The Ryen Russillo Podcast - Knicks Up 2-0 and Pacers Call Out the Refs, Plus Mike Greenberg Talks ESPN and NYC’s Love of These Knicks.

Episode Date: May 9, 2024

Russillo opens by breaking down IND-NYK Game 2 and reveals his thoughts on the officiating of the series so far (0:33). Then, ESPN’s Mike Greenberg comes on to discuss what makes this Knicks team so easy to root for, share stories from his time at ESPN, and explain what makes radio so difficult (25:47). Plus, Life Advice with Ceruti and Kyle (67:36). Am I watching too much sports? Check us out on YouTube for exclusive clips, live streams, and more at https://www.youtube.com/@RyenRussilloPodcast The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please check out rg-help.com to find out more, or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Host: Ryen Russillo Guest: Mike Greenberg Producers: Steve Ceruti, Kyle Crichton, and Mike Wargon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We start in New York, the Knicks are up 2-0. We'll break down that game in depth. Also an update on our playoff seating draft that we did with Saruti and a little bit on the Murray Fine Knot Suspension. We've got Mike Greenberg of ESPN, almost 30 years into business, it'll be fun chopping it up with him, and Kyle is back on Life Advice. It's Ryan Roussela podcast presented by FanDuel. The road to the NBA final starts now, and FanDuel is the best place to get in on the action. Right now, you can check out the new and improved

QuickBets, which are back, and better than ever, for the NBA playoffs and FanDuel. Find what you're looking for faster and easier with more props right at your fingertips. You can check out live bets like three-minute markets and exclusive live bets like quarter player props, player assist combos, and more. So download the app today and bet with FanDuel,

official partner of the NBA. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming, so please visit rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available and listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Must be 21 and older, 18 plus in DC, and present in select states. Gambling problem?

Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com. This episode is brought to you by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Said several generations after Caesar's reign, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes shows a world where apes are the dominant species and humans are reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to make choices that define a future for apes and humans alike. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in theaters May 10th.

Get your tickets now. New York's up 2-0. We'll get to the reps. So Brunson goes down, New York plays without him for the last 1532 of the first half. Halftime score, Pacers are up 67-56. Halliburton had a great first half, OB Toppin, you know, the bench production that Pacers are getting here is incredible and it has to be obviously very frustrating for this team to be down 2-0. All right, but as we start the second half Brunson comes back.

By the way, it must have been incredible for Brunson to come out onto the court and you're in MSG and he's warming up, getting shots up, seeing how the foot feels. People are going nuts. They're chanting MVP. Like we're obviously not seeing any of this. That had to be a surreal moment, not only for that crowd, but also for Brunson, who after the game was like, yeah, that was pretty cool. He was trying like almost not to acknowledge it, uh, as the crowd went crazy.

So the Knicks off of that energy and Brunson's return go on a 27-6 run. During that time of that run, then OG and Inobi goes down and then he misses the last 15-27 of the game, clearly going out at what it would have been 3-27. So OG who at times offensively, I've talked about him feeling like, if he has to just freestyle with the ball, I don't know that I'm always going to love it.

I think if it's kind of predetermined shots or predetermined drives or off the screen and he knows he's going right away, he gave his kind of everything. And he kept them in this game while Brunson was out. So not only do you have the injury concern now considering who the Knicks have as options, that was just an incredible OG night that ends in disappointment with him leaving. So we mentioned Halliburton's big first half, not much in the third. Some places had it at one shot attempt, I had it at two. In the fourth, he had five shot attempts and some free throws in there. So it wasn't as bad as it felt in real time where it's like, Hey, if this guy's all NBA caliber, and I know we've,

we've had a real split based on who Halliburton was after the beginning of the season, the injury and then coming back. But you're like, okay, but he was really good and he actually hit two huge shots. I thought late. Um, so I think ultimately all of us are sitting there like hoping it's more, but we'll get into some of the stuff that was happening because it looked like Di Vincenzo in the second half just cranked it up another level and it was so intense. The defense on Halliburton where it was taking him a little bit longer to get into what he wanted to get into, they had Nemhar bring the ball up, which I don't always love because I feel like Nemhar, although a nice role player, I've just felt over the course of watching him with the Pacers.

The ball ends up like he's, he's really confident and it'll feel like if Halliburton gets stuck, then Nemhart will go. And what I love with teams with really great perimeter players, and we've seen it with Anthony Davis, we see it with Brunson in this series and even against the Sixers is, And whenever a team stops you on the first thing that you try to do is that high level score, if you get rid of the ball early enough, you can always get the ball back and then you just, it's the way basketball works. They're not going to get back to you with the same trap once you get the ball back off of the first

thing the defense tries to do. So that's something I'd like to see maybe the Pacers do. It's like, okay, if Halliburton's in trouble, have that release valve there for him, get the ball out of his hands, have him run to the other side, get the ball back and it's just not, it's not the same focus defensively from teams. I mean, this has been going on forever. You just notice it. And some people get really frustrated.

Some players get really frustrated with like giving up the ball and then wondering if they're gonna get it back. The best players understand this, the best teammates understand this, but clearly the Pacers realized it. And I think that led to Halliburton looking like he was floating certainly more

in the third quarter, but then they came back in around the seven, 10 mark of the fourth quarter. So then you also had a moment there where with Hartenstein out, you had Hart on Siakam and that immediately after a couple possessions, like, all right, this is a problem. So then I was kind of wondering like,

how's it gonna work when Turner's back in the game and then Siakam's in there and considering OG isn't available, that just means more precious. Who I like, but I know he's had his issues kind of finishing around the rim, but it's been better in these two games. So all of this happens as we're looking at McConnell get subbed out, which we're definitely going to get to here as well. Siakam, after they'd made the change there, he had missed two free throws at 4-0-2.

He had a really good look at a three, missed another step back. And this all happened within two minutes. So that was certainly frustrating on the Pacers side of it. So McConnell had done a really great job with his effort against Brunson. We can all see it. I mean, McConnell, I told the combine story a million times

watching him at the Chicago combine years ago. And there was this top international prospect who could not bring the ball up in the scrimmages against TJ. And I think he left the combine. So we know what we're getting when we see TJ out there. But he never comes back into the game at that 7-10 substitution of the fourth quarter. So it's easy for all of us to say, hey, TJ should be in at some point. We'd like to see him in there defensively. There was a substitution opportunity where the Knicks had to get the ball across because play it stopped.

They hadn't cleared half court. They were going to only have a few seconds to do it and Hart just immediately got it right off the court. You could argue there like, Hey, maybe just sub them in on that possession to say, just don't let them get across half court because that's how good he is. But clearly the Pacers don't share our opinion because of the lack of shooting that you have with TJ and they are about spacing, they're about moving the basketball and TJ throughout his career has been

somebody that fills in when you need him to, but you don't expect him to be closing games or closing a game like this. McConnell doesn't shoot threes. Now you may say, wait, he's 41 41 of 44 41 percent from three his last two years But he's averaging point seven three-point attempts per game the last two years with those great percentage numbers And that actually matches his attempts for his career in 1920 Not the year the season

TJ played in 71 games and shot a total of 17 threes. He doesn't take that. He doesn't want to take that shot. I mean, honestly TJ, you know, Sam Houser's, Sam Merrill's like, you know, our people are trying to make progress here. So it's just not going to happen. And that has to be the other side of it

where they feel like Nemhar is just better as a spacing of, as a three point option, even though defensively we've seen how bad this is when Nemhar ends up on Brunson single coverage, which again, everybody is looking bad against what Brunson is doing. So we'll see if there's a change here. And it could be as simple as Carlisle and the Pacers saying like, well, let's just try to switch it up. Van Gundy was all over it. There was a lot of criticism. Um, and maybe we'll feel like it was wrong and that all the criticism was justified if they change what they want to do defensively with McConnell. Uh, if Brunson continues to do this.

Um, but it also could be about New York's offensive rebounding, which is another reason that maybe they're like worried about McConnell and how aggressive these guys are, look at these numbers going into last night's fourth quarter. So we're looking at seven games. So the six against Philly game one against the Pacers. So these are the numbers prior to last night's fourth quarter where again, it happened again, New York's offensive rebounding numbers, 31 total offensive rebounds, their opponents at 15 second chance points

in fourth quarters through those first seven playoff games. 49 for the Knicks, 15 for their opponents. It's absurd what they're doing. And we told you against Philly, when their offensive rebounding rate was around 40% for the playoffs, it was the highest number. Now it'd have to stay there,

but it's the highest number that we've seen in the NBA playoffs in 10 years. So back to Brunson, 24 points in the second half. The Pacers go through a 0 for 5 stretch from the free throw line, which was just abysmal. And I want to take a look at the Pacers' defensive strategy against Brunson. It's 1-12, 1-10 after a ridiculous Halliburton floater.

The Pacers decide, okay, we're trapping Brunson at half-court, like we're just trapping him. All right, let's get him stuck with the half-court line behind him as the third defender. Let's get the ball out of his hands and see what happens. Well, here's what happened. They get it to Hartenstein and he's kind of the release valve catch, throws it to DiVincenzo for a three, 115, 110. They trap Brunson again, but he gets the ball back. He misses a three, but guess what? Offensive rebound, precious, he gets the dunk two points.

They trap Brunson again. Hart now just lingers near the trap going, get it to me, and this is this amazing like asset in heart on top of all the offensive rebounding, the three point shooting since his wrist apparently clicked back into place. But you know, with heart in these spots and I think a lot of this too,

was these Nova guys and all these big games they've played in and granted they're at home here, but they're not scared of any of this stuff. And if heart has to make a decision with the ball in his hands in one of these big moments, you trust that he's going to make the right decision. He swings it to DiVincenzo. He drives feeds it to Ardenstein who ends up with free throws. So that trap fails differently.

Then they go back to single coverage right at Nemhart. Guess what? Turn around jumper. He hits that one. Um, then there's a bit of a scramble position, which wouldn't really count because, you know, it's not the same as, Hey, this is exactly what the defense wants to do. They trap Brunson again at half court. Artnstein gets it to DeVincenzo who it's another three where

Nie Smith is totally blame on this one. He let himself get way too low. He let himself already be out of position and then be really easily screened to clear DeVincenzo for the three. It's one 24. It's one 15. It's game., it's 115, it's game. The Pacers basically tried everything except TJ McConnell. But with the way Brunson's playing right now

and the shot making off of it, and Harnstein totally comfortable making that pass, or Hart being able to dribble off of that trap, and now you're playing four on three, you look at that film, it's a lot like we talked about with Philadelphia in the beginning of that series, where they were playing this like extended one three one zone and staying on the Brunson side and then every time they swung it, Josh Hart hit

all the threes. So I'm sure they're as frustrated as any Pacers fan, but the Knicks are just dicing it up. So the Pacers filed 49 missed calls from Game 2 last night, which is 20 more than the 29 missed calls they filed after Game 1. So that's a total of 78, according to Brian Windhorst. I'm sure. You are mad. If you're a Pacers fan. Game one I would be really mad if this was my favorite team and I had posters made signs when I went to games. The non kick kickball in game one, the Turner screen foul, which I already covered on Tuesday, those are extremely frustrating. You know these huge moments we can talk about like every two points is two points,

but like we know the deal. Now as the clock continues to expire, the value of those possessions goes up, even if the math tells us that it doesn't. So, 78 seems high. I don't know if it's a bit like the legal process where somebody's being charged with something and they just overcharge them like crazy

and being like, all right, we'll charge them with 10 things and maybe eight get dropped, but we're really focused on the two. It's clearly to send a message. Carlisle gets ejected from the game. It's a very physical game. These games are absurd. And yeah, I don't love the Brunson off ball flops.

