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Bomani Jones
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Right Time A Wave original. My name is Bomani Jones. Thanks for listening wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for watching us on YouTube. Subscribe like, rate us, review us, give us five stars. You only give us four stars. I'm inclined to believe you are a hater. We got a lot to talk about here. LeBron went off and made y' all mad. But first, I need everybody to understand something. This is very important to me. And people hear this part that I'm about to say, okay, what I never want to be, and I worried about this when Caitlin Clark was really popular. Whatever. I didn't want to be the person that only jumps in to talk about women's basketball when it's a measure of drama that's going on over there, right? Like that feels somewhat exploitative or whatever it is. And I understand why for the fans of women's basketball, that is not something that they like very much. But I also learned that from a lot of fans of women's basketball that they also didn't like very much was what I tried to talk about women's basketball. Neither here nor there. Anyway, I just want everybody to know that I watched the championship game on Sunday because I was prepared to discuss this game on this show. However, final score of that game was 79 to 51. Which is to say, this concludes my discussion of the women's NCAA championship basketball game, but I can't talk about what happened on Friday. Okay? Now I also want to be clear about this, that I don't really even feel like this is jumping in on something that was messy. Like this is this shook America up and this being Gino Arma just chastising Dawn Staley, after Yukon lost that game and they got their asses kicked in that game. Like. Like. I mean, that's. There's. There's really no other way to put the way that loss went down. They got their asses kicked. It was 62 to 48, Ryan. But when it's only 62 for the. For the top score, winning by 14 points is whooping some ass. Like 62 to 48 in a game that has a 40 second shot clock.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah, that. That. That's. That's a bullet. And the game was never really close, which is part of the reason why Gino was so hot.
Bomani Jones
I mean, no, that's the whole reason he lost his shit. Because they got their asses kicked. Right. That's what it comes down to. And generally speaking, and I don't know if you and I have explicitly talked about this. I think you have gleaned this for me. But. But this is something I talk about. Me and my man Rick talk about this. Ain't many things in this world that bring me greater joy than watching somebody just flat out lose. They. For something that is not in line with the level of losing or even sometimes when it is in line with it. Right. But an adult just completely going on tilt is typically hilarious.
Ryan Brumley
Yes.
Bomani Jones
That was not hilarious. Correct. It was not hilarious at all. It took everyone aback. And it's not as though we've never seen Gino Aurayama be a little, shall we say, feisty or whatever the word is that is spicy. How about. That's. That's the broad term.
Ryan Brumley
He has been spicy since this tournament has started. Yeah. I mean, he's. He's telling everyone in their world about the injustices of the women's tournament compared to the men's tournament. So he's been on tilt going into this, and he was extra on tilt in the final four.
Bomani Jones
And actually, I would say at this age, salty.
Ryan Brumley
Yes.
Bomani Jones
Right. Like. Like, not even salty in the modern sense. Right. Salty. In the old school, they talk about somebody being salty, but also salty. He was incredibly salty at the end of that game, and it involved finger pointing, and it was wild. Because it is very clear that Gene Rem and Dawn Staley do not like each other. It was Geno going off on Don Staley in that game, and even with that, she was kind of like, yo, what's really hood? Like, what, What? I don't. I don't understand what's going on here. And it wasn't until she fully understood what had taken place that she said that she would have whooped Gino's ass. And I'm like, oh, hey, let's all. We can't. No, we can't talk about that on the. On the podcast. No, no, no, we cannot. No. But I was. People were texting me about it, like, something about Gino. And I'll be honest with you, Ryan, I had to go back and check because I had forgotten. It used to be that the women's games were ahead of the men's games, which is to say the men's final four would be Saturday and Monday in the women's is. Will be Sunday and Tuesday. I know they changed it quite a while ago, but I still think the Astros play in the National League.
Ryan Brumley
Yes.
Bomani Jones
You know, like, it's not always that easy to make the transition, so.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah, sometimes there's still the San Diego Chargers. Sometimes.
Bomani Jones
Yeah. Right, right. So I saw the highlights, but I didn't watch the game, and people were texting me about something with Gino, and I thought. Thought Geno Smith had been busted for a DUI or something. I couldn't. I didn't know what people were talking about because I didn't realize there were games on. Right. So then I saw the clip, and he's got his finger pointed, and he's doing all this talking and everything else,
Ryan Brumley
and he's losing his mind when Holly Rowe during halftime, like, the whole deal.
Bomani Jones
Yeah. And look, man, I'm gonna give him a pro tip, okay. I'm gonna give this pro tip to you also. I don't care what the circumstances are. Ain't no winning in a. Let me make sure I'm using this word correctly. Ain't no winning. There we go. In a vociferous argument with the woman on television. You as man.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah. Especially when you're a foot taller than her.
Bomani Jones
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're not. Well, is he a foot taller than her?
Ryan Brumley
Holloro's very short.
Bomani Jones
Let me look up how tall Geno argument is. How tall is Geno? Cause I've always gotten the feeling that he was. Wow, he's six one.
Ryan Brumley
Oh, he's. That's at least a foot. Yes.
Bomani Jones
Dude. He was giving me such 5 8.
Ryan Brumley
Such 58 energy.
