Fox Sports RadioThe Fellas with Anthony Gargano & Kevin Figgers discuss Conference Tournament Championships, NFL Free Agency & MORE!
On a new episode of The Fellas with Anthony Gargano & Kevin Figgers, the guys open the show talking about Conference Championship Weekend, some of their favorite college basketball memories & which legendary HC called out Cuz 20+ years ago? They also dive into NFL Free Agency including which teams are winning and losing so far, and some of their favorite draft prospects who can make an immediate impact. “The Brain” Brad Feinberg joins the show to go over some of his favorite college basketball bets heading into the weekend!
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Ah, good morning, good morning, good morning, good morning, good morning, good morning, every buddy, hebby Abby Abby, Fox Sports Saturday Fellas Cavin Figures, Figgy's back. I'm Anthony Garganto Fitzi's off today traveling. We got a lot of good hoops. March men, at least in college. March Madness is back. It had a lot of fun. Fellas, come be alive on this beautiful Saturday morning. From the ti raq dot com studios ty rack dot com. We'll help you get there fast, free shipping, free road hazard protection, over ten thousand recommended installers ti rack dot com. The way tire buying should be. Figgy, Good morning, buddy, Good morning, Couz. Good to be back on the saturd with your brother. How are things? I love it? I love it. Things are rauh. I don't know, and I'm dying to hear what you have to say. We'll get into all the NFL free agency and oh yeah, Cooper Cup. You know we're gonna be doing a lot of that this morning. But I'm just lead off with some loops because the Carolina Duke, Carolina with the big comeback last night only to have that game time free throw that lane violation. The kids got a funky release, yeah, and it was just step in the lane. It was like, oh no, and all of a sudden, the minute they stepped in the lane violation a.
Little bit so weaker.
And it's tough for North Carolina because they were clearly one of those teams that was on the cut line and still is. But the issue with them is, and if you want to get into and deep into the nitty gritty of net rankings and quad one wins and quad two wins, I would just say this for North Carolina, they don't have a lot of quality wins this year, so a victory over Duke last night would have been humongous for them in their case to make it into the tournament, despite the fact that they're a blue blood and have twenty plus wins.
That was a heartbreaker.
To be down big, to fight back against Duke and to have it in the way that it ended was.
Really, really tough. And I really really feel for that kid.
Yeah I do too. I gotta tell you, they got it. They deserve to be it. I know the ACC is down and I get it, but they deserve to be in a tournament.
I you know, I mean I think they have to.
The way you play that team, that dub team, And I get that Cooper didn't play right, Yeah, but that Tube team is still nasty man. And they were up dude, how about it. I mean they're rolling in that game. They were up as hot as much as what sixteen seventeen they were.
Yeah, I think I got up to nineteen at one point.
The problem with it is we start breaking down resumes and I mentioned quad one wins, they're one and twelve.
They have no quality wins this year, like zero I saw it.
And as down as the ACC is overall, you gotta be able to get you can't give them get him in on a quality loss.
We get, we can't go that way. That's the problem.
Yeah, it's all once like college football, right with the quality loss.
Well, especially when you look at other teams that are on the cut line, like Indiana, who's picked up big wins over teams like Michigan State over the last week and a half, our Boise State who's been on a heater recently. It's just really really difficult if you're lining them up. If you look if you were just take North Carolina off of the front of the jersey, take all the colors off of just your resume test, there's no way they measure up to these other teams.
I agree. I agree with that's great argument. And I got I'm a especially with college basketball. I got that. You know it's Carolina. Yeah, you know, it's like Carolina. How does Carolina not Yeah? How do you not give them the benefit of the doubt?
Yeah, I get it.
There's Roy Williams in there. Yeah, I mean in the stands. I mean it's Carolina. They're gonna be out.
You're right, Yeah, And you know, and because if all things were equal, they'd absolutely be in. If all things were equal and you had the brand recognition of North Carolina and it was easy to decision, it'll be an easy decision at that point, they'd make it. I just don't know how you can justify putting them in over anybody else that's kind of hovering over the cut line based on what they've done, regardless if they're a blue blood or not.
You're right, you know what's funny, how is it North Carolina has retained its blue blood status, but Indian it really has it?
Well, I mean North Carolina's had their share of runs.
Over the last you know, ten twelve years, Roar Williams has won a couple of national championships, you know, so they've they kind of fell out of it a little bit, you know, during the nineties.
They had a couple of runs there, but.
Never really did a lot, and they had a real long dry spell.
And then when Roy returned after going to Kansas, he got them a couple of national championships and revitalized the program.
If Indiana won one national.
Championship over the next three years or so, they would kind of reinsert themselves into the of the conversation for a little bit and earned themselves some more VA value and equity. But Indiana was the last time Indiana actually made a deep run of the tournament and it was really really relevant on an level.
It's been a long time. Uh yeah.
So you get you get reverence because of the history and Bob Knight and all of that, but I mean we're a long long way removed from that. I mean kids, kids, you know, adults, grown adults. Myself, I wasn't even old enough, if not even born, to remember Bob Knight in the great runs he had in Indiana. You're way, way far removed from Indiana to your point, being considered a quote a quote unquote blue blood uh with a great resume and being a championship program, So why they still maintain that?
You know?
I mean, look, UCLA is kind of the same way. Grand They've made it to a couple of final fours.
So really, I think it just comes down to because it's making yourself relevant on a year in, year out basis and making a couple of deep runs in the tournament.
And Indiana has not been able to do that.
Yeah, they got to be curious. I gotta look up Indiana and because I mean, did you just have it?
Felt like that's the only thing about Caroline is that they've had that moment, right, you know.
Even if you don't win it. You know, look at Kentuck.
Kentucky won the one national championship with coach cal but they made it to the tournament every year, made it to the second weekend, you.
Know, and they're squarely they're squarely blue blood for me, like.
They have not lost at all their blue blood status. Man, look at these seasons, dude, It's just nuts.
Yeah, I mean I'm looking at Indiana over the past, you know, go back to the Tom creen years. I mean, there's a lot of lean years where they didn't make the tournament. I'm talking about five straight years from twenty sixteen all the way in twenty twenty doesn't count because that was the COVID year, but i mean losing in the second round, losing in the first round, regional, semi second round, like they really just weren't making much of a dent.
You got to go back to one oh two.
Wow, the old Mike Davis.
They went to they went to the finals that year, one two. That's it.
So like I mentioned, kids who are playing now weren't.
Even about thirty.
You're right, did Tom Crean year they just got to the sweet sixteen.
It's like, even if you were Indiana and you're knocked on the door on the lead eight. Yeah, a couple of Sweet sixteens and Elite eight every other year, every couple of years. I won't say you'll take it because the standard has been so high for Indiana. But to our point, if we're looking at their record over the last you know, decade and a half, I mean, is.
That really what their expectations should be?
I know, you know, I know. So look at look at this is nuts.
You go back tonight, Oh my god, like this is stuff.
This is like lower stuff. You know.
His run until his first year seventy one, seventy two, right, yep. The next year he's in the final four. The year after he wins the Nit, Denny wins the Dancy Double A seventy four to seventy five. Denny repeats, it's seventy five, seventy six. Then back to the n I t wins the n It again seventy eight, seventy nine, then back to the Sweet sixteen. In seventy nine, eighty eighty one, he wins it again.
I think that was Keith Smart correct yep. Eighty two, eighty three, Sweet sixteen.
And in eighty six eighty seven they go thirty and four and win it again, and then he's done that fateful year to ninety nine, two thousand.
I ever tell you story with Bobby Knight. Oh I'm sure you have one, you have nine? Please please indulse me.
I can only watch you.
So this is when all the stuff starts to unravel on the program.
And you know the kid he threw the chair at the kid. You remember, Oh.
Yeah, what's the what they by the way, they like immortalized or I actually had like a night this year dedicating to that night, which I found to be interesting, is like this is kind of a black mark on him and the program, and you guys like, here's the chair that Bob Knight threw across the court, and we're gonna dedicate it tonight.
I found that really weird.
Oh yeah, yeah, that's all.
That's very odd for them to honor something like that.
Yeah.
No, it was listen sensibilities and it's a great story. Now I look at back at it. She's a mault, right. So the uh this is like late nineties. I'm like fresh out of college. So I'm working for the New York Posts and they go, you got to go to Indiana and you gotta do this pob Night story. I'm like, all right, you know, So I go to Indiana and they got you're playing like Purdue or somebody. I'm there, right, and he's he's just, he's just, and he's intimidating, and he's got that death stare right, and you know, I don't know if they want or lost whatever it was, but it didn't even matter because everybody was there just to hear about, like, just to kind of talk about the situation. So I show up and you reporters back that you had your badge. So my dad says, you know, Anthony gargantto New York Post, and Bob looks at it and he's and he sees me and like, I didn't even ask a question yet, right, He looks at me, looks me up and there and looks at staring at my bag. He went, New York Post, what do you come all the way here from New York for? And I'm like, like, what this guy talking like? So I said, well, coach, you know where the allegations and blah blah. Right, give my a question, right, And he just kind of like stares at me, and he goes, I'm not having a press conference with this guy here.
Really? Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, he said, I don't know what you any of yous want, but as always, the guy.
From New York is here, I'm not talking no.
I Meanwhile, and if I told you the question, the way I phrased it was as soft as as a pillow, right, Like I wasn't exactly like coming in Dan, rather, I couldn't imagine your kid fresh out of college and you're facing one of the most intimidating figures and sports.
I'm scared to death.
I can imagine that be like, you know, like he's gonna go, He's gonna eat my face.
He probably would, if you know exactly.
And I'm like, as well, coach, you know, I'm here, I just you know, I just I want your side of the story. Yeah, I'm like, I almost you know, I'm just here, right and I'm not going to let my coach. I can't leave. It's my job. We understand that. Get him out, get him out, you know. It's just one of those stand loss And I just just sat there until he just kind of shook his head and then looked to another reporter and wait, what do you want? I got that was my Bob Knights.
Story, just for the sake of being a jerk, just because he could to try to intimidate people left and right as much as he possibly could.
It worked, Yeah, you know, it worked for it worked for a long time.
I can't say it worked until it didn't.
He look even after he finished you know, at at A at Indiana went to Texas Tech, had a decent run there for a while. Would join the media at the four letter for a while, so it's not like it did anything to hurt his career.
You know.
It's nuts is that then he joins the media, and I remember thinking, look at this guy, like, this guy was the biggest a hole in it worked, right, And now I mean he's all chummy chum.
He still had a bit of an edge to him when he was doing work for ESPN as an analyst too. I mean, I don't know if he ever got super lighthearted. It was never anything close to where he was when he was a coach, right.
That's my swelling point, you know.
And and of course, because you have a lot of young people in the audience, you gotta watch Blue Chips and seen Nick Nolty's performance as Bobby Knight. Yeah, he took a little Bobby Knight, little Coach K Dude. Those coaches were like they were like little warlords.
Coach k was the same way right now.
Coach K was a little more tactful in how he handled it. Coach k knew how to turn it on and turn it off when he needed to in certain situations. He wanted the BacT to that New York Post. Coach K would have been like, hey, what's your name?
Son?
All right, what do you got to say? Like that sort of thing, you know. So even though he was a dog too.
And yeah, dude he was and behind the scenes, man, yeah you didn't mess with coach k Man.
I mean had that army thing going.
It was tough dudes, like you forget about how it was, but they were tough dudes, like they no nonsense.
And the best is I did a story on it was before Duke North.
Carolina and I sleep outside the remember that the Krzyzewsky.
Ville absolutely all right.
So what happened was before the Carolina game, they would all sleep out in tents for the game because it was it was a first in line you go into Cameron. So I thought it would be a fun story if I slept out for a week. It was like like three days, four days, uh, leading up to the game. And I found this group of kids. I bought them pizza maybe some beers, and I stayed and I stayed with them. I had a hotel to Marriotte down the street, but I I stayed with her.
I won't just went back to the hotel. The shower piece.
Yeah, it was a fun story and then and then so then also that Friday, I had an exclusive sit down with with with Coach K. So he walks in the room and you know, I'm already I got my hour sit down. We had an hour blocked off, and ten minutes into the interview, he just catch up and leaves.
Wow, prompted no excuse me, no nothing.
Nothing, no, Like I'm and I'm just kind of sitting there like where's my man at?
Like where are you doing? Where'd you go?
So I'm sitting there for like two minutes, and then Johnny Dawkins, his assistant coach, walks in the room and he went, yes, I'm want to finish the interview for coach K. I wait and I knew Johnny from the NBA, Yeah, with some NBA stuff, And I went coaching, What's what's up? Where's coach K? You know he's busy. You know, I'll do whatever you need. I'll got the rest of the interview. I was like, look at this guy, My god, but he was And then he was so nuts that Duke used to have a pep rally for the students. So when I was sleeping out with the kids, I went in and I was young then it's like late nineties, so I could pass for a student. I went in there and with the crazies, don't you know, Coach K spotted me and had me kicked out through.