He got two of them last night. Like just let them fall. But this was not some free throw game where Brunson like in game one game. I think he only took six free throws So it wasn't that the guy just continues to make every single shot so You know where I am on a lot of the rough stuff My rant about the offensive players initiating the contact is more about the evolution of where the game was going as opposed to nightly stuff I just think it's a very

It's a practice it's susceptible to all sorts of criticism because I whenever anybody's like are they officiating, you know The officiating it's the NFL in college or the pack 12 guys are the worst the NBA is awful It's like whenever I do draft prep. I'm like you guys think the NBA refs are bad It is something that exists that I'll always have like, when did you like officiating? When did you think it was good? Oh, never. So that's kind of what it is. And when you're down two oh,

but look, don't miss all your free throws. The Pacers defense, which we knew was not good, maybe the worst of any of the remaining teams, they gave up 130 points on 91 possessions. That was an offensive efficiency rate for the Knicks of 147.9, which would be the third highest, which was the third highest of any game the Knicks have played in this season.

So look, I get your frustration. I'm not saying they're not missed calls. I'm not telling you you're wrong to be furious about the end of game one. 78 missed calls through Pacers tinted glasses, knowing that if I just wanted to do the same exercise and go, let me find 20 calls that went against the Knicks last night or calls that were called

or calls that weren't called, I can probably find them. I'm just not gonna spend my time doing that. However, Pacers fans, I think there's still hope. I actually do. Let's look at the minutes part of this. So the Knicks had three days off in between game six at Philly and game one of the Pacers. So part of us could So the Knicks had three days off in between game six at Philly and game one of the Pacers.

So part of us could say, well, that's why Tibbs played all these guys that much. It's like, yeah, or it's maybe just what Tibbs does. I think we'd all agree it's the latter. But now there's only one day off between the next three games, two days off between potential game five and six. And then there'd be one day off between game seven. And who knows? I mean, you know, it's

still a lot to ask considering what Princeton is doing here. Hart just played back to back 48 minute playoff games. It's the first time it's happened in 11 years. The last guy to do it, Jimmy Butler in 2013. He actually played five 48 minute games in a seven game stretch for the Bulls and you guessed it, his head coach, Tom Thibodeau. Jimmy was not Jimmy yet.

It was only his second year. So his stats weren't, you can't look at those game locks. I was looking at it this morning and being like, Oh, does this mean it's like, well, actually he just, he wasn't that much of an offensive guy. So you can't go, Oh, he played all these minutes. So that means, you know, he still was good. I think he had like 15 a game in that series when they were eliminated. But I wonder with the OG injury, we know Mitchell Robinson is now gone and but Donovich, which you know, when they made the trade at the

trade deadline, that was the big headline because it was that boring of a trade deadline. And I remember even saying like with knowing Tibbs, I don't even know if Donovich is going to close games for him. And he wasn't with everybody else. He mentioned Alec Burke last night. And I look Alec Burke's Burke. We've been struggling with that one for decades. Tibbs said, I'm pretty sure he said his name. Which in the heat of the moment, heading into a game playoffs, like we're going to give Tibbs a pass on that one, but.

You're like, this guy can't get 10 minutes. So I wonder if the minutes part of this changes. It has to now if OG, whose day to day is of this taping, I wonder if that changes some of the approach now that these next three games are so close to each other. And if I'm a Pacers fan, like are we going to start seeing a different game? You're probably going to get a different whistle at home, but you know, you've been at a three free throw disparity advantage because of the style of play and your defense, but that's the thing that I'm thinking about if I'm a Pacers

fan or if I'm just on the staff going, okay, we, this is an incredibly frustrating first two games of the series in New York. But if OG can't come back and the minutes start adding up, because I don't think Tibbs, I can look at the strategy and the schedule and say, oh, maybe he's now he knows he has to adjust off of this. I don't think that's really what he does. It's never really what he's done historically. And that's why I think the Pacers still have a chance to get in the series. Before we get to Mike Greenberg,

which we're excited to do and have our guy here on the show. So Rudy, we did a playoff draft and unlike radio history, where we do these and then never revisit them, we're gonna revisit it right now. So let's take a look at where we're at, because basically we did it, if you missed it, we did a draft of all the available playoff and playing teams and then added a point reward system for drafting teams with lower seeds.

Uh, and then we came up with a point system where basically if you were picked something and then they kept advancing in the playoffs, you're going to be rewarded for that instead of just picking chalk. Yeah. So essentially it, yeah, if you took a lower seed and they won the first round, you're getting more points. So it's sort of like, you know. If a one eight happened, if an eight won, they won,

which didn't happen, obviously, it would be one point for advancing and then seven points for the seeding differential, correct? Correct. Right. And so right now, I'll just go through it. So right now I'm up 8-4 in points But you have way more max points And I think I might be in trouble here because I had a lot on the nuggets and I guess were my first overall pick

And it's not looking great right now around one. So you had Thunder Pelicans. You got the Thunder that went through There's one point I had the Clippers and the baths maps win I get two points because they were the under the lower seed You had two wolf suns. So you got a point there. I had Nuggets, you had Lakers, so I got a point there. You had Celtics, I had Heat, you got a point there. You had Cavs, I had Magic, you get a point there. I had Bucks and Pacers, so I get the four points for the Bucks because that was a 6-3. And then I had the Knicks and you had the Sixers, so that's a point for me. So that's why I'm leading right now. But if we look at the final eight teams

remaining, so here's what we got. It Thunder you have the Thunder I have the Mavs So I really really really need the Mavs to win that series to have any chance to beat you I think T Wolves nuggets is not looking good for your boy because you have the T Wolves and I have the nuggets You have Celtics and Cavs So, you know if the Celtics, you know walk through the you know to the east of the finals You're gonna get a good amount of points there and here's my other hope I have both the Pacers and the Knicks. So I need the Knicks.

If the Knicks could somehow make the finals, I really need to go all in on the Knicks and go on on the Mavericks or else you're going to walk away with this thing. Yeah, I actually liked this. I liked the way we did it. And, you know, we were just kind of did it. And it was like, all right,

let's try to find something different here. All right, so we'll try. So you have more total points as of right now, but I have far more potential for max points and the Denver thing's killing you, right? Yep. All right. It's killing me.

These weren't our official picks on this series, by the way, too. These were just kind of the draft and what was available to us. Yeah, I don't know what to make of this Minnesota thing. The Jamal Murray thing's crazy. I'm okay, you know, I'm not Captain Punishment. Like Punishment Radio is one of my least favorite days ever.

I thought it's, yeah, little Blaine Pye-ish. I mean, what he did was super fucked up. And sometimes Jamal can be- I think sometimes, I think sometimes guys don't even realize what the, like, I don't think, maybe he was a huge asshole and he just was like, I'm gonna throw this thing on the court. I don't know, sometimes you realize what the, I don't think, maybe he was a huge asshole and he just was like, I'm gonna throw this thing on the court. I don't know, sometimes you lose your head.

It's been a frustrating series. I don't think Jamal's done a ton of things in the past that would suggest to me that he's an idiot or one of those guys. I wasn't that mad about it. Do I think that if they were up two-oh, he would get suspended? Maybe, maybe, but I'm not overly mad about it.

Right, just because I pushed back on the officiating stuff, I'm not naive enough to believe, like I'll never forget the Cam Newton suspended and reinstated for the SEC title game. And we were like, wait, what happened? Yeah. He was suspended. And it was like, yeah,

cause this is like a huge game. And that was one of the first times like working in national media where I was like, huh. But, well, I just think whenever anybody tells me about all the different conspiracies, I'm like, well, why does Duncan end up in San Antonio? I listened to Rick Hamlin, Antonio Daniels yesterday because I was in the car a lot. So I was listening to them take calls about everyone's opinion on the Murray suspension. And I just tell everybody like punishment is not consistent.

It is not consistent. It's not consistent at home. It's not consistent at work and it's not consistent in leagues. If you're like, well, if Draymond did that, yeah, no shit. We are a collection of all of our reactions. Like we were just all walking resumes. And for the most part, Jamal, although it was a bad look, I mean, he's just

sitting there just mad and it's like, actually they're just working you defensively, man, and I'm sure if the calf is part of it too, and he's having this awful shooting night, but you can't do that, but I'm still like, okay. And I also, I know people are like this. I'm okay with them going in and we don't really want to suspect when they're down to. Oh, can we get maybe six games out of this series?

Like, I don't, I honestly, like I don't. really want to suspect when they're down to oh yeah. Can we get maybe six games out of this series? Yeah. Like I don't honestly like I don't even if that's true I don't really even have a huge issue with it. I just. Yeah I don't. I don't know. That's how life works man. Yeah I don't have an issue with that.

If they're like hey Jamal hasn't been a guy that has the resume of some of these other guys and he's handled them some certain way we're just gonna smash them with a huge fine that's fine too. Like they took one call on NBA radio where the person called in saying that it was a massive conspiracy for the NBA to continue to promote Yokel and they can't have their MVP eliminated. And it's like, do you all right, talk it out. Like that's one of my favorite exercises. But like, okay, this

is your theory. Let's talk it out. Let's let's work it a bit. Let's game it. As as Greg and Tom would say, the NBA has a meeting and they're like this Serbian guy that thinks all of this is pointless. Let's promote the fuck out of this guy. Yeah. You know, we don't want this 22 year old American player, Anthony Edwards, to all of a sudden take the crown. You know, that's bad.

Let's have the Serbian guy that doesn't really give a shit. That's the guy we want. That's why I get so worked up about some of these things. I was just like, okay, that's your position. That's what you think happened. All right, well, let's just talk it out. Like, yeah, no, it makes a ton of sense to the NBA to your point to be like, let's get this ant guy out of here.

The most engaging personality, maybe the most exciting player to watch in a league. Let's, let's try to get him out. And I don't, I think, look, I think it's really simple that there's some gray area there cause Murray hasn't conducted himself like an ass. Other than, Bubble Murray was a weird look when he just decided he was a coach for a few games. Remember watching those games with Murray? He's like, wait, what's he gonna,

he's just gonna stand up the whole game with a weird hat on and just yell the whole time? But maybe that was just energy and being engaged and everything, but that's not enough for them to be like, hey, actually let's suspend him because he was annoying during the bubble. I am okay with this, but that's not enough for them to be like, Hey, actually let's suspend it because he was annoying during the bubble. Uh, I am, I'm okay with this, but it's everybody just tries to, when they have these platforms and these shows, it becomes a contest of like trying to out punish the guy sitting next to you.

