The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Local Hour: The McFlurry Machine Metaphor

Episode Date: April 2, 2025

The crew heads into the day, having already stolen a game on the road and tying their week-long series at one game a piece. We head to Amin's sweet spot with some NBA analysis, but will he make an unforced error and throw a pick on a flea flicker? Today's cast: Domonique Foxworth, Amin, Chris, Billy, Charlie, and Jessica. Today's Local Hour contains mention of sexual assault. If you or a loved one has been a victim of sexual assault, you are not along. Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by FX's Dying for Sex on Disney+. Based on the podcast of the same name, Dying for Sex tells the story of Molly, who is diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Determined to feel everything she can before she can't feel anything, she decides to leave her unhappy marriage to explore her sexuality with some encouragement from her best friend Nikki. FX's Dying for Sex, streaming April 4th only on Disney+. Sign up now at DisneyPlus.com.

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Cuervo The tequila that invented tequila. Proximo Cuervo dot com please drink responsibly. Cuervo.com. Please drink responsibly. Cuervo. This is the Don LeBattor Show with the Stookats Podcast. All right, we back for game three. There we go. Little change to the starting lineup.

Our man Hawk is gone for the day. He might be back later in the week. He wasn't benched. He was benched. It's a little, it's a um, DMP. Well, the voice that you hear is the replacement for Hawk. They called in the left-hander. They called in the lefty. Not even lefty. That's the crazy part. It is Mr. L. Hassen, The Dream himself. You've been walking around with a lot of confidence around here. You know that nickname?

No, I mean, it's always a nickname. It rhymes. That's the right nickname to go. That was my nickname when I worked for the Suns, man. Right, yeah. I mean, The Dream, right? Yeah, I mean, that's it. Or Dreamer.

There we go. These are called Dreamer sometimes. So we got Dreamer in here. No Mike Ryan today. Billy's back. Chris Cody, who's been the rock, big red, the rock is here. And the return of Smetty Wap.

We also got my man Charlie who, at some point, so a couple of things we're gonna get into today. Charlie and I went on a gallivant last night with some friends. One of our friends was kidnapped. I heard a story about a lunatic strength coach that happened last night. What else happened last night, Charlie?

That was crazy. We don't have to get into the story specifically, but we can tease him for later. I feel like you think less of me now. Damn. No, no. I just got to know you more. Multitudes.

Everybody has these stories. Did Charlie have a Sam Rockwell and white lotus have a night now uh... i heard that yesterday show was a lot of sports talk and i heard that the series is even right now but yesterday show was a run the ball day sort of like ground and pound like list let's tie it up the the ugly way and today is going to be like a we're

feeling good we're gonna kind of play our our style ball now. Is that is that what I heard? I mean, we got to see what the defense gives us. We're not desperate enough for a flea flicker. Save that for maybe Thursday or Friday. You start the game off. Let them know we got John Fanta's coming on later in the show to talk to us about the tournament. So that's a run the ball situation.

We got David Sampson, which is always fun. I love David Sampson. He makes me seem so smart. He's the best. But I think at some point we're gonna get to Steph Curry hitting a ridiculous amount of threes, but I think we gotta start with what Jokic did last night in double overtime, a 61 point triple double. He's insane.

All the shots in the paint look like they're mistakes, but they always somehow go in. He's incredible. The passing, and I was watching the highlights of that game this morning, because it was on way too late for me, but Charlie was still up. He couldn't sleep because he's a Jokic head.

Yeah, I mean, got home and it was double overtime against the Timberwolves. Jokic was unconscious, but I don't know. I mean, I wonder what you think about this too. Is the lead for you Jokic or Russell Westbrook who we've talked about all year, temper, well he's tempered his Russ, he's deferred to Jokic in seemingly every big moment to the point

where he's almost overpassing, and then with 17 seconds left, the Wolves turn it over, Russell Westbrook smokes the layup rather than dribbling the ball out to get fouled, up by one, but he doesn't give up. Russ always has motor. And he fouls Nikhil Alexander Walker with 0.1 seconds left after complaining for a call.

