
No, he was a hired gun. It was a two year contract.
Ty Schmidt
least wait until after we get eliminated from.
Host
Can you please tell the people that are watching that have no idea what you're talking about.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, Coach Poch Pono. What.
Host
What are we.
Ty Schmidt
Not even a month. Like two weeks before the World cup starts. He says, hey, you guys, I'm out of here.
Host
Whatever.
Ty Schmidt
I'm going to AC Milan.
Host
Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Hope we do great. Hope we have a deep run. He's already thinking about Italy. He's already thinking about living in Italy.
Con Man
He's.
Tone Digs
Maybe the Italians should have kept this under wraps, you know?
Host
No.
Tone Digs
Had to let this leak out.
Host
Maybe Patino should have done what he said he was going to do, which was bring pride.
Tone Digs
Someone. Two year deal. Restore us to glory.
Host
Where's L. He's a hired guy.
Tone Digs
It's not like he's leaving before the World World Cup. He's overweight. He shouldn't have made the team.
Host
Whoa.
Tone Digs
Yeah.
Host
Okay.
Tone Digs
I'm just telling you what I heard.
Con Man
Oh, from who?
Host
I'm A.J.
Tone Digs
the less MLS guys, the better.
Host
Listen, there's a lot of people watching right now who might be newer to our show or have been watching for a while. Know that we know enough about soccer to be dangerous. Okay. But nowhere near enough to be speaking about it this long. And this is where we kind of find. Find ourselves. We kind of walk ourselves into the deep end of the soccer pool and this is where we start getting attacked by food foodie knowers.
Tone Digs
Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Football enthusiasts.
Host
Yeah. That's when we. This is when we get ourselves in trouble. So let me triple down. Team USA needs to win the World Cup.
Ty Schmidt
Not a choice.
Host
Okay. If we want to be taken seriously in this entire thing, in our expectations, we are winning a World cup now. Yeah. I don't like that. The skipper that we thought was going to be doing had the same mindset as us. Remember, he didn't speak the clearest of English, but every time he spoke in English or they translated it into English, he had the same mindset as us. This country deserves why not us? Greatness. It's like, yes, this is what we need. He wanted dogs out there that fought. We had fights in some of these. We had guys that were actually fighting. It was like, yes, this is what we need. He can. Can't. He's gone forever after. This is all we have him for Gumpy. Because A.C. milan hired him.
Tone Digs
Yeah. It was a two year deal. Unfortunately, he was hired for the World Cup. Now, should this have broken and should
Host
he have taken this meeting before?
Tone Digs
Obviously not. This looks like I don't love it either.
Con Man
Punch.
Host
You know what else looks like? Have you seen the grass are rolling out these places?
Con Man
Looks terrible.
Tone Digs
I mean, I mean, it's better than to see guitar. Isn't this how you install grass? Like, why does this look bad? I don't understand.
Host
No, I think people are thinking that it would be grass that would be grown from just like the ground at least, instead of like from the sky getting dropped into the dirt. But I do think the technology of grass these days could potentially make this a good field. This is something that J.J. watt has spoke about, though, about the turf that is needed for soccer and good for soccer versus maybe for football. Because anytime something like this happens in NFL stadiums, whenever these soccer teams travel into America and do like a showcase game, and these NFL stadiums roll, literally roll out this green grass carpet for them as they play. A lot of people, oh, the NFL owners will put grass in their stadium for this, for soccer, they'll do it. And then J.J. watt, who obviously owns a couple teams in the soccer world, has a lot of interest in the soccer world. I believe his wife is former professional soccer player. He's been to a lot of these games. He goes, that grass ain't good either. Let's let that be known. And I think that's kind of the reaction a lot of people are having right now. This is the first time that people have had the reaction of like, oh, that isn't like state of the art grass that they're putting in the stadium. Normally the reaction, these NFL owners are pointing grass out for fucking soccer, but they're not doing it for football. Now the reaction is seemingly, oh, that is kind of ass grass. They're putting the ass in grass kind of that they're putting down there. But for soccer, remember, it'll be soft, it'll be durable. They're not doing super exertion stuff. That's a high speed, a lot of rolling, tough, longer run. I think they probably understand what they're doing. It's a World Cup. This is the biggest tournament they got. It's the biggest World cup tournament. This is. They're going to get it right, right?
Tone Digs
I mean, they're playing on gravel and crushed bones over in Qatar.
Ty Schmidt
They're worried about this. They're worried about grass looks beautiful.
Host
Stadiums were put on top of desert sand that didn't have anything. And they built the stadiums very quickly and they Were also putting fans into the stadium so they could blow onto the players because of how hot it was. Unreasonably hot.
Ty Schmidt
Right on.
Host
On that note. Pulled it off.
Ty Schmidt
Did pull.
Host
Pulled it off completely. So I think they do got soccer pitches, which I believe is what soccer people call it. Don. I think they have it pretty well figured out. But if the pitch becomes a problem for this World Cup. Oh no. And we make it a mutter. Maybe. Maybe the team USA is actually.
Ty Schmidt
We're on the west coast. So just wait until you see what our pitches look like. I'm sure they will be pristine. Far be it from me to say who gives a rat's ass if Honduras and Kadar don't like the field conditions in Miami? You guys, you have to deal with it. If you come, if you advance to the next round, then we can talk. Okay?
Host
We do not speak for soccer, but we are speaking for. I'm speaking humans that are chairman.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. This country. In this country, we. We can't. We can't just build 12 new ST. We got a lot of stuff that's already here. Can't just build 12 new stadiums because the World Cup's coming around. Okay? So you guess what? You shut your mouth. You play in the Dolphin Stadium and the grass is going to be beautiful. And that's the end of that. I don't want to hear it again. Thank you.
Tone Digs
This is such.
Ty Schmidt
Now if we lose in Seattle, wherever we playing, then sure we have the right to about the field conditions.
Host
We need it to be a certain way exactly. For our style of play. And because they are home games, we should benefit from that.
Ty Schmidt
Bingo. And if you don't like that, then don't give us the bid to have it in our country.
Host
You know how we're gonna act.
Ty Schmidt
Exactly. That's the way it works.
