E.P.I.C. Podcast "Every Play Is Crucial"
Life is full of moments you cannot predict or control only experience and enjoy right? Come join Vernon, Isaac, Justin, and Jared every Wednesday where we lend our opinions about current event going on in sports. Every episode is promising to be entertaining, not necessarily informational.
E.P.I.C. Podcast "Every Play Is Crucial"
NFL to ban the Tush Push? Chase reset to WR market, Colts plans to have open QB competition, Taurasi retires, Embiid knee get further test, Wembanyama's future, NBA Power Rankings
We'll see right back, always look both ways, even on a crossway Driving down Cross Bay, our town, parklays, really on big teams came up a small way Championship rings baby, that's a ball game. Oh, she want a little bag, baby, that's small change.
Speaker 2:Yo, yo yo. Welcome back to another episode of Epic Podcast. I'm joined in the house tonight, just me and Jarrett. A little light tonight. Man, how's your sports week and a half have been?
Speaker 3:Well, it's that time of year. I don't even know. I don't even know.
Speaker 2:Fair, fair, fair. Yeah, yeah, man, it's kind of slow outside of basketball. Getting ready for March Madness in about another couple weeks. I'm not a fan of March Madness. I think I said that before I don't for March Madness in about another couple weeks.
Speaker 3:I'm not a fan of March Madness. I think I said that before. I don't like March Madness. I don't know why, I just don't. I was about to say why. Actually, I do know. I'm not a fan of the hottest team winning. I want to see the best team win. I think in the tournament the hottest team wins.
Speaker 3:Usually, that's true. It's rarely that the best team wins. You know what I'm saying? I'm not a fan of single elimination, honestly. Okay, but like not saying, shout out to the people who won, like I mean, because that's the name of the game, is to be hot, because I mean my team, we just got paid dividends with that, like, just got hot at the right time and won a national championship. So I'm not saying that it's not good, but I'd prefer to see the best team.
Speaker 2:And I just think it's a thing in sports I mean any sport it's who's playing good at the right times, and usually it's late in the season, like whoever's playing the best late in the season usually ends up winning. But I think the tournament provides another element outside of that also, because you also get the surprise teams. You get a lot of teams. They never played each other. So, like I think, for the variety in college basketball, I think it's great. Um, but again, like, sometimes you don't get to see those big time matchups because somebody ended up getting bounced early by somebody random early on in the season. So, yeah, you don't get a lot of those one. You know one through 10 matchups that you would like to see later on in, like the elite eight or the final four, sometimes some years, right, right. But then you get a Cinderella story and you like let's see how long they can go. You may find somebody who you ain't never know about.
Speaker 3:There's nothing worse to me than seeing a Final Four with like an eight seed, a seven seed and two nines. I'm nothing, bro, I can't stand it. But I mean, you know, it is what it is. And, like you said about the matchups, I agree that you get to see some, some matchups that you normally wouldn't get to see. But give me a non-conference true home. You know, game over. Let me see duke. Duke versus kansas at duke like, instead of like, a neutral site game.
Speaker 3:So I mean it's, it's all about preference. Yeah, I'm not going down talking. A lot of people like it and I respect it. I just yeah, yeah just like people don't like the all-star game, I love the All-Star game. It's just preference.
Speaker 2:Fair enough, fair enough, all right, man, we're going to jump into this man. We're going to start with NFL first man since, like I said, things was kind of light man, nfl's been talking about bending the tush push. I don't know how much you care about this, but like why?
Speaker 3:They shouldn't do that, bro. I mean you, you know, the Philadelphia Eagles found something that worked. Can't nobody stop it, that's. That's just tough, like I don't, I don't, I don't think they should do it.
Speaker 2:I agree. I don't think they should do it either. Um, of course, sirianni says it's unfair to ban it. I agree, like I mean it's a play, it's a football play.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Like you still see it Like.
Speaker 2:You're still lining up. It's not like some illegal formation or like it's just a modified QB sneak. Really.
Speaker 3:I you know what. I think I've said this on the show before I do it more. Yeah, I mean they're getting, they're getting three yards when you know that they're going to do it, like you catch them off guard. But I'm running that first play of every set of downs, every series. So I've been saying that I was like shit. I said this two years ago when Aaron was in the Super Bowl. I would run it more, just randomly. I mean, of course you would have to run more action under the center, because you know you can't every time, but I was more action under the center because you know you can't every time.
Speaker 2:But I was spread. You got two receivers too tight in like a normal formation.
Speaker 3:Yeah, bro, you catch a team in a dime defense or something and you want to just put like you. You might get a first down off that. Yeah, bottom half is just that strong, like it pause.
Speaker 2:So you know I mean yeah, no, I agree, uh with you man running more um force teams to figure it out yeah, I'd run it on second down, second and seven and I got saquon back there.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna do a tush push, get it to third and one. I might do it again. Like hey, I think that they underutilize it.
Speaker 2:It's a bandit. Let Saquon do it. You know what I mean. Maybe switch Saquon and Hurts Just real quick at the line of scrimmage. Hurts act like he's doing a check, walks away. Saquon walks up. What?
Speaker 3:you think through. It's rare that you see the Chiefs not be able to stop something. That's true when they didn't stop it. Okay, you know, I, I see the bingles not stopping it, I see that you know the uh, you know the chargers not stopping it. But when I saw that the chiefs couldn't do nothing against it, I'm like, oh man, they, they really got something like that's not right you, you.
Speaker 3:There's not many times you see this new Chiefs team just not be able to do something and stopping the tush pushes. Nah, it ain't happening.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and like even other teams are starting to adopt it. Buffalo's been doing it, like other teams with these big, strong quarterbacks are doing it too. So I say more power to them until you can stop it, like I'm with it. Um, next, uh, bingo's plan to make chase the top eight non-quarterback man, I know you got a lot to say about this. Well, not a lot, but you, you've made your uh feelings known uh in the past I'm not, I'm not, I'm not mad at it.
