Matt Leinart’s Favorite NFL Playoff QB and Notre Dame-Ohio State Pick, Plus the SGA Show in Cavs-Thunder

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Ryen Russillo Podcast Episode: Matt Leinart’s Favorite NFL Playoff QB and Notre Dame-Ohio State Pick, Plus the SGA Show in Cavs-Thunder
Release Date: January 17, 2025
Host: Ryan Rosillo
Guest: Matt Leinart

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Introduction

In this episode, host Ryan Rosillo welcomes former NFL quarterback Matt Leinart to discuss a range of topics spanning NFL playoffs, college football dynamics, and a brief dive into the NBA. The conversation offers insightful analysis, personal anecdotes, and predictions that cater to both sports enthusiasts and casual listeners.

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Guest Introduction: Matt Leinart [02:12]

Ryan Rosillo introduces Matt Leinart, highlighting his recent hosting experience with Shady McCoy and setting the stage for a deep dive into sports discussions. Matt shares a lighthearted moment about his household situation, reflecting his down-to-earth personality.

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College Football Discussions

Recruiting Anecdotes and NCAA Rules [03:00 - 04:42]

Matt reminisces about recruiting days, sharing an emotional story about a recruit who overcame a severe injury to choose Pittsburgh, emphasizing the impact of genuine relationships in athlete recruitment.

Matt Leinart [04:13]: "Everybody pulled the offer... Dave was kind of the only one that stood by him."

He underscores the importance of authenticity in coaching, contrasting genuine mentorship with superficial high-energy approaches.

Caleb Williams vs. Jaden Daniels [06:43 - 09:39]

The discussion shifts to comparing quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Jaden Daniels. Matt expresses support for Williams, noting the generational gap in quarterback development and the challenges modern players face with social media and changing NCAA dynamics.

Matt Leinart [09:39]: "There's a big gap between my era and this generation of kids."

He debates the complexities of evaluating quarterback performance, considering factors like coaching, system, and personal development.

National Championship Prediction: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame [22:12 - 25:53]

Matt confidently predicts Ohio State to win the national championship over Notre Dame, citing Ohio State's superior defense and overall team performance. He criticizes Notre Dame's offensive inconsistencies and praises Ohio State's ability to dominate both offensively and defensively.

Matt Leinart [24:05]: "I think Ohio State just runs away with it."

He elaborates on the importance of coaching and system in determining team success, advocating for Ohio State's balanced approach.

SEC vs. Big Ten Dynamics [32:41 - 39:54]

Matt delves into the shifting power dynamics between the SEC and Big Ten conferences. He argues that the SEC's dominance is waning due to factors like the transfer portal and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) regulations leveling the playing field.

Matt Leinart [33:58]: "The days of stacking teams... are just those days are done. They're gone."

He predicts increased parity across conferences, diminishing any single conference's prolonged dominance.

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NFL Playoffs Analysis

Favorite NFL Quarterbacks [12:38 - 16:20]

Matt Leinart shares his favorite NFL playoff quarterbacks, highlighting Josh Allen for his physicality and impact on the game. He also praises Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson for their unique skills and leadership.

Matt Leinart [14:02]: "Josh Allen is a monster, man. Like, he is a monster."

He compares Josh Allen's running ability and toughness to historical quarterbacks, emphasizing his preference for players who can both pass and run effectively.

Playoff Predictions and Team Analysis [15:26 - 25:53]

Matt offers predictions for the NFL playoffs, favoring teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Detroit Lions. He criticizes the Chiefs for potentially being overlooked despite their strong performance and discusses the Bills' balanced team dynamics.

Matt Leinart [15:34]: "I don't know if he does or not, but if he gets a job, you know."

He expresses skepticism about certain teams like Detroit, anticipating potential upsets or strategic missteps that could derail their playoff run.

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NBA Insights

Cavaliers vs. Thunder Review [63:15 - 28:01]

A brief segment reviews the Cavaliers' disappointing performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder, focusing on turnovers and defensive lapses.

Ryan Rosillo [63:15]: "13 turnovers in the first half for the Cavs that led to 22 points for OKC."

Matt and Ryan lament the Cavaliers' inability to adapt to the Thunder's defensive strategy, highlighting key players' struggles and missed opportunities.

Sacramento Kings Performance [28:01 - 42:00]

The discussion shifts to the Sacramento Kings' impressive stretch under coach Doug Christie, analyzing player performances and team dynamics. They highlight standout players like SGA (Stephen A. Smith?), noting his scoring prowess and overall impact on the game.

Ryan Rosillo [63:15]: "SGA's total points, he's at 1,264. He's basically 200 points ahead of Brunson."

The hosts commend the Kings' strategic gameplay and adaptability, despite facing challenges like injuries and inconsistent player performances.

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Life Advice and Personal Stories

Addressing Past Mistakes [73:15 - 89:58]

Towards the end of the episode, the hosts engage in a heartfelt discussion about dealing with past mistakes and the importance of personal growth. A listener shares a story about bullying in high school and grappling with the decision to apologize years later. The hosts offer their perspectives on reconciliation, emphasizing self-improvement and the complexities of reaching out after a long time.

Worgon [85:34]: "You're doing this for yourself, not her."

They explore the emotional intricacies of seeking closure and the potential repercussions of attempting to mend old relationships.

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with acknowledgments and final thoughts on the discussed topics. Matt Leinart's candid insights provide listeners with a deeper understanding of both current sports landscapes and the personal dimensions that intertwine with athletic careers.

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Notable Quotes

• Matt Leinart on Recruiting Authenticity [04:13]:

  "Everybody pulled the offer... Dave was kind of the only one that stood by him."

• Matt Leinart on Quarterback Generational Gap [09:39]:

  "There's a big gap between my era and this generation of kids."

• Matt Leinart on Ohio State's Championship Chances [24:05]:

  "I think Ohio State just runs away with it."

• Matt Leinart on SEC's Changing Landscape [33:58]:

  "The days of stacking teams... are just those days are done. They're gone."

• Matt Leinart on Josh Allen [14:02]:

  "Josh Allen is a monster, man. Like, he is a monster."

These quotes encapsulate the critical viewpoints and passionate analysis Matt Leinart brings to the conversation, offering listeners valuable takeaways on sports strategy and athlete development.

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Disclaimer: This summary is based on the provided transcript and aims to capture the essence of the podcast episode. For the full experience, listening to the original episode is recommended.

Transcript

[Ryan Rosillo]

Foreign. On today's episode, we're going to talk NFL and college football in front of the divisional round and the national championship with Matt Leiner on the coverage and then some bigger picture college football stuff with him and also what he thought about some of the stuff from Caleb Williams as well. So we actually get to a lot of different things there with him. Little Tales from the Couch. We'll talk about the Surging Kings, the blowout in Oklahoma City and a three from Deep that I love and Life Advice and Worgon. The community has spoken. They seem to love this guy. People have his back. The Marathon Mike continues. This episode of the Ryan Rosilla podcast is presented by State Farm. Bring home a win with an affordable price when you bundle home and auto with the personal price plan. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can bundle and save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state. This episode is brought to you by Unstoppable. All you wrestling fans are in for a real treat on this one. See the true story of Anthony Robles in Unstoppable, a new film from Amazon MGM Studios and director William Goldenberg about Anthony's journey to beat the odds and become a national wrestling champion. This one has that classic sports movie feel with incredible performances from Jarell Jerome alongside Jennifer Lopez as his mother, whose unwavering support helps Anthony overcome the odds. Plus an all star ensemble cast including Don Cheadle, Michael Pena and Bobby Cannavale. Watch Unstoppable now exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Let's talk some college football. Maybe even sprinkle a little bit of NFL role play with our good friend and neighbor Matt Leinert here out in the South Bay. Want to remind you to check out Throwbacks with Matt and Jerry Ferrara who you can check wherever you hear podcasts.

[Matt Leinart]

What's up dude?

[Ryan Rosillo]

What's up man? How are you dude?

[Matt Leinart]

How about we had. We had. Excuse me, we had Shady McCoy on this Week and the first thing he said on the pod was he wanted to be an actor that his his favorite show was Power because Jerry played. I don't know if you watched Power but Power. Jerry played Proctor who was a lawyer in Power and it was freaking hilarious dude. And then we talked, we talked a little bit about me hosting him on my recruiting trip but that's for another day. So my kids background. Sorry about God. Yeah, it's just. My house is just a disaster, right? It's a disaster. Anyway.

[Ryan Rosillo]

All right. It's all right. You know.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah, I hosted, I hosted him. Isn't that crazy?

[Ryan Rosillo]

I didn't know that.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah. So I. So, because he's probably three year. Three years. Yeah, like three or four years. Four years maybe. I think I was a senior. You know what? I was, I came back from my senior year, I hosted him in the off season. He actually told a great story. He was a big time recruit coming out of Pittsburgh and it was like sc, it was Pitt with Juan Said ended up getting him, which is a great story. He actually got emotional talking about it just because he broke his leg his last year in high school. And like he basically said everybody pulled the offer. Everybody, I guess, including usc, which I didn't know at the time. And Dave was kind of the only one that stood by him. But I remember him coming out and this was back when I had, I had borrowed a friend's Hummer. Okay. So this is. And the reason why I could do that was because I had relationship prior to high school, you know, like that was the, that was like the NCAA rule back then if you had a relationship or family or whatever. So we drove him around in a Hummer. It was me, probably Alex Holmes, who was our big recruiter, who I'm sure you might know and have heard stories. And he was telling us the story.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I, I didn't.

[Matt Leinart]

I told him, I said, I remember being in the car with you, but I don't remember anything that we did that weekend. And he goes, literally he goes, he goes, oh shit, man. I remember everything we did that weekend. I was like, well, I am married with kids now, dude, so let's not, let's not go there. But I guess SC pulled the offer, man. And then, and then Dave came in and, and got him at Pitt. Obviously he was great at Pit, but it was pretty, it was pretty. He was one of the few. I said this. He was one of the few that got away from Pete that I think Pete really wanted. But he had a bad injury.

[Ryan Rosillo]

So yeah, Pete was quite the closer, man. And I know there's a lot of stuff that we're going to get to there, but why did it work? Like, why did it not feel phony with Pete the way it feels phony with other high energy guys? You know? Like, I think that first impression thing is really easy to do and it's like, oh, hey, we're energy and this and that. But with Pete it just always felt Genuine. It's almost like Pete's first impressions threw you off more until you realize now this is just the way he is the entire time. And it's insane. Sincere.