Bomani Jones
It never dawned on me. Like, in my mind, when he was arguing with John Staley and watching it like, I had made him so short that he might as well have been pointing up, like, I. And. And. And it made him seem so small in the way that he handled it in that moment. Like, you're not winning, generally speaking, even if you have the moral high ground on this. You're not winning in terms of perception. Now let it be that not only did you have no good reason to behave like that and you out here being a sore loser. Come on, man. Right now. I had forgotten, by the way, that last year Dawn Staley embarrassed herself going on tilt on the sidelines. She was in the chair. It was like in the first half of the game and she just completely came apart. But it was self. It was, it was, it was her talking to her. That's just kind of like, boy, I sure hope she gets that together once you bring this into other people's spaces. Now, Dan Wolkin of the USA Today wrote a column that was actually pretty measured that made the comparison between Ariema and Woody Hayes. Now, I was not alive when Woody Hayes hit Charlie Bowman. That's why I don't know. Would maybe, I guess if Nick Saban had out of nowhere stole off on a player in the middle of the game, maybe that would have been like,
Ryan Brumley
obviously, you know, for the younger Lister, like it would have to be someone of that caliber. Like, yes, you're, you're comparing accomplishment, not attitude. It's not like Brian Kelly, I mean,
Bomani Jones
somebody of that age.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah.
Bomani Jones
With that resume.
Ryan Brumley
Got it.
Bomani Jones
But also keep in mind the role of a coach at that point in time. This is well before the idea of a CEO coach like Woody Hayes might as well have been like a surrogate daddy. Right. To an entire generation of people. Right. Like this is, this is when the 70s game, or not even the 70s, but the 10 year war between Ohio State and Michigan that I think they went five and five against each other with Shim Beckler and Woody Hayes, like where the, where the, the coach is a drill, a literal drill sergeant in many cases, like an offshoot of the military, everything else in the middle of the game because they're loot. First of all, it's ridiculous at that point that Ohio State is in the Gator bowl and they're losing to Clemson, of all people. And he steals off on a, on a linebacker after he's made an interception. That's the comp that Walkin made in his column. And I don't think it was necessarily inappropriate. I don't think that what Gino did was the same thing. But the point that he makes is that Woody Hayes was 64 when he did that and Gino was 72. Like as it was as if his inability to control himself indicated that maybe he shouldn't have this job anymore. Woody Hayes's Inability to control himself indicated that he shouldn't have the Ohio State job anymore. You know what else indicated that he shouldn't have the Ohio State job anymore. They only won seven games that year. If Ohio State had been 11 and 1, they wasn't going to be firing Woody Hayes after what had happened. Gino Auriemma. In the last 20 NCAA tournaments, they've gone to the Final Four 16 times, including this year. Last year they won the championship. The year before they went to the Final Four. Two years before that, they were the runner up. The year before that they went to the Final Four. It was Covid the three tournaments before that they went to the Final Four. The four seasons before that they won national championships. The two seasons before that they went to Final Four. Two seasons before that, national championships. All I'm saying is they ain't firing no Gino Auriemma behind something like that. However, it sure looked like they should have fired him, but now didn't it, right? Like, this is not it. Doesn't it. It almost doesn't matter, like what your point of comparisons might be or anything else. I think that just had a whole lot to do just with the way it made people feel to watch that as it happened. And he been doing this job a long time. He knows you. He knows you can't do that. He knows that you can't get away with that. Now, I don't think that there's going to be like any sort of susp. Suspension or any sort of discipline that comes from this. But Ryan, I do feel like this. He better win, like a lot. Of course, he seems to do that anyway.
Ryan Brumley
Right?
Bomani Jones
But the margin for error that you now have is it ain't there. Right?
Ryan Brumley
And like, especially with an apology that people found to be.
Bomani Jones
There we go. I almost forgot about that part. If you have not seen the Gino Ariema apology, I'mma read it to you. Okay? And there are two words that are not present in this apology. Oh, by the way, Ryan, here's the headline. I didn't see this because we were getting ready to record. Staley makes show of pregame hug with close. Corey Close being the head coach of ucla. So Gino apologizes. Here's the statement. There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game versus South Carolina. It's unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut. I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina. It was uncalled for and how I reacted. Story should be how well South Carolina played And I don't want my actions to detract from that. I've had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them. Did you notice the two words that weren't there?
Ryan Brumley
Ryan, dawn and Staley?
Bomani Jones
They were not. They were nowhere to be found. And that I can't believe. Uconns comms people. I mean, I guess you have to. He's Geno, Right. We look this up. They made the Sweet 1633 years straight.
Ryan Brumley
Yes.
Bomani Jones
Minus the COVID year. Right, Right. I guess you can't say anything to him. Right. But there are many situations in a time like this where they come to you and they say, well, when you're ready to put the words Don Staley in this statement, then you can come back to work. Right. Like, until you're ready to do insert thing here. Remember when Kyrie was suspended, like, indefinitely?
Ryan Brumley
Yeah.
Bomani Jones
It was very clear. Until you're ready to say X, Y, and Z. You know, like, you want to come out here wearing that scarf or whatever, that's fine, Big dog, but you gonna need to say X, Y, and Z. People get nervous when I do that one. Right?
Ryan Brumley
Yes, people get nervous when I am people.
Bomani Jones
I'm taking on the Persona of someone else. Else who might say such thing.
Ryan Brumley
Of course. Yeah.