I don't know if you guys saw the reverse angle. After he smokes the layup, he just stands there and sits in it for a little bit. As action is going, they're playing, and he's just like, yeah, I might've just blown that game. And then he gets the idea like, I gotta make up for this. And he's just like yeah, I might have just blown that game and then he gets the idea like I don't make up for this

And he runs and the craziest part is watching the TNT broadcast when the foul happens They're like oh my god There's a foul of the buzzer and they just Centered in on Peyton Watson going like this and I was like oh Peyton man like come on, buddy You got to earn your spot You can't make mistakes like that in the clutch and then I showed really like that wasn't him Why you guys focused on him because he looked shocked. I'm sure everybody looks shocked on the team Why you can focus on him?

It was a cagey vet the guy who's been there in all the moments the guy who is accustomed to being blamed for Teams coming short of their championship expectations. Well, obviously last night wasn't a championship moment It felt like a playoff level game. It was one of the better games of the season so far with the Nuggets taking on the Wolves. I don't know if you know this, the playoffs have already started. Yeah, in the NBA, the playoffs have already started.

All of these games have stakes. Every single game has stakes. And so there's no, well, let's just get them next week or whatever. Like everyone needs to win. Denver's chasing Houston for the two seed and the right to not play whoever's no, well, let me just get them next week or whatever. Like everyone needs to win. Denver's chasing Houston for the two seed and the right to not play whoever's six, which is probably gonna be the Warriors.

And so this was an incredibly important game for them. At the same time for the Timberwolves, they're trying to move up and they're now tied with Memphis for six, seven. They lose a tiebreaker, but everybody was playing for something and that's what made that game so incredible and so compelling both those games really

those games are particularly interesting and those guys are playing for something there are some teams in the league that are playing to lose also but i'm not going to get negative in the tank and at some point i think i got a soft for tanking we're gonna get to that later but i do appreciate the fact that we're at a point in the season where all the games matter and we're locked in they in the season where all the games matter and we're locked in. They're playing hard. You go double overtime. Steph is doing Steph things. And in that particular game, the thing that stood out to me was I was shocked at how many big shots Aaron Gordon hit, big threes. And I was like, let me look up, because that was always the thing on

Aaron Gordon was like, he couldn't be a number one in part because of his ability. Well, I mean, you looked at me like I was stupid. They pushed him as a number one in part because of his ability well I mean you looked at me like I was stupid they pushed him as a number one in Orlando don't act like they didn't try. He can't be a number two in a FLAFT team. Don't act like they didn't try to trick us into being Aaron Gordon being number one. They wasn't tricking us they were doing the thing that you do and you invite people over and all you have is like this futon from Ikea and we're like yeah I just got these uh this new cushion right here these new seat cushions just to spruce it up a little bit. And you're like, oh yeah, that's really nice, man.

It really brings color out, but we all know it. Damn, bro, you broke. You broke. That's what was happening. I was setting this up to be a compliment to Eric Gore. That's not what I meant. I set it up improperly. What kind of furniture is Yoke-Itch?

Oh man, that's a sectional with the USB plugs in them. Ooh. Right? And cup holders? And the cup holders. And that little, like, that pocket thing where I can put my remote control in. It's honestly doing too much, that couch. What?

Huh? Not doing enough. It's just like, I don't need it all. I don't need an outlet. I was- What? Oh man, you know how many times I have to reach over? I have to charge my phone, hold on. You guys aren't on the portable charger game? I'm in the portable charger.

I don't plug my couch in. I don't do the thing from the couch anymore. Those things are bad. Like a month in, they're not even working anymore. Oh, for real? I don't have one. I have my couch. I had like a charger thing plugged in

and then I was into it and then two months later, it just stopped working. So this is what this is. This is really just you railing against the furniture salesman who bent you over a barrel of chugging. But I do like the portable charger. My wife has like 50 of these things. So now like I rarely even use the wall chargers anymore.

I just, I'm walking around with my portable charger and then when I leave the house I plug the portable charger. You know what I don't like about the portable charger? I gotta charge it. Yeah. I'm guessing Chris's wife does that. Yeah.

What, you want a solar portable charger? Yeah, I'm guessing Chris's wife does that. Yeah. You want a solar portable charger? Yeah, I mean, just something like maybe like dynamic or something like kinetic energy. You could run. You could run out and see you shake it up. Speaking of running, Taylor, he might get embarrassed today because I walked in this morning and that fool Taylor was,

I don't know if you know about this, I mean, but yesterday, yeah, yesterday Taylor was out here popping a little, a little, talking a little cash to me. Like he could beat me in a race. And I was like, I'm not trying to race because I don't want to get injured. Like my guy at the Hawks game. Yeah.

