The Pat McAfee Show Live | Thursday April 16th 2026

AUSTIN ARIES. >> [music].

[music]. >> IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

THIS ONE'S FOR THREE. AJ HAWK, $5,000. >> [screaming]. [cheering]. [music].

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>> USA. USA. USA. >> [music].

>> Oh my. >> [music].

[music]. [cheering]. [music].

>> The following program is a collection of. stitches talking about happenings in the. sports world. It is meant to be comedic. and informative. The opinions expressed. on this show do not necessarily reflect. the beliefs of their peers, their boss, or ESPN. There might be some cuss words. because that's how humans in the real. world talk. If you are a young, please. seek permission before watching any. further.

Hey. What? Let's go. This show stinks, and the fact that you. listen, we are very, very thankful Mac. could be on the line with a gorgeous. assist. >> The all-time leading tackler for the. Green Bay Packers. YOU PICK. SCORE! DAMN IT. YOU CAN TELL A FRIEND SOMETHING. nice could change their life.

Hello, beautiful people. And welcome to our humble [music] abode. >> The Thunderdome. On this Sidney Crosby Thursday, April. 16th, 2026, this program begins now. Sports. You heard it right. Okay. When the intro happens, uh, hello, beautiful people, welcome to our humble. abode, bang, and then I get to the name of. today's program. Okay? There we try to. put a word that is going to probably. encapsulate what today is going to feel.

like as we're chit-chatting. We've used. big-time sports, big sports, sports in. different ways, cuz we know there's. going to be a variety of sports. We've. used, uh, you know, moments, events, celebrations, championships in there. before. Uh, we used Masters, obviously, just a week ago as Augusta kicked off. today. Sidney Crosby Thursday. >> Wow. Sid kid. Three-time Stanley Cup. champion, obviously Captain Canada is. going to be joining the show. He has. been a staple in the Pittsburgh region. ever since I've been a teenager. Okay?

This guy's number is 87. Uh, that is his. birth year, I, May 2nd, 1987. The. Pittsburgh Penguins, only team that I. really got a chance to go watch as a. kid, cuz we could get tickets to go. watch them. And also, they go. back-to-back in the '90s, and then. again, so with him there, we are Hockey. Town. So, the amount of happiness that. this guy has brought into my life, the. amount of joy and celebration, and maybe. some beers. >> Wait. Jack Daniels. >> Wait. tequila Wait. Those days, I think we're even doing. What's that weird one that everybody.

would Captain maybe? Captain? Captain. Morgan? >> That was kind of the one I think we were. rum rum rum. a little bit too much of that. Yuck. 151. slipped in there a couple different. times. That was outrageous. That's. because of this man and what he has done. for the city. Now, obviously, alongside. of Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, they've been the three stalwarts of the. Penguins organization, but this man was. a LeBron James coming out of Canada. whenever he was in high school. Nobody. had a clue who he was in the United. States of America unless they were. die-hard hockey people, but as soon as.

he got to Pittsburgh, we thought, "Wow, we got the next Mario Lemieux." Turns. out. he's lefty, but he's damn near the same thing in the. equivalent of what Mario was for. Pittsburgh, both business-wise and also. to the team. He's brought cups there. He's brought pride there. He's always. remained loyal to Pittsburgh even. whenever here in the last couple years. as he's continued to play incredible. hockey, 21 straight years averaging at. least a point per game. That is an NHL. record. He's been the greatest for the. longest in the history of the game. In. these last couple years, our team maybe.

wasn't ready to go ahead and win a. Lordo. So, a lot of people were saying. maybe Sid should uh ask for a trade. Colorado, which everybody thinks is a. wagon right now with MacKinnon. He's. friends with him. He should get traded. to Colorado. Do it for Sidney. Do it for. Sidney. And then Sid told us and. everybody, "Uh I'm staying in. Pittsburgh. This is my team. Uh I'm only. going to be wearing this Penguins this. black and yellow on my body as an. NHLer." And uh it has worked out. They. got new. uh GM. Looks like dumbass. Yeah. That is not.

his name. >> Not even close. That is is not his name. It's Doomus. Okay? They got new head. coach. Obviously, dog. Danny Meuse. >> Meuse is his name. And he He not amused. with what has been happening in. Pittsburgh over the last couple years. So, I would I I can't wait to tell. Sidney again how much I appreciate him. I can't wait to catch up with him. And. also, we head into a series that has. potentially defined his entire career as. a Pittsburgh Penguin. The Penguins and. the Flyers have a rally a rivalry. naturally just strictly because it's.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. That's just. going to happen. That's just that's just. kind of a part of, you know, sports. culture. High school even you're playing. a lot of teams maybe from the other side. of the state for state championship. I. don't mean that that is just kind of. throughout all of sport. Philly and. Pittsburgh always going to have a. natural Keystone State rivalry. So, Sid. has kind of taken that to heart. And the. way the Flyers fans have treated Sid is. disgusting. Like kind of how you would. expect them Johns over there to kind of. act. And Sid has just beat the out. of them. I mean he has scored more goals. against them than anybody else in the.

history of playing against a team. His. series in the playoffs he's this The. Flyers have yet to win a Stanley Cup. since 1970-something certainly not under. Sidney Crosby's watch. So, we are going. into a series. that starts on Saturday that he is. probably very excited about. And also. one that he predicted last year at Big. Night Out whenever he said, "We got some. more runs in us. Don't you worry. We're. going to do this for a couple more. years." And then he grabbed a football, which we didn't know he did that ever in. Canada, and throws a million-dollar ball. through a hole 30 yards away. That's. Sidney Crosby in a nutshell. Cannot wait.

to catch up with him. It's not just Sid. today. We got Q Rich joining us here in. about 5 minutes. The NBA play-in finals. for the East and the West have been. cemented. Last night two play-in games. First one kind of boring. Philadelphia. Philadelphia kind of did their thing. Second game you fell asleep. Steph Curry. and Draymond Green are back like it's 7. years ago, 8 years ago. DRAYMOND GREEN. WAS. BOPPING WOOD ALL NIGHT. I mean not just. a little bit of bopping of the wood. I. mean he's long bopping this wood. He's. going end to end bopping wood on Kawhi.

Leonard. I believe Kawhi had like two or. three points in the entire fourth. quarter uh the stretch as as Draymond. Green decided that he was just going to. lock him up. And it wasn't just Kawhi. that was obviously suffering from. Draymond Green. Inbound passes were. getting deflected. Draymond was. everywhere, and him and Steph were. running this one-two like they used to. do. And Golden State is all of a sudden. a who's who in the playoffs cuz Steph. CURRY IS GOING CHOO-CHOO. THAT THING is. absolutely marvelous to watch. A nice.

trip back in time. Remember just a few. weeks ago, Steph was injured. We didn't. know if he was going to be back. He. comes back. He's going crazy. And after. he shoots that shot in the Clippers. building, the Intuit Dome, >> In in front of the wall. in front of the. wall of fans that Ballmer put in there. to be home. That place goes crazy, and. then he goes, "Did it go in?" Yeah, went. in. Yeah, you did it. Yeah, DID? YEAH. YEAH! >> [screaming]. >> GOES CRAZY. HE'S LOVED THERE, OKAY? NOW, the Clippers, I believe it's like five. straight years or something not making. it past first round of the playoffs. And. obviously, there's a lot of conversation. outside of the Clippers that's taking.

place. Draymond Green affects the. inbound pass there cuz Kawhi couldn't. get open. Now, they do a layup. I mean, it's just It was a master class by. Draymond Green. Really felt like we were. in that uh. negotiation office with him for that. um that Punk'd show that Anthony Davis. is doing. He was just punching Kawhi. right in the face. I mean, there was no. questions asked. Absolute beast. And. uh now we got a chance to maybe see more. Steph Curry. The West finals for the. playing game are set. The East playing. finals are set. And I'll tell you who it.

doesn't involve. Oh. Doesn't involve the Miami Heat. We're. still patting about what happened with. big talk, right? We are not. Yeah. Oh, we ain't. He got fined. Uh there was. also a hey, should've been a huh? And. also, you cursed. So, we're going to. have to fine you there. LaMelo Ball it. does not face a suspension, but did hit. three different fines, I do believe. His. team, which is electrifying, now. advances to potentially go on to play. against who? Oh, the Pistons.

Who do the Hornets hate? The Pistons. >> [laughter]. >> Who do the Pistons the number one. overall seed? Who do they hate hate I. guess? The Hornets. >> The Hornets. We need the Hornets to do. something big over Orlando who. from my understanding just from looking. at the internet does not love. their Duke representative as as a. basketball player. Oh, they don't. They. go real loud but hey, everything could. change tomorrow night. And then Steph. Curry obviously we talked about that. And the Phoenix Suns, here we go Book. Here we go Book. All right.

Ishbia. Yeah. He's he's paying hundreds. of millions of luxury tax for players. that aren't on his roster right now. >> That's right. >> He's bopping wood in the All-Star game. He was very confident in their team. He. goes now we got a good group. We got a. good group around Devin Booker. We got. our superstar. We got to we got to say. we're going to have to build this up. We're we're going to do it anyway. We're. we're going to do this entire thing. Felt like he felt good about the team. cuz they had a bunch of dogs. And then. for them to be in this position if they. were to go in, I mean good for them. That's obviously somewhere that they. weren't the last couple years as he has. spent so much money. >> So much. So much money on trying to turn.

them around. Sports are incredible. We. also have Daniel Jeremiah in the second. hour and. Team USA baseball head coach. Mark DeRosa will be. Let's go to the toxic table at Boston. Connor at Ty Schmidt. Ty, we're talking. to D-Roc cuz baseball is having a little. bit of a time right now. >> Yeah. Superstars night in night out. having big games. Games being. electrifying. We had walk-offs. We had. dongs. We had everything seemingly. happening last night. >> Yeah, I mean on any given night there's. probably four or five things you can.

point to that are very very. entertaining. Like last night, you know, this battle in New York between the. Yankees and the Angels where Judge and. Mike Trout have gone crazy. They've hit. a combined seven homers in three games. They have another day game today at. 1:35. But then I mean that's what it is, you know. And then late, you know, we. talk about walk-offs and crazy stuff. that happens. Jazz Chisholm who's. rocking the the Jackie Robinson baggy. pants hits a pop up in the bottom of the. ninth inning. Oswaldo Peraza, the third. baseman, their former Yankee who got. traded last year, and Zach Neto, they.

let that one drop, which is just. cardinal sin. Against good teams, you. cannot let that happen. Later in the. inning, Jose Caballero uh laces one into. the gap. One run scores to tie the game, and here comes Austin Wells, the. Dominican hero, who just gets in to walk. off the Angels. So, that was a great. game. We had another. >> DIDN'T IT FEEL LIKE THEY'RE POSSIBLY ON. THAT infield fly? You know, uh just like. when we thought Jim Irsay maybe grabbed. Tyrese Haliburton's brick in Madison.

Square Garden and go ahead and drop it. Maybe Jackie Robinson just does a. little, you know, cuz the pants. >> Or the pants. Yeah, yeah, maybe there is. a little magic happening right there, right in front of our eyes. >> There could been some sort of divine. intervention because by all accounts, Jazz has not had a good start to the. season. He has been very, very cold. >> That's a can of corn. >> Yeah, that is a can of corn, and that. is, you know, that should just be the. easiest play ever. But, that's the kind. of thing that can turn your season. around. Jazz Chisholm for Jazz Chisholm. >> Exactly. So, that was an unbelievable. game. We had another walk-off uh in the.

Padres and Mariners game. Padres were, you know, down six runs late. They ended. up coming Jackson Merrill rips one down. the line to walk it off. So, that was an. unbelievable game. Again, this is kind. of stuff that you don't really see. every, you know, for a casual baseball fan, if. you see a game that's like 6-1 or 6-0. going into the last inning, you're. probably just saying, "Okay, like that. that one's over. Don't need to pay. attention to that." But, we've had a lot. of these this year. And then obviously, anytime you got a guy like Shohei on the. bump, which he was last night, just.

absolutely slicing and dicing, strikes. out 10 guys, like. >> Only pitched. >> Yeah, it only pitched, didn't hit, first. time in several years that he's done. that. But, to your point and what you've. been saying, the stars are starting to. perform. So, you can pick you can. cherry-pick four or five guys you want. to follow a night, and more often than. not, they're delivering. Yeah, Shohei I. I I I forget the amount of uh his. pitches are fun. Yes. They kept saying. he has seven pitches, seven different. pitches. I turned this on strictly. because Shohei was pitching. So I found myself, let's go ahead and.

watch this game a little bit. That ball. is moving. >> His off-speed stuff is marvelous. 73. mile an hour thing he dropped. And that. thing looked like it was literally a. lollipop. I mean, it was just like boom. They let Joe Buck back on the call. He's. unbelievable calling baseball. Yeah, I. like Joe Buck. He said he was He just. said gave an interview last week said. I'm not doing baseball. And then all of. a sudden I hear he's doing baseball and. I'm like, I was bummed when he said he. wasn't doing baseball. I think right, his dad was big time. baseball commentator, right? And then he. broke in through baseball, I believe. Joe. And he got a lot of hate, right?

Because. >> Yeah, yeah, because well, his dad was. the the play-by-play guy for the. Cardinals for a long time. So I think. for a a very long time like Cubs fans. hated him, but then he called every. World Series for the longest time. So. obviously, there's you you call enough. of those, there's one team who loses, they're going to hate his guts by the. end of it. Yeah, I think he he pretty. much was hated by damn near every fan. base. >> So I would think that he probably in. baseball is like, you know, He's done. it. I've really enjoyed that. I'm very. lucky. Obviously, his family has done. great. But it sounded like in the answer. he gave, I think it was maybe Front.

Office Sports or or one of those. something like that. And he was talking. about how like he's done with baseball. That's not really a thing anymore. And. then I heard him on the call last night. and I was like, Joe, I'm happy you're back. Was this a quick. Was this like an Orlovsky type situation. where he's like, I'm not doing it and. then they're like, hey, actually, do you. want to do it? And he's like, yes. Or. was this the last planned one? Or do we. have more? Cuz I love Joe on the call. Felt like I learned a lot. Felt like he. was teaching me a lot. As somebody. that's newer to baseball, I assume super. baseball people don't necessarily love. all that. But to your point, anytime.

you're commentating anything, you're the. soundtrack of either the best moment of. the team or the worst moment of the. team. So you're going to get hate and. Joe Buck has certainly experienced that. a generational obviously with his dad. being in the game. I like the way he. does things. He's a smooth operator. >> Yeah. He He is a smooth operator. >> He's the best. And ESPN lost Sunday. Night Baseball this year. it's on NBC. now, but I think they still have like a. package of 20 showcase games maybe. throughout the course of the season. I. don't know if it's been confirmed that. Joe Buck is going to be on the call for. all 20 of those games, but I wonder if.

it is something where he he may, you. know, pick and choose which ones he does. want to call. And the more Joe Buck is. calling baseball, like I'm I'm all for. it. I love when he's on the call. >> Yeah, and watching Shohei deliver was. sick. I mean, it was fun to watch. It. did put me to bed, but. but I enjoyed it. They tried to do the. prime thing. First game was not as. exciting as second one, you know, shout. out to Philadelphia get a big time win. Let's go to one half of the hammer. Cowboys AP tell them what up, dude. Um I. know he's kind of being a right. now. Um but. you'll see. Um Michael Cole's Mets, I believe have.

lost What is it? Seven or eight. straight? Just Just on the other side of. the Shohei thing. Just wanted to get. that out there. Eight straight? Shut up. He's being a right? In my eyes. You don't have to say it. I'll say it. It's pretty strong. Yeah, you were you were on real hard at the. gate there. I mean, it's 12:13 Eastern. I mean, that was that was. uh Well, if you're not with you, then. you're against you. So All agreed. I. mean, and that certainly has been noted. The descriptor [clears throat] on how. you get in there, you can get in there a. lot of different ways. >> Also, Lord of the Marks. That guy's being a too.

Yeah, he No longer Lord. >> I've noticed him. Yeah. There's some. bishop. Do we know this guy? What's this. dude's name? >> The arch. >> There's a bishop something. You talking. about Bishop Dyer? Dyer? Yeah, what is. that? Who's that? Is that a thing? >> The Yankees hitting coach? Is that Hate. saying something, too. I don't need that. in the main event. Oh, shut up. Who are. you? What is What is What is that entire. thing? We all knew WrestleMania was. happening 10 days ago. Sure. >> [laughter]. >> Definitely. Everybody outside of the. die-hard wrestling people definitely. knew WrestleMania was happening 10 days.

ago, for sure. That certainly was. something that was happening. Nine-year. NFL vet, Darius J. Butler is here. And. on the road to WrestleMania. [applause]. It's been a It's been a It's It's been a. run of a road to WrestleMania here. What's it been 2 weeks? Yeah. It's been a lot. More of a sprint. >> [snorts]. >> It has been, hasn't it? Like a 40. almost. It felt like it was a combine. there. I do wish it was a little bit. longer, you know, but there had to be a. little bit of uh have to let him do what. he wants to do. I don't need to step on. him. Conversations happen, let him do.

what he needs to do. Hey, he's got to. kill everybody, I think, bro. You know, I think that's what you got the way he. went about doing that, you know. He actually Yeah. Big time. You know? And then there was the moment of like, all right, let's go all right, now it's. time to say it was perfect time to say, "Hey, I'm And now all of a sudden they. got our photos on the side of stadiums.". And I would just like to let people know. what Randy Orton's going to do on. Saturday night is something that has. been needed to be done, okay? And he's. going to be the one that does it. And. once he saves the business and becomes. 15-time. world champion.

on Saturday night, uh Roman Reigns on. Sunday is just going to hammer home the. point. HE. BOOM! IT'S GOING TO BE TWO NAILS. IN THE COFFIN OF bad business. >> [laughter]. >> BOOM! AND THEN ALL of a sudden, guess. what's back? Wrestling, baby. Let's go ahead and do sports. entertainment to the maximum that it can. possibly be done. And. as a Randy. Randy's been doing that. Oh, yeah.

You should hear the buzz when Randy. walks into a place. That's the That's. the champion. >> Yes, exactly. Superstar. When he walks into a room, they go, "That's Hey, that's what a WWE superstar. is." Takes up the whole door frame. Bingo. Hey, actually, what happened to. the door? Randy Orton, WWE. champion came in. Oh, I get his. shoulders blocked. Yeah. Yeah. Biceps. look like redwoods. Exactly. European. uppercuts, perfect. I mean, everything. about it, that is what it is. So,

whenever the he becomes champion for the. 15th time, everybody else kind of understand what. the WWE business is. Just as easy as that. And then Roman's. going to be like, "Actually, let me help out a little bit. here.". Bingo. And then he's coming in with that. boom. Nine-year NFL vet Darius Jackson. is here. Going on the road to. WrestleMania. Can't wait. Actually, Deebo, what are you excited about. getting out there to Vegas? Should be a. lot of fun. >> Oh, yeah. I mean, energy energy is. always great out there. Can't wait for. obviously what happens on Saturday. Um. and I know you said Sunday is going to.

stink outside of Roman. I'm locked in on. Sunday, too. I'm you know, this is the. time this time of year the market that. it just takes over me and I turn into a. WWE mark. Uh maybe a TKO mark, who. knows. Uh but we'll see. This weekend. should [laughter] be great. It's always. great. I and you know, you never know. this what surprises you may get. Obviously, you have shoot sports. You. got the playoffs going on. NHL, NBA. And. then you got Mania. So, I can't wait. I. like that you're dropping shoot sports. in there. Hey, good for you, dude. I. appreciate the mark in you. And I also.

appreciate the fact that you understand. what it's supposed to look like. Yeah, I've been a fan a long time. We. understand it, you know. It's just kind. of Sometimes you got to remind people. And that's what I've been telling Randy. is. "Hey, Randy, you just got to tell these. people what it's supposed to be." And. he's doing it. >> Have you gotten to the bottom of. what what you're going to do with Deebo? Like cuz I saw the clip. >> Yeah, the the bone, Deebo. Who knows. what. >> Yeah, so I know AJ said he was in on it. It's like, "Yeah, right." This guy no way he's. thinking past that step right there. And. then.

