Bills Trade for DJ Moore + AJ Brown & Maxx Crosby Want Out w/ Dianna Russini, Plus Tatum’s Return w/ Jay King

Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music.

The Ryan Ressolo show is presented by Traft Kings. I'm talking about the Hornets, again. They beat on Boston last night, but there is another NBA team that did something kind of similar. I'm going to try to make the case.

We also have Jay King, who's going to talk about the return of TAM, breaking news right before the podcast taped. And more importantly, no offense to Jay. Diana Resseney, fresh off the calm mind. We have moves.

We have trays. We have DJ Moore. We have the Max Crosby Market, AJ Brown, Kyla Murray, where he's going even more on all the latest stuff from the NFL off season with Diana Resseney and the life advice. Draft King sportsbook puts you right in the middle of basketball's biggest star driven moments, the moments when the ball finds the superstar and the game turns at a heartbeat. Stars heat up, stars take over with Draft King's.

You're ready to move when they do, bet player props, bet live from the opening tip to the final position every bucket every time. Every take over matters in Draft King sportsbook keeps you connected as the action unfolds. And when the game turns fast, Draft King has your back with early exit.

If your player gets injured anytime of the first half, your bets days alive and once it settles,

you still get paid in cash. That's built in protection for star driven bets back by Draft King's new customers, bet just $5. And if you're bet wins, you get $200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the Draft King Sportsbook app and use the coat riots so you're ready for the moment. That's called Ryan RYE and turned five bucks into $200 in bonus bets.

If your bet wins in partnership with Draft King's, the crown is yours. 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org. On behalf of Boothill, Casino and Kansas, wait your tax pass through may apply in Illinois, 21er and over in most states, void an Ontario restrictions apply. Bet must win to receive bonus bets which expire in seven days, minimum odds required.

For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, cdkng.co/audio limited time offer.

A great time with this part of the NFL offseason, right now to catch up with the athletic

“Stain ever seen you have to read her column on Saturdays, I enjoyed it throughout the season and I will enjoy it.”

During the offseason, full of nuggets, so we have a bunch of breaking new stuff that I want to get through. Maybe some post-convines, so whatever you feel is worth sharing with us, Stain. But let's start with the DJ more trade. So we found out today the bears are going to move him to the bills. I'm going to understand the bills side of this.

Maybe it's a financial thing with how they draft the position for Chicago. So just kind of give us all the angles on this deal. Yeah, full for Chicago. DJ more was kind of just like a little bit of a gift for them to have. They don't necessarily need him.

He costs a lot of money. If you noticed, they're moving a lot of money around right now, which of course puts up the flags of, "Okay, well, will they look going to go get?" Dom in their center, retires unexpectedly. I think people in the bears heard some whispers about it, but officially he

has stepped away at 27 years old, right? And so they're able to-- As an aside, by the way, I need to dig into it. Do Stanford guys retire earlier than expected? Maybe a column, but anyway.

Great, and a lot of smart people leave the game early for their brains. I'm working on that story too. They'll just see if there's a little bit more right now.

“Now, I think everyone is just assuming why he's doing it?”

Because of probably making the decision that he doesn't want to put himself in a position where he could maybe get injured, but we'll see what's to come of that. But that being said, Chicago is in a position now where, look, they're trying to go all in here, they know they've got a rookie quarterback or in a quarterback on a rookie deal here. So this made sense, Deitymer, you know, not about it.

Chicago was paying a lot of money on this deal, and then Buffalo trades for him, and they're giving him even more guaranteed money. So this says to me too, from the Buffalo side, like Brandon Beans up there going, I'm going to do everything I possibly can, so nobody can take a shot at me that I did not do enough for Josh Allen and this team to get back to the Super Bowl,

because that's what it is. They don't even, it's not even slightly hinted at that this team is trying to go to the Super Bowl, even being at the combine and talking to some people associated with the bills. It's like, they are focused on going to the Super Bowl, more than any other team right out. Like just knowing what they're coming off here and how closely they were and the changes that

“they made, and also was like the PR pressure of it, right?”

They fire their head coach, Brandon Beans gets a new title, gets promotion. So he had to do this, they were in on AJ Brown.

Chase anymore, but you know, you've got one receiver off the board. And Buffalo has this connection, obviously, to North Carolina Panthers all the time. So that's also something that kind of came to mind. It makes sense when you start thinking about it and Joe Brady's coach him before. Okay, so this is every, I know how much the Philly fans love you for the AJ Brown saga.

So really? They too, they're very supportive. You mentioned his name then, so is there anything to this offseason? Of course, I can't go a day without doing it, like bothers him. It's like, it is the story.

It's my job to do the biggest story in football. It is the story. AJ Brown does not want to be in Philadelphia. We have known this, we've known this for a year. And how he rose men is sitting there going, okay, cool.

I'm aware, I know my player well, I know the dynamics of this team. I think that how he rose men is probably also aware that it's probably not good to have AJ Brown so on the team. I know he's out there going, you don't give up great players. You don't just move guys like this who can make your team better.

I get it. Unfortunately, that's not the reality of the way this works. It's not a good fit anymore, okay? So we're in a position now where you've got teams like the New England Patriots hovering. You've got the chargers keeping an eye on this.

The bills were in it. The rams were poking around on it about 48 hours ago from today. They were, that's cool to off now.

“So I think for right now, I look at it like this, right?”

Howard Rasmus is going up there and he's putting out through other reporters that we know. AJ Brown could be on the team, right?

And of course, that's always a possibility.

But he's playing from a position of power right now. And what nobody knows is what could happen if AJ is a little bit more vocal about how he feels about it. Because he's kept when I say quiet, he's done a couple of parts of aggressive things. I think we've all seen, we all kind of know the social media things, it's not a secret anymore.

And it's really one of these situations where until AJ Brown comes out, this is my opinion. Till the AJ comes out and is like strong about it, like I don't want to be here, that is the only way the value is going to change. Because right now, how he wants a first and a second for him, teams are not going to do that. I have a very hard time imagining the teams that are looking at this going,

that's what we're going to do for him. So they're hoping this price drops and I think Philly is going to say stubborn in this, until they really feel like they can get the best deal for him.

And by the way, and I'm sure we'll talk about Max here, Max crawls me in a second.

It's kind of the same scenario where Max is playing this really nicely,

“but the only way a team will move you is if you cause a problem and you start making noise.”

And it's either you or the agent. So someone's got to do something, otherwise then we're going to get into conversations of are these guys willing to sit out, right? They're both rich. They don't need to play if they don't really want if they don't want to be there. Yeah, if you want out, you can't be nice about it.

Yeah, see that all the time in the NBA where you have to kind of become the guy that sometimes you don't want to become, because you care about the fans, tell me some people don't care about the fans, but I think there are a lot of people that are like, look, I'm out here. I love the way I was treated in the city, the franchise, there's a lot of stuff that I really like, so I'd like to not be the enemy, but you kind of have to become the enemy to get your way.

Like, because the team's just going to go, well, if he's not going to be that much of a problem, we like to tell him, we don't like the return that's out there, like we can make this work. Yeah, everybody, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. Years about it, it sucks because they don't want to be. And I can tell you from being around AJ Brown for years and Max Cross Me for years, that is not their thing. They're really kind people who just love to play football

and are appreciative of their cities and their fans, like they've always operated that way.

And when you put the caliber of player and even just you tag along with some of the

“respect that they bring to their organization, and then you have to force them to turn into the”

to the enemy, like, that's that's stinks. But here's how I see it. If I'm them, feel like it's going to hate you anyway, if you leave, right? Like, for now, right, the fans are going to be so mad if AJ pushes his way out of here. The biggest Raiders fans that love Max will turn on him, and then time will heal. And I remember, especially in the AJ situation, he want to super bowl with them. You can't erase that and they'll get over it. So, I think for now, like the

state of the situation is both, both teams, both are, and I apologize for mixing both these situations, but they're just so similar to easy to just talk about it this way. Both the Raiders and the Eagles are sitting here going, come get them. Give us your best price because we don't need to move.

coming out of Vegas where teams are like, I don't really know what they want to do. I don't think

they want to move. Max trust Max, trust me, needs to get out of Vegas. AJ Brown needs to get out of Philly. I just don't know how we're going to get there. I can just tell you that both situations, both players, it's not going to work well. What do you mean by that? What do you mean it's not going to work well? They're not happy, right? And these are leaders of teams. These are the voices of a locker room. These are guys that have legit reason for why they don't want to be there anymore. Max

probably has the best case, right? He's been there through six different regimes if you count

“Basasha, right? When he was there as the interim for a while, he has given his time, right?”

He is at a point where he needs, he deserves to go win somewhere. He's like a legacy guy, too.

