Pardon My Take - Opening Day With Jeff Passan, We Finally Got A Great Tourney Game, Lebron vs The World, Fyre Fest + Severance Finale

Episode Date: March 28, 2025

We finally got a classic March Madness game as Texas Tech takes down Arkansas and Cal. Duke, Bama and Florida roll to the Elite 8. Kevin Willard goes out in a weird way (00:00:00-00:23:04). Lebron went on McAfee and caused waves including his renewed fight with Stephen A Smith and a new one with Brian Windhorst (00:23:04-00:44:17). Jeff Passan joins the show to talk MLB opening day, the potentially historic Dodgers, rookies to look out for, sleepers and tons more (00:44:17-01:21:45). We finish the show with Severance season Finale and fyre fest of the week (01:21:45-01:50:17).You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/pardon-my-take

Hey, pardon my take listeners. You can find every episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. On today's pardon my take, we have MLB opening day with our good friend Jeff Passon. We also have Attorney Game to Remember with Texas Tech taking down Arkansas. We're going to talk about the rest of the the sweet 16 Kevin Willard and the weirdest exit possible LeBron went on Pat McAfee and made some waves Renewed his rivalry with Stephen a Smith a new one with Brian Windhorse And then we were gonna finish the show with some severance finale talk and fire fest of the week

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March 28th and boys we we finally had some madness. Texas Tech down 16 with 10 minutes left takes down John Calpapari and the Arkansas Razorbacks. And I feel bad for Arkansas fans, but I laugh at Cal because that was an all time meltdown. And Hank just sent me a graphic. This is reading off. So, so, so Arkansas doesn't own all of this. 2021 missed the tournament. 2022 is all Cal. 2022 lost to 15 St. Peters. 2023 lost in the second round. 2024 lost to number 14 Oakland. 2025 blue 16 points second half lead. Yeah. I don't know that you can group this one in with the other ones because at least he got this far and he was a Ten seed yeah, don't give it was a it was a hog reveal. They're chokers

That was bad. It was a bad. It was a bad job in the second half for sure I don't know that you would put this on the same level as losing to a 15 This was a bad loss though, especially the way the Texas Tech was playing. Uh, Macmillan was out. They were not shooting the ball. Well, they were absolute monsters on the offensive glass. There was one possession where I'm like, I, I think, I think Texas tech got the offensive board like five times in a row and then finally willed the ball in the hoop because it felt like for the first 35 minutes of this game, Texas Tech every time they scored was a miracle and they found a way they willed it. They scored that three with nine seconds left.

And then the real egregious thing by Cal is he doesn't call timeout with nine seconds left. Just lets his team go down there. Boogie Flan takes a, takes kind of a fade away that the front iron that was avoidable and Texas tech incredible fight by them. They deserve all the credit. Well, it was the classic Todd Bowles. You can't take them with you. Yeah. You got the time out. Bernal, I guess he was like, I guess maybe we can just catch him by surprise. Yeah. But maybe his thought was that Darian Williams would be winded after backing the guy down. He wouldn't get back on defense. Maybe a travel. Darian Williams, by the way, I enjoy watching him play very much because he is just always bumping and

grinding and he's also in slow motion. He had a couple of moments where there was like a breakout and he just, he, he basically let the entire Arkansas defense get back. He's like, I'm not going to do that. Yeah. Big boy bumping and grinding boys are buzzing. I do feel bad for Arkansas fans Eric Mussman wouldn't have blown that lead. Oh, no, no chance. Absolutely not Richardson wouldn't blown out lead. Yeah. Yeah. We I mean we have fun with Cal. That was that was bad Well, I like Cal. He's I want him around in college basketball. He's fun, but that was a bad one They don't call it 45 minutes of hell. Yeah, it's 40 minutes of hell

So at that point Calipari is like, you know, they don't pay me for overtime Texas Tech Shot was they they actually shot 25% from three So they kind of cleaned it up at the end because they hit a couple but there was a moment there where they were shooting like 9% from three 22 offensive rebounds is ridiculous. Yeah, it's crazy. That's a ridiculous number and they're a good team and they've been injured like all year. They've had guys in and out. Uh, JT Toppin with that. He had that hook shot and overtime. That was just a thing of beauty, but Texas tech that we, we deserve that game. I'm glad that we

got some over time. I got that. I'm glad that we got some action. The sweet 16 because the first two games sucked. Bad games, bad job basketball. Well, bad games and listen, I bet BYU, I put a lot of money on them. Game of the year. I'm, I can hand up and say, uh, that was not a bad game. That was a nuclear explosion by Alabama. I don't think I've ever seen a team shoot the three like they did tonight. And that was what? PYU against Wisconsin. They didn't shoot it like that. It was pretty good. But yeah, Alabama, what they did tonight. They're playing Missoula ball. They shot 51 threes and they almost, they shot 20, they were 25 for 51. You actually could take out the last second Huck by Grant Nelson

at the end of the first half. That really wasn't an attempt. They were 50% from three shooting 53. If they hadn't shot a two point shot, they still would have won this game. It was insane. That's how crazy it would be. Take into account the three pointers and the foul shots that they made. If you eliminate every single two point basket that they made, they still would have beaten BYU. I'm just going to say it just because you're just being unnecessary, ugly there.

BYU shot 12 of 26, 46%. That's half the amount of threes against Wisconsin. It was crazy. They shot 51 threes and hit half of them. That's insane. It was absolutely nuts. I don't think any team in the country beats Alabama if they're shooting like that.

Oh, I agree. Like that was, and they were shooting from deep. They were shooting cause you know, BYU was trying to mix it up. They were throwing some zone at them. They were just shooting over the zone. Mark, Mark Sears was 10 for 16 from three, 10 for 16 from three. He just kept shooting and it just kept going in. It was, it was insane. I, I know we, we joke about Alabama because of our, our friend Rico Bosco that Alabama is fun to watch. And that was, that was an insane like offensive explosion. I mean, he scored 88 points and lost by 25. So I got a dumb question for you, big cat. Is it bad that they shot so good? Does that

ever carry over to that? If you have a, like a, an outlier, a game like this, that's so insanely good from three points Are they they're not gonna be able to keep that going, right? I think I think the rims in Newark might be a little soft because we saw it the Duke game to where Duke that was 193 points. Yeah, so so combined in in those two games was like over 400 points I guess you could also say they gave up 88 They did. Yeah, they gave up 88. But like, it's insane to give up 88 and still win by 25 and still just beat the shit out

of your opponent. Yeah, that Alabama team is that that's a scary that that is what if you're an Alabama fan, you just have in your back pocket where you're like, Hey, we could just come out and just shoot and hit every three and no one can beat us because they do have that. Yeah. And that was what we saw tonight. And it was incredible to watch. They weren't making their threes tonight. Like they were against Wisconsin. They were ice cold from the outside. I was hoping that the rim in the first half would translate and that BYU would

heat up in the second. They also, here's one thing I noticed about BYU. I've never seen a team miss as many alley oops as BYU missed. I even, I think it was a little bit racist how high they were throwing the ball and missing their alley. I would say some of them technically aren't even misses cause they wouldn't hit the player. Yeah. They were just turnovers. I don't know how the scores would, is that a shot? I think that's a turnover. I count that as a bad pass. Yeah. Yeah. It was like, I'm going to throw it. That guy can jump 13 feet in the air. Yeah, it was uh, yeah, the BYU is not not on their game. Alabama absolutely destroyed them Duke

I know is 193 but Duke just stopped playing Offense for like the last 10 minutes It felt like like running their real offense because it felt like they could they were in Control against Arizona for the entire game even got Caleb love who that was his last college game Went out on his sword scoring 35. We never got the bad Caleb love. We did it in tournament, but Duke looks so good. That game ended after that at the end of the half. Yeah. When Cooper flag hit the buzzer beater three, they're just so Duke just has so many guys and they're just, and when Cooper flags bringing up the ball, like what are you going to do?

So the way they ran this game especially After the first like 10 minutes the last 30 minutes of this game. It was Cooper flag on the inside running a two-man game Occasionally can nipple would drive to the hole too But they would just space out the defense and then let Cooper flag do whatever he wanted with the ball Yeah, and they couldn't stop him. There was no chance. No, he was phenomenal. He scored 30 points. He was he was all over the place. Yeah, con nipple. I think we got to just say nipple. Yeah, I do like when he does the shimmy and he gets to the baseline. I call it the nip slip. Yeah, that's a good move. Con nipple. Yeah, con nipple. Duke is fun. I have bad news. Duke is a fun basketball team. If you enjoy watching

basketball, you're going to love Duke Blue Devils. It's crazy. I don't want them to win at all, but I've been saying they're going to win at all. And I don't hate them the way that I usually hate Duke and it hurts me. Yeah, because they are fun to watch. They are. And then the last game, Florida killed Maryland and Florida is really, really good. I expect for to go to the to the final four we had Condon did get hurt for a little bit there, which was scary for Florida because that is their ceiling Yeah, him being out there and they're just an awesome team The story obviously though is Kevin Willard in the weirdest like three weeks stretch because this goes all the way back

I think before the Big Ten tournament right around the Big Ten tournament Kevin Willard should we first announce it. Congratulations Kevin Willard you are the head coach of the Villanova Wildcats. You got your guy Max. Congrats Max. You got your guy. Yep. How would you rate Kevin Willard's exit from Maryland? Not a great exit from Maryland but I'm worried about his tenure at Villanova. That's the past. We're worried about the future. OK. And Kevin Willard at Villanova.

So you just said the quote I heard from Max memes, I don't know if he caught this, was, I am worried about Kevin Willard at Villanova. Yeah, no. I'm focused on that. No, you said worried, though. But that's what I care about. That's my, I'm not worried about that.

I think that if I was in charge of a coaching search, I would take into account how poorly he handled the exiting of the Maryland job. And I'd be like, actually, I don't know if we're going to go ahead and do this. Maybe the people of Maryland are also doing a bad job behind doors, you know? OK, so from what we know. The Maryland athletic department seems like a shit show. It seems

like a shit show. And I feel, I want to say this, I feel really bad for Maryland fans because this should have been a really fun, like sweet 16 run. They hadn't gone to the sweet 16 in 10 years. You had Derek Queens buzzer beater on Sunday. It should have been a really fun, like this is the start of something big. And instead it was two weeks of just the weirdest press conferences and the weirdest headlines. And Kevin Willard from everything that I've read, essentially he's been the Villanova coach for like a week and a half now. He started this all two weeks ago, doing a press conference being like, Hey, we need more support. We need more NIL. We need all this stuff. Fine.

Totally fine. Everything I've read, Maryland basically said, okay, Kevin Willard, you're right. We're going to give you everything you want. And he's like, well, actually Villanova's going to give me, uh, I'm going to the big East. I want to go back to the big East and everything I asked for. Yeah, you delivered it, but I'm not going to take it. It's a bad position for a coach to be in because coaches, here's a newsflash, they have zero loyalty to whatever job that they're at. Correct. Unless it's one of probably like a dozen. There's probably a dozen schools that guys

are at where they're like, this is where I want to be as long as they'll have me. But outside of that, they will be looking for a higher paying job, a better job, if it's available. And it sucks. It sucks. This is the part that I don't like about college basketball, is this type of stuff. Because Maryland should have been such a good feel-good story.

