← Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara
Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara
Best and Worst Expansion Franchises, The Battle for 11 With Larry Fitzgerald, Gary Owens’ Star Studded Wedding and 83 Bam Points
00:55:16
Loading summary
Transcript338 lines
- [00:00]
Matt Leiner
I'm gonna FaceTime this guy right now.
- [00:02]
Jerry Ferrara
By the way, if you get Larry Fitz to answer right now, this is true baller status. Let's see if you got that street cred.
- [00:07]
Matt Leiner
All right, we're calling.
- [00:08]
Jerry Ferrara
Let's see what's going on, man. All right. Welcome to another episode of Throwbacks. However it is you're taking in the show today, we appreciate it, but we would really appreciate if you subscribe on YouTube, the good stuff right there, and follow on Apple and Spotify. Follow us on all social platforms at Throwback Show. Matt Leiner, how are you today?
- [00:45]
Matt Leiner
I'm good, buddy. What's going on, man?
- [00:46]
Jerry Ferrara
Good. You started off with a little tech issues, but you pulled it together.
- [00:50]
Matt Leiner
I mean, there's one thing in life that I'm just. I'm just. I'm not good at, dude. And it's. It's connecting chords into all sorts of different ports. You know, it is. It has been a morning, dude. It's not how I wanted to start, but it's not how you start. It's how you finish.
- [01:03]
Jerry Ferrara
Jerry, before we got rolling. Yeah, you trouble shots of things. And I. I tried to think of, like, the NFL quarterback equivalent, and the only thing I could come up with is if your helmet comms went down, which I love, seeing every quarterback, like, hand gesturing that they can't hear from the OC that's how you looked, bro.
- [01:18]
Matt Leiner
It's a great. It's a great comp. If you're a quarterback and your comms go out in the middle of a play call or a huddle and you don't know, it is a very, very, very dark place that you go to mentally for about six seconds?
- [01:31]
Jerry Ferrara
Like, do you even look over to the sideline once you're, like, getting in your set, and it's like, oh, I'm not even close here.
- [01:37]
Matt Leiner
You better hope that you prepared and you studied and you know the person, you better basically know by the. By what your coach said, the formation and the personnel that you have in. And then the down and distance in the situation that you are in a game and on the field that you better know that what the play call is. That's. That's what you're expected to know as a quarterback. But that's why sometimes you see, like, quarterbacks wearing wristbands or you still see not as much in the NFL, but some signals or something come from the sideline. College. It's all signals, right? Even though college has comms now as well. But when those comms go down, man, and you can't talk back to the coach. It is a. It is a lonely place out there.
- [02:13]
Jerry Ferrara
I would make that part of my questions for young draftees be like, all right, you're a quarterback. Comms go down. What are the first three things you do? And just hear their thought process. Like in the moment of. Because you're right down in distance is the other thing. Not only do you have to get everything set, but it's like, oh, wait, it's third and two and a half yards.
- [02:33]
Matt Leiner
Like, the biggest thing is personnel, right? Who's it. Who's in? Is it three wides? Is it two tight ends? Is it. It's personnel. And it's down a distance in the situation. So it's like. And then when you have. On your call sheet, right, you have a note, you have a call sheet, and on that you're studying. Okay, my five or six third and four to six plays are this. So that's what you're just.
- [02:55]
Jerry Ferrara
You're.
- [02:55]
Matt Leiner
You studied that before. But you need to be. You basically need to memorize that in case that's happened. When I was in Houston, Gary Kubiak made us memorize the whole thing because he had situations where, like, that's our job. I mean, I think you've heard like that mic'd up stuff with Stafford and all that. Like, some of these guys, they're just pros, you just study and you know exactly what the coach is thinking because you go over it beforehand. But it could be a random, like first and 10 on the 30 yard line and you have like base personnel in and it's probably a run play and. But you have to be able to say like, look in the huddle, be like, all right, I have fullback. Okay, it's probably power. I'm just going to call this. Sometimes you just call like you've heard Joe Burrow, I think, where the mics went out for like five straight plays and he was just out there dicing it up and he was calling because he had four wives. He knows. Yeah, he knows in his mind he can call plays that he likes. So, yeah, there's just levels to it, man. There's different levels to it.
- [03:43]
Jerry Ferrara
I like when Stafford, after he gets the play in and McVeigh continues to talk. I was like, shut up, up.
- [03:48]
Ad Read Announcer 1
Let me.
- [03:49]
Jerry Ferrara
Geez, I can't hear myself think.
- [03:50]
Matt Leiner
I think that it's really one of the few times that you could just cuss out your head coach because they can't hear.
- [03:55]
Jerry Ferrara
So we got a fun one for you today. We're gonna do something a little interesting. I, I have all these alerts on my phone for like throwback anniversaries because we are throwbacks. And something popped up that was interesting to me earlier this week. Basically, I think it was 3-9-95. Arizona Phoenix was awarded and Tampa Bay later were awarded expansion teams. Right. So. And they ended up kicking off their season in 1990 MLB season. So we now basically have 30 years of expansion to look back on across all four sports. So I thought we could go with some quick hitting, best, worst, lightning, roundish, some stuff with, with a lot of fact finding too. There's a lot of interesting stuff here.
- [04:36]
Matt Leiner
For me, the criteria, it was a lot of fact finding, a lot of fact.
- [04:40]
Jerry Ferrara
Like to me a criteria of expansion is like winning obviously is what the name of the game is, but fan loyalty, like where are the fans when the things aren't going so well? And then for me it's always going to be logo branding. Like we're all a brand nowadays, but imagine launching an expansion team and like you're responsible with naming them and the uniform in the jersey. So we're going to have some fun with that. We got a couple of quick hitters. But before we go to that, you know, I. This is going to air on a Thursday. So this just happened Tuesday night. I'm sure everyone's going to continue to talk about it for a while. Should I say where were you, Matt, when Bam on a bio had 83 points? Because apparently that's gonna be a. I remember where I was when this happened thing. Is it though, that's what ESPN and a lot of other people were telling me. And I'm trying my best not to be a grumpy old guy who's like, I remember when this guy did this.
- [05:34]
Matt Leiner
But first of all, so immediately, obviously he beat, you know, broke Kobe Bryant's 81 point record when he played in the Raptors. And I remember where I was for that. I was at Shellbacks in Manhattan at the bar when he beat that, we all like were just watching on this little screen in the corner when he got 81. I got a text from my oldest last night. Dad, Bam's got 77. So I was like, oh, shit. So I couldn't even turn it on because I'm on the west coast, whatever was it on tv and it was like two minutes left and then you start to look at the box and I am not listen, 83 points, I don't care how you do it is pretty impressive, but you're not. You're not that impressed with this performance of 83 points?
- [06:14]
Jerry Ferrara
No, no, no. I'm. I am. I'm impressed. When I'm impressed with the performance, I'm not impressed with like the final number because I think, you know, because he.
- [06:24]
Matt Leiner
He took 43.
- [06:25]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, the 40 free throws. And then like, look, the Wizards who like, in a way, shame on you for the poor defense, I mean, for so long. But then they did try to foul him. They fouled other teammates. They were. They were trying to stop him. They just didn't have the wherewithal to do it. So I think the performance is unbelievable. I don't think like an NBA player even going to like, you know, Rucker park or whatever, that's like some accomplishment. So to do that in an NBA game is crazy. But I'm less impressed with the final number because of the 40 free throws and his. The Heat. But, you know, they. They got him so many extra possessions. It became. But it was a fun chase. The moment was like, can he actually do this now that they're game planning for him? So I appreciate all of it.
- [07:09]
Matt Leiner
Shout out 83 points is ridiculous, but I still think Kobe at 6 6. His shot selection, he didn't have that many free throws. I think he had half the amount of free throws. And from what I remember, at least like they were playing pretty hard defense on him and he was just. He was just in an absolute zone on a shitty.