Bomani Jones
Also can't ever remember what. What it's called. But anyway, I don't start with a K. But anyway, if you can't say this, you can't come back to work. And if somebody took that approach with Gino right there. I get it, though. I do love the fact you had mentioned this before we got out here, the three biggest name coaches in college basketball on the women's side, they are all over the place, right? Characters, characters. The women's game is so much farther now in terms of character as coaches.
Ryan Brumley
Right. Characters and coaches. And also, like, I mean, they don't bop. They don't. The players don't jump around like they do in the men's side.
Bomani Jones
No, right. No, they don't. But I mean, we'll see as the money goes, you know, I mean.
Ryan Brumley
I mean, you look at the men's side, you look at the people they're trying to hire for this UNC job. And as people keep saying no, you know, their statements about the candidates and other inside. Billy Donovan, I haven't heard of half the names.
Bomani Jones
Let me tell you something. I feel very confident saying this. The thing with Billy Donovan is it appears that he will not leave the Bulls job as the season goes on. Which I respect.
Ryan Brumley
Right.
Bomani Jones
If it's that important. And what we know is Jerry Reinsdorf is not going to fire him because then he'd have to pay him to not do not.
Ryan Brumley
Interesting.
Bomani Jones
Which is not how he sounds. Not on the board.
Ryan Brumley
Speaking of, things have been going on since the 90s.
Bomani Jones
Yeah. He's Mike Brown. Right? Like, like he's not Mike Brown, the owner of the Bengals. Mike Brown. Like, that's not going down. This is my read. This is not informed. This is my read. They would be in a panic if they did not legitimately believe that they could hire Billy Donald.
Ryan Brumley
Right.
Bomani Jones
Right. Look, they've never had a real, they, they've never had a real coaching search before. This is their first actual factual coaching search that they've ever had. At least that they've had since Frank McGuire got hired. Right. They would be completely lost if they did not have some reason to believe that they could get Billy Donovan. And I think Billy Donovan, I think coaching in the NBA is over for him. If he wants to continue coaching, it'll get no better the coaching of North Carolina. So maybe he gets there late. I think it would stink for Carolina if they hire him after the transfer portal is open. But this is a 10 year hire, not a one year hire. And if you got a punt on this year to get Billy Donovan, you don't, you don't rush this. You don't rush this for the one year to get a coach that you might not like actually want to get. You don't do that. That's my thought. Let me tell you what Billy Donovan is not, though. He ain't no character. All right? Women's game got characters, you know? And shoot. Woman won the national championship wearing leather pants. Ain't nobody wearing no leather pants on the men's side. Everybody over there wearing quarter zips. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's a. What I, what I had said when the Caitlyn Clark thing was going, the advantage they'd have over there is consistency. They've got better characters up top and they have a more of a roster consistency that allows people. And look, there's still a decent bit of transfer action that goes on over there. But I enjoy the fact that their coaches don't like each other. But you can't do that. You in particular cannot do that. If Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey have that back and forth, we view it differently. I'd be also terrified to talk about it on this show in a number of ways. But we're not having the conversation that we're having right now. It's okay to say that. I think that's a fair acknowledgment. But, hey, man, that's the world. That's how it works. You can't do that, period. And if he hadn't done all this goddamn winning that we had just talked about, we'd be having a whole nother conversation right now. But he has, so we just had the one that we did. LeBron made him mad over the weekend. Boy, he. He made him mad. This has been a very interesting sports weekend, Right? Because it's been. Right. It's been things that are, like, really interesting that have happened but aren't necessarily talkers. Like, yes, overtime show that Jokic put on Big Vic where they both looked incredible. Go look up Yokage's numbers against Victor in like.
Ryan Brumley
And that shot over. That moon shot over him to quench the game.
Bomani Jones
Dude, he's. We talked about this the other day. He's the best player in the league, and it's amazing that people have somehow gotten bored, right, with him being the best player in the league. In seven games against Victor, Joker is averaging 37, 11, and nine.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah. And, like, they're. They're looking at their cruising to a round two matchup after, you know, whatever. The Lakers have lost their two top two of their top three players.
Bomani Jones
They're cooked.
Ryan Brumley
Cooked. I mean, fair cooked. We're about to find out a lot about Bronnie James next few weeks, because he's going to have to play you. Yeah, exactly. Right.
Bomani Jones
You. That's a. That's a thing. By the way, I also want to note, just so no one loses sight of. Also, Victor, in that game himself put up 34, 18, seven assists and five blocks.
Ryan Brumley
Right.
Bomani Jones
He's. What is the NBA right now?
Ryan Brumley
Yeah.
Bomani Jones
Like, this is. And the best player in the league is the other guy.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah, Right.
Bomani Jones
This is where we are. But anyway, for those of you who ain't seen this, and every now and then, I get afraid, right, that, like, hopefully we're not overestimating how much, like, not letting Twitter program our show or the social media apps, but this seemed to have people really charged up.
Ryan Brumley
No, this. This. This guy. This broken. Broken social media. Yeah.
Bomani Jones
Okay. So long and short, LeBron was out playing golf with some white dudes. And that detail is very important, I
Ryan Brumley
think, in, like, in almost the widest setting imaginable.
Bomani Jones
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's a show, right? Like, it's a. It's. It's a. It's a thing. But Random white boys playing golf. Not only would he get on there with him, he got loose.
Ryan Brumley
The loose as he's been. He was looser with them than he's been. It's been a long time.
