Against the Grain

Welcome back to another episode! This week we discussed NFL free agency, Bam scoring 83, and the World Baseball Classic! You might want to check this one out!

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:35

Welcome, welcome, welcome back to another episode of the Fourth Down Podcast. Here with the usual guys, Sean. Hi. Ray. Yo. And Dory. So uh we're just gonna hop right into it. Um, this isn't gonna be no candid episode. We're just this this is gonna get crazy. So um, since we last recorded, there's been crazy, crazy moves happening in NFL free agency. Um one of I've been personally encrypted into because uh let's what? It was two fry two weeks ago. It was on a Friday night. Two weeks ago on a Friday night, uh, we all got the notification on our phones across the world that the Max Crosby was being traded to the Ravens for a first round pick this year, our first round pick this year, which was number 14, and a 2027 first round pick for the next year's draft. And the world went insane. It was like the biggest news. I was the happiest fan. I was I was it was it was it was the craziest thing ever. We fast forward to a week from there. And was it was that not even a week, was it because I would say was it even Friday night? It was yeah, it was like yeah, so five days later, the notification comes across everyone's phone that the Ravens backed out of the deal with the trade of the uh with the Los Angeles the Los Angeles Las Vegas Raiders for Max Crosby. And immediately it seemed like that was the bigger that blew up way more than him being traded to the Ravens. Um lot of things have been said since then. Um the main thing from it is the fact that he came in for a physical, I want to say the day that they backed out of the trade, he came in for a physical that morning, and based off of what the team doctors at the Ravens organization saw, they they were not okay with doing this trade, so they backed out of it. Um I'm sure y'all want to know exactly how I feel about it. Uh initially, I was hurt, I was crushed. I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Um but and I mean it call it coping, call it finding reasons, but in reality, because we're gonna talk about other free agencies, I don't want to get too ahead, but because of where we kind of headed after the situation and where we are now, I'm not as upset. Um I do want to say I feel like it's a kind of a stretch for people to try to say like we trying to pull some dirty tactics. Like we saw some things that we didn't like, so we didn't want to necessarily go with getting rid of two first round future draft picks. Y'all can look at me however y'all want to look at me, but I guarantee you, if it y'all was in the same situation, y'all would say the same thing.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

We can all give out that. We can all give out the now.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

I want to know how to do that. So here's my thing, right? When you inquire to trade on someone, you actually get the medicals from the other team. You usually just conduct your own physical to see for it yourself. So, I mean, I'm not gonna say that those medicals lined up, but you knew he had a bad knee. That's what I was gonna say. So you knew he had a bad knee. Maybe you didn't know it was as bad, but you knew he had a bad knee, and you still were willing to give up two first, which means you had thought that no matter where his knee was at, he was gonna be ready by the at least by I'd say week one. I'm not gonna put him on training camp or OTAs or none of that, because that's too soon.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

They said he was gonna be ready by week one. Yeah. That's what he said.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

And so in my head, and basically, and basically what the Raiders called the Ravens out for was the fact that y'all knew where his knee was at the whole time, but the Ravens didn't know that they was gonna get that the storyline is the Ravens didn't know that they was gonna get Henderson at the number that they got him for. And so when they realized when they realized that that was a possibility that they can do, they pulled out of that and then they went that direction. And then they tried, and then the narrative is, I'm not saying true or right, because I'm not in the room. True or wrong. Then the narrative was spent that the original plan was to get both. And because the numbers don't line up for them. I don't know about that. Because it would have been like real tight, and yeah, I thought. And it's funny, but because I read, I read like uh, it was a tweet, it was like, yo, this is the most Bill Belichick thing ever. Like, Bill, it's crazy. Like a guy like Bill who finds all the loopholes has never done that before. I was like, wait, you can kind of just pull out of trees and just destroy everyone's like, you know, cat maneuvering moves and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_04 4:55

I will say, yes, does it look bad? Yeah, but like again, we don't, we're not in the rooms. No, and again, there's not been an official like 100% word of what's gone out. So, like we're probably never gonna get it. And we probably never will, you know what I mean? Even down like the closest we'll get is what uh Max was on his podcast today, came out and just talked about how he was frustrated and devastated and confused about the Ravens backing out. And it's like can we can we talk about that too?

SPEAKER_01 5:18

What? Like how they flew him to DC, yeah, and then he had to drive from DC up to Baltimore. Like, I didn't know that. I just saw his story.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

I just saw his story that he was here.

SPEAKER_04 5:28

Yeah, he had to fly, yeah. He flew to DC drive up.

SPEAKER_02 5:31

I mean, come on, Ravens. Come on, dude. You supposed to be a first-class organization. Look, that ain't you can't fly on the BWI. Why he gotta go to DC?

SPEAKER_04 5:39

I mean, DC's probably the better welcome airport. Look, all I'm saying is, and I mean, again, like I said, this is just my take from it. I genuinely, and I if Max comes out week one of this season and has an amazing season, then I'm gonna eat my words and we're all gonna, you know, it is what it is. We'll just have to live with it. But I genuinely feel like we don't do that unless we saw something that wasn't in what we received from the Raiders as far as the note, like, you know, medical records about his knee with that our own doctors received. Because if you gotta think about it, then Max, the Raiders already had told him we don't want you here moving on from you, we're gonna find a way to get rid of you. The Raiders wanted to get that man out of there, and they found the best price that they could from the idiots over here in Baltimore.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

Yeah, first of all, I wouldn't have gave two first anyway. And that was what everything is. Yeah, yeah. And I remember we told that. And that's what leads to my opinion of I think y'all continue to have conversations, and then y'all realize, yo, that's a little steep.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

I was gonna say, yeah, my whole thing was I thought before any any of the stuff came out, I thought maybe they were like, uh, maybe two first is a little too much for us. That's what we were talking about at work. We was like, um, you know, maybe we we we can do something else. We can just buy back because two first rounds is steep for us, and we don't normally do that. That's what we were saying, but then it came out, you know, the whole knee stuff.

SPEAKER_04 6:48

But I mean, it I don't know. I might sound crazy for saying this, and it might just be me and a delusional fan, but it's like, okay, what what was stopping them from having that thought two days, not five days later after the physical, which they I'm sure they saw something bad.

SPEAKER_02 7:03

The thing is And I'm sure you're gonna say that's where they could use the leverage. But what stopped them from coming to that decision earlier? I mean, as you go through free agency and you realize you don't know who else they missed out on in conversations. And they might have felt as though, you know, I mean, especially the way y'all team was at the moment, y'all hadn't signed Henderson yet and none of that. So y'all had realized that y'all had lost so many players. And originally y'all might have thought that some of those guys that left that went to, you know, went to the Giants, or some of the guys that with Linderbaum going to the Raiders, y'all might have thought y'all was gonna be able to keep some of those pieces. And now you realize, oh, dang, we lost seven or eight starters. Um we can't afford to just throw away two first-round picks for one player. Originally, if y'all, you know, had on your board that you would keep maybe half of those guys, then you just plug and play Crosby, and now we're ready to go for a Super Bowl. But once y'all realized y'all was losing, a lot of these guys are free agencies, you might have been like, all right, we're not just one player away. So we need to keep those picks and we can still get Hendrickson. So that's what I'm saying. Those conversations develop as free agency goes on to the to the floor.

SPEAKER_04 8:06

If we still because draft draft no what? We still a couple weeks away from draft night. Almost having a month ago. Like a month before. We got a month before draft night. Draft night should be. If we come to, if we still end up trading these picks away that we were so crazy for doing in the first place to go get another superstar or another star caliber player, does this whole narrative get debunked that we backed out of the cross of trade because oh, we didn't want to get rid of our trades? I feel like then it double downs on the how if we still end up trading away our picks for another star caliber player, what is my thing about? Then the whole narrative that we did it because we didn't want to lose our picks don't matter no more.

SPEAKER_03 8:38

It's just like we just traded them. I don't I just don't get why even why y'all even backed out in the first place. Y'all, I think y'all honestly should just trade the picks anyway. We everybody used to was debating me all week about this for the last two weeks. I'm like, why not trade them? They don't draft good. The Ravens? The Ravens do not draft that well for them to trade away at least one of those first round picks.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

The Ravens team is like mostly drafted though. I mean, you got Lamar.

SPEAKER_03 9:07

75% of the roster's drafted compared to how many how many draft picks you get a year, how many don't draft them like compared to the case.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

I think they've hit on almost every first round pick they've taken.