I don't want to get injured. Like my guy at the Hawks game. But anyway, I walk in here and Taylor looking at at me like I'm a kid, like yeah. Look, relax Kelvin Sampson, you can't run with me. Chill out, young Tay Tay. And then, so he's sizing me up, so I'm sizing him up. And I have even more confidence after I sized him up. Because I didn't check out, like we saw his shoulders

and arms, but today he was looking at me like he wanted to race me, so I had to check out the engine Taylor ain't got no donk he can't run he ain't got no engine he don't got no cakes you can't fly if you ain't got no cakes I'm sorry this uncomfortable I don't mean to objectify you Taylor but I know this from when I was being scouted the the coaches and the scouts take your ass first yeah. Yeah. That's where they start. I remember my dad. Turn around, boy.

My dad wasn't a very good athlete, but he obviously was very involved in me getting recruited. And I went to my first combine when I was in a sophomore in high school. And the coaches were standing next to my dad. Like, man, yeah. He's going to be a good player. He's explosive.

And he got real nice hips. And I remember my dad was like, you know what school you not going to? That one, he talking about how you got nice hips. I was like, no dad, it means I turned well or whatever. He was very confused. No, no, your dad was right. Anyone compliments my child's hips?

Yeah, we're ending that conversation right then and there. I mean, that's a football thing. You'll hear, if you listen to draft stuff, you'll hear hip, I'm sure you'll hear even worse. Here's the thing. What's the worst thing? You know, here's the thing 98% of the time you're probably right. It was just a football remark Yeah, but then there's that 2% right? Do you really want to risk that 2% and then everyone will be like well the man did tell you who's coming the hips And you're like, yeah, thanks

Instead of do something about it. No, you can't take that you cannot everybody I watched that up that that docu series about all the the the things that were happening Nickelodeon behind the scenes of those poor children or whatever Yeah, and one of the kids like his dad was really kind of involved and it was like no Like always picking him up always on top of things Then he ended up having a divorce and the mom was getting custody and the mom was like fully into the Hollywood mom life and just dropping the kid off and leaving them be. And so years later, the scandal comes out, man, these kids got, you know, messed with

whatever and the dad is watching the news with his son and he's like, man, see, I'm glad I kept you away from all of them. Turned out someone was one of them. Yeah. So like, you don't want to be that dad thinking like, oh yeah, son was one of them. Yeah. So like, you don't wanna be that dad. Thinking like, oh yeah, I did everything right. And then they say, hey. My dad stood in the way, and I did not go to that school,

not because of that, but I think that as part of it is that you, you're probably right, but I have been around football so much that some of the lingo in football is comfortable to me. I wonder what the basket, because y'all ain't better than us. Wait did you go with that Penn State or is it that workout was? No it was not. That's a Sandusky joke folks. That's right that's how we doing it. Flea Flicker! We started this game with a flea

flicker. Oh man. The basketball equivalent. Yeah is there a basketball equivalent of terminology because that was definitely we talked about high hips Man. The basketball equivalent. Yeah, is there a basketball equivalent terminology? Because that was definitely, we talked about high hips, loose hips, nice hips. There's butt conversations, always butt conversation, football, because that's where your power is from. And speed, there's like, yeah, he's got a good butt. You can hear coaches say that.

Same in baseball. Like all the power from hitting, right here, baby. Right here. There's no basketball equivalent, you guys are too involved for that. You are the most progressive sport, they say. Yeah, well, you know, we don't objectify our players. We say, got a nice personality, that kid.