He wants to go out there and know what it's like, feels like what it's like to win a Super Bowl, not on a team that's rebuilding essentially and a bit lost as they're trying to figure out what they're going to do. Yes, they have the number one overall pick and every organization is going to want to guy like Max cross beyond their team. But I think he's done enough and just even the way they handled the end of the season if you remember and just to remind those that don't remember,

they shut him down. And my colleague Mike Silver actually just wrote a piece about it. Essentially Alscarero is really involved behind the scenes, making comments about Max for shutting you down because we're trying to get the number one overall pick. Just things that it's it's lingo language, vibe, culture that does not fit with Max cross. That is not what he wants to be a part of. Is there anything to like looking at the pricing? Now it could just be as simple as like, hey,

as great as AJ and it's he's probably not, I don't know, maybe that's this whole frustration as it is a top five receiver. He doesn't get to play like one. But you know, one guy's coming off not that far removed from his team winning a Super Bowl. He's still seem to be miserable the entire

“time. I think I've watched enough jail and hurts to understand why he's also”

miserable about it. But then there may be people going, okay, but what are we trading for? Like if he's been this unhappy when they were winning as opposed to Max, who is it a position that's probably when you have a different speaker there, a higher pry or a ties thing. So we're going to talk about pricing here a little bit. Is this something if Max, like it sounds like he's available. Maybe it's a toy by Vegas to go if we're just vague about the whole thing. Maybe that's a tactic to drive

a pricing here. But I imagine like if he really is in play, there's teams that are going to be willing to unload for somebody like him being a little bit more sympathetic to his situation than AJ Browles. The Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots, are circling. They are waiting for someone to blank here and to make a move to get Max on their

“roster. I think New England would probably be the least likely of those three teams only because”

they need to get better on the offensive side of the ball. They cut stuff on digs about 24 hours ago. They're a team in on AJ Brown, the chargers are in on AJ Brown and you look at the teams that are in on these guys and most of them have a quarterback. The teams like Dallas and Baltimore, I mean, that fits perfect in my mind for Max Cross Bay. It's funny. Baltimore has been quiet. I don't know if you noticed this. They haven't been making a lot of moves. There hasn't been a lot

going on. And outside of maybe the Lamar Jackson contract that they need to get done, I think this would be a pretty tremendous fit. And I have a hard time believing Max Cross me doesn't want to play in Baltimore where it's all about defense. But going back to your original point about price, the Max Cross Bay asking price as of last night was essentially the Micah Parsons deal. So I think there's teams willing to do it. I still think he's going to go for less.

I do. I think it's a little much for Max, especially with some injury here. He's worn a little bit. Micah's younger. And I think the same thing for AJ. I still think that price is going to drop. They want it. I just don't think that's going to be where what they want to be getting. Although how we like to win the GM of the year or year. And it's sure we look good if he gets a return of

a first rounder for AJ Brown. And I'm just glad you set it very fast. And I'm going to just pin you

down a little bit on it. You quickly mentioned that you understood why AJ Brown is so frustrated and upset. And why are you able to see it so clearly? And so many other people struggle with this. And why do the Eagles struggle with seeing some of the things that you're mentioning? Well, I think the Eagles see it. And it's their guy. It's their franchise guy. They want to

understand that. But the rules are pretty simple. We have a hard time seeing with quarterback is average

after the team just played into Super Bowls. And they beat the chiefs in another one. So yeah, you know, I had a player on the Eagles asked me after they lost his San Francisco. And this was not AJ at all. Do you think that will move on from AJ or Jalen? Like, what? What kind of question is that? What do you think? You don't move on from the quarter,

“but like, but just the fact that that was even like a thought that maybe that's what they need to do.”

I don't know. I just, I've been having this conversation with a couple decision makers this last week about making mistakes or perhaps moving on from something faster than you would have liked. And what it takes as a decision maker, what it takes as a person to go, I didn't get this right and how quick you can move on. And I think there's a lot of organizations right now guilty of doing that. And you're going to see some of these organizations in on the quarterback mix,

which is next the next big story. I think we should probably get into about houses quarterback Harris a little bit of work. Yeah, I do, but I also think like in fairness and I know you you understand this is that you can think like, hey, I don't know, or siblings too low. I mean, even if you want to make this about Jalen hurts, okay, but then one of my options. Oh, these curcussons and Kyla Murray and trading Jalen to get back into the draft,

didn't it bad? And you know, now I've probably taken it a little bit too far here, but no, no, no, because I'm that's reality. It's true. But let me just remove the filly part of this, which again, I probably spent too much time on it, but I can imagine running a football team and going, yeah, cool. I don't like my quarterback that much either. But now, what do you want me to do? It looks like we, I think we give teams way too hard of a time about criticizing and

for not doing something, but we're not being fair about, do you understand how limited the options are? Like you want something to be different without any information on what different actually looks like. You so obviously have talked to general managers in your life, because that's what they say. It's like, because I'm sure you've gotten into some disagreements with them,

but the way I have, which is there always like, what do you want me to do? Like, where do you think

“the quarter of it? And, you know, I'm probably do the imitation spot-out, because that's what”

it sounds like to me, when I'm listening to them yell at me about it, because they're right. And look, I think there's a million layers to Philadelphia outside of just the fact that city is what it is, but they're going through a lot of change this year and a lot of turnover and, you know, you have a play call or that's never called plays before. I also think that there's a point to be made that maybe they don't realize how good they have it sometimes, right? Because they just

want so much all the time and the bar so high. And I do want to about AJ Browns in times like, hey, like, you may get shipped off to another team and go, all right, maybe it wasn't so bad there. You know, like, it's guess what's awful losing, losing stinks, you know, and he tasted a little bit when he was in Tennessee. So, either way, I think in his mind, it's, I'm not going to be able to produce the way I want to produce in an offense that I prefer if Jalen is the quarterback.

“And I think he's at peace with that. And so now it's just, how do I get out of here?”

Okay, so before we get to Kyler, which I know we need to do, and then we'll kind of do all the quarterback stuff, but you did say the paths being in on both Crosby and AJ Brown. And you're right to bring up the Parsons part of it, but I mean, the Parsons pricing is tough when it's a

27-first, it's a 26-first. And then it's also Kenny Clark. So there's like a player with real value

that like the, like, everybody around the league, I think was generally like, hey, Kenny Clark's a good player. Like, that's a nice, that's a nice gift for the Cowboys. So then you're like, okay, well, which player matches that? And then the two first, like, you know, good luck, Vegas is, is what I would say to that. The digs release, the way that contract was structured, it was basically a fake three-year deal. It was a one-year deal. So none of this is shocking when you look at

the way it was structured. But does that tell you that the paths like what their options are outside of even an AJ Brown? It does. They're in on a receiver, whether that's going to be Alec Pierce, whether that's going to be AJ Brown. The digs think surprised me slightly. And the money makes sense. Like, like, I get why they did it. I'm not sure what I know you're going to say. Like, it's already a position of weakness. It's yes. Also, there is a important factor that digs does

bring, actually. He was a really good leader. Like, he was very good at carrying that message

to the organization. And I was like, these two, I, watching them and their dynamic, they seem like

they had been together for years. And that's powerful when your first time head coach in it. Well,

you're not first time head coach, but it's your first year as a head coach in a new organization. So from that standpoint, I was like, man, surprised that they're moving on from someone that was kind of carrying that message so well. But they must feel pretty good that they've got something here to make up and give Drake make some options. Because even with step on it, that, I mean,

“that's what they needed. We saw in the Superball. I mean, they had no body. So we'll see, look,”

they're going to do what they did last year. They're going to overspend for somebody like a mill and looms. But except this time, it'll probably be on the offensive side of the ball. Because that's what they have to do. They have no choice. And especially with a quarterback on this rookie deal, now's a time to go. And now, by the way, standards are different there now. Like, I think this is going to be a hard-off season for New England. Everything's changed. This is

not the, the cute team that maybe can get it right in few years. They just went through the Super Bowl. Everyone thinks they're back to the Brady Day. It's not. There's still so many holes on that team. That's why, I mean, I'm, I'm going to be negative. Patriot fans that are listening. But like, I, I think you better buck the law. I don't think we're going to be talking about New England when in that many games this year. God, I'm so negative. I don't mean to

be. But, you know, just being realistic. Well, what is not that many games? Like, you're talking

below 500? No, no, I think that they're always going to be good with Drake Mace or quarterback

and Josh is calling plays and Mike Rable coach the year is leading them. They're always going to find ways. I just think this was a magical season worth a lot of things fell their way. And it, it was quite stunning. I mean, I spent a lot of time with them in the summer. And I was like, this team stinks. Like, I could not believe how good they, they sort of came about as a year or not. When they lost a Pittsburgh, I'm like, this is going to be a long year. This is bad. But

“even against the readers when they opened up. Like, yep, that's what I saw this summer,”

not surprising, you know? And then they kind of found little ways to win it. It was awesome. I just think that a lot of, you know, they're, I don't, I really feel like I'm taking a hammer to them. But it's like, you know, the schedule obviously was in their favor. I do think they got a joke of just kind of surprising everybody that they were as good as they were. It's just, I think they've got a lot of roster need. And I'm interested to see what Elliott will

just go to do this here. All right. Before we move on, a quick word on the tool that keeps people's work flow tighter than my takes, Microsoft 365 Copilot, the world moves fast. Your work day even faster, pitching products, driving reports, analyzing data, Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work built into Word Excel PowerPoint, other Microsoft 365 apps you use,

helping you quickly write analyze, create, and summarize so you can cut through the clutter and clear a path to your best work. Learn more at Microsoft.com/m365 Copilot. Let's talk Tyler. I did an open on him this week where I'm like, if I wanted to present the case, because I already know what's going to happen. Like, if it's the local radio, whatever the new team he's on, it's like, hey, made two probals. Like, look at these numbers. Look at him being one of

like four guys this many years in with 20,000 passing yards, 3000 rushing yards. He has a couple seasons on there where it looks on profile ball reference, you're like, that was a pretty good quarterback and all that. And you'll also be probably overlooking some of the injury history the last four years. But it's a lot like the Russell Wilson deal after Denver where the money's going to be offset. So he's not going to make a dollar more anywhere else because he's already making

North of 30 million. So that's when the teams like, hey, sign for one million because it doesn't

change anything except for how much more we can add around you. So that's always going to be

part of the pitch for whatever the new team is. So we know that officially like the release would happen next week. So there could be a couple of days here where it traded happened. That doesn't seem like the way this league ever works and just having the certainty of like, hey, here's a fifth rounder now enough to worry about it. But you would be working on all the stuff behind the scenes with his agent and him anyway. But I still don't know, like, you get to tell me what is the real

demand? Like, what's going on? Where do you want to see him? Let's start there. What you, where do you want to see

“you? He feels like the perfect jet. I think it would make sense for the jets looking at him.”