SPEAKER_04 9:18

But all I'm saying is like historically, outside like it's 50-50. Because more recently, yes, I don't agree with you more recently, but that middle era that when obviously before the goddamn the first draft of Raylos and Ogden.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

Nah, Sislam. I've been sitting there, y'all been hitting in the first.

SPEAKER_03 9:37

As recently, I'm saying, like, even so with that, you decided to back out with Crosby because I guess he's gonna be he's hurt. But um Trey was in that same situation last year. He was basically hurt, struggling to get a contract from the team he was with already.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

And he's older.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

And he's older. So like, why not take the trade, take a younger person, give him the time to heal? He said he was gonna heal anyway.

SPEAKER_02 9:59

Because he don't cause two furs.

SPEAKER_03 10:01

I I get I get what you're saying. But like either or I don't think they would have I I they're in a good situation regardless. But I don't think they would have been in a bad situation if they kept a trade. Oh no. Like what you mean right now, currently, current, I mean used job money alone.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

You would have picked Max over Trey, or is that no, no, no. I'm talking about like they're in a good spot. I think they lost a lot of players and it's gonna be a good thing.

SPEAKER_03 10:21

Yeah, but that's the thing. They were gonna lose those players regardless. That's my thing. All of those players were playing.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

I don't think they knew they was gonna lose those players regardless.

SPEAKER_03 10:27

And and I know that's the and that's the issue.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

I think they were they knew they were gonna lose under the players.

SPEAKER_03 10:30

They were going to lose a lot of players regardless, especially like most of the people, the people that took most of their players to the Giants. Everybody followed Hardball. So it's like, what can you do about that?

SPEAKER_04 10:40

Like, which I just want to say this real quick before we get into anything. Because like, and I've been saying it's like as all these guys leaving and going to the Giants, and it's like I'm not like knocking them, but it's just like it should open our eyes as Ravens fans when everybody's all out there, right? Oh, Lamar's the best, Lamar's the best. I can't play with nobody else but Lamar, blah, blah. When it came down to it, you see who Harbaugh's guys was. They was all Harbaugh guys. So like I'm just saying, I just feel like he did Harbaugh did y'all dirty because he left and gave likely that same thing. I was thinking if he gave Mark. I was like, damn, and that's why I say like crazy. That's why, and I mean like it's it, you know, it's a business and it is what it is at the end of the day, but it's like like Isaiah being one of the main guys that was dick riding Lamar. It's like you did all that dick riding and he you already knew who you was gonna stick with in the end if it came down to it.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Let me ask y'all this then, since we talked about, you know, the the weirdness. I'm not even gonna say it was intentional, right? It was just weird. It's just weird completely. Do y'all think that we should have a tampering period, or do you think free agency should just start when the league opens? Because these handshake, like technically, the Ravens, even though like we people call it weird because of how it took place, but technically these are handshake deals until Wednesday comes. And I'm very saying so, in my opinion, the reason they gave us the tampering period is because people used to illegally do it. So they're like, all right, we're gonna let y'all talk. But the thing is, until we sign a paperwork on Wednesday, I could pull out of whatever deal I want to. Right. So do y'all think we should have a tampering period? Or should it just no, you cannot talk to anybody until Wednesday at what? What is it, four o'clock when it opens up, something like that?

SPEAKER_03 12:13

I think it should be a tampering period, but I don't think it should be publicized. Whatever they deal with.

SPEAKER_02 12:17

That's not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_03 12:18

I know, I know it's not going to. I know it's not going to, but that's what made this situation look bad. If it wasn't publicized, we would have never knew. Like, we would have never knew that they were getting Max Crosby until that Wednesday.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Like But they they're giving you the tampering period because too much of it was happening behind closed doors.

SPEAKER_03 12:34

Right. And I and I and I like I understand it, I understand that, but it's like if you if like you do away with it, then it kind it kind of would cause people to end up doing it illegally more. Like, I don't think there's something you can't remove.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

But the problem with the Max Crosby thing isn't even really like obviously the Ravens looked the worst in the situation, regardless of what really happened. But the problem with that is they agree to trade him, and then they had a whole free agency based off of him not being there. So now, so now they got all these guys that they signed. Luckily they can still afford it because the cap space worked out well. But what if they were a team that that was up against the cap and moved the guy to get the cap and now you're getting it back? What are you doing that signed all these people?

SPEAKER_04 13:16

You gotta like you gotta come up.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Some of them guys gotta go back to free agency.

SPEAKER_04 13:20

I know I'm gonna I've I'm gonna I'm gonna sound biased as fuck, because I've clearly, but you have all right to be. And I mean, like, look honestly, what we did is not even like we did something illegal. It's just the fact that this was probably No, it's not illegal. We the first people to ever do it. So that's why it's just like, but it's like people gotta understand, like, we didn't do nothing wrong, really.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

So But that is that's why I'm saying with the handshake, that throws off the whole rest of the league. Because look, look, it didn't it worked out this time. But imagine, like I said, they they didn't have the cash space after bringing McCrosby back onto their record books. So now all these guys are back on the free agency. Now all the guys that they just signed have to take lesser contracts because all these other teams that wanted them have already moved on because they didn't get them. It's it's like a it's like a domino effect.

SPEAKER_03 14:05

You know what I mean? And the only thing now about that is like um, because before y'all got him and y'all put up the two firsts, the Cowboys went and talked to get him and get him. I'm glad y'all did that, because they backed out. But like they backed out wholeheartedly because of what y'all said, and basically saying they they lied about him in health, even though I don't think they lied. Well, I don't know Max Crosby would have told you what the fuck was wrong with him. And maybe the Raiders did a lot, maybe they didn't. We did we would never know. But it was like, um I think now I think it now, yeah, of course. It now I think it now interferes, interferes with Max Crosby and then getting traded. And if they did want to move him now, you kind of can't. Because like, um no, you just gotta lower the price. Yeah, yeah, but then they're not gonna you think they're gonna be able to do that. You gotta get him for 70 cents on a dollar.

SPEAKER_04 14:49

I understand that. They had already, bro, before they did they'll they when going into the offseason, they told Max, yo, you're not on to be on the team moving forward. Like, I don't know why that wasn't like a bigger part of it.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

They were committing to the rebuild.

SPEAKER_04 14:59

Yeah, like I don't know why that's not really a bigger part at all. Like, that's no one really talks about that or this entire fiasco. Like, the Raiders were fully ready and are still trying to move on to them with him. They still don't want him there. So, like, I I just don't like, I mean, look, they're still gonna have to, they're still gonna have to move on from him. Um, the price is gonna have to go down. And I will say that's the only thing that I will say is I do feel bad about this. Is it like Mac for Max's future? Not saying he's not gonna go somewhere and still like be, you know, have a good career, but it does tarnish now like what people may think about him and his ability. Like, I truly I don't know. We'll again we probably may never see, but I really believe the Raiders really lied to us and tried to fleece us.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

So they tried to sell you a lemon.

SPEAKER_04 15:41

Yeah, but like us last year. Like, I really like I mean, hey, look, y'all, I can't even say, but y'all took him. I'm just saying, man. Hey, look, but nah, like I just I don't know. I just feel like they the raid, I do believe the Raiders probably might have thought, might have even had a slight idea that his knee was a little worse than what they were putting off to be. I feel like so that's why I said this is just karma. We get our picks back, they had to figure out their situation, they still gotta trade that man, and they just gotta have to get it for less.

SPEAKER_01 16:11

I think he still does get traded. Like I still gonna get traded. You think so? I think he still gets traded. I think he's playing week one. No, I think. Not for the Raiders. Not for the Raiders.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

I think he's playing for the Raiders week one.

SPEAKER_04 16:20

I don't think so.

SPEAKER_02 16:21

You think he's I saw that they still taking calls for him.

SPEAKER_04 16:23

Like, do you think he gets traded after that?

SPEAKER_02 16:25

Maybe next season.

SPEAKER_04 16:27

Why, but see, why even tell the man going into this offseason? Literally before the season even ended, why tell this man we're not gonna have you here moving forward?

SPEAKER_02 16:34

I mean, I just don't think anyone's gonna get if any I don't think they're getting a 26 first. Like, it has to be a future first if they're gonna get him. Because everyone's now has moved on from free agency and started working at draft board.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

That's true.

SPEAKER_02 16:45

So it's like you maybe after the draft, like post-June 1, I mean that doesn't affect him like it affects a lot of people, like AJ Brown. But like Do you do y'all do y'all feel like Trey is a better fit for the Ravens than Max would have been?