And I, I go the other way with that. It's not even a Zach. I just, I'm like, all right, whatever, but it's not a conspiracy. It's not. I, when they took the call yesterday, it was like, they want. Yoke Hitch, they can't have their guy. And it's like, no, no, no, no. They probably just, I don't know.

But that would not be the guy. They'd be like, all right, well, no matter what we do, no matter what we do moving forward, Yoke Hitch has to be the biggest star. And on the Murray thing, that's Pat Bev. If that's Draymond Green, if that's Russell Westbrook, this is a different story. Period. Like those guys, I'm just not gonna give it the benefit

of the doubt too, for the most part. And you know, Jamal Murray does some other stuff later in the series, maybe I'll change my mind, but it's a one-off incident that I don't really have any issue with. Really quickly though, just wanna credit Jeff Miller. If you go to racillopod.com, he basically lays out the entire draft and like there's a bracket and points

total. It's really cool. So check it out racillopod.com. Yeah. I didn't even know there was a website for that. Guy's got some time on his hands. So shouts out to him. Thank you, Jeff. This NBA Playoffs Fan Duel is giving all customers two chances to bring home a big win with a no sweat, same game parlay every weekend of the playoffs. Just place a same game parlay on any playoff matchup

and you can get bonus bets back if you don't win. Bet on everything from rebounds to assists to three pointers and more. You want three pointers? How about some from Carl Anthony Towns? How about two of them? So Carl Anthony Towns over under one and a half made threes over on that.

He is starting to take more threes throughout the playoffs. Got off to a slow start in the attempts against Phoenix, but in the last four games, he's attempted five, six, four, and five. He's also hit two or more in four straight games. You put that with Moneyline or for a bigger payout, you put it with Minnesota minus four and a half which is paying 170 if you think Denver has some fight in them maybe you don't want to go that way with it but anyway

FanDuel right now is live in our nation's capital Washington DC visit FanDuel.com slash Ryan RYE and shoot your shot on America's number one sportsbook FanDuel official sports betting partner of the NBA, must be 21 and older, 18 plus in DC and present in select states. Gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit rg-help.com. Opt-in and minimum three-leg parlay required. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable, expire seven days

after a seat, max refund $5. Restrictions apply, see terms at sportsbook.fandl.com. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Make the most out of your summer and get almost anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost? Well, they can't help you get a Hawaiian vacation, but a Hawaiian pizza. Yeah.

A nice sunny day at the lake. Sorry. No. A Philly cheesesteak though. Yeah. Uber Eats can help you get that. What about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there.

But a barbecued prawn? Definitely doable. You can even get some paper towels to help clean up after the feast. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats, order now. Excited to do this. It's been in the books for a while,

but he's a busy man. I just finished watching him this morning. It's Mike Greenberg of ESPN, Get Up and Greenie Radio and everything else you need. What's up, man? It's been a long time. I was actually saying to Stace yesterday, like I can't remember exactly what the last time I talked to Rossello was. You came here to the city to do get up a few times our first year in the, in the, now I suppose ill-fated first rendition of the show. And

so that's 2018. And so, I mean, is it possible it's been that long since we talked to each other? Is that, is that even remotely possible? Uh, yeah, it's a little bit later than that only because, you know, it's one of those things with, with your memory where it's not something you would remember because I reached out to you towards the end of when my contract was up at the end of the summer in 19 because I was still trying to figure it out and I've talked about this so you know I didn't know that we were going to go here so soon but I was was on the fence about what I wanted to do it was nice that actually ESPN wanted to keep me but we still at that point were kind of like,

I don't really know, I'd already moved. But one of my favorite things that I got to do is that I had moved to LA and then in 18 and then in 19, you know, your producers were great to me, you were great to me, and I would fly back. And it was great, I'd get to stay in New York City for three or four days, I'd do three or four shows, and I loved doing the show.

And that was kind of it. And I was like, well, if I stay, I think part of it would be I'd have so many days where I'd come on and do get up and then kind of just be around. But it just, there wasn't really, there wasn't really a fit. And since I'd already moved, it was, it wasn't so well, that's the last time we had talked, but it wasn't even so five years. I mean, that's a very long time. So I'm glad we got this chance to catch up. So I wanted to ask you this to start. When did you become comfortable enough professionally to tell the world that you're presented by ego? Listen, I've been telling the world that I'm presented

by something for a very long time. I actually said this to somebody, like everyone, I guess, has their own claim to fame. I think it's possible that I have read more sponsorships than any other person in the United States in the last 25 years. I think that's a real possibility. Four hours a day on Mike and Mike, now four hours a day when you combine the TV and the radio. For 25 years, I think it's possible I have been sponsored or presented by more different people than anyone else

in the entire United States. I don't even think it's close. Which I know is one of our favorite things at sports. I usually think whenever anybody does, but yeah, I mean the four hours alone every day for that long on radio. I remember the first time I filled in to host Mike and Mike and I'm sitting there with your producers and

then they hand me this stack of papers and I was like, what's this? And they go, that's the rundown. I go, it's, there's no topics. It's all ads. What do you mean this isn't a rundown? They're like, well, that's the rundown. I go, it's, there's no topics. It's all ads. What do you mean this isn't a rundown? They're like, well, that's what our guys do is they just kind of figure it out and do the segments.

And then these are all the things you have to read. And I was like, my God. And I remember how bad I screwed up because I did a five hour energy read. And it said no guard rails. And I was like, what? And then I just, you're live, you're in the studio. And of course you're sort of like, your comfort level's off a little bit

the first time you're ever sitting in that chair for that. So that was also part of it. So I'm like, yeah, five hour energy. I was like, no guardrails, don't mention. I just said it in the read. Yeah, so I refer to that. Liam saved that and we would listen to it sometimes, not on the air, but off and laugh.

The truth of the matter is, so Liam Chapman, who you guys obviously know was our producer for years and was our board before that. So Liam probably worked on Mike and Mike for 10 years, something like that. When I would ask, when someone would fill in, not you, but whenever anyone would do the show when I wasn't there, the running joke was always, how was the other person?

The ad was, did the reads. Like, you know, if you did the reads, then nothing that terrible happened. At the end of the day, did someone say progressive? Like, did we say it? Or did we say it six times? If so, then yeah, sure. It doesn't really, but do we talk about basketball?

I don't know, but we definitely got the reads in and that's at the end of the day, that's the most important part of the job. They made me apologize on the air. I was like, you know, I don't think I should have to apologize for this. And it only brings more attention to how absurd it was because how specific it was that like, you can't, you can't be exhausted at night and then take this. So then I had, I was like, we shouldn't apologize. And they're like, it's coming from up top. And I was like, all right, I will apologize. So for the ego joke, by the way,

that's the company that presented the NFL draft. And I watched it open and you brought everybody in and I could just sense, I think in the way only people that are on the air can sense, you're like, this is absurd that I'm saying I'm presented or we are presented by ego. So you left like a little pause in there for the companies, which I thought was just brilliant

because of how long you've been doing this. So before we get into all the other stuff, I want to ask about your Knicks. Do they feel like your Knicks again? So the Knicks, I actually said this on the air at the time you and I are having this conversation, I probably said this on the air 20 minutes ago. I think this is going to be the most beloved Knicks team since the championship

teams. So I played golf with a guy yesterday who named his son Oakley. And so just to give you a sense, I mean, so for those listening around the country who don't know the Nick fandom, you know, the Ewing, Oakley, Starks, Knicks, the Riley ones are the early nineties and the Van Gundy ones are the late 90s. They are a beloved team. They are loved beyond their accomplishment. They made one NBA final. They made another final, I guess, in 99. That one almost, I don't know, it was a shortened season and Ewing was hurt. Whatever. The point is that era of Nick is beloved by Nick fans as though they won titles. You know, like people still talk about

Oak and Mason and Ewing and Starks as though, you know, they were two-time champions like Fraser and Reed and Bradley and DeBush and those guys were. So they are beloved. I think that this team, and partially for reasons that have nothing to do with them, which is that there has been this dormant era. There's just been a 20 year era of just absolute dormancy of the franchise, which encompasses, by the way, my son's entire lifetime. So my son was born in 2002. He lives and dies for basketball. He played a basketball starting in third grade. All he cares about is basketball. That's by far his favorite sport. He grew up in the New York City area and isn't a Nick fan. Isn't

it because there was nothing to ever latch onto. That's how bad they've been. So partly because of that and partly because of their, the way they have gone about doing what they are doing. They are what the New York sports team never is, which is a legitimate underdog. They are legit scrappy. They are young, scrappy and hungry, as they said in Hamilton. And generally, this is a franchise that has been old, bloated and impossible to like for such an incredibly long time. This group is punching above their weight. This group is so much better than the sum of its parts Jalen Brunson has he's made himself. I guess a superstar and has been

Legendary he's completely redefined his career, but the rest of that team. I don't know how many teams I mean Dante DiVincenzo and and Jalen Hart are gonna become stars for As you and I are talking we don't know what the situation is going to be with OG Andernoby. By the time people hear this, maybe we'll know that Andernoby is out for the rest of the playoffs, which I'm very concerned he's going to be. And if he is, I think there's a real chance that Nick still don't win this series. But that said, I think this group has a chance to be remembered by fans as fondly, more fondly than any team, including the Oakley Mason teams, since, you know, Frazier and Reed and Red Holtzman

and all those teams I grew up on. Yeah, I'm with you there. And I always think it's kind of funny, like people from outside of the fan base being like, I remember when Boston was a loser city, and there was a guy that I worked with that wasn't from Boston. He was like, this is a town that celebrates losers. It was like an incredible line. You know, he's an opinion guy and he just dump it on. And then of course, Boston goes on the absurd run that they went on. But what I think people are dismissive of is like that 90s Nick stuff mattered. It mattered. Like I, I feel like looking back, even though I was in rooting for Chicago or Miami or New York, it just, you know, you were this non-emotional fan that

was like, I can't wait to see what happens in these games. And I've never rooted for the Knicks, but I fell in love with this team in that Philly series, just, just as a fan of basketball. And I don't think they beat Boston. No, if they get through the Pacers, if Boston ends up taking care of Cleveland, which I'd imagine they would, I don't think that they would beat them. But watching all of the old players be at MSG in this, this celebration and how awesome that, that arena is, I think it's totally fine.

You should, you know, you should be allowed to feel awesome about something. Even if they haven't won a championship, maybe I felt different when I was younger, but that's how I feel now. you should be allowed to feel awesome about something even if they haven't won a championship. Maybe I felt different when I was younger, but that's how I feel now. No, I mean, look, in New York, certainly in basketball, that's all we had. So for me, my favorite teams, the teams I grew up on were the Huey Brown Knicks of the early 80s.