Host
Works. Usa. Usa. Usa. I'm worried about our chances A. I thought we were going to win a
Tone Digs
talented squad to be fair.
Host
The coach going to talk.
Tone Digs
There's a lot of very good players on this team. Can it come together? I don't know.
Host
But when you look at it on
Tone Digs
paper, there's a lot of talent on the squad.
Host
All right? So maybe. Maybe actually the way Punch is saying is one last time for me.
Con Man
They're going to be be calling. They're going to be calling ponches Pilot by the end of this.
Host
Can you see? Yeah.
Tone Digs
Won't be heading back to AC Milad next year. I know that. Do you think that's why he cut everyone over email?
Host
Because they couldn't understand? 55 guys, they made the team, and
Con Man
only 26 of them did.
Tone Digs
That's standard.
Con Man
That's classic.
Host
He didn't want to be the bad guy. A good cop, bad cop.
Tone Digs
Classic.
Con Man
Herb, you want to call from a coach.
Tone Digs
You want. Would you rather, like. All right. So you're trying out for U.S. men's National Team. You want to call me, like. Or would you rather Texas Cool for me? Exactly.
Host
I think a text would be good.
Tone Digs
That's what everyone said.
Host
Tell me to bring something, I drop it off, you know, bingo. Hey, bring all the really cool gear that we had for you. You don't deserve to work.
Tone Digs
You don't want to hear him say, like, hey, man, you tried really hard. Sorry.
Host
Next time, I think so. The way it worked in soccer for a while, you were usually at a live camp where it was happening, and then at the very end of the camp, they put names on a list. What an incredible miracle. Yeah. What an incredible. It was like out of a movie. They're like. And I watched some hearts break.
Ty Schmidt
Oh, I bet.
Host
Oh, my God.
Con Man
Should have done that.
Host
Almost like, don't want to go.
Tone Digs
They did that for seventh grade chorus, too. It was tough.
Host
Yeah.
Con Man
Plays stuff like that.
Tone Digs
You didn't make it.
Host
I didn't try. I didn't try. I knew I wasn't going to make it, brother. The. I never did anything.
AJ Hall
What plays. Were you in digs?
Tone Digs
No, no.
Ty Schmidt
Chorus.
Tone Digs
Chorus was much different. Chorus is where, you know, it was either chorus or I can't remember. What if you didn't make chorus? You were in some other class or whatever, you know, All. All the girls were in chorus, so everyone tried out for chorus, but I did not. Everyone's got a good voice.
Host
I did none of that. I. I had none of that. I had to take some terrible music class. Now, that's probably what I. Mister. He was great. Dark hair, guy, beard, huge family.
Con Man
We'll get.
AJ Hall
Keep going.
Ty Schmidt
He really left an impression on Mr. Bron.
Host
Mr. Bron. I appreciate you, Mr. Broad Guy. He taught me a lot. I do. And I still think about him to this day whenever things happen. So I appreciate him. This is what everyone's talking about. Everything's on the table.
Dan Orlowski
This is what champions come to take. This is what everyone came to see. No do overs, no second chance.
Host
No more Mr. Nice Guy.
Dan Orlowski
This is winner take all. And it's all happening now on the home of the NBA Finals. Don't miss it. June 3rd on ABC and the ESPN app.
Ad Voice
Most protein drinks ask you to choose between results and taste. Bucked up decided that's a ridiculous trade off. Bucked up makes lightly carbonated protein drinks, 25 grams of protein per can. Clear protein, not milky or thick. And they taste so good that 25 grams of protein almost feels like a bonus. Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked up at buckedup energy.com Grab a Bucked up and feel like a million bucks
Host
let's move from one particular conversation of soccer to another. Ladies gentlemen, we have some breaking news. Oh, according to my source says in the NHL, we have a scheduling update to break to the world if the Eastern Conference final ends in five, which could potentially happen if the Carolina Hurricanes take this thing out tomorrow. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final will be Tuesday, June 2nd on ABC, which is next week. If the Eastern Conference final extends to six or seven, game one of the Stanley Cup Final will be on Thursday, June 4. There will not be a long layoff. We're letting you know we have adjusted this thing. Let's go ahead and get the things rolling. I think this is good news. This is breaking news and I appreciate the fact that I am kind of becoming an insider, but I also appreciate the fact that they're moving and grooving here. Let's go ahead and keep this train on its tracks. Everybody's going to love what happens in the Eastern Conference if the Hurricanes continue to do their thing. They're of aware wagon Vegas also a wagon right now. Let's get our two wagons on TV as quickly as possible. Let's take advantage of the momentum that we have and I cannot wait for it all. And I like that they have a plan and announce the plan.
Con Man
Yeah, absolutely massive too because we experienced it over these last couple days having one game on the NBA Finals start June 3rd and I believe there was a conversation about maybe that's when the Stanley cup was going to start. So now it is kind of like in every single night, either the NBA Finals or the Stanley Cup Finals. That is massive.
Host
Yeah, totally. To start with hockey or it'll start the next night with the NBA. And then we got alternating evenings. Shout out to sports doing that, shout out to the NHL doing that, shout out to the commissioner. Gary Bettman coming on a program last night. We appreciate you.
Con Man
Hell yeah.
Chris Paul
Gary.
Host
Hey, all of them coming by was sweet. That was really cool of Everybody, they
AJ Hall
seemed like they, they wanted to be there too. Like, yeah, they were all very good, I thought.
Host
And you know, we did all pre records because it was hard to get on everybody's schedule in less than 24 hours. They are commissioners of leagues, you know, and there's lockdown coming on. A couple takeaways for me is I appreciated that they were all willing to speak about things that are happening in their league, actually. I also do appreciate the fact how open they were about how things are. Technology and AI really. I mean, right. We all hear about it. They're like trigger words at this point. And I mean, AI is getting booed at commencement speeches because you got an entire group of graduates coming into the world right now that are basically being told that AI is about to take all of their jobs. And then you got these commissioners of these leagues who obviously employ a lot. I think a thousand people are in the office of MLB over there in New York. There's obviously offices in other places. I think the NFL obviously has a lot of people in these offices and there's a lot of jobs to be had in this entire league. And then you hear these conversations. Like, we're looking at AI for everything. What do you mean? Everything is ball in, ball out. AI we're doing that. The marketing, the promo, the ideas. When we're playing games, how we're playing games, how many people are this? How many. It's like they are trying to get as much information, I think, from the modern technology as possible to continue to grow their leagues. And I'm kind of intrigued to see how much better leagues can get, you know, like. Yeah, what is the. Like, AI gets you all the information that you need like this. AI comes up with polls and research for you for things that have happened in the past. Whenever this has happened like this, everything is just like at the snap of a finger. What will be the actual implementation that'll make the leagues better, I wonder? You know, like five years from now, 10 years from now, as AI is just like kind of a tag team partner, what would the biggest change be from one to the other? Has to be an officiating, right? Yeah, by far that would be. The entire thing is officiating. Scheduling, I assume, is another big part of it.