I look, they're definitely reached, they've reached out to to his side just to get a feel for sure. I would like to, I'd like to see him in Minnesota, but I also can't guarantee his help. So so, okay, let's unpack a little bit of that. Like, initially, my thought on Minnesota was

When you see the type of corebacks he's had success with, but I don't think that that's going to be

“problem. I think that's an organization where I can tell you from talking to some players there.”

They want Kylo there. And Kylo, just to jump in, though, like Kylo reminds me of the NBA guy that all the NBA players love that I'm kind of like going to do that. The guys that do this every night are actually wrong because they're so enamored with the high end, like athleticism and the possibilities. Like, the arm is there. We know how great of a runner he is when he can actually stay healthy. So I wonder if that's just players that are just enamored by his physical attributes and the

wow factor while they are ignoring like the reality that there's a reason they shut this guy down last here and they were totally okay with it and ready to turn the page. So I look at it differently because I think I've told you before on the show that I have a vote in the AP and the year stuff, you know,

MVP and coach the year and all that stuff. And I am always a little surprised when I call players

to get their thoughts because I like to like just, hey, who would you pick for every pee if you were main, you know? And you're right. Like the, it's always the ones with like the most ridiculous natural skill that like the characteristics of just like like almost they're enamored by that talent

“that was God given versus the makeup stuff that coaches tend to lean towards. You know what I mean?”

So I hear what you're saying but look, the Minnesota situation to me in general is gosh, very interesting. From, I mean, we got to flip the page on whatever the heck that just was this year. It was just a pile of bad decisions and and obviously a gamble on somebody that wasn't really ready to be in that role that maybe the franchise actually really knew, but they had a role about there to see what he had. And and look, it was hard for JJ to stay healthy. So I don't want

to hold that against them because it happens. But it's obvious if they're going after Kyle Murray, let's say, but they're not bringing Kyle and Murray in here to support JJ and teach him how to play quarterback. He's coming in there to win the job. There, there, I don't think that there's some outrageous amount of belief that JJ and McCarthy can help this team get into the playoffs next year. I think they're hoping some competition will breed success here between both these guys. You have

caught, they might from the Kyle Murray situation, right? You basically were just paid a boatload of

money, but shown the door and now you're getting paid nothing, I kind of feel like he's got everything to prove like it in a good way. Like he's going to come in here and probably ready to show everyone that like he's a stud. And I think that's a cool fire to take if if you're the Vikings and if you're the jets, but if you're a Kyler, where do you want to go, right? Like who do you want to play? Do you want to play for Aaron Glenn or do you want to play for Kevin MacDonald? Yeah, and I also

as bad as the JJ stuff was last year, when you ever used to spend a top pick like that on a quarterback and the fact that he was coming off the injury out of college and then, you know, there's this kind of gap year, and then they make the Donald decision. So like I understand all the hysteria around the whole thing, but I still think it could be incredibly unfair to not give him another chance. Would you try out? I don't know what the market is on. I mean, I would have to know

inside the building, hey, we screwed this up because it's not just the former GM doing this. Clearly the coaching staff watched JJ and all the team and they looked up. I can't see. So narrative out there that like this was a little crazy stop. That's such bullshit. I read that too. And a KLC problem has a funnel and stand up there when things are good and go, I'm coach of the year and then when the quarterback stinks go, all right, I didn't do it. Like

of course, Kevin was part of it. And I don't think they were wrong in selecting him, but going back to the conversation we had before about. And I actually, and there's similar conversations with

“the head coach about, can you, what is the best way out from a mistake? And I swear it applies to life.”

I don't think people care if you make a mistake if you've got the solution, right? If you can figure out a way around it. And there was a time when Minnesota had the solution. He won the Super Bowl. You know, he was there. And it just makes you wonder how much they knew. Did they not know enough before last three agencies to say, okay, we probably

JJ needs more time after, you know, this first year. He gets, it was just hard. They didn't see

enough from him. So here they are now a team that I think is still really talented. Last year I

This year, I think they're just as good. If anything, they just need decent quarterback play.

And I mean, I like the Kyla Murray fit there.

“So what is that with the jets? Where do they go? If Minnesota gets Kyla?”

Is Russell Wilson going to get signed by anybody? No, but did you see his interview recently? About talking about the whole Sean Payton thing? You see, he's good. Yeah, he's really, he's really good at that stuff. But he also, like, I don't think Payton just decided to be a dick for no reason to him either. Oh, you think you think he would or wouldn't? No, I think Sean Payton is very opinionated. And

if you can have success under Sean, I think he takes it personally. I think he, if you're not going to run the offense the way you want, the way he wants that thing run, you're dead to him. I've been around him enough. And I don't think I think taking the sacks that he took drove that man nuts. And I do think Sean took cheap shots. And it was, there were moments of just pettiness that just weren't, I didn't think we're very fair. Everyone in football kind of knows what

Russ comes with. I didn't need Sean Payton to tell me that. And, you know, but it happens that you over talk. I'm done it, you know, we've all done it. And I'm curious if he would take, I don't know if he'd take back the things he said about Russ, but at this point, just let it go. You know,

“so good for Russell for speaking up from self a bit, not saying like, I think Russell's some”

amazing dude, but I thought a lot of that was, was very unfair. What are the giants doing?

I get the sense that you're like, you can tell it's so different. Oh, I'm so entertained by them. And I say that in any loving way because it is so different. And this John Harbaugh perfume that is floating around this city. I mean, first of all, I saw him at Newark Airport when I was fine to the combine. I mean, people are running up to him. He's doing autographs. He's doing pictures. And he looks like he loves it. Like, and I'm okay with like no judgment. Good for you.

You're the coach of the New York damn giants. You deserve to, you know, take all the love and support you're getting right now because you haven't played a game yet and we say he loves you at this moment. You know, and I just wonder if it's just probably like getting out of a relationship when you've been with the same person for so long. You got the new hot chick and you're like,

“this is great. Like, I bet you that's what it feels like, right? Because he's been, he was”

in Baltimore for so long and just have the juice that he has right now. And when I say juice, I mean, like, it's all about John Harbaugh. He calls all the shots there. And I know Joe Shane is there. And Joe Shane is the general manager, but you've got Donna Ponte in there now. And I want to get in the weeds too much, but Donna is a bad bitch. And I say that as a compliment. Like, she is one of those, she's like one of my role models in football. She is so smart and decisive

and tough. And she is there for a reason. She is there to clean up any garbage that is floating around that giant building. And the stuff that you heard last year about players being laid and naps, I know all that, that's not going to happen on Don's Watch. I will be shocked if that stuff happens, because she is not going to allow it. And I think the relationship she has with ownership and even with John Harbaugh, I think is going to be a powerful one. That's going to be very good and

work in the benefit of New York. The last thing that I have and then you can kind of take it where everyone here, the tripped up the bed bed, I didn't mean it like that. I think you can get away. If I had said it, if I had done open, you know, like, someone saw a bad bitch. Like, she's so like, I can talk, I go up to anyone. I don't care. It took me five years to go up to Don. Like, just to get the courage to be like, hi, I'm dead. And then once you talk, she's wonderful,

but who? I understood it was common. I imagine she grew up. I just never, like, I always go back

to like, when Vampelt called Bud Sea, like a pimple when they found out what he actually made every year. And it was like in 2008. And then I think Vampelt, and I'm getting suspended because see, like, I didn't understand that Vampelt Mountain is a compliment. And like, Vampelt had to actually talk to Bud Sea, like, you know, like, no, I didn't think you were actually in the sex trade. I met it in like, a modern version of like, man, this guy's like a pimple, you know, because he was

complimenting and in Bud Sea, like, still did not think it was cool. And I think I'll Scotty,

about after the fact, and be like, how could you not, like, Scotty, I'm not in, I do not employ sex workers. I don't know that actually said that word. People get upset about the weirdest things. So it's like, we know what you're supposed to stop. But Bud was a little older. So maybe, you know, maybe they're like, am I going to get suspended from your show?