So Bernard King, I mean, I was just talking about this today. I grew up in a building that didn't allow dogs. So we had hamsters. My brother and I, we named our hamster Bernard. And then when he died, we named one Patrick after the next year, after doing the next year. So like the Hubie Brown Knicks, who are not that well remembered at this point, because

it's a really long time ago, and they never won anything of consequence. People still remember Bernard King, perhaps because he had had he was so good for a two year stretch. You know, and a lot of the numbers that he put up still kind of stand up today. Those will always be my favorite Nick teams, just because you feel differently about this stuff when you're a kid than you do as an adult, no matter how much you like it. But this team, you know, that's what that was a subsea. By the way, when exactly did I miss a meeting in Boston was a loser sitting. Like, I mean, I was born in 1967.

I remember the Cowens Celtics. I remember the Byrd Parish McHale Celtics. And it's not like four generations went by before those three guys came together and won a title in the late 2000s. I know the Red Sox went 80, whatever it was, years between World Series, but once they started winning them, they never stopped. Who am I forgetting? The Patriots? Well, yeah, I guess before Parcells got there, they didn't have that much of a history. But I don't know, unless I missed a meeting, I don't remember Boston being a loser city in sports. I may have missed that.

I had started in Boston in 03, so they had the Pat's title. They didn't have the Red Sox thing yet. And I was doing some like later night television. Look, it was Felger. I'll just say it was Felger. It's totally fine. He would be happy that he got credit for it, but he was just, we were, we were talking one night and he was like the, the impossible dream team is 67 that I grew up hearing about. I was born eight years after it.

And then, and while the Bucky dead thing's not necessarily something that was celebrated, but his whole point was he's like, this is a loser town. And it was like hilarious because he was the outsider and he got a reaction. I mean, that was the whole point. That's the whole point of this job that we do is you hope that you say something that gets some kind of reaction. And then that definitely got a reaction. Cause I was like, wait, is he kind of right?

And then it made me think about the Knicks. But I don't care. I don't care if a fan base is like, this is the most fun I've had in 30 years. And that's what Knicks fans are having right now. And you shouldn't be sitting there after you go up 2-0 and the Pacers going, oh, well, this is all pointless because we'll probably lose to Boston. I would add to that if I could. Like you don't have to win a championship to not be a loser. So like loser teams, the Jets who I root for have not been in the playoffs, have not made a, the last playoff game they played in was in the year 2011.

All right. I mean, that's a very long time ago. That's being a loser. The 1975 Boston Red Sox lost one of the great World Series. The first World Series I remember watching was the World Series of 75, which is the Carlton Fisk home run and all that stuff in which they lost in a brutally hard fought series to the best baseball team I ever saw. The best baseball team of my lifetime was the Big Red Machine, who beat

the Red Sox in 75 and beat the Yankees in 76. And I remember I was a Yankee fan sitting in my house crying because they were stealing bases against Thurman Munson so easily. Those are my first recollections of being a baseball fan. Those teams weren't losers. Ted Williams and Carl Yastrowski weren't losers because they never won World Series. I don't think the Buffalo Bills who lost four straight Super Bowls were losers. You're losers when you lose all the time. You're not by definition a loser just because you didn't win a championship. I understand it changes the narrative about people and the way we remember them.

But I don't think back on those Red Sox. I'm just thinking back to my youth, the 78 year, the Buckeye. I'm very much old enough to remember Buckeye Dent. That was bad because the Red Sox blew a huge lead. Was it 14 games or something like that in early? In early August or something? That was really bad because they gave it away. I guess you can also say they had the World Series one in 86 and didn't win it. So the Red Sox maybe would be the team you could have something with. The Celtics, Jesus, I don't even know what else to say. There is no team that conjures up less image of losing in my mind than the Boston Celtics. Historically, like from day one till now. So you've done a lot. 28 years of ESPN?

Yeah, this August, it'll be 28 years. 28 years. And it'll be almost half my life. When I got here, I was 29. So assuming I make it to next summer, assuming I make it to the summer of 2025, I will have been at ESPN exactly half my life. Do you think solo radio, because I know that to me, it was a completely different challenge 2025, I will have been at ESPN exactly half my life. Do you think solo radio, because I know that to me it was a completely different

challenge than having a host where, you know, hey, depending on the day, like I just try to explain to people all the time, like everyday radio is a whole different animal on top of the lifestyle that you would have to lead getting up as early as you did. You've done everything, is radio still the hardest? So what I've always said in the past,

and I think this is changing because all the mediums are changing, but I've always said it's much harder to do television badly than it is to do radio badly. Anyone can do radio badly, but it's much harder to do radio well than it is to do TV well. When you're doing TV well encompasses good work being done by a lot of other people.

Doing radio well encompasses good work being done by very few and sometimes genuinely just you. Now that's never been me. I obviously I worked with Mike for 18 years and there's no way in hell I could have done any of that without him and we had a good team of people that worked on the show and all that kind of thing. If you look at a TV show like the one that I host now,

I mean every single day I've got four or five, six people sitting in there. I have a director, I have a producer, we've got talent producers and all kinds of other people, PAs who are running around doing all kinds of work. I'm sitting in the middle of a lot of other people's work and probably getting a disproportionate amount of the credit when it goes well. Radio is, at the end of the day, radio is just about having a conversation interesting enough that, let's just say, millions of people are going to want to listen to it.

And that's not easy to do. And it's very different now because of the way this stuff is consumed and the way it's disseminated. And, you know, when Mike and I started, for example, I started doing radio talk shows in Chicago in 1992. That was where I got my start. I was a reporter and then I covered the Bulls and the Bears. And then in the summer, when all the talk show hosts would take their time off, you know, the young guys like me would get to host shows.

So I've been hosting talk shows on one level or another since 1992. And the way it has changed is, it's immeasurable. So to give you the best example I can give you of that, when I started in 1992, we would give two phone numbers on the air. One would be the number for people to call in. The other would give two phone numbers on the air. One would be the number for people to call in. The other would be a fax number so people could fax their opinions in. People would literally write down an opinion on a piece of paper and fax it to us.

And we had a PA, someone would have to run in there on the brakes and rip off the faxes and I would read them on the air. Now that, if that sounds like a very long time ago, it was. And so everything has changed substantially. But at the end of the day, doing a radio show is still about creating a conversation interesting enough that thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands or if you're really lucky, millions of people are going to want to listen to it. And that is still harder than anything else. So when I thought about like, get up,

and I was in the room for the pre-show, like you are, and I think this is something that I think the best hosts have, is that you can have a staff, but it's up to you. Like your instincts, you either develop or you don't. And your instincts are about, about hey that'll work. But I think the beauty in what you did when I'd be in those pre-show meetings is if there was an athlete say, it didn't have to be an athlete but it could be a media member and

we'd be going around the room, we'd kind of know the handful of topics. Okay, these are the hits today. This is what we have to hit on but where are you on these? And the minute someone said something insane, your eyes eyes you'd be like, that leads the bees. What is it about your talent for mining people to say stuff where I'm like, what? I don't know. Thank you for saying that. I do think it is the thing I do best. Like, I think I'm good at making other people the best they can be the best version of themselves on

the air. And I think it might be like, it might sound like oversimplifying it, but I think I really genuinely listen when many other people don't. Like there are people of whom I say this all the time. They exist in two states. One is talking and the other is waiting to talk. But the really important one is listening. So you need to listen to what people say. I'll tell you who was incredibly good at this was David Letterman. So Mike and I were lucky enough to go on that on the Letterman show quite a few times. And what I noticed when we were on was that when we

were talking, he was focused. He was like, I'm leaning in for the listening audience. He was like, he was zoomed in on what we were saying and he was interacting with us, even just facially and with his eyes, even when he wasn't saying things. And so you could tell from that, this is going well, I should keep going. Like if I said something I could see in his face,

he thought it was funny. His show is probably a bad example of that because there'd be an audience there and they would either laugh or they wouldn't. But generally it was just you know me and three other people sitting on the desk. Like they can usually tell from my face if they should keep going or like yeah and then I'm going to take it away from you in a second here. And because I'm genuinely listening to what they're saying, rather than thinking about where I want to get to next. And part of that is just experience. Like part of that is I've just been doing this so long

that I don't really need to spend a lot of time thinking about what I'm doing next. I certainly didn't start out that way. Like if I had six places I need to get to in a segment, early in my career, I would have to have spent some time thinking about how I was going to get there. I've just been doing this so long now that I can kind of do that without really trying that hard. So I think I'm just listening to what people are saying. And I'm reacting in real time. And I do think that influences how they how

they go about what the point they're trying to make. Listening ends up kind of being the toughest skill to develop as a host, which sounds crazy, but you kind of justify not listening early on because you're like, well, I'm driving and I've got all these things and, you know, radio you have someone in your ear a lot less than television,

but it's amazing where interviews can go if you actually listen to what the answers are. And I think in the pre-show- Can I make a point on that very quickly? Where that's gotten really hard. So in 2020, prior to 2020, on Get Up at least, and we had been on the air for two years at the time that the pandemic hit. Prior to that, 95% of the guests that we would have would be in the studio with me. So I'm having a conversation with them face to face. And if someone's talking in my ear, I can hear them in that ear, but I can still hear

out of the other ear what the people around me are saying. When the pandemic hit, that became impossible to do. When the producer goes in your ear, if you just sort of think about it, I'm pointing at an Air pod right now. So through that same device, I'm hearing, so let's say I'm interviewing you and I'm interviewing Steve Cerruti and I'm interviewing Dominique Foxworth. You were three of the three people who were on my show. And I'm trying to listen to what you're saying.

If the producer needs to get in my ear and say something, he cuts them out entirely. I cannot physically hear what they're saying. There's no way for me to do it. They have been taken out of my ear. So that became a pretty delicate balance. It used to be that producers could get in my ear anytime they wanted to say whatever they want. I'm pretty good at like hearing that

while still focusing on this. But there was a real learning curve in that of you gotta be really, really, really careful with how much you get in my ear when other people are talking because I lose the ability to hear them. That has been a big adjustment. I got to ESP in 2006 and I was just filling in a bunch in the beginning. It was great. It was an incredible feeling. I just turned 30 and, I'd just turned 30 and you know, I'd be around. I'd see you guys sometimes.