Speaker 3:I mean, it is what it is, bro, like he did he killed this year. I mean he's at the top of his game. Whatever do I think? Whatever I mean, they're gonna do what they're gonna do. Like we're so stupid, like it it really doesn't even matter. Like it is what it is, yeah, um, what are you going to do? And it's just like you know, even with the whole T Higgins thing it's like of course would I like to see him come back.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Should we need to have to pay a second wide receiver all that money? No, but we don't draft, right, so don't draft. You know we've picked wide receivers over the past couple years and none of them are, you know, legit number two receivers. So we kind of have to. And then my issue with that is this you know they're saying like oh, you know we got to have everybody back. Well, we had everybody this year and we didn't make the playoffs. Like you can't say run it back when you didn't even make the playoffs. You say run it back when you get close to you know, close you this far off from hitting your goals, then you say run it back. How are you going to call to run it back and you don't even make the playoffs?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree with that. But yeah, you can't just run it back. But no, I mean you got to make some changes. I mean you, you change your defensive coordinator. I mean, yep, things of that nature so that's a huge start right there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're supposed to be able to trade t higgins leave on good notes. You're supposed to be like hey, bro, where you want to go, we're gonna put you in the best situation, like like for you luxurious need, hey, where you want to go, we going to put you in the exact situation you want, but we're also going to get something back for you and then you move forward, just like the Chiefs did with Tyreek Hill. Yeah, yeah, we'll take that back. We don't got no grapes with you. I'm going to put you wherever you want to go. You want to go?
Speaker 2:to Miami. Cool, we'll take the best deal that Miami's willing to offer.
Speaker 3:And they're going to have to agree to sign you before we trade you. That's how you do business. T Higgins is like alright Bengals much respect, everything is mutual. He might come back later on in his career, might not whatever. But we're just so stupid that we're just going to make this difficult. I don't know what's going to happen.
Speaker 2:That's really crazy because why I what's going to happen? But yeah, cause that's. Yeah, that's really crazy because why, like, I guess you, you pay chase, but then like, what is there really left to pay Higgins?
Speaker 3:Well, the thing is we do have the money to pay everybody. It's just we shouldn't have to like if you were a half of a good franchise, you wouldn't have to have to pay these guys, you wouldn't have to pay Hendrix in this money. You could have been like oh well, we got somebody that we drafted two years ago that's ready to go. We can put him here, even if he don't get 17 and a half sacks, like Trey Hendrickson got. Well, we know he's good for 12. You know what I'm saying. And then we got a guy over here who was a rookie last year. We know he can. He can get you six or seven, uh, sacks. We don't have that. So it's kind of like we're in a situation where we either give trey hendrickson what he wants or we have nothing because we can't draft, you know. So it's just like I mean, what do you? What do you do? Like? Yeah, I don't know what to do like, honestly, as much as I love higgins.
Speaker 3:I mean the right thing to do would be to trade them. I mean you can't have $70 million a season tied up in wide receivers Then if you throw your quarterback in, you got $125 million or something like that tied up. Bro, that's not.
Speaker 2:No, I agree, I agree, I mean it's a lot. I mean, of course, these are the pillars of your organization at this moment. But, like you said, if you'd have got ahead of it yeah, um, at least the T Higgins part of it like all you need is you, you would have been. Yeah, you'd have been in a better situation we don't like.
Speaker 3:I like Yoshi, but I don't think he's. I don't think he's that I like Charlie Jones, but I he's. He's certainly not it like we don't have a wide receiver too. I don't think he's that I like Charlie Jones, but he's certainly not it Like we don't have a wide receiver. Two I don't think those guys are even wide receiver. Threes, they're more like fours, like them, the guys you put out there and we going four or five wide type shit. Like we just really just dug ourselves our own grave. So we got to pay these guys. That's all we got.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I agree. Kind of like what Jerry Jones did in Dallas, like with Dak Prescott's situation, like he just didn't get ahead of it. And now you're sitting here with these guys having the best seasons of their careers, y'all not making the playoffs, like you said, and everybody got their hand out. Yeah, really and deservingly Like deservingly hands out.
Speaker 3:Yeah out. Yeah, willingly and deservingly like deservingly hands out. Yeah, like, wait a minute, joe burrow, like I mean, you killed this year, chase killed. Like hendrickson had a, he killed, I'll give it to him he killed for for from a statistical from.
Speaker 3:I'm looking at the stats standpoint. Trey hendrickson killed. Nobody else really did anything. Y'all can't just be like running back. We don't got no DBs, we don't got no linebackers, we have no defensive line, we have no offensive line. We have going into a third-year running back, but he's a smaller guy, like you know. I don't think this is a league for a smaller guy to be your number one. We have one running back. I don't even know if we have a second one on the roster, so it's just like we got a lot of hoes to fill and giving them guys all that money just is not gonna help. But I don't know what else to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah I mean, unless you I mean, but dang I mean yeah's like people's like why don't you trade him for draft picks?
Speaker 3:We ain't going to draft the right motherfucker, so I don't know you know what?
Speaker 2:That's the exact thought that went through my head. I'm like all right, well, you can move Higgins for some draft picks and try to fill in these holes with some young guys.
Speaker 3:And it's like look idiotic. Bengal fans always want to point to Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase when I say we can't draft. Man, like Snoop could have, could have, could have made them draft picks, bro, like that wasn't going outside the box right right, you knew what you were gonna get with those.
Speaker 3:It just wasn't like that wasn't going outside the box. But everything else from the last 10 years is trash like we don't have. Nobody has panned out from you know what we've had. I'll even giveanned out from you know what we've had. I'll even give you Jesse Bates. You know, I feel about you. I'll give you Jesse Bates, but outside of that ain't nobody done anything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then you let him out the building. So like no, I agree, I agree.