AJ Hall
Just certain calls. There's always going to be need for humans there to make the subjective calls, right?
Host
Yeah, I think so. I think with AI in general, this is a deeper conversation just because we've gotten a chance to kind of see different genres of AI now and obviously experience different Genres of AI as we get introduced to different worlds. And everybody. Everybody's using them. Everybody is using their own different, separate AI. They need. All of them need a human, you know, but that job used to be of a human or multiple humans. So, like, there is certainly a replacement that's happening. But there will never be a full take, in my eyes, in my opinion, there will never be a full take. We'll always need human to like.
Chris Paul
Ah.
Host
Or correct there. But clearly, from all those commissioners, everyone but the NFL. Yeah, Sheesh.
Con Man
We're already on it.
Host
Come on. Where the hell was good, though?
Tone Digs
Where was he?
Host
He was out of pocket. Hey, listen, that guy's got to do what he's got to do. It's the offseason. All these other leagues have their stuff
Ty Schmidt
going on right now, actually, probably abroad.
Host
It is very, very AI conversation centric. Whenever it's like, hey, what's the future look like? What's future look like? Technology, Technology, technology. I appreciate that we're kind of getting that same point. Everybody's kind of welcoming it or being forced to welcome it. When will fans in, like, younger generation accept that this is like kind of the new reality? Five, ten years from now?
AJ Hall
Because as they grow, because all these young people, these young kids, teenagers now, they're all they are deep in the AI world. So I think it'll become more and more the norm.
Host
And I think I appreciate the youngs, like, booing it because we. I'm 39. A.J. you're 40 something.
AJ Hall
42.
Host
It's going to affect the rest of our lives, too, for the. I mean, you know, there's a lot of things that are being affected by.
AJ Hall
It's here. It's here. Either. Either get on board or don't. Like, whatever. Like, use it. Try to become good at it. Don't. It's not like you can turn your head. Hey, if I don't pay attention to it, it doesn't exist. No, it's here.
Host
That was my initial thoughts. My initial thoughts were like, let's just unplug this thing. Okay? Let's just unplug this thing. Not worry about it. But now you're hearing everybody speak about it. They're like, hey, AI is it. We're using AI. Well, if you submit to it now, it might be more lenient on you
Tone Digs
when it takes over and is in charge.
Host
That's.
AJ Hall
I think I'm not submit. No, I'm not doing that.
Host
Really. You're controlling.
AJ Hall
I'm gonna be. We're gonna be collaborators. I'm Gonna work with it. I don't need to submit. They don't need to be in an alpha in the situation. I didn't have to.
Host
I think you're working for it, though, I think inevitably, is what Nick is saying. I think, because these things are starting to have feelings.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Tone Digs
Come take your bees, dude.
Host
These things have some deep thoughts, I will say, but these things, I mean,
AJ Hall
until they can put them into the little thing. I'm sorry, until they can put it into the little real robot that was freaking Shaq and Charles out on set last week, whenever it was. Until they can, like, make that thing attack us and take us over physically, I. We shouldn't be that worried.
Host
Do you think Johnny.
AJ Hall
What, John? Yeah. He fought Bob Menary.
Host
Yes, he did. Yes.
Ty Schmidt
Roughed him up, kicks early.
Host
Kicked him right in the ass one time.
Tone Digs
Yeah.
Dan Orlowski
I do wonder if kicking him in
Host
the ass was one of the things he was like, you know, I want to kick him him in the actual ass. I want to kick this guy's actual ass. These robots, I haven't seen one that could win any of those fights.
Ty Schmidt
They can't walk upstairs.
Host
Exactly.
Con Man
So I, I, the ones we see, let's make sure.
AJ Hall
You would think, though. Yeah, you would think they're right around the corner or they're just hiding them somewhere. But eventually, don't you think those little, those little guys are going to give us a run for our money?
Host
When are they going to wear masks, you know?
AJ Hall
What do you mean?
Host
Let's not even get into that. Let's not do it.
Con Man
No, not at all. More so a good way that it could be involved in sports more. You would think that there is some sort of AI that will help with kind of like scouting, like I in drafting. Like, you would think there'd be an AI that would be better kind of equipped to evaluate how a player is and maybe what their projections will be. And I'm sure, I mean, John lynch said it like, if you're not using the AI, you're already behind in that field. But I'm sure there could be one that down the line like the Colts, you know, you won't have any more bus in.
Host
Well, we don't know if we have a bus, by the way, that's actually a good pivot. Thank you for saying that. We had number four overall pick who was a quarterback out of Florida, had only played, I think, eight football games or something like that post high school, because of every situation that was happening in the world at the time and also his world at the time he comes into the NFL with a massive, massive upside. I mean, incredible athlete dunking from, like, the foul line while also being 6 foot 5. So much wiggle and ability, throw a football 95 yards. And then just injury after interesting situation after interesting situation continues to happen, and inevitably, he doesn't get enough reps. And also, is he taking to being an NFL quarterback how you would hope have? And all of a sudden, now people are saying, maybe I will save the Colts from doing that.
AJ Hall
Whoa.
Host
Well, I'd like to have, you know, he's back on the field, seemingly healthy, great mindset with where he's at. Daniel Jones just got paid to be our quarterback. And Anthony Richardson, obviously a very similar type player to Daniel Jones. This one a little bit more if he is in the right mindset. And he's. He. He's at the. The time of ball where he understands what's going on on defensive side, and he's making throws like this. Have you seen this? Have you.