That's what we say. A hard working fella. Also got nice open hips. Open hips. Okay, so open isn't objectifying. Do you believe, so watching Steph in the Warriors, well, in the Warriors is the right way to phrase it after last night, Steph went for 52, 10, eight and five

with 12 threes versus Memphis. I've been hesitant to accept the fact that Jimmy Butler has taken this team to being a legitimate title contender, but I have the dream here, a real NBA expert, to let me know, should I be serious? Because I know they're better. I know they're not, they're going to be a tough out, but I have a hard time convincing myself that they actually have a chance to win another title this year. Should I change my opinion on that? They have a chance? Change your opinion if they have a chance? I mean, they obviously have being off. They have a chance. I mean they have a chance

I mean, I'm not talking about like a mathematical chance in the same way that Timberwolves have a chance of winning a championship They have a legitimate chance. Yes, are there obstacles? Hell? Yes, there are obstacles in that way and Chief among them is they don't have a lot of size right like they're playing Quentin post who before this season we, no one even had heard that name before. They're playing, Trace Jackson Davis has fallen out of the rotation to some extent. Kevon Looney is 700 years old, and yet somehow not 30, I don't believe.

Like he's- He's got 700 year old knees, it would appear. Old and young at the same time. Doesn't have open hips. No. Well, the- Those hips close early. His hips close early.

They are not 24 hours. And then you got Draymond and Jimmy Butler playing undersized pretty much, which they're all tough and they bring something to the table, but at some point you run into someone who's just big. And when you look at the Western Conference... That's it. Whether it's Jokic or, you know, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein or even someone like Shungun, right?

Like you're gonna have problems. You're gonna have to see one of those guys on the ascent, maybe even multiple. And are they, you're saying, okay, my guys are tough enough and smart enough and experienced enough because a lot of people don't realize guys like Moses Moody and Kamiga,

like they won a championship too. They've been around. I just, I don't know. I'm not, I don't know enough to say, oh no, you're nuts. But also not like, yeah man, put it all on the Warriors. This is so, one of the things about the NBA that people complain about is how the style of play

has become a bit homogeneous But I can say when you look at the Western Conference It does feel like there's some like Eclectic roster constructions that is kind of interesting to see those things Clash like from what the Timberwolves have to the Warriors like is there a chance that the Warriors could small ball their way? past some of these teams because like that is always the the hang up for the Warriors, or excuse me, not for the Warriors,

for the Timberwolves or for a Go Bear centered team is like, is he gonna get taken off the floor? The Thunder, I guess, like, check and run well enough, and they're so damn cute, man. The Thunder is the perfect team. It's like, you're talking about, you're right, there are a bunch of, like, every team I look at in the West, like, yeah, what about this, what about that? Look at the Thunder, about that look at thunder my y'all got it man. Like I have no notes

I mean the the criticism I guess that I've heard about the Thunder and is you could let me know if this is accurate or not is very reliant on one specific player who is also very reliant on the referees Blowing the whistle in certain situations. Well, I wouldn't say also very reliant on the referees blowing the whistle in certain situations, right? I wouldn't say he's reliant. I think he plays a way that makes it very hard to guard him.

And either you're going to give up a shot that you don't feel comfortable giving up or you're going to foul. So it's not, but it's, it always drives me insane when people are like, oh, the ref's like, no, he's getting fouled. Right. He's getting fouled because he plays at a pace. And if you think about all the guys that are great at drawing fouls,

that are not like Yanis, that are just because. Talking about SGA, Shea Gilles, Alexander. Shea Gilles, Alexander, James Harden, Luka Doncic, like, Jalen Brunson. What do all those guys have in common? They're not like, one would think oh the guy that's blazingly quick and jumping over everybody That's the guy that everyone fouls like no It's the guy that makes you play down at their pace they know how to slow it down and stop and and speed up in small windows and that's what gets

Unruly defenders off balance and makes them foul. But like to me, it's not like watch me fool the refs one more time, no, he's getting fouled. And he's getting fouled because you have no recourse. Yeah, I mean, and I guess my point, you're right, I don't mean to say that he's like a foul grifter. Like the fouls are genuine, but it is a part of his game. And the reason why that I've heard

that that should give me some concern is like the refs don't call every game consistently. And then in the clutch, when you need those plays that the refs tend to swallow their whistles in those situations. And, or their wishes. And they don't have like a true secondary, like playmaker in a way that you would expect them.

Well, isn't that the bigger question? More than like Shay at this point, we expect him to be awesome in the playoffs, but the question is more Jalen Williams and Chet and if they're gonna play really well consistently as a second in their option. My guy, J-Dub, man, I can't believe you're sitting here. Downton, Downton J-Dub, man.