Speaker 3:But you're supposed to have a nice little safety. You know I'm saying like like, for example, Philadelphia picked Cooper Dajin up. You know what I'm saying. Like, for example, Philadelphia picked Cooper DeGene up. Like how come we can never hit that rookie? That just comes in to where you can say, okay, Jesse Bates, you can go, because we got somebody that's a baller, that's right, we just don't have no ballers, like we didn't draft Trey Hendrickson, like we got him.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying from a free agency. That's literally the only guy on the defense that did anything. I don't think there was one Pro Bowl vote for anybody else. I don't believe it was Logan Wilson's. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, now Chase is going to get four years 36.
Speaker 3:Shit, I thought he was getting four years at 40.
Speaker 2:I mean to jumped five mil more than, uh, jefferson that's, I don't know he could, he could. I'm just looking like if you just get you know slightly more, but no, I mean it could be 40, I mean he he'd be a real one.
Speaker 3:I mean and burrow talking about possibly giving some money back like they would be real for that. Or if he took, you know, if he did take 36, so Higgins could get like, because it's just like, I really just want to know. I think players would help themselves Like what would you say no to Like if we said, hey, t Higgins, bro, we got four years, 96, fully guaranteed? Would he take it? Because what, that's what 20, what night? And now you have four years, 80 is 20.
Speaker 3:That's 24 million dollars a season. Would he? Would he say no?
Speaker 2:uh, man, that's. But I think you also got to look at like take also into consideration, is like what the market is? What are the other teams willing to pay for him? Like, all right, this is what we got for you to stay here, but when he get out there and other teams start saying, all right, well, we'll give you a hundred.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. Like that's true, but we still have. We still have a little bit of leverage because we have that second, what do you call it? Hashtag? So I mean, technically speaking, we could use that, as you know, because I know that he probably wouldn't get 96 fully guaranteed.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's why I would say, okay, so you cut down on your average per year, but we're going to make it fully guaranteed. Don't avoid it years on the back end to make sure you can get it guaranteed A couple years, you know next year and the year after that we'll turn it into some signing bonuses. Make sure that you get all the money in a formal fashion.
Speaker 3:That would be my approach. But see, I would have did that last year because you probably could have got Chase at four years 120, 30 million a season or even four years 135 or something. You probably could have got it. But now I mean he's really earned top wide, the best wide receiver in the league money and you kind of got to give it to him. And you know I'm not a big advocate of you, know all you got to get. But I mean if you first team all NFL, you know you Win the triple crown. Yeah, you know like. Yeah, I mean I say pay some people Like, for example, patrick Mahomes, whatever figure that the Kansas City Chiefs came up with, whatever contract they agreed on, I would say yeah, give it to him. He's proven himself Like whatever, give it to him, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I agree with that. Some of these other guys I just kind of be like you know, I don't know you got to give him. I can't even say to Max, because I don't even know if there is a Max in football.
Speaker 2:There's not a Max.
Speaker 3:You got to give him. He has to reset the market. He's commanded top wide receiver money you got to give it to him, he reset the market.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's commanded top wide receiver money like you got to give it to him. Yeah, he uh. Yeah, he reset the market and I don't, like I said, I don't think anybody's gonna be like, oh man, y'all crazy for for doing it, nah, nah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3:You might say we're crazy if we give him that and then give t higgins 30, 30, between 30 and 35 a season. That might be crazy. But yeah, yeah, you know, give, I think, giving him 40 million, I think that's, that's kind of 30, 30, between 30 and 35 a season. That might be crazy, but you know, I think giving him $40 million, I think that's kind of. I mean, it is what it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, moving on, colts plan to create a real competition at QB this year, which they've kind of mumbled this in the past but like this is kind of the first time that like Ballard just came out and said, no, we're going to add some real competition. I mean, granted, joe Flacco, I mean, was a good backup and he did great in Cleveland the year before, but you need to put somebody on there that's young. You need to sign them to a couple years. Richardson knows that this ain't just a guy. He'll just be here this year, he'll be gone the next. Not somebody super old, that's not really going to push him. You know what I mean. You need somebody in there.
Speaker 3:There's a real realistic possibility of him losing his job? Does Richardson even care? I don't know His demeanor, I'm not even sure buddy even cares. He just doesn't. He doesn't give off vibes like he works very hard. Granted, I'm not there, I don't know for a fact. Nobody's told me this, but I just never really got the right vibe about him. I mean, even we talked about it, we were on live, I think. When you guys picked him I was just like it just it's something about it that just don't. It just don't work, man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean. I mean a Sam Darnold, a Justin Fields, hell even a James Winston, like just somebody who can come in and give him a run for his money.
Speaker 3:Is Winston still got time left? I don't think he would be. He's definitely younger than us. Let me look how many people 32? He is. That ain't even that bad 31. Yeah, see, I would look at that.
Speaker 3:I think that you guys really need to think long term, like because I mean I've been, I've had a carousel of quarterbacks, I really need to like believe in your next signing. I've personally never been a believer in Anthony Richardson and I don't, up to this point, I've been spot on, like I just didn't never thought that that was the right pick. But I mean, you live and you learn. I think if y'all do decide to go quarterback, y'all probably should really think about signing somebody like long term, like you said, long term, and really commit to that guy.
Speaker 3:Because y'all haven't although y'all have been having quarterbacks in and out, the quarterback play hasn't been terrible. Although y'all have been having quarterbacks in and out, the quarterback play hasn't been terrible. There's been a lot of teams that have had way worse quarterback play than the Colts over the last five or six years, and it sounds kind of crazy saying it, but I mean it's really true, like I think a lot of teams, if they could switch out their last five or six years of quarterback play for y'all. They'd probably say, yeah, let's go. I mean you guys had rivers. Carson wentz wasn't terrible like he actually had a pretty decent season to statistically speaking. Did I watch all of those games?
Speaker 2:no, could his own. My thing with winters that he, he just had bad plays at bad times like, yeah, we need to get into the playoffs. You know what? What I mean?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, no, I'm huge, you know. I'm huge on the timely Because that's kind of how I feel about Trey Hendrickson. So I'm huge on timely, you know, stuff Like that's how I feel about Will Howard too.