I wasn't there during the day very much in the beginning. I was more of the weekend guy. But then I remember you got dual, right? Dual, I think was 2007. The game show. The game show. Yeah. And I think about kind of like different moments

in my career where it's like, okay, I want all of these things. And I wonder, with your taste of that, like, at that point in your life, were you thinking, okay, well, look, this sports thing is cool, but I'm just I'm just a good host. I mean, look, you're an incredibly talented guy, tell you, you were born to be on television, and drive and host and, you know, all the stuff

that you've done, it makes sense. Do you think there was a moment there, because I used to remember how like managers would get really worried that Colin Cowhert's sitcom was going to get picked up. Like what are you going to do? Like what if Greenie gets, you know, if he's the next Alex Trebek? What was going through your head at that, in those times where it felt like you were seeing what you might also be capable of. So the game show, I would have loved that. I grew up loving game shows. I'm older than you are, so I go back to shows like,

like Match Game and Tic Tac Doe, and I would come home from school and watch that stuff. I loved game shows. And so I loved the idea of hosting a game show, and that was when we did Duel was at the time when there were some network game shows on TV that were super popular. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was huge. The one that had how, what is the guy's name?

Howie Mandel. What was that show called? But it was, it was a huge deal or no deal. That was like the number one show or one of the top shows on TV. So I would have loved that. So the answer to your question is hell yes. If that show, if Duel had taken off as opposed to, let's face it, practically no one watching it, they got picked up for a second season only because that happened during the writer's strike. So the networks picked up every show that didn't have writers. So I got a second season out of it. So that was great for me.

But by no standard of measure, could the show have been could be described as a big success. I don't know that I would have ever left. I don't think I would have have to have left ESPN to go do that, because that's a that's something you shoot in small doses. I will say that many years later when Regis Philbin left his show with Kelly Ripa, I was one of the people they brought in before they gave the job to Strahan. They had me in and then they had me back two more times. And so I don't remember exactly what year that was

2013. It was like, yeah, just over 10 years ago. Yeah, whatever that was before Michael Strahan got that job. And I did at that point think if they offer me this, do I go do that? Like, would I leave ESPN? Because that's something I couldn't have continued to do. Certainly couldn't have continued to do Mike and Mike and do that, because they do that. That show is called Live because it's actually shot live at nine o'clock in the morning in New York. So I obviously couldn't

be in Bristol, Connecticut from six to 10 a.m. 10 a.m. live on the radio. So that's when I would have to have made a decision. And I think if I had gotten like the same kind of security, I would have done it. I think I would have done that. Now, if they'd said, well, Sonja, you do it for one year. You know, I had kids eyes to put through college all that kind of stuff So I don't I wouldn't have left for something that wasn't Pretty safe, but I think under the right circumstances. I would have gone to do that that that show was great I loved it. She was terrific she's so funny and smart and nice. And that show was really easy to do.

So that's the one more than a game show that I think I could have seen myself saying, if you offer me this, I think I would do it. The reason I ask is I think all of us could agree that there's a lot of lessons and it does has nothing, it's not specific to our careers but it's just in life like these things that you want so badly and then when you don't get them you can look back and go thank god i didn't get the thing i wanted that bad and it sounds like you

know there was there was a time where if the opportunity presented itself you would have pivoted but we're coming up on 30 years at ESPN is it different now for you do you look at outside opportunities differently than maybe you did 10 years ago? Yes. And in both ways. So I just said that was at a time in my life when I still had a lot of concerns that I don't have now. Like my kids are adults. My daughter is 23. My son is 21. My son, my daughter's out of college, my son is a junior in college. I've made a lot more money since then than I had then. So I'm not as concerned about that.

So the very, very, very nice thing is that I'm at a stage, I don't feel anywhere near being at the end of my career. I, mathematically speaking, I guess I'm closer to the end than the beginning. But I don't feel like I'm going to stop working anytime soon. But what I am in a position to do is choose to do things because I want to, not because this is the way I can make the most money. You know, early in your life, and probably most people for most, if not all of their lives, you're generally speaking going to choose the most money, you know, as your as your past because

we all want to make more money. I'm in a position now where I think I could consider stuff, even if it wasn't the most lucrative option, if it was something I really wanted to do. So there's that side of it. The other side of it is, like, I grew up here. I mean, I've been at, you know, I don't work in Bristol anymore, as you know, so I'm not around that, like, Bristol is its own, it's like being on a college campus, right? So I was there for 21 years. I'm not part of that day to day anymore because I'm not in the middle of that. But we've developed our own sort of thing like that here.

Because since you were last here, like now, First Take is here every single day. And you know, there's two or three other shows that come out of here and we have, we probably have, I'm just looking around this area, there's probably 50 or 60 people that work here every single day and we've become sort of our own little family. And that's important to me. And so I would say to leave, it would have to be something really, really good. Something just extraordinary would have to come along that would make me do it. But I will tell you, because where I thought you were going to go is about the idea of turning stuff down. So I'll tell you a story now that I'm not sure I've ever

told anyone this in a public setting. So in 2003, Stevie was one, my son was one, my daughter was three. Mike and Mike was still very much in its infancy. I got an offer to go back to Chicago. So my wife was born and raised in Chicago, lived there all her life, all her family is there. It's an incredibly special place. I lived there for 11 years, if you include college. So, you know, Chicago, going to Chicago would basically have been going home. I was offered the job as the sports anchor

at one of the major, the ONO, one of the ONOs in Chicago. And Stacey and I both wanted me to take it. And I wanted to take it and she wanted me to take it. And we would have moved back to Chicago and lived our lives and raised our kids and been there just 21 years ago. And I went in and met with the people that I worked for at ESPN and one thing led to another and we wound up not taking it. And I look back on that now and I think,

my God, where would my life be now if I had taken, you know, if I had gone there, that was at a time when that seemed like a better job than the one that I had. So that's a good example of sometimes something that you think you really, really, really want, it might turn out to be much, much, much better in the long run if you don't wind up getting it. Do you think if your teases had been worse, they would have sent you back to Chicago sooner? The teasing thing, you know, I guess everyone has to be known for something. Like it just like I started thinking about it. Like what is the job? Like you were just we were just joking at the very beginning of this conversation about all the reads, all the commercials, all the

sponsorships. Well, that's what we're doing. So so a show is not a frivolous exercise. A show is a business, right? We're doing, we are running a business here. The business is selling advertising. The job is making people listen to the ads. The job is making people listen through the break. I'm gonna go to a break. We're gonna be gone for three or four or five minutes.

And my job is to make you want to Listen what make you want badly enough to keep listening and this day and age again Everything has changed because people are consuming it all so differently But back in the day when you were just in your car in traffic listening to Mike and Mike in the morning Like I got to make you so interested and what we're gonna do next that you're not gonna change the station during these commercials to go listen to Howard Stern or music or any of the other millions of things that were on in those days. That's the job. And when I thought of it that way,

that's when I started trying to make teases as compelling as I possibly could. It just made sense. He used to drive me crazy. I'd be in a meeting with other managers and they'd be like, your teasers just aren't good. You need to listen to Greeny. You need to listen to Greeny. I'm like, he's really good.

I'm like, but I'm not, I'm not as good as him. And then I remember one time I find that it was somebody in management that I was at least good enough relationship with. I was like, do you guys ever care what I say of the eight minutes in between bringing everybody back and the fucking tease? Do you care about any of those eight minutes? And I swear there was like one manager there, which I did not say this to, or I think he would have been like, not really, like just just hammer me with that tease. We do have a tease for you

later. For that, let me just say, yeah, go ahead. At the end of the day, and people have criticized me, people take this the wrong way. It's more important that people are listening than it is what you say. You know what I mean? Like, like, so you can say a lot of really cool stuff. But if no one's listening, so if you if you have a really good segment, okay, and then you go to a break and everyone changes the station, and then you come back and you have the best you have the most compelling freaking takes of your life. The Celtics are

going to lose and here's why and all this. But if no one's listening anymore because they all turned the dial during the commercial break, then it really doesn't matter. So that's why it kind of makes sense to say that that teasing that making people feel like they need to keep listening is every bit as important as the things you otherwise sell. Yeah, I can't say that you're wrong. But then I listen to Calhart. His teases are terrible. He hasn't been good at him for for decades. He's probably one of the worst formatic hosts nationally going. And for him, it hasn't mattered. You know what I mean?

So I, this is my- I don't know that he's always that way. Like, look, he is who he is now, right? So now he can get away. Cause people are gonna listen to him regardless. People are also consuming him in totally different ways. All of us, than they used to. So with the Colin that I first met, I've known Colin forever and Colin and I,

I don't know that we became good friends, but I think there was always a, I think, and I feel comfortable saying I think he would say this too. We had kind of a mutual respect because ESPN was largely a place where most of the people on the radio were TV people learning how to do radio. And most of the managers, frankly, were TV people who were like, okay, now we're going to run radio and we're trying to run it similarly the way they would run TV. It's not a criticism. It's what they knew.

And Colin and I were two guys who came from radio. I learned the craft. I started out in the business in radio. I did radio for years before I did TV and so did Colin. And so I think maybe not the teases specifically, but I would say he did the fundamentals of radio, the blocking and tackling very well. And that's how he got to be Colin Cowherd. And now once you are Colin Cowherd, then you don't have to do that as much because people are just going to listen because they want to hear what you have to say that as much. Because people are just gonna listen

because they wanna hear what you have to say. But when you're just one of a hundred voices in the wilderness, then that's where that stuff matters more. Couple things here before we finish up. You've been there a long time, we know it's different. Each stage for you at ESPN is just different and different and different. And even though all of us loved being in New York City,

and I'm sure you did. And then first take being there, it changed Bristol businesses have challenges, certainly in content more so, more so now than I'd say than any other point, like the questions about where all this stuff is going, how your job may be kind of the same, but how different does it feel from maybe those peak days in Bristol when we were all there? Everything is different. I don't think that's only true of us. There's one thing you learn the older you get, and I'm a lot older than you are, is everything is constantly evolving, constantly changing. The only mistake we make is assuming

things are going to stay the same. I did an event with Jimmy Patara recently, the president of ESPN, and we were talking about the future of the industry. And I said, like, we're going through the industrial revolution every year. Like, the industrial revolution took a century. We have one every year. We have that level of change in our industry. I give a lot of credit to these people who are trying to frantically stay ahead of that and position yourself for a future that is so totally uncertain.

So I mean, I just made the point that in my career, people used to fax me their opinions to read on the radio. I'm old, I'm not that old. I'm not Edward R. Murrow. They weren't doing this in the 50s. So you know, like there were record players, and then there were cassette tapes, and then there were CD players, and then there was a Walkman. And then there were I mean, you know, things just evolve. And so they're constantly evolving. So with regard to how we go about doing the job, it is a never ending evolution. Or I think it's going

to stay that way for a while. As far as the people. it's awful. I mean, no one, no one's happy to see people go. Everyone wants to see as many people as possible, you know, succeed and thrive and be happy. And the realities of the business get in the way of that sometimes. I mean, there's just no other way to look at it. So I've tried as hard as I can to just, you know, you support the people that you can support as best you can. And then I just try and do my job as best I can and hope that the chips all sort of fall in good places or as best as they can under the circumstances.