“Neon, that would be suspended from our show. I don't think you have to worry about that.”

I don't think you guys are. I have to ask you about the McDuffee trade because, like, Trim McDuffee's a stunt. And I was surprised that the characterization of this a little bit, maybe it's because, back in oil, it's like, hey, we move on from corners all the time. We're fine. I think the dawning of, like, the Kansas City roster this year, like, this team has some problems. But they also have another corner that you have to make decisions on. It's not everything else.

So if you think of it as, okay, you get, what, is it the 29th pick this year? And then you get a fit.

It's the 7th. First round. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. So, I, I look at the rams and less need going.

Okay. So we have, like, no one's certain. Okay. Nobody is him. But McDuffee in a volatile position has been steady and steady to a level of, like, a top five guy. So I'm, I'm the rams on the other side of it going, like, all right. Well, it's good as we think we can be at drafting. We could still screw it up. And so now we plug in a top five corner over there. I was surprised and I know there's a new deal coming on top of this with everything else.

I guess I'll kind of surprise both ways, because I understand what Kansas City's motivation is just trying to figure out a way to kind of get this roster right. Yep. Again, you know, in a quick way.

“So they, they move on from one of their guys. I, I like it more for the rams. And I think I felt like I've read.”

On the Kansas City side, and I like to always compare Kansas City to Cincinnati. And when you take a look

over, since I guess it's a 2019, 2020, and you look at how many times Kansas City has sort of re-enworked their defense compared to, let's say, a Cincinnati who we know have been horrendous on the defensive side of the ball. Kansas City has been able to find ways to, almost like reinventing their defense every few years and making moves like this. And they always figured it out. They're okay with it. And I do think Spaggs is a gigantic part of that. But they're always trying

to push it forward. We're a Cincinnati sits in here. And I know Cincinnati is nothing to do with this. They're always the ones I compare to. That being said, the rams. That was the buzz at the combine anyways. Like the rams know that this is, this is it for Stafford, right? Like they're going to probably readjust his contract here and give him some more money. Damn guy deserves it. When he got called up for MVP, Sean McVasier just had the contract in his hand. And just like

ripped it up and just wrote him a new one, you know, because he's underpaid for what he does, in my opinion.

“I think most people believe that. But I mentioned earlier before when we were talking to Asian,”

the rams were in on Asian Brown as a few days ago. Like that just says to me, they're they're going now, right now we need to make these moves. And so I mean, once sometimes these these teams do things that you go, why is it everyone else doing this? Like why are they played by these roles? And get away with it, right? I mean, they were this close to getting to the Super Bowl. And you could make an argument, maybe they were the better team, you know? And I'd be thinking about

it all of season blowing that game on Thursday night in Seattle, but painful for them. I've been waiting to hear a story of like, you know, Sean McVasier was so depressed this off season about it all or sat, you know, I haven't heard any of that. I think he's fine, but their sunglasses and some seasons were coaches take so hard because they know. And I think this rams team was that team in my opinion where it was like, oh my god, you guys could have won this

rule. So I think I think that was maybe probably good for them because I bet you that sucker is fueling this right now. You know, I think that's where this is all coming from. Okay, we're not messing around. We got to go. We got to go now. We've got the best quarterback in football outside, you know, my homes. And I guess Joe and I'm about to raise you quarterback tears right now. We'll save them for sand though. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, so that this I don't think they're done yet,

either. Not done yet. That is a tease. Don't ever see any go ahead, go ahead. Well, I'm sorry. I feel like, no, that's it. I'm good. All right. Well, just stuff is all heating up for next week. I got to keep some stuff in my pocket. I know, I know you do. I know I'm not going to get all the eight plus stuff. That's cool. I think I'm taking you on a B plus day. Um, big cup of coffee. Really nice. It was nice. I thought you'd let the long hair got rid of the mom Bob. How was

it talking about your parents? Your husband likes me. I would never, I would never betray our trust.

You are one smart, good looking lady. Just just pile it on. You look way better this time than you did last time.

“You see, you're going to go. Hey, he can go and go. He can connect. Thank you, Diana. Appreciate it.”

Get the best. Get in the game with a college-branded Venmo debit card and earn up to 5% cash back at some of your favorite brands with then most dash rewards. Upgrade your super fan status with special edition school designs so you can pay for your game day wings and rep your team at the same time. You can add your Venmo debit card to your mobile wallet as soon as you sign up and pay online and in store right from your phone. And the best part, the card is tied right to your Venmo account.

Got paid back for dinner immediately access the money in your Venmo balance and spend on on what you want. Game day snacks, tickets, new merch. You can easily split purchases in the app and there's no monthly fee or minimum balance. Score more with college-branded Venmo debit card and get up to 5% cash back at VenmoStash. Sign up at Venmo.com/CollegeCard. The Venmo Master card is issued by the bank core and a select schools available. VenmoStash bundle terms and

exclusions apply at Venmo.me/StashTerms, max $100 cash back per month. We're starting the pod with Charlotte today and ask kicking in Boston in another statement when from this team that is kind of everybody's darling right now and there's a bunch of reasons to love them and who they've been since that tough start. We're granted, you know, there's some injuries but I don't know that anybody expected this and now I kind of want to get into something that happened last year and then

kind of maybe what's possible to rest of the way here. I have maybe a couple thoughts on okay sees when in New York that was kind of the headline or game. I just don't want to argue about free throws at least not right now. Maybe in 10 minutes I'll do it. Look, Charlotte. So we know that

“they were 11 and 22 at the turn of the year, right? So January 1st I think their first game was”

like January 2nd. They were 12th on offense. I'm going to throw a bunch of like rankings at you but there's a point for this. Alright, so 12th on offense 26th on defense. Their net rating was

minus 3 which was 21st in the NBA. The rebounding was really good though. Third best rebounding

rate of any team. And so since that stretch 11 and 22 they've gone 21 and 9 which is I think tied for the fifth best winning percentage in the NBA over these last, you know, 30 games. Some teams have played 31, some teams have played 28, right? So they're winning it like 70% of their games. So they put this together and I'm going to get you the January 1st profile of those same numbers here in a second but I guess I've said for probably a really long time it's just one something

to new you're like what is what am I even willing to let myself do here and a much higher stakes version of this I've already thought about it with San Antonio going like do I actually think this team the first time through with this younger group like they're going to win an NBA title and it's just kind of a hard thing to land on. I'm not saying the horns are going to win a title but if you think of the Pacers last year and who they were before January 1st and who they became

after January 1st there's some similarities here that I started thinking about a little bit last night because the Pacers run there still was a part of me before the playoffs started I'm like yeah okay you know they're they're the foreseat I know they've been playing really well I know that the

defense has gotten a lot better here because that was always the thing with the Pacers like I

just think they're going to try to outscore everybody but they can't really stop anyone and then their defense became really really strong and then you started identifying like hey they're playing with depth they're playing with all this pace they're going to run you to death but their defense is like solid enough to get through a bunch of these teams and you could say like hey they locked out a little bit when the injury path will go through almost every NBA championship team and

there's going to be some round if not multiple rounds whereas like well you know part of this is just staying healthy while the others fail to say healthy around you so if you look at the Pacers who again miss niece myth for a bunch of time a neme heart missed a lot of November almost

“all of it I think they were 16 and 18 before January 1st their offense was 10 their defense was”

23rd so again you want me to do like side by side here again Charlotte's offense 12 Pacers 10 defense Charlotte 26 Pacers 23rd net rating 21st for Charlotte net rating for the Pacers last year 19 that minus 2.6 and actually the Pacers were just an abysmal rebounding team their rebounding rate was 24 so January 1st I already covered that the hornets are 21 and 9 during that stretch from January 1st on the Pacers went 34 and 14 going to do the side by side let's do it

the hornets the number one offense in the NBA since January 1st the Pacers were 7 defense Hornets are number 5 in total defense since January 5 that's just an unbelievable number for the

the number one net rating in the NBA since January 1st the hornets at almost 12 points a game

“net rating for the Pacers 6 rebounding rate the best rebounding team in the NBA since January 1st”

the Charlotte hornets and the Pacers were from January 1st on last year 26 it was in a like of all the teams that had 34 more wins after that January 1st mark last year the next worst rebounding rate team were the Celtics at 12th and again the Pacers were 26 so what am I saying like hey they're gonna go to the NBA finals because their numbers are actually better but it was just something like what is something that's happened that's recent

that's kind of out of nowhere we've already covered this with the Pacers part of it because it's like they're gonna have a game 7 they're in game 7 who knows what happens if Halibut and doesn't go

down with an injury you know the thunder feeling it for the first time house money for the

Pacers on that side of it I don't know that I'm gonna pick the hornets to get the NBA finals but what I'm telling you is that there's similarities here closing the way that they've done to get to 50 wins the hornets would have to go 18 and one that's not gonna happen but they're both that like this clip of winning 70% of their games after the All Star Break and granted the hornets had so many more losses like 5/6 more losses than the Pacers did it's it's going to be

hard to match that 50 win total there but then you take it further out and say all right forget four seeded in the 50 win part of this because that seems impossible especially with the hornets