Media loud.
Yeah. I see him point, and I'm like, there's no way this guy's I was up like the second, like up towards the top of Cameron and he points up.
Yeah.
I mean it's the studid body pep rally, you know, not allowed, you know me, no media. But I found here with all the kids, you know, it was it was nuts. I see him point. Next thing, you know, security comes up, Sorry, no media, not a loud. I was like, wow, good eye.
These guys were so protective of their programs and they're into a certain degree. I understand, I get it, but it becomes a maniacal af to a certain degree.
I'll give coach K credit for one.
Thing, the fact that he was able to adapt and stick as long as he did, even in the changing landscape of college basketball when nil was I mean in al is probably what ended up, you.
Know, kind of pushing them out.
Uh, but the one and done he kind of survived through all of that, ended up winning a national championship. You know, credit to him to sort of, at least to a certain point, start to evolve with the way the sport was going. Bobby Knight, there's no way in hell he would have lasted at all, dude, cost of all, just personality wise, and then the all of the kids getting to sort of shine that they've gotten over the last twenty years in the sport.
There's no way in hell Bobby Knight would have gone with that.
Dudes, right, and and you know there will they're little fife them day.
There's no way, you're so right, Like, I don't know how they would be.
And then Bobby Knight to with today's climate of kids and and sensitivity entitlement, Oh my god. And you know, let's face it, they're like we've become softer in society, right, yes, And and I remember going, oh my god, like and coaches were like that. I mean you've coaches, dude, high school coaches. I remember my coaches yanking you your helmet, your shirt, pushing you.
Grabbing your shoulder pads and shaking a little bit.
Yeah yeah, I mean, I mean honestly, it was like, you know, and it was nothing like you just whatever it is what it was.
I mean, but he punched kids like.
You can't grab a kid by the throat, and that was the obviously Yeah, I meantime right, you.
Were like, nah, like that, enough's enough, dude, Now you can't do that.
Yeah, I mean there's a level of respect for authority that you have in respect to a certain degree is earned, it not given really in all levels. And look, I think and look, I'll say this, I'm a millennial. It's a little bit different nowadays. We're just kind of raised differently. We have a different mentality. We're the generation of why so you know, back then, even when I was coming up as a kid, it was, look, an authority figure tells you to do something, you do it and you don't ask any questions. And now it's evolved to like, all right, sure, I'll do it if it makes sense, or why do you want me to do that? Tell me why, and if it makes sense, I'll do it. You know, it's just a different mentality nowadays.
Do you're right?
Because I was gen X right, so I'm correcting right after you and right before you, and we just did what we were told. We were small jet like our generation wasn't you know, you had the Boomers, and then you had the gen X, and then the millennials, and the gen X is the smallest. Yeah, and we basically just did what we were told, right, fell in line. Yeah, yeah, Yeah, that's nuts. That's funny, funny, rabbit hole that we just went down to college basketball.
I love it. I do too.
I enjoyed the last couple of days of the conference tormance a lot.
I think it's back.
I want to get your opinion on that, and then, to be honest with you, it's the saving grace of a great sport because the NBA, Dude, I don't even recognize box scores anymore. Yeah, it's it's it's it's outrageous. Actually, I got to ask you about it. All the NFL lots of stuff. Cooper Cup to the Seahawks, we got a lot to discuss. We'll go through each of the teams and what they did. Where the fellas were just getting started right here on Fox Sports Radio.
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Out here, it feels like I don't know about you, but i've I think college basketball is back.
I've been loving it.
Yeah, it's certainly been exciting with the conference championship. And look, we talked about this when it comes to college football, how like the conference title games kind of have lost meeting now that the playoff has expanded.
But we have the field as wide as it.
Is for sixty eight teams, and unfortunately, I think probably going to expand to more in the coming years. The conference tournaments still have a lot of meaning for a lot of these teams that are still playing, whether for seedings or whether just to make it in in general, and there's been some really I think really it there's just been really incredible finishes over these last couple of days that's really made it exciting. It'll still be better if and when we get get to a point in time where kids actually go to college and stay for longer than five minutes. You know, that's still something that needs to be worked through. But yeah, this particular season so far in postseason here in the conference tournament's schedule has been really really great.
Well, and you're right, like my hope is in NIL meets you'll stay.
Yeah, like between you know, between NIL and I think the NBA eventually is going to go back to allowing high school kids to declare should they want to.
I think that would really open things up.
You get NIL deals for kids who actually want to go to college, who can make money in college, and they'll stay and they won't be They're not going to go to the to the NCAA for one year and then jump jump ship to the NBA because they can do that coming out of high school at a certain point. I think that's only that's what's going to make the college basketball product even healthier, because you can't even learn to love or hate anybody because one guys aren't staying at schools long enough when it comes to just staying for a year, two years, three years, or they're just transferring out every other year too. So that's what makes it even more difficult. Not only can you not learn to love a player at a certain university, now you have to actually follow that player from two, three, four schools before he ends up hanging it up if he does stay for longer than a couple of years.
You know, you know, it's not you know, and you're right.
It's funny because they look at it and I'm thinking, if you Cooper Flag would stay.
And now I know it's you know, Pipe Traine.
You know, I get it, But jeez, if the kid would stay, what I mean, the hype around it like it would just grow and grow, Like do you imagine if he spent three years in college, Yeah, like three years of duke, what he would be like in two years as a college player. If you just did the junior year again, like, you got to stay to your junior year, won't you.
I just think it would be so much better.
Oh my god, still get compensated, You're still you know insured, right right?
You know?
Well, one thing that I think you would have working in your favor in college basketball more so than any other sport, you can kind of dictate where you go, like whoever gets the first pick in the NBA draft. If it's a terrible franchise or somewhere that you don't want to go, you can say, well, I'm at a blue blood program.
Who knows how far Duke's gonna go.
A lot of that's going to depend on how healthy Cooper Flag is with that ankle. But say they make a deep run into the tournament and a team that he doesn't want to go to as the first overall pick in the drafts he says, well, you know what, I'm gonna make nil money, probably even more so going into my sophomore season.
Maybe I will stay for another year having to chase the money.
And this is the point I think you were kind of alluding to a second ago. You don't need to chase the money to go to the NBA anymore. Especially when you're somebody of that status.
Right, like if you're Cooper Flag, anybody cow Loog's right, Nike, whoever it's gonna should sign you to, you know, fifty.
Million dollar deal.
Right And then, by the way, to minute, one of these big brands comes in with all the money in the world. Why do you got to go to the NBA. You're bigger and better than everybody in college. Just double down the NBA. If that money's irrelevant, you're already set up for generational wealth.
Yeah.
I imagine if you could have gotten the what was what was Lebron James? Was it ninety million dollars shoe deal that he signed before he even got drafted by the Cavaliers.
Kiraki, Yeah, I.
Mean imagine that's life changing money right there, as a sixteen seventeen year old before you have a lace up a sneaker in the NBA or.
In college you put you in't that sort of money? Why not?
Why wouldn't you take advantage of the college experience at that point in time?
And by and by the way, you know, I love college I love college sports, and there's an energy you know that that youth full energy is legit what stay there. It beat a big man, beat bm oct Yeah, enjoy it because that's an enjoyable boy.
The miny.
You get to the league, it's it's and even though it's paid for play right, it is what it is. But you get to the league and it's just different. It's a different vibe. I mean, it's ting these years like be dominant.
Yeah, well, I mean, you know, there's the social element of it of being around your peers and your your friends and you know, other college kids. Is different than when you're you know, eighteen years old, first pick in the draft, and now you're around a bunch of twenty nine thirty one year olds, who, by the way, resent you for getting all this hype, and a lot of these guys are just scrapping and clawing, just kind of stay in the NBA, you know, and you look, you covered the league, so you know the dynamics of how this works. A lot of times the guys who are that young or isolated, or because the vets don't want anything to do with them because they think they're there to usurp their jobs and they're they're immature, they don't know how to handle themselves, you know. In a professional environment. This is why a lot of guys, young guys who are top picks flame out early. Then once they become veterans, they end up turning a corner and become productive players. You see it all the time. Look at a guy like Andrew Wiggins, who had all the hype in the world coming out of Kansas. I mean, he was thought of as a bust early on turns around now he's one of the better role players in the NBA. But the NBA is literate with the guys like that. Lest we mentioned guys who just flame out completely and just couldn't handle.
Any of it.
You know, it's a really hard ask for someone to come in with that much hype, to have all the money in the world thrown at their lap for the first time in their lives that young in a professional environment around a bunch of adults to be able to adapt well. Now, if you're in a college environment, you can get some legit money in your pocket and to your point, you can be the big man on campus. You can be around you know, eighteen nineteen twenty year olds, your peers. I just think this guy's the limit. I really think that's that's the way that this thing should go. I think more and more guys with the nil should really consider staying in college if they can.
Yeah, my man southside Chuck brings up Juju Watkins, who signed a big deal with Fanatics right now.
That's a unique situation with the women because they don't make any money in the WNBA, right, so.
But it should still filter to the men like I should still be that way. Right And by the way, speaking of my main, Chuck, best of luck to those people in Kentucky and all down south Missouri, Mississippi and Georgia. Big storms going, heavy winds, tornado type winds. In fact, my main Chuck, he just lost power. Yeah, so be careful, Danzer. It feels early for those storms. Jeez, that's crazy.
We had a mini tornado, uh, not too not too far from us out here in.
L A a few days.
Serious, I'm dead serious.
After being told for years and years, can't happen, the weather, it doesn't allow itself to happen out here.
Well, where did it hit?
I'm trying to remember.
I think it was Pico Rivera, which is an area out here in Los Angeles, and it wasn't anything large, but weather experts definitely says that this qualifies as a as a.
As a tornado.
Geez, not only gonna deal with the threat of earthquakes, now you got tornadoes right, mudslides, God, you got it all. I thought the same thing that we were in my area. I live in South Jersey, right outside Philadelphia, and I thought we were immune to tornadoes, right because I've lived in the Midwest and I'll never forget a tornado coming downtown Chicago. The Loop blew out windows in the Sears Tower and Anton building. It was crazy. But we got one a few years ago, one right in my town. Oh, scary as all get out, and uh it caused major damage, maje the houses FEMA to come here, destroyed probably about you know, two dozen houses.
Well, it's especially you know, scary when you know you're dealing with something that you never thought that you would ever have to deal with.
One that's not something that you prepare for. We were in a basement, yeah, getting and you know you're in a base kids were they I mean it's a few years ago, so the kids were a little smaller.
They were nervous.
Yeah, Like basements, like fallout shelters, those are not even a thing out here, because it's not something that you consider when talking about your tornadoes or whatever. You don't think about that when you're living in you know, Wittier or somewhere.
In Los Angeles. It's not something that that crosses your mind.
No, no, not at all.
Anyway, Our thoughts and prayers with you guys down south as sure as always. All right, let's say quick too will come back, and let's juxtapose the basketball, right, the basketball. There's something entertaining about Collins basketball right like that lends itself to these dramatic runs that has these the energy like I'm watching Duke Carolina last night and you see the look that stands and everybody's living and dying on a bucket like that is.
Powerful.
And you don't get that in the NBA right now. I mean the playoffs. You'll get it to some degree at least in the in the final four, the conference finals, in the championship game, but you don't get that, Oh my god, the faces and biting your fingernails like that just doesn't happen in the NBA.
No.
Well, there's a level of urgency, especially when you get to this sort of this time of year for college basketball because it's obviously every game is a game seven.
It's a one and done.
So you know, now the NBA would never do this, but I imagine if if you had a one and done situation tournament like situation in the NBA, I think the vibe would be just a little bit different.
But it's also there's a point of pride.
It's different than you know, being a fan of a professional sports franchise buying ticket, supporting the team, and then actually being a student or an alumni.
Of a school that you went to. Just the feeling is just different.
Yeah, yeah, well we'll talk about it because you know, I don't understand that piece of it.
When I don't.
Get the rosters and what these guys are doing, it's it's just killing the product. Fella is hanging out right here. Fox Sports Radio. Welcome back, fellas Kevin figures in for Jason fits.
Hey.
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Pree loves you Figgy.
Oh that's my girl, absolutely yeah, yeah, hey, yeah, she loves everybody's love fits of course the whole thing, but she loves some Figgy man. It's it's great, she said. We were just talking over a break. Yeah, and uh and Muddy Marco's man. Brie so happy this morning to show from the ceiling.
Levitating Humbrey a little bit, a little bit, just a little bit where come down?
Please come down?
You got a type come down place.
Well, because you know, I worked on fn A like that's the you know, Kevin's podcast for like seven years.
Yeah, she was.
She was a helped intern on the show that I worked on at our local affiliate in five seventy LA Sports some years ago.
How long ago was that, Brie? It was years ago, nine years ago.