- [07:25]
Jerry Ferrara
I'm not old heading this and I'm not taking away from bam. It's awesome. No. And it's a great moment. I don't. For me, it's not quite a where was I when Shout out to Asia
- [07:34]
Matt Leiner
Wilson getting on the podium with him last night.
- [07:36]
Jerry Ferrara
That was cool though. That like she crowd so here's my final question on the matter before we get to some fun expansion stuff. Will this be a throwback we are talking about on this show 10 years from now, Will we do the remember when? Will this be a memorable throwback moment? Bam's 83 points.
- [07:56]
Matt Leiner
I mean, you got Will at 100, Bam at 83 and Kobe at 81. Absolutely.
- [08:00]
Jerry Ferrara
Because we always do the Kobe anniversary. Oh, and I always will.
- [08:04]
Matt Leiner
There's going to be a BAM Autobio anniversary of 83 points. Where were you then? I was sitting bathing my boys when my oldest son texted me he had 77. That's where I was.
- [08:15]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, this is a great transition, Matt, because where were you in 95 when your future home in Arizona and Tampa Bay were awarded MLB expansion teams? Because a lot of other teams flooded into the league after that. I mean, just for reference, you got the Raptors. You got the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers football. You got the Houston Texans basketball. We had the Grizzlies. We. You know, so a lot has happened, and I figured we'll do some quick hits. Are you ready?
- [08:47]
Matt Leiner
I'm ready.
- [08:48]
Jerry Ferrara
All right, let's start here. I figure we'll start low and go high. Let's start on the low note, Matt. Worst expansion team from any league in the last 30 or so years, and what do you think they got wrong?
- [09:03]
Matt Leiner
So my worst expansion team, one of them is the Colorado Rockies. Ooh. And let me go back, because they did. They did have. They did have a World series run in 2007.
- [09:15]
Jerry Ferrara
Yep.
- [09:15]
Matt Leiner
So they did. They did have one of those. They've only made the playoffs four times since 1993, I believe, was their inception. They're two kind of, I guess, the best players. If you think Colorado Rockies. Who do you think of when I say Colorado Rockies in the, like, early 2000s?
- [09:33]
Jerry Ferrara
I think, like, is it Larry Walker? Larry Walker. Walker.
- [09:38]
Matt Leiner
Todd Helton, probably.
- [09:40]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah.
- [09:40]
Matt Leiner
Todd Helton is probably the best Rocky of all time. And Larry Walker kind of right there. And then you have, like, Tulowitzky of guys. Nolan Arenado is really good. If you go more recent, a couple things, I think. One, in baseball, the farm system is huge. And that's a big reason why the Dodgers. I mean, Dodgers have money, right? But their farm system has been the best in the biggest. For. For. They're always great. Had these young players, right? And they always had those players that they can kind of trade pieces to get the big free agents, obviously. So the farm system is absolutely trash. And then you look at, like, you look at the stadium and you look at that, right? The altitude. It is hitter friendly. It's a curse for the pitchers, right? Because. So they never, like. Like, it sounds like they never really fix that. Like, I don't know if it's a dome so that there's no air in the stadium. That simple. But for pitchers, it's a nightmare because you have the short porch and you have the altitude where the ball is flying. So they never fixed that. Ownership was terrible. I went to a Rockies game a couple years ago. We took Case in, and again, it was. The Dodgers were in town, and we happened to be in Big Noon at Boulder. So it's pretty cool. There was probably 10,000 people in the stands. And the consensus. I remember asking people, the consensus is, like, we hate, like, we hate our ownership. Fans don't care. It's trash. It sucks. So. And they're in the. I think they've never won the NL west since they became an MLB team. So my, My biggest failure, I think, is the Rockies. They had one great run in 2007, so.
- [11:13]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah. And you know what? For me too, like, logo branding. I thought it was kind of terrible. Well, in the beginning, it was just so new. Well, we didn't see purple, white.
- [11:23]
Matt Leiner
Like.
- [11:24]
Ad Read Announcer 1
Yeah.
- [11:24]
Jerry Ferrara
And they never really upgraded or made any significant changes. And they're more known to me for like, hey, you're gonna go. There's gonna be some home runs hit. That's kind of been the brand.
- [11:34]
Matt Leiner
They're also like. They're also like, tap, tap the rock. I mean, that's.
- [11:39]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, for me, Matt, this was a no brainer and I had a backup. In case you took this one. It's the Charlotte Bobcats for all the reasons above.
- [11:48]
Matt Leiner
So good.
- [11:49]
Jerry Ferrara
Bobcats not a terrible name. The logo didn't really do it. The colorway didn't really do it. And you're also, you know, Charlotte Bobcats
- [11:59]
Matt Leiner
is a terrible name. Cats is a terrible.
- [12:02]
Jerry Ferrara
It's terrible when you think of the other teams we're going to talk about, you know, and also you're replacing the Hornets, which became an iconic, like, logo jersey. One of the first times we saw teal or whatever that color is in like real life on a jersey. So they had a tough uphill battle. But then, look, they were unfortunate in the year they drafted a Mecca Okafor. Go look at that draft. That is not a great draft. Mecca Okafor, good player, but, you know, number two pick. And then they drafted Felton. They traded for Gerald Wallace. Their most successful season was 44 and 38. That Stephen Jackson, Felton, Larry Brown was their coach. And that in 2012, they went 7 and 59. 7.
- [12:47]
Matt Leiner
Is that the worst record of all time?
- [12:49]
Jerry Ferrara
I don't even know. I think so. We even had a line, a famous line on Entourage that Ari says when there's all this jealousy between agents and this rival agent took us to a Lakers game courtside, and Ari's getting some. And Ari's like, I didn't want to go to the Laker game because they were playing the Bobcats. Okay. That's why I didn't go. It's a famous line through the Bobcats right under the bus. And the good news, though is they. And Michael Jordan, I guess, gets the credit for this because he wanted it. You know, they got the Charlotte Hornets name and brand back and they got all the Hornets history, which sort of.
- [13:28]
Matt Leiner
And by the way, they're one of the hottest teams in the NBA now.
- [13:31]
Jerry Ferrara
So if you just look up like Charlotte Hornets history, you you'll see Bobcat stuff. But that history is technically supposed to be out of the it now belongs elsewhere because they got all the history from that move. So the Bobcats are dead.
- [13:46]
Matt Leiner
Kemba Walker's probably the best draft pick they've had. Maybe Kimber Walker had a great, probably
- [13:50]
Jerry Ferrara
the best Bobcat like if you just focus on the Bobcat portion, I think so. And you know, I did have an honorable mention for the Devil Rays, but they actually had some good moments sprinkled in there and some really well.
- [14:03]
Matt Leiner
The Devil Rays have been been since
- [14:05]
Jerry Ferrara
they move, you know, as of late, since they switched to the Rays and got rid of Devil things, things have gone, you know, really, really well. But when they were the Devil Rays wasn't off to the greatest start. As many of you might know, we've added baby number three to the Ferrara household. So that means long nights, busy days and it almost knocked me off my wellness goals after starting out so well this year. But that's where Kachava comes in and helps keep me on track with my routine. And of course it helps that Kachava supports all day energy with I need. I definitely need that with five key vitamins and mineral. New baby around. I love that it nourishes your immune system with vitamin C, zinc and probiotics. There are six new flavors to choose from. You got chocolate, vanilla, chai, matcha, coconut, acai, one of my favorites and strawberry. And there are so many recipes from the Kachava kitchen that help you add to your smoothie. Kachava provides clean nutrition to fuel you wherever your day takes you. No fillers, no nonsense. It's a whole body meal with plant based protein that actually tastes delicious. Try Cachava Risk Free with their Love it guarantee. Stick with your wellness goals. Go to kachava.com and use code throwbacks for 15% off. That's Cachava K A C H A V A dot com code throwbacks
- [15:29]
Larry Fitzgerald
high
- [15:30]
Ad Read Announcer 2
interest debt can be a real vibe killer. Credit cards, personal loans and more can make you feel uncomfortable even in the sanctuary of your own home. Well, what if you knew that some Sofi could help you leverage your home's equity to feel more at ease? It's called a SOFI Home Equity Loan and it could consolidate your debt at a typically lower interest rate than existing debt with lower monthly payments and all while keeping your existing mortgage rate. View your rate@sofi.com payoffdebt today. Mortgages originated by SoFi Bank NA member FDIC NMLS 696891 Terms and conditions apply. Equal housing lender.