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Or it's they both kind of fit.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

I mean, Max's a better Max is better against the run than Trey is. But Trey has had better like clutch sacks. He's had more clutch sacks than Crosby, but at the same time, the Raiders ain't been in games where they need to be clutched.

SPEAKER_03 17:09

I feel like I feel like Crosby's pressure is more is more valuable than Trey.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Crosby's a better player overall.

SPEAKER_03 17:15

I feel like it's just it's just the pressure you you can put on uh on a on a defense on an offensive line with having Crosby's presence there. You can do so much with it, like you can mix like stunts with that, blitzes behind him, um, do a lot of that more. He can line up on all four spots in the defensive line.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

Trey's just a pass rusher.

SPEAKER_03 17:35

Yeah, he's versatile as a pass rusher, but like all around pressure, but it's Max for sure.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

Yeah. But yeah, I mean you disagree.

SPEAKER_04 17:44

I just it's not that I disagree. I don't. Uh Max is a great player. Um I just feel like, and again, I need to see the results on the field, so I don't want to get all like I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but I watched the press conference, I watched just like how he was speaking and just how he his mentality and his mindset. No, no, like honestly, yo, that shit really mattered. Like, I love Max, and I'm not saying that Max has never talked about it like that, but it's just like the shit I'm hearing from Trey is like he he's literally talking about how he's gonna make the team better. Like, how he's literally supposed to do, you know. I I know that, I get that, but like I do get what he's saying. It's just like thank you. Like, you get it.

SPEAKER_02 18:20

Like, it's talking about from a personality standpoint, like a locker room guy standpoint. Yeah, and just like just like he might be a better locker room guy than Max.

SPEAKER_04 18:27

I mean, not even just that, but like I honestly, I when you say better fit, I actually do feel like trans might be better for us.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Yeah, but he's just not good against the run. So, like, like first, like he's not an all four down player. Like, you can have him out there all four down, but his biggest impact is on third and fourth.

SPEAKER_04 18:47

I know, but I feel like the guys that we do have to start to run, and because we're not gonna need him to be the number one run stopper, maybe the two or the third, he'll be fine.

SPEAKER_02 18:55

Yeah, no, he's gonna be a good thing. That's why I say that's why I say he don't suck at the time. It's not even a better pass rusher than a run defender.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Yeah, for sure. But y'all saying the memes where it was like y'all went from having the highest jersey sales in Dundalk to Von. Uh yeah, but I've never heard speak before. I ain't gonna lie, I've never heard him speak before.

SPEAKER_04 19:15

I will say, like, I ain't gonna hold you. If you do watch the clip, like if you watch some of it, it does come off, like it does come off as like one of those, like, he's just saying the right thing, he's just saying, but I will say Jesse Miner, EDC and Trade Anderson are very good at fucking deflecting questions.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

Especially EDC, bro. Like, bro, especially EDC.

SPEAKER_04 19:34

On some real shit. But um, so I know, all right, I know we focus a lot on um my team and our guys, but how do y'all feel y'all teams have done so far in this free agency process?

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Um I'll give us a B. You wanna go first or you want me again? I'll go. I mean, I'm probably gonna be shorter. You probably you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_02 19:50

You know you've done that like three episodes in a row. You know what?

SPEAKER_01 19:53

You go first, you go first.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

You go first. I'm talking about the fact that you say you're gonna be longer. You be rapping, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

No, no, no, it ain't even like that, bro. It's just like because I know we're gonna overlap. You feel me? But like I I think it's cool. Like, I think Dobbs is a good pickup. He's younger than Diggs. Um I I I don't think we done at receiver, you know. I I think we're gonna get uh you know, he who should not be named, right? But I'll say my thoughts. I think we finna get him. I think uh who else who else do we get?

SPEAKER_02 20:18

Uh Javier Tucker. I thought that was a good pickup.

SPEAKER_01 20:22

He was a good replacement for uh Jalen Hawkins, I feel like. He can mentor Craig Woodson. I think that's gonna be good. I think we in the market for a good tight end. Uh because Hunter, I I feel like you know, he's getting up there. So we either we either gonna draft one or I don't know, maybe I know Njoku visited with y'all today, but we could get Njoku. I'm I'm fine with Njoku, bro.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

I mean, no, it's not even about being fine with Njoku. I think we're done with free agency. I think we've moved on. I don't think I don't think everyone who's out there right now, there's no pressure to sign them right now. So if you're still out there, like you're probably not getting picked up to camp. And that's just being the truth. You could have like if if people wanted Njoku, he'd be signed. So You think the same thing for Diggs, too? Well, Diggs, the people were probably waiting to see what his legal stuff looked like. But I mean, I I thought it started for I thought for I'm sorry. Hey, Baltimore beat the case, you don't know. Charges dropped, yeah. Charges dropped.

SPEAKER_04 21:19

Something kind of because you brought up Diggs, something kind of pissed me. I've seen uh uh one of the one of the pages was saying that uh that he's uh he's predicted to come here. I mean it was track, but it makes sense. I mean it makes it make sense. I don't listen. Why not?

SPEAKER_02 21:33

No, he is a uh a DMV guy, he is not a Baltimore guy. Uh huh. Yeah, yeah. But no, I mean i for us it started slow. Like we didn't pop in really till like day two when it came to free agency. Um I like Dobbs, he's a two, he's not a one, we still need a one. So I'm just saying. Um he basically well I'm not gonna say he is Diggs 'cause I think Diggs is still better than him, but I think he's he's here for that role. Yeah. Um and then Kevin Byer is much better than Jalen Hawkins. I mean, Kevin Bayer was an all-pro safety last year with seven picks leading at NFL. Um I don't know how the Bears ain't keep him around, but I guess they thought because he was 32 that it was time to go. We only got him for one year, so he ain't gonna we probably draft a safety too. Um we got a fullback. And then uh Wayne Wayne Killian.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

Bring back, bring back power.

SPEAKER_02 22:22

All that means is we about to all that means we're about to run some double tight end bull crap under the center, like in 2005.

SPEAKER_01 22:28

Bring back the fullback, bro. I I like it.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

Yeah, I mean if he can catch, then it it adds some element to him, but I ain't gonna act like I watch fullback play. So I really don't know what he brings to the table. Um I did know that he they did say he was the best fullback available, but like was there like there's like two, so I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 22:45

That's Pat Ricard, yeah. Disrespecting.

SPEAKER_02 22:47

He was available?

SPEAKER_01 22:48

Well, he he's a free agent? Ricard?

SPEAKER_02 22:51

Yeah, yeah. Oh, true. Oh, oh dang.

SPEAKER_04 22:54

She's over there. That was number five. That was the fourth fight. New York Ravens. New York Ravens.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

But nah, I mean, I think we did good. Elijah Vera Tucker, I mean, if he could stay on the field, hit the Pro Bowl safety.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

So that means that moves Wilson in the center, right? Because then we got him at left guard, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:09

So I mean, I think we've we've improved our line if he can stay healthy. Uh I think we've improved everywhere, but we still got the same question we've had for the past 15 years. Who was the wide receiver one? I mean the Patriots fans. Think about it. I'm I'm 29 years old, right? Been a fan since the beginning of watching football. We've had a wide receiver one twice. Deion Branch, Randy Moss. In what? My 29 years of living. We've had two wide receiver ones. And we had Randy Moss for three years. You could Deion Branch for two years, he left and came back. No, no, no. I was gonna say Adam.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

I was gonna say you could say Antonio Brown for maybe.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

No, that's two. No, you're talking about guys who who who played for us for two weeks, bro. Then then you could say Diggs. Like, because Diggs. Diggs isn't Diggs is not a receiver one right now. He was for us. He was the only one with a thousand yards. A wide receiver one is a definitive one, not one for us. For example, right? And you might you might even you might not even agree with this, right? I think Zay Flowers is an amazing two. I don't know. I think Zay Flowers is But he has more production than any of our receivers. He had more production than Stefan Day, and you just called him a one. So that's what I'm saying. Production doesn't equal being a one. It's skill set, it's it's ability to dictate coverage, right? That's what makes you a one. If I put AJ Brown or Jamar Chase or Justin Jefferson on the field, I have to guard him.

SPEAKER_03 24:28

It's a game.

SPEAKER_02 24:29

I have to guard him. I have to I have to sit there all day on Tuesday in practice and figure out how I can stop this guy. We haven't had a receiver like that in a while. Since Randy Moss.

unknown 24:38

Man.

SPEAKER_02 24:39

So, in my opinion, we've had this question forever, and we still got this question. And we're probably gonna have it because we're probably not getting AJ Brown.