So yeah, so Bre, he's been a supporter of mine for a long period of time. So uh love all the love and respect for for brief for sure.
So I'm also your son's agent as well.
Yeah, she's on a mission to try to get my son to be like the next Gerber baby.
Or something there, and that's her, that's her project at the moment.
Dude, that's great, that's fantastic. That's awesome.
Any any new leads there, Breeze, by the way, on that front.
You know, I'm talking to Northstrom. Okay, I did that right now, And I'm also talking to there's a fans like baby that I'm also looking at. So I feel like he looked really cute. It's like some Raiders gear and Dodgers gear idea. Yeah, so those are my two things that I'm really aiming for at this time.
Okay, I like it.
Thank you.
You got to hope, dear buddy, absolutely hope. Yeah. How's the baby? He's great, he's great.
He uh just started crawling a couple of weeks ago, pulling himself up.
Probably gonna be taking some steps here with them the next month.
So and you know how that goes.
You know, it's all great when they're sitting up and but now once they actually start moving and start grabbing things and playing with everything that's not a toy, you know, that's when the interesting part starts. But it's all fun. Man, it's been it's been incredible. It's been a great experience. Dude, it only gets better from here. Yeah, you know, pretty soon I'll be uh, I'll be coaching them in a little league sports and winning championships and going to All Star games.
You don't know anything about that, do you win? Yeah? I had the greatest time.
So I you you followed my uh during my uh little run, my March run exactly with the kids. We played in the championship team Christ the King. They were they blew us up by twenty during the regular season. They were undefeated going into the championship game and we beat them and uh the kids went not So it was awesome, like and so this week I said, listen during during our run, I never forgot what the oh yeah, practice Like I called practice the day before the championship game the night before and I'm like, well, yo, guys, you win, I'm gonna put you on TV. We were all of you were going to come on my show and then we're gonna go get pizza after. So we we wound up there. So we won, and uh we went up this Thursday, all the all the parents came to my studio.
We did this.
They came on the show one by one. So in our setup, in our studio. It's like TMZ side, so it's like a bright newsroom. And I had them all on the councils in front of me. It's like a Pat mcaveee setup. So I had them in front of me and then I introduced him. My coach gave him each a question and then uh it was. They had a blast and then uh and then we went to uh Celebreeze in South Philly and I had had pizza and they went they and they got all from school. I contacted the principal and told the principal I was doing it, and sister Michelle and uh and it was a blast like it was. It was a lot of fun. The one three one man, if you got to one three one work and remember this figure mm hmm when you're coaching sixth great hoops JV hoops six Uh, the one three one defense creates havoc.
Okay, I put my the greatest.
I didn't even know this because I because a couple of parents are telling me yesterday or Thursday about some of the chatter and his stands. So I have my little guy, my point guard AJ. I have him in the back of the one three one. Okay, interesting because I can. I get he's so fast. I get him going baseline the baseline to take away the shots. And then I had my son Masimo, who's really long, he's probably the longest. I had him up top because he's like the really athletic. So I had him up top bothering the shooters and you know we drop, you know when the balls on the other side of the floor, we rebound. I said, listen, we got all how bad we got, we got a board. We're gonna win this game defensive rebounding, and I said, we want smart.
Look at that, the one three one throwing the kids out there in the zone.
I love it. Yeah, Jim behines got nothing on you. We couldn't. We couldn't stay with them.
I tried a I try to man, yeah, and we just couldn't stay with them. There was they have two kids and one kid really good. Yeah, and we couldn't stay with them. I try to match up, and they just moved the ball too well. So the one three one.
Was the ticket making the endgame adjustments. I love that.
Bought on the film study all that for the sixth grade kids coming back after losing by twenty I love it.
An some NBA coaches can learn something from you.
Yeah, right now you're gonna this is what you get. You get now it's baseball. Yeah, right now we got baseball. Wet I got a game today. We have All Star game in the morning and then baseball in the afternoon. Where the fell is, Big hour coming up.
The Fox Sports Radio Rado.
Well, good morning, good morning, the morning wing.
Fellas Kevin figures, Anthony Gargana fits he's off today and we come you alive from the tire rack dot Com studios. Tire rack dot com will help you get there an unmatched election, fast free shipping, free road ads or protection. Over ten thousand recommended installers. Tire rack dot com The way tire buying should be. First hour, a lot of basketball. We're going to get into the NFL coming up shortly, but do you want to continue to basketball for a little bit up set.
Up today's action.
This is always a fun time, right you have the winding down on the conference championships and then the selection someday is tomorrow.
Brackets upon us.
This week always a blast man, always so much fun. This tournament, it really is a lot of special It's it's so much fun. So we'll get into the NFL coming up in the kind of all the free agency. But let me ask you, because a lot of it's making the rounds, everybody's talking about it.
It's the purpose of the conference championship.
Now you earlier, we're talking about your millennial generation, which is you ask why all the time?
Right?
Absolutely, And the question of why is a pot us when it comes to the conference tournaments. Why if you're a team like a duke, or why if you're a team like that has age, that has locked in for the tournament? Do you even player starters or tax your starters? And all of a sudden, there's a load management question in college basketball for the conference tournament, right, And I, you know, mostly get it. I get why you would ask the question why. I do think being a one seed is a big deal. I think you get advantages if you're a one seed. Uh But you know, I get it if you're if you're a two, three four, especially a three four five, you know you kind of locked in as it is. You know you're gonna you're gonna play. So I kind of get that. But boy man, I don't want the conference championships a week to go away.
Well, selfishly, I just love being able to, especially on the West Coast, be up at like you know, nine forty five, ten in the morning and there's basketball going on left and right.
So it's the best, you know. That's so I love day ball. It's a pre court cursor to what we're gonna experience.
Yeah, what we're gonna experience, uh this coming week with the start of the SCAA Tournament on Thursday and Friday, where there's games literally from morning all the way until the night.
Uh.
I think I agree. I think one even with two seeds, if you're a one or a two seed, I think it gives you a ginormous leg up over everybody else in the tournament, and there's a select few usually. I feel like by this time we kind of know who the top one seeds are are. And as of now, I mean, Auburn and really Duke, regardless of what happens to them, are probably fine. Florida probably is too. I think you're probably figuring out the last one seed. Ye how that's gonna work itself out, depending what Alabama does, what Houston does today in the Big twelve championship game, might figure that self. That's itself out so I don't necessarily disagree with the notion that if you're a team that's on the one or two seed situation, does it really matter if you play your starters or not. Probably not. But the conference tournament as a whole mean a lot for a lot of schools. Again, it really factors into determining who actually makes it to the NCAA tournament. You look at teams, you know, like a Texas, you know who is on the cut lineer you know Indiana who needed to win a couple of games, and now a lot of people think that they're probably squarely in, you know. So I think getting a couple of wins in the conference tournament for a team that's on the bubble means everything. If you're a team at the very top, if you're Duke, you know you can afford to not have Cooper flag even if you lose last night. There's even something to be said for Anthony, even if you almost would prefer to lose.
So I don't have to.
Worry about putting more wear and tear on my guy's bodies. I'm not saying you go out there and not try to win.
The players would never do that.
Well, it's the point right tired legs? Like right, you know, you play four in a row, you're gonna get t tired legs.
Yeah, And if you are duke, you know, to your point, what do you have to prove? Like, who gives a rip? You know, if you win the the ACC championship game, you've already won the regular season.
You're already going to be a one seed. You really have nothing left to gain.
Other than you know, selfish people like us who just want to see, you know, a good matchup between them and Louisville.
But other than that, it does nothing for them personally.
So quite honestly, if I were them, if I were shyer, I'd probably try to sit some of my guys too, or at least manage their minutes and not try to go, you know, balls to the wall to try to win the game because it doesn't do anything for me.
Yeah, I say, I hate that mentality. I just hate it. Yeah, I hate it. I hate it, and it's which ruined the NBA. It's ruined it. I'm sorry. This idea that aimes don't matter it is the worst thing for sports. If you devalue your product that much, then people will take a queue and they won't value it at all.
I agree, I will say, And there's a situation in the NBA. This happened with Oklahoma City last week, I believe, where they pretty much sat everybody. They still won by the way they want to appoint them and beat them, and they that good. Their top seven rotation guys they didn't even play, and I think the NBA is investigating them for it. And at a certain point in time, when you're down to the last three weeks, four weeks, whatever it is of the regular season, and you've given yourself such a ginormous cushion, I don't necessarily mind on a if you're playing, you know, four games and five nights, which I guess is really not a thing anymore in the NBA now that they've spread out the schedule a little bit.
There's a little bit of attrition.
Guys are a little banged up, and it's a second night of a back to back, and you have an eight game lead over the second place team in the conference. I don't necessarily mind maybe giving guys a night of rest. It makes sense to me to do that, but just to do it on the reg as part of routine, well, it's the second out of a back to back, so we're just gonna sit guys to rest their legs. I have an issue with that, But I get to a point with a team like Ohkohama City where I say, you know what, I think you've earned the right to play a trash team on a random Wednesday night and guys are a little nicked up, give them the second nind of a back to back off. If you do that in a situation like that, I don't mind it as much if you pick your spots as opposed to.
Just making get a routine a habit.
Yeah, and I get it, because how is it any different?
I would say the last game of the regular season when Kansas City played Denver, Yeah, and Kansas City had nothing to play for and they sat everybody.
Yeah you know, Yeah, No, I get it. The problem is they do it on the rag, right, and that's that kills your product. It just does. It's awful. It just kills your product, man.
Yeah, even if it's perception.
Because I think this year there's been a lot less guys sitting for quote unquote load management purposes. There're be guys who've missed time due to injury, but for just giving guys a night off for the sake of giving them a night off, I think has not happened as much this year.
And I think that the NBA rule changes have effected that.
The fact that you have a minimum number of games you have to play to be an All Star, to be selected All NBA, and all those things get tied into your contract incentives whether you make an All NBA roster or all that. So I do think that's helped a little bit when it comes to resting guys strictly for load management purposes. The problem with the NBA is just part of the stigma. It was such a it was so prevalent for about a five or six year stretch. If you are a casual you just automatically assume, well, I don't know who's going to play on a night in a night out basis because this is what the culture of the NBA is. That's a stigma that's going to be hard for the NBA to turn around. It's going to take more than one season of that happening for that to happen.
Yeah, but let me answer you a question, because maybe it's just me, because I'm like uber sensitive to the rosters.
Every night.
Yeah, the lineups, but it feels like like it's never been this bad in a February from February for the teams that are tanking, Like so.
Can I can I give you? Uh? I hate my team. I I was gonna say, like, I hate my team. I hate them all right, I.
Was like literally they they it's it's based out of love, yeah, but I hate them all right, Nick Nurse and I get like, this is what it is, right and you're you have a top six protect and it's the right thing to do. But just the way they go about it's disgusting to me. They and I agree with it, but I just can't stomach them. They just they're sitting out load management for Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubray, Are you kidding me? Last night they started, Yeah, I selly. Now tell me if you know an these players? All right, A den Bona.
Only because he played at U c l A.
I know who A den Bona is, right, Jared Butler, Uh No, Jeff Downton Junior?
Who Ricky Council.
The fourth is see Greg Counsel's son Alex Reese.
No. Oh, Shay Brissett can't say that.
I do and how about that, what's his first name is, dude, I've never even heard of him.
I know, yeah, Jalen Yes, who was a bust of a draft pick for the Lakers, was a first round pick who couldn't even make it on the major roster, was in the G League and didn't play that great down there either, and I think they gave him away in a trade.
That's where the trade last night.
It's pretty embarrassing, like that was.
The that was their game, and they charge money. That was a home game, and they charge.
Money even the process. Seventy six ers had better rosters than this.
They eat much better, like like, I mean, that's that's outrageous to me that you can just treat your consumers that way.
Now, what if they did this and they didn't, they probably wouldn't, but they should. They say, you know what, all of our tickets are gonna be heavily discounted for the remainder of the year, and we're gonna give.
Away the upper rafter the Chiefs.
We're gonna give them to the boys and girls clubs for the last you know, eight home games or something, and just treat it that way. I think if you're gonna tank and purposefully not try to win games. Then the way to pay it forward to the fan is like we're putting a bunch of crap out there on the floor, but at least the crap is gonna be free or highly discounted.
You know.
It's just so it's something to do on a Tuesday night because you know you're not gonna expect.
A victory, right, I mean it's awful. That'd be a way to get yourself a lot of good will for your family the other night.
Now you want to talk about weird, like, I get your playing Golden State and you go with a smaller line and you don't want to go with a big lineup at times.
Yeah, but give me a break.
Valanchotis played thirty seconds in the second half. Yeah, I mean yeah, I mean it's that's ridiculous. And it's all these teas other than Boston. Do okay, see what you're referenced, right, the Lakers, the Nuggets, the Knicks, Cleveland, Cleveland. Yeah, I was good about to come East. Yeah, I don't even know if that's if that's it, there's anybody else in the East, No, not really, I mean basically that's your everybody else it's a joke. Yeah, like all they do and the players that play like what like with the Jazz, are you kidding me? Well, I mean we know about to find like with marketing, like what well that Tesler plays? Does he play what once a week?