Bomani Jones
Yeah. Like, he must really love golf. Or like, didn't think they was really. I mean, he does.
Ryan Brumley
That has been the interesting, like, sub wrinkle of this year is how much he loves golf. And specifically this sort of like YouTube show golf. Like, like, like almost streamer golf content.
Bomani Jones
Yeah.
Ryan Brumley
He has legitimately dialed in on.
Bomani Jones
Yeah, it has gotten him. And you play golf?
Ryan Brumley
I do not, but I'm pretty familiar with the world.
Bomani Jones
I had a summer that I played so much golf that I played till I went broke. Like, I was literally my card was getting denied. At the course of. Which goes over differently when they listen to you on the radio. Just, just, just let you guys know. It was, it was, it was, it was before tv, Buddy with radio money was like the money that, like, I could buy a radio. Yeah, right. But anyway, so LeBron's out there and these cats ask him about cities he doesn't like playing in. And the full context I do think is somewhat important. He said he doesn't like playing in Milwaukee, and he said he doesn't like playing in Memphis. Okay. Now he could have stopped there. And if he had stopped there, I would just try to explain something to people that they kind of need to get. The NBA collective bargaining agreement requires five star hotels for the players. And this is an issue in some of the towns where there are NBA teams, like Oklahoma City, I think, for example, has one hotel that fits the description. It's also your friendly reminder that five star hotel is not some kind of scientific designation. Right. Like what five star means is incredibly broad. And in Memphis, it means the Western that's across the street from the arena. And it ain't no fancy Weston. It's a Western. I understand that for some of you, they like, what's wrong with the Westin? Here's what's wrong with the Westin. Nothing, except it's a very important. Except this is the standard that we have for hotels. I remember when I was younger and I was just kind of like, you know, you in college, you do something to get a little hotel room, you get you like a Hampton Inn or something like that. You know, that little, little affordable situation. And I remember saying to myself, I never understood how it was that people got too good for that. You know what I'm saying? Like, it does the job. You got a bed, you Got a shower. You got what you need. Whatever it. Okay, here's the rule for hotels. A hotel must be as nice or nicer than the place that you live. That is how your standards for hotels change. And they may move with whatever your life is, it is in line with whatever your house is. And I'm here to tell you, LeBron James house is a lot nicer than the Westin. Just throwing it out there. The other thing I would say where I could understand, because he's why you might not want to go to those places also, is simply he's not going to those cities as me or you. He's going to those cities as LeBron James. Incredibly rich person. Right? He wants to do incredibly rich things. Okay, so while Gus's fried chicken might be something that you look forward to doing when you go to Memphis, it's not really like what LeBron is about at this point. That's not what he wants to do. This is the reason why he and the entire league talk about how Memphis is the worst place for them to go. Now, I am surprised that on that list is not Oklahoma City.
Ryan Brumley
Is that. Is Oklahoma City, the where they stay at the hotel that's haunted?
Bomani Jones
Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Okay, again, because there's one. Because, again, because there's one hotel, there's only one. If you've ever had to try to book a hotel room in Oklahoma City, you understand a little bit about what LeBron James is talking about, right? But it's a hotel, and they say it's haunted. But for whatever reason, they still complain about Memphis. Maybe the haunted hotel is nicer. I have no idea. Like, I would think the Sacramento maybe would creep up there. People have said, well, what about Salt Lake City? There's money in Salt Lake City, though. A lot of money in Salt Lake City. Right. Ain't a lot of drink, but it's a lot of money in Salt Lake City. I'm not surprised that that isn't the place that. And it's really pretty, apparently. But anyway, Memphis is the one that they all talk about. And I could understand why it is that Memphis is not up to the standards in a lot of ways that a lot of these cats are up to. Now, for those of you who know a little something about Memphis, you'll understand what I say here, which is they had an ordinance that used to. That they put in place in Memphis that affected the cultural fabric of the place. Right. It was a dress code of sorts at certain establishments that established a minimum level of clothing that they were required to wear at, we'll call them clubs. The dudes would have liked Memphis a lot more if it was the Memphis of the old days, if they, if they did not have that dress code in place is what I'm saying. Okay. Anyway, if LeBron had simply stopped there, this would be the conversation I would be having with you about him talking about how he doesn't like going to play in Memphis. But that isn't where he stopped. Where he stopped. He said they should move the team to Nashville. And, buddy, that is where he stepped in it.
Ryan Brumley
Yes. And he was asked about it Saturday. He doubled down.
Bomani Jones
Yes. So to think about Memphis, Nashville, aside from the idea that there are cities in the same state and you know how that goes. Nashville has kind of been fetishized, especially by a lot of people on the right. Because Nashville and I don't have the numbers in front of me. I'm operating somewhat anecdotally, but Nashville is the rare city in the south that isn't really associated with a black presence. Memphis is black. Okay? Black. I have heard somebody say that it is pejoratively referred to at times as memfrica. Okay. Like, we all know this about Memphis. Memphis is super duper black. That's what it is. When you start talking about moving the team to Nashville, which would not work for a team they barely want to support. The Titans. They already got a hockey team. Right. Once he decided to take it to that step. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Now, now it feels like anti blackness,
Ryan Brumley
especially as Nashville has now become the unofficial capital of right wing media.