Speaker 3:Like some people would be like, oh, will Howard did this and that and you guys won national championship. Man, some of the mistakes he made were like grade school stuff. You know, I'm saying so. Like, yeah, he made some good plays, but a lot of the mistakes were just like yo, like you can't be a high division one level quarterback making those kind of reads, making those kind of mistakes and stuff. So it's just like I mean I get it. Uh, I didn't watch all the carson wins his snaps, like so I don't really know what the hell happened, but statistically speaking I I mean he wasn't that bad. But y'all need to like commit to something, even if it doesn't work the first year, even if it doesn't work the first year and a half. Commit to something and then see what you got. I just don't think Anthony Richardson is that guy.
Speaker 2:I never really did, yeah, but, like I said, I think you create the competition and it's somebody who's a real threat. You know what I mean and just see how he responds to it. Right, I mean, at this point that's all you can really do. Facts, you know what I mean. You've seen him the past couple seasons so you know what you have there and I think this is really a make-or-break season for him, especially offseason, like Um and this. I think this is really a make or break season for him, especially off season, like the coach has given you everything you need. You can't talk receivers. Now you had three receivers with 800 yards plus, like even though there was a ton of drops and things of that nature. Still, you had Jonathan Taylor. You know what I mean Solid year at running back. You know what I mean Top 10 running back in the league, um yards and you know things of that nature. I'd say we get a tight end in the draft because our tight ends can't seem to stay healthy or be consistent.
Speaker 2:So I say give a tight end um I still say I'll need a guy at receiver, like yeah, again, like we, we have that conversation too many times when you say a guy it's just not a lot of game-changing guys out there that you could just be like come on Pick a nigga from LSU, bro.
Speaker 3:Pick a nigga from Alabama, get a nigga from Ohio State. Well, you did Paris Campbell, but he wasn't top dog, I don't even know. Where's Alec?
Speaker 2:Pierce.
Speaker 3:Where did he get? I don't know. I guess Pittman came from USC. Pittman came from USC.
Speaker 2:I gotta figure this out right now.
Speaker 3:There be some dudes, man, I don't know. I don't know, I guess, where y'all be picking every year. I don't know. That's another thing. Don't know, it's just, I guess, where y'all be picking every year. I don't know.
Speaker 2:And that's another thing, because a lot of times we pick in the middle Like we're not. We're always like that. We're always below 10 but above 20. Like we're always in that middle where it's just like we're not bad enough to get the very, very good guys.
Speaker 3:But I was saying the year that y'all picked Richardson, y'all should have got y'all franchise wide receiver. Yeah, I don't remember who was out that year. I don't either the year before last. I should know this being with the cards, I should know who the rookies were.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Justin said Pierce went to Cincinnati. Yeah, I just seen that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:McMillan from Arizona, would be yeah, it's like what these guys I just will these guys be there. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Like man, this nigga calls me every tuesday during the podcast, like my nigga my dad every tuesday, bro, I'm on the podcast yeah.
Speaker 2:So I mean yeah, but I think you put so much draft capital into the right receiver room like first round draft capital, second round draft capital is like how much more do you keep dumping in there without addressing the db situation? You know what I mean. Like eventually you got to get some more dbs like we, they can't stay healthy. We'd be picking up guys off the street. Every year we lose three DBs easily. So you got to feel that role and the same thing at tight end A lot of these, your Mo'Ally Coxes, your Wood, those guys they just keep getting hurt. So you got to get somebody. You know you got to get some young guys in there and shuffle out these injury prone guys. So I think to me that's a bigger need than you know. Throwing another first or second round pick at a wide receiver where you like you just do. You know a second round pick at a wide receiver the year before you do it. You know what I mean. I mean two years before that you do a first round pick at a receiver. You know what I mean. Year before that you do a first round pick at a receiver. You know what I mean. Year before that you threw another second round. So it's like, eventually, it's like those guys don't have to figure it out and you got to address the, like I said, the other injury prone positions.
Speaker 2:Uh, yeah, the safety from georgia. I forgot his name, but yeah, I know you're talking about um. They got him. I mean, like I said, either a safety or a tight end. Uh, kamari lassiter, yeah, yeah, so Either one, like I said, either one of them. If that, the tight end from Penn State, if he falls, like there's guys out there that I believe that can come in and make a difference.
Speaker 3:Who you talking about Defense in?
Speaker 2:No, the Tight end From.
Speaker 3:Oh the white dude yeah.
Speaker 2:That's somebody you know who will be there, because the top is so top heavy. You know what I mean. Like the draft is so top heavy with your receivers and your quarterbacks. You know those guys, the Travis Hunters and all those guys, somebody like that could fall to you know 13, 14.
Speaker 3:Get all the hype hoopla, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:Somebody like that could fall, or even, like you said, the safety from Georgia. Somebody like that can fall to a team like the Colts.
Speaker 3:Isn't Lassiter already in the NFL? That ain't what I'm thinking about. No, yeah, I think that's my bad. I think Lassiter's already in the NFL. Hold on, hold on. You didn't think of who you're talking about. I think there's a Lassiter of the Ravens. That's probably who I'm talking about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the dude from Georgia that I'm thinking about. Nah, hold on, I got you right here. His name is I can't find the numbers yet. They got a million DBs on their roster. Can't find them. They not have them listed on the roster.
Speaker 3:No more, jeez man they got the Titans taking Abdul Carter number one overall man that's tough With as bad as their quarterback situation is yeah, but. But overall man that's tough with as bad as their quarterback situation is yeah, but. But like I ain't gonna say that, I ain't gonna put that kind of more than should do her. So I was getting ready to say that they're kind of like the Anthony Richardson picks for me, but nah, they actually did pretty well in college, that's what I'm saying like.