- [16:00]
Jerry Ferrara
All right, number two. Maddie, which expansion team have had the most impressive moment? Just think about the most impressive sports moment you've seen from an expansion team. I think we're gonna have different ones here. There's no way you have mine. I'd be shocked.
- [16:18]
Matt Leiner
Well, I don't have yours because yours. Mine is a team that beat your team in the World Series.
- [16:24]
Jerry Ferrara
Oh, that's the one I have, bro. That's the one.
- [16:27]
Matt Leiner
Is it? Yeah. Is it?
- [16:29]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah.
- [16:29]
Matt Leiner
But let's let.
- [16:30]
Jerry Ferrara
No, no, let's hear the ca. Let's.
- [16:31]
Matt Leiner
Let's do the case you're doing. You're Arizona Diamondbacks for sure.
- [16:36]
Jerry Ferrara
And I have a very clear reason why I want to hear yours, though.
- [16:38]
Matt Leiner
Well, mine is just coming strictly from the Arizona Diamondbacks inception. Right? So they, they. I don't know if they made the playoff in year one or year two, but that year was the fourth year they were a part of the mlb. They go and get, they get Randy Johnson, they get Kurt Schilling. Those two guys combined for 43 wins that year.
- [17:00]
Jerry Ferrara
Crazy.
- [17:01]
Matt Leiner
I think it's a record. They too were responsible for the four wins in obviously that series. So they were a two man wrecking crew. And just a little history on that. They won the NL west over the San Francisco Giants the year Barry Bonds 73 dingers. They beat the brewers, they beat the Cardinals, and then obviously the historic game seven. Luis Gonzalez hits a little hit. They beat. I think just the most impressive thing is one, it's year four of a, of a team. And they also beat down the dynasty of the New York Yankees, which no one ever thought. I mean, I think it's just like, it's one of the greatest moments, I think, taking down the Titan of baseball when you're year four in a little, you know, little Phoenix, Arizona. And your logo is an A with like terrible coloring. I mean, talk about terrible.
- [17:46]
Jerry Ferrara
By the way, where's the Diamondback? Isn't that like. Why don't we see the Diamondback? Really? The A. You're right. The A is the more prominent part.
- [17:55]
Ad Read Announcer 3
Yes.
- [17:55]
Jerry Ferrara
So funny, dude. Your logo is an A point blank. And there's been obviously, you know, runner up.
- [18:02]
Matt Leiner
It still keeps you up.
- [18:03]
Jerry Ferrara
Nights have had some great moments. But I now go, as we know, I go to The Jeter golf tournament. Every year I'm around all those Yankees, right, And I've heard them speak in interviews. Jeter, I think has publicly said the most gutting thing that's ever happened to him really like in competitive Major league baseball was losing that World Series. Then factor in Matt. The thing we can't forget is, you know, 911 just happened. If you remember those games, the Yankees were down I think one zero and then in game two they're down like four nothing. And then all the home runs off of beyond. Young, Young Kim, like you felt the ghosts coming out of nowhere because they, they hit like back to back like three run game tying homers in the World Series to steal games. And if you told me Mariano Rivera in the ninth or whatever inning it was to kind of close the deal, I'm saying pack it up boys. Start spreading the news. We have another ring. And you know, that whole entire run meant so much to the city of New York because of what they were going through after 9 11. I don't think the result obviously mattered. Of course they would have wanted them to win. But just the fact that the way they battled and you're right, like right now, in hindsight, Schilling and Johnson seeing those guys four times in a, I think even in his relief innings is just absolutely nuts.
- [19:30]
Matt Leiner
Dude, Brandon Johnson has to be the most intimidating pitcher of all time, right?
- [19:34]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah. I mean he made a bird explode with a fastball. Do you remember that?
- [19:38]
Matt Leiner
So you mentioned the, the Vegas. I just. The Vegas Golden Knights.
- [19:41]
Jerry Ferrara
That's pretty impressive too.
- [19:42]
Matt Leiner
If you, if you, if you're out there and you're listening, you just, you say the most impressive expansion team of them four major sports in the Vegas Knights without a doubt is by far the top expansion team based on success. I mean we're talking, we're going to talk about logos and stuff. Like I think everything, I think they did it right. But you look at this, they made the Stanley cup in their first year, right? I think they won a cup within five or six years. I read this stat. They sold out T Mobile arena at 104% capacity in year one. Think about that. Well, as a new, as an NHL team going to Las Vegas, I think
- [20:18]
Jerry Ferrara
when you now like see the Raiders having success like fan wise in Vegas, they have a great fan base, the A's. And now you know, we're going to get a basketball team there. They, the Golden Knights sort of were the test case for pro sports in Vegas and it was a huge success. So anything that happens after them is kind of because of them.
- [20:38]
Matt Leiner
I want. Okay, so let's, let's go down the list here. I want to ask you which city we're talking about Las Vegas, which is obviously prime. Which city in the US Is prime for a new expansion team? It really doesn't matter the sport. Which city would you pick to have the next expansion team and what sport?
- [20:57]
Jerry Ferrara
So I have my sensible answer and I have my heart. Well, they're kind of both the same. I do think cities like, you know, Nashville could certainly have some more sports. They have the Titans, and I think it's a cool city that is growing so rapidly. I don't think Texas necessarily. I mean, the easy answer and is Seattle, because also they did do so well, I think too, with the Seattle Kraken. I know we talk a lot about hockey today. That, you know, was a cool brand to come out. Now the Mariners are kind of popping. Seahawks just won the dance. That's what I mean. It's hard to say they need it because, like, they are having success. And you typically want a city that's like, hurting.
- [21:37]
Matt Leiner
And by the way, I want this. I want Seattle to get an NBA team and I want it to be called the Super. I want, like, don't change anything. The, the, the uniforms. The, like, don't change anything. You know how, like, talk about nostalgia.
- [21:49]
Jerry Ferrara
Would you copy it completely? Like, nothing.
- [21:51]
Matt Leiner
I would. I, I mean, I, I mean, you're going to have to do some probably Supersonics.
- [21:56]
Jerry Ferrara
Would you go?
- [21:57]
Matt Leiner
Oh, I would. I would go. Seattle Supersonics. Dude, are you kidding me? You don't think guys want to go play for the Seattle SuperSonics?
- [22:04]
Jerry Ferrara
That would be.
- [22:04]
Matt Leiner
I would do that. I, I had. I think. I think Vegas is no doubt.
- [22:08]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah, right.
- [22:09]
Matt Leiner
For an NBA team as well. I mean, I'm going to be interested to see how the. The A's do, but obviously the, the Raiders have been fine. I mean, it's the best stadium in my opinion, in the NFL. I don't know if you've ever been to Allegiant, but I was at the Super Bowl. Yeah, it's. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. Like, imagine if the Raiders are good.
- [22:29]
Jerry Ferrara
Like, imagine if the Raiders and get Mendoza. Imagine Mendoza's a stud with Genti. Imagine the Raiders are like a 12, 13 win team.