>> His next meal. Exactly. That step that step. There's no. way he he is doing this. He will never. be left alone. Okay? Yeah, on anything. that I'm a part of. Never again. >> Smart. But on that note, like. I certainly will continue to monitor the. whole maybe he was in cahoots there. Cuz. that's not good for culture. No, not at. all. But like you said That that is not. good for culture. >> His brain's the size of a peanut. So. Somehow. >> Yeah, exactly. Massive massive head. The. brain is the actual size of a peanut.

So, you know, and I'm not talking a. peanut with a shell. I'm talking a. peanut that's been out of the So, do you. think he could really, you know, orchestrate this whole thing or be in. cahoots? I don't know if he could. I. think he's too dumb. I think he's way too dumb. Can Can we. see him right now, see how he looks, see. what Yeah, see? That's Is he Is that the. same thing Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right there. That's right there. Pants on? He's great graphic design. I. will say, the guy can make a graphic I. mean, he's an artist. >> Good Thunderball player, too, I must. say. Great Thunderball player.

He loves taking pictures, you know, yeah, exactly. >> let's move along. Let's go to some shoot. sport conversations, ladies and. gentlemen. The last two nights on Amazon. Prime, we've watched the play-in game, something that has become. uh a little bit of a spectacle to fill. in between the end of the regular season. and the playoffs to maybe get some more. names involved. This year, lot of names. involved. LaMelo Ball said, "How you. doing?" to the world. Avdija said, "Hey, rest of the country, I've been over here. in Portland kind of doing my thing for a. while." Steph Curry and Draymond Green.

introduced themselves back TO THE WORLD. PAOLO BANCHERO IS GETTING DESTROYED on. the internet, but he can turn it all. around in one swift swoop. Joining us. now is a man who can break down the. play-in games a little bit more and also. tell us what we need to be watching for. in these games. Are we. Are we seeing if Steph Curry shooting at. a bigger hoop than everybody else? Cuz it's starting to feel like he is. And when he was doing that before, I. know I was wearing. uh probably a bigger shirt. I was a. little fatter probably then. It was. years ago, years and years ago. But if I That's still in it, I think.

Yeah. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I. Get you some wins. And if 36-year-old. Draymond Green is. I'll punch you right in the face. And he did? Anytime. Ladies and. gentlemen, Q Rich. Yeah, Q Rich. That was awesome to watch. Golden State was awesome to watch. I I. mean, granted, I had to watch it this. morning. Okay, that's 100% on me. I fell. asleep. That that the West for the. NBA is very difficult. I have a kid. Uh. I have a pregnant wife. And I have a. full-time job. So, so there is it's. going to be tough those late night.

games, and I will kind of do uh doze. away. But, if Steph Curry's going to be. playing like this, I will certainly stay. awake. You know, the late show was the. late show back in the day cuz Kobe was. doing his thing. Steph Curry took that. West Coast late night game, kept people. up for a long time type of basketball. for a while. Is he back? Are they back? And if is Jimmy Butler HOW HOW MUCH. SHOULD I BE BELIEVING THAT THIS is. happening over the next couple months, G. Rich? Listen, I mean, Steph Curry, as long as. he's healthy and he's able to play and. run around, he's always going to be the. equalizer with that jump shot and with.

that three-point shot that he has. He's. probably the most deadly guy in the NBA. shooting the ball of of of all time. And. I mean, when it whenever he's always. there's a chance that he could he could. hit one and and and everything changes. That's the type of player he is. It just. takes one to go in, and we saw that that. exact example last example last night, and he got going, and he carried them. through. I mean, him and and and and and. Draymond's defensive IQ and the way that. he balled out defensively and locked up. on Kawhi, those two dudes turned back.

the clock, and and and they move on. Okay, so talk about turning back the. clock a little bit, you know, cuz uh. sometimes for some people that have been. through uh everything before and have. experienced all the highs of the highs, uh sometimes they need the bigger stages. to kind of wake up. You know, some some. people I don't want to say are waiting. for the bigger moment, but certainly. turn their entire everything up whenever. it gets to a bigger moment cuz they know. that it matters more. Especially in. 82-game season, lot of different time to. have success and downfalls and.

everything. Do we think that that team. is a team that has been to the dance so. many times that it's like dance. basketball is when they're playing their. absolute best every year? I mean, I think absolutely for for for. those in so many big moments, and they. know what to do and know what it feels. like to be in those positions. This. isn't new to them. This is like another. game. And they and and they've been in. it and they performed and and performed. at that level so many times to to to you. know, overcome those moments is like is.

like instinct to them and that's why. teams like that with those type of. players has been been around the block. so many times and still can play right. now and still can dial it up but they. they're always going to be dangerous in. these play-in and playoff type. situations. Tell me about Charlotte now. Brand new team, feels like. Miles Bridges obviously been around. Happens to see him have his success. But. LaMelo new to the scene, obviously Khan. going to be brand new to the scene as he. continues to do his thing. Charlotte as. a whole to an entire generation of NBA. fans probably new to the scene. Tell me.

about this squad and what you like about. them and. how are their chances against Orlando to. move on to take on the Detroit Pistons? >> Hell yeah. It's going to be it's going to be it's. going to be a hell of a game tomorrow. night here in here in Orlando. And I. mean this team this team Charlotte has. been one of the most exciting and. fast playing up-tempo teams this whole. second half of the year. They didn't. have a great start but they they got. their chemistry down, they they got. everything, got their players back and. you're seeing it right now, man. They. they are if nothing else, they are.

extremely exciting. They play super. hard, they play together, they defend. and. they're a team that you never know. what's really going to happen because. it's like they they got they got some. wild cards. LaMelo is playing his butt. off having a hell of a year. The big. addition was Kobe White. I think you saw. in that game against the Miami Heat. He. came in and he pretty much helped win. that game for them with the with the. points he scored and the run he went on. He kept them right there and put them in. position to finish off at the end. So I. think them against the the Magic.

tomorrow is going to be a huge game. Our. Magic definitely need to bounce back, lost last night against Philly but they. got a chance to shore it up and still. make it in. So I'm looking forward to. tomorrow night. >> Come on Friday, play-in championships to. get into the playoffs. Suns, Golden. State, Charlotte, Orlando. Who will get. into the big dance? Okay, we had some. breaking news. this morning out of Sham Sharania's. Twitter account. 65 game. rule that is coming to play that if you. don't play 65 games, you don't get. awards which potentially lead to bonuses.

and obviously legacy and career and. everything like this. This was for load. management reasons. They put in the 65. game requirement. Well, now we are. learning that you can challenge them. You can appeal the ruling if you don't. make it to 65 games, get to state your. case. Extraordinary circumstances. challenge is what Luka and Cade. Cunningham presented to the NBA. I. assume it was a hey, this wasn't load. management. We got actual injuries, poor. timing, sorry about this. We still think. we should be able to win some awards. especially with legacies on the line and.

actual contract money. I think Tyrese. told us it was like 40-50 million. dollars difference for a title that you. didn't get or that you do get. So, this. is a massive ordeal. Happy to hear that. there is a potential way to appeal it if. something actually happens. Anthony. Edwards did not got denied, I do. believe. His he did the same thing with. the extraordinary circumstances. challenge and had it denied. Cade and. Luka get it passed, so they are up for. the awards. On that note, D-Butt has a. question for you. >> Yeah, they are up for the awards but.

pretty pretty long shots on Draft Kings. but the favorites three favorite SGA is. the favorite Wemby and Joker who led the. league in rebounds and assists first. time ever. If you were picking, if you. had the one sole choice to pick this. year's MVP, who would you go with? I'm going with SGA. SGA, I mean he's. done it back-to-back years. His team is. the number one team. I mean and and. I don't think it's a diss to any of the. other guys but I think any of these guys. in any year could have been the MVP all. the way down to Luka, Cade and.

obviously, you know, Joker and um. and Wemby. I mean those guys definitely. will be first team all NBA but I just. feel like what SGA has done the the run. he's been on, the resume he's put. together, the the the all-time records. that he's that he's toppled this year in. passing up Will joining MJ with 4 years. straight averaging 30, shooting 50 over. 50%. I mean, he he he he he's the man. right now. The like like I told you last. time, he scored 20 He hadn't scored 20.

The last time he didn't score 20 was. December 2024. I think that's that's a certain level of. dominance on the league and letting. letting everybody in the world know that. literally no one can guard me. No one. can stop me. The way he walks and. dresses, too, is just awesome. He knows. it. >> [laughter]. >> Yeah. He knows it. Like he is 100%. certain that he is he is exactly who he. is. I walked out of the hotel elevator. at the ESPYs. And he was just like chilling on the. wall on the side. And he like [laughter].

was dressed so cool. And there was like. two people around him that they were. having a conversation. I like looked to. my left. It was a movie scene. I'm like, Good for you, man. Literally what I. said, and then I just kept walking away. Leg up. He had like a baggy suit on, pant. So cool. At the ESPYs. He was. Yeah, like a full-length fur. This was elevator His swag is crazy. Swag is crazy. Crazy. This is elevator. the next day. It was like loose suit. pant, you know what I'm talking about?

High black sock dress shoe, I think, like up there. And then he had like an. over thing on and sunglasses. And then there's two guys talking to. him, and I just literally pop out of the. elevator. Who knows what my. altitude was at that exact time. Walk. out. All right, I'm going to try to get. out of here without seeing too many. people. Where the do I go? Speaking of the speaking of the crazy. >> You see You see I wore my Jordan t-shirt. today cuz I took a lot of flak on social. media for saying that MJ was the goat as. if people would expect me to say.

something different. I don't know why. I'm a. kid from Chicago, South Side, Wild. Hundreds. I watched every move this man. made and I ain't seen nothing like it. since. So, and it's no [laughter]. disrespect to nobody else. It's no. disrespect. We all are giving opinions. I get I get my whole social media. flooded like. I was saying since you was that I was. like, I don't care. I'm not about to I'm. not about to finger battle with you with. you Twitter people and all of this. Like. I I said what I said and I stand on it.

MJ to go. >> Okay, I like what you did there. I. appreciate what you did. Um I also like. you got murdered out there. It was It. was hot. It was hot in the streets. >> hilarious to me. I just enjoyed it. I. you know, I don't really That doesn't. rile me up. Like those are just people. somewhere behind a screen. I'm not I'm. not really affected by that. I find it. kind of funny. And it's still like it's. literally still going on right now. People [laughter] are battling back and. forth in the comments. Like it's not. even about me anymore. It's just them. going at each other and I'm just looking. at it laughing. Like this is hilarious. >> So, this is why sports television, I'm.

not going to blame anybody. This is why. sports television did LeBron versus. Jordan for 4 years straight every single. morning. >> Yep. Got to have a conversation. >> Still doing it. Cuz it just goes crazy. It just goes crazy. >> just led the league in fast break. points, by the way. >> At what age? Age 21. >> cherry picking, huh? >> Age 41. >> Oh, cherry picking. [laughter]. Fast break. Not playing defense. Cherry. picking. No, uh but on that note, [clears throat] 4 years straight, maybe. longer, every single morning. Every single one. There had to be at.

least one discussion of if Jordan would. have done something differently than. what LeBron did the night before. Or if. coming uh 2 days from now, what would. Jordan be able to do against this team. that LeBron probably won't be able to. do. Like that was literally every single. The reason why? It's cuz of his comments. right now. >> [laughter]. >> It is. very rarely do you have two people that. are like representing a generation, you. know? Definitely a generation. And like. my entire adulthood with a brain and. memories is watching this guy just crush.

forever. And it's like during the social. media age, during the things where you. learn about the type of person, you can. get literally caught doing anything at. any time seemingly. You have to be super. guarded. He put his entire family and. friends on. It's like. I don't know. I don't know. It's a. little bit of a different era, so it's. tough to judge like. in person. But if I was from Chicago and. I had a Jordan candle right next to my. computer, I understand that I would sit. and also if I played basketball my whole. life like you did. Uh who have a much.

more better opinion than I would have. I like your that you've kind of dug in. there. It's going to be loud though. And. it's not just because I'm from Chicago. I could have been from Antarctica and I. would still believe and [laughter] know. the same thing. It's just like that's. just that's just more pointed that I'm. from there where it all happened, but I. could be from I could be from South. Africa, West Indies and it's still. >> [laughter]. >> the fact. That is that is what it is. It's not yeah. And yes, I am a Jordan Brand athlete. since 2000. Michael Jordan handpicked.

me. I saw a lot of that in my comments. He handpicked me. Yes, blessed and all. of that, but still those facts remain. the same. The fact that I'm a Jordan. Brand member has absolutely nothing to. do with my opinion on who the goat is. It's the timing too. Like if you are you. know teenager or young kid like when I. saw Deion Sanders. like it's going to be hard for anybody. ever be a better you know and me seeing. Michael I had a older brother six years. older than me, so he made me sit down. and watch Michael and. you like I used to say you never saw.

nothing like it before and you still. haven't really seen anything like it. since and I I would admit I was. brainwashed and I would never say. anybody was a goat outside of the black. cat. So I mean it just is what it is, but LeBron. Mitch you know you growing up in this. DeVon like guys who have grown up only. seen that it's going to be hard to. convince them anybody 20 years from now. ever be better than LeBron. >> And I'm not trying to convince them DB. I'm not trying [laughter] to. Everybody's entitled to their opinion. and I'm not like like I'm not taking. anything away from LeBron. Like anybody. with eyes can see what he's done has.

been nothing short of amazing. To come. in with the hype he had and the and the. and everything that was expected to over. overshoot that and and and jump over. what people were expecting and still. year 21 to be doing what you're doing, you can't take nothing away from him. If. you try to, you hating. But that don't. mean that he's better than MJ. That's. all I'm saying. So we just did we did. it. Oh, yeah. We just did it right. there. Once it comes up, you got to We. we just did the whole thing. All right, we got 364 more days this year. Yep. And.

then we got to hit that three more years. after [laughter] that. Okay, let's make sure we hit all this. Okay, I'm sick of it. April 16th. I'm sick of it. Okay, let's get back to. the playoffs, which is obviously. everything that everybody's going to be. talking about the NBA until it's over. and then it will all be drama about. everything else that has happened around. the NBA. So let's talk about what's. going to take place over the next couple. months. Go ahead, Con man. >> Yeah, Q, it's big conversation with the. playing games. It's like, "Hey, congratulations. Your season's over. You. get to go play the one or two [laughter]. seed in the East or the West." When. you're looking at those other series,

LeBron Lakers going up against the. Rockets, uh Nuggets going up against the. T-Wolves, uh Cavs, Raptors, Knicks, Hawks. Do you see any underdogs making. it through on DraftKings? The odds. prices for the series are pretty. lopsided towards, you know, the. favorites. The Lakers kind of being the. only one that is the uh higher seed that. doesn't uh favored in the entire series. But any of those do you see coming out? And then also there's no chance the. Trail Blazers can get it done versus.

Spurs or any of those other series, correct? Should we just assume it's. going to be one, two, three, four across. the board? Yeah, well, I don't know. The ones that. I I would keep my eyes on, like you. said, the Lakers and the Rockets. I'm. interested to see how that series goes. Uh the the the Timberwolves and the. Nuggets as well. Like, you know, I know. the Nuggets haven't I mean, the. Timberwolves haven't been trending that. way as well as the Nuggets have, but. we've seen what they've been able to do. the last two playoffs and and they got. Ant-Man. So, I'm never going to count. him out until they until they literally.

out. And then I got to look at that. Knicks-Hawks series, man. The The The. Hawks can't just, you know, you can't. just dismiss them like that and I I I. think they're going to come out there. and they're going to put up a big fight. in this series. I don't think it's as. lopsided as it seems. I won't be. surprised if, you know, the Knicks go. ahead and hammer them, but I also won't. be surprised if they give the Knicks a. hard push. All right, Q-Rich. The West is just dominant at the top? Yeah, I I believe that. I believe that. the the them them the uh the Thunder,

the Spurs, and um and the Nuggets is. tough. Even though I like I said, I. don't shut the door on the Timberwolves, but I think I think the Nuggets could. have you know, if they if they I feel. like I would not be surprised if the. Nuggets beat the the Spurs in the series. or the Thunder in the series at some. point this postseason. I think they I. think Joker and them are are are they. can be that good. It won't be shocking. to me if that happens. Celtics-Nugs? Ooh, that'd be fun to see Joker back on. top, especially with what his brother's.

been doing. >> Yeah. Mhm. Sit up. Mhm. Sit. >> [laughter]. >> Sit up. >> That guy in Boston would be great. That's what I'm saying. >> That dude looks scary sitting in the. crowd. I wouldn't want to be nowhere. around his area. What is he, 6'8" or. something like that? Fully tatted, jacked. >> huge. I don't know. He looks huge. Not. only tall, but like wide and huge and. wait a minute. Yeah, I don't know how. many of Two of them. Two. Not just one. That was just the one that was on the on. the video. The other one I believe is. taller, not as wide, kind of in between.

Joker and The Mountain, basically. Yeah. How many more of these are there? Not. not I can't even imagine what his papa. looks like. >> OH. >> THEY LOOK LIKE SOME THEY LOOK LIKE some. They look like some dudes that was like. Remember the movie xXx when they had. them dudes who was [laughter] like. They look like they could have been some. extras in XXX, but that was good. Yeah. And I'll tell you what, if you're. chirping and they don't like what you're. Great great reference. If they don't like what you're saying, they're they're certainly going to let. you know, too. And they know what they. look like as well, I think. That one guy.

turn. turn around and I go, "You sit the Sit. down. >> [laughter]. >> Holy what was that thing? >> Did the Homer Simpson just went into the. grass into the wall? >> [laughter]. >> Uh you're the man. We appreciate the. hell out of you. Ladies and gentlemen, hey we're excited for the playoffs. Maybe you won't be as biased as you are. with your whole Chicago almost three. decades being a team Jordan member. Yeah. >> So you can eliminate that.

>> [laughter]. >> Eliminate that. Eliminate being from. Chicago. >> you can take the bias out. It's still. MJ. Go ask somebody who's not brand. Jordan for 30 years and still been. watching what I've been watching. They'll tell you the same thing. Yeah, we've heard it a lot. I've heard it a. lot. Just cuz I don't really know ball. like that. And I saw LeBron in high. school beat the entire Pennsylvania. state all-stars. So I said, "That's got. to be the one right there." And then I. watched The Last Dance. A lot of this. Uh-huh. >> A lot of Zach Bryan dribbling in The. Last Dance. Yeah. Cut it out. That's. Zach Bryan. >> dribbling IN THE LAST DANCE. OKAY? MOST.