Seems like it?
But that for rebounds he's and then he's out.
Right when you're incentivized to lose, so you can get a high draft pick, which is you know, and Anthony always talked about your plan for college football. I've had the last couple of years as planned for for the NBA to try to find a way to disincentivize teams that know they aren't making the playoffs from tanking.
And I think of like what if.
You have we talk about relegation, what if you had something in the NBA where the teams who didn't make the postseason actually had to compete for the first pick in the draft as opposed to just being given the.
So the teams that don't.
Make the playoffs have their own playoff and whoever wins, and for the players who are currently on the roster to get incentivized, they get money. I guess you can try to try to set it up like you do the nd season tournament where you set up in the championship game. The players get compensated with however much money you want to get, but the franchise that actually wins actually gets the first pick in the draft.
Yeah. I think that's great. I love that idea.
Just so teams have staken the game.
So it's not just let's be as bad as we possibly can for the last third of the season with literally nothing to play for and try to see if we can chase a draft pick, because that does nothing for anybody.
And there's also no guarantee you're gonna get the first pick in the draft.
It can be all for not flag and you know you're right. I love that idea.
Yeah, so maybe what it is, and this probably would be I don't know if the teams would ever sign up for it. If you're the team with the absolute worst record. How about this, If you're the team with the absolute worst record in the league, you don't even have a chance to get.
The first pick in the draft. You're automatically eliminated from the tournament.
If you're a team that has if you just missed the postseason, then you get a first round playoff series it's a best of three, whatever you want to do it.
I don't know.
I'm just kind of spitballing here.
And you get a home court advantage for a chance to compete for the first for the first overall pick. So even though you're eliminated from the playoffs, she still incentivizes you to try to win as many regular season games as you can to give yourself the best opportunity to compete for the first pick, or to get the most ping pong balls, however you want to describe it. But I think that at the very least, gives bad teams something to play for, and it look it gives fans something to look.
Forward to too.
So if you're a team of San Antonio or Portland or Charlotte or whoever, the games will still matter for you because you're playing for positions. You try to get yourself in a better spot to get a top pick, so everybody wins in a situation like that. That's something that I hope the NBA tries to adopt, not trying to shorten quarters by two minutes and doing all this other stuff.
Adam Silver is the worst, just a horrible commissioner. Horrible commissioner, I mean to talk about the full of the empire. Yeah, oh my god, crumbling into the ocean.
Well, it's the problem is I think he kind of swayed way too far. Like I mean, David Stern was so pro ownership, and I don't want to say if he was anti player, but he certainly kind of had.
He He ruled with.
An iron fist and had very low tolerance when it came to players, and Adam Silver was the has been the exact opposite, very player empowerment, which has been good in some senses. But I think he maybe was a little bit too extreme on the other side and being a little too lenient and allowing the NBA culture to turn into what it has turned into.
Let me ask you a question, because this is interesting to me. What's good about player empowerment for the fan now?
For the fan, yeah, probably not a lot.
Because the problem is fan loyalty.
I think that the culture is shifted a little bit too, I think, and this is probably the generation beneath me. Loyalty really goes to players, individual players, more than it does to teams en franchises. With the younger generation now, like I grew up as a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers. What didn't matter to me who the players were. What I prefer that, you know, Maggie Johnson stayed for his OH career, sure, or Kobe State for his OH career, or Shaq would have stayed for his career. Absolutely, But ultimately, once they move on, my loyalty is to the Purple and goal, not to the individual player. And at some point in time, whether it's Lebron, whether it's the guy who the guys who are leaving teams and all of that and moving around, player empowerment has changed that dynamic for the fans. For the younger generation, maybe that's what it is.
But are they like listen, Lebron has his fans, and he should have his fans. But I figure you can hold two of those thoughts, those contradictory thoughts, which is I love this player and they also love my team, right like I think true? I see that with you know, I guess the kids now there's that all the generation right between these current children and your generation. And I don't know if that's I don't know how they do it. I just don't. I don't know what good player im powmer does period. Like I mean other than unless you're a player, right like, then you could go then you could be Jimmy Butler and hold your breath until they trade you where you want to go.
Right, I mean there's an element of and you can argue whether it's the responsibility of the player or not to sort of hold franchises accountable for I'll use Miles Garrett as as an example, and he probably not isn't a good one because he said, I don't want to be here because you guys aren't winning, And as soon as they made in the highest paid player in the NFL is like, you know what, I want to stay.
Yeah, doesn't make sense.
But if you're a great player and you're in a situation and you say, look, you guys aren't winning, it doesn't seem like you're committed to winning. I don't want to be here anymore. I want to be in a go somewhere where have opportunity to win championships. You know, It's I think that's more of the mentality of a lot of people of the current generation.
Now.
It's like it's maybe it comes off as self for Anthony, I don't know. You tell me, I want to do what's best for me in my career.
Yes, I want to win, but if I don't see the situation improving where I am, I'm just going to stick it out because I just happen to be here and I'm happy to be here, and you guys are signing my paychecks. Like, that's not my goal, that's not the reason why I decided to have to become a professional in play. So, yes, I have a contract that I'd like to honor, but at the same time, I feel like I hold it to have a personal responsibility to try to put myself in the best situation to win, So I'd rather take my talents elsewhere.
Yeah, I get it.
I think that's why you have free agency, and like, look at how Lebron is manipulated free agency and contracts and yeah, you know, I mean, you know, he did it.
You said what you want, but he did it the right way. You didn't hold his breath. It was smart. I traded. Yeah, it was smart.
But there's also an element that doesn't sit well with me that you're just kind of roarding over a franchise and signing one plus one with opt out deals and kind of holding their fing.
Like I feel you and I believe me, I'm sensitive to that.
I think it's up to the league to hold teams accountable, Like the league should be heavy handed with the teams to be a cauntable listen, not in the Cleveland State and the Browns. It's not the Browns didn't do anything wrong other than they made a colossal mistake by signing Deshaun Watson. They invested in the wrong person. I mean, and like, I mean, that's just the sin of you know, I just picked the wrong guy. I mean, I can't like they didn't do anything nefarious, right.
Yeah, they didn't do anything wrong, if anything, Yet they just they hitch their wagon to the wrong person. That's literally their only mistake and they're not the first franchise to ever do that. I wouldn't question over these last five six years that the Browns have an issue with commitment of winning. Their decision making obviously is backfired. So that's the part of it with the Miles garrettin that didn't That didn't make a lot of sense to me. It's like you're saying you don't want to be here because they don't have a commitment to winning.
It's like, well, they're committed.
Is just not working. They just didn't make the right decisions. Now, if you want to say you guys don't know what you're doing, I don't want to be here. I guess that's an argument that you could try to make. Yah, but it wasn't for lack of trying. There are plenty of franchises and prefer professional sports who just don't even try, right, And if you have an issue with that, then I'm all for it.
I get it.
Yeah, yeah, and then and then and then mind you, I think your words are more powerful by you know, trashing a franchise like you're the star. You go like I I'm here with this, with this right or whatever you want to do, but you stay ship. That's why. But teams should still be should still have a hammer. I'm sorry. I don't think it does the league any good health wise. This whole idea that the players run the league, all right, Well, look out, it's worked out. I mean, you know, I have you do you meet anybody that goes I love the NBA?
Oh?
Few.
I have friends who still love the NBA and had the NBA still their favorite sport.
But I'm not saying the sport like we love basketball and we still watch basketball. But do they compare the NBA net right now to the NBA I don't know seven years ago.
Yeah no, because the player loyalty isn't isn't there the fan loyalty. It's hard to be loyal to a franchise to you don't know exactly what's going to happen on a year in, year out basis who's going to be there. We talk more about the NBA about who's getting traded in the offseason than we do about who's playing right now.
Right and and that's my only point, Like I listen, I love it. I still I'm an NBA I'll always watch it. I'm groused about it, but I'll always watch it. All Right, we gotta take a quick t o let's set up today's action. Coming up next, we'll take a look at that kind of college basketball. Then on the football, fellas right here on Fox Sports Radio.
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Here's what we got coming up in the SEC.
The one semi final Auburn Tennessee, which is a great game.
Alburn is a four and a half point favorite.
Tennessee coming off of yesterday which was impressive win over Texas and Auburn obviously playing some great ball.
They eke one out over Ole Miss yesterday.
Alburn's had some close calls recently, which is good. Actually, you know, they've.
Really all season rolling. Yeah, even as great as they are, what.
Are they twenty eight, twenty nine and four of after double jour Yes so, But I mean of those twenty eight, I mean there's a handful of those games that were kind of nipping tuck down the stretch, which is rare to see for a team that's seen like it was kind of dominant and running away with things early in the season. But I feel like that's actually a good thing for them because they're battle tested. Even Tennessee they beat them earlier this year, but that was a two point game, I believe, a low scoring game, which kind of plays into Tennessee's hands. So Auburn doesn't even necessarily need to win this one. Look jan I Broom and especially now with the with the injury to Cooper Flag, and I know they're kind of one in one a when it comes to player of the year, I honestly believe it's probably gonna end up being Cooper Flag just because he's going to be Freshman of the year.
That's easy plays for the bigger brand.
I think a lot of people know him more than didn't even know Broom, despite the fact that Broom's been around for a few years.
But yeah, this is gonna be a really good one I'm looking for. That's probably one of the game I'm looking forward.
To the most because Tennessee doesn't necessarily need the victory, but they certainly can improve their seeding if they can get a win against allm Bird and the semi and potentially win the final on Sunday.
And it's weird, you're right, you all of a sudden, you're all burn You go, well, we have the once he locked up, right, you know, so who are we playing for? That's why there needs to be like some sort of incentive like in Stone, like, nah, you know, you guys still got a way to get there, you know, yeah, something like that. I just don't know how you go about doing it. You know that's hard. But see the other thirty wins. You know, it's like, well, you lost the game of your conference. I'm sorry, you're now a two S Like, I don't think I know you're right? Uh? In the other SEC, great one too, man, the final forty SEC is awesome. Yeah, Alabama and Florida. Florida is three and a half. I love this Florida team.
Same when I was on with you a couple of weeks ago, I said, I don't know understand. I think at the time Florida was ranked second in the country. I was just like there, for whatever reason, people are just not talking about the Gators.
And they've beaten everybody.
They already beat Alabama, you know, they beat They beat Auburn fairly convincingly about a month or so ago. Like, I don't know what else Florida needs to do is to sort of garner that sort of respect. Uh, And they have really good players at the top of the roster. Walker Clayton is a beast, so they have as just as good a shot as anybody of one of the national championship and match up well with anybody anybody else's roster in the tournament. So in Alabama has at their shortcomings defensively, they had a good showing last night and I do like them too, and they can score a lot of points. I just don't know if they have enough defense when it matters to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. But they're certainly exciting enough to watch, so this would be a good one too, but it would not surprise me. My expectation, honestly, is that Florida wins this one again.
Yeah, I do too.
I think I like Florida game like yesterday at Missouri, and Missouri played the tough yeah, and then all of a sudden you look up and wow, they're up, not twelve fifteen, they went by sixteen.
Like you know, they just come at you in waves. They're kind of like Duke like that.
Yeah, the blink, the blink of an eye and all of a sudden they're up by twenty. Yeah.
Yeah, it's the truth. But I agree with you, and you know, and you're right. I thought Alabat played well last like that. Kentucky team's a little.
Flawed for me. Yeah, they're banged up.
The fact that they're even where they are, just countries they've had this year is incredible.
Uh.
Then Big Ten, you got Michigan State and Wisconsin. Wisconsin's played some good ball, you know, I mean yesterday roll Ucla and then uh in Michigan State of course beats Oregon easily. Is a good game. Uh, Michigan State to three and a half point favorite.
Yeah, and Michigan State sort of an under the radar team. I think a lot of people just kind of underestimated the Big Ten in general because a lot of teams are really just kind of bunched up together. The cream of the cropper Michigan State and probably Maryland, who is another team. But I think a lot of people don't talk about a lot. But Michigan State as good as Wisconsin has been, and you know, they they as you mentioned, they beat UCLA, who's been scuttling themselves recently. I think Michigan State probably ends up taking this one.
Yeah, I do too. I like Michigan State in this game.
And then the other you mentioned Maryland Terps versus Michigan and Michigan routes Purdue last night. Michigan played really well man they shot the ball well.
Uh. Purdue just couldn't get anything going. And Maryland takes care of Illinois. They rolled the Illinois. That's a good game. I think. I like Maryland. I think Maryland is a bad matchup for Michigan.