Speaker 2:But again, do you just keep, uh, keep throwing out. You know, uh, millie, uh, nah, that's the edge. Where is he? Yeah, I'm looking, no jumping, not, um, uh, starks, yeah, yeah yeah, I know you're talking about him. Yeah, so they got him going, you know 19. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:He's 19th best player available right now, so but See, they got us taking Kenneth Grant a defensive tackle that I've never heard of, out of Michigan. Like I just don't understand, bro. I just don't. I don't get that. Yeah, let me see who's behind him. Pause. Ooh, emeka Buka. Ooh, I would love to have him. Ashton Gentry, we can't have two small running backs though That'd be wild man, because we took that defensive tackle out of Michigan last year and dude is trash. And the year before that we took a defensive tackle out of Michigan last year. Dude is trash. The year before that, we took a defensive tackle out of defensive linemen, rather out of Clemson. Dude is trash. I don't understand. We're going to take another defensive lineman. That's what they got us projected. I would take Luther Burton. Just make your offense untouchable. We've seen teams with shitty defenses go far in the playoffs. We've seen it Shit. The Colts did Well. No, I don't want to say shitty, but your offense was so high-powered that y'all were just going to outscore anybody.
Speaker 2:Like back in the eight-many days. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, that was the goal.
Speaker 3:Y'all were just outscoring, Couldn't nobody stop y'all from scoring. So like it didn't even matter what the defense was. And then we had two of the best DMs in NFL history. You know what I mean as a team. I mean, you know the offense was just going to outscore anybody, so it just didn't even matter.
Speaker 3:I wouldn't be mad if we went that route. They got Malachi Starks going to the Ravens man. If he goes to the motherfucking Ravens, bro, I'm flipping everything over Because they going to find some defense. Boy, they are going to find some defense.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree, Justin. Why reach for a QB if there's not one there? Grab a vet at QB, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, bro, bro, yeah, now, if y'all had a, if y'all had a, I did look at the receivers. It wasn't really talking about nothing that year, like I didn't think it was. But yeah, I would have definitely either took that five and like traded down. I just didn't think Anthony Richardson was the pick at that spot, but like pick at that spot. But I ain't about to dwell on that anymore. That comment kind of just reminded me. But it is what it is. It's too late for that now. Every team makes mistakes in the draft.
Speaker 2:Especially QB. Qb is the hardest position to get right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I just don't think they gave themselves much of a chance with that pick, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3:You might come back this year.
Speaker 2:You can go back to every draft and grab. You know in the first two rounds and look at QBs that just that was supposed to be it in college or that was it in college and his team is giving up on boys too, like Tennessee's already done with a homeboy. Like Matt Jones got moved, like it's so of here. So much, you know.
Speaker 3:Trevor Lawrence got one more year Of his bullshit and they probably gonna be looking To move on from him. They just paid him too.
Speaker 2:Yep, so, so, yeah, nah, man. But Next thing, man, last but not least, with football. We gotta talk about the Justin Tucker team there, so they better do him Just, not least with football. Uh, we gotta talk about the justin tucker team there.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, they better do him just like they did. Uh, homeboy, yeah, I want to see it identical and I don't look for people to go down, but they just need to keep that same energy, for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah because I mean, what deshaun watson got? What 11 game, suspensiongame, suspension for sexual misconduct.
Speaker 3:Had to miss the whole season.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So you got to get at least that. But coming off the season he just came off of, you might cut him that man. Shit, this was probably his worst season ever.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he was tweaking. It was funny, because Justin would just text me every time hey, he missed another field goal. I'd be like man what he probably missed one against less in his whole career 73%.
Speaker 2:I think he was this year, which has been like the lowest ever for him. So yeah, I think let's see he's been going to. Oh man, they went into detail. I'm not going to say that online. Sheesh yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but Goddamn, because I ain't heard no details.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know if he's been in or what but.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like basically just exposing himself.
Speaker 3:Ah damn Justin.
Speaker 2:That's the best way I could say it without yeah, but I mean geez we got the fun buddy Getting to it early.
Speaker 3:Yeah, if he was on that, he got to be out of here, just like Deshaun was yeah.
Speaker 2:Like I said, of course this was his worst season this year. 73 percent, 22 or 30, uh, five or eight, from four, uh, six or eleven to fifty, I mean extra points, 60 out of 62 wasn't bad on that, but I mean, like this is just a down season for somebody like him, who's arguably the best kicker of all time, probably, uh, at least by stat wise, but yeah, seven time pro bowler, um, he's 35. So I mean, but I mean, for a kicker, I mean someone kicked to 40, do you, do you keep him around? Do you? I mean, is it worth it? I mean, or do you just send him out a year? And what hope? Hope he can come back better?
Speaker 3:Like after a down year.
Speaker 2:That's kind of hard. It's like, all right, not only is he you got these allegations out here he just had the worst year of his career. So if any time was the perfect time to part ways, I think this would be the time. Yeah, so I mean nobody could pick him up. I mean nobody could pick him up, I mean because the NFL would hand down the suspension. So wherever whoever picks him up was still, he would still have to sit for whatever that suspension be, which would be at least 11 games. It was the Washington Deshaun Watson got. So we see, man, We'll see. Hopefully, like you said, I'm with you, though you need to treat him the same way you did Desha deshaun watson. He's just as popular as his position as deshaun watson was then. So air him out all over the news, everything that happens with him, blow it up every time.
Speaker 3:I'm just big on keeping the same energy, so do him just like. Just like you did, uh, deshaun yep, I agree.
Speaker 2:I definitely agree with that man.
Speaker 3:When did Kevin Porter Jr, get on the Bucs. I'm just watching the game. I'm like when the hell did he get to the Bucs?
Speaker 2:Yeah, he probably was part of a trade or somebody. They signed him or something and nobody said anything.
Speaker 3:He was on the Clippers and he was hooping, but the nigga's on the Bucs now.
Speaker 2:I heard nothing about it All right, real quick, some WNBA news, of course. Tarazi man announced her retirement. That's crazy. Hell of a career man. Crazy career man. I was just looking Like. Once they announced it, I looked man. He's the only WNBA player to hit 10K in points. He scored another 14. Huh. Yeah, 10,000. Yeah, she's the only WNBA player ever to hit 10K.