POINTS. SO. >> [laughter]. >> I don't know. >> Bryan? I don't remember. What What do. you play for? Zach Bryan He played for. the LA Fitness in Omaha, maybe. That was yesterday. He's the the the. orange. He's a country singer. Something in the. orange. There it is. There it is. Incredible I mean revival revival of the. moment say he has. I do not know as much. about him as I should. I believe he's a. military member. He needs to stay away. from basketball court and cameras. Certainly. >> [laughter]. >> He should be on basketball court. That's. good cardio. I like what he's doing. It's great cardio. Somebody airing him.

out like this when he was on a fast. break is unbelievably rude. This was The. Last Dance though. I saw a lot of this. in The Last Dance. I didn't I didn't. watch basketball back then, but I saw I. saw SO WELL, LAIMBEER WAS CLOTHESLINING. PEOPLE. IT WAS LIKE THE LAIMBEER also. dribbled that over his ear. So, I. think that's where the you know, so let's relax. Oh, man. All. right, here's the man. I appreciate you. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Kerridge. Yeah, Kerridge. Yeah, so let's just make sure we're all. kind of understand. Oh, yeah.

That was my first time watching that. generation of basketball, and that's. where my take was like, "Hey, hey, this is two Stop. very different. sports. John Stockton Tony Diggs was. playing He was He was one of the guys on. 15 rosters in the NBA. I don't know how to take Those were just. a couple guys, though. Those were just a. couple guys. watching it with YOUR. GOGGLES ON. GO BACK AND WATCH THE CLIPS. I'M GOING. TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND GET EYES ON. BASKETBALL PLAYERS. YEAH. Jeff Hornacek.

Okay, now let's go. We got a full league. here still. There's still some others. that we need to fill the positions of. here, and I think they're Tony Diggs, Boston College. Oh, yeah. I think I saw. Bruce Bowen. I think uh I mean, that was kind of the. takeaway from the playing games. Like, gosh, these are the nine and 10 seeds. These guys are so good at basketball. compared to. What I'm saying though is what I'm It's. two different sports. The game has. evolved so much. Yeah, of course.

>> game has evolved so much, it'd be hard. to actually say. >> Maybe. Well, who leads the entire. history of the league in wins, points, rebounds, games? The guy that's The guy. that's played in a soft league for a. LONG TIME? YEAH. OKAY, WHAT CUZ BILL Laimbeer ain't trying to. clothesline people. Laimbeer is a nice guy. I would like to. be with Bill if I ever popping off at a. wrestling event and somebody like to. fight me, I would love to have Bill. Laimbeer like I have already or like I. would definitely like that. But, when.

we're talking about just Jordan came in. and did things that we've never seen. I. And thank God he He. Cuz basketball would have been dead if. they would have continued to do what. they were doing. If they were doing this. type of stuff while they're dribbling. the ball. >> But it's 2026 and you you still don't. see anybody that moves like Jordan. Okay, so athletically we're talking. >> Yeah, but LeBron's 41. Like we just. talked about how LeBron is 41 and he. leads the league in fast break points. I. WAS DOING IT AGAIN. THIS THIS COUNTER. ARGUMENT LEBRON'S IN THE ROOM. PLAYER. TIME. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE. I'M FROM I'M FROM MASSACHUSETTS. WE.

HATED LEBRON MORE THAN ANYTHING growing. up. And then eventually you get to the. point where it's like, holy THAT'S. THIS GUY DOING STILL PLAYING? YOU get. brainwashed. Okay, we're done with it. That's 4 days worth. Okay? >> Yeah. Too much. We didn't talk about. Kobe yet. Rest in peace. >> Rest in peace, baby. Rest in peace. Yeah. Rest in peace. Unfortunately. >> Now is not the time. Two Mambas. Two man. race. >> Ladies and gentlemen, no, it is not cuz. that is and Steph. If we're talking about Kobe, then we got. to talk about Tim Duncan. I'M SICK OF. TIM DUNCAN. >> CURRY THEN? NOW TOO. BUT I WILL. YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO GO.

THROUGH AND LEAVE LARRY NO, WE HAVE TO. TALK ABOUT WILL. LARRY BIRD, Bill Russell. Larry Bird, the only guy to win three straight MVPs. All right, let's move along. Ladies and. gentlemen, uh. a sport that we have recently fallen in. love with. Fallen in like with. >> [laughter]. >> Love. Okay. We were in love. It is currently in like. It will remain. in like until we get back to. maybe the fall, I think, is when it. really starts sprucing up. >> After Memorial Day.

After NHL NBA finals. Well, it's. baseball, baby. Ladies and gentlemen, join us now to. talk about baseball. A man who played in. MLB, we think, we did the math, 16-year. vet. Been there, done that for every team. Somehow not the Pirates, don't love. that. The Italian Yinzers would have. loved his presence. He's Team USA's. coach. He's also the host of MLB Central. on MLB Network, 10:00 a.m. to noon every. day. We watch. >> Fantastic. >> Yes, we do. This guy. Detective D'Eriq. He's my favorite.

Detective D'Eriq. how about back class. Diro? The. >> Yep. Then he put him in the the fire. He. had a fire thing on at one point. And I. will say this, this guy, greatest visual. in the history of sports with a national. anthem human edition. You know, cuz like. the B-2 bomber, certainly much better. than any human could be. Some singer. singing it very well, some symphony. >> That shot that we saw recently of the. guy getting both flyovers. Bingo, yeah, that that's a great Like camera you. >> talking humans. When humans are getting.

shot during national anthems, you know? The best in history. We're talking World. Baseball Classic finals. He had a. jawline, pure hair, perfect. Hat gripped. perfectly right over left chest, which I. learned. as an adult, the heart is actually more. so in the middle. So, we've all been doing this one here. cuz I think that's where we're taught. Is that fake? I don't know why that. happened to all of us, but the heart I. guess is down here. He had that thing.

locked in right here, and somehow there. was a perfect uplighting, and they had. this 8K shot on the on the jumbotron. 35 seconds of the national anthem, maybe. I I I've never seen anything so. I feel alive. >> [laughter]. >> I hope he has that on repeat in the. bedroom, in the living room, and in the. kitchen. Ladies and gentlemen, fresh off. the hot stove. Coach McDermott answers. Do you have that picture? >> What an intro. Do you have that picture?

Oh my, I know exactly what you're. talking about. If I could tell you what. I was thinking in this mo- in that. moment, I was looking into the stands. going, "Wow, this thing got big.". Yeah, this matters. >> big in a hurry. >> Yeah, this matters. They were loud. Their fans were loud. Uh it was. obviously you knew you guys were going. to be outnumbered, I think, in a couple. of different places. And us getting a. chance to experience the ponche and the. culture and just the vibes and obviously. uh them going on to win is gigantic but.

showcasing all of Latin baseball it felt. like is what that really was. I want to. go down there and watch these games now. You were removed from it now. >> really happen Pat? We didn't win? I was there. I was I was there. Dairo. Dairo. I'm still potting. Yeah, you are still potting. >> a tough walk out of that stadium. I'm. going to let you know. I I know you guys. had a tough one too with the silver. medals. Obviously we were there with. Yeah, miserable. All of them. We're going to we're going. to we're going to talk to some people.

We're going to rework that. We can't be. getting silver medals on the field. >> [laughter]. >> And then I had to hang in there and give. the fake hug to everybody after Yeah. like way to battle with me. This is rock bottom. Yeah. Hey. [laughter] well On the field. You're on. the field too. Everybody's watching you. We were watching you. We were We were. about 30 ft away from you giving them a. hug what you cuz they would meet you and. then they go down and they dug out. Couple of the boys kept their medals on. A lot of the boys took the medals off. immediately cuz it wasn't what they.

wanted but let's talk about that. experience as a whole. Was that the best. one that we've World Baseball Classic. that there has been and I feel like it. was good for baseball as a whole. Would. have loved to win Dairo. I think you. obviously more than us at this point. especially with what you were hearing. from everybody in all walks of life. People that don't know baseball either. were calling for you to not have your. morning show anymore. Oh my god. You. were great on your morning show. I have. I'm happy that you're I'm back though. I'm back. >> Yeah, you're batting a thousand over. there. I watch but on that note. what do you think of the World Baseball.

Classic now looking back? I think it was. great for ball. I think it was great for. ball. Yeah. So many thoughts. Played in it in 09 as a player and we. didn't know what we were getting into. Then managed it in 23 and could kind of. start to feel the groundswell from Japan. and the Latin American countries. And. then you couldn't deny the passion of it. this time. I mean that thing was. all-encompassing. Uh the game against the Dominican when I. took the uh lineup card out.

with the umpires and Albert Pujols. I. played with Albert in '09. We're good. buddies. We look We locked eyes with. each other and it was like, "Hey, we're. good buddies, but this is This is on. tonight." Like, "Ooh." You could just. feel the tension in there. Um for me. what I take away, the growth of the WBC, the growth of baseball, how how I got those guys to buy in and. love each other for 2 and 1/2 weeks and. try and create just an unbelievable. experience for them.

The bottom line is Venezuela outplayed. us that night. We didn't You know, we. didn't get the offense rolling. The. offense never really got rolling the. entire tournament and that was strange. coming off Arizona, those two games we. played in Arizona where we were just. rolling. So, yeah, I walk away I'll. never get over the fact that we weren't. able to get across the finish line, but. man God, life friends for life, uh band of brothers being in that dugout. with those guys and uh honor to to be. able to.

to manage them. Yeah, it was uh it was. an incredible run with you guys. And. when he hit that two-run shot right. there. Yeah. I I don't know if you've heard me. talk about it and how I experienced. that. That was like the best moment I've. had at a sporting event as a fan. That. the bi- like it was I was jumping up on. my seat cuz not a lot of people in. Venezuela have a clue who I am, which is. good. Yes, they do. Well, by the end of. the game they figured it [laughter] out. Yeah, by the end of the game it kind of. got figured out, but for most of that. game I was just we were just kind of in.

it. >> Yep. It was D'backs birthday the next. day. He was turning 40. I mean we were. we had perfect seats. We had a We were. in Miami. I mean we were having a good. time in this entire thing and uh I lost. my mind. Yeah. I absolutely lost my mind. when that thing hit. >> I blacked out, too. Gave me a huge chest. bump and then and then my pitching coach. is grabbing me going who we getting. going who we getting going. Listen. You. got to tighten up, B, right? We got to. get back in there. You can't be riding. the highs like you're me in the crowd, do you really? That's what people are. going to. >> I I have a tendency to ride the highs. In that moment, listen, there's so many.

things going on and I know we took a lot. of heat for decisions that were being. made. We were losing two nothing. In. that moment, Garrett Cleavinger's. warming up for the Rays. If if we're. still down two nothing. Before the game. we kind of, you know, made some deals. with some teams to keep their players. healthy and we were not going to bring. Mason Miller into a game that was tied. And that was kind of what we worked out. with the Padres. Garrett Whitlock had. thrown the heck out of the ball for us.

the entire tournament and he was, you. know, Can you tell me what the. >> phenomenal. But big ask right there at. three out of five days. He didn't have. it. >> A great also. the behind the scenes of you having to. deal with all of that. I think we don't. really learn that until as the days are. kind of going by on what all limits are. Like Mason Miller right now, he's. potentially what? Cy Young right now. He's having his best season. So the. Padres obviously knew that. He's a. Pittsburgh kid, so I assume he wanted to. go whenever you needed him. But there's. a lot of things happening between the. people that are paying hundreds of.

millions of dollars to some of these. guys what for something that they're. running, right? The MLB's running as. well. So how do you balance that with. how serious seemingly the world started. taking it, but then realizing like this. kind of has like preseason. vibes a little bit with who's allowed to. go when. How how do you kind of deal. with that? And do you think more people. should know that going into World. Baseball Classic so they don't just kill. you. kill you immediately for everything. >> it's funny if you say that, Pat, cuz I I. looked at it after I got done and I'm. like, should I be eating all this grief?

If people truly knew, you know, kind of. what goes into it. Um but then that kind. of downplays our place in the tournament. and how how go about it. So I'll never. do anything to downplay the guys. The. fact that the the 30 guys 30 of the I. mean, that's one of the greatest teams. that'll ever be put together. Just super. talented players, super talented human. beings. They're coming in knowing that the 162. matters more. I think for me, what. people got to understand about this is.

growing up in the United States, the. World Series is always going to be the. pinnacle. Like every American-born kid. wants to get on a big league team that. plays baseball and win a World Series. If we happen to walk into a WBC, that. would be fantastic as well. I think if you look at it from the other. countries, a team like Venezuela, a team. like the Dominican, they come to our. country and play. They hear our anthem. every night. So, for them to be on our. soil with their countrymen, hear their.

anthem, it's got to be an out-of-body. experience for them. So, they're they're. going to act and portray a different way. than I would say the American We care. just as much. We had just as much fun. when when when we were letting it out. I. just think that whole narrative kind of. got skewed. Um. No, I'll eat a lot of the pitching. stuff. I would just say to the people at. home, if it looks fishy, it is. It [laughter] is. You know, like Byron Buxton stayed in.

center field and I would move Pete. Crow-Armstrong to the corners. That wasn't because I thought Byron's a. better center fielder than Pete. That's. because I we were in agreement that. Minnesota didn't want us moving Byron. around. I couldn't put Gunnar Henderson. at second base. There was things that. were not going to happen. >> Okay. So, I don't think the entire world. needs to Like Ryan Yarbrough was going. to pitch against Italy. no matter what. He had to to cover the. innings. You might not have liked when.

he came into the game, but he was coming. in. >> [laughter]. >> Yeah, I killed you for that. And I I I I. know, BUT I I ALSO KIND of knew all this. stuff. >> I didn't know any of this stuff. That. was So, he's killing YOU ON KNOWING. THIS. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST PITCHING. I. DIDN'T KNOW it was also outfield. >> the game, Pat. I got to eat a few I. don't want to know any of it. WHAT WHAT? I JUST WANT TO GO METAL. >> [laughter]. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. Which is what he. did. So do I. Yeah. Amen. Okay. All. right. Let's move on to World Baseball.

Classic. Now, I feel like we're much. more informed. I think it was great for. baseball. And I think it was. uh an incredible start to the season. Go. ahead, D But. >> Absolutely. I think you're incredible. for baseball, too. Loved the detective. D-Rod said a couple weeks ago talking. about my Marlins. But uh you mentioned. you played in '09. And then obviously. I've been following, I guess, a little. more closely the guys that played in the. WBC this year. How did that impact you. as a player? And how do you think it's. impacting the guys that played this year. to start this uh long MLB season? Yeah. I I I I think for me,

um first what it I got to share a. batting practice group with Derek Jeter. and Jimmy Rollins and David Wright. So, I'll never forget that. That That was 2. and 1/2 weeks of the most fun in my life. as a player. I think how it impacted. from a position player standpoint, it's. a no-brainer to play in that thing. You're getting playoff at-bats in March. And then it rolls right into the season. and you're ready to go. From a uh uh. a pitching standpoint, you got to have the right mindset.

What do you mean? You got to come in. with the You got to cuz you got to. change out You got to ramp up quicker. You got to understand that once you get. in this environment, there is no. governor on anything. I know you can you. think that you can kind of tone it down. You can't. I mean, you felt that room. against Venezuela. It's It's It's too. much. It's too There There's guys on. that USA roster that'll never play in. games like that in their career in the. in the big leagues. So, it's It's tough to turn that off. You got to You got to be willing. And.

that's why Andy Pettitte, our pitching. coach, always said Oh, love him. If if. they're on the fence, I want the guy who. wants to be here, not the most talented. guy, per se. And that's why Skenes is. such a unicorn. He was my first call on the pitching. side, and he goes, "I'm doing this for. every service man and woman in the. United It's like, all right, dude. Well, I'm like, I'll go to war with you.". You know? >> Get out there, and then Venezuela came. back, and I'll tell you what, they had.

an army. Uh-huh. That place, you talk. about the magnitude and how it felt in. there, that was special, man. That That. really Well, it was cool that your sport. was bringing that. uh to the world, but also just getting a. chance to be in there with the. Venezuelan celebrating how emotional. they were, how happy they were. They were great. shit-talking sports fans, I would say. Maybe the most. friendly. Yeah, clean. Yeah, I got a lot. of love for Venezuela. I played winter. ball there.

uh coming up through the minor leagues, and spent a lot of time over there in. Caracas, and made some great friends, the Bobby Abreus of the world, and uh. couple Yeah, legend, couple other guys. So, I I the Venezuelan my my Venezuelan. teammates in my big league career always. had a little uh kind of special bond. with. You speak Spanish? No, I don't. I don't. >> years have you. >> the bad I I can say the bad words. Okay, so you can fit in a little bit, but then. he dropped one of those, and they go, "Gringo!".

Yeah, I can understand what they're. saying. It's just the the speed at at. which they say it, I can't pick up. everything. Yeah, we're trying though. I. you know, I see a Spanish sign, I try to I try to. learn the word, you know, I'm trying to. pick it up. I'm not doing Rosetta Stone. or that other one. I think there's. another one that. >> Duolingo. There it is. I I will at some. point try to learn it all. 281 days. straight. You are? >> Yep. Really? >> Which language? Uh I do mostly I do uh, Spanish, >> I do chess.

Oh, so you're around And I do. math. >> [laughter]. >> Okay, I like you're doing 281 straight. days of math? Uh, math, chess, or. Spanish. Oh, so you. >> Just keep this, you know, you got to. keep your mind sharp, you got to keep. your mind sharp, man. You don't use it, you lose it. >> Yeah, you're right. You're on And if you. don't reuse it, you never had it. >> Mhm. Well said. Yeah, that The issue is, uh, do you feel like you could speak Spanish. right now? >> No, I can understand it, though. And. then it's different, doc. You got. Venezuelan Spanish, you got Puerto Rican. Spanish, you got Dominican Spanish. Well, I'm down in Miami, so it's Spanish.