I agree, and Michigan is just too a consistent for me. Like as big as Michigan's win over Purdue was, Purdue hasn't played well down the stretch of the season either, so they kind of scuddered a little bit towards the end of the regular season before they ended up being UCLA towards the end. I just don't know what I'm going to get from Michigan on a night in a night out basis, so I thoroughly trust me. I think Maryland is actually it seemed that could make a deep run in the tournament. It would not surprise me at all if they made it to the second weekend, made it to the Elite eight.
There I go. I'm with you.
I'm with you in the in the AAC the American Memphis against Tulane Memphis nine and a half over. Tulane to Tulane is a good story. And uh, you know, they took care of f AU, they beat UA B. They've had a nice little run coming in. I just don't think they could beat Memphis.
No. No, Memphis is too talented, too good.
Hagridy and Hunter are pretty unstoppable at the top of their line up, So I don't I don't see that see that happening.
Memphis is a team that that's scary, even a watch out for in the tournament.
Definitely scary. I think they had a better season than some people thought that they would.
To be honest, you know, the people thought five dude, I got impressive.
Yeah, people thought the shine was off of Penny because the last couple of years, you know, they had big recruiting classes and they never really worked themselves out. And all of a sudden, you look up and Memphis is is steamrolling everybody in the American You.
Got the Big Twelve. This is a great game. Big Twelve Final Houston and Arizona. I'm looking forward to that game. Yeah, Arizona, I'll be honest with you. I like Texas Tech last night, and Arizona controlled that game really.
From tip yeah, Texas Tech flaw is similar to Saint John's. If their defense just slips a little bit and they're having an off game, they're kind of screwed. They just can't they can't score. They don't have enough scoring. Now granted, you know, eight times out of ten their defense is gonna be on lock. But all it takes is one game. We talk about this being single elimination, So you just need one off night and then you juxaposed that with a team like Arizona. To talk about off nights, Caleb Love was on fire, yeah, and he'll have that, but he'll also have a night where he goes two for twenty. So that's been the story of Caleb Love throughout his entire career. So if Caleb is on and he has one of those hot stretches like he has recently, by the way, Arizona's been on a heater.
They've played well the last couple of months.
I don't know if from in a long run situation, if I trust Arizona because they kind of have to just ride the wave of Caleb Love and his shooting and whether he's hot or not.
But for you know, on a on a one one.
Night situation against a team like Houston who's really good, I could certainly see Arizona holding their own and potentially getting the win.
Yeah, I think you're right. I do. I think right. Although I like the way I mean, EUSt is playing really well. Yeah, yeah, Houston is dominant.
I mean they're playing some good ball. I mean they b Yu I like b Yu too.
Yeah, and they steamrolled them. B Yu haven't been as hot as anybody recently.
Ran them off the floor. They did, they did. But you know what, I think you're right.
I think Houston wins, but I think it's a close game, and it's seven and a half a lot of points.
It is.
Yeah, that's a lot that I would not take that seven. I would take that seven and a half all day. As far as on the Arizona side, the plus seven and a half.
For sure, Well it's the brain later on for sure.
All Right, let's take quick t L will continue going around championship weekend. Before we start the towenty Kevin figures kve Big figi'cauz game for the Guard Gant right here, Fox Sports Radio.
Fellas.
Welcome back from the ti rag dot com studios. Next hour, we go through the complicated quarterback situation in the league. Man, never has there been a musical chairs like this year, Figgie.
It's insane, right, I'm kind of loving it though.
Me too. It's fascinating stuff, fascinating.
Sto very NBA esque.
Yeah, the movie parts, yes, yes, all right, Uh, let's continue going through today's college Slate got a couple more games to cover. We covered Arizona and Houston in the Big twelve leads us two more finals tonight, Big East Saint John's. This is a great game, Johnny's and Creyton.
All right. Patino looking at to clinch which is his ultimate season.
Yes, heading into the tournament, his comeback story which is a great one, chronicled on a docu series.
Have you seen any of the series? I have not seen it.
I know about it, but I have not watched any of it.
It's very good. A friend of mine is friend of mine's production company. The workshop is to win it, putting it out there. Oh, so we just got another episode because of with the tournament, so he's got access.
It's fun.
I mean, it's good, it's interesting, and you know, Patino's great, like you know, he plays the role.
Oh of course, he does, yeah, the role of the villain. But it's incredible to kind of turn around he's had in such short order. And I do think there's a couple of things converging the Big East. This is not necessarily the strongest Big East that's been that you know, over the last decade. But nevertheless, to come into Saint John's, which has been fledgling you talk about, I don't know if they were ever quote unquote a blue blood, but they certainly they were a really good programming for a long stretch of time and had just fallen on hard times for the last what two decades really for to be honest, for him to have this a second yeah, with another car.
Second cardco Yeah, right, it's really.
Remarkable the kind of turnaround that they've had. So it's a great comeback story. Granted, the wounds for Coach cal or excuse me, not coach I mean Coach Kyle too and his own issues in the past, but for Rick Patino or self inflicted with the Louisville and all the stuff and how that stuff played out, But to come back and to do this this quickly is really remarkable and really just stamps home even more so how great of.
A college basketball coach that he is.
He really is.
That rays everywhere.
Yeah, he's a great coach.
Look, you know some of these coaches that you look because there's such big personalities, you don't realize how great of a coach they are.
Yeah, that's him. I'm I'm with you.
He's a he's a great coach. He really is.
Interesting game creating emotional.
Win last night against u khon yukon frantic comeback. Creighton's up at half and you know, all pretty big and UKN just kept coming and coming and coming and then finally succumb and it gets ugly at the end, Yeah, because of Jamia and Neil has this like monster dunk, like the game's over, but instead of just holding on to the ball, he goes in for a dunk and a showman type of dunk, and you know, UKND didn't appreciate it, just pushing and shoving. Coaches start barking at each other, and you know, I was a big mistake.
You don't, Yeah, that's it's unnecessary.
So I certainly understand.
I don't know if I necessarily can done, you know, yu Kon getting into him with it, but I certainly understand it.
The game is over.
Just have a little bit of a respect for the opponent at that point in time. Pull the ball back out, dribble out the clock.
It's not necessary to.
See mc To see Hurley McDermot go face to face was pretty entertaining. I'll say that, you know, Yeah, yeah, that was funny. The great head coach Dan Hurley. And if you don't believe them, just ask them. He'll tell you. But a down year for them, by the way, for their standards considering the last couple of seasons. But uh, great, like I said, a valley and effort by them, but a great season by Creighton for sure.
What's kind of flown under the radar to a certain degree as well.
Yeah, man, twenty four and nine, it's pretty impressive. Yeah, and listen when they their typical crate when they shoot the ball right, they shoot you out of gym. This is a tough game. I'm not sure who I like. Saint John's six and a half.
Well, yeah, we talked about seeing John's a little bit last segment where they're just you know, if they're if they're on defensively, you.
Know they can lock down the best of them.
But if they are, differ their defenses off just a little bit, it's gonna be tough sledding for them. So ultimately, I think they're a team that can make a really deep run because if they're in a close game, which most of them are. I do think that Kadari Richmond and r J. Lewis are guys that can actually make shots, and specifically specifically r J. Lewis, he's a guy that you can kind of give him the ball and he can really play some hero ball and make a shot when he needs to. So I like Saint John's here, and I actually think a Chine Johnson is a team that can make a deep run into the tournament. I let's talk to Brad about that later too.
Yeah, I think you're right. They play defense, they got some offensive that they're older. I'm with you.
They just can't shoot a lit because their problem right right?
And then you got the ACC final Duke against Louisville, and Duke is a.
Five and a hand point favorite.
It's one thing to go at North Carolina and you know they lose a blow big lead without Cooper flag.
Now play Louisville. Should now you step up in competition?
Yeah, Louisville is a really good who needed a miracle to beat Stanford of all teams earlier this week. So I think Louisville actually wins this game. I don't know how much Duke is really gonna be gung hole. They're going to be probably a little skittish about losing another player, So it would not surprise me if some of their best players had a minute restriction here.
I wouldn't risk it if I were.
Them, not this close to it. I feel you.
Even without you know, flag, I still think Louisville would. I mean, I could win it, all right, Fellas NFL.
Next, you're listening to.
Fox Sports Radio.
Good morning, Good morning, good morning.
Welcome Championship Saturday, Selection Sunday tomorrow, the whole fun of the conference tournaments continue, and then uh free agency a week old. Oh my God's wild ride. Let's talk some football, Fellas. Kevin figures my man figure. I'm Anthony Gargana. Because as we hang out on from the top Iraq dot Com Studios, tiraq dot com will help you get there an unmatched selection, fast free shopping, Free Road has a production over ten thousand recommended installers. Ti Iraq dot com the way tire and buying should be. I think big momentous week in the NFL with free agency. Let's talk quarterbacks, right, because there's a couple left yep and.
Boy man, Aaron Rodgers.
It's amazing how the swag that like this sway that he still has after just being you know, awful, right, Like you know, he looked frail with the Jets, the whole thing. Yet there's still that allure for Aaron Rodgers. I don't know how in the world that he's a fit with the Giants other than the fact that they don't have a quarterback.
Well, they're so bad.
I mean, like if you look at if you just look at it, and obviously it goes beyond the stats because if you look at Aaron Rodgers stats, what thirty eight hundred yards, twenty eight touch downs, eleven picts, You're like, all right, that's serviceable. You know a lot of quarterbacks would take that most years. But if you just look at the product on the field, and maybe it's just a product of being around just a bad team in a bad situation, I do think Aaron Rodgers is still talented. The problem is with the injury issues and the other issues, the off the field stuff, the interviews and the reality of the Netflix show and all that is his talent worth all of the other stuff at this point in his career, I really think is the big question that you have to ask, Now, if you're desperate, which I think the Giants are probably Yes, to be honest with you, was probably well worth it for a team.
Like them, except it just does you fit.
Like, here's the problem the Giants is that you've got a coach in GM who were given a stay of execution, and so there's an otus on them to win instead of being built built correctly, Like honestly, Aaron Rodgers doesn't mean they're they're not going to make the playoffs.
Yeah, they're not gonna win that division, compete to win that division.
You're only that best or third, right, and that's if you know things work out at the quarterback spot. They're a bad team. I mean not like some of their defensive moves. You know, they their old line still needs work. I mean, I don't know.
I mean, I love neighbors, but yeah, they're not a quarterback away from even being a decent team. I think is the issue, Like we can look at a team like the Raiders and say they get Geno Smith and they need to up grade at quarterback, and you have some pieces on defense, you know, bulk up the running game a little bit. Maybe you can try to compete in the AFC West and for a wildcard spot.
Maybe, But the.
Giants are so far miles away with so many holes on their roster. Bringing in a veteran quarter back who's on the back nine of his career doesn't really do a whole lot for you. And if you're Aaron, you know, what are you other than the fact that you just want to play football and maybe get another contract. What would be your motivation to want to play for a team like the Giants? Why would you go there.
If it's not to win? Because we know that's not going to happen.
So after the issue for me, honestly, and is more from Aaron Rodgers side, why would you go to New York versus the Giants saying like, well, we want to get a veteran presence in the locker room. You know the same old spiel that teams like this like to throw out there. He'll help change our culture, which I don't know if Aaron Rodgers is really a culture center, to be honest with you, based on his antics, that will be the selling point from the Giants to the fan base. I don't understand the sell from Aaron Rodgers going to New York what that does for him.
Now other than it's Deer's house and the Giants facilities closer than the Jets.
Okay, well, right, right now, you got Pittsburgh right now?
It's interesting, sure, right, you know, I think you're I still thinking, you know, I like their O line. I like it better than the Giants for sure. Right you have two receivers. You have the makings of something, you know. I mean, I don't think they're a super Bowl team, but I think they could be credible Rogers.
You right, if they're you know, if they can stay healthy defensively, they still have some really good players on defense. I mean, they won ten games last year despite you know, having some issues, especially offensively at times with at the quarterback position, with Russell Wilson and Fields. I do think that Aaron Rodgers coming in you mintioned with the receivers they're bringing Metcalf. I don't know what's gonna happen with Pickens. That sounds like there's talk of them potentially trying to get rid of him, so they might not have both of them. We'll see how that ends up playing himself out. But if they have Pickens, if we just hypothetically say they keep Pickens, they keep Metcalf, and you're bringing Aaron Rodge, you know they can put up some points offensively. I don't know what the running back position is going to end up looking like with Harris gone, but you know, maybe you can draft a guy and get something going there. I don't think Pittsburgh is that far away if they bring in someone like Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh makes a hell of a lot of sense for Aaron Rodgers, way more so than the Giants do.
I agree, And this is a good draft for running back, so right, you know, you could definitely get some help there. And then there's the third team that could be in the market for Aaron Rodgers and following the path of Brett Favre of the former Great quarterbacks going to the hated rival Minnesota Vikings.
There's some talk in Minnesota that maybe.
Instead of just handing the job the JJ McCarthy, that they make they go one more all in year with Aaron Rodgers. As the quarterback.