Speaker 3:Damn I was going to say that's all for 20 seasons, but I forgot they only play like 40 games.
Speaker 2:Almost 1,500 in playoff games. She leads in both of those all-time. She has three championships WNBA championships 2007, 2009, and 2014. Five-time scoring champion, 14-time all-NBA. Wnba selectionvp in 2009 and finals mvp in 2009 and 14. Uh, she's the leader in three points made in wmba with, uh, them next 1500 um in a regular season and playoffs.
Speaker 2:Man, she, she, just 20 years, man, just pure excellence. Man, you don't get no better than her. Um, so, but this new wave, this new wave is, uh, it's definitely going to be exciting, man, Probably one of the few, uh, the old guard you would say. You know the Sue birds and all of them. Uh, she was the last one holding on, man, so I'm excited to see what's next for the Mercury with now, with her and Brittany grinder gone now. Uh, see what direction they go in this year coming up. So just want to throw that out there real quick. And so little NBA news, man, um, of course, man. And B he gets another image on his knee, uh, I don't know. Quartzman. And B, he gets another image on his knee, I don't know. Man, I'm starting to kind of feel the same way that people was feeling about Ben Simmons yeah, at least it's just stealing money.
Speaker 3:At least he cooks. When he's out there, though, that is true, this nigga, ben Simmons, was like bro, this nigga was not playing, and then, when he played, he's out there, though. That is true, this nigga, Ben Simmons, was like bro, this nigga was not playing, and then, when he played, he wasn't playing type shit.
Speaker 2:Okay. So I went to the Pacer game the other night against the Clippers. First off, crazy seats, second row from the floor. Like we right there, everything's right there. Like it's wild first off just to see him out there. But then to see in real time how timid he is to play, like just watching him move, and like this man had layups, he had open jump shots, like literally looking to pass like the whole time. It's crazy. Like I think he had like six points, like six assists, like three rebounds or something like that, but he played 30 minutes. I'm like to me that's just mind-boggling.
Speaker 2:But back to Embiid man. Of course he's not eligible for any awards this year, not that he would really get any. He's averaging 24, 8, and 5. 44, 44% shooting 30 from the three point lane uh three point range, which is both career lows. He'll be 31 next month, um, and he just signed a new deal through the uh 28, 29 season that will give him 70 million player option on the end of it. So four years, 248 million Like what would you do? I'm very interested to hear what you say. Like, what do you do with him? Like, how do you figure that out? Do you just wait it out and get every other year out of him Shit.
Speaker 3:They don't have no choice but to wait it out. I literally have no choice. They got to wait it out. There's nothing else. I mean nobody's going to trade for him, unless they might have to get somebody a first round pick with him to get anything back. It's a bad situation and yeah, you ain't got no choice but to wait it out. There's nothing else you can do. You got to just see how it unfolds and move forward.
Speaker 2:Yeah, also, on top of that they got Eric Gordon. He's hurt Kyle Lowry's hurt Tyrese Maxey he's been questionable. You know every other game. And then Paul George he's been in and out of the lineup but shoot, he's been getting injections, it seems like for his own issues in the past week. So like, but the Sixers are not ruling him out Like his season's over. They still continue to consult specialists. But like, do you risk it?
Speaker 3:Nah, I mean they're clear. This season's clearly over for the Sixers. Like I mean you might as well at this point, you might as well just let him get the surgery or whatever he needs, like he's not. I mean your season is over.
Speaker 2:So I agree. I say let him get the surgery, chalk this one up as a loss and, like you said, move on, man, like there's nothing there. There's no season to salvage right now Facts. So All right On to another big man with now something very serious going on. Man Wimby, I don't even know what's next. You deal with blood clots. We all think back to Chris Bosh and what went on with him when we forced him into retirement. This man is like a couple months after turning 21 and now he's starting to have blood. I think it was what? In his shoulder, yeah, his right shoulder Blood clotting in his right shoulder. From what I'm reading, get well soon.
Speaker 3:That's basically all I got for that. That's a serious situation.
Speaker 2:So get well soon. And it's sad, I mean, you got greg popovich, who suffered a stroke earlier this season, which this probably be his last year, um, and then, like I said, now you got wimby. You know, granted, they just traded for, uh, dearon fox, but like I don't know, I mean it's hard, man, like to see somebody with so much promise who's literally changing the game. You know, having one of those type of impacts, you know, especially for big man, um, so like now, you just like whole future is up in the air, mm-hmm, because blood clots can happen at any time, man.
Speaker 3:And, like I said, it's very quick.
Speaker 2:Take your whole career from you Very quickly, very quickly. From what I'm reading, you know it's nothing. Definitely they haven't really found out what's causing it. But like again, man, like, hopefully you know, he come back for the good of the game and for the Spurs and what they've invested in that team around him too. So, like you said, give us some. Hopefully everything works out, man For sure. Last but not least, man do some power rankings in the NBA. Man, right now you got oklahoma city, thunder. They first, with a record of 43 and 9. They next game. They got miami, minnesota, utah, minnesota, minnesota again. Uh oh, this is never mind, this is not the most recent one, this is from a week ago, but with these they got. They play Minnesota later on this week Cleveland, boston at three, denver Nuggets at four, grizzlies at five, knicks at six and Lakers at seven. You got Houston at eight, minnesota at nine and the Pacers at ten.
Speaker 3:The Pacers, I Okay, pacers, I wasn't expecting that one.
Speaker 2:They actually got the best record of this year 2025. Oh, I didn't see that. They've been playing pretty good, man, I have no complaints, even though they just dropped that last one to the Nuggets, which would have been a huge win if we could have got it. But I'm not mad at the Pacers and how they've been playing. Man, they're coming into their own. They're playing good at the right time, like we were talking about. Hopefully we can make another deep playoff run. Yeah, man, I'm not angry about that Game tonight. Man, Lakers and Mavericks man, I'm ready.
Speaker 3:You already know.
Speaker 2:This is about to be crazy.
Speaker 3:I'm tuned into that. That might be game of the year.