- [22:36]
Matt Leiner
And you. And you talk about loyal fan bases and how pissed, obviously Oakland, all of those fans go to that game. They'll drive. They drive every Sunday for a home game and you know, whatever it is six, seven hour drive. So I think Vegas is definitely prime. And then. And then you mentioned a two. I think Nashville. I mean, Nashville's got the Predators and they have obviously the Titans. I still think baseball and Nashville, you could do baseball there and you could do NBA. I mean, Nashville's.
- [23:01]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, that's what I'm saying. Like the Grizzlies almost like should maybe. I don't know. Memphis is such a die hard.
- [23:06]
Matt Leiner
I think we're gonna have a. We're gonna have a relocation of a team today. Nashville, dude. And it's gonna be.
- [23:12]
Jerry Ferrara
And that I will.
- [23:12]
Matt Leiner
And then my last one, My last one. I want to bring back like San Diego, dude. San Diego. You know, they. They screwed up the Chargers deal. They wouldn't buy a new stadium.
- [23:22]
Jerry Ferrara
SoCal, look at you being. Staying true to SoCal, bro. San Diego.
- [23:27]
Matt Leiner
Like, I don't even. Yeah, like the weather. You're on the beach, you have the Padres who are good. Like, you have no other. You have no other team there.
- [23:35]
Jerry Ferrara
Would you put a football team there? It's not going to be a basketball team. Probably, you know, bring back, Bring back San Diego.
- [23:42]
Matt Leiner
The San Diego wave.
- [23:45]
Jerry Ferrara
We're gonna bring back throwback three for today because this is probably my favorite question. So we saved it for throwback three. And this is something you and I have discussed off the air before.
- [23:55]
Matt Leiner
All right.
- [23:55]
Jerry Ferrara
Our throwback three for expansion teams. Our best jersey, logo, color scheme, call it branding for an expansion team in the last 30 or so years.
- [24:10]
Matt Leiner
So I don't like my number three, but I'm gonna go with the original. Just Jacksonville Jaguars. Okay, interesting. I. I want to believe that I had a. Some type of memorabilia or apparel of the Jaguars back in, what, it was 95, so I was 12 or 13.
- [24:30]
Jerry Ferrara
You had a Brunel jersey. You were a lefty.
- [24:32]
Matt Leiner
I might have had a Brunel jersey. So that's my number three. I'm not happy with it, but I'm gonna go with the Jaguars original logo. And by the way, it's only changed twice in like whatever it is. Been like 30 over 30.
- [24:44]
Jerry Ferrara
It hasn't changed.
- [24:44]
Matt Leiner
Pretty cool.
- [24:45]
Jerry Ferrara
Ton, I thought.
- [24:46]
Matt Leiner
No, it's minimal change, which I. Which I think is pretty cool. So they're doing something right with that.
- [24:50]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, my number three has changed quite a bit since it originated. And this is a very crucial era in my life. And again, we don't talk about hockey a ton on this show. I personally think hockey, especially in the 90s, early 2000s, has done expansion branding the best I Don't think it's close for me. My number three is the Tampa Bay Lightning. I bought that jersey or I asked for it for a birthday or Christmas present.
- [25:20]
Matt Leiner
That's a good one.
- [25:20]
Jerry Ferrara
And those are the days where jerseys were worn for style. I would wear that playing roller hockey in the streets of Brooklyn and then I would wear it the next day to school as a style piece.
- [25:30]
Matt Leiner
What year was a light? It was that 93.
- [25:32]
Jerry Ferrara
I think that's 90. 93 or 94. I have it. I have all those reasons.
- [25:36]
Matt Leiner
I didn't go back that far. The lightning, the blue. The lightning is the light.
- [25:40]
Jerry Ferrara
It was black. They, they since changed and they did like the blue colorway, but it was black with the light, with the lightning bolt in the circle in Tampa Bay, you didn't really see black and blue primarily mixed together. So that's my number three Lightning. And by the way, it might be the most successful, successful expansion too. They got like five Stanley Cups or something. And some hall of Fame players like. Unbelievable franchise.
- [26:03]
Matt Leiner
I, I had a, I had a hockey era because I've always loved hockey. I grew up liking it even though I'm in Orange County. I had the Mighty Ducks jersey, which is terrible, but I had that jersey. And I had a Kelly Rudy Kings jersey because I was a big time Kings fan. Everybody used to play gold. Yeah, I used to play goalie.
- [26:21]
Jerry Ferrara
But see, that's what we were doing back in the 90s, kids. Like a hockey team branded off of a movie. That's what we were doing back then. It's a big swing and some of them connected and some of them missed. Go ahead.
- [26:32]
Matt Leiner
My number two top brand logo, Toronto Raptors. The original cartoony looking Raptor on the jersey. Purple, kind of white, whatever. It was bouncing the basketball and it just, I think it was iconic back then because then you look at all the stars that wore it like T. Mac and Vince Carter and talk about a six starter jacket. Like it was just in that, that. That logo has changed a bunch over the years. But the original Toronto Raptors Raptor cartoon, dribbling the ball with those, some of the greatest players of all time would be my second best logo.
- [27:16]
Jerry Ferrara
I'm stretching back now a little bit, Matt. Again, I'm going a little before 95, so I'm technically cheating. But it's not that much before.
- [27:23]
Matt Leiner
I mean, shit, I would have gone before.
- [27:24]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, it's, it's like, I think it's maybe a year or two before, but I'm going with the Florida Marlins. The original jersey, Matt that's the first time I really saw, like, teal. I was. Went through a major and then everyone went teal. That was like a big teal. That also, I think, was the first expansion team. I remember how, like, I remember I never was a part of expansion. I was like 12 years old. So I was very excited for a new team. Then they go and get like, Gary Sheffield. Yeah, they had a really cool. And they won the World Series in 1997. But I thought they executed.
- [27:59]
Matt Leiner
Panthers.
- [28:00]
Jerry Ferrara
No. Marlins. Marlins.
- [28:01]
Matt Leiner
Marlins or Florida Marlins.
- [28:02]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah, no, the Panthers didn't make the cut for me because I just. The Carolina Panthers are the best Panther logo to me. But Florida Marlins number two.
- [28:11]
Matt Leiner
All right. My top one. I mean, we've just. I mean, this. I didn't have to dig too deep with this because I think it's just. I think it just speaks for itself. The Vegas Golden Knights, okay. They've done everything right in expansion. They've won. They're in the greatest city in the country. And they're just black, like metallic or whatever. Like whatever. Are gray.
- [28:34]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah.
- [28:35]
Matt Leiner
With the black and the gold. And it is just the. Just the head of a night. It's just sick, dude. Like, it's simple. It's easy. They didn't overdo it. But it fits. Ever. It fits perfectly. So that. That would be my. My number one expansion team that did the branding right. They did the logo right. It's worked for them and they've had tremendous success.
- [28:59]
Jerry Ferrara
Another fun fact.
- [28:59]
Matt Leiner
I'm curious where you're gonna go.
- [29:00]
Jerry Ferrara
Another fun fact. When you said, well, my number one, I had two prepared in the event that. And the Raptors were my number one. But I have another thing loaded up for you. But also, we talked about the Ducks. The Raptors were named because of the popularity at the time of Jurassic Park Park. So that's what we were doing back then, guys. And it was a dinosaur dribbling a basketball like a cartoony. I know the cartoon really went after kids, so I'm gonna pivot to my number one to not step on it. I've never talked about hockey this much in my life, but the only other piece of apparel I wore, hockey wise and I've told the story, was my starter jacket. But come on with the San Jose Sharks. And here's what made the San Jose Sharks amazing. And you and I talk about NHL 94 all the time. I even follow an Instagram account that's all NHL 94 video game highlights from Genesis. So that's a fun follow. But they launched the expansion team. And then you got to play them in the game, which was. And they started using. NHL was the first to kind of use the actual players names when they scored. So I'm just tied to the Sharks.