Spanish. >> You you Cuban, you know, so it's. Spanish. So, maybe you got to learn. Latin, so then you could just learn all. languages. Latin Latin helps all the. languages. Why don't you drop that one. in there? Maybe drop math out of the. equation? Oh, the dead language, Latin? Latin, chess, and Spanish. >> I've even got the, uh, Game of Thrones. language on there. Oh, Dothraki. Oh, Italian. Yeah. Okay, let's go back to some. baseball, shall we? Big T, thank you, D-Rod, for enjoying that conversation. with us. We'll try to learn Spanish. That's what we're trying to say. We're. trying to get into the game. Uh, big.

conversation around baseball has been. fun, uh, for me. I don't know how the purists. feel. Go ahead, Con man. Yeah, D-Rod. feels like the ABS system has been a. massive addition to the game. I I saw. the percentages that have come out. The. catchers are absolutely crushing. umpires. Pitchers and hitters kind of. trailing behind them a little bit. How. do you feel about the ABS? Do you feel. like it is kind of taking out a part of. the game, the framing, the, you know, each ump having their own strike zone. type of thing, and do you also see feel. as though the umps, at least behind home.

plate, when it comes to strike zones. and, you know, plays at the plate, might. be on their last legs? Like, we might. not need them anymore if we have a set. strike zone for every single night? Yeah, that's that's the fear, right? Like, if you can get every call right, why. don't why don't you do it? I still I I. I'm still I'm still an old school. purist. I I I do love the ABS and what. Rob Manfred did a couple years ago. um putting the pitch clock in. You can't. deny it. I mean that that that's game.

changing. That that that. basically saved the game and from an. entertainment standpoint. I know when. you play you're not worried about that. stuff, but now being on this side of it. it matters. I mean you know, watching. So, in on the pitch clock, in on the. ABS. Um I think that the interesting part for. me is watching how certain teams it. appeared certain teams had meetings and. how they're going to deploy it and when. they're going to use it and other teams. were just going rogue early and just.

challenging whatever they wanted. And I. think as the season progresses, I think. you're going to see a lot more guys hold. it to high leverage situations and and. and kind of I think the catcher would be. if if I was sitting there, I think the. catcher would have would only have the. chance to challenge on a team that I was. around and then uh. and then the hitter. Yeah, hitter in a. big All hitters or just first four. probably. First four guys that probably. have good eyes. Yeah, it'd be hard for. me for my eight hole hitter to to to.

lose a challenge for us. That would be. tough. >> You would get killed. Could you imagine. >> And I hit eight. I'm not I'm not using. the challenge unless bases are loaded. Mhm. But. even if so I mean the thought of Team. USA having ABS in World Baseball Classic. going forward and I know you have said. that you would like to be coach going. forward. We hope that's the case. obviously. We want to see you get gold. >> Yep. as the skipper out there. >> Pat, what am I going to say to that? Of. course. Who doesn't want that? Hell.

yeah. >> I agree. I don't know how you can. >> We want you too, coach. >> want to be the coach of Team USA? Nah, actually this is kind of a. >> Nah, I'm I'm good. Cool. Couple other. countries calling. I think I'm going to. try. The environment wasn't that cool. >> to try to get over there. I'm going to. try to ABS is going to be in there. though? And at some inter-opportune time one of. your guys is just going to naturally do. one of those. Yeah, and you're going to. you're they're it's going to be wildly. wrong. Then they're going to have a. zoom-in on your face. That's the hardest thing from from the. manager's perspective, from the dugout,

is knowing what a ball and strike is. You can get the height of it coming. moving past you, but you have no feel. for east-west. >> How come you didn't LET ANY OF THESE. UMPS know during World Baseball Classic? I didn't I didn't see any of this. I. didn't see any of the any of the dust. being kicked, any of you [laughter]. know, I saw one guy turn his head around. an ump's hat the other night playing. Toronto. Toronto did this one right. here. Make sure you were getting beak to. beak in there. They could do that entire. thing. You baseball folks really you. really turn it up a bit whenever you're.

getting after it with the umps. especially. In '23 when we did it, I. almost went. Dan Bellino was behind home. plate, who's a great great umpire, and I. just I he called a pitch on Kyle Tucker, and I turned to to Brian McCann, my boy, and I go, "Should I go?" I just want to. go. And he goes, "No, no, no, we need. you know, we need you.". Um Should have went. This year we didn't. have any video. We didn't have any plays that really. warranted it. I'm sure there was some. pitch in there somewhere I didn't like. >> Yeah, we made it up. Oh, actually we. actually Yeah, we had the generous.

strikeout against DR. Which by the way, hey, if you don't like. >> Come on, that's a strike. >> I agree. I agree. >> Not today. PONCE. PAL. THEY HAD the Presidente cans, the. Dominican Republic beer, of it missing. the zone. And it was great. How great though did Perdomo and Albert. Pujols handle that moment afterwards? >> Yeah, that was cool. They could have. made it a whole thing and in the moment. again, from my vantage point, it looked. like a great pitch. Yeah, of course it. was. It was a lot Yeah, from my vantage. point it was fantastic as well cuz I got.

to go experience Ponce Venezuela World. Baseball Classic championship, and it. continued our friendship with you. We. appreciate you joining us even after Ty. just absolutely sawed you down it up. >> No, I love it. I love it. >> had to D'Eriq Listen, and I and I knew a. lot of the stuff about, you know, you're. basically being hamstrung with a lot of. these guys. Just as a Yankees fan, I. just knew that just wasn't the moment. for Ryan Yarborough. [laughter] But But. what are you going to do? What are you. going to do, Abby? You You know, your. hands are tied. You You got it You got. to fire them when you got them. So, >> to fire your bullets, man. Exactly. Hey,

we appreciate you, D'Eriq. You're the. man. >> Ah, you guys are the best, man. Watch. all the time. We watch you every. morning. Got a TV? >> What do you think? Great show. I love. it. >> Your old man Cruz breakdown was. unbelievable. Great show. Good high. quality. I think you got good LED board. Seems like the stage is good. Everything's good. It looks really good. You never being around your phone is. crazy. I've tried to FaceTime you during. the show so you would be forced to. answer. You never have your phone. You're super professional. Once again, University of Penn guy. He's a U Penn. guy. >> Ivy League guy. He's an Ivy League guy.

out here doing it. We appreciate the. hell out of you, man. You guys are the best. Thanks for having. me. See you, ladies and gentlemen. Anytime. Yeah, D'Eriq. Show's good. Yeah. Awesome show. Show's good. Learned. a lot. It's Good Morning Football Yes. for baseball. >> With that guy. With him. Different. settings. And he's always handsome. Yeah. Yeah. It's unbelievable. They got good sets. over there. Oh, yeah. Good gimmicks, too. Yeah, a lot of gimmicks. They're doing a lot of gimmicks for. baseball. We're back on the other side. WITH SIDNEY CROSBY? WHAT? WHAT?

>> [cheering]. >> HERE WE GO. NOW [cheering] IT'S TIME TO. CELEBRATE. Is it? >> [cheering]. [cheering].

>> What a moment. Can you imagine? >> [cheering]. >> MCAFEE FOR HIS BOYS. FOR THE BRAND. NOW the celebration is on. for Pat McAfee and Stone Cold Steve. Austin. McAfee's wanted to drink beer. with Stone Cold. forever.

WHAT A MAGICAL MOMENT. A dream scenario. Pat McAfee. wins his match at WrestleMania and. shares a beer with the Texas Oh no! Stunner! Stunner! Stunner! STUNNER! AUSTIN STUNS MCAFEE! I hate to say it. but DTA, Pat. Don't trust anybody.

ESSENTIALLY THE DIRTIEST SON OF A. TO EVER PLAY THE GAME. AUSTIN 3:16 says, "I JUST STUNNED PAT. MCAFEE.". He just had to enjoy his victory when he. wakes up. The celebration belongs now. to the Texas Rattlesnake. Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Oh my, what a couple of nights. Oh there he is. Celebrate. Give him about 10 minutes. I'm surprised you're even here tonight. after last night. I didn't expect Austin. to be here tonight.

Okay, Pat. Let's get out of here. Have fun. >> Stone Cold Steve Austin with another. WrestleMania. moment. In the city where it all started for. Stone Cold Steve Austin 30 plus years. ago, the Texas Rattlesnake with a Texas. sized celebration in Dallas.

The following program is a collection of. stooges talking about happenings in the. sports world. It is meant to be. comedically informative. The opinions. expressed on this show do not. necessarily reflect the beliefs of their. peers, their boss, or ESPN. There may be. some cuss words because that's how. humans in the real world talk. If you. are a young, please seek permission. before watching any further. Hey. Hi. Let's.

go. This show stinks and the fact that you. listen, we are very, very thankful for. MacKinnon on the line. with a gorgeous assist. The all-time. leading tackler for the Green Bay. Packers. You pick. STAHLI! >> [screaming]. >> STAHLI! DAMN IT! TELL YOUR FRIEND [music] TO. TELL A FRIEND SOMETHING nice could. change their life. Hello beautiful people. And welcome back to our [music] humble.

abode, the Thunderdome, on this Sidney. Crosby Thursday, April 16th, 2026. Our. tune in the program begins now. Sports! Are the greatest stand. We are. about to enter playoff season for the. NBA and the NHL. And if you're not a. hockey fan or from a hockey town, I do. have great news for you. If you've never. seen the sport, what's about to happen. in the sport is the most dazzling thing. in all of sport. I was very lucky to. graduate high school from Plum High. School in 2005. That is in the East.

Hills of Pittsburgh. The man that is. about to join us right now got drafted. with the first overall pick to the. Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005. Now, he and. his boys, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, followed Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Tommy Barrasso, and a. litany of other legends in Pittsburgh. that make us the hockey. town. Easy. That's a Detroit Red Wings. fan back there. Nonetheless, I am from a. hockey city and I am lucky for that that.

this man has led us to so much. happiness, so much success, and he's the. only dude to have 21 straight years of. averaging at least a point per game. An. absolute stallion, a consummate. professional. For the first time on this. program, ladies and gentlemen, SIDNEY CROSBY. >> [screaming]. >> WHAT'S UP, GUYS? OKAY, I WATCHED MIGHTY DUCKS. IS this. where we're sharpening the blades at? Is. this where Is that where we at in the. room here? This is the equipment room, yeah. This.

is where all the work gets done. This. was Tags' room, our equipment guy. Okay, how long has Tags been there? How long's. Tags been there? Uh his first year was my first year. I. think he was the third guy then. So, he. was Yeah, he's been around for a while. He's the head guy now. He started off as. the third guy. Oh, he worked up the. lines. Okay, this guy. Okay, he was an. apple at one point, you know, and then. he puts the C on the on the chest. Let's. talk about your run since 2005 in. Pittsburgh. Obviously, coming in to the. NHL, we found this out in Pittsburgh as.

we were learning about you becoming the. next superstar, so highly hyped, highly. regarded. You know that. Obviously, you're super duper humble, which is why. you've been able to play for so long. But whenever you get to Pittsburgh, did. you feel the magnitude of the city and. how much they appreciated hockey? And. through this run, why have you remained. so committed to the city? Because. obviously, over the last couple years, there's been a lot of people saying. maybe you should go elsewhere, maybe you. could do that. You've remained very. committed to Pittsburgh. Can you tell me. a little bit more about that and maybe. tie it into [clears throat] your hockey. life over there?

Yeah, I mean it couldn't have been a. better place to come just for the fact. that it's an unbelievable sports town, but also because. we were a a group of young guys kind of. coming up in the league together. So, um. coming out of the lockout, there's. obviously a lot of pressure, um. you know, being a first overall pick, but. to know that you were sharing that with. you know, a ton of younger guys that. were. uh excited for the opportunity, wanted. the responsibility to to be a part of. this team and and to grow it and uh with.

the fan support that we have here, um it's just a place that uh you know, at the time I think thought was going to. be incredible and it's worked out to be, you know, even more. um looking back. So, um you know, I think just from the day I. showed up at the airport, um. you know, it was packed. It was more. than I could have ever imagined and to. think 20 years later, here we are getting ready for another. playoff run. Uh I probably wouldn't have believed it. at the time. So, I'll I'll take this any.

day. Yeah, and we'll take it, too, pal. Okay? You say you you thought it would. all work out or whatever, you know, with. the language that you guys speak. It has. certainly worked out. And now that you. know Yinzers a lot better at this stage. of your life, think about that airport. being packed for you. Think about how. much was said to go, all right, we'll go I guess we'll go get this guy. >> [laughter]. >> No, like think about Yinzers. Think. about that now that you know kind of the. culture of the city. We are excited for. you and obviously everything you've done. for us has only been uh a good time. Now, let's talk about the good time now.

Whenever we chatted with you last year. at Big Night Out on stage before you. threw a football for a million bucks, didn't even doubt it. Okay, unbelievable. effort out of you. Had you thrown a. football before? Oh, yeah. Yeah. In Canada, you guys do that? >> realize it was going to be that far. I was told it was going to be like 10. yards and it ended you know a little. further than that. Well, I had to put a. little heat on you. You know, I talked. to you the night before. I said, "Hey, if I ask you to throw a football through. a hoop for a million dollars, you think. you'd be able to do that?" Gino and. Letang immediately go, "He'll make it.". >> [laughter]. >> You know, with different with different.

accents, they'll go, "He'll make it.". regardless of whatever you're doing. And. then you asked me for for some info. It. did end up being about 15 yards longer. than what I told you. Okay, so I. apologize for that. You threw a seed, you delivered for the city in the arena. in which you've done so much. But during. the conversation with you there, I tried. to get you to play for Team USA. I'm not. going to say anything. I'm not going to. say anything. I'm not going. [clears throat] to go there. Don't go. there. I mean, we could. Sorry. >> We didn't play. Uh-oh. [laughter] I'm. not I'm not going to say anything. I'm. not going to Congrats to you guys. Congrats to you guys. Still top two in.

the world. Still top two in the world. That's good. Okay, I I mean, I did not. But then the next conversation was, "Hey, like uh what does this all look. like?" And you immediately mentioned to. them, "We want to do a couple more runs. here in Pittsburgh." And I think a lot. of people potentially doubted that with. how old you all are now. You know, you, Gino, and Chris. How has it worked out. this year? Why do you think you've been. clicking and how do you feel going into. the playoffs? Yeah, I mean, I think we just, you know, with uh so many changes in the off. season, I think we came into camp just. short term, we just wanted to have a.

good start, get things organized, and. try to try to get on track, and. we had a great start. Um that really. helped. I think a lot of guys that that. came in. had something to prove. um for a lot of different reasons, whether it was young guy, whether it was. somebody getting an opportunity that. hadn't really. guys on one-year deals that want to. prove themselves, um a lot of different. things. So, I think we came together as. a group really quick, saw that we had. some success, and uh. Yeah, Hazy says hi, by the way. Hey,

what's up, dog? How you doing, brother? And uh. Yeah, from from there, we just kind of, you know, we got some momentum and. started to get some belief, so of all. years, this was a pretty tough one with, you know, how competitive it was to get. in. So, it's uh it's a good first step. Yeah, it's definitely a good first step. Uh we're expecting to understand the. cup, obviously. >> Yeah. Mhm. >> Yeah, that's what we want. Now now. I'm. just here to be here. >> Yeah. Congratulations, you guys got back. to the dance with Sidney Crosby. No, on.

that note, very pumped to see you guys. back in the playoffs. Also, very pumped. to watch what you guys were playing this. year. Felt like we can go on to win it. all. First round against Philadelphia. Flyers. listen, I've been in Philly whenever you. played against Philly, okay? I I have I. don't want to say say taking some. shrapnel in your name in Philadelphia at. a Pens-Flyers game there. We understand. the relationship between you, their fan. base, and their team. Why is it special. to you? Is it because of how they. treated you whenever you were young, or.

is it because it's the Pennsylvania. thing? Why is this one a heightened. rivalry, do you think? Well, I think it was there, you know, before I I started playing, so I think. I was told about it, I heard about it, but I hadn't really experienced it, and. then you know, my first game. I got to figure out pretty quickly what. it was all about. So, I think there. wasn't a much of a feeling-out process. there. I think it, you know, it was. everything I expected and more right. from the start. And then you throw in. the playoff series, and you throw, you.

know, the history that's that's been. there for so long. Um yeah, just uh exactly what I thought. and more. You're you're a little menace, bro. You. know, like for being uh you know, there's a couple moments, obviously, the. memes and the GIFs will make their way. around here as the Pens and Flyers. series takes place. But, I always. thought we needed goons around. [clears throat] you, okay? Cuz there is. numerous years where you were the one. fighting people, okay? Uh have we put. that to bed now? Are we still doing.

face-washing with people when maybe uh. somebody else could potentially be doing. it? And how important do you think that. is for you to set a example for the rest. of the team about like, hey, sometimes. you have to really throw you have to. throw like sometimes you have to do that. cuz I I that's a weird thing for me. whenever I watch you throughout your. entire career. I don't say I hate it. I. actually kind of love it but I think why. is this happening if that makes sense? Yeah, well, I think early on too. I was. a smaller player. I think I wanted to. show that I wasn't going to be pushed. around and.

and that uh I could handle I could. handle it if it did come to that. Um. I'm probably not one of the smaller guys. as much anymore as I used to used to be. then. So, I probably had a little bit. more of a chip on my shoulder with. something to prove and. probably overdid it. I probably didn't. need to do that at some points but. um. it's part of the game and I think, you. know, as far as the playoffs go, you try. to stay out of that stuff and just focus. on playing but. yeah, I'll do my best to stay out of it. >> Yeah, thank you. Please. I can already. see it's. >> Let's leave it at that. Yeah, you'll try.

your best. Yeah, exactly. I already see. you in the first period you're grabbing. somebody's jersey obviously from the. back. You're in the middle of it all. It's like, get 87 the hell out of there. Why why is he in there? It's It's a. beautiful thing. I think it's one of the. reasons why Pittsburgh absolutely adores. you, man. There's not a lot of people. that come through Pittsburgh even people. that have had success there that are. universally beloved. Pittsburgh people. are natural nah, don't like that. Hate. that. You beloved by everybody even. whenever you're winning a gold medal for. Canada. >> Well.

That seems like forever ago. >> old news. I don't even know what to. Pittsburgh's the most watched market. because of it still. >> Yeah, do you see that? You understand. that Pittsburgh is the highest watched. market in the United States of America. anytime USA plays Canada because of you. Like, you know, like the the place. absolutely adores you and you scrapping. I think is a big part of that. Tone. actually has a question for you. >> Yeah, Sid, you talked about earlier. coming in and you guys being so young, you and Geno and Flower and Letang and. Stalsy. Like, it was all of you guys. being super young but then there was the. stories and you living with Mario and.

him being such a huge role model for you. guys and then kind of him being the. owner and you coming in kind of saved. hockey in the city. What was it like you. guys all being young but having Mario. Lemieux and then what are you guys still. talking you know constantly going into. this cup run? Yeah, I mean you couldn't have picked a. better role model and I think just for. seeing someone day-to-day that's so even. keel living with them. getting away from it you know away from. the rink just be around his family not.

having to worry about all the little. things when you're in your first year. Um but I think you know having each. other as far as being the young guys I. think that took pressure off especially. with the impact that all those guys had. they weren't guys just kind of coming in. getting their feet wet they were thrown. in some pretty big roles right away. Flower was playing. a ton even at an early age. You know Geno came in was an instant. star so. I think just having that that group and.

then even the extended group around that. younger guys but character guys big. personalities. we had a ton of fun but we knew that the. position we were in and and obviously. having Mario there. you couldn't get a better role model. who's who's somebody that you know I. could relate to he's gone through a lot. of similar things and the way he's. handled it so um yeah like I said. earlier you couldn't get a a better. situation as a young guy coming in. Yeah. [snorts] but a lot of young guys could. potentially completely the bed with.

everything you know like the way you've. been able to handle it with so much. humility and grace while working your. ass off and you talked earlier about. being smaller whenever you first got in. the league now you got to have the. biggest quads I mean those things are. outrageous. As a man who has a larger. legs I I have larger legs used to wait. until you see the stuff your legs will. do whenever you retire actually you'll. probably Oh I don't even want to know. >> [laughter]. >> Yeah you're right you're right nothing's. good when you retire bro Play forever. Everything sucks as soon as you retire.