It should have been, you know, I feel bad for the players. I feel bad for the fans. Because of the nature of the sport, they've had a bad for the for the players. I feel bad for the fans because the nature of the sport They've had a bad time going to the sweet 16, right? It has not been enjoyable There was nothing happy about this time for them There's really no fix like I can't think of a way to to make this right off the top of my head But I do maybe if just if reporters just if reporters agreed to stop asking coaches Well, no, no jobs. The fix is he could have done it one of two ways.

He could have done it the Will Wade way. Which I didn't mind. Yeah, and just say, yeah, I'm taking the Villanova job. I love these guys. I'm going to coach these guys. I'm going to coach my ass off for these guys, but I am gone. Or just basically don't talk about it at all,

because he did the thing. I understand coaches will do this all the time and it's bullshit but I also never going to begrudge someone taking a higher paying job or a job they want to go to for family whatever it may be but you could easily just say like I'm focused on this team I'm not going to talk about this my agent's going to handle everything he went on a radio show on Tuesday and said I'm the Maryland coach as of right now. That's crazy.

And this is the same thing that he did. He was at what? Seton Hall? Seton Hall. So when he was at Seton Hall, his season ended kind of the same way. And in the tournament, he was like, yeah, I've got an agent. I haven't talked to him yet, so I don't know what's going to happen. He was like very, very cagey about it, about the way that he left.

He said in his post-game press conference, the only thing I'm worried about right now is who my next boss is going to be. Yeah. He was still throwing shots at Maryland. Yeah, because say if the AD went to SMU, yeah, and he's like, I haven't talked to my wife, I haven't talked to my agent. That's all lies. He's talked to both.

Yeah. He's going to be announced the Villanova head coach. If he's not, I actually don't think you can go back if you're Kevin Willis. Well, so there was a report that came out that said that he is expected to take the job. I think it was Baltimore Sun, but Maryland is planning on making a latch last ditch effort to bring him back, which would be wild. So awkward. Because when they left the team hotel today to go to the game, the fans booed him. Maryland fans booed their head coach on the way to a sweet 16

game. And he, there was a, a, a report. It was a rumor. Who knows that he did not go to the team dinner last night. Do you think that's true? I, it might be because he, he strikes me the way he's handled this whole thing. And listen, again, I, people, most people aren't confrontational. I I don't I don't like confrontation he he probably was like I'm just gonna stay at home and do some game planning because I don't really want to sit with my players and my staff and have to have them make jokes or ask me questions yeah I think you're right I think the way to handle is just like I'm not going to talk about anything else not talking about it you got set the

ground rules right as a head coach not going to talk about the next job. Or the Will Wade. Not the halfway of as of right now on the Maryland Cup. Here's how I would handle it as somebody that would not feel comfortable doing the, yeah, I'm taking the Villanova job, but I'm still coaching these guys and I love these guys. I would probably say, I'm not going to talk about my future. I love these guys. Yeah. And then I'd shame the reporters for asking me about it. I love that. Focus on the kids. It the kids. I think it's highly offensive that you want to take the spotlight off the, off the players and their experience and try to divide us. I think that's a shameful thing to do. That's what is. Oh, did you see the is. Oh, when they asked him about the

transfer portal, he's like, I got guys here. I got 15 guys here that I love. I don't want to talk about new guys. I don't talk about the transfer portal. Yeah. It's my guys right here. Yeah. Like that. There is something you don't know when Kevin Willard has been coaching for 18 years. This was his first sweet 16 run and it basically was sullied by all of this. Like I just, again, it's, you can do whatever you want. You can take whatever job you want. There's just a way that you can avoid all of this. And he basically, he did the exact opposite of avoidance in the fact that he made it as murky as possible and he kept on having weird press conferences and kept on stoking the flames. Like he could have shut this down and he just didn't.

Yeah. He did a bad job quitting it. But I still think that whether you go that way or the, the will Wade way, it sucks that it's a conversation that happens. Yeah. I don't like that. It happens in March, especially with, I mean, this is how NIL works the the will Wade way it sucks that it's a conversation that happens yeah I like part of sports I don't like that it happens in March especially with I mean this is how NIL works now this how transfer portal that we always said that it was unfair that coaches could move and players couldn't now it is equal we have you know Scottie Pippen's son hit the transfer portal he's on Michigan Michigan's in the sweet 16 it's remember when a Bo Pabula did it for Penn

State when they're in the playoff. Yeah. This is just the reality of it. They should change. They should change when the transfer part because that's the other part is the transfer portal opening during the tournament or the transfer portal opening during college football playoffs is so fucking asinine and so backwards because I bet you not to excuse Kevin Willard, if the transfer portal opened, let's say April 15th, Kevin Willard would not have had to have his advanced talks with Nova because the pressure of like, you got to figure it out and you got to figure out who your coach is. You got to figure out the transfer portal starts so quickly. You know, it was crazy tonight too, is that the first half was close. It was 40 to 38 at halftime

Do you think you think Kevin Willard was like we're so close fuck it at halftime. I'm just gonna tell the boys I'm gonna open up my heart home. You're like, hey guys, there's been a lot of talk I want you to hear it from me first. Yeah, I am leaving Let's go out there and let's let's fucking win this game because I love you guys and I'm still coaching you right now And they took it the exact opposite way and they're like fuck this guy. Yeah. Yeah, probably it could definitely have happened That was his big motivational speech backfired big time Stephen Che was trying to get me on that this is the exact same thing as Liam Cohn the Bucks weren't still in the playoffs Yeah, they're not not the same like that's the thing is if Kevin Willard if if they're latter Queen's

Buzzer beater doesn't go in none of this is weird Like it was a little weird a couple weeks ago when he when he made the demands But he would have been the Nova coach and we all would have been like, okay that makes sense Which by the way, this is a stat that I wish that we had I wish that we had said this earlier in the week Teams in the last ten years are one in seven after a buzzer beater in the NCAA tournament in their next game. One in seven would have liked to have known that earlier. I think I saw it, but that also is like, how much of that stat is re like, I don't know.

It's real, but yeah, I understand. But is it just, I I'd have to look because you'd think maybe buzzer beatersers what you think it's directly correlated you hit a buzzer beater you lose the next no I think I think it has more to do with maybe an underdog that shouldn't win the game right and they end up winning at the very last second right look you shot they're less likely to beat a better team in the next round right it has nothing to do with the actual shot right and how you see a ride stats are stats stats are stats but you'd probably have to look into it a little more numbers never lie numbers never lie Hank how did

you like the games tonight they were great I like the it's fun fun night it's better better than last weekend yeah and we should have I mean the elite eight matchups now this is the the whole deal we made is there was no upsets at the beginning of the tournament, but Duke Alabama is going to be great. Texas Tech Florida should be great. These are great games. Kentucky, Tennessee tonight. Yeah.

It's stacked. Yeah. We're living in the best times. Michigan, Auburn. The crown starts on Monday. I don't know if you guys have seen, but I'm actually jacked up for the crown. I'm not going to watch the crown. Yeah, you are. Is there a show on Netflix. You know why you're gonna watch the crown

You're gonna watch the crown because the crown starts Monday at 2 p.m. I like the timing yeah And it goes 2 p.m. 4 37 30 10 o'clock you're gonna watch the I can't turn my back on in IT stew Oh, I'm sorry crew also. I should mention on Tuesday, 2 PM, 4 30, 7 30, 10 o'clock. You're going to watch the crown buddy. It's good having basketball. I'm going to watch. I mean the timing of it is no brainer. Yeah, it's great. What are the matchups? Which crown matchup are you most excited? Okay. Tell me the teams and they'll tell you how excited I am. Nebraska, Arizona state could be good.

Washington State, Georgetown, it might take the over in that. Utah, Butler, George Washington, Boise State. We need to find a crown expert. DePaul, Cincinnati, UCF, Oregon State, Villanova, Colorado, Tuesday night, Tulane, USC. Where are they playing the games? Vegas. Okay. All of them being played in Vegas. So Yeah, I'm a crown guy. I'm

Excited for the crown. I want max. Will you be live streaming every crime? Yeah, no Yes, I get fucked up with it. I'm looking at Pacific time. I don't know what that means. What do you mean? So all of these are two hours back? Why is your computer not having it? Well I'm looking at the bracket. Oh. So on the printout bracket it says Pacific.

So that means that you need to add two hours to it. Just look at the website. Got it. I also like that the Final Four of the Crown is the same day as the real Final Four, but it's just before. So if you're like craving, Oh, that's great. So it's 1230 and three our time. So it'll be like going right up until the final four. What about the championship Sunday? Love it. Yep. Love it. It's great. It's a crown guy. It's good scheduling. It's good

scheduling for the crown. your crown with a sickness Sure, I don't know what that means at all It's a lyric What down with the sickness? Oh? God I got it got it got it got it got it. I thought this I don't know my bad Just say I'm crown with a sickness. Yeah. Yeah, I'm crown with the sickness fuck. Yeah fuck. Yeah All right, we got we got to talk some LeBron. Before we do that, Hank, will you look up what the prices are in game time for the Cubs opening day

next Friday? Sure. Baseball is back. There's nothing like getting to a baseball game, especially last minute. Lucky for me, I always use game time. The official ticketing partner of Barstool Sports. Game time makes getting tickets faster and easier.

Prices on the app actually go down the closer it gets to showtime. Plus the Game Time picks feature makes it even easier to find the great deals on the seats you want. Just pull up your chosen event and turn on the GT pick setting at the top of the screen or browse the best local Game Time picks deal near you on your Game Time app homepage. Cubs opening day Friday against the Dodgers. Yeah, I think it's going to be a nice day too. And you can get into Wrigley for just $64. Wow. Use the Game Time picks. You can put those savings back in your pocket and spend them at the ballpark on a hot dog, a new hat, or some good old fashioned crackerjack. What are you waiting for?