- [30:10]
Matt Leiner
I mean, I would have loved that we were doing before 95 because the sh. I actually had a starter. I had. Well, you have your story, but I had a Sharks.
- [30:16]
Jerry Ferrara
I screw. I set you up. I set you up to keep my two. I set you up to keep my two.
- [30:21]
Matt Leiner
Who's the greatest San Jose Shark of all time?
- [30:26]
Jerry Ferrara
Am I screwing this up? Was it Owen Nolan? Was he on the Sharks?
- [30:30]
Larry Fitzgerald
Oh, no.
- [30:30]
Matt Leiner
One. No. I. This would be. My guess would be Joe Thornton. Am I right, guys?
- [30:34]
Jerry Ferrara
We need our. Yeah. Oh, and Nolan was on the Sharks.
- [30:39]
Matt Leiner
Yeah, but, but, but Thornton was a. Joe Thorton was a better.
- [30:43]
Jerry Ferrara
By the way, our chat's lighting up that I threw Owen Nolan out there. That's.
- [30:46]
Matt Leiner
How old is. That's a great.
- [30:48]
Jerry Ferrara
I scored many goals with him in all the video games.
- [30:52]
Matt Leiner
Am I right to say that Joe Thorton is the greatest Shark of all time?
- [30:55]
Jerry Ferrara
Let's see. Let chat. Patrick. Marlo.
- [30:57]
Matt Leiner
Pavelski.
- [30:58]
Jerry Ferrara
Pavelski, yeah. Everyone.
- [31:00]
Matt Leiner
Joe Thorne was like 6 5, dude. Joe Thorne was massive. I remember that guy because he. Because we used to play the game.
- [31:07]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, by the way, we're talking hockey. I didn't even show my shirt, bro. This is from another slow. I'm gonna put this up to the camera. That's a dope logo. That's from the AHL Gilbert owned Cleveland Monsters. The minor league team.
- [31:23]
Matt Leiner
Didn't you just. Didn't you just go there the other night?
- [31:25]
Jerry Ferrara
I took my boys to. I guess I'm a hockey guy now. But this is a dope logo, is it not? The Monster coming out of Lake Erie.
- [31:32]
Matt Leiner
I mean, we're gonna have to get a throwback. It is pretty sick. A throwback. NHL just.
- [31:37]
Jerry Ferrara
I would rock a Sharks jersey. Old school.
- [31:40]
Matt Leiner
Sharks was. Dude, talk about the turquoise. The turquoise and like that logo was sick.
- [31:45]
Jerry Ferrara
All right.
- [31:45]
Larry Fitzgerald
For sure.
- [31:46]
Jerry Ferrara
We're gonna do some quick hits before we get to some NFL free agency. And I can't wait to ask you, you know about this Mike Evans number stuff. That's gonna be fun because I. I have a take, but I'm probably wrong. I'm usually wrong.
- [32:00]
Matt Leiner
All right.
- [32:03]
Jerry Ferrara
We are going to go. Most loyal fan base. Best crowds consistently in their time, good or bad.
- [32:10]
Matt Leiner
From these. From the expansion list. I mean, this is hard because I don't. I mean you played in.
- [32:18]
Jerry Ferrara
You played in Houston. You played on an expansion team.
- [32:21]
Matt Leiner
Yeah. So, I mean, so. So based on personal.
- [32:24]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah. What were those crowds in Houston?
- [32:26]
Matt Leiner
The crowds were amazing. That would be my only experience for playing on a specific team that I played on that was still technically an expansion team because Houston was 2002 or something. I was there in 10, so I was only eight years. I would say, like, I didn't feel. When you're. When you're on that team, I didn't feel the feel of an expansion team. Like, it was still new. You, like, they had. I guess when you're looking back now, like, they had pictures of. Of, like, David Carr on there, you know, like, like their ring of honor.
- [32:51]
Jerry Ferrara
Like, not ring.
- [32:51]
Matt Leiner
Yeah, like. Like, just like when you're walking through the halls. They had the, like, pictures of the original teams and stuff.
- [32:56]
Jerry Ferrara
Anxiety about David Carr.
- [32:58]
Matt Leiner
But they love Texas, loves their football. And so when. I mean, that was. God, I forget the name. The name of the stadium, but it was rocking back then, man. And we were good. We were playoff team. So I had great experience being a part of a semi expansion team within the first 10 years.
- [33:13]
Jerry Ferrara
I FaceTimed you with the Houston Texans legend this weekend. I was at, by the way, I was at Gary Owen's wedding. We reunited to think like a man cast. We were his groomsman. He married Brianna. Beautiful wedding. All Houston, everything amazing. And then I'm sitting there and I'm looking at this dude. I'm like, God, that guy looks so familiar. I'm like, is he an actor? Big. Like, big Jack dude. I'm like, oh, wait, that's Andre Johnson. I don't know why he was at the wedding. And then I'm texting you and you're like, you gotta give me a video.
- [33:40]
Matt Leiner
Isn't Gary a Houston guy?
- [33:41]
Jerry Ferrara
I think Gary lives in Houston now. Yeah. I think that's where his wife's from. And then I. I was literally sitting next to him. I'm like, I never do this. I've. I'm face. I FaceTimed you. I didn't even tell Andre I was doing it. And I just. I was like, hey, Andre, look who it is. And he was very, very CEO.
- [33:56]
Matt Leiner
The greatest part about that was. And I'm a big FaceTime guy, as you.
- [34:00]
Jerry Ferrara
You are a very big FaceTime guy.
- [34:03]
Matt Leiner
I was. I was in Colorado. I was part of this incredible charity event, American alliance with Cystic Fibrosis. A great event. And I'm with one of your former teammates, Perry Reeves. So Perry Reeves plays the wife of
- [34:16]
Jerry Ferrara
Mrs. Ari Jeremy Pippen on Entourage.
- [34:19]
Matt Leiner
She's legendary. So I'm. I'm dancing with Perry. We're drinking at Apreski and I'm like, I'm gonna FaceTime Jerry.
- [34:27]
Jerry Ferrara
I never answered.
- [34:29]
Matt Leiner
I freaking FaceTime Jerry, like 17 times. I'm like, I'm. I'm dancing with Perry. Let's go. And then I say, Bro, FaceTime me. And I get the FaceTime back and it's with Andre Johnson, which I love. I might have had one too many
- [34:41]
Jerry Ferrara
car, but that is a pretty. I don't know what the odds of that happening in the same weekend are,
- [34:45]
Matt Leiner
but I know at the same time was pretty cool.
- [34:48]
Jerry Ferrara
So. Yeah.
- [34:48]
Matt Leiner
Former teammates who would be your.
- [34:50]
Jerry Ferrara
Just, just so.
- [34:51]
Matt Leiner
I would say the. I would say the, the. The. The Texans were great. Just based on personal. I would say I'm gonna get. They're gonna get mad at me. I would say. I have never been impressed with Carolina Panthers and I've never been impressed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- [35:06]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah.
- [35:07]
Matt Leiner
In my playing experience. Now both of those teams were playoff teams last year and all that, but in my playing experience going to those stadiums, I mean, you might as well go like, go watch like a. So like, like old lady. So. And like, like that, like, it's just like a dead.
- [35:24]
Jerry Ferrara
It wasn't a rock in my opinion crowd.
- [35:26]
Matt Leiner
It just, it just.
- [35:28]
Jerry Ferrara
Even Carolina. I would have thought Carolina would have got a little feisty.
- [35:31]
Matt Leiner
No. Because it's all. It's an older stadium and you. Yeah, it just, it, it wasn't that better than Jacksonville. My experience in Jacksonville, because Jacksonville is like a retirement right city. Like people go there to retire.
- [35:42]
Jerry Ferrara
They haven't been good in so long. They were just fine.