SPEAKER_01 24:45

So Bro, I I I I truly, and I was I was talking to Dre about this before y'all got him here. I think that we're gonna get him post-June 1st because it helps them with their cap situation.

SPEAKER_02 24:55

I think that's worse because now we gotta get about 2027-1. And that's the first of all, that's that pick, but that pick is more than likely to be, don't get me wrong, do I want to win the Super Bowl? Yes, but the only way we get a worse pick than what we have now is winning the Super Bowl. So it's more than likely gonna be a better pick in a better draft. And we're gonna have to give that up rather than 2026.

SPEAKER_01 25:16

And I I think they do that because look what just happened today. Like the Broncos overpaid for Jalen Waddle, but they're trying to help Bo Knicks. So the Patriots are probably thinking, let's help Drake May, and let's still, even after June 1st, even if we got to move those picks, I feel like they're still gonna do that because. No, they can't look at this roster and think we we're we're getting better if we're not helping Drake on offense. I think they tried and they struck out again. I I think I think they go for it, bro.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

I think No, I mean even if they did go for it, I'd be against it at that point.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Nah, I I say.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

I'd be against it at that point.

SPEAKER_03 25:48

So I'm I guess I'm gonna just see it because AJ Brown transitioned. I'm gonna start with AJ. Okay. Um if we were gonna move AJ Brown, it'll happen throughout. Only reason I say that because nobody has anything we want. Um the Patriots, only the only the teams that aren't interested don't have anything I want. Of anything we want, especially the Patriots. We don't want players, we want picks. Um that first round pick that y'all got, we don't want because it's under our 31. Yeah, it's under hours. So we're not gonna want that. Even if you did try to give us a player on top of it, what?

SPEAKER_04 26:21

We got 14.

SPEAKER_03 26:23

I'm but that's what I'm saying. So y'all are interested. Y'all are getting crossed. I don't win it got injured.

SPEAKER_04 26:29

That's my thing. So that's my guy. That's what that's my thing. Combo back off of what I said earlier. If we end up doing, I feel like that's the move. That's my thing.

SPEAKER_03 26:37

That's my thing. They got the 14th pick. We would want that. So if they were to offer that, we would take it.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

Yeah, the 31st is like a second. It's literally a second. So it's literally a second.

SPEAKER_03 26:47

Basically, on that, right, if we were to move him after June 1st, it would have to be another star. It would be somebody, it would be somebody of value to our team. It would, it wouldn't be a pick for next year because we would want to use our picks this year. Like, we all know how Howie does. If you trade somebody, gets rid of somebody, he's getting his shit back tenfold that year.

SPEAKER_04 27:05

And I feel like and I feel like they're looking at how you were just describing how you want to do for your team. They if they're giving up their definitive one, they need to make sure we need to end up getting away.

SPEAKER_02 27:15

They ain't getting that the 31st pick in the draft.

SPEAKER_04 27:17

We're not and not in this draft. We might get it at 14, bro. Maybe this yeah, and then I'm saying that's why I said we still might even we still may end up giving both of these first round picks.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

And like to touch on something else about that, right? Only reason I don't think us moving from AJ is gonna happen this year because Nick Sarion is in a win now situation because he might get fucking fired after this season. Um, his he's in the hot seat right now.

SPEAKER_02 27:39

Man, I feel like he's been in the hot seat for like four years in a row.

SPEAKER_03 27:42

As soon as he won the bowl, he won the bowl and got out the hot seat for a year and then it got went back to went back to going crazy. So it's like um if we move from AJ, it's not gonna happen this year. We're gonna keep him. Um, we're gonna see what happens. Um, if it works out, we'll probably try and re-sign him, but we got a lot of people to sign next year. But um, as far as like how we did in free agency, we let a lot of people walk. Um I wasn't I wasn't too happy about some of the people. Some of the people I already felt like we were gonna move on from like Blank, I knew we were gonna get rid of him. Um just because our we're surrounding our defense with a whole bunch of young. Um Blank should be getting, he's like, he's like 30 now, 31. That doesn't look good for a coach. Really? Yeah, he's old nigga. He's been around for a while. Blank should have been in the league for a while.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

Who you played for before, the coach?

SPEAKER_03 28:26

I think so.

SPEAKER_02 28:26

Yeah, yeah, I think he was a coach, right?

SPEAKER_03 28:28

So it's like, alright, and after we moved on from these, like um, I wasn't I was upset about about Nadine for the most part. That was the my biggest gripe. But we weren't sure last year if he was gonna come back the same. So we in return drafted uh Jahai Campbell. So we basically drafted his replacement, and not knowingly, Nadine came back a dog, and Jahai Campbell was nice, LeBron's nice, you can't move on, you gotta move on from one. So we didn't re-sign Jalen Phillips, which I was upset about. He went and got a bag from um Carolina, which I understand because we probably couldn't get him that money. I'm not upset about that either. Um he deserves his bread, he played well for the time he was with us. Um we picked up Reek Willen. Reek Willen. That was a good one. That was that's my thing. That's my biggest thing because we went from two first team all-pro corners to a Super Bowl winning cornerback last year with Reek Willen.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

It's crazy how like it's a how your attitude can kind of like play you out of the league. Because Reek is a stud, but people do not like him in the locker room.

SPEAKER_03 29:33

I don't understand.

SPEAKER_04 29:34

Coaches, coaches don't like him, players don't like him. Like, it's so crazy that it's a clip from uh I don't know what game it is, but it's a game where the it was in the playoffs and he got a uh penalty, and the referee went over to Mike McD uh Mike McDonald and he said, Yeah, he said there's a uh under sportsman like penalty, but we're trying to get the number. He says, he says, I already know it's on Reek. And I was like, damn.

SPEAKER_01 29:52

I think it might have been the Rams game. I'm not gonna lie. It was, it was easy to be. But he he's a stud, bro. He's fast, he's small.

SPEAKER_03 29:58

Here's what they know about that.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

We love them niggas. We love we love players like that. Look at our locker room, bro. We're in shambles and we won't.

SPEAKER_02 30:06

Yeah, y'all be spitting on people.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

Right?

SPEAKER_01 30:08

Like, bro, we have to he might be on the move though.

SPEAKER_02 30:10

Who yeah, they put him in a lot. Yeah, put him in the room.

SPEAKER_03 30:12

That is another thing we um Jalen Carter? Uh solely because we can't pay him next year. Uh I mean it's because we can't pay him. We we're trying to get the city.

SPEAKER_02 30:19

And that's and that's part of the reason. That's part, what are you saying?

SPEAKER_04 30:22

I was gonna say, I was gonna mention, I ended up doing the same thing with Hargrave before he wanted to be able to do it.

SPEAKER_02 30:26

And I feel like That's what I was about to say. That's part of the reason why I don't want to do the trade post for June 1. Because at that point, we might as well wait till we're a free agent. Exactly. Get him for 70 on the down. So am I delusional trading him for the thing? I'm delusional.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

That's what it sounds like, bro. I'm delusional. I sound crazy.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

It's not beneficial to the Patriots. I'm delusional. To do this after June 1st. It's only beneficial to the Eagles. It is not beneficial to us. We're gonna give up a better draft pick and a better draft for a player we can get in free agency the next year. Fuck it. I say do it. Fuck it.

SPEAKER_04 30:59

Listen, I only I only understand where you're coming from because when this whole Max thing was going on, I got I said to myself, I said, oh, the Ravens are in the win now. We own the we own the Rams type shit. We're not in the win now window. No, no, I know, but that's for us. Like, they are for me. I thought we were on the we were pulling a LA Rams shit and we were just saying, fuck them picks. We're going all in now.

SPEAKER_02 31:18

Like we very much this year going into the year, we very much can have a better team this year and still have a worse record.

SPEAKER_03 31:24

And take a step back, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:25

Like we we bro, we went 14-3 last year. If we go, we probably got 14-3. I know. Bro, you gotta think you gotta think. That was a rebuild season still. Yeah, yeah. That was the first year with that coaching staff. That was Drake May's second year. Half of those guys in that locker room weren't even guys that Vrabel picked. He worked with what he had and got to the Super Bowl. We went 14-3. We could have a better team next year and still go 11-6. And 11-6 is not a bad year. We can have a better season, we can have a better team next year and losing a divisional round.

SPEAKER_03 31:56

We went 11-6, and that was a terrible year.