Speaker 2:Luckily they're in LA right now, but they do play in Dallas later on this year, which is going to be even crazier.
Speaker 3:You know what, I don't even know. I think the fans is going to fuck with him. So I don't think, know. I think the fans is going to fuck with him. So I don't think he's going to come into a hostile environment or nothing. I think the fans are going to try to show up ownership by like showing him praise. So no, I think Luka got it.
Speaker 2:I think both players you know what I'm saying, even AD whenever he comes back to LA.
Speaker 3:I think it's smooth Now. I think that's another reason why I think Luca's going to do well tonight, because it ain't no pressure, because he ain't going back into a hostile well, I mean, he's at home. But even when they do go to Dallas, I don't think it's going to be a hostile environment. I think it's going to be damn real like a home game for Luca.
Speaker 2:I just think, like you said, like as far as from the fans concerned, especially in Dallas, like people being a fan got ejected I think it was the game before last talking crazy to you know, just ownership in their press box and stuff like that Like they are extremely pissed that they got rid of Luka. And there's no real reason behind it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they should be pissed. I'd be pissed.
Speaker 2:Like you talk about the money part of it, but it's like you had the money. You're not paying nobody else on your team. You know a billion dollars. Like you know what I mean. Like this was your guy kairi's locked in.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you got the young, uh tall guys like lively and gafford. They don't command a whole lot of money no way to get clay in there.
Speaker 2:Uh, yeah, I don't know outside of they were talking about luca and, like his, his training coming in too heavy. They said he came in this year at 260, the beginning of the season. Just say he need to work on, you know, getting his weight down and getting more, being more in shape. But outside of that I mean that's still not a reason to like move them right. I mean, granted, he had the, had the ligament leg injury this year, but like he just took you to the finals last year yeah, I don't know what that was on but he took you to the finals last year.
Speaker 3:Shout out to you know what I'm saying. Him coming to the Lakers though, yeah, no, yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if they won it all this year. Very possible. You know I'm a LeBron fan. This is well documented. But you also know I'm going to tell you what I think. At all times I think the Lakers legitimately got a shot to win. Bro, that's just too much offensive brilliance on the floor. Even if they just switched, they're just that good LeBron and Luka are just that good at basketball that they could just switch off. Your turn, my turn, your turn, my turn right into a championship.
Speaker 2:Bringing the ball up, making plays.
Speaker 3:They're that good. Does that work? Typically, no, but with LeBron and Luka.
Speaker 2:With their IQs.
Speaker 3:Exactly, exactly, exactly. Hey, you got it, this one. I'm going to just stand here because I'm LeBron Like somebody has to like somebody has to guard me. Bro, cook Like Luka's, just that good he can cook. And then LeBron all right, bet Luka just chill out and like. Luka, just chill out.
Speaker 2:I think the supporting cast can support enough. In that same way that the supporting cast did in Dallas. Like you've got the Austin Reeves who, can you know, give you 18. You know the Ruiz, all those guys do their own thing. You know what I mean. And if you could get connecting them back into the lineup, back into the rotation, back into you know what I mean. And if you could get connecting them back into the lineup, back into the rotation, back into you know what I mean. Like you definitely got some firepower because he done showed you he can put up 30 any given night. So, no, I definitely agree with that man, especially if Luka stay healthy Again, like, get in shape. Like we already know what playoff Luka does, we know what playoff LeBron does. Oh, I'm telling you that could be Real soon, it wouldn't surprise me at all.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man it wouldn't surprise me at all but shoot man. That's all. I got man Shit.
Speaker 3:That's cool.
Speaker 2:Nice little 50-minute piece.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man, shit, that's cool, nice little 50-minute piece.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, Hot 50 minutes, man. You know we didn't get to an hour and 20 or nothing crazy. It's all good, that's the same thing, I must say.
Speaker 3:That's the peanut gallery over here.
Speaker 2:Right, right, right, Appreciate it, Appreciate it. Any final remarks man Outside of Justin Tucker, Anything we defunded Outside of Justin Tucker. We defunded Justin Tucker?
Speaker 3:Yeah, get him out of here UC men's basketball, bro. Like they suck. Like I'm over it. Like I was going to say sell the team, Wow. Like they got to do something, bro. I'm sick of them. I'm watching them now, just just trash. Um, nah, man, that's all I got all right, man.
Speaker 2:Uh, I have nothing else either. Man. Uh, see y'all next week. Man, um, like I said, march madness coming up, things of that nature, uh, college, uh, championship, uh, tournaments coming up. So we definitely gonna lock in with Crossroads Sports. Man, get them in here.
Speaker 3:So they can. I got to talk to them for sure.
Speaker 2:Get them in here to.
Speaker 3:We need to holler at y'all.
Speaker 2:Yeah, get them in here to get us on track for this March, Madness man.
Speaker 3:College basketball hurts my eyes. I need to talk to them.
Speaker 2:But they always come in with such great insight, man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's why I like talking to them because they know they're super knowledgeable. They always know what they're talking about. I cannot watch college basketball. I can't do it like I'm trying to watch like cooper flag right now, like I cannot watch college basketball. It's and I know justin's probably like me. How can you not watch that and watch nba? I don't know. At least in the NBA I know who I'm watching. There's hype around certain guys. I know I'm going to get to watch Shea against Anthony Edwards. I know I get to watch Dane Miller and Giannis against LeBron and Luka. But college, where you going to get that? I don't know who I'm watching.
Speaker 2:It's tough. I have no idea who.
Speaker 3:I'm watching. It's tough, I have no idea who I'm watching. That and the Run and Duns yeah, that and the Run and Duns, nil, all that shit just ruined. I ain't going to say ruined, but it changed it. I'm going to just say changed.
Speaker 3:Because I like the fact that they get paid. So, like I've said this on the show before too, from a fan standpoint, fuck NIL. But from a man's standpoint, bro, get your bread Like I get it. I understand it, but it's definitely changing college sports. I ain't going to say ruining, I'm going to just say changing.