Look, you're right, the game plan, the game plan, which is always my favorite thing about the NBA, it's the difference between the NBA and NFL. NFL, you guys have a game plan, it's like a secret. Don't let anyone know what the game plan is. It's a game plan. They're not gonna, oh my God, what are they doing? Oh, our heads are exploded.

The NBA's like, yeah, hey man, you want our game plan, here it is. Your opponent, here, take it, take it, take a look at it. Now stop it, try and stop it, right? So the game plan is, we're going to get the ball out of Shade's hand, we're gonna throw two at him, we're gonna make someone else beat us, we're gonna see how much, if we can go to the well

to J-Dub again and again and again, him and Chet, how much they can continue to convert before it dissipates on them, right? The reality is, Sha Giles is Alexander, leads the league in scoring 33 points a game. Eight of those points come from the free throw line. So he's still scoring 25 a game, not getting to the free throw line.

Again, it's so easy to say, oh, I'll just take Shea out the board and then what are you gonna do? All right, go ahead, yeah, there you go, here you go. Here's my game plan, now take him off the board. Yeah, now it's impossible to eliminate him similar to the way that it's impossible to eliminate Yocuz. You just try to get him in situations

where you're more comfortable or where you think he is not as comfortable. It's why in the NBA, a much more successful tactic when you see these amazing offensive players is the opposite. Let him get whatever he wants. But nobody else breathes. Like, that's way more common because, again, 60 points aside, the idea is that, eh, nobody can continue to do that

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That's why those players are so valuable, which is why there's another story of the NBA that's kind of been percolating. We know how valuable those star players are, which is why the NBA is the league of tankers. If there's such a thing, there's no other league where I feel like it makes more sense to tank than an NBA because the value of a player like that is so huge. And so there were a couple of articles yesterday, one of which on ESPN about the league's initiatives to try to address tanking. The big one by Mike Vorkenoff on the athletic, where he started a four part series

about ways to address tanking. Cause it's not even saying that there's a, the process Sixers are happening, it's just that earlier in the season, 15, 20 games last, we're seeing teams like the Sixers play like a Delaware 87ers roster. Can I run down the Sixers roster? So Quinton Grimes is ballin', he's the player,

the name that you know, then they got Lonnie Walker, the fourth, Aden Bona, Justin Edwards, Ricky Council, also the fourth. Yeah, the fourth. Clyde mentioned that on the broadcast, but isn't Lonnie Walker, his siblings are named Lonnie? Or is? First of all, I am so, like I was like i was like why would you be with our and that's right

because i mean i it's terrible and i want to talk about it you know i do love quite a little bit of a birthday on sunday but it is something that's not you that's how i i'd i'd did well on the s a t verbal and i got listen to call walk live fraser because he was a big serendipitous bounce on the left side like what what is serendipitous me on the left side. Like, what does serendipitous mean? Oh, the Knicks are in there, Shangri-La, and there's Xanadu.

I'm like, what's a Xanadu? How do you even spell it? All those words came up in my SAT verbal. Shout out to Walt Clyde Frazier. Okay, it's not Lonnie Walker. I think it might be Ricky Council. Oh, that is- I'll get on this.

There you go. He's the fourth because he has other brothers? So it's not like- It was like described as a george foreman Situation on the broadcast together Yes council's two older brothers are also named after his father ricky council both ricky council two and ricky council three also played college basketball Together they form pretty ricky grind with me

Our first show we learned about, or we discussed a little bit about naming conventions in families. That what it's like. Hold on. Leroy and G-Roy. Hold on, man. G-Roy's a great Maryland receiver.

Let me just say right now, there is nobody I wanna see on the playground after I done called someone, I'm like, maybe your mama. And then here come Leroy and G-Roy. What you say about my mama? That's, those are bullies, right? That's the name of twin bullies that come out,

it's Leroy and G-Roy. They definitely seem like the characters from a 90s cartoon that were always causing havoc that the gang had to get away from. And then they always refer to each other by their name. Ain't that right, Leroy? Hell yeah, G-Roy. Leroy and G-Roy.

Are there, so we talked about this on my show a little bit yesterday and I kind of fumbled into what I thought was a reasonable tanking solution. So I want to hear, I'll throw this to you. I think when we are talking about creating incentives, that's the problem is the teams are incentivized. Like the 76ers need to lose enough games so that they are in the bottom six, so they retain their draft pick.