[Matt Leinart]

It's. It is sincere. It was literally the reason why I, I kind of recommitted that, see, was Pete sold me. Like, he just. You're like, God, this dude's a salesman. But you never, to your point, you never really, you never really felt. I would just say this, like, Pete is maybe. And you probably know this like the, the most. The biggest competitor I've ever met. We know a lot of competitor, but he's just has that. So, like, whether his personality is the way it is, like, that dude, like, was the ult ultimate competitor and everything. And, and that's what he preached upon us, right? Like, that was the culture he created, was competition, was being the best, was all that. And he did it in a fun way. And, and I always tell everybody, like, like, we had a lot of fun and he loved, like, you know, the celebrities and all that. He loved all that. But when it was time to work, like, we worked and if we fucked up or screwed up, like, he made us, like, there were consequences. So it wasn't like some BS thing, like he held us accountable. And I think that's the difference. Sometimes when you get some of these guys with rah rah personalities and energy and it's like, we were tough as hell, man. And like, that was, that was what he created. And it worked back then, you know, nowadays it's just harder because of everything else that's going on. I think kids are a lot softer these days, obviously, and moving around and now they're getting paid and all that. Back then, like, we didn't have that. So he was terrific, man. And, and by the way, he still has tons of energy, so it'll be interesting to see if he. I know he interviewed for the Bears. That'd be interesting to see if he, if he. I don't know if he does or not, but if he gets a job, you know.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Well, since we're here, I was going to ask you about it anyway. We'll get to the college part of it. Do you. What relationship do you have with Caleb Williams?

[Matt Leinart]

We're cool. Yeah, like, we're, we're. We developed a pretty good relationship when he was at usc, but, you know, I didn't. I text him a little bit this year, but I wouldn't say we're close enough where I'm gonna hit him up, say, this is your new Head coach should be. But, you know, man, these kids, like, there's such a. There. There's a big gap, I think, between my era and this generation of kids. You know, I think not all of them, but, like, it's just different, man. Like, I even see it with Cole. I mean, you know, my oldest son, like, you just. It's just a different generation of. Of kind of how they go about things with. With the phone and social media and just, like, it's funny, man. We had. We had Kurt Warner on our pod a couple months ago, and he. He actually told a great story. He was telling. He's like, these kids these days and these young quarterbacks in particular, he's reached out, and Kurt's one of the best hall of Famer, one of the smartest guys I've ever been around, and, like, a guy that, like, I would want Cole to be tutored by because he's so cerebral, he's so smart in the way he sees the game. And he was like, I've. I've texted, reached out to all these young quarterbacks, and, like, never a return phone call. And, like, it's just. It's just. And that's not how now me and Caleb are. You know, we're not like that, but it's just like a disconnect, man. So I'm rooting for him. I. You know, I got to know him. He works hard. He's a good kid. Pretty tough situation, I thought this year, but actually played pretty well, you know, obviously, despite everything else going on.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, I think that's kind of where I wanted to go with it was just considering. I think it's important to remember all this stuff. Like when you looked at Jaden Daniel's situation and you looked at Caleb's going in, almost everybody thought Caleb was in a better situation in Chicago than Jaden was in Washington and Cliff Kingsbury, but. Yeah, maybe it should have been. But it's. Look, I've defended Cliff because I felt like, hey, you brought somebody in to help develop a quarterback. It depends on what you think of Kyler at this point, but there's probably more positive than negative on the development side of it. Arizona stunk forever. They started winning more games, but, you know, he didn't run enough motion, so the NFL nerds thought he was the dumbest person on the sideline. And so now with the. With the Jaden part of it, like, that might be it. Beyond the receiving core, that certainly favors Chicago, offensive line, favors Washington, all these different things. I guess when I look At Caleb, like, I liked him the most. I am not deterred at all. But I think it was. It was a rough year, even if the stats say that it was better than the final product. How tough is that? I mean, look, we've talked to you about it. How tough that first year is. Like, was there anything that was alarming about it to you, or is it kind of like what it probably should have been?

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah, look, I. I think there's two things, and this is what we're seeing a little bit with Sam Darnold in that situation. Like, as I look back, and I was. I had Caleb number one, and I think most of us did. And then I'm looking back and I'm thinking, well, Jaden Daniels is. Is. And he was. And obviously playing in the sec, probably a more polished player than Caleb coming out. Just the way he threw the ball, the defenses, the scheme at lsu, you know, his ability to, like. Like, it was just different. And Caleb, despite being tutored by Lincoln, who has a great track record of those guys, like, it was a little bit more backyard football. Right? That's what made him so special. And. And that necessarily wasn't his fault because USC was. The offense line had been pretty bad those couple years. I. Gosh, I. I will, like, die on a hill. And I. I live this. You look at the bear situation and just the coaching and all of that, and then you look at. And like, I love Dan Quinn, man. Like, I think Dan Quinn's. I was just reading an article the other day, like, kind of what he did to build this locker room and all this. And like, I'm telling you, Ryan, you know this. Like, it is night and day. If you have a great coaching staff, and whether it's Cliff or a coordinator, quarterback, coach, and just a head coach who gets it and who understands. And that was me in Houston with Kubiak. It was like a reset on my life. I was like, holy shit, this is how football should be played. Like, I'm getting coached. I'm having fun. I'm loving the environment the team's bought in. Like, that wasn't. It wasn't necessarily like that in Arizona. It was just different. And I'm not saying that's like Chicago and Washington, obviously, because Washington hasn't been great for a while. But, like, when you got a staff and a coach and a system and you just understand what you have, especially that position, man. Like, you can look at what Jaden Daniels is doing, and Cliff is a big part of that as an OC and I would liken it to like Sam in Minnesota and like, I don't think Sam's going to be back in Minnesota, but like, look what he did this year with Kevin O'Connell and just like a system and a coach who knows how to coach. So I think that's the difference between Jaden and Caleb this year and that's why we've seen Jaden flourish and Caleb's numbers were fine and like he had great receivers and all that. But like, I mean, look at, look at, look at the coaching, man. Like he, you know, OC fire during the season, like it's hard to win that way and hopefully they do right by him because I think he, I think he showed enough, I think he showed enough to where like you can build around him and be, you know, be a playoff type team.

[Ryan Rosillo]

If you could be any of the remaining quarterbacks in the playoffs, if you could, like, if I'm watching basketball and I'm being honest, like if I could be any NBA player, if I could have his game, it'd probably be Anthony Edwards so I could humiliate people. Right, right. Like that's like as great as Steph is and the vision of LeBron and all that stuff. It's like, give me peak ant athleticism.

[Matt Leinart]

I still like Luka, man. Just give me the slow, kind of chunky Euro. Just, I'm gonna do that.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I'm doing it to Cole. Next time I play against Cole, I'm luca ing him. I just have to like, you know, I, I can't try to get past him anymore.

[Matt Leinart]

No, I know. No, ant is ridiculous, man. He's ridiculous.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Okay, so which NFL quarterback would you, would Matt Liner want to be?

[Matt Leinart]

Josh Allen? He, I mean, gosh, there's so many great ones like you say Mahomes and like, I love Lamar, man. I've known Lamar for a long time. I just love the kid. He's just a great dude. Josh Allen is a monster, man. Like, he is a monster. And I don't know if you've ever stood next to him. I don't know, like if you know him at all. Like, he's every bit of 6, 5, like 250 and he's huge. And he's a great dude. And like his game, I just, I love his game. I love. He's tough as nails. He runs guys over. He, he, he's, he is that team. Like he, James Cook's a good player, but like he makes that team. And that's kind of why I think he should be the MVP Obviously, there's a debate, and Lamar's been great, but I. Josh Allen and the way he plays, he's just a. He's a dog, you know, and in his own way. And I don't remember maybe you think I don't remember a guy kind of built like him. Like. Like, Roethlisberger was big, but Roethlisberger didn't run. You know, like, Josh Allen is. Is a big dude who can run and trucks guys and now can throw and just. I don't know. That would be. That would be me. I just. I love his game. I think he's. He's unbelievable.

[Ryan Rosillo]

All right, who would.

[Matt Leinart]

Who would you. Who would you be?

[Ryan Rosillo]

I mean, the physical part of Josh is pretty enticing because there are times where it looks like when he's about to go into the end zone, like defense, like, again, we're talking about NFL defensive players, linebackers stuff.

[Matt Leinart]

He's bigger than all linebackers, right? Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

You could see some of those guys are like, I'm good. Like, that's just going to be the best feeling ever. That when you're quarterback, like, you're always worried about. Right? Yeah. Like, how many hits am I going to take? Or I want to make sure I'm not doing this or whatever. It's like they're actually, like, not super interested because it's already a rap anyway. He's getting in when he has. When he kind of breaks one of those from like seven yards out, you can just see it happening in front of you. But there are times where you can watch a game and be like, that's crazy. Like, normally somebody be like, I don't even care if he's going to get in. I'm going to take a shot at him just to put my body on him. And then with Alan, it's like, I don't even want to deal with that guy.

[Matt Leinart]

It's. It's kind of like. It's kind of. I was. I was just thinking right now, like, maybe Cam Newton, like, right there was just guys that were so physically imposing at that position that, like, I think.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Cam's a level above anybody that I've ever seen, by the way.

[Matt Leinart]

He's. He's ridiculous. But, like, just as far as, like, if you meet him in the hole as a defender, like you said, there's only maybe on. On one hand guys that you'd be like, I don't want to, like, Derek Henry is that guy's running back. Obviously, you just don't want to get in front of the dude like Josh Allen is, is, is like that, which is. It's hard. You don't get that at the quarterback position. So.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, that's a good pick. It's a good pick. I guess. I. It'd be really funny if Mahomes is, is sitting there at the end of this all over again.

[Matt Leinart]

I think he's going to. It's. No one's talking about the Chiefs. They're. I think they're going to pound the Texans. Ben. Bills. I'm rooting for the Bills. I kind of. I'm just. I'm rooting for a Bills Lions matchup. I don't, you know, like, I, I again. And I like the Chiefs. I have no. I love Andy Reid. I think Mahomes is like the greatest superstar that you kind of like, kind of like a Steph. It's like hard not to like him. I'm still a big Kelsey dude. Like, I love the Chiefs and I, I respect what they've been able to do and no one is talking about them. It's like they, they went 15 and two and the number one seed in a down year, apparently, and you still got to go to Kansas City and beat them in an AFC championship game, which is really hard to do. I would not be shocked if they're in it again. I just wouldn't.

[Ryan Rosillo]

And no, I'm not shocked with. Be.

[Matt Leinart]

I. I don't know. I mean, I think people want to see someone else. I would love to see Josh Allen in the Bills or even Lamar. Like, I think those are great teams, stars, fun to watch, good coaching, all that. And I'd love to see. I'd love to see Detroit make it. I don't. Something about something tells me just Detroit. Something's going to happen again and they're just not going to, you know, they're going to trip up somehow. But I don't know.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I thought it was going to happen in that regular season finale against Minnesota and then. And then here.

[Matt Leinart]

Gosh, man, what a fall from grace. The last two weeks for Minnesota.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Quick.