Speaker 2:No, I agree, I agree, and I think that's one of the reasons Nick Saban got out, because it kind of stopped being about football and about money. You know, so I agree, like college basketball same thing. Like college basketball same thing, like it's the same thing. And I think they should put a three-year rule in. I don't think it should be one and done Like I think.
Speaker 2:At least give me two. Yeah, that's what I'm saying Like across the board, like I think you should have to prove yourself at least two years, because the NBA is different man.
Speaker 3:With that I would also say damn, I just thought of something I was going to say, but I forgot the developmental and learning curve in the NBA, I think, is smaller.
Speaker 2:So I say two years, but the chance is also smaller too.
Speaker 3:I would also say, let him go pro too, out of high school again. But I would also say with that they could only sign a max two-year contract. Nah, that wouldn't really change it. I would like to see it. If you do go out of high school, there's a threat, like if you don't catch on quick, that might be it.
Speaker 2:Maybe it won't't. Maybe let them go from high school if they're good enough, if they go to college minimum two years, yeah, that, yeah, absolutely. I know, I agree with that.
Speaker 3:But then somebody will be like oh well, everybody will go high school. Nah, if you go, if you go out of high school, something in your contract is different to where. If you don't catch on immediately, then then you know that might be it, you might not ever see another NBA roster, you know.
Speaker 3:Whereas if you play two years of college you'll get that money. That'll be a benefit. You better get your NIL or whatever be able to learn, get your game up and then you know. When you do get drafted after two or more years in college, then you know you'll get more of an opportunity If you come straight out of high school.
Speaker 2:you know hey, and that's what I was saying, that's what I was saying Ike, maybe three because, like you, look back to those years, a three-year, like you said, a three-year guard leader. Like you know what I mean, you got somebody who's been there when the new guys come in too. Like that's why you don't see those dynasty runs, you don't see any more undefeated college teams because, like you don't have those leaders there now. Like your leader is gone in a year. You know what I mean. Like the person who you know.
Speaker 2:I mean, like you know you can't build any continuity like you're expecting these. You know you look at these kentuckys. Like they get all these, you know five stars and then they just rotating them in and out. You just sending guys to the league, guys to the league. You know what I mean and you know some of them stick, some of them don't. You know, but it will make a better brand in college basketball, like you said, you may get to know somebody. If you, oh man, you're a freshman by a sophomore year, you heard them, then shoot by a junior shoe, you may know who you watching and then you can watch their career from, you know, from college to the nba and be like oh yeah, man, I remember him at duke obby, I remember him, maryland. Like you start remembering these names instead of now, like you said, we get to the nba draft and we don't know who our teams are picking. We don't know who these guys are um, I have no idea.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I mean that's another reason I guess that I'm having with college basketball currently. It's just like I don't know none of these dudes, man. Yep, I don't know none of them yep cooper flag is like the only dude in college basketball I know outside these sorry ass bear cats, that's it. I don't know one of these cats. I don't know nobody a lot of I don't even know, but they gotta come in with a name.
Speaker 2:Like you know, I mean, I don't even know, but they gotta come in with a name Like you know what I? Mean, I don't even know none of the guys.
Speaker 3:This is probably the first year in my life that I can't name not one guy that plays for Kansas. I don't know, not one. I can't name one guy that plays for Kansas right now. I'm with you and that's crazy. Kansas always has a loaded roster. Can't name one guy, not one.
Speaker 2:And, like you said, with NIL, none of those guys.
Speaker 3:Not one person on Texas, North Carolina, the.
Speaker 2:Floridas, syracuse, like all these prominent Georgia all these prominent Georgia. You just don't know, like you used to I know yeah, so we'll see man.
Speaker 2:Hopefully they start. You used to, I know that's it, yeah, so um, but we'll see, man. Hopefully they start making some changes. I think, as, like you said, when you get March Madness come around and I mean people going to watch because it's March Madness, but again, if the product isn't like, you got to change something and hopefully this NIL and the NCAA, you know, continue to evolve these sports and not just let it be what it is. You know what I mean. Start putting some guardrails in place for these players to build a brand you got to build a brand Like the NCAA is going to turn into a stepping stone and people are not going to be as invested in teams as they was before. They're gonna be like, all right, man, yeah, we got a good team this year, cool. And then, like, once everybody leave, they're like all right, cool, like they're not gonna come to the games.
Speaker 3:so pretty much, but uh, before we get out of here, one question yeah, go ahead. Would you? If you had an opportunity to get Matthew Stafford, would you take him?
Speaker 2:For the coach yeah. Ooh, yes, I'm rolling. Absolutely, I'm rolling. I mean veteran like, knows what he's doing, been in every situation, definitely know how it is playing with young guys. You know what I mean? Yes, yeah, I'll say yeah, and I don't think he's a bad quarterback to learn behind either yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:No, I don't think he's really anthony richardson style but no, but he's that.
Speaker 2:He's that gunslinger like I don't think he's a gunslinger though I mean, I'm just talking about like a big arm, like, and there's nothing else. Just learn how to be a QB off the field. A QB, yeah, I feel that, like on the field, I think eventually it'll take care of itself, but you've got to learn how to be a QB off the field, like as far as investing in your training, investing in playbooks, investing in different things. You know the things that matter off the field, right?
Speaker 3:Jets don't have no quarterback. Jets certainly don't have a quarterback. Yeah, get your pick I said without paying 50.
Speaker 2:No, no, you're not paying staff for 50 million a year.
Speaker 3:I just seen a report that said that's what he wanted. That's what made me ask, because not about the money, but just the fact that he.
Speaker 2:I mean we have it, but I wouldn't. No, maybe if it's one year, maybe somewhere close to that, but not a multi-year deal. I wouldn't bring him in for three years at 50 a year. No, no. I wouldn't do that.
Speaker 3:That's all I all I got, though. I just wanted to get your take on that real quick all right, man.
Speaker 2:Well, until next week, man. This has been the epic podcast man. We see y'all.