Bomani Jones
This is, it's all tied into what we're talking about. Right. They also also don't have state income tax. That's a big part of it. But that's, that's where he wound up. And I don't even know if he knew that that's where he was winding up. I do imagine, though, it's a better place to be a rich person. Right. Like, for the sorts of things that he might be talking about and trying to get into. Like, I, I, I could see how that would be better for him, but I was a little floored by how fiercely people responded to him saying that. Cause I thought, I thought it was a sucker move, but I mean, the real reason it's a sucker move, when these cats get, when these NBA players get on the podcast and say they don't want to talk about Memphis, don't want to play in Memphis, there's a black person right there. There's a Black person right there. You out there with your white friends. They ain't even your friends. It sound like you just met the playing golf. And then you say this, and they're all chuckling it up. It was. So then they come talk to LeBron after about it, and he doubled down. He was like, I don't even like going home. He said he don't want to go to Cleveland no more. It's like, damn. Okay, you for real about this? You could have very easily been like, hey, man, do you think he was
Ryan Brumley
referring to Cleveland or Akron when he said going home?
Bomani Jones
Yes.
Ryan Brumley
Fair enough.
Bomani Jones
I will note that one of my partners who is listening to this show, he said about LeBron, he was talking about LeBron's all bad about Memphis. He was like, you not even from Cleveland.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah.
Bomani Jones
And so my new day for Akron will now be not even Cleveland. Just a kid from not even Cleveland.
Ryan Brumley
He was like, not even Cleveland, the home for LeBron James. Yes.
Bomani Jones
Yes, yes. They're like, yo, how dare you? How do you even. Like, how do you even come out here and say this under these circumstances? You from not even Cleveland, and you got something to say over this. And what I also think that people don't get about Memphis is if you ever been to Memphis, I think you'll get this. This is going to be a roundabout explanation. People are not going to. The plane will be landed. Ryan is by hs. You ever been to Seville, Spain?
Ryan Brumley
I have not.
Bomani Jones
Okay. I went to Seville in 2018, and I don't even remember why I picked Seville. Right. Somebody had put me. Had hit me to the fact that Portugal had beaches. So I went to the Portugal beaches, and then I was like, oh, I could shoot over to Spain. It was an hour and a half bus ride to Seville. And I don't know who told me Seville was cool, but I said, okay. I went. Never been so hot in my life. Just throwing it out there. But for those of you who don't know Seville, now, let me see how many people, like, it has an airport. Like, I don't want to act like it's not a city, but Seville is. It's got like 680,000 people, right? It's really pretty. It's really interesting. It has a heavy dose of the influence of the Moors. And also, it's the one place in Spain that got, like, a touch of the Renaissance, right? So it's got a lot of stuff that's going on there. But the big thing is Seville used to be the capital of the Spanish empire, and there's something about being there that, like, a bad one is a bad one is a bad one forever. Right. And Seville used to be the baddest one. And it still got a little air about it. Like, it's still got it. Look, it don't look like it used to. You know what I'm saying? Right, right. You know, it ain't. It ain't what it was, but in. But in its mind, Seville is still Seville. I am fascinated by cities like that. That used to mean something different than they do now.
Voicemail Callers
But.
Bomani Jones
But the people who are from there still, they still got. They still got that in them. You know what I mean? Like, Memphis is one of those cities. Say again?
Ryan Brumley
Boston.
Bomani Jones
Yeah. Like Baltimore is maybe a little closer example. St. Louis. Right.
Ryan Brumley
St. Louis is a great one.
Bomani Jones
Yeah, yeah. Pittsburgh, to a degree. But what it is with these cities is you don't have to explain to people where they are. Right. People know what your city is. Even if you got jokes, people know what you'll. You know, they know something about the place. And Memphis. And people from Memphis carry that level of pride. Right? It's. It is a place that has historically mattered, and in that region, it is a place that matters. Right? It ain't cracking like it used to. Da, da, da. All that stuff, but it still means something. And so when Buddy talk about, man, they should move the team to Nashville to them, they like, but this is ours. Like, why you gonna. Why you. Why you talk about taking a team from us now? I think that there's a certain measure of overreaction. Like, LeBron doesn't have the power to do this. Is that right? Like, it's just. It. It is under the heading of one man's opinion, but it's one man who was yucking it up with some white boys on the golf course about it. And that was a. That was a horrific look for him. But. And I don't know if he knows this, but there's also. There's. That has been a topic of discussion for people is the idea of moving the Grizzlies out of Memphis. And they like, dad, we can't have nothing that's like, that's a basketball city. They. They care about this, right? When the team is good, they out there, they support it. Like, I don't know what the financials are or anything like that. The city just ain't got a strong hotel game. And if you're an NBA player, that means a lot. I think LeBron said something about staying at the high eccentric, and I'm like hey, that's While there's nothing wrong with it, if I were in the NBA, I would have never heard of the Hyatt Centric. Just don't just throwing it out there. I would rent an Airbnb out a whole building before I stayed at the Hyatt Centric if I was LeBron James under those circumstances. But I'm surprised he doubled down. Like he plays it safe on so
Ryan Brumley
many things and now he's just like, yeah, I said it. What? It's just my opinion. What's the problem with it?