“having I think the tenth toughest schedule to close the rest of the season but what is possible here”

like if you look at where they're at right now and the other teams that they're gonna have to battle with in the plan and maybe even getting to the sixth seed Miami since January 1st has gone

15 and 14 or land was gone 13 and 13 filly 17 and 14 you never know what lineups coming out of the

sixers and Toronto's 15 and 11 Toronto their four games behind them and the overall user conference standings not impossible but that's still a decent enough gap but like the sixth seed is a real possibility for this hornsteen. Barkley I think a month and a half ago when he was on inside the NBA had set at the desk like after another nice hornets win he's like hey that team's playing in the plan and everyone laughed at him about them playing in the plan but what I'm telling you is like

forget the plan the sixth seed could be in play and if you were to allow yourself of like

“forgetting about the history forgetting that it's a young group the profile of who they have been”

for two plus months tells you that this is a team that you don't even want to play in the first round

like they're not going to be in the one eight matchup if it's the two seven and it's Boston trying to re-incorporate Tatum if it's the next the next haven two oh in the season series but the games were November and December when it's like you know this should be BC Hornets none of that stuff even counts they're unbelievable they have four guys with their best lineup that are all terrific on the ball and they're all really good passers and they move you know they set these

flare screens where they get it going left and the whole play is this concept where it's almost like a lead pass into the end zone to the other side of the three point line and then you're scrambling and then your rotation you know mellow it was a little tough in some of the Vooch minutes when K to left the game but Vooch is supposedly in drop and in mellow it like six states coming off of the screen down hill and he's like which of the three things do I want to do right now cannipple is a

not not not only is he shooting 40% in threesie he's instead all these records he's a connector he's not just somebody who's sticking in the corner and going hey make 40% of your threesies are rookie and we're good it's like now we trust you to initiate the offense brand and Miller you forget about him and then he'll have a stretch where you know he comes down off of a screen and then crosses over defender who actually got back into the action against him shakes him hits a three

there was an inbound with two seconds left on the shot clock he catches it flat foot it just goes straight up and hits it from the free throw line which is usually a really hard shot to make and with the abaddy's rebounding and calc brand are coming off the bench see on james so they could just say hey do you want to just attack the other guy off the ball all night long the stuff they did to Steph in that game are way earlier in the year the see on james stuff

on him off the ball like he was like all right I know my role is and now you throw Kobe white into this stuff Josh greens it in threes you know they're not even playing train man who I still hold out a little hope for so it's it's four really big perimeter guys with their best group

you know even last night too like they get up 20 in the first half jaylon brown has like

“and all time post or highlight dunk shireman hits a three hornets call time out it's like a who”

you know they cut it to forty nine thirty two and then from that point on a few minutes later they go right back up twenty fifty nine thirty nine like completely unfazed by like you're playing the Celtics at their place they're up for you because everyone's aware of how well you've played and you know you get a twenty point lead they get a little momentum and they're completely unfazed by all this stuff so it's hard to sit here and say hey historically this is the kind of

team that makes the deep run but forget like playoff seating I'm wondering if I'm going to pick him in the first round depending on who they land on in a two seven or possibly even a three six matchup I don't have a ton on okay senior or other than chef was just fantastic in the first half twenty two points he was six eight on three's in the first half one of those was a grenade three so you know six a seven is really what it was and the thing is it was so easy it was incredibly easy

because SGA is getting everyone to just collapse in crumble and all chef has to do his move around get to an open slot and he's gonna hit three like you're not even running plays for him and he has twenty two points in the first half uh brunch only at two at the half not a huge deal as passing was terrific I thought the next did some really good two man stuff that if this were if this were an NBA finals preview that they're gonna want to go back to that second half

and look at some of the smart stuff that they were doing because chef's not gonna play cat so you're not gonna be able to pull cheddar away from the rim they're having cat out um the way cat exposes other opposing centers and I think you just seem more more of this stuff or teams are like you know what if we have somebody at least physically and you know this is maybe part of the cat conversation where it's just such a weird player to get mad at but then also feel like hey he's not shooting

enough like I think there's times where I watch cat on some offensive rebound some like just go back up with it man like you're too talented offensively I know the thing is to throw it back out to three point line but just go you're probably gonna get fouled and there were some stuff

“that okay see was doing there or they had small guys around cat and that's why you ended up like”

I think the final number maybe was seventeen rebounds by the time he'd fouled out nine offensive rebounds I could be off by one on all that stuff but cash is beasting down there because of the way that okay see's trying to align it's defense and that was something that I was like okay this this could be something that would be if they stayed with these kinds of lineups but again hardstein leaves the game so you know there's some some stuff happening there but I thought

Brunson got into some really two man some really good two man stuff I did say last year when you had the conference finals the final four matchup of it I was like if it ends up as okay seeing in New York the number of people because you just always have to remind yourself of this the number of people that are really gonna be locked in for like the first time all year

I'll never forget like the first James Harden playoff series with Houston where you could just tell

how many people hadn't really watched what Houston was doing and how they were running their offense through garden was like wait this is what they do every single time down you're like yeah welcome to the league let's go if it had been Brunson against SGA with the fallbaiting it was gonna be I was like man that's gonna be this is gonna be like a referendum on the sport and that didn't happen although it did happen after this game next fans are upset obviously SGA

had a couple real real special ones in there real like are you fucking kidding me and Mike Brown couldn't help himself after the fact where he's like yeah you know he's he's really good great talent he's really good at saving the officials it's almost like skip a listen over and getting an argument

“where I'm like I think I might just watch I don't know that I have a I want to take a side here”

the thing I'm just gonna hang out uh and just let that happen over there but when you come down I like the raw free throw rate numbers here Brunson's not at SGA's level it's it's

I've looked it again this morning it's like not even close however um I don't always think it's about

free throw attempts through the course of a game so part of me's like how now I've watched enough next games to know like you're not getting the short end of the whistle here with your main guy but look when it's a one possession game it comes down to that you're going to find some of the complain about and getting mad at the coaches defending their teams after the fact like sure I've got mad about it too I've not like things coaches have said but what are they going to do

and get up there and go like hey you know what I complain about SGA but our guy gets some free throws too our guy gets some calls so he initiates a lot of contact that he's reward with so I'm just going to lay out and appreciate the loss that's not going to happen tasty trade has a suite of probability tools so you can make smarter picks for your portfolio though it can't help you fill out your NCAA bracket you can trade stocks options futures

so you can keep more of what you learn the platform is packed with trading features like

back testing which lets you simulate your trading strategies using 10 plus years of data so you can test your ideas about potential Cinderella stocks active traders can use features like latter trading mode one click trading and smart order tracking to manage their positions during crunch time

“if you want to learn to trade or discover new strategies tasty trade has dozens of educational”

courses you can access for free with your account yet live stellar support from tasty trades deep edge of experience trade desk reps during trading hours visit tasty trade dot com forward slash bar stool today tasty trade ink is a registered broker dealer and a member of finra NFA and SIPC breaking news out of the NBA Jason Tatum listed as questionable for the Celtics Friday game

against the Mavericks and joining us from doorchester he's does a great job with the Celtics

for the athletic it's Jay King so there's a lot of different stuff about Tatum coming back that I want to get to bigger picture weighing all the things that they have the way but now that we know that he's less as questionable something that felt like it was building towards this moment is that looks like Tatum is going to be back so I don't know if we know anything more other than just the injury status part of this Jay he I mean all all signs point to him playing against

the Mavericks all signs point to him playing assuming that Cooper flag is available against a fellow former Duke blue devil and a big showdown and for the Celtics the the rest of the season they'll get a month to re-incorporate Tatum learn how to or re-learn how to use him you know around a team that has found ways to thrive without him obviously Jail and Brown has has taken a step forward Derek White and Peyton Preacher stepped into bigger roles that's all going to change a little

bit with Tatum coming back but obviously he's Jason Tatum he can do just about everything on the court and he should only amplify thanks for them as as long as he's back and physically ready did you think they'd be this good without him no but I did think they would be good and

“what like over five hundred five seed good I think I guess they would win forty five games”

the lost in the wonder and the amazement of everything that they've done is that they've been like remarkably healthy outside of Tatum and I think if we had seen Jail and deal with a significant injury or Derek White or Peyton Preacher this year could have gone a lot differently instead those guys have been available every night they've they've fought to do that like they should be praised for doing that on top of them being healthy everything else that could go

right and they needed to go right has gone right Namia Skata is a solid starting center Luka Garza when they needed him to play was capable of playing backup minutes and doing a solid job all the young wings who nobody knew if they'd be all right they can all help out from Ugo Gonzalez to Baylor Shireman to Jordan Walsh even Josh Minop before they salary dumped him to the nets at the trade deadline had a few weeks where he was a starter and and contributing so

Brad Stevens has done a great job Joe Masula deserves to be in the consideration for coach of the year they've all pressed the right buttons they brought in a lot of competitive people and