I still have a couple of things of my notes to get to. Where were you on the McAfee Norby dust-up as it was happening? I wasn't anywhere. I mean, I'm friends with those guys. Go ahead. Go ahead. Whoa, I didn't know we were getting some. Well, no, I mean, McAfee first came to ESPN on my show. I don't know if you know that, but McAfee, I saw Pat McAfee at the NFL draft when I was there in Nashville and at the draft in 2019, which is when he came out there and did his thing. And I, I was not that familiar with him. I remember him as a punter and I knew that he had gone on to do like a bunch of

other stuff, but I didn't know it that well. So I DMed him and I said, Hey, I'd like to have you come to get up with me sometime. And a lot of people told me that I worked for you can't do that. He's he's much too out there. That's dangerous, blah, blah, blah. And I said, he strikes me as a smart guy. I think he'll know where the line is, particularly with me. But you know me pretty well. Like, I don't I don't try and pretend I'm anything that I'm not like I'm not going places a lot of other people are going to go, I'm just not. If you, if you like it or you don't like it, you criticize and whatever. I'm,

I am who I am. And I think he knew me well enough to know, like I won't go past this line and he never did. And the next thing I knew he was on all these ESPN shows because he is freaking great. And whatever happened, and Norby, look, a lot of people have, Norby is not always the easiest person in the world to deal with, everyone knows that. But he was great to me, and he and I always got along great. So I hated seeing that happen.

Like I just thought that was awful for everyone. Just the whole negativity of the relationship between the two of them. And so that was sort of how I felt about it. Like I don't I don't think there was anything in it to celebrate, you know, it was just it was a shame that two people just kind of couldn't get it together for whatever reason, but they were not the first and they won't be the last.

I didn't ask that expecting any kind of depth of answer. So I appreciate you giving me something on that. I also think there was a lot more to it as far as some of the decisions that were made, but we'll leave that one alone for now. The reason I was even doing that is just expecting you to kind of like, because when I came on and I'm finishing here is when I used to come on with you

and get up, a couple of your producers pulled me aside and they were like, you know what we always love about you with Greeny is that you're one of the few people that just kind of, he's just sort of uncomfortable at times because he doesn't know where you're gonna go. And it's not at the risk of like doing content that we should be doing, but they were like, there's just something with you and him in this dynamic

where he's always like not quite sure if he's figured you out yet, which is probably, you know, will be on my tombstone. But I... You have an unreadable face. Like you do not, I would not want to play poker with you because I can never tell from your expression whether you're happy or unhappy with what's going on. Like even now, as I'm sitting here answering your questions, I'm thinking, is he amused by this?

Is he not? He doesn't look so happy. Maybe he's happy. Like you're a very, most people are very expressive, facially, and I'm staring directly at your face. I'm looking at a little square on the bottom half of my phone that has nothing but your face and a microphone in it.

And what looks like the ocean behind you, which is really nice. And I can't tell what you're thinking. I think that's probably it more than anything else. It is the ocean. I appreciate you noticing that. Yeah, it looks really nice, yeah. Well, as we say goodbye, we'll do a tease.

Coming up next on Life Advice, if your son turns 10, should he kick in for groceries? The answer may surprise you. Hey, thanks a lot to me. I'm sticking around to listen. I am sticking around to listen to that. So I think that is a very well done tease. Whoever that person in that room was

who said you suck the teases, well, who's laughing now? Thanks, man. It's great catching up. When you're working out at Planet Fitness, it's a judgment-free zone, so you can really step up your workout. That's why we've got treadmills. And our team members are here to help, so you can be carefree with the free weights.

They're also balance balls, bikes, cables, kettlebells, and T-Rex equipment, but like, no pressure. Get started at Planet Fitness today for $1 down and then only $15 a month. Hurry, this great offer ends April 12. $49 annual fee applies. See Home Club for details. You want details?

Buy. I drive a Ferrari. 355 Cabriolet. What's up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine. And best of all, kids, I am liquid. So now you know what's possible.

Let me tell you what's required. The email address is lifeadvicerr at gmail.com. Kyle, back in the mix. Were you offended to not be involved in the games? So much so that I quit smoking. Got my patch on today. Whoa. Feeling good.

Hello. Hello. Did you listen to that pod? And we're like, I got it. No, I didn't. Don't flatter yourselves. No, no. I just like, yeah, you gotta look inward, man.

Why were you off the pod? So, you know, getting back to it, back to the grind. I imagine that was said. We did hang out. Yeah, we did. We hung out on Saturday night. We went to Shane Gillis, me, Tate, Kyle, and Bill. And then you and Bill wanted to go late night. We were even thinking about bars. You said no to the

frolic room late at night. Bill wanted all of us to go to the frolic room. Kyle shut it down. I shut it down because that's not the frolic room I need you to see. It can't be that. And I can't have you coming on this pod on a Tuesday morning talking about, well, so I saw what the frolic room was all about. I just couldn't have it. So it did hurt to turn down a drink in Hollywood with the boys all together, but, um, I had to do it. It was for the greater good.

Just so we understand me, Bill, Tate, Kyle, all in a car, leaving the Greek, which is its own adventure getting out of there, Gillis tears it up, and dudes each had a beer, I think, at the show, and Bill's like, should we go to the Frawlip Moon? And Kyle said no. I did, I did. It was hard, It was really hard.

What were you afraid of? Was it the crowd there? Was it that it was going to be dead? Yeah, it's the crowd. It actually really fills up later. You said it gets a little dangerous, right? Yeah. You come in on a Monday and I'm like, hey, how'd I go this week? And they're like, well, there was like a stabbing outside, not really inside, but the guy was inside before. So it's like, there's stuff like stuff happens and also there's really nowhere to sit. It's like, really, it's kind of an eclectic group,

but like not in a great way. And like, you just end up standing and you're like, what should I do? And then I just imagine somebody recognizing you or Bill. And now like, it's just not the kind of crowd you want. Like daytime is the way to go, which is why this may never happen, but I'll hold out hope.

You know, I want it to be, I want it to be the right way. So, okay. All right. Who drove? Bill. Bill did. Nice. It was a good show.

That it was. Very good show. Okay. A lot of people are asking for our Drake Hendrick takes. I don't have any. I'm surprised by that. I don't think it sounds very good. You just don't like the fighting? I don't like the sounds of the songs for the most part.

So the Ringer put out like a top 100 diss tracks and I had more fun going through that and being like, where does How to Rob land or where does Jadakiss Checkmate go than this? So. What was one? Is it Ether? No, I think Ether was two, one was hit him up, which I think is fair.

Yeah. Hit him up out the gates is pretty, pretty aggressive. This was unwinnable for Drake. I think, I think it really was. I think Drake's remarkable that he's from the origin of what he was to then this is what I am. Can you imagine how many people told Drake, don't do this, don't be a rapper? And I never was like, oh my God, the new Drake is out. I'm so fired up. But I noticed if you were ever out and it came on, everybody was having fun. He fought through a couple of rough years. I mean, there was a lot of wheelchair Jimmy scenes out there that he had to get over. And then he was singing a lot. And there was a lot of dudes whose favorite rapper were 50 Cent was like,

this guy will never be our guy. And he was in the store. Did you watch Degrassi? Did you watch Degrassi? It's actually a good show, I watched it. Yeah, I think I was in and out. I wasn't like never miss an episode, but he was on like the whatever version of Degrassi, right?

He was on like 2.0 or something. I couldn't really keep it all straight, but yeah, I would watch it and be like, oh, people are like my age on TV. Some of them are hot. What's going on here? The Drake hate is annoying. I'll be like, I don't have a rant on the this particular beef. You know, I respect J. Cole for just being like, I'm going to pass on this. That's probably my biggest takeaway. Like I actually love that. But I, I, the, the Drake, I just get annoyed when people like, oh, this guy's really popular and good.

And like, it's fun when you hear his music on. It's like, that guy sucks. Okay, cool. Does that make you feel better? But that was kind of, that was kind of like a guy thing. I think Drake to have the run that he had is, is just the most remarkable thing considering like what you kind of have to be to be at that level.

I've always liked Kendrick a hundred times more than Drake. He's about a rapper. I think well I just I don't know I don't what are we talking about here and then when I think about it is an incredible album from Drake like that's one nothing was the same incredible I mean like he's it's not like he's it's not like he's just making like pop hits like the guy has he's clearly talented incredible he's just not the same kind of guy as Kendrick. If you like the Kendrick style, I'm not gonna sit here and blame you for it, but don't act like, I don't know,

the people that act like they're too big, it's like the people that act like they're too cool for Taylor Swift, like, all right, cool. Why can't you just let people enjoy things? Yeah, that's my, you asked me, I said I never ran. I just went on a rant, so I'm sorry. I was about to say it was funny that you opened up what you've now.

Yeah, for three guys that didn't have an opinion on it. Look, family matters. I'm like that third verse in that, I'm like, this is one of my favorite things I've ever heard from Drake. And it's like, okay, he's saying this about Kendrick. He said, oh, pound cakes like all time at Wu-Tang forever. So, but, but. You guys.

Then it's like, Kendrick was playing a different sport. I was like, oh my, like you didn't call him short, you know, and it's like, actually, so I don't know what to believe. I think there's a pretty clear winner. I don't know what this will mean long-term, but there you go. We get, we got a little in there. Yeah. Talking beef.

Okay. All right. We need a judge. This is a judge Kyle on. All right. So we're going to let Kyle take the lead. Hello. Six foot two 15 to let Kyle take the lead. Hello.

Six foot, two 15, super strong dad arms, basketball comp, poor man's Luke May. That's the May brother that actually won something, not the overhyped draft prospect. Mean. Mean. Mean. I think his brother's still in the Japan's.

Just finished. I've never called it Japan again. The Japans. Never. I've got a few buddies that we've been called. We just find ways to say the Japan's with each other right now. We haven't stopped laughing yet. Like, we're still, are you going to the Japan's this summer for your trip? No, too humid. I heard.

All right. I'm going to have to be like week 12, week 13. Hey, Spotify. I know this is abnormal for the NFL season, but I'm going to have to be like week 12, week 13. Hey, I'm Spotify. I know this is abnormal for the NFL season, but I'm going to the Japan's. My wife and I have a four-year-old daughter who has never been a good sleeper. My daughter's bedroom is right above our living room. So if we try to watch TV or make noise in there after she goes to bed making noise, she will always come out of her room. Therefore, we've been taking a hiding in our bedroom

after she goes to bed because she cannot hear us in there. We'll watch things on our phones or laptops in our bedroom, but my wife will not let us put a TV in there because she says watching TV in bed before going to bed will hurt her sleep. I argued that we were already watching TV in bed, just not on TV, and that watching on an actual TV will be better for us because it'll be better for our eyes

since it is further away. And the viewing experience is a lot better. Three, if we forget a laptop, we have to go back downstairs to get it past our daughter's room, which occasionally wakes her up. However, she's ignored all those arguments. What do you think I should do? My thoughts are buy a TV without telling her. That never works. Ask her for one for Father's Day, my birthday, until she gives in or buy another laptop that we just keep in our bedroom. Thanks for the help. You have to make a Judge Kyle podcast. That would be the best. All right, Judge Kyle.