Tone Digs
Holy.
Host
That was. That was standard. That was not 2x playing speed rope. Oh, God.
Tone Digs
Why'd you guys pay?
Host
DJ we're gonna need multiple quarterbacks. Listen, don't you worry about that, okay? We are a team, seemingly, that the football gods have deemed a team that needs multiple quarterbacks every single year. Daniel Jones is back on the field as well. Don't you worry about that. And, yeah, the connection with the tight end is a. Okay. Okay. So we're about to win it again. We know that. There was actually a funny little stat to keep came out from Hembo about points per game the teams have whenever, you know, their quarterbacks are starters and their ones are up there. Yeah. Why don't we go ahead and look at that real quick just to see who's who. Oh. The two teams are in a Super bowl. And the mvp. Oh, yeah. And who? Daniel Jones in the Indianapolis. Matthew Stafford. Whenever he was starting for the Los Angeles rams, they averaged 30.5 points. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts just got repaid. Everybody's saying, why would you take. Do that? Why'd you do that? Why'd you do that? You don't know ball. Okay? When Daniel Jones was playing before he broke one leg, which was before he actually tore his Achilles on his other leg. The Colts are number one offense in the NFL and potentially the best team in the league. I mean, everything was humming, everything was fantastic. Then he gets hurt coming off a bye week, can't move. Then he tears his Achilles. Now it's over. And the Colts go on to lose every single Game. Yeah. Drake man's up in A Super Bowl. 28.8 points as starting quarterback. Sam Darno, 28.4 points. Now, is it him or is everybody around him? Who cares? This is what the quarterbacks have been able to produce whenever they start. And don't look now, by this stat, Colts going to be in super bowl or Daniel Jones going to win the mvp.
Tone Digs
They should at least win the south or both.
Host
Thank you, A.J. so let's remember that graphic we just saw right there whenever we start Chip chatting about who's going to do what in the the afc. Okay. Because I saw Lamar Jackson was back in the building. Did you guys report that?
Tone Digs
Who's you guys?
Host
You?
Tone Digs
I don't report anything.
Host
I didn't see your Twitter account saying, hey, good to see Lamar Jackson back. I couldn't retweet it fast enough because Lamar missed a couple voluntary days and everybody was talking crazy, especially with the new head coach. Then he comes in and says, I go do some things. Okay? You don't know what I do. It's voluntary workout. I'm back in the building. I love the building. I love the energy, I love the fresh mindset. Just like I was here in the offseason before the voluntary aotos. So I didn't see you take back any of the words. Talking about Lamar Jackson not being there. Tone digs.
Tone Digs
I didn't say any words about that last week or two weeks when that happened because he misses practice all the time.
Host
Okay. Okay.
AJ Hall
It was.
Tone Digs
That was a non story for me.
Con Man
It just depends on the reasoning, you know, like was he out just at home in Florida because he happened to be, you know, again, his jersey never retired or was he just smooching his girlfriend in Europe? Because that's what a lot of people. That's a good point about a different guys.
Host
Yeah. Justin Herbert obviously missing a couple voluntary. Do you care about ball or not?
Tone Digs
Is it voluntary to win soup bowls?
Host
H. We don't want voluntary offseason workouts. Okay. Which guys have been missing since the beginning of ball for certain reasons? Now there are some guys that don't miss a single thing. There are people, obviously, that live in the city year round and train in the facility year round round. So the OTAs are a little bit different. Justin Herbert is in love and he missed a couple days so he could show the same support to his lady that she showed to him during the season. And now you guys want to judge him. Justin Herbert was born eating a football pal, okay? He loves the sport, he loves everything. About the grit and the job that Jim Harbaugh has brought to Los Angeles. He loves the city and he loves a lady who has happens to be on tour. So he's just trying to do the right thing. And chivalry is not dead now are the Chargers. Exactly. That's a complete. All, all this doesn't matter. They don't win. This matters. Yeah, like he's providing things for it to get very loud. Aj, I. I think we all want
AJ Hall
when training camp opens. That's why the NFL is the best. Like when training camp opens. This doesn't matter. We're talking about, about like I, I feel like this is Groundhogs day, where we've been on here years previous saying, like talking about things in May and June and a guy missing a day of OTAs or something and then, you know, like once training camp hits, no one's ever said, well, you know, he did miss those three days of voluntary OTAs back at the end of May earlier this spring. Like that. It just doesn't happen. But I guess that's why we love football, because everything kind of does matter, even though it doesn't.
Con Man
Yeah.
Host
Yes, it kind of does. Now, it will get brought up if they're asked this year if he, if he is not great. It will get brought up in a very loud, mean way about him not worrying about football and worrying about chivalry. Okay, we like that he's a good guy. We like that he's representing ball in a huge way to an entirely new fan base. We appreciate everything that he's doing to the world. But if he doesn't play football, good people are going to kill him for it. And Herbert does. That's kind of the thing about Herbert. So I hope he does great. I hope they continue to roll. I hope he continues to represent football in a good way, showing up for his partner. But boy, they have to be good this year or it is all going to be talked about. Even though it's the end of May
Con Man
and history would tell us he will be good every year, even though the Patriots absolutely blew through them in the playoffs. But I will say to AJ's point, every year in the training camp, there's always a couple teams we also don't talk about that end up going, going on to make the playoffs and be unbelievable like Seahawks, Patriots, we didn't really talk about them and then boom, they go on. The year before it was the commanders didn't really matter and then they go on to the NFC championship. Like that's why none of this actually matters.
Host
Congratulations, Herbert Madison Beer. Clearly in love.
Con Man
He's in music videos, man, smooching all the time.
Ty Schmidt
All the time. I just hope he can make the correct reads. Looks like all the blood's going from his brain.
Host
I understand. I understand. He's in love.
Ty Schmidt
He is in love.
Host
Chivalry is not dead. Let the guy live, and we are happy for him. Once again, these are all voluntary. You know what else is voluntary? Giving your money to a good cause. Aaron Rodgers donating the women's flag football. Thank you, Aaron.
Con Man
Awesome.
Tone Digs
He's a camp.
Host
Give it back to the next day. He is. Didn't miss a single day.