Buy those Cubs Dodgers tickets now with Game Time picks. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, use code PMT for $20 off your first purchase, terms apply. Again, create an account, redeem code PMT for $20 off. Download the Game Time app today. What time is it? Game Time. Okay, LeBron James. He went on a Pat McAfee show on Wednesday, lit the world on fire, then hit a game winner against the Pacers. Then we should mention he had the laziest entry pass ever in the Bulls who were very hot. One on a Josh Giddy half court shot, which was an incredible if you didn't watch, I would assume a lot of

people didn't watch the Bulls Lakers just pull up the clips for the last 40 seconds It was insane. It was nuts three to cut it within two Yeah, and then stolen inbounds pass Kobe White was just on fire again Go ahead and walk it and then was it Lakers scored a two. It was it was Luca to Austin Reeves Yeah, they go ahead and then giddy hits a half court shot half court shot But LeBron Versace LeBron conversation LeBronversation Great name for for the interview. I have some takes. I want to hear what you guys have to say my first take is

How pissed do you think skip bailuses? That he's not involved LeBron goes on this com on this on Pat McAfee show was actually like pretty entertaining. You know, I like the whole thing. You didn't hear LeBron. LeBron doesn't do these type of interviews often. And he started a war with Brian Winnhorst. He went at Stephen A. Smith again. And said the NBA was rigged. Say the NBA was rigged. Said Yanis could have dominated the 70s. Said his team that made the finals When he was younger was a joke basically shed on it like the yeah, yeah But all this to say skip Bayless was not mentioned once and all skip Bayless wants to do is get mentioned by LeBron He's the big loser in all of this. Yeah, yeah skip was really he was grasping that straws tonight because he was pissed He was mad at LeBron. He was calling him out for losing the game tonight in the home palace of Michael Jordan yes so he was laying in extra hard trying to make LeBron seem like a loser but in reality skip was just like maybe he'll talk maybe you think maybe he's gonna call

like Stephen a by my name yeah and this in the LeBron conversation but I thought that LeBron and then Stephen a's response to LeBron, they just need to have a fucking conversation on a podcast together. They need to quit talking about each other behind each other's backs. They need to just sit down and do it all in a room. You think that this is all the work to get Stephen A Smith some ratings? I don't know to get the NBA talked about. It does feel very workish at this point. I have not given up on my conspiracy theory that LeBron is starting a separate league. Him basically admitting that, you know, he believes the NBA was rigged is further evidence of it. It's trying to put it a little crack. Yeah, crack. Yeah, Hank, I've agreed with you since day one,

when LeBron said that he was thinking about starting his own league That would rival the NBA after they've done everything just bending over for him for the last 25 years I thought that fair play on both sides Until Stephen a was like you didn't go to Kobe's funeral and well, no he also say that I know One point good point he things that he was never brought up. Yeah. And then he brought him up. There are things that he could have brought up in the past, which he hasn't, and he will

continue to not bring them up. Correct. And those things as he listed them were, I didn't bring up that you didn't go to Kobe's funeral. Yeah. I get it right when I'm talking about the news between you and your son. There were things about your son's illness. I'm so thankful that he's okay. And then he just moved on from that

point. Yeah. And also the Dwayne way it didn't go to Dwayne Wade's hall of fame induction. That's right. But when he fired the shot about Brawny, that was the weirdest one to me because he didn't finish his thought on it. It was almost like one or two things happened either one, he was letting LeBron know that he knew something that he wasn't going to detail or two things happened either one he was letting LeBron know that he knew something that he wasn't going to detail or two he just decided mid sentence oh fuck I better not go there because LeBron's gonna kick my ass right and then moved on but that part was really weird to me and then also oh yeah it turns out that LeBron did go to Kobe's funeral

and he just asked to not be photographed there, right? He didn't want to make it about himself, right? the so that that the Stephen a Smith LeBron stuff, I mean It's basically just giving Stephen a Smith life, but it's a power move by LeBron to do McAfee show like I biggest LeBron hater, but Yeah, he hates Stephen a and Stephen a hates McAfee So yeah way to get back at Stephen a going on McAfee like that's a you got to tip your hat And I thought Pat did a really good job because Pat does do a good job of like asking questions that are uncomfortable like just getting right to it the one the couple things I

Like him going after Stephen a was fine. Whatever like Stephen a that's the game. Stephen a wants to be talked about I thought the windy shot was weird. Yeah. The windy shot was weird just because like, I don't think Brian Winnhorst ever said he's best friends with LeBron. No. And he's also everything I've like heard from Wendy he's always pretty effusive in praise of like, I wouldn't have a career if LeBron like I wasn't in the same place, same time as LeBron James. I think maybe what LeBron sort of everybody else being like Wendy is best friends with LeBron. That's why he gets all the LeBron scoops. But Wendy has never said that. It just, everybody else being like, Wendy is the guy that has everything about LeBron. But it's also very funny because LeBron, you should probably look at your inner

circle because they're probably the ones talking to Wendy. Yeah. Right? Yeah. I also, if I was Wendy, I would have been like, I wish that LeBron would say that to my face because I'd have to, I'd have to swing on him. When he had the whole media responding for him having his back. Yeah. So like and these are minor things because again overall I like the interview and I thought LeBron was more relatable than he's been in a long time. The the other one that I was just like, this is weird. The Yannis scoring 250 points in the 70s, that just feels... It feels desperate of trying to push, you know, I'm the goat conversation. And it always strikes me as weird when guys bash the people who came before them.

Who not only, like 70s NBA players, teams, games were on tape delay, guys weren't being paid a ton of money, they were traveling like shit. Like those guys built what the NBA eventually became. So you should have a little more like reverence for those guys, I would assume. But it's also weird to me because if you're bashing guys from the seventies, what do you think is going happen in 40 years? You're gonna get bashed? Yeah, right it's like it's like having a conversation like Everyone knows someone who's a big gossip and always has like insight, you know telling you

Oh this guy's doing this like and they ask you what's going on in your life? And they're like no you're just gonna tell this to everyone else You can't if you're gonna bash the 70s seventies, they're going to bash you eventually. Or it's like hypothetically, if a coach left the job unceremoniously, what do you think he's going to do to your job at some point? Right. It's just so weird to me. Like you're going to get, it's going to come around on you, LeBron. I don't know why you could just take the high road and be like the guys in the seventies were great in their own way. The errors have changed. Basketball has evolved,

but I appreciate them. And I hope people will appreciate what I've done for the sport in 40 years. Also, if ya is he saying that if you took modern day Janice and then just teleported him back in time and dropped them in the middle of the game, he would dominate. Okay. That's, that's probably correct. Yeah. He'd probably be the best player by, by far. But also if you were to take Janice and then have him be born in that era, right? He probably would never play in the NBA because they didn't scout in Greece.

Correct. And so LeBron, if he had been born in that era, probably would have been a great player, great basketball player, one of the best. But would he have been as he wouldn't be a carbon copy of who he is today. Would he have been able to play for 20 plus years? No way. Super teams didn't exist. He might never have won a title. Yeah. But he also like his career longevity is because of how far we've come in sports science. You'd think like to bash those guys. They were playing in fucking converse and Chuck Taylor. Yeah. I don't like him going

at Wendy. I don't like Wendy was too much. I don't like that. But I do like the fact that Stephen A is like, I would have swung on him if you put hands on me Yeah, I love that. Yeah, I like and then I also fair play by LeBron posting the boxing video of Stephen a Smith Yeah, be like bring it on. It's a good rivalry. It's a great rivalry. It is a great rivalry The other two ones I think that Stephen a Smith and Pat McVie don't like each other. I think there was a report Definitely because Stephen A definitely Stephen A seemed very complimentary to Pat McAfee earlier. I think that's been it's been the beef has been settled. But I think there was a beef six months ago. Okay. This also Stephen

A was in a contract here. So I think he probably was, you know, hangry. Yeah, he's never been on McAfee show. Oh, he hasn't I didn't know that No, I didn't know that Wow So yeah, I mean that's not really like I know there was all can only confirm that but uh other two funny side pieces of the LeBron Versation I saw this This tweet from Justin term term mine. I'm sorry if I fucked up your name dude termine radio host the NBA today four to seven Eastern on Sirius XM The most disturbing part of this entire interview was the amount of swearing for a guy who claims he understands his responsibility as a role model

Very disturbing makes you appreciate guys like Steph Curry even more. Very disturbing fact. Fact. I was disturbed. The part that I liked the most was the swearing. Yeah. Yeah. It makes it relatable. Yeah. And then the other one was a Hank your boy perk down bad. Did you see that? Perk says that he blocked LeBron's number after LeBron unfollowed him on Twitter. Perk is down bad. I mean Perk also was like- That's a dead- Does he understand what- like blocking someone's number who never calls you and who just unfollowed you?

You're blocking somebody that already broke up with you. I got your ass. I was actually thinking about this one. That is probably so that he doesn't reach out to LeBron. To stop himself. You think Perk has LeBron in his phone is do not text yeah do not text and you get a couple glasses of red wine and perk The gum cut off from the Celtics to he did yeah

for what for like talking shit last year being like break up the Jays and and you know this team's not gonna win a title and So he like he's not even welcome back like with an organization really KD kind of roasted him too. Yeah, no, he's gotten he's he's just burned all his bridges. Damn, damn. That's tough. The swearing was bad swearing was very no it wasn't bad.

It was very disturbed. It was fucking awful. It was very disturbing. Okay. And we'll be opening day. Yeah, talk with Jeff passing in a minute about, uh, I would say everyone should listen because he's great at giving us a lot of the nuggets, storylines, rookies that you got to watch out for. So you can know before everyone else knows, uh,

how'd everyone's MLB opening day go? Uh, Tyler O'Neill had a home run, so it went pretty good for me. Six straight. Six straight opening days. Crazy. He was just like, I have no idea what's going on with me after he hit this one. He's automatic. Cubs are 1-0. Phillies 1-0. Cubs are 1-0.

I'm not counting Japan. I'm not counting Japan. Yeah, but Max are 1-0 with an overtime win, so it's really, we got a point too. We don't play hockey. We're playing hockey. We're playing hockey today. Hank? I was pumped actually. I was pumped actually I was pumped. I don't know. Yeah, I was pumped McKinsey gore had 13 strikeouts through six innings Yeah, he was yeah, but Alec Bohm said after the game that was cuz shadows. Oh

Okay, well he also pitched there last year, and he wasn't as good so shadows four o'clock He was having no game should ever be how many strikeouts did your guy have max you don't even He was having no game should ever be how many strikeouts did your guy have max? You don't even my your guy. Yeah, best pitcher in the NL. Yeah, how many how many strike your guy? Guy I'm asking you a question you know, I think you had nine you haven't answered Let's see. Let's look it up memes. How was Soto's debut? You got a hit in his first event. How was his last at bat? Not great. Oh, what happened bad strikeout? Oh Yankees win today We will win tomorrow. What? No, I'm just saying today was a win for the Yankees. Oh, they dominate. Oh, are we keeping up?

Are we doing game by game score on the Yankees versus Zoto? Okay, I'd like you to update that every time we do a show today. Today was the Yankees win Alright, so when we do Sunday show. Today was the Yankees win. Alright so when we do Sunday's show I want Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Done. The best pitcher in baseball had eight strikeouts Max. Eight. Eight strikeouts, six innings, one run. That's. McKinsey Gore had 13 strikeouts, six innings, and zero runs. Which one's better? Seven to three the final score. No we're talking about pitching. We're talking about the starting pitchers. Okay, they got a point to we had an overtime point. You lost the game.

Dude, over to learn. Learn how to score. Matt, I have a question for Max. Thank I actually already threw this out to PFT. We're going to talk about this with with Jeff passing because we were talking about rookies. Cam Smith. What? You don't like Jeff pass? He might've had some words for you at the end. Cam Smith made the opening day roster for the Astros. He was part of the Kyle Tucker trade. A lot of Cubs fans are like, this sucks. Cam Smith is going to be awesome. I think I'm rooting for Cam Smith to win AL rookie of the Year and I might even bet it.

And the Masters. And the Masters. Because if he wins AL Rookie of the Year, then Tom Ricketts has to re-sign Kyle Tucker, otherwise it's one of the worst trades ever. You think owners think that way? I don't know, but I'm just, I'm trying to think optimistic. It's early, it's opening day. Do you think that's stupid? I don't think it's stupid. Whatever makes you feel better. Well everyone's inclination is if you trade a prospect, you don't want him to be incredible

right away. But Kyle Tucker's on a one year deal and the goal is to obviously resign him. If Cam Smith is incredible and you're like, wow, we traded him. I think what you're really hoping. Let me you're hoping. That's the best coke. Let me cut through. That's preseason coke. All right, all right. I was just working out. I get it.