- [35:44]
Matt Leiner
It just, it's just one of those where you have a feel. You go into certain stadiums. You're just like, oh, the vibe, the energy. They're rocking. It's a great home crowd, blah, blah, blah. You go into other ones like that, you're just like, man, you're gonna have to manufacture some energy to get going. So that would be my experience.
- [36:00]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah. For me, I just think that the team that seems to have the most loyal fan base throughout the last 30, like the Raptors, that was a perfect exam. Like Golden Knights and Raptors, I think are the prime example of. You do an expansion, right. Like, like Raptors are always sellouts and there's just die hard fans. I got Drake over there. They have a championship. So. All right, we're wrapping up here. This is going to be a very quick hitting because I have a list you might not have all this info. But when you kind of do a deep dive of these expansion teams and a lot of these. This is supposed to show you how much power the players should have because so many of these organizations just miss on the draft and it starts there career as a franchise off in a very, very bad way. So we're gonna do some just best, worst expansion draft picks over the last 30 years. I don't know if you have a few in front of you. I have a bunch in front of me that I could rip off. If you want to just be a listener.
- [36:56]
Matt Leiner
I have, I have one of each real quick. I think the, the worst. The, the worst pick. Tony Boselli for Houston Texas picked.
- [37:06]
Jerry Ferrara
I mean, hall of Famer.
- [37:07]
Matt Leiner
He never played for them.
- [37:08]
Jerry Ferrara
That's right. You talk about the.
- [37:10]
Matt Leiner
Yeah, I'm talking about the expansion. He was the number one pick in the 2002 NFL Expansion Draft. Houston Texans. He never played.
- [37:21]
Jerry Ferrara
That's crazy.
- [37:22]
Matt Leiner
I believe he retired the next year. So they went and got who by the way, like hall of Fame. Like he was great with the Jaguars. He goes over. They're going to anchor the line and all this and they're going to protect David Carr who they pick and all that. He never even.
- [37:34]
Jerry Ferrara
David Carr could have certainly used protection.
- [37:36]
Matt Leiner
Yeah, he was the most sacked quarterback. I feel bad for that.
- [37:38]
Jerry Ferrara
In that.
- [37:39]
Matt Leiner
Yeah, I would say the best probably. And you might have. This was Gerald Wallace for the Charlotte Bobcats.
- [37:44]
Jerry Ferrara
Yes.
- [37:44]
Matt Leiner
In 24. In 2004 he was selected from the Sacramento Kings. He was the first all star in Bobcat's history. And I don't even think he was. I don't know what pick he was in that draft. It wasn't like a top pick. But he ended up being one of their better players. So he's probably the best pick in my opinion outside of the NHL because the Vegas Golden Knights obviously had some of the best.
- [38:04]
Jerry Ferrara
That's like my best. Everything the Golden Knights did is my best.
- [38:08]
Matt Leiner
That's what I'm saying.
- [38:09]
Jerry Ferrara
My worst in expansion drafts. Tampa Bay, when they were the Devil Rays, took Bobby Abreu, an expansion and immediately traded him. Traded and then he went on to be a two time All Star. 400 home runs, just like a really great lefty, you know, a really great hitter. And it would have been nice to start off your franchise with a reliable guy. All right, I'm gonna throw some. If you have these, I don't know. And if you don't, I'll throw some regular draft for these expansion teams, which I really think two are make or break. If you don't have a bunch. I have a bunch. Best and worst.
- [38:45]
Matt Leiner
I mean you go back to the Bobcats where he talked about it. I mean a Mecca Okafor was our first one. I don't think he really.
- [38:50]
Jerry Ferrara
Right.
- [38:50]
Matt Leiner
He was the very.
- [38:51]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah, he was two overall. I think that was a tough draft.
- [38:54]
Matt Leiner
Who did they, who did they pick? Was it a. Just a bad draft?
- [38:57]
Jerry Ferrara
It was a go look at that draft. There's no, there's no notable. I don't even know if there's an all star in that first round necessarily. And then they took Ray Felton I think the next year. Ray Felton, I think. I don't know if he made one all star game or if he was like very fringe, close to it. I mean DWight went number one in that draft but they didn't have the number one pick.
- [39:17]
Matt Leiner
So you, you, you go, who, who are your guys?
- [39:19]
Jerry Ferrara
Okay. For somebody, I mean you could say your guy. Tony Boselli in the traditional draft was a solid pick. You know, he was number two two overall five time. I mean you got to go Vince Carter as the best. That's such an interesting draft though. He was taken fifth by the Warriors. The, and the Raptors at four took Jameson and they, and they were both from UNC and they traded on draft night. So Jameson for Vince Carter. That's a good way. Matt. Listen to this. I mean Julius Peppers, talk about a draft pick. Nine time Pro Bowler, 150 sacks. Jacksonville hit so well though. They went Biselli, Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith. You just want to like get hits. Even if they're not all home runs, you want to get hits. Josh Beckett was a great one for the floor for Josh Beckett was a great one. Damon Stoudemire in 96 for the Raptors was also, I thought a good start. You know, I just thought it was a good. They didn't necessarily miss. So here are some misses. Look, David Carr at number one. But to me and Matt, you could speak on this was. I don't think David Carr is a bust. I think he was put in a situation where you could say maybe he wouldn't have had a good career no matter where he went. But my, I, I when I say I get anxiety for him, I would watch those games feeling bad for him. I mean that dude would get hit so much. We mentioned Adam Morrison earlier. That was a number three overall. That was a pretty rough one. Big country Bryant Reeves, as much fun as he was.
- [40:51]
Matt Leiner
I was gonna ask you who's the first draft pick in The Vancouver Grizzlies franchise history.
- [40:56]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, I didn't hate their logo either in Vancouver. It was a little cartoony. Didn't. They got hit with, like, a lockout, and then they got hit with the Steve Francis stuff. He basically was like, I'm not going there. And if only the Grizzlies could have gotten Steve Francis, maybe they would have stayed in Vancouver. So I think we could go. I think that's pretty solid. I mean, I don't know. Expansion. We're gonna. We're gonna see it real soon.
- [41:21]
Matt Leiner
Hey, shout out to you. Expansion and all the research you've done in the last four days, you've been so excited about this.
- [41:27]
Jerry Ferrara
It's fun, man.
- [41:27]
Matt Leiner
I think you gotta remember the history
- [41:29]
Jerry Ferrara
because, you know, kids today, now they know the Lightning as a great organization. I was just some kid with a Walkman and a Biggie cd. Or it might have been a cassette tape. Rocking around Brooklyn in the Tampa Bay Lightning jersey. Also. Rest in peace, Biggie Smalls. Speaking of anniversaries, I think it's March
- [41:47]
Matt Leiner
9th, tragically, 29 or 30 years since he.
- [41:50]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah, When I think about Biggie, right. Obviously people are going to do their song list and stuff, and there's so many to choose from, but I always think, like, what would we have gotten? Like, there would have been. He was so young.
- [42:01]
Matt Leiner
We would have gotten, I think, the status.
- [42:03]
Jerry Ferrara
More music and movies and everything.
- [42:06]
Matt Leiner
Oh, and. And I mean, the whole. I mean, Tupac too, right? Of course, it was a sad era in hip hop where they were just beefing East Coast, West Coast. And you've seen so many docs about it, but it's like, man, like, we. I still. But, like, even Cole's generation, like. Like that, it still lives on. Biggie comes on, it's like, boom, we're rocking. Tupac comes on, boom. Like, we're still listening to that 30 years later. And only connect to your point. Like, can you imagine if they. I mean, the music that they would have put out and. Yeah, it's.
- [42:38]
Jerry Ferrara
I always think, like, Biggie, it's sad point in, like, the last 10 years, I gotta believe what it did. A song with 50 Cent. I just believe that in my heart, those two would have did something. They would have collabed on something.