Tone Digs
No, he didn't.
Host
Even though there was a lot of conversation about that. What will matter, what will happen won't matter. What's real, what isn't? Well, tomorrow we got a whole nother list of questions because we have no idea. But we do know if the Western Conference will continue. We'll watch that, and we'll see you tomorrow. Be a friend. Tell friends sometimes by Change your life. Goodbye. I think we got it in. I wanted to get the Aaron thing in, because that is cool.
Con Man
Sick.
Tone Digs
Yeah. Because he's at camp and all he's doing is so.
Con Man
No, no, Tony, he donated.
Tone Digs
He did do that, but he does. We all know.
Host
Yeah, he was staying in shape. We do know that. Because obviously, he and his wife like to have exercise. You know, they like to be in shape just so they can have a good time together. He told us that that's why he was in good shape. It didn't necessarily mean that he was coming back to play football. He wasn't staying in shape to continue his hall of Fame career. He was staying in shape strictly so he could potentially, you know, do it with his wife, which we appreciate the. The honesty, the transparency, but we do know he is in great shape because of that. Because I think it was four, five, six, seven times a day. Yeah, so that. That's what I'm thinking, because seven. Did you see his calf. Please. When he showed up? Maybe 10. Honestly, I don't know what type of things are being thrown around or, you know, being tossed around. Wherever he showed up at Steelers camp, though, that day one. Absolutely. Just Cavs gigantic. I don't know what they're doing something with him. Standing, I think maybe jumping.
Con Man
I mean, probably that move right there.
Host
And obviously the hips are in there. I mean, he's been in all off season for all of this, and I think he's been doing well. So other guys might need to look into this being your A lot of people doing Pilates. I saw guys get into yoga for a bit. Aaron's going to tell us if the exercise is actually the way to prepare for an NFL season as a quarterback. Now let's go ahead and talk about him being there. Day one.
Tone Digs
Yeah.
Host
Zero day one missed of adult OTAs for the Pittsburgh Steelers. There's some rookie stuff that was happening. There was off season stuff happening. But as soon as the OTAs, the actual hey, this is when the league year kind of begins for everybody. He's been there and I think have Yinzers kind of died off on expectations. How do kind of the injuries feel about how this season is going to go? Because I said whenever the signing happened that Yinzer's now these signs. Okay, now we got chef chance to win and a munchies told me don't say that.
Tone Digs
Yeah.
Host
You know, why are you saying that? You're making us look like we don't know ball. We, we. We don't. There's a good pat. There's a lot of us that don't think we're going to win now because of this entire thing, but we think we'll win more games. It's like I think the super bowl mindset is what the Steelers fans have had, which is why the Mike Tomlin era kind of inevitably ended the way that it ended between the fans and Mike Tomlin. Because it was like, yeah, we're good, we're good, we're good. We get that we're good. Everybody. Believe me, we have teams that are not good that we know about. We like to mock and ridicule them, but we are not going to win a Super Bowl. We are looking to win a Super bowl because that's what Pittsburgh's supposed to do. Yinzer still feel that way. And it's going to have to be a lot of like, you guys are going to have to show me that you can still do this at this stage.
Tone Digs
Yeah. You know, Yenzer's naturally a bit pessimistic, so they are kind of in a holding pattern. A wait and see how the this is season goes. I personally am very, very optimistic with the new weapons that have been added on the offensive side. One of those weapons being coach McCarthy and his offensive mind with Aaron, I think that's going to be incredible. And then, you know, on the defensive side, it's always been the talent and now they have a new voice in that room that is saying all the right things. And yeah, Aaron's been awesome. He has been There. He's not been at white parties or the Met gala or anything like that, or missing for whatever he's doing in Florida or God knows what the Cleveland Browns quarterbacks are doing. But no, I mean we are very, very lucky to have Aaron as our quarterback right now. Can't wait to win seven.
Host
Not seven games. Seventh.
Tone Digs
The seventh Super bowl win seven.
Host
Kind of sounds like you were saying seven, seven, 10.
Tone Digs
No, they haven't won seven games in over, I don't know, 20, 25 years.
Con Man
So no, they've won more than seven.
Tone Digs
Correct.
Host
You're saying they haven't won at. At the lowest. They haven't. We haven't lost.
Con Man
People know.
Host
We know what you're saying.
Tone Digs
They haven't come. Everyone always predict they're going to finish last in their division. Oh, that has happened since, I don't know, 1987 or something like that.
Con Man
Yeah. And you ran that coach out of town because of it.
AJ Hall
Chuck.
Host
No talking about name Bill Carr.
Con Man
Talking about Mike. Tom.
Tone Digs
No, he never came last in division.
Host
Mike Thman never had a losing season actually.
Con Man
And then they ran him out of town.
Host
So he walked away, actually. He walked away. Oh yeah.
Tone Digs
He resigned.
Con Man
Yeah. Ran out of what?
Host
Was that a first time we heard something out of you over there?
AJ Hall
No, I'm actually curious like the logistic. Did he re. Resign? Because how do you make sure you get the rest of your contract?
Ty Schmidt
It's a mutually parting of ways.
AJ Hall
Yeah, he resign and when you get
Con Man
ran out of town, it's just like a.
Host
Hey, it wasn't run out of time.
Tone Digs
What age you want his bank statements?
AJ Hall
I just want to know like how do you. I would assume that the Steelers took care of him. Say, hey, it's we. They both talked like, yeah, I think I need to change. You know, let's. Let's change things up. But hey, we want to take care of you, Mike. You've been here and done so much for us.
Host
We would assume that the Rooney family took care of Coach Tom. Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about the Cardinals and Jacoby Brissette. That ain't happening. Carson Beck, your starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals over Gardner.
Tone Digs
Gardner's the highest paid quarterback in that room right now.
Con Man
Doug Guy.
Host
All right, I'll do it. Gardner Minshew, starting quarterback for the Arizona Cars. I'm going to watch every game.
Tone Digs
He's a Pro Bowler. He's a Pro Bowler for your team.
Host
He was. He almost led us to the AFC South Championship playoffs. We almost hosted a playoff game until wheel running Back that never heard of four. Stringer was in there, dropped it, threw
Con Man
it behind him a little.