Well, I think the first thing is your four-year-old daughter is the prison warden. You're tiptoeing around to go get your forgot laptop. I think that's sad, but I guess that will end, right? I'm not a parent, but I think that will end. I think you actually do have a chance of winning this because some people have that aesthetic where it's like, hey, bedroom is for sleeping and for you know what else. We don't watch things in the bedroom. We don't eat snacks in the bedroom. But she's broken that rule because she's watching stuff. You're just bringing a laptop in there and putting it on your bed like you're in college or something. She's already softened up a bit on that.

I wouldn't get something without telling her. I think the Father's Day maybe doesn't mean as much as like birthday or something like that, but I don't know. Maybe if you go all out for Mother's Day and then when Father's Day rolls around, you're like, you know what I would really like is to watch TV in the bedroom, you know, to go to sleep. So I think there's a way to do it.

Definitely not, don't go rogue and be like, well, it's here. What do you want? It's final sale. Um, so I think, I think that's not the way, but I do think that final sale to your wife, but I do think that, um, she's already kind of broken down that wall of we'll never do anything besides sleep and you know, what else in the bedroom? So I think she's definitely not one of those people and maybe she would feel

better about not fully committing to the TV, but I think she's definitely not one of those people and maybe she would feel better about not fully committing to the TV. But I think my action plan is go really hard for Mother's Day and then somehow find a way to slip in that this would be your ideal Father's Day. Side note, when I met my wife, I was like one of those guys that I had a TV in my bedroom at all times and I never even shut it off.

Like it would just be on all night, all day. Yeah, we do. Like we do whatever. All night. And that when I, when we obviously moved in together, that came to a stop real fast and it like messed me up. I could sleep. I was like, I need the, I need like, you know, the two way of sports center on in the background.

Like what am I like? I can't go to sleep without this. So that was a pretty side side note, but a little weird adjustment. I think you see that the weird thing here is you have all of the right points Like what do you want to doom scroll on tick tock and Instagram for two hours instead of just watching like a television show? That's terrible. That's clearly the better option better than Seinfeld you think so. I don't think any any I mean really anything So I I think you know don't be a dick about it, but I think you know

Yeah, maybe the gift thing is the right call You know a lap buying a laptop is never bad thing. You just have an extra laptop I mean the TV might even be cheaper depending on what TV by TVs are like kind of inexpensive these days So maybe play that angle and just say hey we can get this laptop, but the TVs can be a better bargain I don't know. I would maybe small TV. Just yeah, well. Yeah, it can't be like some giant exactly It's got to be you know. I don't know. What are we, like 32 inch? I don't know, it depends on where it is. Curved 85. Yeah.

Plasma, whatever that is. Wait, so did you ultimately figure out how to fall asleep without a TV in the room? It took a while, yeah, but I did. And now honestly, I can't even have it off. You just dozing yourself? It's weird. Now you can't fall asleep if it were to be on.

Yeah, I don't like it now. You were in a hotel room. You messed me up, yeah. No kidding. Yeah, I can't fall asleep without it. Can't won't won't refuse to stay up all night. You've like I go somewhere and there's a guest room deal and there's no TV. I'm like, well, this is going to be great.

Me and my thoughts three, three hours later. Like you don't think this fucking guy thinks enough on his own. No need this like painting up on a ladder going cool. Just going to think for three hours or excuse me, eight hour shift. I can't do it. I had a few girlfriends are like, are you fucking serious with this? You know, forget to hit the sleep timer.

You know, they're scurrying around, just going like, you've gotta be kidding me. Where's the remote? I hate this guy. One may have even left just in that moment. Do you have a sleep show? I wanted it to be kidding me. Where's the remote? I hate this guy. One may have even left just in that moment. Do you have a sleep show? I wanted it to be the office, but that intro just goes too hard.

And sometimes- Intro goes too hard. It's three in the morning and it's, da, da, da, da, da, da. So you can't do the office. I'm a comedy guy. It's always sunny. It's always sunny, but it's always not.

That intro can get a little loud too, but it's not as bad as the office. I'm doing a last minute on Earth. There should be a show. you may have hit on something, there should be a show that's just kind of mindless, that you don't really care about, that has a really soft intro, if an intro at all, that's made for people that need to sleep.

So it'd be like, hey, our show's doing huge numbers, and it's like, no one likes it, no one even knows what it's about. They can't tell you anything about it, yeah. But they're out, from the sounds of it, it sounds like I one likes it no one even knows what it's about tell you anything about it but they're out from the sounds of it it sounds like I should narrate it yeah this thing that continues to blow up where I wonder if I should ask my agents to go is there any way I could just get out of sports and all the hard stuff and just read read things a little by guy or just travel

and talk about it that'd be great yeah you're like hey it's travel pod on the screen as well what you're talking about. But, uh, yeah, I don't. Yeah. Right. Just narrating anything to that point. You know how many like accidental episodes of charmed I've watched cause TNT is just on the next day.

Like I wonder what's the charme. I remember I was in Boston for a playoff game and then I watched the late game back in my hotel room and then right into charmed, fell asleep, woke up the next day, needed a checkout, had to pack and I was so, I was like, well look, I don't normally like this stuff but what happens at the end here?

Is this demon? It's gotta be, this guy looks like he's gonna be hard to kill. I don't know if they can kill this guy. Is this demon gonna get away with it? And next thing you know, they're knocking on the door being like, checkout was an hour ago, sir. I'm like, yeah they can kill this demon going to get away with it. And next thing you know, they're knocking on the door being like, check out was an hour ago, sir. I'm like, yeah, but this fucking demon is from Pennsylvania, which doesn't make a ton of well, actually maybe it does make sense. So, uh, I'm, I'm very pro TV, but there's a lot

of people that aren't and it feels like a real male female split thing on that. Uh, but to the point that Suri you made, So you think this is better just scrolling on your phone? She clearly wants to also still be in content at that moment. This whole extra laptop in the room thing doesn't work because at some point this thing's gonna get a Muay Thai knee right through the front of the laptop screen, because it's gonna be in between both of you.

It may impact cuddling. Are you pro anti-cuddle? Who knows? We got any leg pillows going on? I think to just, look, we're rooting for you. I don't think it's a great idea to just buy it and say final sale to your wife. And then it could be a point of contention

where maybe the motivation like the email points out, like make it be her decision, but I don't know how you're gonna get there. Obviously we don't know your wife. So the whole I bought a TV and we're fucking doing it thing doesn't ever seem to work out. But I feel like you're already there. You're at the appetizer of late night content on screens

to be sitting there watching shows together on a phone. No, that's not right. For the record, I'm saying don't a phone. That's not right. For the record, I'm saying don't do that. That's a terrible idea. You're on the right side of this. You shouldn't be doing this on the phone. I'm not saying that you, I'm pointing to them describing what they're doing right now.

So we're on the same page. So ruling Judge Kyle. Yeah, I think just play the slightly long game. Father's Day is not that long, not that far away. I wouldn't go with the, it's better for our eyes argument. I just think that'll sound dumber than you think it sounds now in the heat of the moment. But yeah, I think I would like,

is that really good to be doom scrolling or whatever we're doing? Like we could just have a thing that we could both, you know, come together and look at. So I think slow play it, definitely like hit the nail in the head for Mother's Day and then find a less than a hundred percent overt way to bring it up for Father's Day. Okay. All right. Please help. Girlfriend thinks I've watched too many sports.

Twenty-five year old male, 5'11", 200, no gym stats. Starting a journey to get back into shape. Pick up cop Mario Chalmers was the usage rate ranging from Kyrie to Miles McBride, depending on the quality of the game, so both ends. Apologies in advance for the lengthy email. I found myself in a predicament known all too well by many a man, likely yourselves at some point in your lives.

My girlfriend thinks I watch too many sports. Here's the context, we've been dating for about a year and a half, again, our guy's 25 here. And all things considered, we have a great, healthy, and loving relationship. I definitely see a long future with her and know that she does too. But, all caps, there's a seemingly constant issue

of me spending too much time watching sports. I do have to admit, she isn't entirely wrong. I've been a huge sports fan my whole life. I was one of those kids who was obsessively dialed into my favorite teams, and every team and player that stood in their path. I would even wake up early in the morning to catch six AM Sports Center while I ate my cereal before the bus to school.

By the way, for you to be doing the Sports Center thing that religiously at 25. So if we're saying, no, you're 25 now bus to school, let's back it up seven years. Like you are still locked into Sports Center at 2013, 2014 while you were in high school or younger. I mean, I know that that's what we did, but we didn't have any other options. All right, so. He's a big Robert Flores guy. Huge.

He's like, Flores had the best zingers. Am I gonna have to Djokovic? They told him to stop saying that. Nowadays, I watch almost every game for my favorite teams. Pats, Rangers, Knicks and Red Sox. Oof, gotta be Connecticut. Long story, but I promise I'm not bandwagon. I only watch the Sox when I have nothing else going on,

no better games. A typical week down at my apartment consists of my roommates and I firing up the dual screens, throwing in some bets, watching whatever games are on that night, probably a few zins, probably a few six MGs in there as well. Hey boys, as you can imagine, the schedule is only intensified during NBA and NHL playoffs. She's expressed her concerns and annoyance numerous times since we started dating. Typically when I have chosen to watch a game with the boys, instead of hanging out with her, I usually respond with something along the lines of I'm a 25 year old guy. It's just what we do

I Said that to my dad once I would come down to the vineyard on the weekend when I was still living in Boston so we're talking late 20s and You know, it was always really frustrating coming to a place that's an awesome summer vacation, fun kind of party hangout place for 48 plus hours. But then also your family's there. And if you come home and you don't see your family, they'd be like, what the fuck, which is its own topic.

And one time my father came over. It was like, what are you gonna do? Just go out, drink with your buddies and chase girls. I was like, yeah, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I go, that's what I do. That's what we do. Me and my friends in our late 20s. That's what we do.

That's what guys like me do. And it was like, well, it's every my brother brings it up. Once a year. He's like, it's one of the funniest speeches I've ever heard. That's your personal crab cakes and football ramp. My dad didn't love it. So yeah, I don't the it's just what we do to your girlfriend thing. So he, wait, he has other counters to her argument. So as he said here he has other counters to her argument.

So as you said here, it's just what we do. Quote, or at least I'm not a sci-fi nerd or something. End quote. Fuck you, guy. You could be either, it's fine. I could promise you. Yeah, at least I'm not trying to figure out how to model indoor.

Right? 14 mage. The guilt meets later tonight. I can't make it for small plates. What she does not love, we really love doing nerd voice there. Let's keep it moving. She does not love either of these points. She thinks it's immature to enjoy sports as much as I do.