[Matt Leinart]

It's tough to win. I'm telling you it is. And then what? What? I know. We'll talk. What's your take on Sam? Like, I feel. I think he's going to get paid somewhere. I don't. I think. I think Daniel Jones is going to be their starter next year in Minnesota. I think him or jj, I think they keep Daniel and they let Sam walk to go get, you know, go get like a Geno Smith type deal or Baker Mayfield type deal.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I'D be worried about paying. It's kind of like there's a lot of players on Denver that I wouldn't want to give money to if they're not playing next to Jokic. Where Sam away from O'Connell would concern me. And look, if you go around it with this year's draft class and, you know, the Kirk Cousins part of it, I guess, is in there too, but that's still a ton of money to eat to move off of him, I think, in a trade before the second year of the contract. But, I mean, look, I think the pages already been turned to Penx. That makes a lot of sense, right? I mean, so it's. It's already going to be PennX's team, so they're going to have to figure some stuff out, basically. Like, whenever you look at the six or seven teams that feel like they'll have a different quarterback at the start of week one of 20, 25, I don't know if there's enough available ones. So there's probably still a Darnold market. Me in particular, I would say, is Kevin coming with him? He's not. Then we're not doing this. Even if it felt like, could he really be as bad as he was the last two weeks, just facing more pressure because that Detroit game clearly exposed him to something that Shula, the defensive coordinator for the Rams, like, doesn't normally do, they decided to just dial it up against him. And I was saying this last week, but this is why I love Aikman so much on the call. Because as a quarterback, you can tell how pissed he's getting at Darnold for not getting rid of the football. And it actually makes the Darnold experience that much worse when the guy on Monday night is to get rid of the ball, like, get rid of the ball.

[Matt Leinart]

It was. It was hard because I'm a big. I mean, I love Sam, you know, I'm not. I think he and I, he had a hell of a year and, like, he deserves it. Like, in the narrative, everybody was just waiting for him. I feel like in the meet, like, to kind of fall off the cliff. This is. This is the true Sam. And I was bummed for him. I don't, like. I do look at the playoff game and be like, and I know Orlovsky's defended him, and I know Dan really well. And I. It is not all on him. Like, again, these teams just had a great plan of how to attack that line and those protections and all that. But, yeah, like, to hold on to the ball. And it just felt like. It felt a little big. Like, it felt a little big at the moment. Like, it's just. He couldn't handle it. I'm still a believer that you can. I mean, system and coaching is everything. There's no doubt. So I'm with you. Like, unless Kevin's with my. I understand teams are going to be a little wary. That's why I think he's not. The market's going to be there. I just don't think it's going to be. What if he would have bald last couple games? It would have been freaking through the roof. I do, I do believe in a, like, look at Bryce Young. Like, I just look at Bryce Young and that was a small sample size. But I do believe in, like, resets. I do believe in, like, kind of just like, I got my confidence back now I know what I can do. I hope these two games don't destroy that from Sam, because I do think the body of work. I mean, 17 games, dude, and he balled. Like, he balled. I mean, he had a great year. And system aside, like, he made a lot of plays this year and stepped up, so. And I look at Bryce Young, Like, Bryce Young was dead in the tracks, kind of shitty team who was awful, sits out, comes back and like, play pretty damn good. Like, which was crazy. I'm like, in the same system, so. There is something about that.

[Ryan Rosillo]

But.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah, man, I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. It's going to be interesting to see. And they, like you said, the college, you know, the quarterback, the draft class is just. Just thin, thin this year, like, very thin. There's only a couple guys that I would take, you know, in the top few rounds.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Is there a third quarterback for you that you feel?

[Matt Leinart]

I like Jack. I like Jackson Dart. I do. I think I. I think Cam. I don't know. I. I think Cam Ward's probably number one. I mean, you know, we're going to see a lot in the next three months. You know, there's going to be a lot of stuff going on. Cam Ward is electric, I think. And I was. Shador is really good. We saw. I've saw him up close a couple times. Really good player, like, really accurate, good arm, sees the field, can make plays. Cam is just a little bit like, of a. Like, got more juice, you know, I mean, you've watched him play. He's got more juice. He's experienced. Like, he's played a lot of football. He's not like an Anthony Richardson, where you're like, oh, he's. Let's go. Based on the talent, the ceiling. Like, he. He's played a lot of ball. I like, and I like Jackson Dart. I think Jackson Dart is. Is interesting. He played for Kiff. That goes a long way. He threw for a boatload of yards and won a lot of games in the sec. He's tough. He can run. He's built well. You know, he's a thick kid. He, like 6, 2, 6 3, can sling it. And he's got a lot of moxie to him. He's got a lot of moxie to him. So I think he's one that will kind of, you know, climb up the draft boards and maybe sneak into the end of a first round, maybe an early second round. I think those are the three, probably by far and away. I know yours just declared. I was a little shocked by that. I thought he should come back to school for another year. But, yeah, those are the three. I think that will kind of stand out.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Okay. All right, well, let's get into it. We went in reverse order here, but that's all right. Who are you picking for the national championship game?

[Matt Leinart]

Oh, Buckeyes. Man. I. I've. I've sat here, I've been to every. I've been to two of the three Notre Dame playoff games. I mean, my God, dude. And I. I'll say this. I hate Notre Dame for obvious reasons. I respect Notre Dame for obvious reasons. I really like Marcus Freeman, but I just, you know, like, I love Brady Quinn, and we just talk so much shit. And I just. I just can't stand Notre Dame. And I went to the Notre Dame Indiana game, and I went to the Orange Bowl. We got in coach, and I got into the hall of Fame, which was pretty cool. So it was Notre Dame, Penn State, which was a fun week. And so I was with Brady in the box when they want to kick the field goal, and I'm just like, my gosh, like, we got to see Notre Dame again.

[Ryan Rosillo]

But look in Indiana fought back in that game too big.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah. All that being aside, like Notre Dame's are in their own. Is a really good team, man. Like, they're really good. I don't. I think Ohio State just runs away with it. I think it'll be similar to what we saw with Texas a little bit just a slow burn because Notre Dame's defense will keep a minute, and then. And then they're just the second. The difference between Texas and Notre Dame is Texas has more firepower I think, offensively than Notre Dame. Notre Dame has a great run game. That's about it. They don't throw the football consistently enough as much as I do. Like Riley Leonard, I think he's a great kid. He's tough. He's done a great job. Like, they, they just. They can't get in a track meet. And that's what this game is going to be. Ohio State is playing at a different level in the playoff than. Than any team. And, you know, big noon all year we said it and we were at the Michigan game, it was just like, we were like, what. What just happened? Like, it was shocking to be there. If they ever were to put it together, there's not a team in the country that will beat them, and that's how they're playing. And I just don't see Notre Dame doesn't have enough, in my opinion, to win that game.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Is there anything from the Texas matchup? Is there anything there that you can build on if you're, if you're Notre Dame?

[Matt Leinart]

Well, the big thing was they took Jeremiah Smith out of the game. To me, when people say that, which I totally get, you can watch a film and you can try to game plan, but, like, Ohio State's going to coach up to Chip Kelly's going to. They're going to scheme as well. They're going to change some things up. They're going to move Jeremiah Smith around. But that's. That's the point of last. Last game, Jeremiah Smith, who's a freak, was a non factor. And they still, you know, they had the big screen to travy on, like, but I still think they dominated that game, you know, for the most part. And Jeremiah Smith didn't do anything. So, like, to go in and think that Notre Dame is just going to completely shut him out and like, hey, let's hope Abuka and Tate and all these other guys beat them. Like, it's just. That's what makes them so difficult. They have too many guys. Like, you can't. You can't. You just can't. The key is Will Howard, and Will Howard has been awesome in the playoff, but Will Howard all season we would talk about is like, he will just give you one or two a game. Like, he will give you one or two a game. And that's what he did against Michigan and they ended up losing. He hasn't done that in the playoffs. So that's. And Brady and I talked about that. It's like, if he gives them a pick, you know, kind of like Drew Aller, right. Like, you just give him something, give him a touchdown. Then all of a sudden, Notre Dame can kind of. Notre Dame's got a great defense, but it is a copycat, kind of like league, just like the NFL. But I think it's just hard. Like Ohio. Chip Kelly's a really good coach. Ohio. And the difference is Ohio State's defense is elite, too. That's the difference. It's not just offense. It's both sides of the ball. So I think it's going to be. I like Ohio. I think. What's the spread? Like eight and a half or not or something like that. I think Ohio State's going to cover. I think they're going to win big. And I think the fourth quarter, they'll really kind of. They'll roll.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, it's still. It's still eight and a half.

[Matt Leinart]

Did you go. Have you gone to any playoff games?

[Ryan Rosillo]

I haven't, no.

[Matt Leinart]

I'm assuming. I'm assuming you watched all of them, right?

[Ryan Rosillo]

I did watch all of them, yeah. Are you.

[Matt Leinart]

Are you a believer in the 12? Are you. Do you like the setup? I loved it. I thought it was great, but.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Well, the audience already knows this. I just had a hard time with the concept when it was first announced of, you're going to start arguing for teams that I feel like shouldn't have a chance to win a national championship. Yeah, of course. I, you know, I'm kind of stubborn about this. I just think you should have to do something once in your 12 games to win a national championship for the. To the chance to win a national championship, even though you're going through this gauntlet. And then when you realize, okay, that's how they're doing the seating, but you understand the only reason they have to do the seating this way is they had to get everybody to agree. So it was going to be like a very egalitarian approach to this whole thing. But then once it plays out in Boise and the seating of it all, and you're just like, well, this is. This is kind of stupid.

[Matt Leinart]

I think. I think a re. I think a receding will come probably as early as next year if Ohio.

[Ryan Rosillo]

State wins this thing, by the way, like their path to just stop Tennessee 34, nothing against Oregon, take out a Texas team that, you know, could never figure out the Georgia part of this, as opposed to the other side of the bracket. Like, this is going to be on top of everything else that they had to do. And granted, they had the second loss to Michigan, so, you know, hey, Greatest team of all time. All that nonsense, as always happens time of year. This is, this is an all time test. And I think the biggest thing to take from that Texas game is that after the touchdown Drive, the next four series for Ohio State, they had like second and 20 or third and 27. They got so far behind the sticks, four straight possessions because of penalties that probably had as much to do with them not scoring again, again until the Henderson screen as much as anything Texas did there. So I'm, I'm like anybody else who's watched all of these games. The level to do that to Oregon, man, to do that to them.

[Matt Leinart]

Because I, I still think Oregon, I, I said all year I thought it was we, we, because this year was, I thought this year was great because the SEC wasn't dominant how they had been. And. Oh, what. I'm just saying this year was great because the parody was, was like, Georgia, I said it all year. I'm like, georgia's good.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Georgia's good.

[Matt Leinart]

Like, they're not, they're not great. Alabama show their true colors. I love Lane Kiffin. I talked to Lane. I said, lane, shut up, dude. Like, you like go in the last game, go win a team you're favored by 17 points and you're in the playoff. Like, stop.