Ty Schmidt
But no, wasn't a great pass.
Host
Both sides could argue that the other person was to blame. But if it was a play that was made in the fourth quarter late. The Indianapolis Colts win the AFC South. Garden M is a Pro Bowler and we're hosting a playoff game. And that's what Gardner Minchu did for the Indian Colts. Shane Steichen's offense, Gardner Minshew understood because he's a super genius. Was able to break down, make plays, had incredible moxie, great leadership. Is that what the Arizona Cardinals need in the first year of the floor? Maybe. Maybe that's why he's the highest paid guy. Jacoby Brissetto is expecting starters money. Is that what we're hearing at least? Second range, third range starter money. And Jacoby Brissette allegedly the leader of that team last year. Clearly we are big fans of his. Good luck to the Arizona Cardinals as they continue to get things right.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, they're gonna need a lot of help.
Con Man
Took Jeremiah at least.
Host
Jeremiah Love incredible come moment coming out of the St. Brown podcast where he was asked about a bunch of players and yeah, he's really locked in.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Host
This is from the St. Brown podcast from the St. Brown Brothers and Jeremiah Love out of Notre Dame.
AJ Hall
More players and you just got to
Chris Paul
know who they are.
AJ Hall
Ready?
Host
Yeah. Here you go. Sorry, Foxy, I don't know this first guy. No, wait, hold on. You don't know the first we're gonna stop.
Con Man
Can you turn that on to you?
Chris Paul
He doesn't know the first guy. He looked like old dude Andrew Garfield.
Host
All right. We love Jeremiah.
Ty Schmidt
Thanks. Yeah.
AJ Hall
Very awesome.
Ty Schmidt
That's a compliment.
Con Man
Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Huge.
Host
Yeah. We love Jeremiah. Love. We think that's good news. Let's just. Whoever's playing quarterback, let's get the ball,
Con Man
just hand it off.
Host
Let's get them all to him. Let's see. What else do we have to talk about that we haven't talked about? Oh, yeah, the Bears are coming. Indiana.
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
Host
Doesn't it feel like that that's happening now? Granted, this could all be a leverage play. Everything could be a leverage play. And obviously nothing is done until it's done. And nothing is final until the ink is dry on any deal. There's been a lot of goal line situations in business deals, especially with the government being involved, taxes being involved, in billions of dollars at play. So there are certainly some things that become a hold up for a deal getting done. But unless this is all Some master plan to get some Illinois tax benefit that's coming around the corner, which we've been told by the people involved. It says like they've been waiting for that for like three years now. So if they're able to get it done now, they'd be very surprised. Feels like Chicago Bears are coming over to Indiana and Indiana has presented a deal that is I think very, very beneficial for all sides. I think Indiana is excited for the long term success of this thing. The Bears don't really have to, to put up a lot of the money. They're able to earn it back through their fans and merch shops and everything around it. It feels like Indiana's got two NFL teams. So New Jersey has two, California has two, Florida has two. Jackson, Texas has
Con Man
two. Two, two.
Host
Indiana is about to have two NFL teams. Pennsylvania has two NFL teams. You know these, Ohio has two. NFL. These are football states. These are the football states. And Bears fans are going to have to kind of deal with this, I think AJ because it's going to be held over their heads by everybody in the NFL, but definitely in the NFC north for sure.
AJ Hall
Yeah, it will. And I, I know when this first came up, we first started talking about it, I didn't think it was actually a real possibility. I thought just posturing, trying to negotiate through the press. But right there, when it says Chicago and the state of Illinois is with the Indiana taxpayers, they'll pick up the one billion dollar tab to start subsidized the development. That's what makes me think like, yeah, maybe the Illinois people are okay with
Host
this happening, but I don't think it is. All India taxpayers too. I believe it is just in that area, the taxes that are going to be paying that back. So even the wording there is potentially a little bit of a leverage play to try to get a narrative in there. So I believe because it was being reported that the Indiana taxpayers will have to foot the bill for the Chicago Bears coming. And then I think there was a correction like no, no, that county.
Con Man
County.
Host
The tax, yeah, the taxes coming from there will be the intensity. I think we don't know where they stand right now, but there was some plan that they pieced together. They're basically like, yeah, you guys come in, we'll foot the bill for that. But then the way we'll get paid back is basically just we kind of got a lot, we got a lot of shit here. So they would be banking on the Bears to continue to be successful and very popular. So I think that is what Indiana is trying to provide like, hey, we would like to give you the best chance to be as successful, as popular and make this as seamless as possible. Because we need your fans to. To want to travel here like that. That we are going to need them because that is kind of how this is going to work out, I believe. And you're right, we haven't covered this from the beginning strictly because we live in this state. But also it's crazy to think that the Chicago Bears would be leaving the state of Illinois.
Con Man
Insane.
Host
That is like a crazy thing to think about in the history of ball. But it seems like there's really no other option with how good of a deal that is being offered from the state that we live in right now.
AJ Hall
Yeah, I mean that's the thing everyone wants to get to everybody owner of an NFL franchise. You want to get to the point where you can own everything around the stadium. And like in Chicago, where Soldier Field is, that's not going to happen. It's right in the the heart of the city. So it's like just like the Bengals, the Bengal Stadium is right in the heart of the city.
Host
It.
AJ Hall
If you want the franchise to be worth five, $10 billion, you got to find a way to move it out somewhere and then you build up everything around it. You own it all.
Host
You should see what the Simons are doing right now. Downtown Indianapolis, around Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Oh yeah, they're built. They're buying up a lot of these buildings around game Gainbridge and they're kind of building up like an entertainment center basically for.
AJ Hall
That's awesome.
Host
Yeah, it is. Full invest.
AJ Hall
Everybody wins. I think everybody wins and they do that. Obviously the owners, they're going to bring in the money and all that, but like us as fans, we get to use all that awesome stuff. And going to a game is even is that much better. You could have a whole like think how many families like the memories they create for the weekends when they go spend in these places.