I think she doesn't fully understand it just because I want to watch sports instead of hanging out with her from time to time and maybe a little bit more often. It doesn't mean I love sports more than her. It does feel that way to her though, dude. Just to tell you, I've been down this road. We have come to compromise on multiple occasions

agreeing that I will try to watch less and she will try to be less clingy about it. Additional context, she grew up in a sports family. Her dad and brother are big sports fans. See, that should help your cause and she still thinks you're doing it too much. I spend much more time with her than the average mid-20s couple that doesn't live together five to six nights a week on average and a lot of weekend days. I'd expect it like, he doesn't say this, but like except for college football and NFL.

Right. Right. I have a pretty demanding job in finance working 60, 80 hours a week, which limits my time. So question, how do you navigate this issue? This is like four questions. Should I start slowly cutting back after the playoffs? Obviously, what do I do to help her understand? You see it as a major issue.

Look, I'm the last guy to talk to on this one, but at least I could say, Hey, there's a, I get paid to do this. Um, I remember my mother finally figuring my father and I out at one point back in the day when there was one TV and she was like, no sports tonight. And we're like, what are you talking about? It's the biggest game of the year. She's like, the biggest game of the year was four days ago. Like I've been keeping track. She's like, what is this talking about? It's the biggest game of the year. And she's like, the biggest game of the year was four days ago. Like I've been keeping track.

She's like, what is this? Right. It's like, well, it's the biggest. Yeah. I didn't have the knowledge I have now. Yeah. Right. It was like, it's the semi-finals of the biggest tournament.

She's like, well, what are the semi-finals mean? She's like, so that means there's a final. Just one more after this. Yeah. But like, well, that's Saturday. That's bigger than this, but like, we gotta see who's in it. And then by the time Thursday rolled around, we're like, this is proceeding.

We have to know. This is the biggest tournament of the year. You ever heard of it? It just keeps happening. It's opening weekend at the NFL. It's like, ah, the guys. So we all know the game here. We all know what us men have been trying to pull off here

forever and the people that are confused are confused. You're gonna have to watch less sports, okay? If you're telling me, I don't know how you, if you're really hanging out with her five or six nights a week and then also giving her weekend days, then one of you isn't telling the truth. Because if you're saying your favorite thing to do is to watch all these games every night and put in bets,

how does she factor in to all of that time? Because there's no way you're hanging out with her five or six nights and then the one night you're watching sports, because it's not just one night. So I don't, the math isn't adding up on your version of the schedule and her annoyance with your schedule.

Well, I think just a quick aside, I think the last thing that he said in there about his job being that demanding, that's like, if you had a normal just nine to five and you had more time, like there's ways to, I think, move the schedule around, but like if you had a normal just, you know, nine to five and you had more time, like there's ways to, I think, move the schedule around. But like, if you're really only getting like a couple hours at night and she wants that and you actually like her and want to see this going somewhere, like it's

not going to work out for you watching as much as you're doing right now. Yeah. The other thing I would ask you is be honest about this. Like when you say you're watching sports, he said, like, I'd rather go to my buddy's house and throw a couple of bets. Like, are you're like, yeah, maybe her dad and brother watching sports, he said, I'd rather go to my buddy's house and throw a couple bets. Yeah, maybe her dad and brother watch sports, but were they watching it from the fucking lazy boy?

Are you a frolic room watch sports guy? Are you going over to Todd's? I think he's home. Okay, because he did say, I'd rather go do this with the boys, throw a couple bets, whatever. So I guess that's what I'm wondering. Are your sports also you going quote unquote out,

even if you're going to your buddy's house? How often is that? Are you coming back and you're a guy who's been gone for four hours and maybe had a few beers and clearly had a bunch of fun? Or are you watching it instead of watching something with her or doing something with her? So I thought by the beginning of his description

of the email, it was like he'd rather go to his buddy's house and put a couple of bets down and like have juice in the game and whatever. So I'm wondering if maybe you can try to, you are going to have to watch less. That's the fact. But is it, could you be maybe more at home? Is it more important that you're like watching with your buddies or is it more important that you're watching? Because those are two different types of serotonin that you're like watching with your buddies or is it more important that you're watching? Because those are two different types of serotonin that you're getting there.

Right. I would never ever want to hang out with any girl I've ever dated more than the guys. Okay. I know you get older and those guy options decline if not completely disappear. But I would say when I was a lot younger, be like, wait, dudes are doing stuff? Right. Like, ah man. This could be the big one, I don't wanna miss it. I can't, I can't.

Like, what are you guys gonna do? But like, I don't know, this dude's coming over, that guy's like, well there's six dudes there. What are you doing? We don't know yet. Oh my God. It's like the best. Oh my God.

The possibilities are endless. Oh my God. Like, what's going on over there? I'm like, oh, she made me an amazing dinner. She spent all day on it. She's like, just wants to spend time with me. She put so much effort into tonight, just a super basic deal. We picked out a movie.

It's the worst. So the math doesn't make any sense. 60, 80 hours a week for work, five or six nights a week with her, but then you're watching too many games. I don't think you hang out with her as much as you think you do. I'm just gonna say it right there.

Now look, there are some girlfriends out there that look, I mean, look, this isn't specific to women, but I would say there are times where, I don't know. I just, like, what's the female version of the obsessed sports guy? Because we could talk about like the Bravo shows, but the Bravo shows are not live and in the moment. You can watch those whenever you want.

And it's still not, there's not like the semi-finals of Vanderpump, you know, like you don't need to be in it live. I mean, some of you do. So men clearly, if we were to go blame pie here sorority Take up a much bigger chunk of the pie on the things that seem like well why aren't you spending time with me and you're spending time with that and I don't have anything in my life

That is that is a that the way sports are for men and the biggest disconnect that we constantly have through this is that one of the main reasons why we're different is the is the guys are like you're you're looking at this as a sign of disrespect and I'm not even there like I love you I love hanging out with you. Like, what are you talking about? This isn't about how I feel about you. But like, what are we supposed to do? Stare at each other every day. So this is my don't worry about it. Yeah, like, right. And then as a person. And I think, yeah, I think on the female side of it, it's like, it's interpreted as

you prefer this over me. And I don't know that we're ever going to solve that one here. But you're gonna have to pick and choose here a little bit, man. I mean, look, the other thing that's gonna happen is everybody, your friend group, this stuff is all gonna, I don't know anybody that's north of 35 that's like, what are you doing? Like, oh, well, one, you're probably not gonna have roommates

that are all your buddies after a certain age, although I think dudes should just bring it back. It'd be amazing. Like, what's going on with those guys? But like, they're all married, that are all your buddies after a certain age. Although I think dudes should just bring it back. It'd be amazing. Like what's going on with those guys? But like they're all married, but four of them rented a house together. There were some frolic dudes still going.

They're like, I can't believe it. That doesn't surprise you. That information is not. Let's just be kind. All right, let's be kind here. I could tell you from personal experience, now I'm 35, married, have a kid. It's different than this guy's deal.

I think I probably have more even with the kid more downtime that seems like because again I think your job if you're saying what do you say 60 70 hours a week I mean that's you don't have much time at night I mean the way that I've sort of finagled it is me and my buddy is typically and it's typically on a Wednesday we hop on call duty we watch the NBA playoffs like through that we'll have it I'll put it on the iPad and we'll just get a couple of parlay's up, and that's our one night a week that we can do

that kind of dude behavior. And- You're still doing that? Oh yeah, yeah, pretty much every week. That's rare, and I think it's awesome. It is. You know it's rare, right? Yeah, it's pretty incredible, and so I think you gotta,

at least, maybe you're the guy that organizes it too, let's do this once a week, and then the other, pick a day, whatever everybody agrees with, and maybe they're the guy that organizes it too. Like let's do this once a week and then the other, pick a day, whatever everybody agrees to. And maybe they're doing it more than you and you're bummed about it. You at least have that one day to sort of look forward to, but you got, you're not gonna be able to do this every single night.

Like it's just not gonna happen. Especially in the older you get, the more things that happen in life, like you're just, as Ryan said, like it's just, it's not, it's not, it's not in the cards for older dudes. Yeah. We love that you're on this run,

just don't think it's sustainable. Yeah. And convincing her. Can't keep putting up these numbers. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Take it easy, Brunson.

Lonsanity over here. So I don't really know that we helped this guy at all. No, I think we did. We did because the answer is you're gonna be less happy because you're watching less sports, but like that won't, then you'll plateau on happiness. It's fine. It just has to be less. If you, you know, that's why Ryan's greatest quote ever is I'd rather be alone than annoyed. And you know, you got to ask yourself. So if, if the answer is not, you know, all the

games forever, then you're going to have to watch less games. He sent more, he sent another email following up to this one where apparently she was having a really bad day. And that's the other part of this dynamic is that if there's a part of her life that isn't going great, say a job or something with a family member or one of her close friends,

then your role in a serious relationship, right. Your role in a serious relationship is to be there for her. And if you're telling her it's, it's game two, it's not going to work, man. That's a good point. Go ahead. When I was going to say, so she looks at you and she goes, look at how much effort he's putting into like talking to his buddies and watching these games. Like you've got, then you've got to do some stuff for her.

You've got to plan some dinners. You've got to plan some dinners. You've got to make some dinners. Like there's gotta be, you have to show her that you're at least putting in some type of effort that she thinks that even though you're not that she thinks you're putting into the sports thing. Yeah. She's thinking you'd rather spend time with people that you don't know, that don't know you than me, and you're thinking it's game too.

Why'd you make it so complicated? Like that's not what it is. I'll tell you this buddy, if you do figure it out, write a book. I like your dinner thing. When I know I needed a little thing, I got a killer dish. I make one of the better French onion soups I've had.

And that's like a lot of things that goes into it. But, oh yeah. Find your French onion soup dude. I just saw an Instagram reel about this. It was a guy being like, whenever I know I'm playing Call of Duty with the friends that night, there will be signs that it's him, he just does all the laundry,

the dishes are clean. So again, I do that too. And then the other thing too is you go upstairs and you check on it and be like, hey, how you doing? And you got your, I still got my headset on. Rub her head and then run away. Like what's going on?

You got your head set up. You got to check in. You got to check in. Like you want to come down and see my kill ratio? No. Okay. All right. Love you.

Yeah. The M4 has been on, is on the fire tonight. Killing it. We watching this as us before we go to bed. We still doing that? Not, not in the bedroom. Okay. That'll do it for the show today.

Thank you to Oregon. Thank you to Surti. Great to see Kyle back in the mix. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and that'll do. I'm gonna be a little bit of a little bit of a Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started.

Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started.

Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started.

Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. Let's get started. in Colorado, D.C., Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and Vermont. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 in Arizona. 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org forward slash chat in Connecticut. 1-800-9 with it in Indiana. 1-800-522-4700 or visit ksgamblinghelp.com in Kansas. 1-877-770, stop in Louisiana.

Visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Visit 1-800-gambler.net in West Virginia or call 1-800-522-4700 in Wyoming. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24-7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.