I mean it makes sense to me. You know, you don't even know what McCarthy's gonna be. The guy didn't have an off season last year. He spent the entire year rehabbing. So this isn't like Mahomes behind Alex Smith, where you had an entire camp you can see what you can work with, work through some kinks. So this is set an effect is going to be jj McCarthy's rookie season. I can't trust to throw him out there as a starter basically on day one. So if he signed Aaron Rodgers, he's probably gonna incoul beut for like it's gonna be like three years, but it's gonna be one year guaranteed, you know, one of those sort of things. Yeah, I think this makes a lot of sense too. They brought back Aaron Jones, someone who he's played with before. Jefferson and Addison are obviously excellent receiver duo along with Hockinson if he stays healthy. They have brought in guys on their offensive line in the offseason to improve themselves up front because that was a big issue for them last year, especially in the postseason. So I think it makes even more so than Pittsburgh. I think Minnesota makes more sense. No, the Giants, Mcnunn whatsoever. Pittsburgh, I can see the Vikings will be a home run if you ask me.
See, I agree with you. I think you're I think it's I think it could be scary. Yeah, because here's here's the thing. If you protect them, he can still throw, he slings it.
Absolutely, protect him. Run it a little bit, just a little bit. Give him a running game so he doesn't have to do everything on his own.
He's eiven Dome. Yeah, I mean.
It's you're throwing. You said it to Jefferson, you and don't even sleep on Nailer.
Yeah.
Besides Addison, I like Naylor and and then you got you know Hawkinson. I mean that's that the offenses and a very good coach. You know, they're a coucie that I love. I love their defense. I mean that Minnesota team that NFC North is going to be awesome because I think the Bears is going to be better.
They've improved themselves greatly, especially upfront on the offensive line.
No doubt Detroit is still going to be really good. Yeah, and you know Green Bay Rebay. You know, I still like the Packers, I think they need a number one receiver.
Yeah, but there they help themselves on defense. You know Nate Hobbs from the Raiders one of the better slot corners in the NFL.
That helps them defensively, you know.
So I think really for them on offense, they need to get their guys and keep their guys healthy too.
Can get can you get Reid.
And Christian Watson and these guys to stay on the field for longer than you know, a couple of games at a time, to even build rapport with Jordan Love. So I think a young offensive unit like them, I think they just need more reps.
And more time. Yes, another receiver would help, but I think the talent on offense.
They got a bunch of twos and threes. Yeah, they don't have a one. They need one.
Yeah, I there's an element of me, Yeah, I feel like they're honestly, there's an element of me that feels like if they can get a full season, a healthy season out of Watson.
That he can actually turn into something.
I don't know.
I don't thin if he's gonna be a star stud receiver, but I think with the complimentary running game of Josh Jacobs. I think they kind of have enough weapons to get by. They just need to keep the guys on the field is the big thing for me.
I get it, I get it.
I just I look at it and I think one just there was something about them receiver wise. I mean, you're right about the health, but you know, I remember watching him down the streets. Now, they got banged up in the playoffs, so it was tough for the Eagles, but they just lacked that one of that special playmaker. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I'm with you and I Stole'm a love fan. So but that NNC North is going to be awesome. And Rogers too, Man, Rogers to Minnesota, I I think it is.
If I was Aaron Rodgers, that's where I would go. Right now.
Here's the interest thing too, Like, I mean, because there's a lot of baggage that comes with Aaron Rodgers and you had a great year last year in Minnesota and we know, you know O'Connell's running.
The ship there.
You kind of have to have like a sit down with Aaron and say, look, man, we're not dealing with any of the outside you know bs for lack of a better term, you're gonna come in, You're coming to mini camp, you're coming to training camp.
We're figuring this thing out from day one, or it's.
Not gonna work.
Because what's the thing that works in the Vikings favor is that Aaron doesn't have a whole lot of leverage. Again, Pittsburgh is the only other, like legitimate contender that he can go to where you can say, maybe, if things work out, he can win. But if you're hanging the Giants over me as leverage, like bye, have fun, you.
Know, I would call his bluff on that.
But I'm not gonna allow Aaron Rodgers at this point in his career to come in and mess up the chemistry of my locker room because he wants to be aloof and do all the other stuff he've been doing without his career. He's not the same player. He doesn't have that. He doesn't have that anymore. That's sort of juice.
Yeah, I agree, I think you're you're right. And look, if you're on Rogers and you go to like this.
Is it, right?
I don't want to go out like that like he did with the Jets that that was horrible, right, this is it? Like you know, and you got a chance, a real chance to win in Minnesota, I would think you would want to soak it all in, be at every mini kids you know, Ota, Yeah, so you know, like I mean, listen, you're at the end.
I want to enjoy every moment.
Yep, right onto the sunset and give myself a championship, you know, feed your ego even more if you can actually win the Minnesota Vikings their first championship in franchise history exactly.
So, now what if for the Steelers, if they don't get Rogers, they sign Mason Rudolph, you need somebody.
Right, well, does the market whatever market Russell Wilson has and I'm always may had a couple of meetings and all that, do they basically have to like crawl back to each other at a certain point because it turned into that very well might in the next month or so. It might have to, yeah, because otherwise where are you going? Like, they don't have anybody else in the.
Know could go to the Giants.
Yeah, but then you're also in the same situation if you're Russ Like, what what is going to the Giants do for you in your career other than just give you another year of playing NFL football. It doesn't get you any closer to winning a championship. Does it do anything for your legacy? It just allows you to play an extra year.
Yeah, I mean, I mean does I mean now, I mean you saw him last year.
Oh, you're right, yeah, yeah. What kind of level of player is he? Or quarterback is he?
Anyway? Yeah? I mean, if I'm him, I'm just happy to get a giant.
I mean, honestly, I know I was always a Russ fan back in the day.
But I mean, I mean that offense just got exposed.
It did, and he did.
He did and in big moments, you know against Baltimore the red zone interception. He just had some really bad moments and some really big spots for them.
And that's the thing that you worry about for the Steelers because you know, and I know people talk about Tomlin and oh he hasn't one. He's a terrific coach. I mean, you know, I think there's been some mismanagement some offense, you know, some issues on offense.
Yeah, coordinator hires have been questionable here and there. But I mean I still think he's still he's still he coach my team.
Any data week, well, it's really hard to be five hundred or above for what thirteen fourteen, however many straight years it's been. You know, that's how difficult that is in the league that's built for every team to go eight and eight in injuries and attrition, to not even have one random year where you go five and twelve or whatever it is.
Yeah, that's that's remarkable, remarkable, so hard to do.
Ye.
Even Bill Belichick felt off towards the end and it didn't happen to Mike Tomlin.
Yeah, now you're spot on, man, you're spot on. So we've talked about this on the show UI and Fitz.
If Mike Tomlin gets gets fired, he will have a job in a heartbeat.
Yep.
So this leads us to what where do you go for quarterbacks anymore? I mean, it's unbelievable. That takes us to the draft class. Baldy and I Brian Baldinger and I am Saturday NFL films this week and did all of our draft study look at a bunch of tape and I'll continue to do so, but look at all the quarterbacks, and you know, again, the prevailing notion is what it is right that when you put the tape on Can't War you go all right, Like I could see it. I'm not in love, but I could see it. But I love him way more than Shador.
Yeah, and even Camp as good as Cam is, he's the best of the class. But it's not like he's some standout can't miss prospect either, right, He's someone as being artificially pumped up because of the position that he plays. Like if all things were equal, Cam word might be taken thirteenth or something fourteenth, but because.
He's a quarterback, he's gonna be taken in the top three.
Dude, I gotta tell you, I don't say it at all.
What you do, no nothing, And you and Baldi both man because there's a thought that he doesn't have the greatest arm talent as far as throwing deep down field, but he's a rhythm and timing guy. He takes a lot of sacks because he holds onto the ball a lot, which is hard to unlearn. I think Caleb Williams kind of learned that last year. You know, we saw it at USC for years. And as talented as he is, you know a lot of times the sacks don't always fall on the offensive line.
It falls on the quarterback for holding the ball too long.
Well, his release is really slow. He doesn't have a lot of pop.
Yeah, it doesn't have a strong arm at all.
Now, and you know it's hard because he's stuck behind a bad old line.
Didn't help. Yeah, you're right, right, So, but it's not like he's some great you know phantom like lamar Yeah. Well he doesn't move as well as LAMARV either. For sure. He's not a runner.
He is run, but he's not he's not someone who's gonna kill you with his legs.
Yeah, right, that's that's that's my point. So what is it that he does well?
Right? Right?
That the cop I've heard is Tua? Now, Tua was a high pick and and a really good player, but there's nothing that Tua does that blows you away, you know. So you feel like Tua is a kind of player that you can kind of find. He happened to be taken in the top ten, but you can probably find someone like to put in the right system with the right players around him, and find a guy like that in the third round, fourth round, right a given.
Year, if he's if two is this ceiling right?
I mean I got no I to be honest with you, I have no interest, zero interest, okay zero. And I know people talk about, you know how he was to combine and you know he kind of turns the people off a personally. Yeah, but whatever, like you know it is, I get it. You know, I just as a as a quarterback, I just go, mah, he's not I would I wouldn't take him.
So he is a consensus number two quarterback in the class for a lot of people. So with you and I don't know how many quarterbacks you and Bald, he got a chance to actually watch and evaluate of the guys who are left, and nobody else has a first round grade.
Other than those two guys. Who else? Did you like that? You guys saw well Dart's legit?
Yeah, I mean we you know, we looked at Dart and you know, I mean, he's got he makes all the throws. He's a he's a place big time right like you know, you're playing in link Kiffin's offense.
Now, he had a great old line and he had a bunch of a bunch of.
You know, some stuff receivers, you know, but he but there was a lot to like on the tape.
He also has a bit of an edge to him too that I like, Yeah, there's a lots that plays with Yeah.
Yeah, So I mean in my eyes, darts too, Okay, I mean I I don't have interest in yours. Neither do I. I just don't have I don't. I don't say it.
What do you guys think of I know what you think about Jayleen Milroll. We talked about him and when I did the show with you a couple of weeks ago. And he's a project guy. I think I don't think Jayleen Merrill could be good. But he needs time.
Dude.
If why I I just don't understand why he didn't go into the portal. Yeah, I'm bad, Like I'd be begging him going to the portal. Dude, one more year. Oh he's just too Oh he's so raw made. You don't want to put that first week we watched that, that first half of Michigan in the Bowl game.
Oh god, that was brutal. Yeah, there was a rain storm right and he just oh my god.
Similar to the USF game a couple of years ago when he got benched when there was implement weather and he just couldn't do anything.
Yeah. Yeah, it's shame and I like the kid, but sharp.
He was at the whatever the award is for the academic you know, star of the country, whatever you want to call it.
He won that award. Super sharp, super hard to learn, all that.
But what's the work right, Like, he's a work lift. I mean he's a great ridiculous shape. Yeah yeah, so, but yeah he's a piece a big time practical.
Let's say quick to y'all.
We'll continue to discussion uh NFL free agency, the winners, losers, the whole landscape, talk of football right here Fox Sports Radio.
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It's all sponsored by Tractor Supply for life out here. All right, figure continue our football. Will get back to a little madness next hour. But to continue football, we're talking about the the quarterback situation, the dearth of quarterbacks in the league, and we're talking about the draft.
So everybody, we all agree.
You like cam Ward, you go all right, like I could see it, I could see a path. I do not like Shador. I just you know, And again it's nothing to do with personality.
I don't know.
I mean, I love to see you know, I love to see him Duell Dion's kid, the whole story. I just don't say it. I like Jackson Dart. I'm not a Ers guy. I don't know about you like I know you just said it, but I never had been.
No.
We talked about him in Texas and I thought Sark lost the game. I'd not go with Arch with certain key moments, at least around the goal line.
Right exactly exactly.
I give him credit for the mental toughness to deal with the arch stuff that happened all last year, So there's something to be said for that. But just skill wise, as a quarterback at the NFL level, I don't see anything more than a backup, to be honest with you.
Agreed, Agreed, And then I love this kid. Now, you know, admittedly he's a little I'm a little biased. He's from my neck of the woods, and I know the high school and you know, I know the father.
Uh, but I love Klein McCord. Yeah. I mean, here's the thing.
I watched one of the tape and I watch it and when I'm evaluating, I'm trying to do it really objectively. I had him on yesterday on my show, you know, talked about him, talked with him. There's not a lot he can't do.
So why do we believe that he is not rated as highly or why has he not thought of as a first round pick? Around the cam Wards, the Chadors, the Jackson darts.
I guess what's.
Missing because he played at a high level. I know he escapedgoted to a certain degree at Ohio State there, and.
I think that's why. Yeah, I think they look at him and that there's the the Buckeye steak of losing the Michigan Ye Hey, people went eh and he got immediately got written off when he got scapegoated, and he did get scapegoated. Yeah, Ryan Day blamed him for for Michigan.