“and what what really has power did I think is the competitiveness and and the the will to win”

of of Masula Brown White Preacher like those guys are really proud and they weren't going to accept a gap year whatever people wanted to call it because I think even the debate before the season started it's like you know is there is there's some almost pacers ask a approach of like

you know year I always like to think of it as it's just not that long of a time is it

reset you end up getting a terrific pick and then you come back in twenty six twenty seven and it's just I don't know if it's a culture thing because like sometimes that'll happen with teams it's like when our standard is that we're so used to winning even with losing a top on it you know whatever you want to do with Tatum did that at worse he's a top seven player I think there have been times it was clearly a top five player in a league and

ego alright well just because he's gone like there's still an expectation there's still a standard that a team can hold itself to and whether it's Masula pushing the right buttons whether it's the three party where that neutralizes some deficiencies but then again when you look around the rest of the east like you can make an argument that now 50 60 games in this kind of makes sense because Cleveland's been a mess or Lando's a mess the Pacers are obviously a different story

altogether you know there's just so many average teams here and I wouldn't call the Nixon average team by by any stretch because they've been far more consistent I know exactly kind of

you know it kind of makes sense in the sense that this is an east that's just not that formidable after the Troy yeah I see that as a huge opportunity for Boston like who's out there that that they couldn't be in a playoff series even without Jason Tatum like let's let's put him aside for a second if they went into the playoffs as currently constituted what they have

“a chance to win the east I think the answer is yes and what's been really impressive to me is”

how they sort of pivoted from the team they used to be which was you know the most polished

team in the league they could beat you with precision play after play after play always in the

half court to like this energy team where they thrive like they're one of the best offensive rebounding teams in basketball just a couple years ago they totally ignore the offensive class now they have Ugo Gonzales and Jordan Walsh and Baylor Shireman just out there going crazy crashing from the corners every possession and that's a big deal like they still take care of the ball they still do have a level of polish their their best guys for the most part really do a good

job of valuing the basketball Joe Mazzula stresses the possession game as much as anything else but but the way that they sort of transition from you know super veteran team that knows how to beat you with their minds to they still have some of that but they also have these these crazy young kids who are coming in and and Joe yanking them in and out of the lineup using different ones on different nights and sort of breeding a culture where everybody knows if if they're not

on top of their game especially with their energy like they just won't be on the court that night there's a course going to be like is Tate him now going from the savior to potentially disrupting him conversation piece about this story happening yeah there was a who's team

is it this morning on first take um which I I didn't I only saw the clip because everybody

immediately was like well here we go I mean that's just that's just producing what I want is you're sitting there pre-show and you're going how do we talk about his return and we're like who's

“team is it let's do and I think we did it for four years of the Miami heat or it was like who's”

team is it's like probably the best player in the world's team probably this thing but you know I think this is kind of like we're some of the historical stuff where Easter conference finals MVP can drive me crazy going back to 24 because you know there's there's a difference between who has the counting numbers and then who is actually the guy everybody's freaking out about and that's the part where Tate him and then in the NBA finals it kind of drives me crazy because

you're just like hey Tate him's playing point guard on offense and then he's playing center on defense and some of these Maverick's matchups everything is really about him it also is like my 2015 NBA finals is driving crazy that he would all of one MVP over stuff when I like stuff is it's so bad and it was I think it was nine votes and it was five to four for you could all of it because he held the bra until like 35 12 and 10 the bra did have a lot of opportunities to score with all

the injuries to that Cavs team but you know you're watching it going there's one guy that is

“dictating everything that is happening here and that is the most valuable guy and I think that's the”

level that Tate him is at you know it's different now because Brown's playing by himself and he's having the best season of his career and he's been everything you could ever hope for but when I look at that 2014 it's like yeah Jainland was fantastic but like Tate him's the driving engine to all of the stuff so you know talking about I don't even like to say let's just say his his reentry into this group it really shouldn't be that big of a deal because guess what they've all played

with them for a bunch of years and so sure other guys are going to have less opportunities but at the same time it should make their life easier so Jainland may not have as many shots but it's probably going to be nice for him and a bunch of possessions now was like oh my god not everyone is collapsing

on me every single time because we've got a first team all NBA guy back here yeah and the unspoken

thing a lot of the time about Tate him is that he can literally fill any roll free like you said he's guarding big men he's playing point guard he's a distributor he can be the screener and the roller he can be the pick and popper he can be being the post he can be spotting up he can be the ISO guy he can literally do whatever you need him to do the big question obviously is what he'll look like physically when he comes back is he going to be capable of of even approaching the level

that he used to be at like that's going to be a tough ask we haven't seen somebody like I I look through the list of all the guys with torn their Achilles all the guys of his stature who have had that injury I couldn't find one who returned this late in the season and especially one that returned this late in the season to a team that has a chance to win a title

in 2022 he came back in January obviously they won a title with him he had some ups and downs during that run but at the end of the day he was able to to find what it took to give the warriors what they

“needed and that's what the sellers will be hoping for from Tate him I think you know there's a”

chance for him to do something pretty epic like if you come back from the torn Achilles and when a championship your first year back that's that's the notch in your resume that's it but also I do think you know if he's not right then it's going to be tough to fit him in because he is going to be such a big piece of what they do he's going to be part of everything and if he's not capable of doing the stuff that he normally does then then it would be tough to

to kind of fit him back in and rearrange everything around him if if he's not capable of all the stuff that he used to do it it goes without saying like if they're a marginal playing team he'll maybe there's not the priority of like getting him back this year maybe I don't maybe they were like the seven seed or something like that going like hey well we've got to do is when one playing and then look at the rest of the east like who we you know we're not playing

Detroit the first trying to figure through this thing so why not I think we've all become like

pay probably overly sensitive to players coming back where we just completely always default to

“like don't come back don't come back like you need to protect yourself but I just can't imagine”

like 2026 especially we paid him with such a long runaway of a career ahead of him that he'd be doing this for any other reason then one everyone is okay with it and number two they keep desperately just wants to get out and play basketball like believe it or not like sometimes athletes actually want to after the hurt come back and play the thing they love doing so I also think like the ownership part of this and I know it's new ownership but you know wicks still being around and then also the

Brad Stevens element and just I mean I don't know I can't maybe I'm having our time even thinking of the team that would be like let's rush our guy back I'm sure there's probably some examples but I just don't see Boston being the kind of team unless every single person feels great about him coming back uh 10 months later I don't know why why this would be happening unless everybody's like this is this is absolutely the right thing to do yeah there's just no chance they're going

to rush him back there's no chance they will let him out there before he checks every single box physically before he feels totally okay with everything mentally before he's ready and he's he's said like on his documentary he said I ain't coming back to be a role player doc and I think that was pretty significant about his mentality like I don't want to come back and I'm diminished I want to come back when I'm right and and that should be the case whether it's now whether it's

next season whatever like priority number one should be getting him back healthy this team as as constructed like they got out of the tax they're out of that hell they all their got main guys are in their 20s for the most part like this is a team that should have staying power they they replenish their supporting cast with a bunch of young guys who have upside and so there could be another level for them to reach even disregarding Tatum and then you bring

a back of his fully healthy that's the most important thing so there should be no rush to

capitalize on this window this year window because I think the window is going to be longer now and they should have some some sort of staying power where in this east especially like they'll be around they'll have a chance and maybe you want to rush it because oh what when been yama like I tell you better try to get your titles before when been yama's really ready because man that dude is ridiculous already and he's only in year three but but I don't think there should be

any pressure on Tatum other than just just get back fully healthy and whenever you are go play

“basketball because that's what you love to do. The timing of this is not great considering what”

Charlotte did to him last night. I've already talked about Charlotte a bunch of times spending a lot of time on the open today. Wow they're the best. All right so your impressions from last night's game. They're just so much fun to watch. Like the pace they play with there's like a controlled chaos to them where they have ultimate freedom you've got lamella ball shooting one like it threes from thirty five feet but at the same time there are super disciplined team that

sort of like the Celtics always wins the possession game. Like most of the about that just

kills people on the glass they get a ton of offensive rebounds. They win the turnover battle like they're just so much fun to watch. I love the hornets. Everybody just launches threes con knepple is ridiculous for a rookie. Brandon Miller like it was a hilarious moment in Boston last night. The ball got stuck on the top of the backboard and the ball boy like couldn't reach it

raised his arms to the crowd and the whole crowd just started cheering for him and it was like like just a hilarious moment. Just a lovable team. Yeah I look out but you know I don't know

I don't know whoever plays them in the first round is going to love the experience because they're

just like it's crazy to say it out loud but it's true they're one of the five or six best teams in the NBA since January 1st and this has been a really long stretch of terrific basketball from you can read J's piece up on the athletic I mentioned he'll be covering the team throughout the rest of the season in the playoffs. Thanks man. Thank you for having me. That segment was sponsored by Microsoft Copilot. The AI assistant that actually helps you get stuff done. Copilot works

across Microsoft 365 word XL PowerPoint outlook turning chaos in a productivity. Need a presentation. Copilot builds it. Need a summary of a meeting you definitely zoned out in. Copilot's got you. Let Copilot do the heavy lifting. You just take the credit. Learn more at Microsoft.com/m365copilot. You want details? Bye. I drive a Ferrari 355 KBLA. What's up? I have a ridiculous house in the south fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine.