[Ryan Rosillo]

You know, like, yeah, but Florida's good now. Florida's good now.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah, they're good. They're good now.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Of course, like, is Lane kind of like that co worker that we have? And I'm not even naming on one in particular, but when you're just at home and you go, this fucking guy can't help himself. Like, he's just going to keep tweeting. He's just going to keep going. He's going like, does Lane. He's like excited about it because, you know, then B. Lima got involved and I wanted to be like, hey, Illinois, sorry. But then they beat my team in South Carolina. The team that I thought a committee could figure out a way. Let's, let's really look at what their season was. Let's look at how hoes they got against lsu. All that kind of stuff. Like, I know Lane, like the beginning of it. Like, I always think about coaches and this stuff and winning the luncheon and winning the booster stuff. And he's sitting there, he's like, we're going to be singing Rocky Top. He's almost like hyperventilating because he's so excited to, to win the, the luncheon. And it's worked. And clearly the guy there's so Many of you dudes that have played on that side of the ball that were like, he's unbelievable. Okay? So there's just. I never will have a doubt about the football acumen, but I guess I think as a competitive person, like, all these guys are. At some point you would just be like, do I really want to just sit here and tweet for the next two weeks about how I should have been in the playoffs?

[Matt Leinart]

He. He just can't help himself, dude. I'm telling you. I. I don't. I. I talked to Lane. I feel like I talked to Lane once a week about just anything. Like, right.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I know you guys are Bulls.

[Matt Leinart]

Our kids are our close friends. Like, we. I've known. Obviously, I've known Lane forever. It's like, he just. I know him. Like, when he was tweeting all that stuff out and I literally text him, I was like, you really don't believe you should be in the playoff, right? Like. Like, come on, dude. Like, give it up. And he just. He just. He just. He. He. He's a pot stir. That's all. He's always kind of been like that. That's always been his personality. I love the dude, man. Like, I. I love him because he is. He just. He is. He is who he is. He's not a fraud. And that's why I love him. Like, he. He. He is. He's like the little brother sometimes that you just want to, like, dude, shut up, man. Like, go to your room. Like, go to your room and be quiet until we tell you to come out. Right? And. But he. He loves that role and that. And it's kind of him, man. Like, he. He doesn't. He's learned a lot. I think he's grown a lot, obviously, but he's. Tell you what, dude, he's a hell of a coach. Like, he's a hell of a coach, and players love him, like, because he treats him. He treats him well. But I love. I think I love the playoff. I think the receding, like you said, Oregon got hosed. That top half of the bracket was ridiculous. But Ohio State, they've earned their way. Like, they've earned their. Notre Dame. Notre Dame, too. They've earned their way, too. I mean, Penn State's a good team. Georgia, like, they've earned their way to get there. And I think. I think it'll be good. It'll be exciting, but we'll see.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah. Because I'm. I'm still impressed with Notre Dame against Penn State in that game because I thought Penn State was a tough out with that one. Georgia, I know you could sit here and say SEC champ or whatever, but when you're on the backup. Even if I didn't really like Beck and the way that game played out.

[Matt Leinart]

I thought he would, I thought, stop. I thought he would play a lot better because he, he had the flash in the game when Beck went out and I was like, oh, maybe he's got, he can run right there. Maybe he's got a little more to him. And honestly I, I was dead wrong. I was like, I thought he would play. I thought, I didn't think Notre Dame, I thought Notre Dame could win that game. I just thought they could do some more with, with Stockton because. But then I was thinking, oh shit, this, he's just not ready. He's, that's just. And Notre Dame's defense is elite.

[Ryan Rosillo]

So I felt like. Because Georgia won with him in relief of Beck because again, Beck just was really disappointing. This entire scene. There's too many games, there's too many games from him where you're like, smart.

[Matt Leinart]

Smart to come back. I'm telling you, smart to come back and get paid a hell of a lot of money.

[Ryan Rosillo]

He's moving on. Okay, so let me ask you a bigger picture part of this. Even though there are times I think Fox is more pro big 10 than ESPN ever was pro sec, which I know you'll probably vomit in your mouth at that, that theory that I have.

[Matt Leinart]

Are we going to talk about big noon games or what? I mean, what do you want to talk about?

[Ryan Rosillo]

No, I have a, I have a theory that there's people at Fox that think the SEC ESPN thing is so nefarious that they are like, well, now I'm just going to do it on the other side. And by the way, momentum is on the Big Ten side, or at least SEC decline momentum, whatever it may be. We're looking at back to back title games without an SEC team for the first time in 20 years. Going back to when you guys played Texas. So what do you think? Because, you know, I just like talking to you guys that have the national perspective, but also you're part of it where your, your son's going through it right now. People could pour, you know, portal nil. All these different things I have said just to share with you. The audience already knows this. I need more data. I need like a five year Runway to be like, there is this actual like real shift where it's going to be more challenging for the SEC moving forward. I'm not there yet. Despite evidence at least for the last couple years on the national championship part of it certainly this year with the lack of quarterbacks in that conference, that hey, maybe, maybe the thing that's supposed to happen in sports, the shifts, the cycles, these things are supposed to happen all the time. Like maybe the run will be over, but I'm not there yet. Your thoughts?

[Matt Leinart]

I mean to say the run is over. I wouldn't agree with that. But I think the shift has happened and it's already, it's happening currently and it, the, the, the. I hate the portal. I hate, I hate parts of the portal. I'm sure you do too, but nil. And the portal has completely leveled the playing field. And I've heard a million stories from coaches and these players and, and you see it, you just read it. But no, the days of, and I was a part of this at usc. The days like stacking teams and recruits going because, oh, I'm next in line at Alabama, Saban was there and the five stars, like getting, I'm getting recruited as a backup and this and that, like, it's just those days are done. They're gone. And that's what we saw this year for the first real time, especially with an expanded playoff, is other teams ability to build teams and create more parity. I just don't. The SEC was operating at a level that no other conference could over the years. Were they paying players? Hell yeah, they were playing. That's been going around for a long time. That's okay. Like everybody knew that, right? And the SEC has been doing that for a long time and I'm sure the Big Ten is. Everybody's done that. But to the level that SEC was doing it and those teams, it just. No one could compete. Now you can. It's just, it's a simple fact. Now you can. And a team like Ohio State, when you have a payroll, a team like Texas and then like even like Cole's committed to SMU, like SMU's got a shit ton of money to pay players. So you're going to start seeing kids that are like, man, I can go play at SMU and ball and get 80 catches or throw for 4,000 yards. Now all of a sudden these coaches are getting really good football players that just are over trying to like, you just don't have to go to those schools anymore to advance yourself or to get paid. And that's. It's just that simple. And that's what we saw this year and that's why the shift has already happened. And the 12 team, I think creates more of that, more opportunity. And look, I don't think that CC is dead by any means. I don't think, like, it's. This isn't a Big Ten now and all this. I don't think the ACC had a. ACC was kind of shit this year and like Clemson ended up being a pretty good team. SMU is going to get better, I think, you know, like, it's just. I do. It does go in waves, as you know, but that's why I love where we're at. And then eventually with the rev share and like the cap of these teams and all that, you're just not going to see the dominance of one conference anymore. I just don't.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I don't.

[Matt Leinart]

I don't believe that. Like, I think SC is going to be back at some point. I don't know when I think SC will be back.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, okay, but there is something that you said in there that I, I think you even kind of corrected yourself in mid answer. Is that all right, The SEC was, was taking care of players. Like, there's no way these other top schools, like you don't believe that, right? Like that guys in Austin before Texas went to the SEC be like, what are they doing over there?

[Matt Leinart]

Of course. No, I, I believe every. I believe to, to a. To an extent, everybody was taking care of players. But my point is, is when Bama's rolling or Georgia's rolling and that's where every. And again, it was always like, there's two things when you go to a top school you go for. To advance yourself to the NFL. What's the best place that can get me to the NFL? And then like coaching, right? Like just those types of things. It was like, where can I go to develop and get to the league? Those are kind of the places, right? Like just there's only a handful. That was. Dude, that was Pete Carroll, usc. Where can we go? We're going to come out to USC because that's where we can go and advance because that's what Pete's sending kids to the league. And then on top of that sec, like there's just a lot of money there and that's been happening for a long time. And so, yeah, I think it's happened all over the place, but to the extent of it happening there, I don't know. And on the fact that they're just dominating and winning and that's even more enticing for players to go and that's why you just saw the SEC dominate for so long. And really good coaches like Saban Kirby. Smart's a great coach, but here's my thing. And then I got to go to my kids assembly. Here's my thing. I don't. I just. I think with the sec, my. The thing I hate about this the most is. And Lane says this, it's like, well, top to bottom, it's this and this. And I'm just like, that's just. It's just BS because it's not top to bottom. Like, when was the last time like Tennessee, like, Tennessee is a good team. Tennessee hasn't been. I don't even know the last time since they've been great like Peyton Manning maybe. Like, I like.

[Ryan Rosillo]

It'd be 25.

[Matt Leinart]

Florida really hasn't really been good since Urban maybe. I mean, I'm sure there's years in there. Vanderbilt, like, let's jump out of at.

[Ryan Rosillo]

A New Year's six. But you're right.

[Matt Leinart]

I just. I just. I hate. I hate the argument that, well, they're the best team, the deepest team. Every week is tough. This and that. Yeah. Urban stands by that a little bit. He's coaching it. I haven't. But I'm just like Illinois. South Carolina is kind of a great example of a bowl game. Again, it's a bowl game, but it's just like, I just. That's the part I don't buy with the sec. It's like the middle of the pack. Well, they would win this game. They would like, that's just be. I hate that part. Georgia Bama over the years, LSU, 20, 19. Like, of course I get it. Maybe the top two, three are better than the Big Ten's top because then it drops off. But you just can't sit here and tell me that, well, the middle of the SEC would dominate the middle of the Big Ten. I just don't. I don't believe that. I just don't. And because I've seen enough evidence in bowl games. I've seen enough evidence in common opponents. And that's. I think that's what frustrates someone like me or someone like, obviously we do cover the Big Ten. Like, I wish. I wish we had some sec. I think it's a great conference, but I think that's just the narrative that's always pushed. And that's what was pushed for the playoffs. It was pushed by South Carolina. It was pushed by Ole Miss. It was pushed by who? Like A M, obviously A M had to win and they were, you know. But it's just like, I just. That's the part that bothers me.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Enjoy your son's assembly. I don't want you to be late.

[Matt Leinart]

Appreciate you, brother.