It was it was overt about it. Yeah.
I mean you, I mean to be quite honest with you, And I like Will Howard. I never loved him. I think he's a downgrade from Colm Accord. Well look, well Howard lost.
To Michigan too.
Now he happened to just come back and and you all play better later and when it mattered most. But I mean, I col McCord is a better quarterback than Will Howard. I said the time that they got rid of it and he transferred out, I was like, this is a downgrade. Because Ohio State as a roster is so talented, it might not end up mattering.
And it didn't. But I found that dynamic to be interesting.
I mean, I gotta tell you, he goes to Syracuse and his best receiver is a tight end Gadson. Yeah, I put the tape on it Man tape, don't lie. He had one horrible game against Pittsburgh. He threw five picks and there was a there was some legiti mistakes. Yeah, but other than that, I mean, go watch the Miami game and tell me who's the better quarterback him or Ward.
Usually I will say this James Field. Yeah.
Usually though, And like that stuff when you when you get into this part of the process, when you're watching tape and evaluating individual players, the perceptions of your escape go to it by Ryan Day and you lost a big game, and YadA, YadA, YadA. That stuff usually doesn't factor in when you're ranking players like this. So I find it interesting that for you know, a couple of rankings, I'm looking at him underneath Ward, Sanders, Dart and yours. The fact that people have yours over him, so he's the fourth or fifth best quarterback prospect by a couple of these different prognosticators. That's the interesting thing to me because usually they take out all of the other outside factors, perceptions, politics, all that other stuff and just look at the player himself themselves. So what is it in looking at Kyle mccorth, the player that people are ranking behind yours Dart Sanders.
And well he does have the athletics, the mobility and athleticism that like yours a good athlete.
Yeah, absolutely is. Yeah, and so our Dart and Saw award.
Yeah, your yours can move. I think that is a half a negative. Yeah.
The fact that new wage quarterback nowadays as someone who can actually make things happen, you know, with his legs a little bit when the play breaks down, they can do other things second reaction plays quote unquote is.
What they call him. Yeah, he's not.
He's more of a classic pocket guy.
I mean he's got it. He could spin it. I don't know.
People talk about it his spin rate and I don't know he could spin it. I listen, he throws a nice ball and the dude is The dude is really I mean sharp, his all get out, like you can put him on his kid's been been uh watching tape and dissecting x'es and o's since he was in high school. Like he went to a program that I know of real well, Saint Joe's Prep. And he's a freshman and he's breaking down film like that's part of his thing. He knows where to go. So when they're when they're interviewing him, it's funny. We are having a conversation about to combine, and I know the Saints really like him. I could see him going in the second at least the third round, but I could see him going in the second round. But he was asked it was funny because some teams they really try to trip you up.
Right.
They go, they put on a tape and the first thing they show is an interception, and they go, what happened to here? And they want to see how you respond to it? Wow, what about this play right here? And it was a misread? He goes the first play actually wasn't an interception, it was a misread. And so I had to say, you know, I missed I was I missed the read? Yeah, I missed it. And it was an incompletion. That was the first one they showed. Then it was an interception, and then they showed all his bad plays and then and then another team said, hey, on this pick, the receiver really messed up here, and he had to say, no, that was on me.
Yeah, looking to see if he throws his receiver under the bus and not the responsibility.
Yeah huh.
And he was like no, no, no, that was on me.
Yeah, and and there they were like, nah, well look here, you know, the receiver should have took the should have broken the ball here, and he kept saying no, no, no, that was that was definitely my fault.
And then uh so then they they they asked you to.
Draw up a plate at the end in their system, right, and so it was it was interesting that the line of question would happened Ohio State, you know, blah blah blah blah blah. You know, they they they went through the whole, the whole gamut with him.
Yeah. Wow, it sounds like he's handled it. Well.
He's a great kid. But you meet the kid, you you'll love the kid. He's smart. That's my I'm trying to divorce myself from knowing him.
Yeah, that's also hard to do.
So it is, it really is. But you put the tape on it again. I think he's got a plus arm. I think the athleticism is it where those other quarterbacks are.
Yeah, but I mean mac Jones isn't necessarily the greatest athlete, and he was taken high in the draft, so right, I mean, you know, as much as teams now value that that trait, the extra traits to being a great athlete moving around. They'll still tell you that that's not necessarily everything. Most people will take a quarterback if I can step sit back in the pocket and pick you apart and make all the throws. But I'm a statue. People will take that over someone who's got really erratic but he can, you know, run a four to two and the forty.
They should.
I would too, I would too. Now the other thing I guess the other down is he's like six two and a half.
Yeah, he's listed at six three, but he's not. Is that platform shoes?
Yeah yeah, he's not six four six five?
Yeah? Right, But none of these guys are.
I think that the biggest guy of like you know, day two, day one through Day three prospects is like Shug from Louisville.
He's like six five sixty six.
But most of these guys are six are straddling the six two six three line.
Yeah, dude, I again, I don't know.
I look at it, you go, what what of all you're looking for a quarterback prospect?
I mean, I don't know. I think he's there, and I don't like Will Howard.
Just before I like, I like Will Howard a lot like I love, I love the kids' attitude. I think the kids a winner. I just don't think he throws the ball well. Same thing with Riley Leonard. I just don't think he throws the ballwell.
Winard is just more of an athlete to me than an actual Winnard is like a perfect backup, come in for a game or two if you need, make some plays with the legs here and there.
Really scrappy, really tough.
Right, But he's not a guy that's gonna, you know, can be a starting quarterback in the NFL consistently really for no other reason health wise a lot.
You're right, you're a hard percent, right, you know what the shame is Dylan Gabriel. If he's just bigger, a.
Little taller, he's I think he's far and away the top with the top quarterback.
If he's just a little bit.
Taller, to be honest with you, yeah, I mean he has all the credentials. Yeah, he's a He throws a nice ball, man, he does. He throws a nice He's got a lot of zip. I mean, I've always loved his his release, like he to shame man, if he just had a comple more inches. Yeah, I mean, but he's thrown a football.
I'm looking.
He's listed at five eleven, which means he's probably closer to five nine, five to ten.
So yeah, he's really like five nine. We know how these things.
That's really and for a guy who again is not where they're gonna kill you with his legs either, that's really difficult.
You're a pocket quarterback who's that short.
Yeah, all right, we're gonna come back and we'll look at free agency as a whole. Your thoughts, all right on some of the big signings in some of the movement where the fella is right here, Kevin Figures, Anthony Gargano, Fitzi's off today as we hang on this championship Saturday on Fox Sports Radio, Fellas k fig Kevin Figures and for Fitsie, I'm Anthony Gargano.
Hey, don't forget.
You could stream this show and all of our Fox Sports Radio shows live twenty four to seven in the new and improved iHeartRadio app. Just search Fox Sports Radio in the app to stream us live. And one of the newest features in the app is really cool. You could select how about this Fox Sports Radio is one of your presets just like the presets on a radio dial. So be sure to preset Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app and it will always pop up at the top of your screen. All right, fig some of the did you think some of the winners and losers of the free agency?
And then what are the Cowboys doing? Can I ask you that?
As DeMarcus Lawrence says, I mean, I'm a Micah fan, and but Mike could going clown show, Yeah, right, and DeMarcus Lawrence going, yeah, but I just told the truth.
He ain't winning.
Well, I mean, based on the last twenty plus years, demarc isitn't wrong. So I thought that whole back and forth between those two was very interesting. But the winners and losers, I think the Bears is a big winner for me.
Knowing one of the official line was the old line.
And to get Jonah Jackson, who a couple of years ago was a pro bowler, Joe Tooney, who has a guard is excellent. Not the greatest tackle, but he did that out of necessity. But as a guard he's really good. And then they signed Drew Dolman too, like to show up their offensive line, which is their biggest issue now. Granted, Caleb Williams, like we talked about last segment, had his issues holding onto the ball a lot. They go back to his time at USC, which is why he was sacked so much. But he certainly did not get a lot of favors from the Bears up front. We know he has all the offensive weapons around him. He just needs more time and he needs a solid running game. So for them to remake three fits of their offensive line I think was huge. So they're probably the biggest winners for me so far.
Yeah, I'm with you.
And then you look at Dallas and you go, why, I can't believe it.
Miles Sanders didn't do it for you?
Huh.
Javant Williams and Miles Sanders. Yeah, are your running backs?
What? Yeah?
And we talked going into last season the issue at running back and how they didn't really address it, and and I remember Fitz and I both said at the time, Well, they'll end up being fine.
It's not that big of a deal. They'll make it work. They didn't make it work.
Was a disaster at the running back position for them last season, and so far now it's a pretty decent running back class in the draft, So maybe that's where they're going to hitch their wagon to U see if they can find somebody to make an impact.
There's yes, very good.
Yeah, but so far through free agency has been a giant dud for the Cowboys. Bringing back Avonte Turpin was great. I think he's a good kick returner, but outside of that, it really hadn't moved the needle much for me.
Well, and he also goes back to you remember the deadline they traded for Mingo.
Yes, which was puzzling to say the least, Like, what are you doing? That's unbelievable. Well, it's also it's you know, it's Trey Lance.
Like guys who used to had a lot of hype coming out of college. They get into the league for a couple of years and nothing happens, and all of a sudden you think, like, oh, we could turn them around. You're basing it off of what their draft stock was before they came into the league as opposed to what they've actually done so far.
In the league.
Yeah, all right, Paul Kuiper's top draft picks that didn't pay it out. Yeah, that's basically all it is. It's bizarre. Uh, Eagles lost a lot.
Yeah, that's what I want to talk to you about.
I don't know if they're just reshot reshuffling their finances or trying to get certain things in order, but losing guys on the defensive line, Gardner Johnson when I thought was interesting to trade him away.
So what's so?
What's going on out there in Philly?
What's going on?
So a couple couple guys you expected to lose right now, so you expect to lose Milt Williams, who got way overpaid. You got, you lost Josh Wett who got paid. Oh who got paid. The CJGJ thing was a surprise, but appear only he wanted to get paid, like he wanted a new contract. And their their issue is you got Hurts with a big deal. You're paying Saquan, You're paying A. J. Brown, You're playing DeVante Smith. You're gonna have to pay Cam Jergens on the old line. And you're gonna have to pay a ton for Jalen Carter for sure. Yeah all right, and then down the line Nolan Smith and then a little couple none of another year down the line, Cooper de Genie, Quina Mitchell.
So you know you got to pay all those people.
You you you just can't keep everybody. Now, they lost Sligh. You kind of thought they would, they would because Slay got a deal. But then they lost Isaiah Rodgers, another corner who I like and help with their depth. They got a kid, Kayleie Ringo, who I think, this guy who was promising but they're pretty uh. And then last year's draft pick, Jaylyx Hunt. Now here's the interesting thing. Over the next two years, the Eagles have twenty draft picks, fifteen in the first four rounds.
That's what all the competitory picks and everything right.
But you know, that's how a smart organization operates. Though you're not gonna be able to sign everyone, but you keep getting those draft picks, you keep rolling guys in and out, and you just you kind of work like a well oiled machine.
That's that's the model. That's how you set it up.
You can't just overpay guys left right, because you're gonna end up having to pay the piper eventually.
Now that's really the smart way to operate.
They lost Makai Beckton too right to the Chargers. You know, he went to which a good signing for the charge.
Great signing for them.
Yeah, and then I wouldn't rule this one out too.
They could trade Dallas, got it?
Oh yeah, interesting could Yeah, that could be a big deal. All right, big al We're coming up, Max Fellas right here. Fox Sports Radio.
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Good morning, good morning, good morning, of morning, Happy Happy Saturday. And it's a championship Saturday, Conference tourneys. All the finals or semifinals. Get ready for selection Sunday tomorrow the tournament. And it's been great so far, great week of basketball. Kevin figures in for Jason Fitz. I'm Anthony Gargana. We're the fellows who come you alive from the ti iraq dot com studios, tire rack dot com. We'll help you get there at unmatch selection, fast free shipping, free roadh hazard protection, over ten thousand recommended installers ti raq dot com the way tire buying should be.
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Uh fig college basketball.
It feels alive and well, man, it feels like a good week as we had her championship Saturday for Big East, right the Big twelve, and then tomorrow we'll have some We'll got some, you know, the Big Ten, the whole.
Thing, and in selection Sunday. You get your juices flowing for this time of year.
And I have a couple of people who are like, just tell me when the regular when the regular season's over, when the conference tournament's over, I'll just jump in during March madness. But you know, if you had not someone who watches regular season college basketball, I mean, I'll tell you conference tournament time is a really good time to try to jump in and get warmed up and know who these teams are and how they play in high stake situations. Like a lot of teams, look your top seeds, the games maybe don't matter as much, but if you're a team like say even a Louisville in the ACC Tournament against the Duke, I mean.
They can still improve their seed.
They're a team that kind of came out of nowhere this year and had a better season than people expected.