And best of all kids. I am liquid. So now you know what's possible. Let me tell you what's required. Life advice. Life advice rrgmail.com. We've got screwty with your Kyle. We've got some emails for you as well. Real quick. The boys stay hot by the way. Alliance hit last night. We're

I mean like. Got to take the wins when you can. And it was the first one of the seasons. So we're back.

That's week. I'm going to just call myself out though. So what happened on the over under for Memphis Portland? Because I thought I'd gave it out at 235 and a half and it was 236 and a half. Yeah. Sometimes you're at the grace of what the the graphic God gave us and it gave you the extra

“point. So that's what everybody was able to bet and we did it. So we'll take it.”

Right because there was a GG 3 with 12 seconds left. That game was on pace for like 280 at one point. So I was like okay this isn't happening. Still high scoring game. But I just want to ask so that nobody's wondering because I purposely was like oh I lost on that. Cool. And then I thought I'd cost to see alliance and then everybody's like now the number came out of 236. So I just don't want anyone to accuse us of anything on four. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Hey. We're not hot. You know,

yesterday we went a little bit. Yeah. And then shout out to the internet. Somebody commented, you guys have a worse record than the jets. The alliance has a worse record than the jets. Like all right. Right back there anyway. Sorry. It was a funny thing. Yeah. People are generally pretty neutral. Supporting a kind of stuff. So I just thought the winning was funny. Right. Like even when

you're red hot winning, it's like oh yeah. But that's so I'd be the first thing if I did like

“if I were sitting around in between jobs. I think like I'm going to point out that it was 235 versus”

235 or 236 and a half. All right. This one hits a little close to home. Carpenter pants stolen valor 557 130 31. No gym stats. But I did run my first and only half marathon one hour and 53 minutes. God. This is where we're going. We get so many half marathon times in here now. It's just fucking sucks that he's dead. A player cop. Current. He texted us yesterday. Did he? He texted me. No, it's just Kyle and I. It was sort of an East Coast boys chat. You know, that was it. You

wouldn't know about that yet. No, just checking out like, hey, if you guys were in the city, I thought, you know, he just wants to hang out and I do too. And I told them we'd meet him at an in an airport at JFK. Maybe at the lounge or something. We got a couple of martinis. I get you guys in the sky club. Passes. Yeah. Who knows. Imagine the lounge stuff. He probably has access to some of like every time you see like what airline is that? Dubai. Well, you know, they got beds in this one.

Right. Yeah. He's just in there getting massage. Hey, Jens. He probably says something like that when he sees friends. Yeah. Yeah. Trying to think other things do you would say. Howdy. Look at these guys. Here comes bad news. You're catching. You're just like generic white dude things. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I wonder if there'll be a generation of people that is not understand. Look at

“cat drag game because cats are just dragging in less stuff. Yeah. I think we're getting out of it.”

Yeah. Yeah. That's true. It's less, not all the numbers are way down. The camera is coming up now. No. Yeah. I haven't seen that. Oh, they served the real need advance by time. And now they're like, you know, yeah. They're calling you or problems in there. They're saving these days. Anyway, London used to hire cats. Right. Yeah. We did this. They were paid employees by the government.

But what do they do now? That's what I'm saying. And replace the jobs you're being replaced though. Yeah. You guys are going to be grandparents. You can just say look what the cat drag in and the kids are going to be like, what is grandpa talking about. Her to hear first. All right. Was tempted to email in about the new romantic relationship on me. And but I'll spare you with something a bit more trivial things for having a list of things that you could have asked about since high school.

I have worn skinny jeans. Yeah, you have. They're never skin tight. And as a skinny guy, the fit

was natural. But now after recently witnessing my own reflection in a public bathroom, I've decided to wear something more age appropriate. I set a lot of pair of carpenter pants for American company. They're tapered. So they fit incredibly well. I especially adore the extra pockets. But my worry is that this might be stolen valor. I do have some bonafights. I work for carpenter. When I was 18 to 19, I started remodeling a house before termite damage for force I could sell. I've built

several privacy fences to you're fine in my book. I just wanted to go on my own shed. This isn't I'm just like a guy wearing an army hat being like I've only done special forces. I've done various DIY projects on my current home. I love working with tools. I love it. But I'm worried that since I do not actively work in a trade wearing carpenter pants with a friend those that do, I'm currently in healthcare and about to get back into EMS where extra

pockets are important. It's that a good enough excuse. I'm very curious to know what Ryan thinks

this is a former tradesman. God bless. And I basically only wear one pair of pants. So this is a

“big decision. Sounds like it's a huge decision. I think you're fine. That was great. Yeah, this isn't”

like cowboy boots where we had to think about it for a little bit. You start walking around with that wood pencil behind your ear. That flat one I could see maybe like you might be veering into podcasts doing that besides map of Trisha. I don't know. I don't know, but I just I don't think like, you know, I've dabble with this. I you know, dip my toe in that Harley Davidson pond a couple of times and, you know, we're at a flea market and there's a guy with a bunch of old Harley's shirts,

you know, I'll I'll peruse. But I think that's sort of near the line because I, you know, every once in a while I have to be like, not actually don't have a Harley, but just a big fan. So I don't think this is even near that, especially that, you know, you've got glory days that you could, you know, you know, the jargon. Yeah, I feel like carpenter pants though, that can be totally off based on this, but carpenter pants are like boat shoes. And that like not,

“they're not exclusive to just carpeters. Like you need to own a boat to wear boat shoes. They're just”

like a thing that people wear. They're carpenter pants. They're not like a, I think I got that kind of has to be in the trance. I had a pair when I was like on sale. Like, you know, at Coles when I was like 10, like, I was given to me because it's like there was a big, you know, big markdowns, cold cash. Like, I think I had it with a big, like loop on the side. The hook. Yeah, you put the hammer in or whatever. Yeah. I mean, I think I had those when I was, you know, a preteen just because,

you know, it was on sale. So you got to wonder if the people in the kids production of trade clothing, they're like, let's not go overboard with it. Yeah, we're here. And my daughter is a

car heart beanie. I was just never just never worked outside before. Come on. Yeah, you know, it's

slow. I think also as a kid, I don't know if they do this anymore, there was something called like the Husky section, you know, and it was just called Husky. You know, it was like, you know,

“that kid's not the way anybody has that. It's right on a little meat on the bones. And I think maybe”

you had a certain style of pants and shirts in that Husky section that you wouldn't find in the Jen pop. So maybe I had a couple pairs of this. I have a pair belt loop. Get made fun of. That was I don't care. I love the way they fit. I love these jeans. They're kind of really not jeans. And then I went even further where that I bought another pair and they're, they might even be welding pants. I like they're the kind of wear them. Yeah, another patch over the front of it. I have not

launched those yet. I imagine there'll be some commentary. And I think he just go, all right, you know, what's the right moment for the launch of those? Montana and Mike. Yeah, so I have a fair John Elliot's that have a belt loop and just think there's the pencil pocket or whatever, there's even some stolen dollar splatter paint on them. They're pretty impressive. And my age, but I love the way they feel. They're comfortable to sell. They're kind of my go-to's. And

every time somebody chirps and you just go, okay? Yeah, every time. I really didn't think it would be that out there. I guess it is a rough group of friends. Yeah, good for you. Iron sharp and

say whatever you want. Don't care. All right, undefeated versus NBA player. This is a new one, 511171. Faster than war god. This is only step. Can I technically say I'm undefeated one, verse one, one-on-one against an NBA player. I grew up going to elementary school with a plumblies at the start of basketball season. Our coach paired us off daily for one-on-one games. Mason and

I were matched up and I never lost all season every practice. Five years later, after I continue

reminding him he'd never beat me. He challenged me again at our old elementary school. By then, he was about six seven and much improved. I want to get still undefeated. He wanted to play a Duke University. Then in the NBA, I retired from organized basketball in the sixth grade. Here's the catch. I was three years old of them. At the time of our rivalry, I was 12 and he was nine. Later, I was 17 and he was 14. You beat a six seven, 14 year old, though?

Yeah, that one. That one counts for sure. I always disclose this. Yeah, just I beat up on Linert's kid Cole when he was 14. I went to the Clippers Game with Linert. I was also not that long. Not that long ago. They're third wheeling it with Matt and his wife. That was better than when I had the whole section of myself and it was like, "Are you serious?" I don't know if we'll post that pick, but yeah, Cole, I was in a pickup game. I didn't even know it was Matt's son and I kind of just,

I don't know, so there's like five years ago. I was probably still playing a little bit more. And I fucked him up pretty good at a couple of things. And then I, like, 14. I think that was like 45.