[Ryan Rosillo]

The Ryan Rosilla podcast is brought to you by fanduel and there's nothing like the NFL playoffs. It's one big game after another. And you know what? Big games deserve bigger payouts. That's why FanDuel is giving all customers the same game parlay profit boost every game day during the NFL playoffs. It doesn't matter if you're new to FanDuel or or already have an account. You'll score a bigger payout if your same game parlay hits. Okay, we're gonna try to do something here that I think. All right, so say you're looking at. We'll get to the other stuff a little bit later on. But as far as fading the public with this one, the Rams are the biggest public play so far in percentage of bets and percentage of money. But it's not overwhelming. It's, as of this morning, 64% of the bets, 67% of the money. So normally when you're fading the public, the number sways a little bit more. But there's just a lot of RAM stuff here. It opened at plus six. It's plus six and a half, minus six and a half on FanDuel right now. So let's say you're fading that a little bit. You're going Eagles at home. You're thinking, Hurts settled in, gets a game under his belt with all of that time off. And if you like the Eagles minus six and a half, instead of it essentially being even money and betting the money line, why not boost that up by saying if it's the Eagles, what about Jalen Hurts as a first touchdown score? A little dangerous. Don't always love those. If it's anytime, we're still kind of even. So you could do this. You go, Eagles minus six and a half. Jalen hurts any time. Touchdown score. That payout is plus 200 if you're feeling real brave. Eagles minus six and a half. Jalen hurts first touchdown score. That one's paying out at plus 762. So a couple different options for you there. So don't just watch on the sidelines. Visit FanDuel.com Ryan Rye and to get in on the action, that's FanDuel.com Ryanryn to get a same game parlay profit boost every game day during the NFL playoffs, make every moment more with FanDuel. An official sportsbook partner of the NFL must be 21 and older and present in select states or 18 plus and present D.C. opt in required minimum three leg parlay required bonus issued is non withdrawable Profit boost tokens restrictions apply including any token expiration and max wager amount. See [e-mail] gambling problem. Call 1-800-gambler or visit rg-help.com a little couch money research for you here, playoff style. All right, as we talked about during our FanDuel read, we've got fading the public is the Eagles minus six, minus six and a half depending on where you get it. Again, it's FanDuel this morning is minus six and a half so we're going Eagles minus six and a half. The research play for this one is, you know, we have less to pick from here so there's a lot of research on Philly as well, which is probably also fading the public there a little bit. Apparently a bigger split on Baltimore Buffalo, so maybe I'll leave that one for me. So let's go with a lean on Kansas City minus the eight and a half. So right now we're looking at two favorites. Don't want to do that all the time. That number for Washington and Detroit's massive it opened at 10, it's still at nine and a half. Now I'm gonna pick the bills plus one. Opened at minus one and a half. So I'll go Bills and Bills outright. I think the Eagles win at home, Chiefs win at home. I'm gonna go with the Lions here. So I think I'm picking all the home teams, which doesn't make me feel great either. But the Bills Ravens thing, there's a lot of stuff leading up, especially when we had 10 win on and I'm like, yeah, this matchup feels very Ravens heavy against that Bill's front. But maybe a turnover here, turnover there. Maybe it's the Lamar stuff continues. So we'll go Bills at home as the only one really worth talking about and we'll break it all down on Monday. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. State Farm helps you score an affordable price when you choose to bundle home and auto insurance with the personal price plan, you can choose the insurance coverage that fits your needs at a price you can afford. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can bundle and save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state. A Friday edition of NBA Tales from the Couch Normally we do these Wednesdays as we get out of the football part of it, but whatever. I feel like I haven't done very much NBA open stuff. So let's get to a few things that I think are important. We have the rematch this time in Oklahoma City between the Cavaliers and the Thunder. We know that the Cavs want a close one at home. Just a week ago, this one was not close. Thunder up 40 to 14 one minute into the second quarter. Not a lot of suspense here. Not a lot of rotations. I don't have a ton to give you here, unlike and then this guy subbed in. Right. The Cleveland turnover situation, I think tells the biggest story of this one. 13 turnovers in the first half for the Cavs that led to 22 points for OKC. Oklahoma City actually leads the NBA in points off of turnovers with 23 points per game. So that means OKC was basically at that number in the first half. I was a little surprised the Cavs were not more ready for what the Thunder do with this defense and their help and all these different things, because you just can't go slow against okc and whether it's Mobley and a post catch and door comes over and helps immediately. Turnover. There was a Lavert thing he was trying to do on the sideline where that just got wrecked on this handoff. Allen was stripped at the top. Garland drives on the right side. Wiggins causes the turnover. Lavert even fell down at one point. Like Levert is just I love Garland, Mitchell, Allen, Mobley, collectively, individually, all this different stuff. If there was five oars on one side of a boat, Lavert would be rowing it the opposite way. So you just can't dick around with the basketball against this team. And you would have thought that they would have already known that, but it just didn't happen. It happened. Look, Allen had another catch at the top of the key where he just waited and then Kenrich stripped him. So there was even a jump ball. This wasn't even a turnover. There was a jump ball. Mitchell ends up with it and he's in this Caruso Dort double team hell where Mitchell's like on the baseline, throwing the basketball over the backboard from behind and falling down, flailing. So this was a rough, rough first half. SGA did whatever he wanted to do, whether it was hunting for Garland or the actual Dean Wade assignment where Dean Wade was his assigned defender. Dean has the third best defensive rating of any of the regulars on the Cavs. There's always These weird defensive rating numbers that sometimes, like, what does that one really mean? Like, I remember for years they would have it listed individually on NBA.com and like, Rudy Gay would just be off the charts better than anybody else. Like, I don't think Rudy Gay is the best defensive player in the NBA. A lot of size there. A lot of size for Dean Wade as well. Didn't matter. SGA did whatever he wanted. It wasn't because of free throws. Only five free throw attempts last night. He was actually 1 of 5 on threes, but he was 17 of 26. That's just how easy it was for him. So he gets his 40. His 40 now makes him the leading scorer in the NBA. But I think more importantly, especially if we're looking at some of the MVP stuff right now, SGA's total points, he's at 1,264. He's basically 200 points ahead of Brunson, who's number two in total points. He's technically 199 points ahead of him. Granted, he's not worried about Brunson in the MVP race. He's worried about Jokic. And if you're doing Jokic, total points and you get to do yoga, shuttle, other stuff as well. But right now, again, SGA, just a reminder, basically 200 points total ahead of the number two overall score for total points in the league. So, look, if you didn't watch this game, also didn't include this part. We know chet's not there. 18 mile Artenstein, also not playing in this game. So that means, of course, Brandon Carlson, undrafted rookie, 25 years old, from Utah, comes in and hits two threes immediately. I mean, it's just the number of things that are just working out for the Thunder here. Insane. All right, a late one. That was a lot of fun. Sacramento has won eight of nine. They went again last night at home against Houston, 8 and 2 with Doug Christie as head coach. Sacramento schedule, Right. Because sometimes I'll go, hey, this team's playing really good. Everybody's talking about him. And you're like, it's the schedule, stupid. This is not really a schedule thing. Let's look at Sacramento schedule. You could say, all right, well, Dallas, both guys were out. Philadelphia, no embiid. Although embiid playing I don't think necessarily helps them. And I gotta tell you, too, like, some of this Paul George stuff that I was watching the other night, you know, they were down big to New York. They come back, ends up being a close game, but he's going to do More. He has to do more. That guy, he's like expensive Tobias Harris, man. I'm telling you, he needs to be doing more for the Sixers team with Embiid out. All right, so I'm gonna probably go on a future side tangents here. Some plan. Not planned. They beat Memphis with no job. We're talking about Sacramento again here. But they beat the warriors or Stephen Draymond there. They killed Boston in Boston by 17, by the way. The Celtics are 7 and 7 in their last 14, but they're net rating in their last 15 is the third best in the NBA. They're not shooting the ball very well. I think there's some effort stuff you could point to as well. But Sacramento beat Boston for that was without Fox too. And they've had three wins in this stretch without the Aaron Fox. They had him back last night. So if we look at the last 10 for this Doug Christie stretch, Sacramento's number five in offense, number 14 in defense. They were 16th in defense the date that Mike Brown was fired, late December. A lot of zone last night against Houston. I don't really even know that it worked necessarily. It was probably a way to try to keep Sabonis out of foul trouble. He ended up fouling out. Sabonis is one of the more. Maybe it's not confusing, maybe it's very simple. But Sabonis is somebody statistically where the efficiency and everything is so off the charts. You start looking at like all NBA teams. You start looking at all star voting and all that kind of stuff. And yet I know that even with his incredible skill, his passing and what he's able to do, the rebounding numbers are ridiculous. I just kind of go, yeah, but shouldn't Houston just be able to get to the rim whenever they want to against him without ever any fear whatsoever? Same thing with Shingoon. Like they would get him on a couple posts last night and he would just go right to work on Sabonis. I wonder where Alfie Sengun would work rank post play right now in the NBA. I'm not talking points per post, possession just straight up, old school, foot in the ground, pivot foot, maybe another pivot foot, armpit hair right in the defender's forehead. Where is Shingoon right now? Then you've got the Amen Thompson part of it where he looks like he's. Is he going to be a point guard man? Right. Like that's exciting. Then you had kind of the Houston turnover part of it where it's the Jalen Green great play Bad play, stuff that was happening all night. But I thought, I think Amen Thompson is who. I pronounce his name incorrectly sometimes, whether it's him or Asar. That is why teams will draft just special athletes. It's why Perry Orr is going to go in drafts, shout out to Taipei. It's why Danny Ainge talked about drafting Jaylen Brown out of California because if you watched, it wasn't really great, but it was just physically at the wing position. If this guy ever does figure it out, we seem to have a really hard time with getting better. Like, hey, what happened there? Why do people get that wrong? He got better. Why did that not work out? He didn't get better. The stuff that we're seeing with Amend Thompson is so incredibly impactful where it's not just a he made a three or had a sick dunk, he's just, you can just feel his approach to the game, kind of like dictating stuff that's going to happen within. Now the other side of the Sacramento made a ton of threes. You had Keegan Murray with a really nice bounce back stretch here after shooting it so poor the first couple months of the season. DeMar DeRozan was too much. You know, Cam Whitmore is out there with minutes. I don't know if you can actually technically have a negative assist ratio number. His assist percentage jump from 6%.0 to 6.4 this year. So massive improvement there. When it's in the single digits, that's pretty bad. I just wonder with his predictability on offense, he's probably a better second unit guy. Could those numbers or those minutes be going to Reed shepherd with no Van Vliet last night? Or does Reed get destroyed on the perimeter against the Keegan Monk Fox and then certainly DeRozan with how good he was at closing this game out last night, would he get crushed there? So I think there's, there's some really good stuff with Keegan here lately. The rest of the guys, you just kind of know what they're getting. The DeRozan edition is just would you rather have 35 minutes with DeMar DeRozan or with Harrison Barnes? And even though Harrison Barnes was awesome in the post against the Lakers a couple nights ago, putting in work against Finney, Smith, Reeves and Christie, you'd rather have DeRozan and I don't think anybody would ever debate you on that one. Jalen Green's had a really nice stretch here, but God, I don't know if I can Pacino this guy again. I Just don't know if I can continue. I can't imagine being a Rockets fan. Well, I kind of am a little bit. Right. Can't imagine being a Rockets fan and being like, what he's. Is he awesome again now? Because I kind of thought maybe he wasn't after all this stuff. As an aside, we got miked up. Doug Christie. If you're a certain age, there's probably a lot of you that there's some Doug Christie content out there. Like 20 years ago, we were like, what's this guy's deal? And look, he's a Sacramento King lifer. There's something to be said of that. Carries himself a certain way. But when he was miked up, he was talking to like, Keon Ellis about, like, let's not talk to the officials and let's be above this and all this. And all I could think about, like, if I was an NBA player, my coach was miked up and he was telling me what I should or shouldn't say to an NBA ref, I'd be like, you can. You can fuck off with that. However, that's not the way Doug Christie is going to be. And even the official was like, he's not getting on me. So unique mic'd up opportunity on the other side with the mic. I'm sensing a difference when IME Udoka is interviewed by Jared Greenberg versus when he is interviewed by Taylor Rooks. I will continue, continue to monitor the vibes. Last couple notes here. I love Jaren Jackson Jr. There's nothing on the counting stats to be like, now you like them, right? Because it's kind of mirroring where he was at when he made the all Star team a couple years ago, which was his fifth season. So now we're talking about his seventh season. I started looking into the metrics. I was like, should I find. I don't want to find anything. I don't want to look at anything. I don't want to convince you that because this win share 48 Number is better than this one and the vorp is heading in the right direction that the box score plus minus. But if you look at the rot, I don't have anything for you other than I love this guy right now in a way that I've never loved Jiren Jackson before. All right, when did it happen, Ry? I'll tell you. Look, it could be the game December 7th against Boston where he set down the entire toolbox, took out the hammer, the screwdriver, the level, the all hand planer, nail set. Just the stuff he did against Boston in that game, to close it out was just. He had everything you would want, and he gave it to you. He gave it all to you. It's all on sale. 38 and 12 against Phoenix, but most importantly, the Wednesday night win against San Antonio. Well, he was only 19, 6 and 2. And he shot at. What was he, 9 of 24. Yep. Fine. But that's the hardest I've ever seen anyone go at Wembanyama since he's been in the NBA. He went right at that dude like, I don't give a shit. And he made Wemby feel him. There was a couple times where he slammed in. Wembanyama finished against him, and Wemby was like, backing up kind of under the basket and get ready to run back down on offense where he's like, that wasn't very much fun. I haven't seen anybody ever attack him like Jaren Jackson did. So I don't care about the shooting numbers. And you could even argue, like, oh, for. I don't want to talk efficiency. Can we take a break from it for one second? I love Jaren Jackson Jr. Although I did fall for it with Scoot going at Wemby in international play. But scoop arrow up. Last thing. Hey, Ryan, did Alex Sar take a ridiculous three pointer last night? Yes, he did. The number two picks had a nice stretch. Really good. December was rookie of the Month in the East. Yves Mei, rookie of the Year in the West. Love his game. Great job by that Pelicans front office that we'd like to give shout outs here because I just think they're really good at this. Also recognition of Trey Murphy's altered ceiling. But real ones know that he could put it on the deck and get to the hoop if you watched him at Virginia. Dejante Murray was filthy closing out against Dallas the other night. But dare I say, was it so good that it was not involving Trey enough? Who knows? I mean, Dejante was just. I think it was like 10 or 12 points to close that one out. So the Pelicans are on fire right now. 3 of 4 Almost beat Boston, by the way. So it could have been four straight with this one. Hey, I thought this was about Alex Sar and a three pointer. Don't worry, we'll get there. So I watched last night as Phoenix was able to close out the Wizards barely in Washington. Phoenix, I just don't like right now. It's an easy stretch of the schedule. They've won, I think, five of seven. So you're like, what don't you like? I don't like the way it's looked. Winning five these seven. And last night's a perfect example of it. They're up 117. 100. That's 17 points with 5, 18 to go. And four minutes later, it's 120 to 117. Durant came in with like 318. He didn't even take a shot. You know, the Wizards young players don't know any better, so they're going to play pretty hard, whether it's Bub or George or Koulibaly. Even Sar, like, got out and transitioned after a turnover. Like, Phoenix had some real turnover problems. Like, I'm just telling you, between Minnesota being healthy, which maybe is more concerning where Phoenix is start, I'm like, okay, well, this makes sense. Like, if Phoenix is healthy and they have these guys, like, their start should be like, that should be a good season. Cause they've done a good job with all the role players and all the stuff in the off season. And yet I don't know, man. I watched the Atlanta game. I watched both Charlotte games and like, what. What is up with this team? And Beal didn't even play last night. He turned the ankle in the Atlanta game, which was really just bad from Phoenix. And he did come back and play in that game, so ended up not playing here. So Booker was having a tough run of it because he's in there for basically the entire fourth quarter. And Durant was out. They were up big enough, so you didn't even know if they're going to bring Durant back again. There's no Beal. So, like, if you look at Booker's efficiency stuff on this season, you're going to go, well, you know, this is actually kind of a down year for him. I think that's really missing the point of, like, when he was playing, when the other guys weren't there, how ugly it was getting because it was just him asked to save them the entire time. And at this point, I think Booker's a better player than Durant is. I think he's better for Phoenix than. Than Durant is. And Booker ended up hitting the three. That kind of like closed the game anyway. So back to Sar. Cause I know you've been waiting desperately. When is this going to get Back to Alex? Sar, man waiting. It is 123, 117. And there's 44 seconds left on the game clock. You've got a full shot clock on the inbounds. On the wizard side. They throw it into SAR. And SAR like dribbles in a hurry to get behind the three point line to then turn and take a three. I'm serious. There was 22 seconds left on the shot clock. So yeah, I know you got to go quick. Yeah, you're maybe looking for a three. You would have thought there was point zero, like an eighth of a second left and they were down three or four. SAR was like, nope, need to get this one up. And I know he shot it really well from three after a disastrous start on this. So that's a shot that they're going to want to take. No one in the history of basketball has ever wanted anyone to take that shot the way he took it. Take a quick look at the west right now. Do you know where your veteran teams are in the standings? Because I do. Oklahoma City's class of themselves. I think the Houston, Memphis, Denver thing and a healthy Dallas are probably ones that make the most sense. Then it's this Clipper story that just won't go away. They won three in a row and they've just been better than I thought they would be. Minnesota alarming because the health and the fact they're not better. Sacramento surging. The ten seed is Phoenix. Same record as Golden State, who's now out of the playing. 20 and 20 now on the season. Although their win against Minnesota was really impressive the other night. That means they've gone 8 and 17 since the 12 and 3 star. And then San Antonio just below.500 with the loss to Memphis. So that's. That's a crazy group right there. And look, scooting the Trailblazers, only seven games out from the ten seed. This episode is brought to you by Pepcid Complete. All right, let's talk game day essentials. How do I spend game day? Well, we already know that. Get out of the house, get the blood flowing, try to get some activities going. But man, I had some wings the other night. My brother ordered them. Table wings. It was awesome. And it was also a little reminder you're getting a little bit older. But there's one guest that isn't welcome on game day and that's heartburn. Because I remember thinking it was made up. I was like, who gets it? What is it? Do you get dumped and you get it? Nope. You just start to get it, man. I don't know what to tell you. And if you can't fix it, you're in for a tough, tough afternoon, maybe even into the night. Thankfully, Pepcid Complete starts to work instantly and lasts all day. Just one great tasting chewable tablet provides dual action heartburn relief with an antacid that starts working instantly and an acid reducer that lasts all day. So I can stay focused on the game. Visit pepcid.com to shop now. All day based on 8 hour symptom relief studies during the day. Used product only as directed. You want details?