There there isn't. magical new science that you'll be able. to that doesn't You don't want any of. this man. You don't want any of. this You You want to play forever, but. You're got Can we talk about the amount. of like. hockey conditioning. Are you in shape all Is there an off. season Are you working out all year? Do. you Do you Do you guys ever stop? It's pretty short. It's pretty short, but yeah, I think as as I get a little. older, I feel like it's something that. it's harder to take time off, you know, the better, you know, it's better if you.

can just kind of stay in it, at least. doing a little bit. The The month, 2. months off straight, those days are. over. Yeah, well, tell me about you. skipping the All-Star game, pissing. everybody off, and playing on a lake in. Colorado. Is it Is that what it was? Is. that what IT WAS? IS. HEY, LOOK, TANGUAY! TANGUAY'S IN HERE. NOW, TOO. He's super handsome. Wait till. these. The people that don't know, the guy in. the background right there at. ridiculously handsome. I mean, just like. Yep, there he is. >> [laughter]. >> Yeah, there he is. So, like, that's. exactly what he wanted to hear. That's. like the worst.

>> [laughter]. >> Hey, Tanguay, thanks. His tires pumped. right now. Hey, Tanguay, thanks for your. service to Pittsburgh, pal. You're welcome. >> [laughter]. >> Hey, you broke some record. Yeah, of. course. Of course, I. >> Keep him happy right now. >> [laughter]. >> Yeah, I respect that. Are you going to. sharpen the blades there, Tanguay? Is. that what you're about to get. Yeah, or. or trainer Tags is not really on the job. right now. >> [laughter]. >> Some time off. So, he was a third liner? >> [snorts]. >> Tag Tag started down low in the bench.

You're saying he's already taking time. off. This is what happens, Sid. Whenever. greatness is around, people start. getting comfortable. Can't happen. WE'RE. GOING IN THE PLAYOFFS RIGHT NOW. GET. TAGS' ASS BACK IN THERE, TANGUAY. YEAH, I'll get him. I'll get him. He's eating. pizza, so. Thank you. Thank you. Uh-oh. I don't like that one. bit. Not at all. Hey, you tell Tags he. needs TO TIGHTEN THE UP over there. You [laughter] You hear me? You tell. Tags we appreciate his service. We. certainly. >> in here any minute now that he's seeing. this. Oh, yeah. [laughter]. Tags is a good man. Uh, whenever you talk about like though.

everything you do gets judged. Like that. All-Star Game thing was talked but then. what I learned is you were playing. hockey in some you found a rink that you. could just play. Is that like what you. do like when you travel or do anything? You have to find ice to train on. Is. that the life of your like is that your. life? >> I like to know. It's not a must I. wouldn't say but I was in Montana during. All-Star break and we didn't have that. much time. Um, so I was trying trying to balance. getting rest and then be able to jump. into to the game and and be all right.

So skating outside seemed like a great. idea. So. uh it was nice to get out. There's. nothing better than being on an outdoor. rink. I've never done it actually. I yeah. >> [laughter]. >> You should. I want to I want to see. that. Yeah, I can't skate. >> 10,000 deck you were doing it ball. hockey. >> Yeah, I had ball hockey. I had ball. hockey which you played obviously. Is. this you in Montana? This is the video I. saw of you? Yeah. And is this just some kid's rink. on his backyard? >> No, this is just at like a park in the. in Big Sky. They just have a outdoor. rink there that they set up. So And you.

knew this guy was piping you right here? Did you know this camera was out? Uh. I think I met him. after the fact but yeah, I was just I. think there was only one or two people. there. So I drove by it saw that it was. open had my gear and. gave it a whirl. I see you cross me. hard. >> Yeah, that's awesome. >> See a ringo. Oh, got to skate it. Don't. I? Yeah, got my gear here too. Let me. put all this on right here. I've. been that guy recording now. Who's that. out there? Oh, you got a kid out on the ice. Oh, he's pretty good. 87 helmet. [laughter].

Oh my god. Is growing up, what was the. story? Mario Lemieux like iced out his. living room or something like that so he. could skate in there. Like you Canadians. do absurd stuff to get better at hockey. Were you a pond hockey guy? How did you. kind of come into the sport? Yeah, I mean the weather wasn't quite as. cold so if we got if we got cold weather. for long enough, we were on the lake. around the pond for sure. Um. but mostly ponds. Uh we played a little. bit on the lake and. you know, hockey was we practiced twice. a week, one or two games. It wasn't an.

everyday type of thing when I was. growing up, so. um. you know, you just love being able to. get that extra time in playing, whether. it was on the lake or whether it was. playing street hockey. Any chance you could to play a little. bit more cuz it just it wasn't as. available, I don't think, as it is now, so you know, that was that was a big. part of it, too. You know, they call. like there's a book called the Outliers, where all the people that are the most. successful in their business were either. around it at some point introduced to it. or they just so happen to be completely. obsessed with this particular thing.

Sounds like you were that way with. hockey since the first time you laced. your skates, I believe is how you would. describe that? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I read from day one. My. I think I started skating when I was. three. My dad played. My mom My mom has. a big big family and all my cousins. played, so. we uh. you know, it was something that we all. did and we all followed one another to. the rink or I used my cousin's. hand-me-down gear. You know, it's just something that. brought us all together, so it was it. was great great way to grow up. Then the.

photos come out of you just banging a. dryer or something in your house, I. believe is uh there it is. Back. >> Yeah. That was uh that's where I shot pucks. was in it was unfinished part of the. basement there and. that dryer was to the left uh of the net. behind it. So, if I missed outside left, that's what that's what happened. So, I. wasn't aiming at it, but as you could. see, I missed fair amount there. [laughter]. We would like to thank this dryer. >> of that? I don't even know if that was. used, but it it actually held up for a.

long time somehow. The thought of just bang happening. That. had to be so loud those pucks cramming. off them. The dents and the wounds. We'd. like to thank this dryer for its service. for the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We would really like to. thank you. Kind of getting tightened up. Okay, let's move along in the hockey. conversation about legends and goats, especially one that you know well. Go. ahead, Con man. >> Yeah, said it was a pretty cool moment. seeing you, Geno, and uh Ovechkin after. that last game. Not sure if it's. Ovechkin's last game yet, but how has.

that relationship been throughout your. career? It feels like over the past. couple years, we've seen you two. specifically much more kind of in the. public light. I think you guys got him a. watch after one of his games, and he got. you guys a gift. What has that. relationship been like, and do you two. kind of share moments just because. you've gone through some of the similar. things being the number one picks? HEY, GENO! HEY, SPEAK SOME RUSSIAN REAL QUICK. WE'RE DOING THE WE'RE DOING actually. >> gone. Oh, we're doing Ovi talk. I.

thought we'd be able to drop burner. It's Geno. Yeah. That is Geno. >> Um yeah, you know what? Just like I. think early on just with how we came in. and the rivalry and everything was. built, you know, for each each of us to. be, you know, against each other and. with the playoff series and and. everything, uh it was just pretty pretty. natural for that to happen, but uh I. think over the course of the years. getting to know him better, um. you know, getting to know his family and. just.

playing against each other for that. long, and I think there's just such a. mutual respect there. So, uh it's been. pretty cool to, you know, to be. connected that early to play as long as. we have and to see the career that he's. had, you know, the expectations are so. high, but, you know, to be the greatest. goal scorer of all time and to come in. with. the expectations and to see that up. close and to be able to relate to it a. bit. Um. yeah, it's it's kind of it's kind of. cool the way it's all worked out. >> Are you and him similar? Are you just. drinking Coke? Just ripping off Dr.

Pepper over there on the side like and. Similar what? No, I wish. I wish. I wish. I could do that, but uh. yeah, he's He can do uh he can do that. I think. it hasn't affected him one bit. Now, he's still filling the net. He might be. the last of a dying breed. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Actually. Mhm. You know, like they like actually cuz the way he's. they built bring him sandwiches and it's. like multiples. And they're like, here. you go, Ovi. And then here's a Kool-Aid. size bottle of Coca-Cola. >> Hot Cheetos. [clears throat]. >> And that all goes That's a nice program.

>> [laughter]. >> That is. How are you? You're super I you. are we weighing food and everything like. that? >> Oh, no. I I mean. I try. I try to keep an eye on it. I I. love sweets. I wouldn't say I'm super. dialed in, but I'm much better than I. was. I wish I would have known a lot of. this stuff when I was younger, for sure. Um I didn't I didn't quite follow it as. close then, but um It's okay. 21. straight years. A few cups. I think you're doing A-okay. On that note, D-Butt has a question for.

you. >> 21 years is nuts. We were actually. talking about LeBron and Michael Jordan. earlier. We'd love to hear your opinion. on that, but dominating [laughter]. for so long, you won Stanley Cups, you. won MVPs, you won gold medals. What I. guess still drives you? What's kind of. at the core of motivation for you at. this point in your career? I think this, you know, playoffs, just. competing. in, you know, big games, meaningful games, the camaraderie with. the group, being part of a team.

That doesn't ever get old, but I think just yeah, those two things. stand out the most to me is just. the competition, you know, everything. that goes into that and and being part. of those big games and then just being. part of a group. Um. I love coming to the rink every day. I. love being around the guys. Um. And we And we got a great group here, so. it's been a lot of fun. You want to keep. that going. So, I think that's you know, those are probably the two biggest. things and. as far as what is the What's the other. part you had for me? MJ or LeBron?

>> Yeah. Well, well, well, okay. It's the. fourth time we've done this on this. show. So, why to let you know that. I got I got to go. MJ just because growing up I was a huge. Bulls fan and uh. and they were so good growing up and. then I got a chance to watch Last Dance. and I had this image of how all these. guys were going to be. I had no idea. I'd never seen much of them growing up. and then I see Last Dance and they're. exactly what. I kind of envisioned that in my head.

growing up. So, I think that. you know, that probably solidified it. for me. Probably uh probably MJ. >> Settled. Wow. Yeah, bit of a runaway. >> Yeah. Everybody's saying the same. answer. >> goats do. Where are you from again? What. town? Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. East Coast of. Canada. That's way up there, right? Aren't you guys way up there? Yeah, we're pretty up there. Not by. Saskatoon. No, it's nowhere near. Saskatoon. >> [laughter]. >> No, way way other side. No, it's nowhere. near Victoria. >> Manitoba, no, they don't get He's been.

in the social club a few times. Where? In Victoria? >> Yeah, Crosby knows. Oh, that's a. Canadian by the way back there. He's. from Victoria, Western Canada. He's a. Dallas Stars fan. That's nice that he. followed you up there. Gumpy, you have. anything to say to Sydney? No, congratulations on being back in the. playoffs. Let's go on a run here, brother. Oh. >> Thanks, I appreciate it. Gumpy, how many uh goals has Canada won. in hockey? All time and everything, probably 56, I think. How many are we. behind in in You get like 35, 40 more, you'll be close. >> What about What [laughter] about in the.

last two years? Who's Who's in first. place? >> get Let's not disrespect the Mr. What. are you talking. >> to Gump, not not Sydney. >> Okay, yeah, don't put Sydney on the. Yeah, I'm just kidding. This is strictly. for Gump. And this is what happens, by. the way. He's the only Canadian in here, Sydney. This is This is what happens. So, yeah. It is tough. I actually almost uh went back on. everything that I said about NHL players. playing in international games whenever. you got. as soon as you got hit in that game. I really was like, why are these guys. playing it? >> [laughter].

>> Why why are these guys playing it? It. does feel like your sport. the international, we were just talking. to D Ro about baseball with the World. Baseball Classic. Feels like your sport. is getting very much like the four. nations as the All-Star was phenomenal. I think we all thought, obviously. Olympics captivated both the women and. the men captivated the entire globe. Why. do you think there's so much of like. that type of. feel for that sport? I guess you could. go all the way back to whenever we beat. Soviet Union or whatever the miracle on. ice. Feels like hockey always has that.

Why is that you think, Suit? Yeah, I think just big sense of pride. when guys get to play for their country. and you know, you think about it guys. guys leave their you know, their home. and. they go play in a new city for a new. team. Um. don't really know a lot about what. they're going into and then when they. get to play for their national team, you. know, it's just so much pride I think. that comes with that and you never know. if you're going to get that opportunity. So. I think you just you see that on full. display when guys you know, play for.

their country. You see guys, you know, the desperation and you see the. intensity and you see the fans. the way people get behind it. I think. you know, we as players feel all that. and you look at four nations. Nobody. knew really what to expect and. you know, you're playing the Bell Centre. first game and just the atmosphere and. the way people got into that. I don't. think anybody could have drew that up. You know, that was that was special. So. I think we all feel that. Yeah, you want. to take the attention back to four.

nations for sure. I know. Yeah, I heard. that. Yeah, you know what I'm doing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard that. And I think it was a huge ordeal, by the. way, that you guys won that. And I think. you guys know that, too. At the time, there were some loud it was really loud. Sociopolitical implications. Canada wins. and it just gets quiet real quick and. it's like, holy did a hockey game. just decide And it did. It felt like it. did. And sports, by the way, the. greatest. >> [applause]. >> The greatest of all time. Speaking of. sports being the greatest of all time, you know, one generation to the next is.

kind of how it goes. Go ahead, Ty. Yeah, Sid, when you got drafted, a lot of the. I can't really remember if this was a. thing before you, but everyone was. pointing you saying, "Hey, he's the next. This guy's the next Wayne Gretzky." You. know, and then as your career has kind. of gone on, we've had a bunch of other. guys come up, but now that narrative's. kind of changed to Hey, this this guy's. either the the next Gretzky or he's the. next Crosby. Have you had a chance to. reflect on that over the course of your. career? Like I I I guess hockey culture. might be a little bit different. Maybe. you don't have guys coming up to you.

saying like, "Hey, you were my favorite. player growing up as a kid." But uh have. you had a chance to kind of think about. how crazy that whole full circle thing. has been? Or is it a little bit hard. when you're still dominating at your age. this late in your career? Yeah, it's it's hard, but I think you do. start to realize it. I mean uh. you know, whether it's. you're playing against guys' kids that. you played against um now and um you. know, things like you said where you're. you're. a young guy saying that, you know, you.

were his favorite player, stuff like. that. So. um. I think that it's not something you. typically ever get used to, but. um it's it's a little more common now. and I think. you know, being in this position, the. more you can help. um I had so many guys as a young player. that helped me. So I think that's. something I try to remind myself of. At the same time, you're still out there. trying to compete. You're still trying. to play at the top of your game and and. try to balance all that. So um. I guess it's it's different that way,

but it's no different than the challenge. you have coming in as a young player. with something to prove, not knowing. much. Uh there's challenges with that, too. So. I think they just change, you know, the. longer you play, but that's something. that uh. has definitely been a a common, you. know. So Yeah, you're getting as. Yeah, you're old as man. Yeah, it's been. fun to watch and you're still playing at. such a high level. I assume that's a. treat for all the young dogs out there. Every once in a while they still have to. catch a stick to the mouth though, you. know, every once in a while that's going. to have to happen. It's hockey. How do. you feel about the state of hockey right.

now? You talked about coming out of the. lockout, uh being a lot of pressure for you and. the boys, but then some rule changes. happened kind of open the game up now. How do you feel about where hockey is. being played right now versus maybe. whenever you came into the league? Yeah, I think there's a lot more. emphasis on skill and speed and I think. you know, you look at teams lineups and. they they dictate that um a lot um you. know, based on how teams are made up and. who's won and and what's made teams. successful. I think you still look at.

teams like Florida who've had a ton of. success the last few years. Um. you know, they're they're talented, they're skilled and fast, but there's. still a lot of grit to their game. So I. think that. that element is still there, but maybe. uh maybe a little bit less emphasis on, you know, the physical aspect than. maybe, you know, when I first came in. Um you look at defensemen, they're a lot. more mobile probably overall. Um you know, right through, you know, all the D-men, I think there's.

a lot of focus on being able to move the. puck, being able to skate, join the. rush, create offense, not necessarily as. much maybe on shot blocking and things. like that, but that stuff's still. super important and has a huge, you. know, a huge bearing on the outcomes of. games. So you'll see in the playoffs. that stuff's magnified even more and How. cool. Um but I think yeah, the the skill. and speed's kind of just gradually. gotten more and more. Can you say. outcome again? I never heard that I. don't think in a Canadian accent. That's. that's both of them. That's a compound. Canadian accent.

Outcome? Outcome. Need to add that into the repertoire. whenever we're doing. Sorry, sorry, outcome is, you know, I'm going to do. all that. I like that you said, you. know, it's a little bit more speed and. skill. That's our game, too. Football is. like speed, skill, we need to get. highlights, we need to do that. You have. created them for so long. Not scared to. beat the pass. You know, that's why I. thought maybe LeBron would be his guy. Yes. They kind of been dominating. throughout the same Same era. exact run. So, it'll be it'll be the younger kids. who see the LeBron's last dance and then. that's when it'll kind of take Or same.

season. Sid hasn't seen enough LeBron. cuz he's been doing his own LeBron thing. while LeBron's been doing his. >> Plus, he's out there in Montana, there's. no service, he can't see. >> Exactly. Yeah, especially. >> know how I don't know how he's still. doing it. It's absolutely incredible. what he's done. Yes, same. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, talk to the mayor, brother. We we appreciate the hell out. of you for everything you've done for. Pittsburgh, but also the game. Thank you. for operating in the manner in which you. do, on the ice, off the ice, as a. leader, as a person in society. We. we generally appreciate the way you've.

done things. And you tell Tags get his. ass back in that equipment room. We need. to win a series against the Flyers. I'll. let him know. Thanks, all right, guys. I. appreciate it. It was fun. You're the. man. Ladies and gentlemen, SIDNEY. CROSBY. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE MOST HE'S. EVER SPOKE. That was sick. The most I've. ever heard him talk, for sure. >> As we're in the middle of it, I'm like, "Oh, we should get some life stuff. here." I don't know how how many people. are going to be able to hear from him. ever again. First time ever getting to. talk to him. So pumped. Thought it was. never going to take place on this.

particular program. The fact that him, Geno, and Tanger showed up at Big Night. Out. Now, they said to you, "You kind of. forced us, right?" It was we were going. to be home and. showed up right there, too. Like, they're just always around each other. It's unbelievable. It was great talking. with them and learning about them. They've been around each other for so. long and obviously have had so much. success. So, anytime you have that, obviously great camaraderie. Hockey is. an incredible culture. It's an. incredible sport. And the playoffs are. ridiculous. And Sidney Crosby is back in. there. And it's a problem. Uh-huh. Cuz much.

like everybody says, you know, Steph. Curry, he can get hot and go. Yep. Penguins can go. Now, everybody's. talking about that team right there. being the one. They're saying Colorado. is a problem. They're saying they are an. absolute problem. And uh that's what. everybody's saying. But, we shall see. The NHL playoffs kind of figure itself. out as it goes on. And people will get. injured. We'll never know. Somebody will have a broken back out. there. We'll find out afterwards that. they actually had to pick his ass up and. shove him onto the ice, and he couldn't. sit down on the bench cuz he actually. had a broken tailbone. He played for 2.

and 1/2 periods or whatever, just. couldn't finish the game. It's like. that's what hockey culture is. It's. crazy. Florida has owned hockey. Yep. Mhm. This year will be brand new. Now we. rest. As As Sidney Crosby and Tampa. Sidney Crosby brings it [laughter] all. the way back. Uh let's pivot from Sidney. Crosby to another goat. Ladies and. gentlemen, a college football national. champion, Super Bowl champion, Ryder Cup. winner AJ Hawk. >> Yeah. OH, HE'S GLOWING FOR MANIA. Are Are you. Are you heading out for uh WrestleMania.

out there in Las Vegas, AJ? Yeah, I. don't know. After I saw what Cody did to. the Thunderdome and what Deebo or DeBone. actually may or may not be a part of, yeah, I don't know. I'm I'm thinking. about it now. >> You kind of put me through a loop. I. didn't even once think that he would be. able to boom bang. >> Well, you guys the fact you said he has. the the brain of a peanut, and Ty says, "No, not a shelled peanut." When you. take the shell off, that small. That I. didn't take that into account. I thought. I know I give I give DeBone some credit. I think he is smart. >> What are those Chinese. uh Finger trap? Edamame? No. Oh, yeah, the Russian nesting doll.