“I think if I remember one of the kids saying, "I don't wish I don't want to have to guard him”

anymore." And then I played, I think when he was 18, and it was bad. It was pretty bad. He and his buddy, two on two, both in high school, seniors played me and some other old guy, and it was, we got worked. So not undefeated against Matt Leonard's son. No, it's a success story to that guy. It's awesome. Yeah, but I'm just trying to figure out like that. I'm giving the email a credit here because at 14,

in your size of size. Right. So I always disclose this as a way of making fun of myself,

but eventually started to feel less like fun trivia and more like I was bragging about dominating a little kid. Yeah, no one's sound like I'm going to get shit for what I just said. But for what it's worth, I think it's a great guy. And when he challenged me again during his Duke years, I wisely declined undefeated sounds better than 22 and one. So should I keep this as a light-hitter fun fact or retire the story for good? Keep that for you, too. That's great.

Always need one lead with it when meeting new people. But yeah, like if it comes up,

“like it's, I think it's fair game to be like, "Oh yeah, you know, it's a little fun fact about your”

boy." You don't scare the hose with it, as they say. But like, that's, that was aggressive. It's just a term for like exactly what that would be if you're like, you know, in a group of people. But, you know, it's a fun thing that you guys will have together. Yeah, I think so Rudy now, that like you don't, maybe Kyle did as well. I think everyone here is on the same page that you don't want to introduce yourself at work meetings with this. And you

clearly don't actually believe it. Because there's other guys that have the same version of things that like think, this is cool. Like, you know, watching, watching whatever game, plumbly, it was playing and then thinking, "Couldn't beat me?" You know what to say for before is like, you know, when you like start a new thing or something, like, we used to do this at the old place and be like, "Hey, like give me truth. What is it? Two truths in a lie?" And one of your

truths is, "Hey, yeah, I beat you." Oh my God. I've won me brother and a thing. Like, that's a perfect use for it. And then, you know, people decide if it's like, they feel like it's sure enough. But that's, that's like, that's the kind of scenario where I'd use this. This isn't like, hey, this isn't like my, my Instagram bio. Where did you two truths in a lie? In orientation and college?

What did you hear? Do you remember? I used to always say I live in an island and everybody

“always picked that one as a lie. It was fun to see how many went. That's how many did that came.”

Fourth day, everybody else is 14, but, you know, advanced program. All right. Fortyth birthday party featuring the sister, a little Kyle, Steven and Ryan. Six foot two, 190 player comps the white kid who only made the team because he tried really hard. Could shoot absolutely no handle high effort, low ceiling. Every year, my birthday for the last 20 years, I put the treadmill on 12 miles an hour and sprint for three minutes, wide three, no idea.

It felt right at 20 and I never questioned it. My theory is the day I cannot finish it is the day I officially retire from calling myself an athlete, the entirety of the sprint. I repeat,

I love that. You know, there's not enough people doing that. 12 miles an hour for three minutes.

If you guys think you could do that right now, I'll say yes. 12, I don't know if I need to understand

“how fast I am. Is that a 12 on the treadmill? I think so, right? I think so. No,”

I don't need that. See, we're gone. Yeah, he would know this. Can we just type that in as I. Yeah, run the rest of this. Okay. So anyway, my best buddy from college turning 40, his wife reached out out of nowhere. That makes more sense. First time we've spoken in 15 plus years. She said, quote, I know this is a long shot, but would love to have you there. I love when people do this for 40s and 50s. You know,

I don't do it a lot for 30s. Not a lot of dudes out there being like, hey, it's Steve's 30th. I'm gonna fly some guys in. I love this guy. One of the best people I've ever known. He had a kid right out of college took a serious job. Then had two more kids or serious jobs. Life and distance

did their thing. I was on planes constantly for work and I know rush to settle down. We just never

reconnected, complication, bold fun. For about 10 to 12 years on and off, I was soaking up of this younger sister, started in college and continued randomly into our late 20s, different cities, random meetups, good times. He never knew. We're doing this theatrical read of this. It's good email. He never knew I'm very confident in that. I'm now married with a child. The sister does not know that. Yes, she does. We have not spoken since I met my wife. Look, there's enough technology now. Where

if you were hooking up with her on and off for a decade plus, unless you're completely off the grid, but mountain man, you know, there's a couple late night saws in a Google search and you might be like, whatever happened to dead, totally. I just picked a random name that could not be connected to. So do I go to the 40th knowing she will be there, bring my wife and risk awkward tension, go alone and risk even more awkward tension or send my best and leave the past where it is.

What do you want to go? If you if you want to go, I don't think there's any reason you should be weird about this. Do you tell your wife about what sense the the energy sexual tension sometimes they yeah, they can do they can tell so fast. He just comes over and hugs but you hooked up other than you. You're like fuck, I wouldn't even have a drink yet. It wouldn't be damage. It has to, you know, 15 years a long time to then just like pop back up. So easy to say, like thanks,

I'll send a gift or something like, I don't know. I'm trying to think 15 years when I jump back in there, both feet, flight, and all. I don't know if I would. I'd like to think I'm a good friend,

“but if it's been 15 years, that's what he said, right?”

Yeah, I think so, but there's no there's no shame in this though. If you don't want to go don't go, but it's things happen in people's past. This is like you're allowed to have a different life before you meet whoever you're your permanent partner. It's like this isn't like something where it's like why you're a bad person. I don't know why it has to be uncomfortable. I mean, if you would know, I guess your wife better if she is kind of weird about this stuff,

maybe you do avoid the situation. But if you want to go and you think it's going to be cool. You're not doing a bad thing by not disclosing this information. Yeah. Yeah. He built a wall. He got married and nothing bad happened. So it's not like there's anything that like, you know, timelines aren't matching up here. You know, if you brought the whole thing, honestly, it sounds like if you if your wife

went with you'd be like, hey, this guy you've never met, like it's his 40s, we're just in and out of

there and you want to come and like, we'll introduce you to everyone and then we probably won't

“get together again. I don't know. I honestly think I probably wouldn't go, not because I'm like,”

worried about what could or couldn't transpire. Just like, that's a long time to then just like drop everything for the 40s. Nice video message by cameo. I don't know. Yeah, we know. That's a beautiful person. Yeah. I think there are two very specific questions though that we need the guy to ask himself because we're not going to know the answer. How cool is your wife and how cool is the guy. Right. So if anything is picked up on by the wife

is your wife, somebody who understands that, you know, this is the way life works or would she be a little tougher to do with being like, I can't believe you haven't talked to this guy and forever and then you you put me in this awkward situation and I can already tell what's going on. And then on the other side, like, I get it. You know, brothers can be very different. Like I remember

all of a sudden the sister was dating somebody and I was like, oh, aren't you mad about that?

“He was like, why would I be mad? You know, he was like, according to like that, like,”

rule, then none of us would be around. Like eventually, like somebody's like, I'd rather her date somebody who I know is at least I know the guy than that goes to some complete stranger. So there's some back story, there's some history here. So yeah, I mean, I don't want it to be necessarily my best friend at the city, my sister. But, you know, there's, there's a lot

of mature people out there, man. And you'd be surprised at times, but there's also a chance, I mean,

the disparity of how nothing could happen versus like a doomsday scenario depends on all the

“different characters involved with this, like how intense is your wife about your past history,”

how understanding is she about this stuff? What is the sister like, like you did it and bad, where she's going to make some sort of statement? Wait, he said if she has any, he could do some internet sluiting could he find out if she's got somebody, like if she's married and like, and then you're like, it doesn't, like, again, that's for the proof it doesn't matter at all. She's like single and is looking for this as an opportunity for potentially to, to rekindle and he's all

attached. He has no idea. He has no idea on it. And, you know, I don't want to use the, uh, it's going to frame that differently. The narcissism word here, sometimes, and I look, I have no idea that's not what I'm doing. Everybody's going to call the narcissist now left and right here, but there can be like an ego of like everything is about you and it could just be an awesome party to rekindle with a friend. And when you roll in with your wife, like, I don't, chances are

in most of the therapy. Yeah. Like, there's not to be like, hey, can I talk to you? Well, she's ripping a parliament light, you know? Are they part of the lights? Yeah, those are the parts,

“those are the blue ones. Yeah, I think they're part of the light. What's the, what's the, what's the”

parliament vibe? Because I, so I don't, this is a quick aside, but there was like this guy fills in the bomb as at the beach resort who was smoking parliament full beard, kind of bigger, with wearing a CCCP shirt. So he was so big Soviet Union guy apparently, just ripping darts, ripping parliament's at the resort. And I was like, is that, I thought parliament's were like kind of round upon, but maybe it's not for Russians. I don't really know. There were more expensive than you

think, you know, they got that little, like, you know, whatever that little cavern is in the little cavern, you decide what you're, you decide what you're going to do with it. I don't know,

but I don't know. It's, it was always like, one of the more expensive cigarettes and, you know,

you got your brand, you know, I went from cool excels to new ports to reds. And that's where I got off the bus. So I don't know. That's just dude's got brands. I got a friend who only wants parliament. He says lights and I'm like, what color is that? They all, they all of these weird, it's like either blue or green or whatever. I don't know. It's just some people like it. Do that. There's still smoke of palm balls, you know, teeth, they're, good. Thank you. Yeah. All right, that'll do it for the show today.

Thanks to Kyle. Thanks to Steve. Thanks to Kevin. Thanks to Tom. And please subscribe and check us out on Netflix as well. The Ryan was the last show of our sports. Cheers. [Music]