It doesn't equal two. I get it. I understand the sentiment entirely. But here's what you're doing. You're really hoping that your guy is good and that he stays around for a long time. Well, Kyle Tucker is good. But you hope that he continues to be good. Right. You don't want them to put like a Tucker is good. But you hope that he continues to be good. Right.

You don't want them to put like a Jason Hayward type contract on him when he appears to be good just because you don't want to miss out on the guy that you traded away. And then that contract becomes something that you want to get rid of for the next four years. But Kyle Tucker is good and he's been good and he's on the right side of 30, a little different than Jason Hayward. What if Cam Smith wins rookie of the year and they don't resign? Then it's a disaster. But you're rooting for that. I'm rooting for the pressure to be turned up to resign Kyle Tucker. And in reality I know the other side of this. I mean I guess you could you could apply that pressure. Right.

And the other side of this which I've thought this all through is The real way this is probably gonna work out is Cam Smith will be great and then Kyle Tucker won't get re signed with the Cubs and Tom Ricketts will the only Lesson he will learn from this is never trade prospects and then we'll hold on to prospects forever and they'll never be good That's also possible. That's probably the reality. It, listen, it was a dumb thought. I threw it out there. I don't know. I don't know. I don't think it's a dumb thought. You have to protect yourself. So maybe I should bet cams at the wind work of the year. You have to protect yourself somehow. I won't judge you for how you choose to do that. Okay. Kyle Tucker is very good. Yes. Kyle Tucker is a guy you want. Yes long term

Yes, and I'd like them to do that dumb thought but we'll see maybe I'll bet it thought. Yeah Also all the bad teams won today. Yeah, a lot of the bad teams won today So you had the Marlins they beat the the Pirates and then you had the White Sox beat the Angels My method this year, I'm not gonna be fading one team. I'm diversifying Oh, so I'm gonna be fading right what I project to be the three worst teams in baseball Which would be the White Sox the Marlins and the Rockies So I'm oh and two on the season on that not off to a good start, but the seasons young Season is one one day also. I saw some Yankees guys looking a little bit

disheveled with the new grooming standards I hope I hope that the Yankees come out tomorrow and they say yeah you know when we told you that we relaxed the grooming standards that was a test to see who is a true Yankee yeah who wants to be and and those of you that took advantage of that see ya I like to take a hike I like that it was a hike. I like that. It was entrapment. It was entrapment. We got you. We found out. We weeded it out. Cut all the guys that aren't true Yankees. Yep. I like your diversification, although it's the reverse Mark Titus. Our friend Mark Titus bet the Marlins parlayed with the White Sox to both win their respective divisions $5 to win $350,000. Pretty good. off to a 2-0 start if the season ended today that would cash uh would it do

they beat division rivals I don't know if it was I don't know if it would I'm looking at the Marlins beat the Pirates the Phillies also what he's won the Phillies won the in-division game so the Phillies also what he's won. Yeah, Phillies won an indivision game. So the Phillies are probably although technically I'm looking right now, the Marlins are listed first and the White Sox are listed second. So wow, might not work out there. It's right there. He just needs 161 more of those from both teams who are both going to lose over 100 games. Definitely. Okay, let's talk some more baseball and we'll be opening day with Jeff Passon

and then we have Severance spoilers and Fire Fest after Jeff Passon and then we'll, yeah, get to that. Okay, before we get to Jeff Passon talking baseball, guess what, it is summertime. It's about to be summertime, it's spring, but it's about to be summer. And truly unruly is our drink of the summer. Truly unruly is the first high ABV hard seltzer

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trulyhardseltzer.com. We're also brought to you by our friends at Tax Act. Can you believe we're getting to the end of March and your taxes are due on April 15th? Hank, do you have any tips? Yeah, use TaxAct.com. They make it super easy. They got expert assist. They got everything you need to do your taxes. Okay. This is 100% credentialed and 100% US based?

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Anything else, Hank? It's crunch time and you want to get it right. Tax act makes it easy so you can get them over with and be done for the season. Okay. Tax act.com. Awesome. Thank you, Hank. Go to tax act.com. Okay. Here he is talking baseball, Jeff Passon. tax act dot com. Okay. Here he is talking baseball, Jeff passing. Okay. We now welcome on a very special guests friend of the program. It is Jeff passing from ESPN. It is opening day. We're going to air this on Friday. So we're already going to see opening day, although

technically the cubs are owned too. I told you in text, I'm not, I'm just not going to acknowledge those two losses. I don't think they should count. They should have done an exhibition game, but it leads into my first question, uh, for storylines going into this baseball season. Are the Los Angeles Dodgers bad for baseball? Everyone loves asking this question and it's the problem with it is if I say yes, then I'm lying. But if I say no, then it infuriates everybody because I think fans of every team outside of the Dodgers believe that the Dodgers are bad for baseball.

And I understand, like I get the sentiment. They have an incredible team. They have a chance to win more games than any team in major league baseball history this season, if they can manage to stay healthy. And, and when you put everything against the backdrop of that and of the fact that they're going to spend a half billion dollars this year, when you've got a handful of teams that have payrolls under a hundred million dollars and we're so conditioned

to this parity salary wise because the NFL and the NBA and the NHL all have salary caps. Of course, it must be that the Dodgers are ruining the sport. And yet when I pull back and try and look at this rationally, they are playing in a collective bargaining agreement that was agreed to by all 30 owners. Now, I bring that up because they decided for this system. What the Dodgers have done is they've taken the natural advantages that they've had and use them incredibly well. Like if the Dodgers sucked at developing players, or if the Dodgers sucked at analytics, or if the Dodgers sucked at any of the areas

where they're actually good, they wouldn't be this seemingly unbeatable machine that we see right now. The problem is when you have a system that operates like major league baseballs, and then you have a system that operates like Major League Baseball's, and then you have a team that not only has that financial advantage, but is incredibly smart with how it deploys its resources too, you have the opportunity for a team that looks unstoppable.

The only way to remedy that is not through a salary cap, because if Major League Baseball, when the collective bargaining agreement expires in December, 2026 says the only way we're going to go back to playing again is under a salary cap system. We're not going to have baseball in 2027, right? Like it is plain and simple. They're not going to be players are not going to be bullied

and cajoled into accepting a cap because the notion that the cap is like this panacea that that it's going to fix all of baseball's problems. No, a cap would not necessarily do that. It would help in some regards, but it wouldn't fix things. And so because of that, I think we have to live with the idea that we've seen a team like the Dodgers in the past. They're called the New York Yankees. This was the narrative throughout the early 2000s, the late 90s, when salary

disparity really started coming into baseball. And what the Yankees did is they spent themselves into a bad position. We've seen the New York Mets guys spend themselves into a bad place. Money does not necessarily equal success in major league baseball. We've seen the New York Mets guys spend themselves into a bad place. Money does not necessarily equal success in Major League Baseball. It allows you to make mistakes and it gives you opportunity at those high level players that some teams just don't have access to. And that's not great.

Like if you want to say that part is bad, I would agree with you on that. But is it bad enough where you're gonna put constraints in place that ultimately hurt the players, the people who we watch these games for? We don't watch it for the laundry, we watch it to watch incredible athletes do incredible things, and if you're trying to do something that harms them in the name of parody, you're barking up the wrong tree. All right, so I'm gonna wait for this season to happen to answer that last question. Is it bad enough that we need to change everything? Because if the Dodgers win like 125 games

and then sweep their way to the world series, then we're, I'm just going to play the results and be like, yeah, it's broken. How many games do you think they actually can win? Cause they are, they, they won the world series last year and then they added a ton of pitching and it feels like even if they have some injuries, they have guys that could step up like realistically is the record, uh, something that you could like be like, yeah, we could be talking about this in late August. Yeah. I mean, we're looking at 116 games from the Seattle Mariners and let's not forget that Mariners team bombed out like in the first round of the playoffs too. So that's like when I tried to to answer that question of the Dodgers good or bad for baseball right.

One of the things I always go back to is that I can more or less guarantee that the Dodgers are going to be in the postseason and there are only 12 playoff spots. So there's a lot of value in that, but let's look past 2024 and back to 2023. They got swept in the first round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. So let's look back to 2022. They got beaten by the San Diego Padres. Let's look back beyond 2020 when they won the COVID world series. They hadn't won a world series since 1988 and they have been spending back beyond 2020 when they won the COVID World Series. They hadn't won a World Series since 1988 and they have been spending not quite to this level, but pretty similarly over that time.

And so the great equalizer in baseball is that it's postseason is just kind of a crap shoot. Like even the best team is gonna go into a series with like a 60% chance of winning, not a whole lot higher than that. Right now, if you look at the Dodgers, like the most favorable projections, have them at like a 25% chance to win the World Series.

Now, if you ask me, would you take the Dodgers or the field? Even though the numbers suggest otherwise, I'd probably still say the Dodgers, just because beyond their stars, guys, they have so much depth in the organization and depth matters. Depth allows you to weather the injuries. Depth allows you to weather the ineffectiveness from some guys you might not have expected. That's one thing the Dodgers have done incredibly well.

They have developed players who can either step in for free agents who leave or be there when guys get hurt. Yeah. I think they might be bad for baseball though, because here's why. Hear me out. Now we're not complaining about the Yankees being bad for baseball. We're complaining about the Dodgers being bad for baseball. And I miss that. I miss being able to do that. You were talking about the salary, obviously with a league that doesn't have the same salary cap like the NFL does, it's not built for parity. Has there been more discussion about the salary floor and having a high salary floor? So some of these teams that, you know, get away with not spending any money at all, some would say it's disrespectful to their fan base.

They're just printing money. They know they don't have to win to make money. Has there been a discussion about incorporating that into the next CBA? A floor comes with a cap. a cap comes with a floor, the two shall never be separated. And, you know, as somebody who looks at like the Pittsburgh Pirates and sees Paul Skeens on a near minimum contract and sees Jared Jones before he got hurt, But Mitch Keller, they've got Bubba Chandler coming up. The Pirates have an incredible pitching staff and they didn't do shit this off season. I should be the person who's yelling about this because I live in Kansas City because I grew up in Cleveland because I embody like the Midwestern thought process

when it comes to sports. And you know, when you have a team like the Pirates, I look at them and I'm like, try just once. Just once, please go out and try to field a winning team. I look at Cleveland, they traded Andre Cimenez, lost Josh Naylor this offseason, they won the American League Central last year. Another team didn't do shit. And it just bothers me as a sports fan and somebody who loves nothing more than widespread competitiveness, that some of these teams that are in position to go out and potentially win world series, don't treat their seasons like it.