Bomani Jones
Well, I would say this on his behalf though. If I were him, I would retire at the end of this season because if I were him, I would not be excited about going back to Memphis. They take things very personally there. As Gucci Mane Foreign. You can predict the playoff action all the way to the finals with FanDuel predicts. All you have to do is sign up to get you a $25 bonus. Follow all the playoff dishes, swishes, wishes and misses. Every move is a potential plot twist. Predict the spread, the total points and even the game winning moments that make the playoffs where one run, one rebound, one shot changes everything from opening tip to the final buzzer. Stay locked in with every pass, every play and every moment that moves us closer to crowning a champion. Sign up now for your $25 bonus on FanDuel Predicts offered by FanDuel Prediction Markets LLC, a registered futures commissions merchant. 18 plus bonus is non withdrawable and expires 7 days after receipt. Trading Derivatives involve significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Manage your activity with our consumer protection tools. Restrictions apply. See terms@fanduel.com predicts.
Ryan Brumley
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Bomani Jones
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Ryan Brumley
That's right, Bo. We're using Zapier here on the right time and it's automated workflows to bring you the show even faster and more efficiently.
Bomani Jones
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Ryan Brumley
We know you can't be on top of all the news and information of the day.
Bomani Jones
No need for the social media feeds.
Ryan Brumley
We got you now. If you haven't heard, all right, Bo, if you haven't heard, Michigan's taken on UConn tonight in the national championship game. Danny Hurley going for his third national title in four years. Bo, you think they pulled us off?
Bomani Jones
Michigan should beat them, right? Michigan is like a machine giant and what they did to Arizona, Boy, glad Tommy Lloyd got that money signed up, lined up, already got his, got his
Ryan Brumley
money and doesn't have to report to his boss. He hits.
Bomani Jones
That's right. That was the, that was the big adjustment that he got in his new deal was to pull that off. Like that was the thing. As the Tommy Lloyd thing was going on, I was like, I don't know if he wants to go to unc, but I do know he wants a raise. Yeah, well, he Raised his ass up at that tournament. They smacked them. Michigan should win that game. Like, if Hurley manages to win this one. And we're talking about, what, three titles in four years?
Ryan Brumley
Yep.
Bomani Jones
We're talking about one of the greatest coaches who ever lived.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah.
Bomani Jones
Like, I don't. Who else has done that? Three outside of Wooden? Who's giving you three and four years,
Ryan Brumley
especially in the Nil era.
Bomani Jones
Yes.
Ryan Brumley
Like, you know, like, it's in there. And that's not a place that's, you know, is. It's. He's not Texas teching their way into a giant roster. You know, he's figuring this out through,
Bomani Jones
you know, at a school that has no inherent advantage. And this is the big one. I saw somebody point out this is their eighth Final Four. In the seven they've been through so far, they won six titles. How is that possible?
Ryan Brumley
That's. I didn't realize. I've only been to eight Final Fours.
Bomani Jones
No. Basically, every time they've gone. The only time they didn't was in 09 when they lost to Michigan State. Now, remember, Hashim, the beat flat out quit at the end of the game.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah, that was a crazy one. It's gonna be interesting to see if Hurley pulls that off. Moving on the media. TMZ is getting into a new game. They're going after politicians. As you know, the government shut down. They are finding these politicians in different locales all over the country, including Lindsey Graham at Disney World. Levin said he issued a call for TMZ's audience to send in photos, you know, interviewing TSA workers trying to get, you know, going after different congressmen. Bo, are you surprised by TMZ's effort to shame members of Congress?
Bomani Jones
And then, let me tell you, if they've decided they're going to get in this game, everybody need to watch out. Let me throw something out here for you, and this will get back to your home state. But I doubt that you were old enough to remember this. Does the name Bob Livingston ring a bell to you?
Ryan Brumley
I'm familiar with the name, but not the context you're talking about.
Bomani Jones
So when the Clinton impeachment hearings were going on and every Republican was the highest and the mightiest.
Ryan Brumley
Yes.
Bomani Jones
Larry Flint put out a bounty on these cats. He said it was a million dollars out there for proof of adulterous affairs of any person in Congress. And Bob Livingston, who was. It was trending toward him becoming the speaker of the House, Flint got him, put that million dollars on the street. Somebody came back with the proof, and he had to Resign. He was gonna be the speaker of the House. He had to resign. Larry Flynn called him up.
Ryan Brumley
I don't always approve their methods, but I trust TMZ's effectiveness more than I
Bomani Jones
do Congress' and this is what I'm saying, that if they decide that they're in this game, they get information that I think generally speaking, there's kind of an understanding that we let a bunch of stuff slide. Right. Like people talk about K Street in dc, all them Congress plays diplomatic plates or whatever it is that's pulling up that stroll. At least it used to be the stroll. I don't know if it still is. But pulling up to pick them up off the street or whatever, if you was really in the business of shutting them down, you just set up over there and everybody knew what it was. Right. I don't know if TMZ is setting up over there, but all I'm saying is it's out there and people have kind of let stuff slide. TMZ doesn't have to. I'm not even necessarily talking about giant scandal like that, but just like you said, we going to go find people at Disney World. Anything else now at the same time, I mean, I feel like it's kind of like snow day, except there's no snow. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's like the air conditioner broke at work.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah. I mean, like, yeah.
Bomani Jones
Broke at Disney World.
Ryan Brumley
They are technically off.
Bomani Jones
Yeah. They're like, what you want me to do about what we just all supposed to be sad. And the answer is kinda like, this is up there. This isn't. I don't think this is the same as Ted Cruz going to Cancun.