[Kyle]

Fine. I drive a Ferrari 355 Cabriolet.

[Ryan Rosillo]

What's up?

[Worgon]

I have a ridiculous house in the south fork.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I have every toy you can possibly imagine and best of all, kids, I am liquid.

[Kyle]

So now you know what's possible.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Let me tell you what's required. Life Advice lifeadvice rrmail.com St. John's Kyle.

[Kyle]

Got one thing left. I got one thing left. This year it's them.

[Ryan Rosillo]

So I love it. I love that you love the Johnny's. So Rudy, I believe the floor is yours.

[Worgon]

Yeah, I got a bad update. A lot of people have been asking, a lot of people have been concerned for my health. Did go ahead and get the rabies shot. The rabies vaccine thought it was one shot. It is not. It's like 12 shots. So your boy is, your boy's on a regimen. I got two shots in the thigh the other day, one in the arm. Same day. No big deal. Don't call me a hero. And I go back tomorrow, the week after. It's intense. So the schedule, we are, we are, we're just, we're being precautionary. But I didn't realize it was 12 shots.

[Kyle]

Yeah, I always thought the baddest mfer was the tetanus shot. I didn't realize there was multiple parts to rabies. Tetanus was like, you know, two years. I got to get to. I think it was like, what, what is it? Every 10 years. So like around like 11, I was like, oh man, my time's coming. I'm going to be done. Because everyone's like, oh, you get sore. I didn't realize there was like multiple parts, like a trilogy of shots.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Seven.

[Kyle]

That's crazy.

[Ryan Rosillo]

So how long is this going to go?

[Worgon]

You have to get it on day zero, day three, day seven, and then day 14. And originally it was four shots. At the first, we had to go to the er, which is lovely, very nice. People shouts out to them, she have.

[Ryan Rosillo]

To get the shot. Does your daughter have to get.

[Worgon]

The daughter door was closed. So the daughter does not. Because the dog, the bat wasn't in her vicinity. Um, but we, we do. And everyone there was basically like, there's Basically, like, zero chance. You need these, but I can't actually tell you. You're fine.

[Kyle]

Interesting. Sitting in the. In the. You know, the ER waiting room when there's probably, like, you know, real shit, people really struggling. You're like, yeah, it was a calm day.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah.

[Worgon]

I was. I was expecting it to be, like, carnage, but it was actually kind of calm. It was a smaller little hospital, too, so that worked out well. But. But yeah. And then so I was prepared to just go, like, left arm, right arm. She's like, no, you're gonna want to get him in the thighs. And I was like, really? So pants down. Just shot, shot, shot, left arm. And I feel good, you know, but we'll find out tomorrow when I've got to do it again.

[Kyle]

Glad you did the right thing.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I had no idea. The tetanus one's fine.

[Kyle]

No, when you're a kid, it sounds like the worst thing you're ever gonna have to do, because, like, even adults, you're like, yeah, man. I was sore afterwards.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Like, sore.

[Kyle]

What are you talking about?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Used to step on nails all the time.

[Worgon]

My wife's a trooper. She stepped on a nail the last time she was pregnant. How to get the tetanus shot while pregnant. That was fun.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I had no idea. No wonder. I mean, this. This rabies fatality number that we got this week. Now it's all starting to make sense. But I wonder if you can go out. You staying in? No way. I'm on top of it.

[Worgon]

I'm hanging out with the boys tonight. Come on.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Four shots in, three to go. No problem. All right. We also had a Disney employee reaching out to Wargon. I will forward you the details, Worgon, but it appears the people of Disney appreciate your support. I don't know if it's the Lion King, Inc. Or the fact that you got on a flight with a stomach flu and then still ran a half marathon in the rain as your wife lapped you. But if you want to pull up your audio and video here real quickly, I want to let you know the people down in Orlando are on your side.

[Matt Leinart]

Nice. Good to hear.

[Kyle]

They are for.

[Matt Leinart]

I don't know if I got laps. I don't know if I got lapped. She beat me, like, 20 minutes.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Oh, okay. Sorry.

[Worgon]

Sorry.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I thought you said she just flew.

[Worgon]

Right past you, but she did actually say that. He did say that.

[Matt Leinart]

It wasn't a lapping.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I don't even know what the course was, so I. That's on me. That's on me not doing the research of what that would be. So I will forward you those details. Would you still use this?