It's disrespectful to fans. It's disrespectful to the game. And listen, I would love for there to be a salary floor in place in order to force some of these teams to go and spend. We saw this off season, the Oakland A's actually went out. Sorry, that's the A's, not Oakland anymore. But the A's went out this off season and spent some money. And the reason PFT, they did that is because they were in position for the Major League Baseball Players Association to file a grievance for them not spending enough of their revenue sharing money. Now, that was enough of a threat for them to go out and spend,

but it wasn't seemingly enough of a threat for the Miami Marlins who were in the same position to go out and do that. And I understand if you're going to pull back and do a full rebuild, it kind of makes sense just to bottom out what your payroll is going to be. But that doesn't make the game better. Right. And when too many teams are doing that, when the lack of incentives to win are in place,

it's problematic for the sport, which is why I think MLB and the Players Association in particular did a really good job in the past collective bargaining agreement of draft pick penalties, where you can't pick multiple years in a row inside of the lottery if you are at a certain salary level or a certain market level. So there are little things that are helping, but they haven't solved the problem at this point yet. And it's why when we get to that

collective bargaining time, you need smart people in the room to make decisions that positively impact the sport writ large. Yeah. All right. So let's do NLAL. So NL is, I would say is more top heavy than the AL. It feels like obviously you have the Dodgers, the Mets spent a lot of money. The Braves are getting a bunch of guys back, including Acuna. So in the NL, is there a team that you have circled in the NL, is there a team that you have circled as like, Hey, this is a team that no one's looking at that could possibly break through this Mets Dodgers, Braves, possibly Phillies diamond backs, like top of the NL that looks top heavy. I think people are sleeping on Cincinnati a little bit. Um, you know,

Ellie Della Cruz has a chance to be a super duper star. And Matt McClain, who's in second baseman there, was out all of last season. He's an all-star caliber player. And Hunter Green at the front of their rotation. And they're managed by Terry Francona, who all he's done throughout his career is win. The Reds sort of stagnated last year. I think

I might have picked them to win the Central last year. But in a division as wide open as that is, I like a team that has some youth on its side. I like a team that has a little bit of energy going on and the Reds feel like they could be that team this year. Because you're right. In the National League, you've got your clearly established teams that are either going to be good all the way to great in the East. It's the Braves the Phillies and the Mets in the Central. I don't know if anyone's good all five could win that division frankly and in the West the Dodgers clearly at the top, but the Diamondbacks had the best offense in baseball last year and added Corbin Burns, the best free agent starting

pitcher this offseason. The Padres still have a ton of talent and did a good job adding Nick Pivetta to a rotation that really needed another starter. And the Giants are an improved team and it'll be interesting to see A, how Willie Adamis plays there and B how much Justin Verlander Who's like well into his 40s now has left? Yeah, so in that central We got to check in on the health of our guy Christian Yelich He's very important to this podcast for reasons we could get into with you, but I don't think you want to hear about well Actually, let's ask him if there's no way you're aware of what we have with Christian Yelich I hope you're not doing your job if you're aware

of it. I am happy to say that I am not. It's for the best. Please enlighten me. So he had back surgery, right? Are we thinking that a guy like Christian Yellich would be able to compete in the home run derby this year? I don't give a shit about that. Why? Why do you? It's very important. if Christian Yelich ever wins a home run Derby in his career, we have to eat each other's asses. Yeah. Okay. I do suddenly give it. Yeah, right. It's very important to us. How can you not be romantic about baseball? Could he compete?

I don't know if he could, but I do know that I have some favors to call it. Well, there was a year that he hurt his back right before. So this all comes from we, he's been a friend of ours for a while now. We first had him on in think 2017 and we were joking with him that he doesn't really have a good home run swing and it was also the time that there was a porn going around where the guy in the porn was a doppelganger for Christian yellow. She looked exactly like him and we brought it up to him. He's like, yeah, I get tagged in a lot. And then then it just went to that, you know, the old like I'll eat my column. PFT. I were like, well we'll eat each other's asses. So, but you're

saying he probably can't. No, no, I'm not. In fact, I'm rooting really hard for it. Now I'm going to make sure that like the juice, like the especially juice balls are there for him. Oh yeah. Okay. All right. So the ale, I feel, I feel like like after I watch I watched the latest white lotus last night Yeah, this is like a bit. Yeah, it's a very white lotus. Yeah People off we'll get back to Jeff passing in a second He's brought to you by noble if you're gonna work out you've got to try noble footwear. I'm wearing them right now I've been wearing them all week

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And now here's more Jeff Passan. In the NL, can you give us like, who do you think, who should be keeping an eye on for rookies? Like upstarts that we're going to want to know their names, but we know their names now because you just gave them to us. Yeah. You know the the rookie class this year is not all that great on the National League side. The guy who I picked, I mentioned him a little earlier. mentioned him a little earlier, is Bubba Chandler with the Pirates. And I think you guys will, I don't know if you saw this story, but I think you'll appreciate it. So Paul Skeens, you know, probably the best pitcher in baseball right now, after less than a year in the big leagues, gets named opening day starter for the Pirates. And Bubba Chandler was a guy who I think he went to

Clemson to play football, got drafted, was a two-way player, like just an extraordinarily athletic guy, but pirates made him a full-time pitcher, fastball up to 100 now, great breaking stuff, good control and commit, like he's going to be a guy. I picked him to win rookie of the year this year, but on the day Paul Skeens was named opening day starter, he got a text from Bubba Chandler and I don't have the exact words, but it essentially said, um, enjoy it while it lasts, because next year I'm going to be starting opening day. Wow. I love that. I adore that. The guy

hasn't thrown a pitch in the big leagues yet and he's got the balls to text the guy who is best at what they do right now and say, get out of my way. And that's that, I mean, it's confidence, it's swag. It's a dog. It's a big Bubba Chandler fan already. Yeah. A great bubble move too. Yeah. I like my bubbles a little cocky. Yes. Absolutely. All right. So what about the AL rookies? We get, we cause PFT is right. We just need to basically come away from this and our listeners do where they can just say, oh yeah, you hear about Bubba Chandler. He might be better than Paul skeins. And everyone's like, damn, you know, Paul, uh, Christian Campbell is my pick for the American league.

He, you know, he started off this season as potentially the second baseman or the favorite going in for the Red Sox after being minor league player of the year last year. And he just kind of stunk at the beginning of spring training. And there was, the gloss wore off a little bit, but the Red Sox believe in the bat. And I understand why it's an unorthodox swing,

but he's got incredible contact skills. And through this work, I wrote a story about this earlier, this spring on Roman Anthony, Marcel Meyer and Campbell, the big three prospects with the Red Sox and Boston's doing like a bit different form of training of hitters than there used to be. And hitting has fallen so far behind pitching in major league baseball that has fallen so far behind pitching in Major League Baseball that it is one of those things that's kind of broken and could use some fixing. And I think these guys with Campbell actually winding up making the Red Sox opening day roster, playing at second base, forcing Alex

Bregman over to third and Rafael Devers to be DH. He's the favorite, I would say at this point. Do not sleep on Jackson Job, right-hander with the Detroit Tigers, who's in their rotation, as well as Cam Smith, who, Big Cat, I think you might know Cam Smith's name. He was one of the players who went to the Houston Astros in the Kyle Tucker trade.

Kyle Tucker, yeah. And less than a year after being drafted, he's making the Astros opening day roster and is gonna be their starting right fielder and was one of the best hitters in the Grapefruit League this spring. Oh, that'll be fun when the Cubs don't re-sign Kyle Tucker. Yeah.

That's gonna be a lot of fun when Rick, it's like, I can't find the money for it. We just have so many restaurants and luxury seating in Wrigley now. All right, so who's gonna win the ale like that? It is wide open. Does it not like it feels like Especially with Garrett Cole getting hurt John Carlos Stan, I don't even think we counted as an injury because it's kind of to be expected So I guess so but it's a weird injury too. What is like it's

He's got issues with both elbows. Oh, we talked about this. What is that? Like it's, he's got issues with both elbows. Oh. We talked about this, remember? Yeah, that's right. My dog had the same thing. I can give you a little bit of insight. My dog had bilateral elbow injuries. Fixed him up.

He spent about three months in a crate. Gave him a lot of trazodone and anxiety medication. He wore a cone. Then he got out. He's good as new now. So have the Yankees considered putting him in a crate in with trazodone John Carlos Stanton in a cone of shame It is a weird it's a really strange thing for a baseball player to have like both elbows give out at the exact same time

But do the Yankees still have hope because they've got other they've got some really really good players. They've got a good roster still Do the Yankees still have hope? Because they've got other they've got some really, really good players. They've got a good roster still. Yeah. The Yankees hope is the fact that they reside in the American League. Because if you drop them into the National League, their fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth best team. I you know, before Garrett Cole needed Tommy John surgery, I still had the Yankees winning the American League East. I do not have that as the case anymore. I don't have them making the playoffs. And I feel like this is like potential asshole zone for me because I don't have them making the playoffs and I feel like this is like potential asshole zone for me because I didn't have them making the playoffs last year either and they made it to the World Series. It's not that I'm like a Yankee hater because I don't think that's the case. I just look at them and there are so few things with the Yankees that I can point at and say yes that is going to happen. I know Aaron Judge is going to have a very good year as long as he's healthy.

He has consistently done so and is going to be in the hall of fame and is the best hitter in baseball right now. But beyond that, do I know that Austin Wells is going to be a success at leadoff hitter? I do not. Do I know that Jazz Chisholm is going to take that leap forward we've been waiting years for? No. Don't know that either. Don't know about Anthony Volpe or Jason Dominguez. Have no idea if we're going to get 2023 or 2024 Cody Bellinger. Does Paul Goldschmidt have anything left? Can Carlos Radon be a top of the rotation guy? How does Max Fried,

who's been consistently awesome throughout his career in Atlanta, transition to New York? All of these different things that are up in the air, give me pause about the Yankees. But I'll also acknowledge that if a few of these things hit right, the Yankees very easily could not only win the American League East, but could win the pennant again. Like this is a team whose ceiling is is pretty high still even after the Cole injury. But the floor happens to be lower I think than it is in typical years for the Yankees.

Okay. Okay. So, so what other teams in the AL should be looking out for in terms of like, hey, this team, maybe people aren't talking about them, but this is a team that if everything goes right, they could be in the mix come October. but this is a team that if everything goes right, they could be in the mix come October. I apologize for doing like a long checklist here, but that's how wide open the American League is. It's like, I mean, you can make an argument for every team. Tampa Bay, Shane McClanahan turns out, isn't that hurt?

Coming back from Tommy John surgery now and headlining a really good rotation and an excellent bullpen. Junior Caminero with the raise is going to be a superstar Tommy John surgery now and headlining a really good rotation and an excellent bullpen. Junior Caminero with the Rays is going to be a superstar. And this is going to be his first full season playing. So I can see the Rays doing it. The Blue Jays, I have them at the bottom of the A.L. right now. But if Vlad Guerrero and Beau Bichette

have the years that they have Vlad last year and Beau the years before that, they're both impending free agents, They could lead the team to the playoffs. The Red Sox, I have winning the division. I feel good about what they did getting Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman this winter. And let's not forget about the Orioles who won 101 games a couple of years ago and made the playoffs last season.

I think people are sleeping on them a little bit. In the Central, the twins, bad year last year, always questions about health, but they've got a lot of slug in that lineup and they're starting pitching with Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober at the top of that rotation. They have a chance to be pretty good. Kansas City made the playoffs last year.