Ryan Brumley
Yes. During the middle of the hurricane.
Bomani Jones
Yeah. Yeah. I don't, I don't. I don't know if this is exactly the same, but hey, man, whatever it is, TMZ being in this game would shake me up if I was somebody not doing what I should.
Ryan Brumley
It's just wild because, you know, as they've clearly figured out, that very few things are more unpopular than Congress and politicians. And that sort of rage, I'm sure, drives a lot of Internet traffic.
Bomani Jones
Oh, yeah.
Ryan Brumley
And a lot of, you know, things to their business and, you know, if we've learned anything in Washington the last 10 or so years, it's when unwritten rules start getting broken. Yeah. That's when things really start to get crazy.
Bomani Jones
Todo esposible.
Ryan Brumley
All right, let's move on to AI. Microsoft had to issue an interesting warning about its copilot program. They had to say it's quote, for entertainment purposes only, not for serious use. Bo, what is your thought about this? As AI continues to permeate our lives,
Bomani Jones
another thing that we're throwing out here that comes with a warning label, right? And look, I'm not. I don't know if hypocritical is the way to put this, but I don't deny this. We've done advertising on this show for AI stuff. We do advertising on this show for gambling. But I do not deny it. Every turn, it comes with a warning label. They put the warning label on it. Okay? We don't have to lie about what's going on here. But I don't. To be fair to the AI people, I don't feel like they should have to put a warning label on this, that we should be just a little bit smarter. But we're not.
Ryan Brumley
We're not.
Bomani Jones
Therefore, a label has to be put on it for entertainment purposes. This is. This is your idea of a good time, Right? Right. You see what I'm saying? Like, this is. This is your idea of a good time. That's good luck thinking that's going to spare you from liability when it comes down to it.
Ryan Brumley
All right, Bo, got some great voicemails, as always. Here's our first.
Voicemail Callers
Shout out to Bomani and shout out to Ryan. This is Yosef, longtime listener. Bo, if you remember, back in the day, ESPN had a 30 for 30 special on called broke. We're talking about athletes, you know, spending money on car washes and studios. So my question for you is, is Kirk Cousins gonna get his own 30 for 30 about getting teams to keep paying him like he's, you know, like he's Joe Montana or like, you know, the second coming of Patrick. Patrick Mahomes, five years, 172 million from the Raiders. Come on, Bo, this man needs a 30 for 30 about how he keeps going to the bank. Let me know what you think, man. Y' all be good. Y' all be safe. Take care. And Dominique Foxworthy, I need you to clear your schedule. I need more you and Beau on the right time. Take care, fellas. Bye.
Bomani Jones
All right, just so Dominique knows we ain't telling him to say that. That's just the streets speaking. Correct what I'm saying. And also to be fair on this cousin's deal, that's number math, is really just like a one year deal, but
Ryan Brumley
it's a one year, 20 million, $20 million deal guaranteed.
Bomani Jones
Keeps pulling this off. And it really came down to franchise tag me I ain't even tripping. Right? Like, he just rode that out as far as it would go. And he got his money. He got his money. He has been a much better quarterback than I ever thought that it was possible that he could be. But nobody has maxed out their earning potential quite like him. He is a legend at the bank. And his agent ain't even one of the, like, famous agents. And that's where my question comes down. How is everybody not trying to get his phone number?
Ryan Brumley
It's amazing. I think every contract he's had since the last two years in Washington have been fully guaranteed, though.
Bomani Jones
He did it. He did an extension in Minnesota that tweaked that out.
Ryan Brumley
Got it. But it was.
Bomani Jones
But. But the bottom line is fully guaranteed is a bit overrated as a notion in the NFL. Right? Like the. That the NFL is the only place where somebody give you $70 million all at one time.
Ryan Brumley
Right.
Bomani Jones
You know what I mean? And then, and then it kind of goes from there. Like there's a. There's an equilibrium at play with that market. And I totally get it. But the reality is, when I was giving people hell for giving Kirk Cousins too much credit 11 years ago and he was throwing a 2A game, there was no way in the world to think that he would have made. How much you think he done made so far?
Ryan Brumley
I just looked it up. So I'm not. I'm. I'm. I'm cheating.
Bomani Jones
Okay. I'm. I'm. Don't. Don't ruin the surprise. No way.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah.
Bomani Jones
No way.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah.
Bomani Jones
Are you on. Are you on spoke track?
Ryan Brumley
I am on off the cap, but.
Bomani Jones
Okay, what, what, what number is off the cap?
Ryan Brumley
Giving you off the cap is giving me 331.
Bomani Jones
Oh, wow. I only had 322.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah.
Bomani Jones
Those are millions.
Ryan Brumley
Yeah. That is third most all time behind Matt Stafford and Aaron Rodgers. What? All right, here's our next one.
Voicemail Callers
Hey, Bo, I know that you have been diving into the world of uniquely named people, but I do have a name related question for you. At what point is it acceptable for people to start using the old folks version of their name? I got an email from a Cathy who is a law student. And so she is still in her 20s. And I'm like, I don't think you've earned that yet. So I would love your insight into. At what point does Bobby become Bob? When does Billy become Bill? When does Katherine become Cathy? Appreciate all you do.