SPEAKER_01 31:58

But I'm saying we're rebuilding from the ground up. But did you see we didn't re-sign any of our uh free agents? Because they weren't good, except for Tonga. I thought Chase On was solid.

SPEAKER_02 32:09

That was Chase's best year. You're chasing people's best years. And you gotta, when you when you're signing people, you gotta you gotta project. So like in their heads, they probably like that's probably as good as he's gonna get.

SPEAKER_04 32:19

But y'all still got um Carlton Davis?

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Yeah. Yeah, we still got the yeah. We signed him to he getting 20 a year. We signed him to three years. But I'm just saying, like, I'm just saying, like, a lot of a lot of Patriots fans, because I watch a lot of Patriot stuff, and I I try to be the most unbiased because I know our fan base is very biased. Um Look at me. Us going to the Super Bowl, us going to the Super Bowl doesn't make us a Super Bowl team. You have to act, you have to almost act like we went like nine and seven or whatever, nine and eight, ten and ten and seven. That's how you have to act when you come to your team and building your team. You can't be like, oh, we made it to the Super Bowl, we just need one more player. No, that's not how that works. I just my thing is, bro, I'm more than likely not going back. More than likely.

SPEAKER_01 33:01

I don't want to hear the Drake may regress, the Patriots were fool's gold, they they only benefited from schedule sports media.

SPEAKER_02 33:12

That's what that is. Twitter, that's not reality. When you talk to people who actually know ball, bro, they they know what's going on. They know if they we go into the season with our number one receiver being Romeo Dobbs, the real people who know ball aren't gonna be like Drake may regress. They're gonna be like, no, you need a receiver.

SPEAKER_03 33:26

Produced two 1,000-yard receivers for four years consistently, he still gets called ass. So that's just sports media.

SPEAKER_02 33:32

I mean, but like nah, Jalen Hurts. Nah, Jalen Hurt. I mean, but um But he he he could be better, but he's not ass.

SPEAKER_03 33:39

I understand. But to finish up without like with like with the Eagles, like um, I think the gap we're in right now, we're suffering from drafting too well. Um a lot of the guys.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

My pancake's too buttery.

SPEAKER_00 33:54

I think I feel like I ain't gonna lie, yeah. Like, I just kinda sit here thinking like look at look at look at what happened.

SPEAKER_03 34:01

Look at what's going on. We're losing a lot of players that we drafted ourselves because we can't pay them no more. Like, we've had these guys for on their rookie.

SPEAKER_02 34:11

That's first world problem.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

Yeah, I can like we had these guys since we got them, and we can't pay everybody. Like, I know the situation between Q and Coop gonna get crazy because they got drafted the same fucking year. So it's either somebody gonna take cheaper money or one of them gonna walk. And like that's just the reality of it. We're we've been drafting, like, we got Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, we um we drafted Coop, the G Coop, um, Queen Yon. We got so many guys on that defense that we already picked up. And then we got Jahi Campbell right after we let we right after Dean got hurt, like, bro, we are suffering from drafting too well. So it's like what do we like we gotta let some of these dudes walk and we gotta pick up some free agents. And I think that's where we're at now. I think Howie's just trying to figure out like who is he gonna keep definitively under on the max contracts and who he can let go.

SPEAKER_02 34:58

Like, I mean, there's there there's a world where he can play, he can play Q and Coop, but that just means that you ain't ready to have two number one receivers like y'all got right now.

SPEAKER_03 35:08

Exactly. Something's gonna have to give. Or just the reality of it, of course.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

What do you what do you think about the the Hollywood pickup? Um depth.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

I think it's just for depth. He replaced uh John Dodson. Basically, he's gonna get Doss.

SPEAKER_03 35:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:22

He didn't get many, but I mean, but he he had some plays here and there.

SPEAKER_03 35:27

That's the problem. Jahad Dodson was amazing, and they didn't call no plays from that.

SPEAKER_02 35:33

I forget where he went.

SPEAKER_03 35:34

He went to I forgot to I forgot.

SPEAKER_02 35:36

I mean, man, it's John Dodson. It was whatever.

SPEAKER_03 35:39

He was cool. I thought whatever.

SPEAKER_04 35:40

But yeah, so that just wraps up right now.

SPEAKER_02 35:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 35:43

I mean so but before we did move Ramon from the uh the football. Cause I just because we kind of got team specific. Just outside of our own teams and anything. Like, what's like what was the biggest move? What was the worst? Like, what was like what was the move that shocked y'all the most so far like since we've been dealing with free agency? Um see because if you go over this, Kenneth Walker went to the Chiefs.

SPEAKER_03 36:02

I feel like that was a bad move.

SPEAKER_02 36:03

I think I thought it was a good move. I don't know about bad. I don't I don't know. It's not gonna change the outlook of their season. Um I think I think a very so I think a very underrated trade that happened that people aren't talking about, and you're not gonna like it because you're a Ravens fan. But I think Pittman to the Steelers to go on the opposite side of DK. I think I think that's very valid.

SPEAKER_03 36:25

I do like that trade.

SPEAKER_02 36:26

I think that's very valid.

SPEAKER_03 36:27

I feel like the I feel like I feel like if they get a definitive thing. You don't already know.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

Aaron Rodgers is gonna do this whole thing in the summer.

SPEAKER_03 36:33

I feel like they could have picked up Kyle Eminem, okay. But um if they get a good quarterback, because they just got they picked up Rico Dow um from Carolina, which was he wasn't, he was one of the best.

SPEAKER_02 36:43

Steelers had a great offseason. They had a great offseason. They just don't got a quarterback. You don't want to, but they just don't got a coolers.

SPEAKER_04 36:50

That's the only reason why I'm banking on like yo, everybody throwing them to the street.

SPEAKER_03 36:53

The Steelers' offense looks scary as hell. Like brought two 6'4 receivers, and Rico Down quarterback as tight ends.

SPEAKER_02 37:01

They also signed Jamil Dean to go opposite of um uh Porter Jr. Yeah, and they also signed Darnell Savage to start at safety next to uh Ramsey.

SPEAKER_01 37:11

It's crazy. Jamel Dean, that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 37:13

Jamel Dean is nice. That's a good pick. Jamel Dean, Rico Doddle, um trading for Pittman, uh Jaquan Brisker, and Darnell Savage. That's their all-air pickups.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

Yo, that's a good offseason.

SPEAKER_03 37:24

Brisker's solid too, bro. I'm gonna be real, I'm gonna be real. Like, you know, we're talking about division rivals. The fucking Giants had an amazing offseason. They could be one of the best teams in our division, if not the best, because we might not look that good this year. So, and I'm gonna be like, I always like stay unbiased when it comes to football. Like, I know when we might not look that good this year compared to what everybody else has. We have been the best, the best team in our division for the last two years. Um this year, I can't say that. Jackson Dart, he's a bro, I'm not gonna lie, he's a fucking dog. Um, you got you got you gonna have Malik back out there next year. You're you got him paired up with fucking um uh likely, and I think they picked up another receiver that's decent. Like, and they got Kalvin Austin? Is that is that where he went?

SPEAKER_02 38:09

Yep, yeah. You got Kelvin Austin, and then they still got Isaiah Hodges.

SPEAKER_03 38:12

They still got Scatterbo, which was running that bitch like crazy last year. He's coming back healthy off an injury, had a full offseason.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

Darnell Mooney.

SPEAKER_03 38:19

Like, bro, they look good, and I feel like John Harbaugh could make that team pretty decent.

SPEAKER_02 38:24

I think they're gonna be competitive. Yeah, the two teams who were bad that I think are gonna be respectable this year are the Giants and the Titans.

SPEAKER_01 38:31

I think if if we're talking flip side, bro, that DB from the Saints is nice as fuck. Yeah, we if we talk flip side, we're talking about the best moves, but what about the Dolphins, bro? Like they I feel like they gotta be at the bottom end of this.

SPEAKER_04 38:44

But we already, I think we talked about it before. This is they're going in the rebuild.

SPEAKER_01 38:47

Yeah, they I think I think I know, yeah, but that's what I don't get.

SPEAKER_02 38:52

They should have just let Ewers run and run the run the season out and draft in 27, but they paid Malik, what, what'd he get, 17 a year or something like that? Or more than that? I think it was more than 76. I think it was like 67. Let me see. I got it.

SPEAKER_03 39:03

I thought it was 83 years? No, it was 67. I see the Colts.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

Miami Dolphin Daniel Jones, how y'all think Alec Pierce? So he's getting so Malik is getting 22.5 a year. That's good with no receivers.