Great pitching and my pick for American League MVP Bobby Witt Jr. I've got Detroit winning the Central with Tarek Schubel and so many other great starting pitchers in that rotation. And AJ Hinch is a manager just like he gets how to construct lineups and use the platoon advantage in his favor. Cleveland won the division last year. I'm not really on them,

but they're also one of those teams that surprises. Seattle, playoffs two years ago, 88 and 85 wins the last two seasons, a great starting rotation. And today they signed Cal Raleigh to an extension Cal Raleigh's nickname is Big Dumper because he's got a fat ass and it's like honestly it's the best nickname in baseball right now and love him as a player want a platinum glove leader in the clubhouse the A's are going to be better year. I'm not sure if they're a playoff team quite yet. The Astros seemingly always are a playoff team and you know training Kyle Tucker and getting Cam Smith back in addition to Isak Paredes who's going to absolutely abuse the the short porch in left field. The Astros still have a chance to be good but the team I'm

picking to win the pennant is the Texas Rangers. They won the World Series two years ago. They were pretty awful last year, but they get Jacob DeGrom back to headline their rotation this season. Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, both really good young arms. And when you look at the lineup, that Corey Seeger and Marcus Simeon up the middle. Josh Young at third base, they traded for Jake Berger at first base. Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter in the outfield. They have good catching with

Jonah Hyme and Kyle Gashioka-like. On and on and on. If the Rangers bullpen can perform, or if at the trade deadline they can go out and get some high-end relief arms, I think they have probably the highest ceiling and okay. So there are two teams you didn't mention white Sox. We don't have to talk about because they're I mean they're joke Jerry Ryan 's or should sell the team. The other one Mike trout. He's going to be back. Is there any chance we get Mike trout on a different team? Could this be the year?

You know, I remember I went to spring training with the angels on the day trap was going to talk two years ago for the first time. And it had been coming off a season where he'd gotten hurt, which has been sadly like an all too frequent thing lately. And we posed him the question, like, do you have any inclination to leave? It would you waive your no trade clause to go to a contender? And he said, I feel like I have unfinished business here. Now he hasn't said anything to the contrary since. But like guys we got to remember Mike Trout

is 33 years old now. I'm not gonna say he's entirely past his prime because I think if we have like a full healthy year of Mike Trout, he can still be a guy who puts up a thousand OPS and looks like one of the best players in the game. But he's been around for 14 years now. He's had 14 years of Artie Moreno bullshit. And it just goes to show you the importance of ownership. I don't know if this is the same way in other sports.

You guys can tell me in football especially, because I don't know who's considered the good owners or the bad owners in football, but the way that Artie Moreno has run the Los Angeles Angels in the 20 or so years he's owned the team, and especially over the last decade and a half since Mike Trout's been around, let's look at it this way. They had Mike Trout in his prime with Shohei Otani for six years and they did not

make the postseason once. It's crazy. That is, it's, it's insane. As, as, as somebody who was, you know, the, the biggest Mike Trout Stan imaginable during his best years. You know, the year that Miguel Cabrera wins the Triple Crown, I'm arguing that Trout should have been MVP anyway, because I like that wasn't just like a, you know, hot take. I just he was a better player that year. What Cabrera did was incredible. Trout was just better than him.

It saddens me that Mike Tr trout might never know what winning feels like because what, what are we doing this for? Like what's the whole purpose of athletes going out there? There's the individual accomplishment that you want. There are the goals you set and that you try to meet. And that, that gives you some feeling of fulfillment, but at the end of the day, you want to win something with the people who you spend seven or eight months in close proximity with, with some of your

best friends in the world, because coming together as a team and achieving something like that beats anything you can do individually. And Mike Trout simply has never had that in his professional career. Yeah. He won the Super Bowl this year, though. He did win a Super Bowl. He's pumped for his his professional career. Yeah. He won the Super Bowl this year though. He did win a Super Bowl this year. He's pumped for his Eagles. Yeah.

But you're right. It's like, how could that not get to you on a day to day, year to year basis? You go to work every day. You don't win. Your teammates are bummed out a lot. I would like to see him win. I'd like to see Mike Trout go to a better place.

He'll take care of him. I don't know what team that would be, where he would want to go, but yeah, maybe the unfinished business is like, yeah, they send me my check every two weeks and it's pretty good check. Yeah. So I'm going to continue with that business.

But with the angel, is Rendon going to play at all this year for them? No, Rendon had surgery, so he will not be playing. He is not playing. That guy, that guy's amazing. Yeah, I mean, he re he really, really is amazing. Like there, there were two contracts. The winter he signed with the angels that were for seven years and $245 million.

It was Anthony Rendon and it was Stephen Strasburg and the total production that their teams are going to get for the half billion or so dollars that they spent on those players. It's unbelievable. And it shows why like owners in baseball are so hesitant to give out deals like that. I get it because they can go sideways so fast. And in Rendon's case, like I'm not going to say he never liked playing baseball because I don't think that's true. But it was never like his passion. It was never what he lived for. He was never like a grinder. He was just extraordinarily talented at something, got paid an obscene amount of money, and hasn't been able to get back out there.

Yeah. What about the Astros? I feel like the Astros, no matter what we do, we'll never get rid of the Astros. They're always going to be hanging around. They're going to be pesky. They're going to be showing up in the postseason. Is this like the last dance for that core group of guys that's been around for a while? I mean, there's no one left really. After Bregman left this off season, it's like Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers are really the only ones left from the cheating team. And Altuve is going to be there forever. He's the Astro of Lifetime Astros, but they still have Jordan Alvarez, who is one of the best hitters in baseball. And adding Cam Smith has sort of reinvigorated potentially that lineup. And they've still got Framber Valdez,

Spencer Arrageddy, Hunter Brown. The Astros have done a good job of developing starting pitching. As you saw Carlos Correa and George Springer and some of the core, Alex Bregman, the core guys of not just the cheating championship, but the one they won after that as well. But yeah, the Astros,

they're an interesting organization, because it's one of those teams where other, like people from other organizations, love shitting on the Astros, like absolutely love it. And I think some of it goes back to the cheating, but some of it, they just don't believe that they're particularly well run. And yet they make that trade with with Tucker and it's immediately paying dividends. Yeah. All right, Jeff, I got one last question for you. This has been fun. I'm ready for baseball. There's always something about opening day that just, it just, it feels good. It's a fun day. Row back question. You know, Big Cat, you know what it is? It is, it is spring telling us it has

arrived. You're right. That's what it is. In spring, I don't know how you guys feel about spring, but you know, living in the Midwest, spring is when the sun starts coming out. I walk outside in spring. You know, I can wear shorts and a t-shirt and not like my asshole kids who wear shorts and t-shirts like in the middle of the winter because I don't know when it happened that children's skin suddenly became impervious to cold weather. Yeah I feel like this is a new generation thing. I don't know if your kids are like that. Oh yeah my kids fight me with with coats every day and it's just like it's like 10 degrees. I'm like you need a coat. They're like it's not that cold. Like what are you talking about? But no you go outside and you see the sun every day.

And I think that's why opening day feels good because it is introducing us to the season that makes us happy. Yeah, I'd agree. I'd agree. All right. All right. So row back question, rhobak.com promo code take 20% off your first purchase. Q-zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts, rowback.com promo code take.

Good hoodies. Yeah, very good hoodies. The best hoodies. Great hoodies, joggers, shorts, roback.com promo code T. Good hoodies. Yeah, very good hoodies. The best hoodies. Great hoodies. All right, so I know you don't watch as much of the other sports, but I assume that you are at least generally aware of Travis Hunter, who played for Colorado this year. Yes. Going to be a top pick, Heisman Trophy winner. If you had to just make just a gun to your head, Travis Hunter or show, Hey Otani who's more impressive at what they're doing, uh, show, Hey Otani, because he has

done it at the big league level. And I don't, I, by the way, to be clear, Travis Hunter absolutely should play cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL. A hundred percent. If you have the ability to have a guy out there who can impact both sides of the ball, why would you limit him from doing so? Particularly if he's on a rookie contract, which is short enough where you're not locking him up longterm and you're not going to have any of like the wear and tear issues later on in life. It's the NFL. You can get rid of them anyway. Contracts aren't guaranteed.

But Otani being elite at both levels, at the highest level of baseball. If Travis Hunter can be an all-pro cornerback and an all-pro wide receiver in the same season, get back to me and we'll have a conversation. And I am not minimizing in any way, he's awesome. I love watching him play, but it's just a matter of levels. I think counterpoint, uh, Otani doesn't tackle anybody and Otani has never won a Heisman. Both true. Uh, Hunter's never won an MVP and I'd like to see him, uh, hit a 95 mile per

hour fastball or throw a ball. 95. Good point. Good counter counter. Yeah. Our producer Hank is an idiot. And he said that he thought Travis Hunter was more impressive than show. Hey. And we were like, Hey, I didn't, I didn't know, uh, your, your anal ingus Christian yellow story, but I did know that Hank's addiction. Perfect. Well, Jeff, thank you. Oh, is it, When is Ohtani gonna start pitching again? Uh, he's, he's been shut down for like a month now, so he's going to have to build up. And let's remember he's coming off of his second elbow reconstruction. So the Dodgers are going to take it easy with him. And they also have so much pitching depth that they really don't

need him. So is it going to happen in may as expected? It could, but I think it all just really depends on how his elbow Responds and we're gonna get a much better sense of that over the next month or so such a flex for the Dodgers to be Like hey, it'd be nice to have you pitch but but we don't need you. Yeah I had one last last thing about Mookie Betts cuz I've been reading about Mookie Betts Did he lose 25 pounds? He got, did he have the flu? He went down from like 185 to 160? Yeah, I don't think it was quite that much weight

and I don't think it was the flu. They haven't said what it is specifically, but the sense is he's going to play in their actual opening day, stateside. So I, listen, baseball is better when Mookie Betts is good. Yeah. And I hope nothing but a full recovery there and us seeing him, you know, even if the Dodgers are bad for baseball, like seeing Mookie

Betts out there is a good thing for everyone. Yeah, that's why it's not fair because Mookie Betts is so likable. And he's playing for the team that everyone should hate. It's like God damn it. I want to hate you. But yeah, yeah, Mookie's I hope he's okay, too. Yeah Alright, well Jeff. Thank you so much. Appreciate you coming on We'll maybe talk to you in middle of season and I feel like we got some good Bubba Bubba Chandler Bubba Bubba Chandler. Yep, Bubba. I just call him Bubba watch out Hey Paul skeins is good, but Bubba Chandler might be better You know what Paul skeins is great, but Bubba Chandler has it. Yeah, that's it

We got it. That's the takeaway. Yeah I look forward to talking with you guys on the day that homerun derby rosters are released Yeah, I have my mission for the Hardest thing to do in base. The hardest thing to do in sports is to hit a baseball that's impossible for Christian Yelich. Yeah, get to it baseballs that All right, thanks so much Jeff. Thanks boys. Appreciate you having me Jeff passing was brought to you by Venmo It is Venmo season one of the one of the most important times of the year to have Venmo March We got Venmo with us all throughout March

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That's for the people comm slash PMT or powered law pound 529 from your cell Okay, let's wrap up. We got fire fest of the week. Henry. Yeah. Oh, also 200 severance. Yeah. Oh, severance recap. Yeah. I like this. Max cried. Max. What part did you cry in when he got reunited with his wife? Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. So severance severance severance spoiler spoiler spoiler spoilers. Skip this part if you haven't watched it but you also probably have watched it. Good call. Thank God we got that. So you cried. Yeah it's an emotional part. You think like imagine thinking that your wife is dead for so for such a long period of time and then like that first moment that

you actually realize like realize that she's alive like how could you possibly Like put yourself into that situation. It's got to be an unbelievably emotional moment. I got uh I got misty-eyed I don't think there were any tears no no I thought I missed the I'd I had that way you get yeah, right well Duh, I I laughed when uh mark s shot the big dude in the in the neck that was so fucking funny I just screaming at the other lady Yeah, I thought there was a moment Hank was gonna be right that there was just gonna Then he was gonna go on a killing spree well just kill everybody down there And I was like oh my god We laughed at Hank, but he was right I thought I my what I wanted was heli to kill her dad