This is not even, this is not just taking for a draft pick. When you have these protected pick trades, which I think with OKC, the 76ers have a trade, they need to lose enough games just to keep their draft pick. And so you want to create some sort of structure that eliminates the incentive to lose. But why that's not a full solve for tanking is because you also need to create some incentive to win.

And because you could just be like, all right, we're out of this. All right, being the worst doesn't get us a better chance, but why would I put my good players out there if we're not gonna make the playoffs, we have no chance that they could get hurt. Okay, so you hit on exactly the point. The point isn't that the incentive to lose is too great.

It's that it's not greater than the incentive to win, right? And so I've heard things where like, yo, we should have a tournament of all the teams that don't make the playoffs, and then that's the team that gets the number one pick. I said, okay, so you basically just incentivize whoever's in the bottom of the playoff picture. Like, do I really want my head beaten in by the casual Thunder or do I want to go get Cooper flat? So like if I'm the, if that were the rule right now, that's what I would accuse the

Miami heat of doing of tanking so that they miss the playoffs so that they can then go run rough shot on Washington and, uh, shot on Washington and Charlotte and all those teams. I like this idea. Let's do this. So, so the problem is, as you said, it's the incentive does not match, right? I think Philadelphia is a bad example because they are specifically in a weird spot where they wanted to win. They entered the season wanting to win games, wanting to win a championship, and even as late as maybe January they're like, it could still happen, right? If we just get

healthy at the right time, and then injuries just pretty much cut them off at the knees. On top of that, they owe a pick to Oklahoma City. Do you know why they owe that pick, by the way? No, Trey? Well, yes. But do you know what? Good one, Dominique. Well played.

About five years ago, maybe a little bit more, the Sixers had Al Horford on their roster. They paid him a bunch of money, and like, it didn't work. This is a bad move. And they're like, we got to get rid of him. Who could take the salary off our hands? And Oklahoma City was like, I'll take it for a couple of picks and that's what it is and then and by the way then OKC flipped him to Boston for some more picks and he's still being productive playing too many minutes for somebody his age right now

but he's still being part of it. Garnet Luke on the perimeter in big moments. So where we're at here is, to me, I think we solved the problem. Five years ago, this shit was out of control. Like, all-star break, nah, I'm tanking. All these teams were going heavy. Now because of the play-in, you've extended the window of teams, I could do it, I could put a time together.

You know what Miami did two years ago has now given the play in a different meaning. It's like, hey, it's not just the right to get your head bashed in, maybe it could be you, right? So they have solved that for all but like the four or five teams that are awful every year, which I think is kind of part of the process. Like everyone needs bad teams.

I mean, I'm fine. They're going to be bad teams. What I don't appreciate is when like I look at the 76ers and they're given DMPs to Kelly Oubre and it's like, play your best players. Try to have your best. And even if it's just four teams, I feel like at least, and I'm normally not one who,

I'm gonna defend the players most of the times, but I have found myself becoming a little bit more sympathetic, and a lot more sympathetic to fans where it's like, look, we got a whole damn season, this is my team, y'all not even trying? And no, I'm serious. I like the idea of you, like, for years, Dominique,

like, if them fans, man, just pay me my check. And then like a couple years removed from retiring, you're like, is this what you guys have been witnessing? This is preposterous. It's not because that's not what we do at football. So like I haven't had, and you can't create the same situation in football because 82 games means money.

We're never gonna go down to fewer games because I think that would help in this situation. It's none of that stuff, right? Football. It's a very simple system that creates that it's not the scarcity of games It's the scarcity of guaranteed dollars, right? So everybody is kind of clawing at this pot of money, right? Whereas I would disagree with that because I think the scarcity of guaranteed dollars may motivate the players but that's not what motivates the teams. What motivates the teams is a couple different things. I think it's the complexity of the game of football. Football is not a game where you can get one player in the same way

that basketball you get one player it's worth it because that will turn your team around. I think football we've never really seen that happen it's so rare and even all the great quarterbacks that we talk about, I guess. But Aaron Rodgers, he turned the Jets around. Exactly. Full 360. Case in point.