SPEAKER_01 39:16

That's what that's my point.

SPEAKER_02 39:17

No defense. I mean, they gave him two two that well.

SPEAKER_03 39:21

The Colts are paying two. The Colts are paying 88 million for two people.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Daniel Jones and uh Alec Pierce.

SPEAKER_03 39:29

Yeah, that's crazy, bro. Like, why are y'all spending this type of money?

SPEAKER_01 39:32

I think Alec is an idiot, bro. Because he said he wanted he wanted to stay, he wanted to go to a stable QB situation, and he he wanted Daniel Jones. Bro, like he's so good.

SPEAKER_02 39:42

We were about to give Alec Pierce 30 million a year to be a deep threat. That's what I'm saying. Let the coach bro, the coach got like 80 million tied up in him and Daniel Jones over.

SPEAKER_01 39:54

I still think he's an idiot for for choosing to stay there with Daniel Jones, like willingly. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 40:00

I mean, but he got the bag, he got the bag, but like season with Daniel.

SPEAKER_01 40:04

He said he said he wanted a stable QB situation, and Daniel Jones is your answer.

SPEAKER_02 40:08

I think the Colts are gonna regress a lot. I think the Colts are gonna regress a lot. And what while I said, like I said, but the Titans, like, I don't think any individual one move is what's gonna put them over the top or make them good. But I do think that them having Sala as their head coach and Dayball as OC, I think it's gonna at least make them respectable in every game they play.

SPEAKER_03 40:25

They're progressing.

SPEAKER_02 40:26

Yeah, so I I can see them going from where they went to like a seven-win season. Yeah, if you're gonna be able to. You know what I mean? And same thing with the Giants. Like the Giants were what, four-win team, five-win team, something like that. I can see them getting to seven or eight. I'm not they might be 500.

SPEAKER_01 40:37

I think they I think they finished five.

SPEAKER_02 40:38

The only reason I don't have them going super doing super well record-wise is just their division. Y'all gonna beat up on each other.

SPEAKER_03 40:45

Um the Cowboys trash though.

SPEAKER_02 40:47

I don't think the Cowboys are trash.

SPEAKER_03 40:49

I mean, yeah, they got two of the best receivers in the league. So but um, I just don't biased. Yeah. Um I just don't I just don't want to like put down the Giants because like they've been down for a while. Like they're gonna come into week one, eh. They're gonna want this shit.

SPEAKER_01 41:07

Like, neighbors gonna be ready for week one, or probably not?

SPEAKER_03 41:10

Yeah, he's been hurt for a while. Maybe I think he is. He went out like week four or five. He's working out now. Yeah, he went out like no week two. He went out week two.

SPEAKER_02 41:17

That's why I meant I had him on my fantasy team.

SPEAKER_03 41:19

Yeah, he got hurt the second week of the season. I know he got hurt before.

SPEAKER_02 41:21

He didn't even get to play with Dart. That's why it's different than than with Pat, because Pat went out in December.

SPEAKER_03 41:25

He didn't get to play with Dart. So, and he started week three.

SPEAKER_02 41:28

That's the move. How y'all feel about that? Uh, Justin Fields to hold it down over in Kansas City until Pat ready.

SPEAKER_04 41:38

No, I mean like y'all not, I don't I like Fields. Y'all not gonna like what I might have to say, but I think he's having a good season.

SPEAKER_02 41:48

Fields?

SPEAKER_04 41:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:50

Pat didn't have a good season. With the same guy. I mean, he was out there.

SPEAKER_01 41:58

I mean Fields is a little more mobile, right? Maybe maybe he can make some. I was just trying to shake the room. Maybe he can. What about um? No, no, go ahead. I was gonna say, like, we talk at QBs. Y'all think Kylo to the Vikings is a good move? Yes. We kind of glossed over it.

SPEAKER_02 42:09

Yes. I think Kevin O'Connell's system outside of McVay and Kyle Shannon is probably the best system to be a quarterback.

SPEAKER_04 42:15

I genuinely feel like they're gonna ship the job.

SPEAKER_03 42:17

JJ McCarthy definitely just lost his job.

SPEAKER_02 42:18

Yeah, he's cool.

SPEAKER_03 42:19

Yeah, they're gonna ship J. They already are calling for JJ. His job's done. Yeah, his jobs. I hope so. If he goes to the Steelers, they're gonna be a good one.

SPEAKER_04 42:27

I pray non go to Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_01 42:29

I hope they go to the Jets. They just traded for Gino.

SPEAKER_04 42:32

Gino's back to the Jets. Boy, Gino back to the Jets. Shout out Geno Smith, man.

SPEAKER_02 42:37

That's not true.

SPEAKER_04 42:39

But now let's let's let's move on. Also, I'm gonna uh switch it up just for time's sake here. Um NBA kind of like at its peak now, I feel like, you know, what are we like two months from the playoff starting? Or like two weeks.

SPEAKER_02 42:52

End of April was like play in, right?

SPEAKER_04 42:56

So I don't know. We're gonna have to. But I'm gonna just start with the biggest thing that's been the most insane thing that's happened in basketball recently. Bam Atabayo dropped 83 points and he surpassed Kobe Bryant's 81 point record for scoring bam Kobe. Will Bam Kobe initially just like were y'all all right? So were y'all keeping up with like the game or did y'all just see the end of the game? I thought y'all just see the end.

SPEAKER_02 43:20

One of y'all texted the chat and it was like 60 or 70? So yeah, I I I I saw I got a notification that he had like 30 in the first. And I didn't watch it of it. He had like like 60%. Like 60. Yeah, two points. So then I was like, let me let me turn this on it on. So I turned it on in the third quarter, and I was watching the game. I was like, yo, he's actually cooking them. And so that's why I didn't get the fallout behind it. It's because I understand, you know, they was like, oh, they was fouling and you know, basically slowing the game down so that he can get the get the record. But I'm like, yo, before they started doing that, he had 70, bro.

SPEAKER_03 43:55

Real rap. That's why I'm like, bro, stop discrediting this man, bro.

SPEAKER_02 43:58

But the wizards should be ashamed.

SPEAKER_03 44:00

Like it's so many takeaways from this.

SPEAKER_04 44:01

The Wizards should be one of them. The Wizards need to be ashamed on the stuff.

SPEAKER_02 44:05

He had a true authentic 70 before they started like fouling to extend the game and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 44:10

Oh, he already had hella free throws before he even when he got to his 70. They were you watched, if you watched him, they were fouling him. They were legit fouling him. That's what I don't understand. Like, how are you gonna get mad at him for going to the free throw line throughout the course of the three quarters he was hooping? Because they were legit fouling him. Honestly, I'm at like five and ones like that.

SPEAKER_04 44:28

I'm gonna just say get it out. A lot of people aren't gonna like it. But if we're just being honest, the most majority of the people that were just mad and upset about Bam getting the 83. It's just because Kobe's record. It needs to say people that hated Kobe. Not even that, but like I it's just kind of crazy to me because it's like people treated it like it. I seen somewhere that people it was like, people act like Kobe's 81 was the actual record, and it wasn't.

SPEAKER_02 44:50

Like he shot hella. I mean, we still don't got no footage of that 100-point game from Will.

SPEAKER_04 44:55

I think there was now. Now it is.

SPEAKER_02 44:56

There's there's footage?

SPEAKER_04 44:58

I haven't seen it either. I need to see this. I mean there's also clips of Wilt like literally like blocking his own player shots to get the rebound and then get his own bucket.

SPEAKER_01 45:08

So it's like down the court, bro. He looked like a cartoon, bro.

SPEAKER_02 45:11

It's like, but I I it's somebody was like, somebody was another cut you up, but somebody was like, uh Bam getting 83. I 100% believe that Wilt got the 100 now because he got 83.

SPEAKER_04 45:23

But like so uh real quick though, because like if you did y'all like actually like look at his like his numbers, like shooting numbers? Yes. So am I I'm gonna be real with y'all. Like, I looked at the numbers and I I saw somebody else talking about it. If you look at his numbers, if he shot better, he could have got a hundred free throws. Like little band could have got a hundred. He shot 22 three-pointers. If he somebody said if he he maybe he was like 10 for 10, if he would have just meant like 17 for 22, made like 10 more free throws, Bam would have had over 100 points. He would have had the record. That's what I'm saying. They don't want people don't understand.

SPEAKER_03 45:55

He was able to shoot almost 50. He he did shoot 50 shots. Yes, he like him put up 50 shot enough shots.