And they kind of like as I was happening I was like oh my god. Oh my god Oh my god, and obviously she didn't oh she picked up a pen Yeah, it was weird. She didn't Loki and Then in you guys like you just want Game of Thrones Brand of tarth we got it. Yeah. Yeah, we got the Game of Thrones like that was that was also Electric although the goats thing like Hmm explain the goats they just sacrifice sacrifice him with with anytime someone dies at Lumen

which seems like a decent amount of times because if I have a lot of goats out there they sacrifice the goat with the person takes him to heaven or something did you also notice that in the earlier episode where they had the goats and the people that look after the goats they asked the people from the outside for macro data refining, do you guys have pouches? Yeah, they're looking for oldie. Yeah, that's what they were like, yeah, you're sure. Let me see your bags. What Hank I think is referring to. And I

agree with Hank low key. I thought that Helly was Helena on the inside during that episode, at least at the start, until she like, kind of teams up with Mark and he goes on a separate way I thought that we were gonna see outie heli on the inside again Okay, she she can't be outie down on that floor though No, she was she was early when early this season she banged mark in the teepee. Yeah, no that was when she was inny No, no, that was outie you're not paying attention. You're not paying attention Big part of this no begged any heli and I know that he's got two bodies on I know that he had a threesome

The Audi one was outside No, no that whole Until that outside moment the whole beginning of the season. I understand how do you know you don't because she was Audi heli when she was on The end to an undercover yeah that entire moment, the whole beginning of the season, she was out with Audi Helly. She was still Audi Helly. No, because she was Audi Helly when she was on the inside. She went undercover. Yeah, that entire part of the season. Even on the inside, not just on the Ork bow. He fucked Audi Helly outside. Yes, but he also hung out with Audi.

Then he fucked any Helly inside. Wait, he also hung out with Audi Helly for the first couple episodes of the season on the inside. I get that, but they fucked on the inside that was any hell Yes, you guys just told me I was wrong for that. No, I literally just said we didn't know but the or pose also No, you just said that you guys just told me that I was wrong for saying that she fucked out II Helly Outside and any Helly inside no, but like you say outside you mean it's still I know I might have been wrong There's kit she can't be searched back, but I literally just said she fucked any heli inside

Yeah, yeah, she just said I was wrong for that. I don't know you said you can't she can't go out eat down there But she they found outside. Yeah, that was outie heli correct, but they're talking about two different things here I understand well you said any you said outie heli can't go downstairs She I am now remembering the beginning of the season. Mm-hmm She was she was faking it. Yeah, I thought that's what we were seeing That was like the first couple episodes when Irving was getting mad suspicious when he was like you saw a night guard. Yeah When she said that she saw a gardener when when she got that glimpse of the outside that's right over ride control Yeah, that's what Irving was like I'm beginning to I'm beginning to keep my eye on you

And then he tried to kill her because he knew that she was outside. I thought we were gonna see Audi Helly I thought that's who we were seeing at the start of the finale I Thought she had done it again because it was a very important day I feel like the real theory is that it's Audi Helly at the end of the episode Yeah, because she brings him back and smiled at Gemma and Irv said, uh, uh, Innie Helly was never cruel and it was kind of a cruel looking smile when she looked at Gemma and was like, I won. Yeah, that's what I was. So I was thinking when I was watching the episode at the start, I think this is Audi

Helly and then she didn't kill her dad and she kind of like nudged mark To go on and go downstairs and do that whole shit, and I was like maybe it's maybe I was wrong Maybe it's not and then at the end. I was like yeah that kind of seems like Audi helly so I People think that they once they realized that mark was down there and getting Gemma that they switched The Glasgow block the block that they that at the very end they made her outie heli, okay But it but it was any heli the rest of the episode so now I just wonder what they're gonna do in the episode or season Three yeah, it's like gonna be him and heli just like hold up in a room with like a bunch of dead people and like blood everywhere

It's gonna be like five seconds into them running down the hallway, they're like, whoops. No, I think the dad, I think they already kind of set it up with the dad being like, he likes Iniheli. He sees Keir in her. And he's gonna probably maybe try and convert Mark. Like they're gonna try and convert Iniheli and Inimark to convince them that if they roll with the Keirs then they can stay together.

Yeah, I really liked the scene where Mark was arguing with himself on the video camera, like stepping outside the room. That was a really good way to do it. And it, I don't think I could win an argument with myself. I think that's a very hard thing to do. No. Right. That, that's how I feel when I'm deciding to bet on a basketball game. I don't know why he didn't just mention the, the Pete, like they had a mutual, there's a mutual friend there that could have helped bridge the gap.

But Audi Mark doesn't fully understand how close any Mark was with Pete. I guess. Because remember he like just went, it was a crazy guy who had nosebleeds who then went to his funeral. Yeah, I guess that makes sense because that did make sense to me.

The other thing that, it was two episodes ago, it kind of bled into this one that that still just makes no sense to me. I hope they like flashback to it is the fact that cobalt and Mark and his sister just sat in the woods for 10 hours arguing. They weren't even, but what did they talk about? Like why did they have to show up to the forest to or like, I don't know if it's 10 hours, but yeah. They got there in the morning and then they cut back and it was nighttime, like all right, time to go. Well, it's always winter.

Yeah. It's always winter. And what is it about the birthing center that they put the like geofencing in that can switch you back from any to Audi? Yeah, that was weird. And then the... Well, so that women don't remember

that they went through the pain again. Okay. That was the whole, remember the crazy don't remember that they went through the pain again, okay, that was the whole member the crazy like government governor's wife She had no recollection. Yes of the sister cuz she went in there so she didn't have to actually give birth when any mark told Colbell that Irving knew where the testing floor was like she got Scared that made me think that Colbell is gonna flip again. Yeah, cuz she was like, oh, yeah

Erving knows the floor is she goes wait. She was basically wait what? Mm-hmm. She was like a nice in front of that fire Yeah, yeah, she did. She looked real good real nice. She gave you those eyes real nice. I Was pissed that like I don't know. I guess he had to he had to make that decision because they're two different people But I was mad. Yeah, I really liked the episode. I really liked the episode I thought it was one of the best episodes. I was just pissing him. I was like you motherfucker you've come all this way. But he also that's the great that's the great part about the show is these two two people that are independent of each other like he's making a decision for his own existence not realizing that there's a guy out there yeah. Yeah and

think about if you're the Innie Mark and you turn around and you see, I guess you would think it was the, what was her name? The health woman. Not Gemma. Miss, what was her name? Miss something.

Fuck. Hwang? No. Miss Casey? Yes, Miss Casey. So you just see Miss Casey yelling through through a door being like come out come out Mm-hmm come out there's gotta be way where he can have both Yeah, episode 3 is just all threesomes. Well can't I Could see them like figuring out a way because obviously if cobell invented the chip

Could she like flip a switch to turn out e mark into any mark so he can get out? Or you think she's gonna get back in the lab. Oh I see you're saying so he wakes up as Audi mark on the floor. He's like fuck. I gotta get out of here Yeah, yeah, yeah, I Don't know great show and Rickin there. There's a lot. There's a lot. I think they're going I feel like we're getting a full flashback season episode series like they there's so much like Ten years ago past stuff that they need to address that I think to stretch it out I could see them going like deep deep in it cuz Rick and I would watch a full spin-off series about Rickin

Yeah, what a weird is fucking funny. Yeah, he is funny. Um, alright fire press the week. Oh Also white lotus. Did you see Duke is You do say very upset Duke. That's all right. No spoilers for white lotus is still ongoing, but very funny Well traditionally the best way to have people avoid seeing the thing that you're embarrassed about Yeah to threaten legal action against them and then that way they won't sign up to to see what all the fusses people will stop talking Yeah, yeah. Okay. I think I've said this on my fire press before and it probably means it's time to just get a new new slats or like a new bed frame but I plopped onto my bed again like I went to take a piss in the middle of the night just kind of fell onto my bed slats pushed down and broke and it was like 4am and so I just went to sleep basically

inverted and my neck is killing me. I got a solution for you. What's that? Sleep in a hammock. Yeah. You don't have to worry about slats and hammock. There you go. True.

You don't have to worry about getting just balled up and dying. Yeah and I feel like it's bad for your back. No I think it's good for your back. For yeah long term eight hours a back, but no I think it's good for your back for yeah long term eight hours a night every night I think it's good for you about one hour summer in the middle of the day. There's nothing better on this planet. Mm-hmm They're saying laying on something more firm would probably be better for your body like a nice piece of outdoor for eight hours a night Every night. Yeah, I think you guys are one hour break in the summer. I take a hammock over anything. I think you guys are denying science I think hammocks are better for your back And how so I think that I've been reading a lot of pro hammock propaganda

Okay, and many people on the various message boards that I've read have said things like ever since I started sleeping on a hammock My back pain is non-existent. These are people who are pro hammock pro hammock. What's on like reddit.com slash hammocks. Yeah, or hammock minder.net hammock. Big hammock. Yeah. Yeah. hammock fans.com. Hey, I got some new outdoor furniture coming. I can't wait for you to sit on it. It's gonna be no he's not allowed. I think he's not allowed. It's gonna be great. You're gonna have a great time.

That's fine. I seem like a simple chair, but whatever you got she's simple chair. Okay, I get I can get you more than that Just give me a beach chair best outdoor furniture. There is beach chair. Now. It's the best outdoor furniture. It's all you need. Okay beach chair I'm kind of with you It's about being outdoors not about what you're sitting on. Right. Okay. Beach chair.

Make sure if you get a hammock that you hang it at about 30 degrees hang angle with an asymmetric lay and then you're going to get rid of your back pain. All right. Good to know. Okay. What's your FireFest PFD? My FireFest of the week is I realized this I believe on Sunday of this week but I went to a concert like four or five months ago and I had a great time and I got in the mood to see more live

music so I looked up to see who was coming to Chicago in the next like six months and I proceeded to I was drunk at the time hand up bought eight tickets to go see ACDC at Soldier Field. Eight really nice seats. And then the person that I bought them with turns out it's going to be out of town for the ACDC concert. So now I got seven tickets that I got to find people to bring along to go see ACDC in Chicago. And I realized, especially in this office,

that seven tickets is the perfect amount to have people not like you if they don't get the invite because it's a big enough group where it's like oh anybody that he likes should be invited right if I'm not invited I'm not part of the crew right and I was saying this the other day to mincy and mincy just put his hand up he said stop right now I'm coming with you so I miss all this entire that's great so mincy mincy said like right off the bat like no ifs ands or buts hes. He is locked. He said it like nine times. He was like, just say, no, I'm definite. I'm a definite. Yes. So Mincy's going to come. And then Megan was listening to me. So

her and her husband, Mr. Making Money are coming. But now I've got to figure out what to do with the remaining tickets, remaining five tickets. Because again, this is like, you're in, remember the club cool days in New York? Yeah. It's like, if you don't get the invitation, then PFT doesn't like you. That was also very I mean, the Club Cool days one of the funny I randomly was thinking about it today. I think that was the only time I went out in New York. Yeah, it was like the first week we were there and then Dave got mad. Dave went out and would create his own Club Cool. Yeah. Well, you guys are massive Kanye fans. Yeah.