>> There they are. Russian nesting doll. >> What? Yeah, the Russian nesting doll. that sits inside of the other one. Yeah. Oh, [laughter] sure. You take it off, you pull the smaller one out. Yeah. You. pull this head off, and you pull the. smaller one out. What What Ty was trying. to say with the unshelled uh. uh not He's You're taking all those. >> Exactly. We're getting way down in the. bottom of that thing. Yeah. That's. That's what's connected to his spine. And uh I'll tell you. incredible at graphics. But, there's no. way he set this up and knew this was. going to happen. Now, on that note.

I don't like that Cody did this. >> No. not at all. I don't know. I saw a. picture last night of Bone hugging Cody. So. What? liked one of Cody's photos. that Cody posted that had the strap with. Wayno and he liked it. See, AJ, what you. all know is everybody in here wants. Everybody in here wants me to fire. Deebo. Okay, that's what everybody. wants. Suspension maybe. Not Not fire. Suspension maybe. Suspension. >> Leave of absence. Maybe we all. fill up a pillowcase with rocks and beat. the piss out of him. >> Yeah. Just get him back. >> we can do that. Or a firing squad. Socks.

and batteries. Cody, I mean, that was. good for Cody, though, I would say. Yeah. Good for Cody. Now that we're kind. of emotionally out of this particular. situation cuz it's been cleaned up. Still got the Whoa. I mean, that's some. pretty damning evidence right there. Was that from last night? >> Cody owns this AI. >> Oh, man. No, that's not AI. That's Bill Macaroy's. photo. >> Can we move along, please? Can we move along? Really snapped. >> I don't like thinking about that. Did. they go to dinner afterwards? And is his. name actually Deebo? We didn't even know it till now?

Has been a plant. I don't like the way he just casually. walks by him there. And then Not even a. reaction. Not even a It was that a thank. you with the computer spike? Like did he. say, "Thank you"? Thank Deebo. While he. did there I maybe. We don't know. >> [laughter]. >> I don't honestly know. That's my. assumption. >> And now And I asked yesterday who Wayno. was on. Remember I actually said, "I. wonder whose side Wayno is on?". The great one? Look at that. >> Cody smoking cigs. Well, guess who's got. Sid?

You do. >> Yeah, you're right. Well, I don't know. if Sid knows anything about any of it, but I would hope he'd be on my side. >> He He is. I hope he is on my. >> Mark. Yeah, he's Yes, he is. He has time. for all that. He He certainly has time. for all that. Okay, we got some bad news. for next NFL season. Uh feels like the. replacement refs probably going to. happen. Yeah, I know. We've seen this. song and dance before. AJ, you closer. maybe than anybody else, but this is not. good news. Now, granted, everything is. posturing. Okay, everything is leverage, especially. whenever there is negotiating taking.

place, especially whenever it's high. leverage negotiating kind of taking. place. The officials of the NFL. understand they're a very a very crucial. crucial parts of the game. They also. understand that they are a tight union. Okay, that is a tight union. So, what. the NFL has to deal with is how do we. modernize what we are expecting from. these officials with these officials. being a very tough negotiation. regardless. Pool. reporters after games that get typed up. is really the only accountability that. officials have ever had, and there's no.

follow-up, there's no real anything, there's no face of the music, there's no. admission of anything, there's an email. that's gets sent to each team from the. head. It's like I think we all are. looking for some things, but those. things have never happened before for. the officials. So, there's never been. precedent in the negotiation for it. Anytime you're adding things to a. negotiation or an agreement, going to be. tough. Going to be tough. And especially. with what happened the last time this. all took place, the officials ended up. with all of the leverage, okay? It was.

kind of like, "Oh yeah, is that right?". That's what the officials said. Whenever. the NFL and the players had the lockout. situation, the NFL had the overwhelming. mindset that these players will run out. of money, and they will have to negotiate with us, okay? For the refs, it's not the case. They're not full-time. They have other. jobs. Most of them very, very successful. other jobs. Lawyers, uh I think there's some accountants in. there. I think there are some business. owners. >> Financial advisers. Um I like they're. they're very These people uh are going. to be able to remain tight, and they're. going to have money. All they are going.

to have to do is wait out the bad. replacement officials embarrassing the. game, and then they will find their. position of leverage back with the NFL. So, the NFL said we have to learn from. that. We have to get the ass officials. Mhm. and make them not as ass. So, they. are starting to do that process right. now, A.J. Hawk. Remember, my final point. here as I continue to ramble cuz this is. a very important thing. Um The refs that we're going to get for. replacement refs are refs that think. they'll never have a chance being NFL. refs because if they ref in the NFL,

they would technically be considered a. scab to the NFL as officials. organization association and you don't. want to sell. We're talking ass of ass. with no chance of not being ass signing. up to be refs when we don't have refs. But they're trying to teach them how not. to be ass. I think that's good news but. inevitably this going to be a bummer I. think AJ. Yeah, I mean I think it's good news. they're trying to get them better, get. them out there during OTAs, get them. around the NFL game a little bit. But my. question is who are these refs because.

if you are an official, you're are most. likely already assigned to a crew and. have a job next year. If you're a. college official, right? I I would. assume you know what you're doing next. year. This is. Like high school guys that high school. people that want to try or what? Like. who. who is open to it? I I I. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Call him. >> That's we need somebody at least with. some conviction. Now I've seen some of. the games that he refereed and there. were some terrible calls being called. but they don't have cameras, they don't. have technology. He has the moxie though.

to deliver what we need. That's a hold. First down. I love everything about him. That we need to find that as well. They. need to be teaching that cuz those. replacement refs getting out there and. Yep. Personal foul. Mhm. Defense number. What? What number? 27. There's no 27 on the field.

Is this thing on still? They can hear. everything I'm saying. >> [laughter]. >> We don't need that. >> No. No. And that's the least of our. worries. >> Yeah, but in that could be the. >> is an actual worry. >> Yes. Everything about it. Spotting the. ball on the right hash instead of the. wrong hash. What ball is in play? Where every little. thing. These officials who are currently. negotiating with the NFL know what they. do. They they AJ we cannot be doing the.

replacement stuff. Also in NFL news. YouTube who lost Sunday ticket to Disney. through YouTube TV will be at Disney and. ESPN next year. They have negotiated. deal to get five NFL games. Are these. the games that were from the double. headers? >> Potentially, yeah. >> That became available. YouTube who has. been investing into the NFL over the. last couple years had a Christmas game. Mr. Beast did some stuff. They really. unloaded on it. I think they had a lot. of streamers. I think they're excited to. be in business with them and I think the.

NFL is excited that YouTube is now a. part of this as well AJ in a bigger way. Yeah, so where it says at the bottom the. league had additional inventory to sell. after eliminated Monday night football. double headers. Did they do that just to. do this to open up another revenue. stream here with YouTube and things like. that? >> Yes, and I don't know. We're not privy. to the conversation, but remember ESPN. and Disney purchased NFL Network, right? So they pick up more games naturally. because NFL Network has games. So we. don't know. I say we in their mind double header. Monday night football with none of us. really. So that opens up some games. So.

now they're able to resell those things. So the NFL is looking for games to open. up. Okay, they they are looking for. games to open up currently. Remember. there was going to be like a a bid like. an auction for some games. >> Yes. Yeah, it's crazy time to be the. NFL. Good for them. Joining us now is. the man who knows the draft inside and. out. He is the voice of the combine here. in Indianapolis. Color commentator for. the Chargers. Ladies and gentlemen, let's move the sticks with Daniel. Jeremiah. Hey DJ. >> doing DJ? What's up boys? I'll tell you. what, I guarantee you there's some high. school refs right now that are at the.

gym curls and forearms. They are getting. ready to put that little. outfit on and go out there and just flex. for the universe. It scares me DJ. It scares me. Honestly, with where the. game is, with how many people are. watching, with how much money is being. bet on these games, and from what it was. with those replacement refs, just my own. personal experience with the replacement. refs. >> Yeah. Everything was bad. Everything. >> a big fan of one going like this and. then one going like this. That's what. I'm saying. Everybody remembers the Fail. Mary. There was what? 82 other plays in.

that game. Where there was probably a. lot of stuff and the refs matter. Man, it really matters. So, I like that we. got New York potentially and we got more. cameras, but who's doing it in New York? Cuz those people are officials is Let's. move along. Let's get to the draft. Okay, let's talk about next week in. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We cannot wait. to celebrate the next generation. For. you, what's the big conversation you. think about this draft? Number two? Because I heard David Bailey did not. take a visit to the Jets in their top. 30, but he could potentially be number.

two overall. They're going to go with a. defense guy at number two. There's not. going to be another quarterback until. maybe late in the first. Fernando is a. lock for the Raiders. What is kind of. your storyline that is brewing as we're. about a week out from the first round of. the NFL draft? Well, I mean I I think it starts at two, you know, we don't know what they're. going to do. I've I've been leaning. towards Bailey later in the process, but. that's not based off like some rock. solid intel. Just kind of reading into. the situation and talking to folks. around the league, that seemed to be a. little bit more of the expectation, but. we don't know.

So, that's wide open. I I would say and. and just talking to the GMs around the. league over the last couple weeks that. the positions getting heat are the. tackle position and the receiver. position. Those are the ones you just hearing like. the run could start early and it's going. to go those guys are going to all fly. off the board. So, that can inform some of the decisions. for the teams that have two picks. Cleveland being one of them, they're at. six. If, you know, they need both those. positions. So, you know, there's a. chance they're going to miss out at 24. on both of them in terms of the premier.

guys. So, what's the the greater need. there? That's why I've been leaning more. towards the tackle uh, for them early. But, yeah, there's uh, there's fun. conversation. I mean, I I was talking to. uh, someone the other day, Pat, that was. telling me, you know, it was on the. agent side and they've talked to this. team and they're dialed in with this. player and this team, take it to the. bank. And then, talked to a position. player at that team later that afternoon. and he's like, there's no chance. We're. not we're not doing that. So, like it. it's like it's all over the map right. now, dude. Yeah, DJ, I had to follow up. on that because I'm I was just listening.

to everything, hearing the same thing, like the run on tackles is going to be. the story of the first round. The. over/under is set at 7 and 1/2 and I. believe seven of those will be tackles. and then you'll get the guard from Penn. State who would be potentially be eight. I heard you and Bucky breaking down. numbers the other day as far as position. groups and averages and who's going to. go where. Do you think we are going to. get get to that eight offensive lineman. in the first round and who would be the. last who is who is going to be the. offensive lineman that we're waiting on. potentially as that last one in the.

first round? Yeah, I think it's Ikaika Shore, the uh, the kid from Arizona State who's new to. football, you know, moved over. uh, to America from Nigeria at 13, didn't play high school football, um, you know, junior college, goes to. Arizona State and has gotten better and. better and better and has like first. round ability in his body. It's just, you know, getting a little more. consistent. So, normally that's a second. round profile, but there's just so many. needs that I think he's got a chance to. get into the bottom of one. So, him and. Low Mu from Utah, the other tackle at. Utah would be the two guys there. But, I.

mean, those other guys are those guys. are going, man. You can take that to the. bank. >> DJ, I definitely didn't just run to the. bathroom while you were giving your. answer there and uh, but I heard you say. my name [laughter] in the bathroom. Uh, just want to let you know, I appreciate. you talking about how you're hearing one. thing and you're hearing something. completely different. There's something. that's completely different that could. happen in this particular draft. I think. it's only happened one time in the past. In 1967, do you know that the Michigan. State Spartans had four players drafted. in the top 10 of the NFL draft. The Ohio.

State Buckeyes could tie that this year. with a defense that is absolutely. stacked, historic, and a wide receiver. in a wide receiver class that hasn't. really been shouted about that much. other than is Jordan Addison healthy? I. don't know. Now we got a chance for a. record-breaking type. night for the Ohio State Buckeyes. AJ. has a question for you on that note. Yeah, DJ. Of course, you see the four. guys from Ohio State we have up on the. board. Is it possible that Ohio State.

has five guys go in the first round? You. think it is this will happen where you. have these four guys go in the top 10? Well, I mean, look, I think Reese. Styles, and I would put Tate in there. I. feel real good about those three. And. Downs, he obviously is a top 10 player. It's just a position and you know how. that sorts out as we go through the top. 10. I would say it's greater than 50%. chance he goes, but he's kind of the one. that would be on that borderline. Just. off position, and you mentioned five. And Cade McNamara is kind of in that. Cade McNamara is going to go like 25 to.

35 in my opinion, the D-tackle. So, you know, there's a very real chance you. see another Buckeye come off the board. Man, that's a that's a heck of a group. there. The one the one that I'm most. intrigued by of where he lands is. Styles. Just because like I I love the fit of. him with the Giants. I know the Giants. can go in a lot of different directions, but when I look at that division and you. look at Jayden Daniels specifically, like is there a better human being on. planet Earth to try and defend Jayden. Daniels than him? I mean, to be able to. run sideline to sideline to suck him up. if you want to suck him up if he wants.

to run. And then have the length. You. want to run RPOs? He's got the length to. be able to cut all that stuff off in the. middle of the field. So, I I I would. love him there. Okay, on that note, D-Butt has a question for you. >> Yeah, he perfectly sets up kind of this. question right here. Jeremiah Love as. well, who I think is the best player in. this draft, in my opinion. Is our. positional value kind of changing or. kind of thrown out the window when it. comes to this draft? You talked about. Sonny Styles there, off-ball linebacker, Caleb Downs, safety, and then our. Jeremiah Love, running back. Typically. positions over the last few years that.

don't go high in the draft. That's kind. of out of the window with how this draft. lines up. I think so, DJ. I think the smart teams. will view it that way. Um. you know, look, I'm all about the. premier positions and I and I get that. You prioritize that if if you're. similarly graded. But I have a hard time. passing up a player you've got a you. know, a 7.0 grade on and just placing. somebody else above him who's got a 6.4. or a 6.5, you know, that the grading. scale I used to to work in. Like I just. don't think that's smart business. I. think you want to you know, take great. players if you have an opportunity to do.

it. The running back is the one that's. just a little bit different just because. of the shelf life. Um so you want all. those those carries to matter. You know, I I've been preaching that over the. years, but to me the gap between him and. some of the other guys, like if you're. the Tennessee Titans, maybe you're not. fully equipped to show him off in year. one, but I think you know, another off. season you would be in that situation. So um I think you would see a good. Jeremiah Love in Tennessee this year and. I think if they continue to add pieces, you could see an elite Jeremiah Love in. 2027. DJ, we all got sources, don't we?

Uh-huh. Well, according. >> According to my source says there's a. chance somebody goes like 11 and go or. goes 24 and goes like 26 and maybe goes. like 12. Do you Do you think that's. true? And what do you think that means. for draft night? Yeah, it's going to make it fun and. interesting because it is, you know, there there's wide ranges on some of. these guys. Like I I love like one of my. guys is I like the Toledo safety. I'm a. big fan of McNeely Warden, but there's.

teams that have him in the middle of the. second round. There's teams that think. he's a top 15 type player. So. um that's a that's going to be a fun one. to follow on on draft night. We're going. to see him end up going. Mazi Smith is. wildly polarizing. He's a little bit. older. Um and he's someone you know, he. a lot of his wins come inside, you know, as an edge rusher, you know, he's out. there, but a lot of those wins come over. guards. I really like him and I think in. a draft where we don't have a lot of. interior pass rush, he might be the best. interior pass rusher in the draft when. you kick him in there. But other teams. ding him, you know, and like, well, I. don't know if he can consistently win on.

the edge at the NFL level and then he's. a little bit older. So, yeah, I mean, these guys I'm I'm serious. It's like. top 15 pick, middle second round pick. I've heard that more this year than any. other year. >> Okay, so our source I assume that we are. talking to different people. I would. assume. It feels like everybody has. their own world in this. Everybody's. trying to go off their own judgment over. everything. And from what we're all. hearing from outside with the sources. inside, it's like, I don't I don't know. if anybody really knows who's going to. be available when. I I think everybody. is very much wondering who's going to be.

available when. And on that note, as we. wrap up here in 2 minutes, go ahead. comment. >> Yeah, DJ, in recent memory, is this the. most kind of all over the place unknown. draft that you've been a part of? Like. it feels like normally, at least when it. comes to player grades from teams, they. are in, you know, a similar range. But, you know, I I've heard you talk about. Jordan Tyson and I've seen him up up in. the top 10 and then I've seen him in the. second round. Like it does this feel. like the most, hey, I have no idea. what's going to happen a week from now. aside from Mendoza going one overall?

Yeah, I think there's a lot of good. players in this draft, but there's not a. lot of really clean players, you know, when you talk about Bane in the arm, like Messidor in the age, Jordan Tyson's. had the injuries every year. So, you. know, how do teams view that? I think. they all view them as players the same, like in terms of how they would value. the talent. It's just about how much. they value the the risk associated with. it. So, that's where you get a lot of. fluctuation. And the other thing I would. say is when you have, you know, really. kind of the one premier quarterback, um, you know, the quarterbacks kind of. navigate everything. Everything kind of. moves around them. The trades kind of.

move around the quarterbacks and right. now it's Mendoza one and everybody in. the league expects Ty Simpson's going to. be a cardinal um when the draft's over. It's just a matter of where they want. to, you know, pull the card. Um, so with. that kind of removed, it takes away some. of the certainty in the draft and. changes things up. I can't wait for it. Thursday night in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When you getting over. there? Sunday. Sunday night, man. I'll I'll be. in there all week. By the way, real. quick, I think you and Dan are in a good. place now and that makes me happy. I'm.

glad that you [laughter] guys are in a. good spot. I don't know if I told you. this, Pat, but like when right when that. whole thing was going on, this is in the. too much information category. I went to. the podiatrist. I had a foot doctor. appointment. The podiatrist walks in the. the foot doctor walks in he goes he sees. me he goes "Oh, you getting excited for. the draft?" I go "Yeah, yeah, I can't. wait." He goes "Man, Orlovsky really. loves Ty Simpson, huh?" And I'm like. [laughter] "Steven and Christmas, my. podiatrist.". Hey, that's the draft. It's always. excellent. We continue on the other.

Yeah, I think I I think yeah. I don't. know what I was going to say there. We're still live, DJ. We are still live. We just wrapped up on the ESPN right. there. We're still on ESPN Plus, Disney. Plus, YouTube, TikTok Live, and X. Nice. There's still a lot of people listening. to everything you're going to say. Way. to land the plane on the podiatrist. Yeah. Did you see the countdown? Did you. see the countdown on the clock? No, did. I get it in? Did I get it in? Perfect. time. Couple seconds. Yeah, okay, is. that three on the clock? Okay, yeah. How's your foot? What's up? >> America almost missed out on that little. nugget. That would have been that would. have been AJ, thank you for saying that.

we care. That's a good question, AJ. >> How's the foot? How was the foot or both. feet? What's going on? Oh, man, that's. that's what separates him, by the way. It's not just the tan, it's the it's the. heart that he that he possesses. Uh yeah, I had had I had a cyst that. they drained. Uh it's kind of gross, but. they uh. Yeah, but it's good. I'm good now. We're. we're we're going to be fine. We're. going to be draft ready. I'm sitting. down the whole time. And we're good. What are those things called on the. outside? Corns? Bunions? Bunions? Bunions? You got to eat No, no, that's. gross. No, this is not that. This is. just like this is like on the side of.

your ankle like you'd get a cyst. anywhere else on your body. You like a. blister? >> They stick that big needle in there and. just. Are you talking about a blister? No, no, it's like a You've had a cyst. before, right, Pat? A. I've had a blister. >> It's similar, but not. benign. >> Like I watched the. >> a nodule. It's like a nodule. Use words. that we know, man. >> It looks like a big nodule. It looks. like a pellet. Looks like a little pellet. Not like. that. THAT'S YOUR FOOT, D.J.?