Host
Okay, so here is the tax breakdown that we read about. In all, the measure would offer approximately 1 billion investment to the Bears to convince them to build a new stadium. And Hammond. And that money would come from a series of new tax levies. Among those taxes would be a 1% food and beverage tax surcharge assessed in Lake and Porter counties, which is up there on top of the state's existing 7% tax already on those items. Lake County's hotel tax would also double as a result of the bill rising from 10 to 10 or 5 to 10%, according to lawmakers. So once again, that's up in that area up there. For people coming in. There would be a 12% tax assessed on all tickets purchased. The games at that venue. Once again, that would be up in that area. Capital Facts is also reporting there would be a special taxing district in Hammond that would capture sales, use and income taxes within the district. There would also be tollway funds allocated. So that area would be paying back
Tone Digs
all those restaurants they build.
Host
Yeah, restaurants, hotels, casino. Yeah. So this is Indiana fronting money for a business to basically invest in the state, in the area, be great and then hoping that it works. Right. That's what Indiana.
Con Man
Yeah. And you know, history would tell us it's going to work.
Ty Schmidt
They're betting.
Con Man
Those places are awesome.
Host
Yeah. That was NBC Chicago. I don't know how it would not work, honestly, if you were able to build up a dream place like you said.
Ty Schmidt
Just if people are too, like, if, like Bears fans are too pissed and like it. I'm not. I'm not driving 30 minutes to go to Indiana. This. The Bears aren't even in our state anymore.
Host
This.
Ty Schmidt
I'm not doing that. But I don't. I. Eventually, it's like you. You care about the Bears enough. You. You're probably going to move past that.
Host
Well, and if. If they get enough support here to build up a destination that people will want to go to, you know, like maybe a museum or something. Like. Like. Like what?
AJ Hall
The indoor water park? Park. Oh, that'd be sweet.
Host
You're right.
Con Man
That'd be cool.
Host
An indoor water park with one of those. With one of the slides that goes outside. Those are the best.
AJ Hall
Well, that one's been shut down for years and years, but.
Host
Yeah, why they shut it down. Whatever.
AJ Hall
That was a long. I know there's some couple NFL guys. A couple NFL guys actually invested in that situation that I know of. But.
Con Man
Mark bold.
AJ Hall
It looks cool. If anyone get that thing running again. It's been shut down for like 15 years or so. Something I drive by every once in a while.
Host
Yeah, I would love to get back in that game. I don't know if it's AI. I saw a lady stuck in a water slide. She was upside down. I don't know if you guys.
Ty Schmidt
I think it's AI probably.
AJ Hall
Hold up, hold up.
Con Man
Upside down.
AJ Hall
She tried to go ahead first.
Ty Schmidt
Those are really popular AI videos where a bunch of fat people just stuck in the slides. Yeah, I've seen several of those.
Host
That's not the one. I was. Of course not. That Was not the one.
Ty Schmidt
Those are popular AI videos.
Host
Oh, my God. Dangling. I was so. I was so impressed. Once again, AI too good. But we'll always need a human. Some human had to direct that to make it that entire situation. And that's why maybe we get better as a society.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Host
You know, maybe. Maybe we decide today that we'll get better as a society. Actually, if this goes in. Actually, I don't have a ball. Thank God. It's a lot of pressure on me.
Con Man
Plus all right.
Host
That was way too much pressure on me.
Con Man
Anyways, got a huge event about to kick off here. Premier League of dots Night 17 in London is about to start. We should get eyes on that. Luke Litla is throwing dots against Go and Price. So just want to throw the iceman. The iceman going Price. Ice. Ice, baby. Yeah.
Host
What's going. Week 17.
Tone Digs
This is the final at the O2 Arena.
Host
The final.
Tone Digs
The final four.
Con Man
The second semifinal into the final.
Host
The final is today as well. Yes. Oh. So the semifinals. We got the final four and national championship. Same time. It's happening right now.
Con Man
19 leg semi into a 21 leg final. I believe Cool Hands Humphrey's looking to defend his title. Go back to back. But we'll see.
Host
Okay, so these are the final four.
Con Man
These are the final four of eight
Host
after a long season dartsey 16 nights before this one.
Con Man
Yes. This will be night 17.
Host
These men battled gout and exhaustion and kidneys. Yeah. Dehydration.
Con Man
Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Bad diets.
Con Man
Whoa.
Host
Certainly a little sick down there. You have a cheesesteak.
Con Man
A lot of these guys are on the Aaron Rodgers diet. Okay. They're only. And that is why they are so diet.
Host
I don't think it is. No. I think it's an exercise.
Con Man
Different type of diet.
Host
Anyways, Luke let should win this one. Or is Cool Hands Luke or Gerwin Price? I know he's in the best shape. I like him the most to show up. And Johnny. Wow. What an electrifying character Mr. Clayton is.
Con Man
Yeah. Go Johnny.
Host
Go. Go. Go.
Con Man
We were kind of pontificating maybe he ate a ton of meat to bring his gout back because that's when he was throwing his best darts. Cool hands. Humphries has beat the piss. I don't littler the last two weeks. And then like you said, go. And Price kind of has the intimidation factor. He's strapped.
Host
And there's a new official calling out the 180.
Con Man
Yeah. I don't think people loved him early. And then one of these nights people
AJ Hall
were throwing stuff and he basically Turned
Con Man
around and was like, o I off.
Host
Stop that.
Con Man
Then everyone did immediately, and everyone stopped. Was like, okay, never mind. This guy that we thought might have not been the one might be the one.
Chris Paul
All right.
Host
You have followed this very closely, way
Con Man
too closely, to the point where even I'm wondering, like, what the. Why do I like this so much? But I am all in on it. I. I truly am.
Host
Yeah. Go Johnny, go.
Con Man
Go, Johnny, go, go, go.
Host
Come out to Luke.
Con Man
Let's see.
Host
Yeah, he does this one. I don't know how they get writes to these songs. They just blast them.
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah.
Host
They're just a huge part. They got entrance music with actual songs that are, like, very.
Tone Digs
All these artists are just true fans.
Con Man
Bulletproof.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Tone Digs
When bunting dance in. Bunting actually goes around and does karaoke at random pubs when he's not playing darts.
Host
There's a lot of. Yeah, the bunting move. The bunting move is bulletproof move. Nothing to lose. Fire away.
Tone Digs
Fire away. He's not.