[Kyle]

Nice, dude.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah. Yeah, that's great.

[Worgon]

Hell, yeah. Fast pass. Let's go.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Still the ESPN corpy mill.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ryan Rosillo]

All right, sounds. Sounds good. All right, so I sent out a video of the halftime entertainment at the Nuggets game from last week. I think I forget which Nuggets game it was. They all kind of watched a lot of Nuggets. So I have the feeds up. Like a lot of you do. If you have league pass, you don't get commercials during halftime. You just get the feed.

[Worgon]

It's awesome. And actually, yeah, one of the best parts of league pass.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Although my father, after a couple weeks with me once was like, I almost missed commercials because he was so annoyed at the in game entertainment hosts. Because then we started like, critiquing and be like, oh, this guy thinks he's really cool. Like, he thinks he's three years away from starting on his. Like, he thinks he's gonna have a Netflix show where I was like, this person I think understands, like, kind of where they're at a little bit more and be like, who hired this dude and what's her deal? Right? So you just start going through all of them. I could probably do a podcast. I don't know, maybe when I take some time off, like, ranking all the in arena entertainment hosts, I might be your guy. I might be your guy for it. But anyway, they have a lot of kids that play from local schools, local communities. You get to go play in an NBA court. It's an awesome thing to do. I get to do it for a men's league thing. So that was cool. But yet there's kids just running around all over the place. And what happens is all the kids want to take NBA threes. And sometimes the age range is like, maybe. Usually the age range is like, absolutely not. This is a disaster. The other night, for a Nuggets game, the kids took 13 NBA threes. They went over 13. Oh, there were eight air balls. Yeah, I tracked it. I went back because I. The problem is, is when I have multiple TVs on and then the kids start playing. I watch the kids more than the adults because I'm fascinated by their approach to it. And then one kid started waving his arms pointing like Babe Ruth to where he was going to pull up from logo 3. I can't believe it hit the rim. This kid pulled up from 30 plus feet. And I don't think these guys were like, above the fourth, fifth grade. Thing. So it wasn't dumping on kids. It was just in observation about the evolution of where the game is going. And then I tweeted like, hey, is Steph to blame? Even though I love Steph probably as much as any current, I don't think there. I don't. I think Steph will be the last athlete I like this much. By the way, for the record, don't know what that means, but there you go. Anyway, went to the Resillo Denver live show and the Simmons live show. Oh, back to back. Saw your tweet about the kids going over 13 at the Nuggets game halftime show. As a friend of the coach, I just wanted right in to give you the behind the scenes. The coach was hanging out with the kids in the hallway that Jokic always runs down and he hyped them up to make an NBA three pointer. Not a good look for the state of the game in the youth or at the youth level. But the coach probably has to split the blame with Curry. While I'm here, can you help settle some Nuggets group chat drama?

[Kyle]

Sounds awesome. Can't wait.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Murray is 12th on the NBA player salary list in 2627. Is there a tougher contract to build around? Signs appeal for what you're getting? Yeah, there's worse contracts. I, Simmons is, is captain of the Murray ship right now and I, I do not want to buy a ticket because I, I think Murray eventually, because he's had those high playoff moments. You know, we're not talking about somebody who's a stiff. So I don't think that, that the Murray contract is like this, this absolute albatross because I don't think he's going to be this bad anyway. All right, well, glad to know that that was part of it there. But look, it isn't just about these Denver kids. Do you guys want to do life advice emails instead of these?

[Kyle]

I wouldn't, I wouldn't mind.

[Worgon]

Yeah, Kyle's already checked out.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, I'm looking at Kyle just going. All right, let's, let's go back. Let's just. All right, let's go for just a heavy hitter then. Male, 44, third string university goalie in Canada never had to dress for games, so I know the closest bars to every rink we played on at the road Basketball comp. Cedric Hunter matches my practice to game time ratio. Anyway, I run my own construction company. Skilled labor is in demand. I have a heart. I think these guys are like real Canadians by the way. Skilled labor is in demand. Hard to attract I keep raising my wages, but it's still hard to retain or attract workers. Recently I had one of my best employees find this note on his vehicle. Phone number is covered as he posts the note at a legendary dive bar. Have been busy raising a family, so this reminded me of the hijinks of university in Montreal. Anyway, on top of this, everything else, maybe the Guy went to McGill. While drinking at this bar with friends, we got into an argument. Did a man or woman write this? Is it connected to you driving a Subaru as a construction worker? Is this solicitation or entrapment? Also, he found this a day after his honeymoon. Should I post this as a benefit that my company offers? Will this lead to the dissection on the job site? If others get the same note. And if you ever visit the Yukon, we can show you where to park your rental car. All right, so here's the note. I see you park here regularly. Earmuffs, kids, earmuffs. I see you park here regularly and I'm thinking you are part of the construction crew working at the Country Inn. I live close by. Would you be into getting discreet, let's use the term steam, occasionally? Maybe on your lunch break or after work. That was cleaning it up. So that's the note. Kyle, is this a perk?

[Kyle]

Dude, this is, you know, this isn't. This guy's friends just seeing if he takes the bait. You don't think that's what this is? That's gotta be what it is. Or like just like a group of the regular guys in the bar. Like, let's see if Tommy bites on this one. Because if he does, they'll have whatever the fuck he's texting or whoever he's calling. I can't see this being real. And listen, I'm not, I'm not versed in Canada. Maybe there's forward women just dotted all around that, that great northern area up there, but it just. For me, alarms are ringing. This is somebody just don't, don't step in this, man. They're begging. The trap is set as far as I'm concerned. But I don't know, maybe. The guy's an absolute knockout and it's just like this is what happens when he goes out in the world. Could be.

[Ryan Rosillo]

But I had dinner with a pretty good looking guy the other night.

[Worgon]

A lot of people coming up to him.

[Ryan Rosillo]

World is different, man.

[Kyle]

Dude, totally.

[Ryan Rosillo]

World is different for those guys.

[Worgon]

Pretty privileged.

[Kyle]

Yeah, Just like absolute knockouts, right?

[Worgon]

I mean, some dudes are hot.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yes. There's some hot dudes out there. Folks just want to be friends with one of them.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Anyway, back to the note. The handwriting is sort of gender neutral, like a lot of the bathrooms in la. So I don't know if the old detective lens is helping me here. I'm looking at the font. I'm looking at the. You know, it's. It's. Obviously, nobody writes in cursive anymore. I don't know if this is a Canadian man's handwriting, though. You know, I'm sort of thinking construction. I'm thinking the Yukon shout out. Although the hockey part of it, McGill feels a little south for where I assume that maybe this construction site is. But if we allow ourselves to move up the lines of the longitude lines here, I think.

[Kyle]

Are we talking bubble letters? Like, does it look like.

[Ryan Rosillo]

No, no. Trust me, we're on the same page, Kyle. Like, I think I could figure it out. And this one feels it's neat, so maybe it is female, but I think. I think Steve's right. Yeah. I think you're just setting yourself up here to be humiliated. Like, one of my roommates did this to me and left it on the monster truck was like, hey, I love this truck. It's so cool that. Whatever. And it was just like they. And they part to see. Yeah, right. There was like a heart, like, dotted something. But they did it. And I don't know what the hell they were doing that day other than nothing. But they did it in a way that they knew I would be coming out to my truck, like, within a couple hours, and they just waited to see how I would react. Like, that was their phone number. Yeah, there was a phone number. And that was their whole payoff to see, like, if I was going to kind of smile and read it and, like, be really feeling myself being, like, see, I am right. This truck is awesome.

[Worgon]

Yeah. They just left, like, Mike Jones phone number there.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Although that still would have been before Mike Jones. So that number would work. Anyway. I knew immediately it was. It was one of the guys. So I luckily didn't do a. An ego boost, like, face in the parking lot where I'm like, man, I am hot. Awesome.

[Kyle]

Construction workers in a bar. Anything within a certain range.

[Ryan Rosillo]

So what'd you do, Kyle? What would you do?

[Kyle]

I think. I think I'm leaving it. Even if I'm curious. I'm like, I can't give these guys a win. I cannot give these guys a win. And I might forego something great, and maybe that's something I got to work on, But I come from A friend group that does hijinks and likes to make guys feel bad about themselves in short spurts, and then it's all love after that. But I would just. I don't know. I think it's just. I got too much of that ingrained in me that I wouldn't. I wouldn't even sniff this out.

[Worgon]

What's the upside, too, like, what's the percentage chance that she's actually, like, normal? Hot chick? Yeah.

[Kyle]

Yeah. Normal is the word here, right?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Party. How'd you guys meet? Well, I've got pretty good handwriting. All right, another shout out to Oregon. I just wanted to give Oregon his proper flowers for running the Disney Marathon under the circumstances he described. I happen to be in Disney World with some friends. Tuesday, Friday, the friends organized the trip because they were signed up to run the 5K Thursday morning. After one full day in Magic Kingdom on Wednesday, they both bailed on the 5k. We all spent all day Thursday on roller coasters and getting drinks in Epcot. Great job sticking with it, Oregon. Thanks.

[Matt Leinart]

Thanks, gang.

[Worgon]

That's one way to say it.

[Kyle]

No, I echo that guy's sentiments. And I said this on the pod, like, you had multiple reasons to bail. I would have bailed at the first reason. And you did it, so I aligned with that guy.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Oregon, what would you have done with that note?

[Matt Leinart]

Nothing. My friend said that to me when I was in, like, high school. Just, like, wrote on my car, like, you know, like, the car rank that you write with.

[Kyle]

Yes.

[Worgon]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Leinart]

And it was like, you cheated on me, like, you stole my girl, Stuff like that.

[Ryan Rosillo]

What?

[Matt Leinart]

I just, like, cleaned off the windshield, like, drove it home. Next morning, my dad was like, nice, you stole someone's girl. Good job. It's like, dad, what the.

[Ryan Rosillo]

That doesn't feel like the same thing, but I think it works.

[Matt Leinart]

It's kind of similar.

[Worgon]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Leinart]

It's just your friends trying to fuck with you.

[Ryan Rosillo]

All right, one more for the kid. 6 2, 1, 80. Player comp. Jokic. I trained for a marathon in 2016 for six months. Followed a precise training regimen, devoted my life to proper hydration and nutrition and preparation for the race. One week before the race, I came down with an rsv, a respiratory illness that can cause a lot of cough and wheezing and trouble breathing. I threw everything I could at the illness the week before the race. Antibiotics, steroids, breathing treatments to try to run the race. Race day come, and I knew on mile three that I didn't feel right. Much like Borgon, I showed up and finished. But it was 40 minutes off my goal training time. It left a very sour taste in my mouth. All of that training down the drain. I stewed with that for eight years. Eight years, dude. There wasn't another race.

[Worgon]

So you had one shot.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Was it a full marathon?

[Worgon]

You know, you could just run this on your own too, right? Like, is it, you know, Google maps.