>> [laughter]. >> BRO, THAT SUCKS. THAT'S JUST NORMAL FOR YOU? YOU'RE LIKE. YOU'VE NEVER HAD a cyst? >> is the problem. This is the problem with. the draft. PUT YOUR HEY, PUT BOTH FEET. UP THERE. PAT HAS DONE IT BEFORE. YEAH. Now. >> No, it's it's Come on. It's like a. little pea. It's like a little pea on. the on the side of your ankle. But it's. gone now. And what happened? >> just a little uncomfortable. It was just. a little uncomfortable with the shoe. So. I got it off. I don't think I've ever had that. I I. didn't know that. >> Is it going to come back now though?

Like it can they guarantee it won't come. back? They can't they can't guarantee it, A.J. That's a great question. They can't. guarantee it, but they also the doctor. also did me a solid and then got some. cortisone in there afterwards. So it's. like even you know, if it does but. you're not feeling anything now. I feel. amazing. How many of these have you had? Cuz you did ask me as if I didn't like. just understand this a normal thing. I've had I've had other cysts, but they. you know, it doesn't not a big deal. Like you go to the dermatologist I had. one on my head before. Which was kind of. weird. So you're sitting there and it.

They they just took the thing. They that. one they did the little incision and. they just kind of take the cyst out, you. know. Okay, so is it a is it a removal? Like I had a skin tag I think down here. one time. And they like Yeah, but this. is under the skin. Yeah, this is under. the. >> Under the skin. Okay, so they're are. they popping it like the. What's that? Test to make sure it's like cancer free. and. >> Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, they they've. they've done that before. My podiatrist. did not. Gosh, I hope I don't have foot. cancer. Now you got me a little Your. podiatrist sounds like he's out to.

lunch. WHAT IS YOUR PODIATRIST. [laughter] WORRIED ABOUT A MURKOWSKI? TY SEFUS. LET'S START READING SOME. FOOT BOOKS, PAT. PLEASE. [laughter]. DO YOUR JOB. >> GOOD GOD. HE HAD GOOD DEGREES. He has. good degrees. He has good degrees. He. has chat GPT in his phone is what he. has. Yeah, yeah, that is good degrees. and he's played a lot of good golf. courses. That's how I Oh, yeah. I want. that tells me that he's Sounds like a. >> [laughter]. >> Listen, I don't know him personally, but.

everything I'm [laughter] hearing about. He's a fan of the show. That's why he. knew about Orlovsky. He loves you guys. Oh, so he appreciates what he does. Exactly. He likes that we just cooked. him immediately. Yeah, thank you, doc, for doing all that. And now he is. thinking too like that's now for DJ. Yes, he certainly does. Uh, okay, Ty has. a question for you, DJ, about the draft. coming up. >> Yeah, DJ, it sounds like it might be a. crapshoot and it's pretty polarizing, but uh, this late in the game, which guy. or guys are really flying up the board. or at least on your board? I saw a lot. of mocks, you know, early in the. process, Cayden Proctor's, you know,

late first round, maybe second round. And then I think it was either yesterday. morning or something like that I saw. that, you know, they had him going maybe. in the in the mid-teens. Uh, are there a. couple guys who are really starting to. kind of fly up the board as we get. closer to the draft? Yeah, I would say more kind of in that. back of one and then really in that. second round is an area you're hearing a. lot of juice and buzz. Malachi Lawrence. from UCF, the edge rusher. Everybody. loves him and I when you talk to a bunch. of teams and they all saying we'd love. this guy in the second round. You know,

when you get enough of them that say. that, you're like, oh, okay, maybe. somebody just wants to jump the line. here and uh, and he surprises us and. sneaks into the bottom of one. So, that. would be one. Um, Tre' Stukes from. Arizona because he's got the nickel. safety flex and he's real he's super. athletic, smart kid, he's been great on. the interviews. Uh, he's he's another. one kind of in that early second round. range. Um, Stribling, the receiver from. Ole Miss has, you know, the tape's good, he ran fast and then the the interviews. and the the meetings with teams have. gone exceptionally well. So, he I.

thought he was like a third round guy. and now I'm beginning to think he. doesn't get out of the second round. So, those are three names that have kind of. caught some heat here at the end. What's. your plan for Pittsburgh Sunday through. Sunday? That's a long time. What what. you got any We got any plans to go. anywhere? There's a guy named Frank out. there who's very He's open arms. I think. he's cooking for everybody. Beast. I saw. him. I don't know if you got a chance to. see him on the internet. This is he. Uh. >> Okay. This is him right here. You got to. check him out. He's got all the answers. I'm like He He echoes the sentiments of. uh.

thousands of old Yinzers around uh. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But, what he. said. >> like the drummer of like a drummer in a. band. >> Smith. Could be. Honestly, could be. We. have We have no idea. >> Chili Peppers, right? Is that who we're. thinking of? >> Yeah, that's Chad Smith, yeah. I think. Chad Smith's going to be pretty pissed. that he said that. He's Will Ferrell, right? >> [laughter]. >> Yeah, he Yeah, that's Will Ferrell. Yeah, that's Will Ferrell. I don't know. if Frank looks like Will Ferrell. And to. be honest, I don't know if Frank's pumped up about. you saying he looks like Will Ferrell, either. But, on that That's just a hat. backwards, chiseled the chiseled jawbone.

there. Like, that's a good look. He He. should have been a rockstar. >> it. You got two two lanes in. You got. two lanes out. And then they said, "Well, just go downtown. Take the bus. Park somewhere else. Get a hotel." I. looked it up. What's it? The Regency or. something? $800. For what? For what? To stand next to. people and pee all over each other? It's. going to smell. That he is a generation. of Yinzers. I got to look that up. I got. to look that one up. >> going to generate heat. By the way, great promo out of this guy. I would.

assume he is a very chirpy fellow, and I. assume he brings the noise whenever he I. assume at parties that guy is awesome. We appreciate Frank, cuz he is echoing. the sentiment of a lot of uh older. Yinzers that we also know, talking about. the hassle that it's going to be to get. down into the draft. But, with. everything we've seen, it looks like it. is about to be a phenomenal time down. there. Oh, I can't wait, man. I think. so. The way the NFL has grown, this This. is special, I think. I I genuinely think. it is a special thing, DJ. Obviously, you've been a part of it since the move.

and everything that's happened. It's. become a really cool cool time to be a. football fan there. It's It's like a traveling, you know, rock show. To use the same analogy. It. just that the crowds are massive and. it's all like I don't see fights at any. of these things. Like everybody's just. having fun. They're having a good time. I don't see what they're. No. I'll tell you what though. I'll tell you. what. Speaking of fights, I mean, my. Padres A, we don't lose and I mean, we're fighting for puffer jackets in the. in the on the way into the stadium. Like. there's a good intensity going with our.

ball club right now. I'm wearing the. brown here. The Padres had a giveaway. like first, you know, 10,000 fans get. like a Padres puffer jacket and people. were just beating the out of each. other trying [laughter] to get them. And. then the Padres go on to you we talked. about it earlier. Massive comeback in. the ninth inning to beat the Mariners. On puffer night? By By the way, I was on I was on the. plane coming home late last night and. I'm watching this game and everybody in. the plane it's like almost midnight. Everybody in the plane is asleep. So, they win and I'm I'm friends with with.

Hewett and Sulk, the radio guys up in. Seattle. So, I wanted to send them a. picture of my reaction. I didn't realize. I don't I don't do a lot of selfies. I. take the picture and the flash I think I. woke up the entire. >> [laughter]. >> You always look like big time. whenever that happens. It It's It's even. worse whenever, you know, you. accidentally hit the camera thing and. it's out and the flash goes. And I'm. only saying that as somebody that we've. had that happen to us plenty of times. We're just kind of standing somewhere.

and then all of a sudden a flash is to. our side and we look and it's somebody. just going Oh, >> [laughter]. >> SO, YOU'RE TRYING TO SNEAK one by the. goalie. Not happening. It's like, "Hey, do you want to take a picture?". No. No? No. All right. You sure you want. to take a picture? >> [laughter]. >> You sure you want to Yeah, try to use. flash. I've never been on the receiving. end there, Pat. So, You will though, DJ. Especially in Pittsburgh. You're You're. camping out there for a week. That's a. long time. Will we see you Wednesday. night? I hope so. I got to do my my final mock. draft Wednesday night, so that's the.

show we got to do. But I'm going to try. and get over there after that's over. Okay, cool. Yeah, please do. Yeah, it'll. be a good time. The people. at the Carnegie Science Center, Miss. Stacy, okay? Miss Lizzie with the catering. Mhm. Miss Lizzie with the catering at. the Carnegie Science Center, uh. they don't normally bring food from. outside the Science Center in. Sure. Sure. So, Miss Lizzie has been a lot of. extra work here, okay, to get Dallas. Alleys in there, get Rudy's in there. I. have to. Get Primanti's in there, you. know. So, Miss Lizzie is an angel. We.

like to say thank you to her. Miss. Stacy, legend. They over there are saying this. is kind of her event. Oh, yeah. >> This is kind of become her event, and. it's not the only event. Miss Stacy's. setting up another event over at the. Warhol Museum as well. She's a weapon. A. lot of events. A lot of events happening. around the draft. But the Wednesday one, basically, the reason why I wanted to do. it is because NFL Films the Football. Town, the 53-minute video, 54 minute, I. forget what it is exactly, but it it.

basically just explains Pittsburgh. This. from the voiceover, I haven't seen it. yet. It was going to be the first time I. was going to see it was [clears throat]. during the draft. And I was like, I feel. like the people that are going to be on. air for the next 4 days talking from. Pittsburgh, it'd be a cool thing to. know, like it's a lot of information. that's going to come through as you're. on on the air. And the fact that I was. lucky enough to be a part of it, incredibly dope. But I feel like it's. >> That's sweet. >> It should be a super casual, like you're. going to get food from around. Pittsburgh. It's just like a welcome to.

Pittsburgh type of event is kind of what. it is. And then we're going to watch. this thing. I'm going to watch it for. the first time. And then hopefully we. have the greatest draft of all time. And. uh I'm excited for it. Yinzers are going. to be pumped about it. >> Oh, yeah. They've looked up a lot of negative. things for them to to get mad about. Yinzers, baby. But they are going to. they were going to be pumped. It's going. to be special. And uh Daniel Jeremiah, I. can't wait to watch you work, brother. I appreciate it, man. Hey, it's By the. way, are you guys having Rodgers on for. an announcement or anything before the. draft or what's the deal there? >> He's busy.

DJ. No. He's working out. >> you off? >> [laughter]. >> He's man. Why don't you OFF? GOOD. NIGHT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REASONABLE. QUESTION. >> IT IT WASN'T. WE GOT A LOT GOING ON OVER. HERE, OKAY? And Okay. Do you Do you. think it's on us to tell a man who's. committed his entire being to football. that he needs to make his decision? He. does. Now, some people would say, "Yes.". Actually, at that draft, if he was to. walk out at that draft with Goodell at. the beginning and just do a. "I'm coming back. I love you all. It's. been an honor to be here." And then just.

walks off. >> reaction, I think. Tony. >> Tone. Maybe from you. >> IT'S RIGHT BEFORE THE DRAFT. HE'S GIVING. his answer. That's exactly what he was. supposed to do. >> I'm just saying I've seen polls on. Twitter and stuff like that. I think it. would be a mixed reaction on people. >> What What does Dan Dak HAVE TO SAY ABOUT. POLLS ONLINE? >> I DON'T KNOW. >> OKAY, you do know. Must I got a GAP, they're not real polls. >> Yeah, they're not taking polls. >> Oh, they're not. Yeah, that is what he. said. They're not taking Who's taking. polls online? >> Just saying, I'm just trying to relay. information here. It is kind of an interesting situation.

there. Rodgers? Online polls? He's not He's not making a. decision until all the bodily fluids in. his bean bag have been depleted, okay? We've talked about this. He basically. told us that last time he was on. If. he's still got juice in there, no. decision. Once that's Once the spigot's. dried up, he'll decide. He's at it. Yeah. And Big Mike gets. that. >> DJ, I don't know if you listened to our. conversation with him. He does. understand. He's been I don't know if.

you heard our conversation with him. He. gave us nothing on anything cuz he. looked like he was in incredible shape, so I was like, "Okay, I can ask him a. question here. We're really going to. have to get some Hey, you're staying in. an incredible shape, so are you working? Like, what are you You know, like, what. are you doing in there? And his answer, I don't know if you saw this, was he's. staying in shape so he can have sex with. his wife. That's what he said. Respect, Jalen Terrell. >> [laughter]. >> Yes. Leroy boy. Make sure you put that. in your write-up for the draft, okay? And he is very jacked, so Journalists.

That is a part of the story. So, there's a chance what Ty said is. accurate there, and we're just kind of. waiting on the day that there's no more. no more rockets. >> I mean, I was just I was I was just. curious if if he was going to come on. and say if he was going to play or not, but I feel like I did gather a lot of. extra information from that question. Welcome to the program, Ty. And the. Steelers like, we'll hire, okay? Which. another year Will Howard behind Rodgers. would would kind of put him on the. Jordan Love perfect trajectory. >> Yeah, did they have that poll out? Like, do you think it would be a good idea for. Will Howard to get another year in Mike.

McCarthy's offense behind Aaron Rodgers? Did that Did was that a poll? >> No, the poll was, do you like Aaron. Rodgers? Do you want him to be your. quarterback? And. overwhelmingly, no. Who put the poll. out? Who put the poll out? >> was 93.7 The Fan. Oh. Oh, what the. did they ask? That used to be B94, and. I'll tell you what, I learned about the. Backstreet Boys and N Sync through them. Now they're out here doing these types. of polls. Can't wait to get back to. Pittsburgh. I love it they're stirring. it up. [laughter] DJ, um Yeah. Fernando. Mendoza, I don't like that he was on the. cover of a magazine and then it says.

perfect across him. The way it was at. today, we saw a picture. But the full sentence was the perfect. plan. Yeah, but I don't like that they. put perfect right across him. As. somebody who is a massive right here, I. don't like that. And I'll get screenshot. if you want to play that game. Yeah, it's a lot of pressure, and obviously. Fernando doesn't hear the outside noise. He's locked in. I mean, he wins a. Heisman, he wins a national championship. in his hometown. He takes Indiana to. places that they've never been. I So, let's just assume that this is not. something But in the past, this is a. setup. Yeah. Th- Th- This would be what.

we call a setup. How do you feel about. Fernando after kind of your final. evaluation, or have you just kind of. decided he's number one overall pick, let's move to learning about everybody. else that's also going to be taking up. night one of the NFL draft? Yeah, he's. been on the books for me. I I think if. you took that little box that was over. the word perfect and put it over the. word plan, um I'm in agreement with it, you know, like it's to me like it is the I love. the plan that they're doing. They're you. go out and get Cousins, he's going to be. able to learn from him, watch him a. little bit. You're you're not going to. you know, put him out there until he's.

got the complete understanding of this. offense, which is going to give him a a. greater chance to be successful. You go. get Linderbaum. I think they'll do some. other things in this draft to help that. offense get, you know, get a big extra. receiver out there, another guard, get. Colton Miller back, you bring in an. offensive coach. I I do think the plan. has been really, really good there. He's. not a perfect player, nobody is, but I I. like the the way they're approaching it. and he's been the he's been in the barn. on him for a long time for me. I I I saw. what I needed to see. Has Dan Dan's gone quiet, right? Hasn't. he about that whole thing? Yeah, he's.

just waiting for draft night, I think. Basically cuz every single person has. been like, "Yeah, don't No, everyone. just stopped listening. He's still. saying it. >> No, but to be clear, I don't think. anybody knows. Like I think there's a. lot of. I think there's a lot of different. messaging going on cuz Dan's going to. say that cuz he hears it from somebody. Yeah. Like right, we assume Dan heard it. from somebody. >> Or 12 to 15 GMs. Yeah, 12 to 15 GMs said. like why would he say I don't know. That. was a little that I think that's kind of. what, you know, Well, and then also what. big games. >> That too. But I think he Did he say I'm.

going to I think he said like coaches. and decision makers. I don't think he. said specifically GMs. Yeah, did he? But. you know, Well, yeah, he was he was just. speculating. Yeah, but he he does, I mean, he's in. private and you guys have talked to him. like he he's the Ty Simpson guy. Like. there's nothing Agreed. Agreed. manufactured about it. He's all he's all. in on it. So, and he's going to be I. mean, you. I I believe firmly he's going to be a. Cardinal. Um You guys think that any other teams. coming to the play there? I just think. he's a Cardinal when it comes down to. whether or not they. >> not. Steelers? No. I I don't see it.

>> We already. >> that with Kenny Pickett. I don't know. Yeah, I know if he's big enough. >> Better than Kenny. They they Pittsburgh. is going to want a big guy, I think. They And Mike McCarthy wants massive. hands. >> They brought it they brought in Carson. Beck and Drew Allar for their top 30. visits. So, yeah, that that's not their. type. But, DJ, I do have a question. After Ty, who do you think the third. will be and what are your thoughts on. Cole Payton as the third quarterback. potentially? Yeah, I I think it'll be Beck. Um just. cuz of, you know, the the resume, you. know, the number of games, big games,

the size, the kind of the prototypical. stuff that he possesses. I know, you. know, the knock on him was kind of the. just like the attitude and people didn't. necessarily love the kid um the Georgia. period of time, but it sounds like he's, you know, he grew up over his time at. Miami. So, that's uh you know, he's. helped himself in the visits. He's been. solid on all the visits. He's got good. football intelligence. So, he would be. the one I would, you know, if I was. going to guess, I think it'll be him. Cole Payton, um he's fun. I mean, he's a. fun player to watch and I think he's got. somebody fun to work with. I'm just.

curious how how early you would, you. know, go there. How early does that that. ride start? I would say it's more like. the fourth round um would be my guess. But, I mean, look it you know, we can do. this. You can you can talk to 29 30. teams and get one answer. It only takes. one and then, you know, all all bets are. off. You're talking to 29 30 teams like. Dan Orlovsky? >> No, I'm saying you could. >> [laughter]. >> theoretically. >> Okay, I didn't know. I didn't know. I. was like, holy that's a lot of. conversations you got to juggle. >> I don't have that. Yeah, I don't have. that. I don't have that going on. Yeah, the ability that is an ability that only. the insiders possess. Shallow enough.

conversation to keep the conversation. going, but depth that it feels like it's a. relationship. >> Mhm. on both sides. And then also. immediately available all the time. So, that that is kind of the difference, I. think. And thank God. >> who the best guys. Go ahead. You know who the best sources. are in this stuff, by the way? I don't. think you guys would be surprised by. this, but it's coaches outside the. building. Like, if you go back and look. over the years like the good stuff that. you get, it's from a coach who has a. relationship with a coach cuz they talk. about everything. Whereas like the the.

personnel guys are a little bit more. close to the vest, it's a little more. guarded, the circle's pretty tight. But. you get yourself somebody who's best. friends with the defensive coordinator. offensive coordinator with another team, you can that's where the good stuff. comes. >> Yeah, equipment managers are normally. going to put you over, so they're not. going to say anything bad. Strength. coaches around all the time, but. nobody's going to say anything bad. >> Security guys are great. Rats. Cuz you. go. you get the security if you have. relationships with security guys because. they're having to do all the late. background work cuz cuz GMs are.

paranoid. So it's like, "Hey, just. double-check on this kid. Make sure. there's nothing that, you know, we don't. know about that happened in his past.". And so. I don't I don't know this one anymore. There was I only had one that I was that. I had a good feel with, a good. relationship with, and he would tell me. like, "Man, I just did a lot of homework. on these these two guys over the last. week." And I was like, "Oh." The. security guy making 25 bucks an hour? Well, big Dom. >> Yeah, I mean no, these guys these these. are. >> you mean like the way he talks. Dom. talking. Big Dom making 10 mil. Is that. big Dom's or the leaks of information?