Host
And then there's this one, too. They do a couple of these.
AJ Hall
Yeah.
Con Man
He got the song because him and Sia had a fling for a little. And then.
Host
I don't think that's true.
Tone Digs
I know it is.
Host
You're gonna have to win a premier league darts championship. Get into that conversation.
Con Man
But things won.
Host
I don't think so. Here's what the entrance looks like, AJ Just for those that don't know the song, is jamming right now signing autographs. They would have had to walk him through the crowd, but instead. What's that?
Con Man
There it is.
Tone Digs
Fun fact. Bunting did win this in 2014. He is a world darts champion.
Host
Well, it makes sense, especially with the aura. Everybody wants his autograph. The men want to throw darts like him. The women wish they threw darts with him. I mean, that is the type of electricity that is potentially in these premier league darts. And the entire place is singing right now is the. This man who has focused his entire life on being a professional athlete, says, hello, lad. To his little baby boy.
Con Man
Go on, son.
Host
His mom. And he thinks to himself, maybe I shouldn't have had the extra entire pizza last night. This man does not focus on anything other than darts. Obviously, it's hard to bet on these guys, you know, because I don't really know who's who on day to day, night to night. But I'll tell you, the darts world in Europe is certainly a. An electrifying, magical experience. I don't know if they'll be able to do this in America, but who cares?
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, exactly.
Con Man
Only one way to find out.
Host
I don't know if we're going to get that music cleared over here.
AJ Hall
We need some Americans to go over there and infiltrate their game.
Host
So the Cash brothers over in Centerville, Ohio, they've been trying to work the minor league circuits for a while now. I think if we were able to keep them sober through an entire, I guess, night of dark tournaments or whatever, whatever, they might have an opportunity if they were able to lock it in. But I don't see that ever happening. I. I just don't know.
AJ Hall
The right amount of drunk, maybe don't sober is too much to say. Try to sell to somebody just the right amount of drunkenness.
Host
And I do think Jeremy, the younger one, finds the right amount of drunkenness and he gets himself to the finals. But if they give him a three to four beer, sure. Timeline between semis in the finals, the other person, in his words, loser. This guy hasn't had a beer. It's like, well, there's like 2500 bucks on the line or whatever. You know, like, pretty big. There's a, you know, 5,000 bucks on the line. He's like, whatever. And then the server guy normally beats him in the final, but I think he does have the level where maybe just IV him.
Ty Schmidt
There you go.
Host
So we can monitor. What was that? Orange Theory Fitness, where they had. Monitoring everybody's heart rate. So they had the little bands on them. So, like, hey, we don't care what you do. We just need your heart rate to stay in this. In between this amount and then this amount. It was actually a pretty cool little idea. If they were able to do that for Jeremy Cash on his intoxicated level, if they were able to just somehow keep him at that one level of drunk where he's really one.
AJ Hall
Get a little. I got a couple of them. You order on Amazon. The little BAC test, you know, where you blow into it tells you how drunk you are. Just keep him between a certain range. Test him every 30, 30 minutes.
Host
So you get a bunch of those just to make sure. Right. You're okay.
AJ Hall
I have a couple. I've gotten a couple of them over the years.
Host
Yeah, Just to make sure.
AJ Hall
Not to make sure you're okay. It's a party trick.
Host
Bring it in.
AJ Hall
Hey, who can. Who can blow the highest?
Host
Yeah, well, the highest, obviously.
Con Man
Come on.
Host
For everybody to be responsible.
Ty Schmidt
Real problem.
Host
I saw a guy have three glasses of wine. You saw that guy online? That was an A.I. no.
AJ Hall
Oh, gosh.
Ty Schmidt
Is it weird?
Tone Digs
Because Bobby always wins at your parties or.
AJ Hall
I didn't know that was if that comes out. Bobby bac.
Host
You mean was. You blow?
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Host
Why they blow only a 4.
Con Man
I need to get to 44.
Host
That's not good, by the way.
Con Man
No.
Host
Drink responsibly. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice, you might change your life. We're in this thing together. Team on me. Team on three. Thank you all so much for letting us live this life. It is because of you that we were able to do this. And we are incredibly thankful for you. W. I can't believe we did a prime time thing last night with all those commissioners.
Ty Schmidt
I know.
Host
Night before that, we were at the the Industries Award night in New York City eating Bradley Cooper's Philly cheese sticks. So good. Thank you. The Academy, couple days before that, Baby Midas was coming into the world. Wife kicking ass, daughter's three year. Hey man, life is good. Let's all enjoy all of it. Hell yeah.
Tone Digs
Hell yeah.
Chris Paul
Hell yeah.
Host
Team on me. Team on three. One, two, three. Team goodbye. Hey, sports fans. The ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional cost. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now.
Date: May 28, 2026
Host: Pat McAfee (ESPN)
Guests: Dan Orlovsky, Erik Johnson, Chris Paul, AJ Hawk, the Toxic Table, Tone Digs
This episode delivers an energetic rundown of the sports world’s most pressing topics, blending McAfee’s signature comedy and high-level analysis. The show covers the surging excitement around both the NBA and NHL playoffs, the ongoing integration of technology into sports officiating, standout moments across Major League Baseball, the state of various NFL teams, and deeper conversations about leadership, rules, and the future of sports. Guests Dan Orlovsky, Erik Johnson, and Chris Paul each add their expert perspectives, making for a wide-ranging, fast-moving edition that captures the state of sports in 2026.
00:00-02:49
Pat McAfee sets the tone by celebrating sports' upward momentum, citing strong ratings and play across leagues:
00:00-06:04
06:04-13:21
13:21-18:15
19:00-40:47
40:33-47:57
49:05-56:02
66:23-90:09
59:28-120:13
122:30-128:12
129:22-135:52
103:44-107:04
This episode encapsulates the moment-in-time energy of 2026 sports culture—celebrating generational players and teams, grappling with the impact of tech, and keeping it loose with signature irreverent banter. From NBA officiating – “flop or not” – to the realignment of NFL quarterback battles, ESPN’s Pat McAfee and crew remain unique in blending expert analysis with everyday-fan relatability and memorable soundbites.
Be a friend, tell a friend—sports are, as ever, the absolute greatest.