- [42:49]
Matt Leiner
In this era, they all would have. They all would have collapsed with each other. East coast, west, like, it. Like, it's. It's such a shame, man, when you go back to that. But that was the time, so. All right, well, shout out to Biggie Smalls.
- [43:00]
Jerry Ferrara
Man, we're gonna take a quick reset and we're gonna. I got. We gotta talk about this NFL free agency stuff.
- [43:10]
Ad Read Announcer 4
Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste.
- [43:34]
Matt Leiner
Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order.
- [43:38]
Jerry Ferrara
1-800-contacts.
- [43:39]
Ad Read Announcer 1
It's tax season and at Lifelock, we know you're tired of numbers, but here's a big one you need to hear. Billions. That's the amount of money and refunds the IRS has flagged for possible identity fraud. Now here's another big number. 100 million. That's how many data points Lifelock monitors every second. If your identity is stolen, we'll fix it. Guaranteed. One last big number. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com podcast for the threats you can't control. Terms apply.
- [44:09]
Ad Read Announcer 5
Your little one grew three inches overnight. Adorable. Also expensive. Sell their pint sized pieces on Depop and list them in minutes with no selling fees because somewhere a dad refuses to pay full price for the clothes his kid will out grow tomorrow. And he's ready to buy your son's entire wardrobe right now. Consider your future growth, Bird. Budget secured. Start selling on Depop where taste recognizes taste. Payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details.
- [44:41]
Jerry Ferrara
Matt, you know what stood out to me obviously through all the free agency? Mike Evans on the Niners. That's obviously a huge deal. And his number 13, right? He is showing up to San Francisco. And Brock Purdy, very good player. Don't quite know if he's going to be a Hall of Famer.
- [44:57]
Matt Leiner
Yeah. Mike Evans. Mike Evans is the first ballot hall of Famer.
- [44:59]
Jerry Ferrara
He's got like a million yard seasons in a row. I feel like, is that conversation awkward? Is he. Rumors are he's not even going to ask for his number. I would be like, hey buddy, run your shit. I'm a Hall of Famer. Like, give me that.
- [45:12]
Matt Leiner
Dude. I, I remember. So that's probably true because Mike Evans a good dude, but I remember. So I wore 11 at USC, right? I got, I got drafted by Arizona. Who wore number 11 for the Cardinals?
- [45:24]
Jerry Ferrara
Larry Fitzgerald, a Hall of Fame.
- [45:26]
Matt Leiner
I mean, I mean He's. He's getting in the hall. He literally just got into the hall of Fame last month. And I was like. I was thinking. I'm like, dude, did.
- [45:35]
Jerry Ferrara
Yeah.
- [45:35]
Matt Leiner
Because he was only in his third year. I don't know if I asked him. I think I did, but I'm going to FaceTime this guy right now. I'm going to see if he answers. We'll see. Because.
- [45:43]
Jerry Ferrara
Okay, if. By the way, if you get Larry Fitz to answer right now. This is true baller status. Let's see if you got that street credit.
- [45:51]
Matt Leiner
All right, we're calling.
- [45:52]
Jerry Ferrara
Let's see.
- [45:53]
Matt Leiner
Wait. There we go.
- [45:58]
Jerry Ferrara
Wow.
- [45:58]
Matt Leiner
What up? Can you hear me?
- [45:59]
Larry Fitzgerald
What's going on, man? Yeah, I can hear you. I can hear you.
- [46:02]
Matt Leiner
You say hi to Jerry. You know Jerry Fr G. How you doing, man?
- [46:06]
Jerry Ferrara
I'm good, man. Good to see you.
- [46:08]
Matt Leiner
All right, so we're having this conversation. When I got drafted and I wore number 11, did I. Did I ask you if I could wear it? Or did you come up to me and say, matt, you give me. Give me some of that guaranteed money and.
- [46:20]
Jerry Ferrara
And I'll.
- [46:20]
Matt Leiner
And I'll switch? Because I feel like that's something you would have said for sure.
- [46:24]
Larry Fitzgerald
No, no, I. I don't even think we had that conversation. Honestly, I. I don't. I don't remember. I usually remember things like that, especially if it was some type of offer God would have presented to you or you would present it to me, but I don't. That isn't. It's a ring bell.
- [46:40]
Matt Leiner
Honestly, that pisses me off, because I would have just asked you for it, but I, I, knowing you, Fitz, you would have said, nah, Maddie, you got to give me a couple. Couple mil or something. Okay, so, you know, go ahead.
- [46:50]
Larry Fitzgerald
It's not. To me, it's not really about the money. You know, it's.
- [46:55]
Matt Leiner
It's.
- [46:55]
Larry Fitzgerald
It's more like, you know, your. Your Jersey number, it represents a lot of different things about you and who you are and your experiences. I think, you know, you can sometimes put a price tag on things like that.
- [47:07]
Matt Leiner
Okay, so question. And Jerry. Jerry wanted to ask you this because you can't hear him. Mike Evans, hall of Famer. If you're a sure ballot, first ballot hall of Famer, you're going to the 49ers. Brock Purdy is Brock's Purdy? No chance.
- [47:25]
Larry Fitzgerald
Brock is a hundred million dollar guy. He's your franchise quarterback, and he's going to be the person who's going to take you to the promised land.
- [47:30]
Matt Leiner
That's not even.
- [47:31]
Larry Fitzgerald
That's not even a consideration.
- [47:32]
Matt Leiner
It's not even a consideration. So what number. What number. What number are you picking, then?
- [47:38]
Larry Fitzgerald
I mean, he's going through a new organization. He's been. He's building a new future. You know, he's got to pick a number that. That suits him. But I think it would be lightweight disrespectful to assume that you could go in and ask Brock Purdy to. For his jersey number. Plus, I don't think. I don't think the 49ers or the league would approve. I mean, think about the millions of jerseys that the national football right. Is already, you know, throwing a bunch of money into three bills. Those. I mean, I just. I don't think it's.
- [48:10]
Ad Read Announcer 3
That's.
- [48:10]
Matt Leiner
Don't.
- [48:10]
Larry Fitzgerald
I don't think that's a conversation.
- [48:12]
Matt Leiner
Jerry, you got a thought on that?
- [48:14]
Jerry Ferrara
I. I'm humbled because I took the other approach.
- [48:17]
Matt Leiner
Jerry is humble. He took the other approach. Yeah. He said, you're a hall of famer. Run your number. But spoken from the goat himself. Fits. Appreciate you, brother.
- [48:26]
Larry Fitzgerald
No doubt, man. Have a good day.
- [48:27]
Matt Leiner
All right. Later, bro. I mean, there you go. See, this is why, you know, Larry's just being P.C. i. Larry back. I knowing he would have hit you
- [48:37]
Jerry Ferrara
for a few hundred. He would have been like, maddie, you
- [48:39]
Matt Leiner
just signed that signing bonus. What you the number, bro. Let's go.
- [48:42]
Jerry Ferrara
I want a million for each number one on the jersey. So give me $2 million. You could have number 11.
- [48:49]
Matt Leiner
Number 11. Yeah. And I honestly. Go ahead.
- [48:53]
Jerry Ferrara
No, I'm saying, like, it. It. If there's ever. If there's ever a good reason to be, like, hey, like, defer to the pros. I know. That's always a thing. And us people, fans, like to talk football and they get put in their plays, right? I would have thought that that would have been a thing. But when you hear Larry's perspective, Mike Evans wants a ring more than any. More than he wants number 13, right? So I guess you go there. Quarterback still king, you know, new franchise. It's already a sign of, like, hey, I'm a team guy, man. Like, I'll wear whatever number I want
- [49:25]
Matt Leiner
to wear the W. Well, two things. One is Mike Evans is that type of dude, right? He's a classy dude. He's. I mean, like, he's well respected. You never hear anything bad about him. And second to Fitz's point, Brock Purdy is $100 million quarterback. So it's not like he's some, you Know, rookie contract, like scrub guy. The guy's signed a 250, 300.