You were there. Club Cool? You weren't? No. No. We had you moved already? Yeah. Kanye's not my guy.

Maybe he's your guy. I don't remember who was there. Yeah. I wish I had gone. It was a really sick guy. I think I was out of town that weekend. But yeah, so. All right.

So what's ranked your top six favorite coworkers? Well, so that's the problem is like if if I don't we'll just Go one through ten. I'm gonna say Everybody in this room. Oh nice Oh Memes guys, so that's that's four. Yeah, so Hank and Big Cat tied Yeah, well notes for tickets is that was that an invite or that was no, we're just tied. Oh If you want to go see AC DC right now, you guys think we have dibs. You guys have dibs. But did you

talk to Greer? I did not. So that's the other thing that comes into this is that Greer is having his bachelor party in Chicago that weekend and they're going to ACDC as part of the bachelor party. But then I thought about that and then I'm like, is that weird where if I, if I give the tickets around me to people in Greer's bachelor party am I inviting myself onto Greer's bachelor party? No, no Greer would absolutely love that yeah, okay, and also it doesn't have to be Greer It could be like it could just be other people from this office that are just going with you They're going to the bachelor party correct, and it's also such an easy out just being like oh well It's Greer's bachelor party. Correct. And it's also such an easy out just being like, oh well it's Greer's bachelor party. It's a gift to Greer for him getting married.

You know what? That's the easiest way. As my wedding present to Greer who's getting real married, not at all a green card marriage, I would like to donate four tickets to ACDC to his bachelor party if you would like it. Damn. And I'm keeping four. So we're out. I really wanted to go party. If you would like it. Damn. And I'm keeping four. So we're out. I really wanted to go too.

I really wanted to go. Did you really Hank? Yeah. So bad. You kind of invited me the other day and I kind of said yes. Well, do you want to go? No, no, no.

There was a kind of? No, yeah, well, I mean. A kind of invite? Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hank didn't say kind of yes. He was just like, I'll think about it. No, I was like, I'm in. Sounds like there was a kind of yes.

It's fine. All right, Hank's going. No, no, no, no, no, no, no the date? It is the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I'm out. I'm also out I penciled big head invited. Here's how I operate with if I have a situation like this around big cat. I I invite him knowing that he's going to say no. Yeah, I mean I just have I know I have shit right with Knowing that he's going to say no. Yeah, I mean I just have I know I have shit right with my family Yeah, my kids all right, so Hanks in so now we're down to three tickets to will that's my wedding gift Should I call career ass if he wants a hang? Maybe in? Hey, you kind of offered and he kind of accepted. I turned 30 that well. I I literally Wow actually no the next day

I offered how many meatballs you can put in your mouth that night so many I offered you like four days ago, and you didn't say yes. He kind of said yes, but you also kind of you That's the worst kind of friend. That's like maybe I don't think I said maybe I think I said I mean the maybe is so bad This is Michael Greer from macro data refinement Barstool version This is our severed man he's not gonna answer what a joke this is our data guy Wow we're never inviting career on to part of my take again nope never again one and done we have our Canadian his name's oldie by the way I got a text from oldie today because it's opening day oh Oh, yeah, he's pumped. He's so fucking pumped about opening day

he said I Fucking love sports, bro. Yeah, so problem. He's addicted to college basketball now, too. Yeah I don't really have a fire first. No, I was just joking by the way you can group and have all four tickets That's the kind of yes. Yes, don't do this Hank. He did it. He just did it. You're gonna be golfing that day Anyways, let's get real. Yeah, come on That actually might be my fire fest my fire fest is that uh The the weather's turning and I'm gonna lose my friend Hank for the rest of the season. It is tough. I'll see him somewhere around week Six of the NFL. Mm-hmm

It's bittersweet Audi Hank. It's bittersweet. Audi Hank. You're just like, alright. That's it. Nice knowing you. Careers calling me back. Should I answer? Yeah, yeah. We'll give him a shot. Michael?

You're live to tape on part of my take right now? Okay. So. Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, you are going to an ACDC concert in Chicago, is that correct? That's correct, yeah. One Mr. PFD commenter would like to gift you four tickets to that concert. Is there anyone in your party that would like four tickets to the ACDC concert?

In my party? Anyone who's going to your bachelor party? They're all coming to the concert. Do they all have tickets? Yeah, we all got tickets. Oh, okay. I mean, I could maybe find more. Find more people.

No, he's got to find more people. No, you have to find more people. You have to find more people. You're getting the tickets. The tickets are yours. You have to find the people to go. Yeah, Max, Max, tell him that I actually have to find more people. I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'm going to the bathroom. I'm going to the bathroom. I'm going to find more people. You have to find more people. You're getting

the tickets. The tickets are yours. You have to find the people to go. Yeah. Max, Max, tell them that I accidentally bought too many tickets and that I would now like him to decide who from the office gets the invite. Actually, yeah. BFD accidentally bought too many tickets to this concert and it is now your responsibility to find people from this office to go to this concert. But it's not his responsibility. It's yours But but congratulations on your on your marriage Okay, sweet, okay. All right. Thanks. We did it. Yeah, so I gotta say goodbye to Hank We do it every year. It's kind of like the end of severance where he just stands at the at the door and

You know I scream. I'm on the inside and I scream don't come back. It's the old-school distracted boyfriend meme Yeah work and then Golf he's gonna get so good at golf this year PFT PFT You know likes to fly planes around f-18s and just sit in the skies all day, and that's fine You don't know what an f-18 looks. Big cat likes to spawn children and provide life for them. Children. And that's okay. Like no one frowns upon that, but that's what you guys like to do outside of work. I like to golf and that's a problem. It's it. I didn't say it was a problem. I said, I say, I say goodbye to you. I miss you. I'm here. I'm going to be, you're going to be

gone. I see you at work now. It's a bittersweet moment. I'd like to encourage, you're going to be gone. I see you at work as I see you at work now. It's a bittersweet moment. I'd like to encourage Hanks. I think it's important to have hobbies. By the way, I, there's like a big bar stool, uh, content thing coming up in a, I don't know, a few months. I was front and center saying Hank should be involved cause he's really good at golf. That's not true. You did do that. I'm fiction about the good at golf part. Okay. But I knew that you are in fact I was gassing up my boy. True. Yes. And you're good at golf. But then you shame me on the podcast. No, I didn't. I didn't shame you. I what about let's rewind the tape. I said I'm sad. This is the point of year where I have to say goodbye to you. But I'm here

every time here as much as I was in the winter. That's not true. It's not a good or bad- you're gonna keep working. I just- I'm gonna miss you. I don't know what that means. Usually you come on the YAC on Fridays. Stuff like that. No Hank, I'm excited for you because I plan on playing more golf this year too, so I can't- I can't be too hard on you because then that- I just look like a hypocrite.

What's the best- What's the best? Round I'm a Hank Stan longtime Hank stand over decade-long Hank Stan. I'm gonna root for you to Like crush it this year by the way shout out the cheeky cheeky golf club. Yes, that was awesome awesome over a year doing it Trying to playing around every single day until they got 18 pars in a row. What is your best round this year? I like to break 90. I don't want to set to two law. You haven't broken 90. I have but like From the white tees. No, I did from the white tees last year, but I feel like that doesn't count I just assumed you broke 90. That's my bad

No, I mean I have but I want to I want to do it more consistently. So you five times five times break 90. What's the best score though? 86. Okay, we've got a hole in one. Yeah, I mean, I would love that. Okay, can't really try really plan plan on it happening. You can set as a goal. Yeah, go for it. Why not try? I'm gonna try. Okay, it doesn't sound like you will. It sounds like you're not really focused on the hole in one. No, you got those have to come to you. You can't you can't push forward too hard or else it will never happen. Okay. All

right. Well, I'm excited for your golf. Thank you so much. I'm going to play. How many times will I play with you? A few. I have some, I have some ideas. Okay. Wait, on camera or not camera? Both. How many times do I play with you as, as friends? I think once I have, I would like to come to Michigan this summer. Okay. I think twice. You know what? I'm going to say three times, three times that I'm going to play. We're going to play together. Not maybe all 18 holes, but we will actively be out together playing golf. Like last year when you took a vacation and then we played a golf run, you're like, I gotta go do the act. No, that was, uh, no, that was, uh, was that?

Remember? No. No, I think that was because I had rough and rowdy that night. No. Yeah, I had to get on a plane. And you also just like Robby you you invited me out to your golf club and you took so much money off me because you brought a golf pro with you and you're like, Oh, oh, big cat, you have Jerry, I have this guy. He's just a pro at golf. Let's just play duos.

Hank, if we played one on one 18 holes, what how many strokes would you give me? ten No, I'd give you like six or seven. How many strokes would you give me? I'll give you I Give you a lot 30 stroke a hole stroke. Oh, do you want to do a summer long contest? You call it seven strokes? We take a number of games Get a handicap if you're gonna play more golf like that's very there's very easy way where you could Post enough scores to have a handicap where it's like we don't have to well Let's just say make up let's say seven strokes seven strokes and all the holes that we play all the rounds that we play this summer

You have to beat me by more than an average of seven strokes Why don't we just play match by match I feel like we do this all the time on camera and PFT just wins outright Well, that's on camera. That's on camera. Hey, it's down show some camera every time also on clutch When the lights come on these clutch well lights are on We've done that in like two years. It's fine. We'll see time will tell okay, so you're turning down my challenge I don't want to do like math averages and shit for golf rounds. Let's just play like I won match one, you won match two, and who wins the most matches? I want a summer long competition, like an extra long round of golf.

How many rounds do I have to play to get a handicap? Eight. Out. Okay. I actually might be there. I don't think it would be possible for me to get a handicap. I think the course would close before I did a real round of golf. Yeah, I also have the attention span.

Credit to me for being a good guy. There was a bachelor, we were going through bachelor party submissions. We should have the one end of this week, if not next, but there was one that was like in Oregon that was like three days walking 36 holes each day. Oh my God. And I wanted to send Max on that,

but I felt bad for whichever camera guy goes, but that would have been a hilariously like Fun for some people like I would enjoy that but but that's max would yeah, that would be I am so bad He said I could I could stop at any time. I wanted if I got a par which would just never That's really funny. That's really funny. We should do that challenge for me on camera. That would be a funny video because I don't want to golf and then we just, I have to keep golf until I get one par. You can get one on a par three. No, par three, that's the least likely for me that would get a par.

Yeah, you hit Dinger's only. Because like a short par four, I could get it right next to the green and still probably bogey. Yeah, yeah, it would take me a while. Okay, numbers. Three. 18. Oh, you're spicy today.

22. You're not going to get it. 75. Cool if I did. 99 put. 32. 55. If I did. 99 put. 30 put.

55. 46. 46. Who guessed 45? Not me. Oh, 55. Those were fast. Memes not even close. You're not even getting better at it, memes.

No. Okay. Love you guys. One day. memes not even close you're not even getting better at it memes no love you guys one day So So So so So so I'll see you next time.