And I think it's because of the complexity. For the math nerds. Case of the complexity of football is the reason why. So many times we're like, we know this team's gonna be good, we know that. And you can't do it. You have to build up, the teams that are consistently good are teams that build up that type of culture

and are good continuously. I don't think that if you remove guaranteed contracts from basketball that you would get a better product because the teams would still be incentivized to create DMPs or to tell some guy who's never really been that good to go out there and get his numbers and they lose, you have to remove that incentive.

So there's a couple of things, right? Number one is the players, like the teams, when they play these guys, so let's use Philadelphia as an example, right? I don't know of any fan who's like, I bought tickets to Sixers Knicks, and then I found out Kelly Oubre was a DNP. How dare they?

Like the number of guys who actually that move the needle on that of like, I don't feel like I'm getting my money's worth is rather limited. I think that's like the backwards way of looking at that though. Cause it's not about Kelly Oubre. It's the fact that if you're a six years fan

and you get to see Jokic once a year when he comes to Philly or Janis. And it's when those guys like were playing a dog water Philly team that's playing their G League players. You know what Janis we're gonna give you the night off Yeah, I mean like again, I don't think that for instance the Bucs have that luxury or or or any of those teams Janis might not have been the best I'm just saying like look look up and down all the stuff. I don't think I don't think not have been the best. I'm just saying like look look up and down all the standing. I don't think that matters. Like Cleveland, oh they don't have to play

yes they do because they're chasing the number one overall seed they want a home court advantage in the finals. Denver they're chasing two in Houston Houston try to keep Denver off their back. Lakers trying to move up to two or three. Warriors trying to stay out of seven eight nine. Like every single team every night at this point has a reason to play their guys other than if it's a back-to-back It becomes a mitigated risk, right? So so from that standpoint from the other standpoint if I'm the Sixers It's part of it sure it fits in with like yeah, we want to lose these games

But the other part of it is why am I gonna play Kelly? Oubre who I know who he is. I know what he's about How do I figure out if Ricky council is Really good or not, right the number of guys. So Miami did this for years with Kendrick nun with the Duncan Robinson with Haywood Heisman, these are all guys who actually got called up the year before Right at the end of the year and they're like, all right, let's see what we got here Let's see what we got here and Let's see what we got here.

And then they come back, and the next year, like, this guy's in rotation. I've never heard of him. Yeah, he's been here. But like, you didn't realize it. So I think the, I don't think we need to argue whether it's a problem or not. The perception is out there in whether you're playing.

That's the problem. No, no, no, no, no, no. If you want to talk about what the NBA's problem is, is that we allow perception to run our league. But it's not, see, that's trying to pretend as if it's only perception. It is. It's also fact, teams are tanking. Let's not, come on to me.

Teams aren't tanking. It's not a problem, though. It is a problem. Why is it a problem? Because the game that we got last night, the games where we get where people are trying are a better product. The idea that it's okay

to have some distributors of your product say, you know what, we are going to continuously, purposely put out a trash version of the product, stinks. That's not a good precedent to set, and it's a precedent that's been set. That's not a good culture to indulge. Chris, you ever been to McDonald's and they told you the McFlurry machine wasn't working? Hate that. Every time you go to McDonaldge. Chris, you ever been to McDonald's and they told you the McFlurry machine wasn't working?

Hate that. Every time you go to McDonald's. I'm not sure what that, so what is, okay. Some McDonald's don't have a working McFlurry machine. And so we- Do we boycott the McDonald's? Nah, we still eat. We still eat, man. We still go, okay, give me a two cheeseburger meal

and some nuggets on the side. Maybe that $5 meal that comes with all this stuff in there. I really like McDonald's. That's such backwards thinking to me. It's not backwards. It is back So hold on everyone can I ask you can I can I ask you a question? Mm-hmm, would you like would you like the NBA better if? No one tanked if everyone tried their hardest. I don't think it would make a difference Okay, I like I don't think it would make a difference. Absolutely. I don't think, Washington is playing all its guys.

You care? No, I think that people, teams construct their, or organizations construct teams based on the fact that they are incentivized to be terrible. I think we will be looking at a different NBA. I think we all accept that the NBA is more talented than it's ever been, but we know that some teams are like, you know what?