- [49:46]
Jerry Ferrara
Daniel Jones was also 100 million.
- [49:48]
Matt Leiner
Yeah, this, this reminds me, now that we're on the topic is when I retire, when I was at usc, I got my number retired. Pretty much. If you win the Heisman Trophy, there's only, I think there's seven, eight of us now, or seven of however many. All of our numbers are retired. So you win the Heisman Trophy automatic retired number, which is pretty cool. So our jerseys are like hanging in, in the Coliseum on one side. Like all. All of them. So from OJ to fucking to Caleb to Carson, Reggie's jerseys back in there in the Coliseum. That's dope. And it made me think of this. There's been multiple times where people at USC have asked me if I would unretire my jersey for some five star prospect. And do you want to know what I told those guys?
- [50:39]
Jerry Ferrara
Straight up?
- [50:40]
Matt Leiner
I said, absolutely fucking not. I am never going to unretire my jersey for some random dude who, by the way, now could wear number 11 and transfer after a year. The only person that will ever wear my USC number 11 would be Cole, who's not there right now. He's at smu. Or two of my boys, if they end up going to USC and playing football, that is it. And then Cole hit me up a couple years ago. He's like, dad, hey, dad, this linebacker I think he's going to see, he wants to wear your jersey. Would you let him wear it?
- [51:08]
Jerry Ferrara
I said linebacker.
- [51:11]
Matt Leiner
This ain't Lavar Arrington in Penn State wearing the sticks, bro. This is, this is a. This is Ace. Ace at usc. So, so funny, though. Absolutely not. Would never do it.
- [51:20]
Jerry Ferrara
Would you need a few days, though, to think it over? Cause you know, these kids make a lot of money now, which, by the way, real quick.
- [51:28]
Matt Leiner
So Carson wore number three. He let Jordan Addison, the receiver, wear number three. And that. I don't know exactly what happened, but I think that was a little bit of a shit show. So he let Jordan Addison, who was the big recruit we got from Pittsburgh, he was like one of the first big kind of guys we took in the Portal and all that kind of stuff. Obviously he's a really good player, but he wore number three at usc. Carson was that. So apparently they had a phone call. All this stuff.
- [51:56]
Jerry Ferrara
Is that like a way to sweeten the pot? Like, all right, here's pretty much, we'll throw in. We better get Carson on the phone. We'll throw in number three.
- [52:04]
Matt Leiner
You could call me selfish, whatever, but I'm just.
- [52:06]
Jerry Ferrara
I'm not doing that. How many days would you need just to think it over?
- [52:12]
Matt Leiner
It's already done, dude.
- [52:13]
Jerry Ferrara
No, no, what I'm saying is if one of these crazy five stars who's maybe walking into USC and he's getting, I don't know, 2, 3 million bucks a year, and he's like, matt, that means so much to me. I got a check with a million dollars on your. Your name on it. I'm not saying your answer changes. All I'm saying is how many days
- [52:33]
Matt Leiner
you're gonna tell me about it.
- [52:36]
Jerry Ferrara
Your answer can still be no.
- [52:37]
Matt Leiner
How many take a million? A million from an 18 year old kid? Now, it's not for sale, all right? It's not for sale. And I, that kid probably chance that him staying at USC after two years is slim anyway, so. It ain't happening, bro. I'm keeping that up there forever. And you call me selfish.
- [52:54]
Larry Fitzgerald
I don't give a.
- [52:56]
Jerry Ferrara
No, I love it. And I'm not gonna lie. I would sell that so quick, bro. I'm a sellout. I'm a dirty, dirty. Hey, look, you want. How much. How much you want for these Fuki
- [53:06]
Matt Leiner
jobs, By the way?
- [53:07]
Jerry Ferrara
Make me an offer for the Fukijamas right now.
- [53:09]
Matt Leiner
How. How much are those anyway?
- [53:11]
Jerry Ferrara
How much I have been offered? The most I've ever been offered for those in cash, which I said no to, was 60, 000 or 70, 000. I do know I have told this story before. You know, me and the other guys each got a pair, so I think there's been five ever made. Let's just say some of them have been sold over the years. Never mind. These are the ones from the show, and they popped up at like a Sotheby's auction. Now, I could tell whose shoes they are because there's codes written in these.
- [53:44]
Matt Leiner
It's got to be Kevin Dillon, right?
- [53:46]
Jerry Ferrara
I'm not saying that, but it went for, I think, 90 grand at Southern these like three or four years ago.
- [53:53]
Matt Leiner
I mean, dude, sell the shoes, bro. What do you do? They're just sitting there.
- [53:57]
Jerry Ferrara
You're right.
- [53:57]
Matt Leiner
I mean, does Bri know that? Does Bri know that?
- [54:00]
Jerry Ferrara
No, she does not know.
- [54:02]
Matt Leiner
It's the same with the collectible cards that I have, but my. I mean, my. My most expensive card is probably three, $4,000, maybe a little bit more, but like $90,000. Dude.
- [54:13]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, I always say you got three
- [54:14]
Matt Leiner
kids to put through college, bro.
- [54:16]
Jerry Ferrara
If you ever see something on Instagram, from like Complex magazine, like Jerry Ferrara sells fuk. That means some bad happened.
- [54:24]
Matt Leiner
Yeah, I was about to say that
- [54:25]
Jerry Ferrara
means I, I, I might have, I have a tax liability or something I didn't know about or I had more kids. All right, let's wrap up here. Shout outs to Malik Willis. I'm definitely going to be watching the Dolphins closely this year. I hope, I hope good for him, bro. Yeah, I hope it all holds up because he, you know, you don't really see stories about backups in limited time going and getting the bag like that.
- [54:48]
Matt Leiner
So I hope you know who got a bag, you know who got a bag like that that our boy Matt Flynn back in the day.
- [54:54]
Jerry Ferrara
Remember that 1:6 touchdown performance and he made a garbage.
- [54:59]
Matt Leiner
He made a bag in preseason and then he had that one game and then I think Seattle paid him all that money and that's Wilson took his job.
- [55:09]
Jerry Ferrara
Rookie Russell Wilson.
- [55:10]
Matt Leiner
Hey, I ain't mad at him. I ain't mad at him.
- [55:12]
Jerry Ferrara
Well, it was the, it's been the first time after free agency I was like, wait, does Madden update the rosters in real time? Because I would like to go play some of these teams now. I definitely would like to go play the two Falcons because that is going to be the in a dome too lefty quarterbacks in Atlanta. I mean we just had Michael Vick on last week so I'm not saying he's going to be Vic, but he could put up some big ass numbers.
- [55:37]
Matt Leiner
We'll see, dude. We'll see.
- [55:40]
Jerry Ferrara
All right, we're back next week and if all stays according to plan, we have a nice throwback hall of Fame, let's say a throwback hall of Fame running back. He will need not much of an introduction. I'm not going to say who it is in case he cancels on us.
- [55:55]
Matt Leiner
I will say the my goat of all time running backs.
- [56:00]
Jerry Ferrara
Oh, everyone's. People might think it's Reggie Bush now. Who knows?
- [56:03]
Matt Leiner
They might think it's. They might think it's one of eight people. Yeah, it's true. True.
- [56:08]
Jerry Ferrara
All right, see you guys.
- [56:14]
Ad Read Announcer 3
Shot clocks, big shots, upsets, aces. TGL playoffs are here. First Atlanta Drive starts their repeat run against Los Angeles Golf Club. Then Rory's Boston Common golf and Tigers Jupiter Links face off in their playoff debuts. Who will advance?
- [56:26]
Matt Leiner
Keep up.
- [56:27]
Ad Read Announcer 3
It's playoffs. Tune in Tuesday, March 17th at 6:30pm and 9pm only on ESPN. And the ESPN applause.