SPEAKER_04 46:01

That's why I say the wizards are egregious. Like you let me let a man put up 50 shots.

SPEAKER_01 46:06

My biggest takeaway when I first when I first saw it, bro, I was like, Bam. Like of all the people, bro. I'm like, bam, I was hating because I'm like, yo, of all the people in the league, we let Bam do this. But then but then like I started looking at it, I started looking at the numbers, and I started looking at some of the clips, and I'm like, like, like if I said they was actually hacking them, like so I'm like, I can't even be mad because he was doing what he was supposed to do, but it all ties back to the wizards.

SPEAKER_02 46:28

Like they went they went from fouling him almost every time to playing no defense at all. And I was like, yo, like, I'm not mad at bam, because I if I got the buckets, too. If I got 70, man, I'm I'm I'm on the sideline like this. And they and they also mad, they also mad, especially like I watch the first tick and they're like, oh, like you're already up 30, like the game's over.

SPEAKER_04 46:50

They were being a coach and they were doing that.

SPEAKER_02 46:52

They was mad at the man exposed. Because they like, yo, why are you still having your starters and when you up 30 trying to do this? He was still only 10 coaches. The whole time we in the time, I'm like, look, I got 70 coaches. The ball needs to touch my hands every time.

SPEAKER_01 47:07

Dog, I saw it was a possession where it was three wizards on him and they still couldn't stop him. Three wizards. Oh, no, like like seriously, bro. That's why I'm so angry, bro. Because how as an organization, do you see that he's already cooking and you can't stop him from taking more shots? I mean, Alex Sarr, they sat him at like halftime, right?

SPEAKER_03 47:25

28 minutes.

SPEAKER_02 47:26

Uh yeah. So they they kind of just find it. They've been doing, I don't know. Wizards are being weird right now. I mean, I get it, and they punt until next year because next year when they're gonna have a real team. But like, they be sitting like Saar and Trey Young at halftime for like the rest of the game. Is that not actively thinking?

SPEAKER_03 47:44

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 47:44

Like Trey Young will have 17 and then only play like the first quarter and a half.

SPEAKER_01 47:49

Well, you saw it was a clip where uh Bilal Koulibaly hit a half-court shot that sent them to OT. Nobody on the bench was happy. Nobody was on the bench was happy that he hit that shot because they sent the game to OT, bro.

SPEAKER_02 47:59

Like, they're trying to lose. It's crazy when you can actively see a team trying to lose.

SPEAKER_03 48:05

My last thing in saying about Bam. It's like, okay, y'all imagine that he got the 83 and they fouled, and in return, Bam didn't want them to foul. Like, if you see it, yeah. He didn't want them to foul. But also in return, I don't know if it was true or not, I did see something that um Bam's grandmother did die recently.

SPEAKER_02 48:25

She was 83 years old.

SPEAKER_03 48:26

She was 83 years old.

SPEAKER_02 48:27

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 48:28

And that night was the night he went stupid. I think it was two days before that game. She died, and she was 83 years old.

SPEAKER_01 48:33

You know, this is gonna sound really crazy. I don't know if it's true or not. Like, I would have to change.

SPEAKER_02 48:38

I did see that too. That's how I was able to do Philly's just joined.

SPEAKER_01 48:40

But in situations like that, bro, it's like players usually go crazy, bro. Like, I remember the Tory Smith game where like his brother died, bro.

SPEAKER_04 48:49

Like, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's not that it's just I swear, yo, that's the last fucking thing I was expecting you to say. Just that's what I'm like. I got the fact that's not a good thing. I got a whole couple of things.

SPEAKER_01 49:03

I thought I'm gonna see it. I hope we're not running with fake news.

SPEAKER_03 49:06

Oh shit. Like, that's what I'm saying. That's what I said. I gotta fact check it. I don't know if for a fact if it was true.

SPEAKER_01 49:11

That just it sounds like a fairy tale ending, bro. Like it doesn't even, it's not. I mean shit like that is true to other people.

SPEAKER_04 49:16

That happened, uh, uh that's happened with Chris Paul back in like he was even high school or college. He got to a certain point and it was the age of his grandfather, and he stopped. Like he was literally had two free throws. The first one they got to his age, and then he missed the second one on purpose. So I mean, that's not like it's not it's not like crazy to say it just that was the last thing I expected to.

SPEAKER_01 49:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 49:37

I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01 49:38

Hey, shout out to him though. I mean, shout out to that, bro. Like I like I said, I was I was a big hater at first, but like I came around like really shout out to him, bro.

SPEAKER_03 49:46

We're in the era of ethical hoops. We gotta give that shit the fuck up.

SPEAKER_01 49:48

Like I was about to say that's nothing was ethical about that.

SPEAKER_03 49:51

Please stop. Like, we gotta stop that. If it's not ethical, it doesn't count. Bro, it they get regardless, bro. It happened, give it up.

SPEAKER_04 49:59

It's okay and let it go. It's okay. You know what's so so like it's I mean, it's just so crazy because like the night Bam dropped 83, that's actually the same night that the cross that the Ravens backed out of the cross betrayed. I'm gonna be honest with you, that was an insane like that night. Sports for me that night was just like a spiral and a whirlwind. It's a whiskey. Because there was also something going on that night that I guess can kind of transition us into our next topic real quick. Um Team USA was participating in the WWC right now, the World Baseball Classic, and that same night we lost to Italy.

SPEAKER_02 50:34

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 50:35

So it was just like Ravens backed out of the Banks Crossby deal, bam dropped 83, Team USA lost. And me as a person, as a sports fan, I was like, I didn't understand.

SPEAKER_01 50:44

Well, Campaign also put up 32 that day. I just I also want to put that out too. Campaign. He put up he put up 32. Cameron Payne had to put that in. I just I mean it was a crazy sports day. I wanted the giving light to Cameron Payne. I don't know why you threw that. Hyper efficient. Hyper efficient game. If you look at the numbers, I think he missed he was like five for five. Play for. Put for us. 32 points.

SPEAKER_04 51:02

All right, that's why.

SPEAKER_01 51:03

My bad, my bad. I just wanted the it was a weird sports day.

SPEAKER_02 51:06

It was a weird weird sports day. Okay. But the WBC, the WBC has been tough though.

SPEAKER_04 51:11

Nah, yeah, it's been crazy. Like, um, obviously, right now, when as we recording the championship games going on, it's Team USA versus Venezuela. But um, the whole the build-up to this has actually been crazy because like before the WBC even started, um the beginning, like when they had this again, what it was like 2023, I think is when they had it uh last time. The finals was Team USA versus Team Japan. Japan, yeah. And obviously, you know, we had a stack team, then you know, Mike Trial was like the start, was like the center of the team. And then over at Team Japan, they had Otani, and he struck them out for the last out of the game for the so uh Team Japan could win. Going into this one this year, everybody was under the same impression, like, oh, it's just pretty much gonna be a repeat. And let's just say there were a couple countries that said, nah, we got something to say and we here.

SPEAKER_02 51:55

I heard some love coming from the DR side just because of all the talent they got on the back.

SPEAKER_04 51:59

Oh, they are stacked. They were you gotta understand, like it and they were sick when they're gonna be like, because I don't want to give too much time, but it's just like because we end up, we ended up playing them um what, last night for the court, what for the two nights ago. Two nights ago. Yeah, it was two nights ago we ended up playing them, and we ended up beating them. But honestly, uh the starting pitcher the team I see was going with that night was Paul Skeens. And me personally, I was telling everybody I was talking to, I said, honestly, this has probably got to be the toughest thing that he's faced in his entire career.

SPEAKER_02 52:26

Like that lineup is crazy.

SPEAKER_04 52:28

You're going with like like I and I don't want to get it wrong. I just want to make sure I'm getting it right. But the the deal is.

SPEAKER_02 52:33

And Juan Soto was so sick, he was like, Y'all know who the better team is. It was like, yeah, the team that won.

SPEAKER_04 52:38

Hey uh Bro, let me tell you, this was the lineup for the Dominican Republic WBC this year. You got Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Julio Rodriguez, O'Neal Cruz, Johan Ro uh, Johan Rojas, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Catel Marte, Jeremy Peña, Junior Calmanero, uh Geraldo Perdermo, Ahmed Rosario, Carlos Santana, Austin Wells, and Agustin Ramirez. And then the pitchers, you got Sandy Alcantara, Christopher Sanchez, Brian Bellio, Luis Servino, Camilo Duvall, Carlos Esteves, Sir Anthony De Vigmez, Sir Anthony Dominguez, Abner Rubri, and Wandy Peralto and Gregory Sor uh Soto.