Uh-huh. No, I'm just there's some people that. were in that role that if you had. connections to them, you could get some. you could get some good stuff there. I. don't like that one, but you're supposed. to be the most secure. Hello. >> [laughter]. >> Hello. THEY'RE CALLED RATS. LOCK IT. DOWN. THAT'S YOUR WHOLE ENTIRE PURPOSE. >> The guys are on the background checks, yeah. DJ did you say pretty. matter-of-factly on one of his shows. that AJ Brown's going to New England, so. Oh, what security guys he as he said. "Gracias" and then. How about that? Yeah, right. Dom ain't. talking to nobody about nothing. No. He.

got nothing. >> No, no, yeah, there's nothing nothing. coming out of there. He sleeps with the. fish. >> is. that is some of the that is some of the. just, you know, paying attention to. what's going on there and then looking. at the additions that they've made and. knowing. that's kind of that's how the Eagles. operate. That's more their their their. jam. On the AJ Brown thing, yeah, I'm. not talking to Dom, but if you look at. everything they're doing, yeah. >> Schefter kind of said the same. Pretty. safe to say AJ Brown's got a new TEAM. COMING AROUND. IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN. DRAFT night then? Is that when that. happens or? I don't think so. I think. it's a June. I think it's a June deal.

So dumb. A designation or haven't they. done this in the past where they just. designated for that time? Yeah, and the information guys would. have better better for you on that in. terms of how that works. I don't I don't. think that they could. I just remember. there was another. >> [laughter]. >> there was another there was another deal. that happened in the last couple years. where I was talking to a team about a. player and they said, "Well, we don't. need that. We've already got something. kind of cooking. for June." So, they had to wait. Got it. Okay. All right. Well, the post-June 1. designation is obviously a special time.

as is draft season, especially for you. So, thank you for taking the time. Will. you join us on Friday live from. Pittsburgh? Absolutely. I'd love to. Do you want to go. What time do you want to be on? Do you. have a a preferred time? Noon to 2:00. Eastern on ESPN, noon to 2:30, 3:00-ish. digitally. So, what time would be good. for you? Uh I have no clue what my schedule is, Pat, but I will make we'll we'll we'll. work it out. >> 12:10's taken. The commissioner of the. NFL will be on. Yes. >> to lose that. I'm going to lose that.

one. Yeah. >> [laughter]. >> I feel like you have a history of doing. this to me, by the way. Like Olympic. gold medalist, like. >> [laughter]. >> just Coach K. Like can we just Can I. just once follow somebody that's Damn. >> I won't say on the same level, but not. so far above me that I can't even see. him, you know? That would be I was. trying [laughter] to So, I was trying to. get you to say like, "Man, the noon hour. would be great." So, then I could go, "Oh, it's going to be Harbaugh." [laughter]. That's what I was trying to do right. there and you didn't fall for it. I. appreciate you doing that. I genuinely. appreciate that. You're the man. Yeah, not a surprise. You You guys are the.

best, man. I'm just excited for this. thing to get here. I'm excited to see. for Pittsburgh to kind of show off a. little bit. I think it's going to be. awesome. Hell yeah. Did you see the. colors of the draft on all the logos and. everything? Mhm. Mhm. It's nice. Like. diary green? No. Yellow? That is not the. color. Pee and poop be and yellow? >> No, that is not the color. It is a. interesting blue mixed with a yellow. Wasn't there like a magenta and orange. one, too, that's There was a pink, orange, and yellow Sure. one that we saw.

a bunch of different signs and logos. The whole city is black and yellow. It's. kind of what It's kind of the. It's built for it. Mhm. Hey, is Oneil Cruz catching the ball now. since we last spoke? >> We have Ladies and gentlemen, this guy's. an Daniel Jeremiah. Thank you, DJ. No reason to bring up the bad times from. the first two games. Yeah. Yeah, he has. been flawless since Yeah, we're in the. good times right now. We're hoisting. cones. He's swinging a cone. He's dong-shotting everything. I'll tell. you what, Thunderball has gotten.

interesting. It's gotten us more into. baseball, I do believe. >> Oh, yeah. It's just happened. Pittsburgh Pirates just HIT THIS. JACK. GOODBYE! 4-4 IN PITTSBURGH! HOIST. THAT SON OF A. DA DA DA. OH, MAMA, I'M IN LOVE WITH. THE LOVE OF THE. LAW. I'M A lover of the. cone. Yeah, the big bear [snorts] is coming. out of his slumber, [clears throat] so. that's good to see. He's big bear, that.

guy? Yeah, winter's over. >> DANCING BEAR IS ABOUT to come. EVERYBODY UP. DON'T YOU worry about that. >> of the squad as far as, you know, hitters is concerned. Okay, so uh. Skubal's got the highest ERA on the. team, I see. Yep. Okay, that's cuz their. first inning was tough. Yeah, great. news. >> How's that first inning? He's only going. to get better. His ERA is going down as. he continues to roll and continues to. Have we done the uh. bounce point? >> Yeah. Has he done that yet? >> Oh, yeah. He done it? No, no, he hasn't held it, but, you know, he's hitting that bounce.

point as he pitches. >> I potentially missed it. I felt like. pitching ninja would let me see that if. he did one of those. He had an. 18-incher? Is that what that thing was? Yes, 18 inches of bounce The one The one. he's throwing or the one he has? He had. an eight well, he has an eight inch He. had an 18 inch a sweeper, I think. Yeah. Foot and a half, D butt. That's what I'm. talking about around here. diesel I. think it was a Yeah, I think pitching. ninja said yeah. That thing was uh 18 I don't know how he. These pitches That one's outside the. plate and then it's Come on. Yeah.

That's foot and a half movement, brother, horizontal. And then he's also. got the vertical movement, too, if you. want some. >> devastate. Shohei Ohtani's putting that. ball where the he wants to. He is. fun to watch. Yeah, I mean, once you. kind of watch baseball more, you do. realize like, okay, quarterback's hard, left tackle's hard, hitting a baseball, I mean, has to be the hardest thing. >> Throwing a strike. Throwing a strike, yeah. It's Thunder Ball. You heard. Bryce Harper on the show like, oh, yeah, you can know what's coming, still not. going to hit it. Yeah, that's I mean, throwing a strike so hard. Yeah. Okay,

so hard with the batters in there, obviously just trying to And then. hitting a baseball, yeah, right. Like I. don't with the limitations on where the. that thing has to Yeah, you know, I'll get on top of one a little bit. I'm. telling you what, we we're creating. rules as we go here with Thunder Ball to. try to make it as good as possible. Yesterday we had How do you get him out? Is that Is it all four stacks or what? mount back to the mount, yeah. Or or. peg. Are you going to talk, running? Yeah, Talk ran into the wall a couple. times. did that get out? >> Yeah, that's big fly for Foxy. I'll tell.

you what, we lost to. D butt, Dirty, and and Bone, and uh. Yeah, well, he's actually in from both. sides of the plate. It It was actually. Oh, and a game winning RBI, that. New York tried to. That's a home run. That's gone. Wow. >> Yeah, I mean, this team very Yeah. Okay. Yeah, that's a home run. Dirty's a. problem. >> Dirty's a really good player at this. game. D butt also from the right side, much better than he is from the left. side, but kind of does his thing.

Yeah, that one felt pretty good. It It's. not so much the hitting that's my big. problem, it's the pitching that I can't. find a strike. You're moving. Yeah, I mean we're. playing some real wonder ball in here. >> D-Bone's throwing some meatballs right. there. >> Yeah. >> D-Bone hits a grand slam here in. a little bit off of somebody and I'll. tell you what that. D-Butt left he hits a he hits a thinger. and was that a strike? Yeah, thank you. Strange job. Yep. Boom. Grand slam out. of. >> Bye-bye. If Bone touches it, it's gone. It's the summer slam. Yeah, Bone Bone is.

a problem in the batter's box. >> Boxy don't like swinging a bat. >> No, he doesn't. >> a lot of guys who don't like swinging. Oh. That's dirty. Dirty started really. dealing and then Tak got in there and uh. They had a Yeah, I mean that was great. play right there. That was great play. That was an out. I felt good about that. and. >> Oh yeah, yeah. That was a good Yeah. It. was a good game. This thing takes a. forever to play, but it is a lot of fun. Safe. You got to tweak some rules to get. >> It's only made us it's only made us. appreciate baseball even more, I. believe. That was a walk-off right there. What. was your guys' team name? Uh yesterday. we were team Jack Rabbits.

>> [clears throat]. >> Happy Jack Rabbits today. Congratulations to team Jackie Robinson. Uh D-Bone was on that team, Dirty was on. that team, and D-Butt were on that team. So it's almost. the Jackie Rabbits. >> Yeah, yeah. The three D's. Yeah. Yeah. They were a good team. Three and D. And. they were kind of you know, dancing with. how the game should be played or not, you know. Yeah. Rolling into beans. Yeah. Rolling into No, I'm not trying to. get hit in a wiffle ball game. Trying to.

get hit in a wiffle ball game. >> your base. You don't get your base. Well, yesterday. had to take it out. We took it out of. the second inning. AJ, I'll tell you. what, it was a hostile environment for. me and Dirty. What do you mean? Bone, it was it was a. hostile environment. We had brown paws. getting kicked Why was it just you and. Dirty though? That's what just for hell. you even was it was tough. It's Jackie. Robinson day, but the other team did not. seem to wear the 42 jersey. Yeah, the. battle. [laughter]. It was uh Got reviews getting sent in, 3 hours later pool reports. I'll.

tell you that overturned calls and make. it chatter. I saw the chatter. afterwards. And me too. I was pretty. excited to see that a couple hours after. the game. Foxy was still reeling. from the loss, trying to find the. footage to see if we got somebody or. not. Uh Taco's downward dog here. He's. clearly out. >> [laughter]. >> Taco has the ball. Foot is not on the. ground. Review says, "You're out. Game. should have been over." [laughter]. Instead, Gertie went up and hit a. walk-off. So, you guys tell me. Pool.

report. We were up one. We were up one in the bottom of the. third. Okay? And the rule that we had. yesterday is three. people teams. Uh each person has to pitch an inning. I'd bro. Okay? Five runs per inning is. max. And uh it was 9-8 in the bottom of the. third. We had two stingy outs. I mean, we were playing real stingy defense. We. had Taco in there closing cuz that's. what Taco does. Then all of a sudden, this play happens and I don't I mean, we.

got I Foxy's on the ground. It's the. third out. Yep, we got I'm jumping in. the air. I'm so happy we did it. >> I think he's I think he might be out. Hey, whole sideline. whole sideline gave us the safe call. >> did not. We did not say safe. We said we. didn't see it. >> No, I saw safe call. We have the video. in the video. >> Thank you. We have the video. See See. what I'm talking about, AJ? See what I'm. talking about? >> Yeah, I can see you're up against it a. little bit, D-BO. UP AGAINST IT? WE GOT. SCREWED. WHAT ARE WE EVEN TALKING ABOUT? >> THIS IS SPORTS, BABY. AND I THINK D-BO. is forgetting this is a New York review.

New York holds all the power. So, whatever anyone says on the sideline or. in the game doesn't matter. New York. says, "You're out of here, pal." That's. postgame, dude. New York says the. postgame the postgame pool report came. in. Sorry. Yeah. No, New York can. reverse that, AJ. We're kind of kind of making the rules. Yeah, postgame pool report can actually. say if it would have been the final out. of the game and we would have won. Yes. Yeah, we win. >> Across all sports, besides F1, once the results are in and. we leave the grounds, that. game's over.

See you in the championship exactly. See you in the championship game today. Congratulations, that was a great game. We won We won the second game. Well, we could only play two innings cuz. you guys game took like an hour and 15. minutes. So, we had to Yeah, you know. >> [laughter]. >> Tony hit a walk-off jack and we The. pitching in the second game was. light-years better than the first game. That's good, yeah. It felt like that was. going to be a downfall of some of the. guys, myself included. I can't. hit that thing. I think we.

uh. I think we need to entice action in the. batter's box. >> Yeah, I agree. Got to Got to start with. 0-1 and then maybe two fouls with two. strikes would be out. I think you could. take two walks an inning cuz you still. like, you know, you can't It's. if someone's not throwing strikes and. you have to swing at it, but you also. We're playing whiffle ball. This isn't. game seven of the World Series, all right? Don't go Don't go up there. looking to walk. That's a. jackass move. >> It's been happening. It's been creeping. into the game. >> Yeah, too much. That was my strategy the.

entire time. >> Exactly. That right? He was. He's on YOUR TEAM. HE'S ON MY TEAM. THAT'S YOUR TEAM. I HEARD YOU SAY TO. HIM, "HEY, FOX, LET'S LOOK FOR A walk. here." Yeah. [laughter] I'm trying to. win. Are we not trying to win? They were. doing IT TO US. THEY were doing IT TO. US. I I KNEW what it was like on the. mound when I couldn't find it. It's like, "Hey, there's no way they're going to be able. to throw three strikes before they throw. four balls. Let's [laughter] just go to. sit there." And that was I was playing. the game how the game was being played. against me. And then there's two types. of players, too, like good eye Gumps. knows where his pitch is. Like you you. What do you want him to swing at. something low? Something high? No, Gumps.

is going to get on base and get home. >> Oh, that's saying Gumps got an eagle eye. out there. Yeah, he knows exactly where. the ball's going. ABS, what are we doing? We're just. watching? No, Gumps waits for his pitch. >> He's batted the two hole his whole life. He knows what he's doing. Yeah. Somebody's going to pull a hamstring for. sure getting to first. Yeah, left knee. Left knee. Left knee. >> [laughter]. >> Okay, so all right, so everybody's. banged up. Okay, good. We got to do a. little thing here. >> missing MVP yesterday, too. Yeah, Nick. Yeah, skates. So that.

that'll change Nick, I was told you went. four for five. I thought you went four. for four with four home runs and a grand. slam. I didn't know you had a. >> No, I uh Bruce threw me one, I chopped. it back to him, and before I could get. the first, also pulled my hamstring. Uh. I was out, but I don't know what it's. like to be on base. I either. touch home or nothing. [laughter]. I like that. You haven't been out here. on this piece of tape out here on the. ground. >> different out here. It's a different. ballgame. It is a little bit different. out there. It's a good sport. >> I also thought about it last night as. well. If you're a lefty, that thing being closed doesn't help us.

at all. Okay, if I'm trying to rip one. into the gap, it's coming right back to. the to the. >> Yeah, but you guys get more room here. Yeah, yeah, sure, but you get plenty of. room over there, too. And you're trying. to get it No, you get you get way more. room this way. >> Hey, this is how the stadium is built, babe. That's true. Okay, fine. When I. when I rip one through that door. and walk home later, it's not my fault. I'll tell you what, if you ball through. that door, >> Yep. be a grand slam no matter what. >> I'm I'm propping that door open. It's. tough to get it for sure, AJ. It's not a. bad idea. [laughter].

Genius. I I just thought of that. I was. going to didn't say that. Above the uh. black railing? Or like where the jerseys. are, and then. uh Brick wall, brick pillar to the left. is the start of the foul line there. >> Okay. But if it hits anything like up. top, like lights, the Thunder Dome. and it comes back down, that's in play. That's not It's probably a foul. Yeah. I lost my shoes there. Yeah, I forgot I. had to run. Yep. That's part of like. life now. Like, oh I'm actually. going to try to run here. That. It's been fun. I wonder how long this. will last. How long? We'll see.

I might actually stream this one. This. one might actually make it to like live. right. >> fun than watching pickleball, I think. Definitely. >> One of the best Agassi was great. Actually, I saw some of Agassi last. night. It was good. Him and James Blake, that whole situation was fun to watch. Anna Anna Leigh Waters beating James. Blake in straight sets in pickle ball. Good for pickle ball. Mhm. Yeah. James. Blake and Andre Agassi just winning. straight up. Yeah, against Anna Lee and. Genie Bouchard. I think that'll kind of. just. I think Andre Agassi's only going to get. better. Yeah. Yeah. I'd like to see him. maybe play.

Anna Lee. It's not a bad idea. Oh. She's a. >> AQ. Not an. AQ? >> I don't You want to know how AQ said he. was? He said he had like a 4.9 rating. score, right? That's not even close to. them. >> Bless you. It's pretty high, right? Man, He had a bag with multiple paddles. Yeah, and a backpack. Yeah, he had a. backpack. Yeah, with the paddles coming. out like it's a quiver. Yeah, I [laughter] I do remember that. >> No way. Yeah, yeah, he was kind of. skipping and he had his hookers, you. remember? >> [laughter]. >> Yeah, he told us all the rules that were. wrong. >> in. He had his hands in the little sack. and he was like this.

And actually I can see I can see him now. in that Arizona back back backyard just. walking in. Couple pickle balls on the. right side here where like a couple. holder would be on a bag. quiver. on the other side. He come out this way. He got his shoes on that side. Yeah. Rating score right on the back in. the from the front pocket. Yeah, I Jockstrap with a cup. He. wore a cup cuz he said he Oh yeah, on. the outside of his shorts. >> Yeah, shorts shorts, big cup. Had to let. people know what was going on. When you come into this kitchen, know that it's big. That's what AQ is. doing. Yeah.

We got to get out of here. Be a friend, tell a friend. We're going to change. your life on this thing together. Team. on me. We'll see you tomorrow. Hey, Mania, let's go. Get your ESPN plus. premium super duper now. Start now. Get. done. Unlimited. Get it now. >> [clears throat]. >> That's a note to me, too. Yeah. [laughter] I need to get it now. Let's. all do it. Mhm. It's going to be a. monumental evening in the history of. sport Saturday night. And then Sunday. is going to spotlight the business even. more.

What a time to be alive. >> Hell yeah. And if I see you in Vegas, off. All of you. Except for Randy Orton. Mhm. Of Of. Obviously. Of course. The goat. >> He's saving the business. And winning. his 15th world title. Be a friend, tell. a friend something nice might change. your life for listening to the team on. me. Team on three. 1 2 3 TEAM. GOODBYE.