We need to be really bad right now. We construct a roster that way, we bench players, and we have games that are non-competitive that no one cares about. And I guess I wanted to get into some of the solves for tanking, but I somehow found the one man in America who thinks that tanking's not an issue. Even the league, even Adam Silver wants them

to stop tanking, but you're like, nah, it's cool. We don't need McFlurries. We're doing 2019 Sports Talk right now. Like it's not an issue and the only reason why people are talking about it this year, because I don't remember anybody opening their mouth even halfway to talk about this. The only reason why it's this year is because there's a guy who's coming out that everyone is tantalizing over and when you got a guy like that everyone is going to look at every single action as I see you're just tanking for flag again like no it's just sometimes this shit is cyclical and bad teams are just bad and whether they play a player who wouldn't start on 30 NBA teams or does not change the product, right?

The other thing you're assuming, Mr. I Love the Players, is you're saying that like, who the hell are these guys and da da da da? Man, there might be another guy coming in, one of these guys is playing, getting that time. Agreed, there might be a guy in there. That doesn't mean that you should intentionally break the McFlurry machine.

So, man, what are we talking about? Everybody loves McFlurry, so you're like, okay, I don't need a McFlurry. No, my point is this, is the McFlurry machine. What are we talking about? Everybody loves McFlurries, and you're like, okay, I don't need a McFlurry. No, my point is this, is the McFlurry machine is not working in some McDonald's, that doesn't make you stop going to the McDonald's. But if you are the McDonald's with a bad McFlurry machine, you think their sales go down?

You wanna go Mike's? If you want a McFlurry, you go to McFlurry. You might discover another item, though. There could be other items there. This is horse poop. Speaking of the NBA and people who are not performing that well, there's a guy in Atlanta who was,

we were talking yesterday a bit about how I was not gonna race Taylor because I didn't wanna get injured. This is it. So I was talking trash to Taylor, but then I saw this video pop up on my socials and now I'm no longer sure that I wanna embarrass Taylor in a race today.

This is the partner. Was this guy tanking is the real question. Tic, tac, go! Oh! Oh! Dang! That's a blown out meme, right? Oh no!

Hold on! Let's make sure my guy is good. The announcer. Yeah. Oh man. Other guy just continuing to perform. His back man. He's not really a fair game at this point.

Is that bad sportsmanship to keep playing? Hell no. You don't think they would have just get, what was the prize on this? Ragman. For the audio audience, there's two people competing. They're doing the thing where they have to go make a layup, and then they can come back and play tic-tac-toe.

And one guy tears his ACL and is just laying down. And the other guy continues playing. We're not sure that he tore his ACL, are we? Well, allegedly. Allegedly. But here's the thing. He goes to check on them, and she turns and looks at the camera and goes, yikes, like she's

working on the office or something. What are you doing? Like you got a vamp. You got a vamp that whole time. You gotta be like, hey man, hope you're doing all right. We're gonna get you take care of with a gift bag. How is this her fault? I mean, did I say it's your fault?

You're finding fault in her being like, oh no, I don't know what to do. This has never happened before. You got microphone. Oh, you got to keep talking cop keep feeling you can't just look at the camera They're like Defender of taking hater of women Mean the dream I mean do we know he's actually hurt or is that like I'm embarrassed to let me lay down and pretend I have a serious So let me lay down and pretend I have a serious

Another reason why you keep vamping you make him prove it go ahead stand up She goes let's make sure my guy is good. What could she possibly have done wrong here? The part where she's just silent and the guy goes to go check on the other guy and she's like oops Dang is also not vamping by the way dang dang Dang is also not vamping by the way. Dang! Dang! I mean it's an in-game thing, not on television. Yeah, like 60 seconds, they gotta go. There's 20,000 in Atlanta, there's 12,000 people in that building. That guy's fine.

I guess maybe you should have some protocol. It's like, it's not a crazy thing. It's not like the building got hit by a meteor. Like, we got old people trying to do sporting events. In her mind, she could be like, maybe, possibly, what do I do if somebody blows out a knee and then it happens? Do you remember The Dark Knight Rises? Remember that scene where Hines Ward is running

and the whole field blows up? I remember. There you go. Now, what you haven't seen is the director's cut in which the in-arena announcer keeps going. Keeps going. That isn't thrown off. My meme was right and that in-state announcer was a man. That's it. Yeah, I just was happy that it wasn't a meme embarrassing himself playing basketball. Weather is starting to warm up.

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