SPEAKER_02 53:21

That's probably that's probably the best, like, non-white talent in the MLB, bro.

SPEAKER_04 53:27

And I mean, like, I I mean we we know a little bit of ball here, you know, but like for the people that and that that are watching that do know, like the names that I just said are not just like no slouches. Like these those are stars that are on their respective MLB team. I don't watch baseball like that, and I I know like half of the names, like bro, like so for that guy, like, and I mean I I just named like all the like players from by by the position. So like they didn't all were in the lineup, but those were all the guys available playing on this team. Cool.

SPEAKER_02 53:52

That's what I'm saying. Those are literally like that's literally like probably half of the best players that aren't white on one team. Exactly. Cause I mean, uh us guys, you know, us, you know, black Americans, like, we don't populate MLB like that. So most of the people who are non-white and good in MLB are Dominicans. Like, that's just how I go.

SPEAKER_03 54:10

I do, I do understand y'all are um setting like a Dominican Republic, but I do I cause I watch the Venezuela and Italy game through and through from anyone today. I don't watch much baseball, I keep up with it. Like I don't know too much, but when I see a good game, I watch it, I watch it. The Venezuela and Italy game was fucking crazy. Like, and I'm not gonna lie, it it started off kind of slow because it was like, alright, these like a stalemate. They like two really good teams. Italy started started TN off, they got two up on them. And I don't know what happened towards the end of the game, but for the last five innings, Venice Venezuela started torching Italy. Like they were pitching amazing. Like every one of their pitches that they moved in and out, bro, I'm talking strike, strike. I'm talking best hitters, like Italy's best hitters couldn't hit nothing. And I'm like, bro, this this shit was amazing. Like in the way they ended the game, it was it was actually insane. Like, I don't know what the fuck it's going on. Like it's too, like, I'd say it's too much.

SPEAKER_02 55:11

We're losing right now to Venezuela.

SPEAKER_04 55:13

Yeah, we are, yeah. Yeah, we are. Um It's like going into the this year, like, because Team USA was supposed to be a matter of fact, I'll say I'll say that because I feel like those you names, like you, I'm gonna tell you these names, and you're gonna think like, oh, you know, it should have been an easy, easy cake walk. And that's what everybody's saying it was supposed to be for us this year.

SPEAKER_02 55:32

Nah. I would never thought that. Baseball is not an American-dominated sport.

SPEAKER_01 55:38

Nah, nah, no, I I agree. I saw a clip like uh uh the other day. It was like, I don't know who who what the matchup was, but it was like um it was like a controversial call. It was it was called a strike, it was a strikeout, but it looked like it was a ball. Um I forgot who we were playing.

SPEAKER_02 55:53

Um, I know what you're talking about. I mean, it was close enough to the strike zone that you gotta you gotta rip at it if it's the last pitch.

SPEAKER_01 55:59

But like my pops were saying, like that type of stuff.

SPEAKER_02 56:02

It was the DR game. It was, yeah. Oh, oh, well, that's why that's why Juan Soto was so pissed. Yeah, like it was like, yo, that was a bad call. That was a full.

SPEAKER_04 56:09

Listen, I ain't gonna lie. I we escaped out of that one. I'm not gonna hold you.

SPEAKER_02 56:12

But I'm saying it was close enough to whereas if that's the last pitch of the game, you gotta rip at it. Yeah. You can't just look at an umpower.

SPEAKER_01 56:19

You can't go out looking, bro. It was a full count too. Like, well, you gotta swing at anything. You gotta swing at that point, you gotta swing at anything.

SPEAKER_04 56:24

Like, nah, like that, and that's the thing. Like, I that's what's I wanna like I kind of hope like I I want to give credit to these other teams because it's like everybody was just like oh so sure, like, oh yeah, the USA is about to walk all over everybody. Like, throughout pool play and then even like these games like in the tournament, yo, it's not been a cakewalk for Team USA, like at all. And like with this team, like, yo, we've got Bobby Witt Jr., Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Kyle Shorber, Alex Bretman, Roman Anthony, Will Smith, Rice Tarang, and Byron Buxton. And yet Gunner Gunner on that team. And Gunner, yeah, well, this was this is the lineup they're going with tonight. But also, yeah, we got Gunnar Henderson too. But it's just like, bro, these are no slouches as well. These are, again, the best guys on their respective team. And it's like, yo, the DR, Venezuela, Italy. One thing I will say that I did love is just like watching them guys play, like the passion and the energy that they play with, is like for some uh I don't know, maybe I'm just not like seeing it from us that much, but it's like that shit means something. They're about to die, about to be able to do it.

SPEAKER_02 57:23

Like, yo, to those countries, to those countries, if it ain't soccer, it's baseball, right? Right. For us Americans, we're football and basketball oriented. Baseball and soccer are like secondary sports to those.

SPEAKER_04 57:35

Bro, it's like, and it's just like like what it did, what it was was like uh Acunya leadoff. I want to say it was the game against Japan. Yes, it was Japan, because uh Venezuela played Japan uh like two games ago, and Acunya, he was a leadoff hitter, and he literally took the second pitch and he hit a whole solo home run. The entire Venezuelan dugout was literally over the goddamn railing, celebrating, cheering. And this was the first inning. Like this was the first, like it's not like the game was over decided, it'd be it was the game just inning. And it's just like like yo, the passion and energy is just like it's it's crazy. And I feel like that's really like a big factor that like them, they guys they really love the shit. And I don't know, it just like I guess it just it scares me because it's like the team USA is just like we don't got that energy, like they just like thinking that oh, because we got it.

SPEAKER_02 58:21

Because we just think we're gonna win everything. We we have that mentality of thinking we're gonna win everything, and I'm not gonna lie to you, like we're not Americans aren't. We might win this year, right? That doesn't definitively say Americans are the badge of baseball. Like, I don't think I don't think that at all, right?

SPEAKER_01 58:35

Well, I mean you look at how it went in the Olympics. Like we thought Ten Year State was going well, I mean it did, but like What?

SPEAKER_02 58:40

You talking about basketball?

SPEAKER_01 58:41

Um I'm just in in general, like like you just saying like Americans think that they're gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 58:44

Well, that's what I was about to lead into. Is like, I mean, we've we've basically been, you know, feeling ourselves about basketball forever. Yeah, and we slowly losing that too. Now, do I think almost got got that's what I'm saying? And we had this conversation in the last episode when it came to the MVPs and stuff of uh win the last American MVP. So it's just to let you let everyone know in the world, like, yo, America ain't just top dog like that. Like, we gotta work for the dubs we get. If any sports have a football, football probably gonna take another 50 years before someone can stop this football. Yeah, I don't think it's so. I mean, they're gonna do the flag joint in the Olympics. If somehow we lose that, I still don't take it's flag football, man.

SPEAKER_04 59:22

The only reason why I feel like we might lose is because I watched NFL players actually play the flag. Because they had flags.

SPEAKER_02 59:28

Flag rules are different than exactly.

SPEAKER_04 59:29

And that's and I don't, I mean, we don't watch the Pro Bowl games. That's just but if if you watch some of it and you saw the Holly, they they play flag football in that. And this year they were actually using the flag rules, like from the actual league, the flag football league. They were using those rules and stuff like that. And I'm gonna be real with you, though. None of them guys knew what the hell they were doing.

SPEAKER_02 59:45

Yeah, because they were getting penalties called on them and they were just looking like that. Half their technique has to do with feeling someone out. Yeah, you cannot put your hands on anyone in flag. So it's like offensively, we should probably just dog. We we probably have a better chance of outscoring everyone than like being like 50 to zero, right? It's probably gonna be more so like like 50 to 30 or something like that. Like, that's how the scores are gonna look. Like, we're not just gonna run the table like that. But it's the only sport I think definitively you can say Americans are 100% the best in. Because Europe is coming for basketball. If not, they're already here.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:16

And in actuality, with the flag football thing, it's like they score a lot regardless. Like, in flag football, every everybody scores a lot because it's hard to play defense. You can't touch nobody, you can't knock nobody over, they hit the ground when they when you pull a flag, that's a flag anyway. So it's like it's not much you can do with that. So that's my take on it.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:36

Yeah, hopefully uh teamers they can get it done again. Another win for the country would be great. But um that's gonna wrap it up for us, guys. It was a good show. Um you know, as always, thank you, uh keep checking in with us. I'm gonna let you go ahead and wrap it up.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:50

As always, guys. Thanks for being my friend.