[Ryan Rosillo]

It and yeah, I don't think. I don't think that's going to be cool for the runners out there. And they're not going to like that suggestion because I don't think it's the same thing. I stewed with that for eight years until finally in 2024, I got up to courage to train for another marathon. This time I got covet halfway through the training. But there was enough time to recover and happy to say I was able to run it November and meet my goal I had set eight years ago. All right, this makes a little bit.

[Kyle]

More sense because the leap year marathon.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Right, Oregon, I know exactly how you feel. So my advice to Oregon is to stew on this for a while, maybe not eight years, and do it again when you were mentally ready. You know, you can just finish the training, make some small tweaks during the next training session. And things you've learned this time. You might consider running a race in April, May, early June, when it's not too hot yet. And at that time of year when viral illnesses are not circulating as bad, you obviously could not plan for a stomach flu two days before. The timing sucks. Get back out there and when you finish the next time at the pace you train for, you will be really glad you did. Good luck, Oregon. Appreciate the wonderful content and strong work from the entire crew. He wrote war. He wrote Oregon. But we're going to stay with the Oregon theme today.

[Kyle]

All right, reverse life advice. Interesting.

[Ryan Rosillo]

All right, last thing here. Kyle, how are you on time?

[Kyle]

I'm okay.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Are you sure?

[Kyle]

I'm sure.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Okay. All right. I was a bully in high school. We just got this one. Fresh off the presses. Long time, first time. Male, 36, married, 2 young kids, 6 3, 200 pounds. NBA comp Blake Griffin without the vertical. I'll try to make it quick. I went to school in a small Midwest town. 50 people in my graduating class. In high school, I was a bully. To make matters worse, it was to one specific girl in my class. Let's call her April. I cannot remember a lot of specifics, but I know the way I treated April was 100% wrong and certainly classified as bullying. To this day. I'm sure she remembers and despises me, which is warranty. She definitely remembers. Dude. At our 10 year high school reunion, we locked eyes at the bar for a moment. She gave me a look I will never forget. It was a look of disgust. She couldn't walk away quick enough. At that moment, I felt about 2ft tall. Not having now having two young children of my own and reflecting years after the fact, I could see how shitty that behavior was. If I had to pinpoint, I'm sure it stem from my own insecurities at the time. And being a adolescent, April now appears to live a happily married life with a husband and two kids. From what Facebook tells me, we're not Facebook friends if matters. Her husband would destroy me in a fight. He looks to be about 64250 of solid muscle and has an affinity for rugby, of all things. Oh, my question is 20 ish years after the fact, should I reach out and apologize? I'm not sure how it would come across, but I'm sincerely sorry for the way I treated her. Do I reach out or continue living the life like this Past transgression never happened. Thanks. Love the pot. That sucks. Because you're a bully and you got some size on you. And she apparently reformed bully. Yeah. Met up with Dolph Lundgren. So I think the fact that you care is not like a bully, you know, in the bully DNA. Now, granted, like, sometimes you're just younger, you're just a. It's just what happens. I think there's part of it where, like, I remember there was a guy that I really hated and I think I gave it probably a little too long. It was outside of the window and we were at a party years later and he was like, hey, brother, what's going on? I was like, you can go fuck yourself with that. And he was like, what? And I was like, do you. You don't remember? He was like, dude, we were in high school. We were like sophomores. And I was like, I don't care. I was like, that was fucking terrible what you did. And he's like, dude, it's like 2002. And I was like, yep. And the thing is, is he's not wrong. Like, that's what I needed to do at that time. That was how I was going to handle it. I was kind of looking forward to it, to be honest with you. And that's how I felt. I needed to get not past it because it wasn't like this haunting thing, but I was looking forward to that. Day to telling that guy to go himself. He. I don't think was wrong necessarily in being like, are you Serious? We're almost 30 now. Like, you're gonna be that mad about something that happened? We were like, 15 and 16 years old, and it's like, yeah, I am. But I didn't think, looking back from where his perspective was, if he was kind of like, all right, dude, like, I got it. I don't necessarily think he was wrong either. At the time, I didn't care. But now thinking about it, it's like, you know, he might have been right. Like, hey, there's got to be some. Some, like, understanding as people become adults, that a lot of this stuff isn't really cool. It seems like April's not getting over any of it, and, you know, she isn't. And she remembers all of these things. Sure, you could reach out, you know, it might make you feel a little bit better. Maybe closure on that. Maybe there's some closure for her. But in all likelihood, she probably just never, ever wants anything to do with you. And the fact that if you do apologize and she wants nothing to do with you, it sounds like this freak rugby guy is more than you can handle on top of everything else.

[Kyle]

Yeah, I think the time to do it was at the reunion or a week or two after, and you're like, hey, I saw you. If this has been months away, I don't think you're going to get a good reception from it. And I could be wrong. It just seems like the in person thing would have. Would have been the best case scenario if you wanted to get this off your chest a week or two after being like, hey, you know, seeing you really made me think, if this has been, like, six months ago or longer, I would just kind of let sleeping dogs lie. I think you learned a valuable lesson already. I think you got that part. You feel gross. You have kids. You're like, I definitely don't want my kids to be bullies, and I definitely, definitely don't want them to be bullied. So I think you kind of got. Got all the learning stuff you wanted to get out of this. And I just. I don't think if it. If more than a certain amount of time has passed. I just don't think you're gonna get any sort of closure from this unless you're just like, I just need it to be said. If you want her to feel better about it, like, knowing that you feel bad. I don't.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I just.

[Kyle]

I don't know if this is gonna happen. If this was, you know, a year or so ago and it's just like, it's. It was already. It would have been random at the 10 year reunion or whatever it is. If it's 10, if it's 12 years later, just for no reason. I don't know, I just kind of let it lie. I think it sounds like you learned your lesson.

[Worgon]

I have a lot of thoughts on this.

[Matt Leinart]

It's.

[Worgon]

You're doing this for yourself, not her. So that's true.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, right. Well said.

[Worgon]

And if you don't think she's going to receive it, well, it's probably not worth doing because it's a selfish act, Right? You're really only doing this because you feel bad about how much of an asshole you were when you were younger. But then I also sort of subscribe to, like, it's never too late to do the right thing, right? Like, oh, yeah, okay. You could have been a terrible person for so long.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Conflicting meaning.

[Worgon]

You should just never. Yeah, look, I just start firing off, you know, insightful quotes here, but, like, you should. If you did something wrong, like, apologizing is. It's just that's. That's a big step. So I'm kind of stuck between the two things. Like, I. I would. I think I would. If it was really eating at you. Like, what should. Is she gonna get?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Really.

[Worgon]

Is she gonna get more mad? Is she gonna, like, dislike you more because you own up and talk about how much you were an asshole and apologize to her? Like, probably not. So even though it is a selfish act, I do think it is a worthwhile thing to do. I wouldn't really worry about the. The husband, like, beating the crap. What is he gonna like, oh, cool. You apologize, showing out outside of the house.

[Kyle]

Like, he's gonna run you off. I don't know.

[Worgon]

Yeah, so, you know, by the way.

[Ryan Rosillo]

If the husband's normal, he'll probably. Although he's enormous. But, like, I don't know how I would feel if my wife was like, I hate that guy. And then I'd be like, okay, what's the deal? Why do you hate him? Like, he was mean to me in high school. I just was like, all right, well, that sucks. I don't like, I don't like him also, but I'm on your side.

[Worgon]

But.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, Exactly.

[Worgon]

It was 30 years ago.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Do you want me to go to a parking lot right now with a baseball bat? Like, I don't. I don't want to do that. I mean, can you. Could you actually just DM the person on Facebook and say, that's what I was thinking. Yeah. Like, just quick, hey, get it out immediately. I was a dick to you in high school. I saw you at the reunion, gave me the look. You made me feel terrible about myself.

[Worgon]

Don't even say that. Don't say that.

[Ryan Rosillo]

No, no, no. But I actually, this is what I mean, though. By giving her the win, by being like, in that moment, you made me realize, like, not. You made me realize because I already knew it ahead of time. So I'm not trying to, like, write your entire thing, but, like, if you give her a bit of a win in that. And that your look made me feel this way, and I deserve to feel that way because the way I treated you and I wanted to let you know, and I will forever be sorry. Whatever. Quick, efficient out there, but a little bit of that. Like, sharing the moment with her when she looked at you so that it's all acknowledged that she'll. She's not like, did he see me? Did I not see all that different stuff? Yeah, you saw me. I saw you. And it just reminded me of how terrible I was, and I felt terrible about it. And I know you'll never want to talk to me or whatever, and I definitely don't want to stop by because your husband's a monster, but who knows?

[Worgon]

Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Small town.

[Worgon]

I think that's fair.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Divorce rate, you know, seven years from now, guess who's. Guess who's bringing whose kids Soccer practice.

[Worgon]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

How'd you guys meet? He bullied me. And then he sent me this super nice dm. I was going through some issues because he's from Australia. Anyway, so culturally, we weren't super aligned, even though it was so hot.

[Worgon]

I don't think it's that weird, by the way, to hold. To harbor feelings about things that happen in high school. Like, don't let it. Like, don't think about it daily. But, like, there's still guys in high school that. I'm like, that guy's a fucking loser. And I don't like for dudes. I don't think about it all the time. But I. But it's like, if that was to come up, I'd be like, cool. That guy sucks. Like, I don't. You know, it doesn't affect my life on a day to day basis, but I think it's fine to harbor those. Those feelings still.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah.

[Kyle]

For people who had, like, nothing going on, like, stuff like, that was huge back then.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Right.

[Kyle]

So it was like, it took up a lot of your Your brain space. So I. I get it.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I hadn't even thought about mine forever. And then I just saw him randomly, and I was like.

[Kyle]

Just came flooding back, huh?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah. I let him have it, too.

[Worgon]

Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

And I didn't feel bad, I'll tell you that. I didn't. And I was such a loser at the time. Was like, this is nice. A win. What's this like? As I was telling that story, serious looking at, he was just shaking his head in disbelief, being like, no, because.

[Worgon]

I'm just thinking about the people let that guy.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah.

[Worgon]

No, there was a guy in high school who tried to steal my girlfriend multiple times. And was it Worgon? Wasn't Worgon.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Sounds like it. Dad approves.

[Worgon]

And, you know, I'll get a little chuckle every time I hear a story about something dumb that happened in his life. And I don't think about him all the time, but, like, I do sort of enjoy the, like, oh, that guy, you know?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah.

[Worgon]

We're not gonna be cool.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Sure. Yeah. I think sometimes it's okay to have that in your life. You're like, hey, you need to move past that. Maybe I don't. I think about it once every two years. I'm fine. We got plenty other days to think about all the other stuff. But if I hear something about somebody that I don't like that I think I'm deserving of, not necessarily rooting for their downfall, but not liking positive updates. It. All right. Take that with you into the weekend. Thank you to Wargon. Thank you to Kyle. Thank you to Suti Ryan Rosilla podcast. Check out our YouTube page and also subscribe on Raiders. Must be 21 and older, present in select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 + and present in D.C. gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler or visit rg-help.com call 888-78977 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit MD gambling help.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gambling helpline ma.org or call 800-327-5050. For 24. 7 support Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY in New York.