Bomani Jones
I actually think a more interesting discussion there is shout out to all those people who never change Shout out to my homeboy Joey. He's still Joey. Like, what does it take for you to just be like, no, I'm just gonna ride this. This is who I am.
Ryan Brumley
You start off as a kid as Billy. You don't become William.
Bomani Jones
Yeah, yeah. You just. Yeah, don't become Bill. You just. Like. The real question is, you know what to what he proposed and we don't do this anymore. But he made it too broad. The question is, back in the day, at what point did Richard decide it's Dick? At what moment did you say no, no, no? Like, no, you couldn't just be like, he wasn't Dick Vital when he was 10. You know what I mean?
Ryan Brumley
Like, I mean, to be fair, that was probably about 70 years ago. That's true. But like, 50. He might have just been.
Bomani Jones
But, like, at what point do you be. Do you just decide, I'm going to. Yeah, call me Dick? That. Do you decide that for yourself or does your personality dictate? Like, when did Dick Van Dyke. What a whimsically named man who is not just still in the league, but still giving us about eight points a game off the bench.
Ryan Brumley
100 years old.
Bomani Jones
Yeah. When did.
Ryan Brumley
99. Right around there.
Bomani Jones
Yeah. When did Dick Van Dyke. Like, even though your last name is Van Dyke, you still went with Dick. When did you make that call? Right? But anybody. And what day do people look around and be like, hey, ixnay on the ick day? I gotta say, that was funny.
Ryan Brumley
That was very funny.
Bomani Jones
I didn't think it was gonna be that good.
Ryan Brumley
All right, here's our last one.
Voicemail Callers
Hey, Bomani, this is Will from Oklahoma City. I think I got a pretty good one for, you know, our. Our favorite subject. So a few days ago, my sweet 91 year old grandmother, she went to go be with the Lord and I went. I was, you know, trying to be a good son. I went with my mom to go to the funeral home, try and like, plant some stuff, whatever. Anyway, the guy comes out with the render for the headstone, and I realized I didn't know my grandmother's middle name, which was Larisse. I don't know if this one totally counts. I don't know any black Larissa's either. But I saw that capital R and I just started grinning, thinking of the right time.
Bomani Jones
It's the capital, by the way.
Ryan Brumley
Yes.
Bomani Jones
And yeah, I know Loris. Yeah, that's. That's on the list. That's. That's. I encountered a. I saw it written down somewhere. A white Kamesha who wishes to be called Cammie. Nope.
Ryan Brumley
Nope. Not by you.
Bomani Jones
No chance? You should have never told me. I never would have known if you hadn't said it. But, hey, ladies and gentlemen, thanks so much for joining us here on the Right time. We do this four days a week. Ryan Brumley handles everything behind the scenes. Thank you, sir. Hit the voicemail line. 323-59-67767. Remember, follow the right time. Subscribe like, rate us, review us, give us five stars. You only give us four stars. I'm inclined to believe you are a hater. We'll talk to you guys in a couple of days. Take it easy.
Episode: Geno Auriemma LOSES IT at Dawn Staley, LeBron’s Memphis Mess
Date: April 6, 2026
Host: Bomani Jones
Producer/Co-Host: Ryan Brumley
In this lively and incisive episode, Bomani Jones delves into several hot topics at the intersection of sports and culture. The main focus is the explosive reaction of legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma toward South Carolina coach Dawn Staley during the NCAA Women's Final Four—a moment that spurred national discussion about coaching conduct, gender dynamics, and rivalry in women’s basketball. Bomani also tackles LeBron James's controversial comments about playing in Memphis, broader trends in NBA player culture, and a swath of listener questions ranging from athlete contracts to name etiquette. The episode closes with brief takes on college basketball coaching searches, the peculiarities of certain American cities, and some lighter listener voicemails.
Introduction and Disclaimer
Geno Auriemma's Sideline Outburst
Analyzing the Fallout
The Apology (or Lack Thereof)
Character in Women's Basketball
LeBron’s Comments on Disliked NBA Cities ([20:27])
The Cultural and Racial Subtext
The Blowback and Doubling Down
Context on Memphis Pride and City Identity
Final Take:
UNC Coaching Search/Billy Donovan
UConn’s Final Four Success
TMZ Targeting Politicians ([39:43])
Microsoft Copilot and AI Warnings
On Geno Auriemma’s Outburst:
“That was not hilarious. Correct. It was not hilarious at all. It took everyone aback.” — Bomani ([04:04])
On Apology Omissions:
“[In the apology,] there are two words that are not present... Ryan, Dawn and Staley?” ([13:15])
On LeBron’s Golf Course Comments:
“He was looser with them than he's been. It's been a long time.” — Ryan ([20:41])
On Memphis vs. Nashville:
“Now it feels like anti blackness...especially as Nashville has now become the unofficial capital of right wing media.” — Bomani ([27:50])
On Memphis’s Civic Identity:
“Memphis is one of those cities...a place that has historically mattered... it still means something.” ([31:37])
On Kirk Cousins’s Career:
“He is a legend at the bank.” — Bomani ([46:20])
Bomani Jones brings his trademark blend of humor, cultural awareness, and sharp sports analysis to a week packed with drama and controversy. He doesn’t shy away from calling out big personalities, dissecting the social implications of seemingly small moments, or poking fun at sports culture’s oddities. The episode is full of quotable moments, astute commentary, and playful banter, making it both engaging for diehard fans and accessible for casual listeners.