The game still has meeting to them.
The games have so much more meeting for a lot of these teams who are on the cut line, who don't know if they're going to make it into the tournament, who are trying to.
Improve their seeding.
All we want as fans are meetingful games, and really the conference tournament allows that to happen more so than the college championship games in college football because the way that it's set up, with the expansion of twelve teams and soon to be fourteen, it just doesn't necessarily matter as much. But when it comes to college basketball, all these games are really really important for about seventy percent of the teams that are still competing. And I think it's just really it's a nice preview. It's a nice appetizer to get you ready for the NCAA Tournament next Thursday's the way I look at it.
It is. I great.
I'm with you, hey, quick aside, do you think that they should that the conference tour he should matter more for home field.
As far as like oh as far as like the region that you play in or off you know, I guess it would give you incentive more incentive to play, although we haven't really we talked to we've kind of kicked this around on the show today.
If you're a duke and say you.
Have Cooper Flag who's down, who's probably not gonna play today, is it does a behoove you to put him in and play him in a game which is otherwise meaningless for you, but would have if you take that meaningless meaninglessness out of it and say, Okay, we want to make sure that if you actually win your conference tournament, it's going to guarantee you the highest seed that you can possibly be in in the region that you want to be in, So it gives you reason to play.
I guess I understand it.
I don't know if it's something that I would necessarily do because I don't think it's really necessary.
Is my thing now.
I was talking for football for home field, like if you would you know, do you do?
You home?
The problem is the balls, right, Like I'm trying to wait it so you can so home field, Matt like, yeah, the first round home fields, right, but you'll never get past the ball system, right because they need it to be a you know, fiesta Ballyards ball. That's the problem because you keep thinking about you know, can you I love the home field the first round.
I mean, have it. That Notre Dame game Notre A, Indiana was awesome. It was amazing. Yeah, it was great. We need more of that.
Yeah, I realized they're trying to pay respects to the ball system. But ultimately, I do think the biggest and and I don't know if this is gonna if it's going to stand up, and maybe we'll get to a point in time where the most of the balls are what they are and then we just have the final four of the fourteen team playoff, whatever it is, go to the ball system.
But I hope at some.
Point we get to the point where we have meetingful you know, quarter final, semi final type games on campuses. Because your point, it does give teams incentive to want to play all their guys and play hard and try to get as high of a ranking in the final CFP as they possibly can. You want to try to get as many home games as you as possible. So I think that's a phenomenal idea. I agree there are politics involved with the bowl system, but as these TV contracts and conference alignment contracts come up and get reworked over the next six, seven, eight years.
I do think there might be a movement to try.
To get these semi final games or these quarterfinal semifinal games on campuses and not involved in bulls and just leaving the balls to the final four.
Yeah, I was trying to think about that.
For the tournaments in basketball, there's some that are it's a shame that these venues they just don't there's not a lot of fans.
There's eight people there.
Yeah, you know that if you have it same thing on campus, is it better. I mean, you need everybody, that's the problem.
Yeah, it's better if it's on campus.
But you know, you can't play every single solid solitary day is the issue.
So you need a neutral site.
Yep. So you're right, so that it.
Is disappointing to see, you know, the opening round or the second round of a conference tournament in a you know, eighteen thousand set venue and there's four thousand people there.
It's just not good optics.
It's probably hard to get up to play in a situation like that too, if you're a player. Players feed off of crowd so often and you're playing in an empty gym. It's really hard to get up in a situation like that.
It is. It's weird, you know.
And it's a shape because even in the final four, when these games you're at the Dome. Yeah, I never liked those though. They're so too big, you know. Yeah, and they have an issue with you know, the depth perception.
Of it, right, Yeah, that's why shooting numbers and I don't know, I haven't seen recent numbers on this, but prior to the last couple of years, over like a six seven year span of them playing the final fours in these larger football stadiums, yeah, shooting percentages have not been good.
Have been low scoring games.
Shooting numbers have been down because yeah, to your point, death perception is bad. And just as a viewer, as a fan sitting all the way up in the rafters at I don't know Jerry's world, to watch a college basketball game like, guys look like ants.
Yea basketball is not meant for that. No, I can't, I can't.
I can't be up there.
I can't tell if it's Zach Edie or Muggsy Bogues, you know, because I'm so far up.
They all look the same.
That's terrible, Like why would I why would I pay to see that.
I'm with you, all right, let's go over today in what we can expect, and then kind of how we feel about teams making a run beginning Thursday. So in the first semi final, today's Tennessee in Auburn, and I think we all I mean, I think you and I agree that Auburn's probably the second best team in the country.
Yeah, you know what, depending on the day of the week, I can go Auburn, I can go Duke. I think Auburn has a lot of guys who can really score you and kill you on a given night, as evidenced by the fact that Jani Broom was out for about a week at one point earlier this year and they didn't lose a game, and Bacon Mazara and Petterford and those guys just kept on rolling. So I don't know, I can see I might actually gotta go with Auburn over Duke, just by a slight hair at this point in time. But again, if you talk to me tomorrow, it can absolutely change. Yeah, but I'll say this, Anthony, they're clearly one in one a about everybody else I'll say that now.
I know that again they had nothing to play for, but I still think they just I still think they beat Tennessee today.
I agree.
Yeah, I think so too, Tennessee.
I'm mad. There's something I like him, but I'm not in love with him. Like I could see them not getting to the final four.
Oh, I could Tennessee.
I can see getting eliminated in the first weekend. Yeah, I feel the same way. I feel the same way. And that's a twenty six and sixteen. It's the top ten team.
Yeah, but they're a team that's really good defensively but basically of Yeah, but if Lanier and Ziggler can't do anything offensively, which happens, they have nothing. I mean, no disrespect to the rest of the roster, but I mean Lanier is really the only legitimate scorer who you're scared of.
Yeah, you're right.
Uh.
And then in the other on the other side, it's Florida and Alabama and again that we talked about a little earlier.
But Florida is a team to me that's made for the.
Tournament easily, Yeah, because they really don't have a major weakness. They you know, they you know, have a great player in Walker Clayton, who can dominate a game without even scoring a lot of points.
He's really efficient.
I think they have four or five guys averaging double figures. They go really deep into the bench, they have decent size, they're really not lacking for much, and they have really good athleticism, and so it's why they can, you know, beat a team like Alabama, which I expect them to do again today. By the way, So if Florida again is a team that doesn't get talked about a whole lot despite their high ranking, easily easily should be one of the favorites to win the entire thing.
Yeah, yeah, I love them and albadas cut Like, here's the only thing that's.
The amazing thing about that SEC. It's pretty amazing.
Fourteen teams then probably, yeah, would be a record and they all deserve it, all deserve it.
But again, like today, the same thing I like. I like Florida today. Yeah, yeah, as do I.
The problem with Alabama is they just have too many lolls.
Defensively, they can score with anybody, but if they go cold, if their defense takes a half step back, they just they can't stick with people.
They need Mark Siers to have a big game.
Yeah, and again I don't same thing with you know, it would have closed it a tournament. I just don't know that they have enough to make it. Like I could see them getting into the sweet sixteen, but I think that's kind of where they're capped.
Yeah, I would agree.
You got Wisconsin Michigan State in the Big Ten semi and you know, at freaking Izzo his.
Teams, it's amazing. His teams are the same. He always finds a way.
Does they always right? They just always do. They played it. You're gritty, they play the game tough. It's it's uncandy and it's it's not a team.
Like even speaking right now, I don't expect Michigan State to make it out of the Sweet sixteen at the at the deepest, watch them be in the final four.
Yeah, this is how they do it all the time. Yeah. Yeah, They're a.
Team that few people really have much belief in. They don't have a lot of great players at all. Jace Richardson I think is really talented, but he's not you know, he's not even a father right now.
Is good.
But Lo and Behold is a team that you can blink and you find they find themselves in the final four.
This is what is Oo does.
To your point, I like him today against Wisconsin, I agree, yep. And then in the other Sammy Maryland and Michigan. I'm not a big Michigan fan. I don't think they're that good. I do like Maryland. I think you and I both agree that Maryland's the type of team that can make a little bit of a run, make some noise.
Yeah, for sure. Michigan is too inconsistent for me. That's that's the problem with them. You know what you're gonna get on a night in a night out basis, if they bring it, and if they're on their game, they can play with almost anybody. But you just don't know what you're gonna get on a night in, night out basis. And Maryland is a team that has a lot of depth that can really score, can get you inside and out. So yeah, Maryland's Maryland's I don't know if I say they win easily, but I'll be hard pressed to find Michigan I'll win in this game.
I'll put it that way.
Yeah, Yeah, I like I like mal in the Big East semi final final. Excuse me, Yeah, Saint John's and Creighton, Creighton takes Out, takes Off, takes out Connecticut. That was a great game last night. Uh, marred by the dunk at the end. Yeah, dude, we're with class, all right, come on, bro, can't.
Do that, man.
But I mcderm gude into him a little bit after the game, after he and Hurley got into it, he walked over into the player and kind of gave him in the ca gave him an ear full, saying, you don't do that because you put all of us in a bad spot. Now we have a just shoving match, and I'm shouting at the coach and all that.
Now I got to shout at you.
Yeah, you're right about Davey, about Danny Many.
But you know what you we we you know respected.
We started the show talking about some of those those legendary coaches, right, talking about Bobby Knight and coach He and Dean Smith and Roy Williams and John Chaney.
You know who I still love.
John Chaney was the best.
He was my main man. Uh.
Those guys are bigger than life, guys Patino and Cali Perry and you know, all those guys, and they need to sustain, right, And that's curly.
Oh, for sure, the best thing he could have done was not take the Laker job and stay at Yukon.
That he's built for that. I think he even admitted that.
In an interview that he had earlier this week. Some guys I think are just better built for the college game. Yeah, and I think Harley kind of fits that profile.
Yeah, I'm with you. He's a college guy all the way. Yeah, he's not an NBA guy now. But uh, Creighton, how do you see today?
Well?
I see Saint John's locking up on defense like they typically do, you know, like as well as good as Creighton is there, they could be hot and cold from three and that kind of plays right into the hand of Saint John's, who is dominant defensively inside or out, it doesn't matter. I know Saint John's has issues scoring at times, but if they can get enough, which more often than not they.
Do from from R J.
Lewis, I think they can. I think they can make a deep run in the tournament. So I actually see them winning this thing.
Yeah, I do too. I like them. That would complete a great story.
And by the way, I think they can make you run in in the tournament.
Yeah, I agree. They can go now, they can make a run. The scoring scares me, but when you can play defense the way that they can play.
They get after a boy and and they're they're really you know, they're they're They're a veteran type of team.
You know, absolutely absolutely not quite battle tested, not that they had they've they made a deep run at all to begin with. But you know, they have some guys who come in from the transfer portal. They have something a little bit of experience. But I mean the ultimate trump card is the guy that's sitting in the big seat and Rick Patino, who has been there, who knows the ins and outs, And I think that makes a big difference to.
Uh.
And then you got Duke Louisville in the ACC final, and I gotta tell you, man, oh man, I think Louisville.
I think it's a tough game for Duke tonight.
Yeah, without without Brown, without Cooper, I think it's and knowing that you already get the one he locked up, I think it's Louisville.
Louisville plays forty minutes. Man, they do.
They play hard, They play really really hard, and you know they want it. Do you think they don't want to get a giant victory against the top team in the country in the conference tournament to win the ACC. So they're gonna be playing their asses off to try to win this thing today. So even if I don't think Duke is gonna take their foot off the gas, I don't think they're wired that way. Even with flag out, They're gonna try to go out and try to win it. But I think Louisville is gonna come in guns blazing. I think they're gonna be motivated to try to win this thing and try to put themselves on the map as a legit threat in the tournament.
Yeah.
Yeah, and then in the Big twelve Arizona Houston.
What's you're reid on Houston for the tournament?
I like Houston.
I think Houston spectacular. Houston plays. I would say, maybe not just as good a defense, but they're pretty comparable to a team like a Saint John's, but they got.
Dudes who can score through deep. Two.
Yeah, you know, I think Crier didn't even have that great of a night the other night, and it didn't even matter because they have a bunch of guys that can shoot and a lot of depth to your point, So Houston's another team that doesn't get talked about it a lot, despite the fact that they play in a major conference and they're highly ranked. But when you hear National Championship talk, I don't necessarily hear Houston mentioned a lot, and I think that's a mistake.
Hang out one beef.
Okay, the Big twelveth final is at six and the Big East Finals at six third, and then the ACC final is at a thirty.
Can't they stagger them better?
You would think, right, Well, you have different networks and different windows, and the problem is you have different conferences operating independently, unlike the NFL.
Or the NBA where they can kind of control that.
So the from a fan perspective of the sport, you're absolutely right. But you know, I think ESPN has the Big Twelve and the ACC and those are decently spread out by about two hours two and a half hours, I believe. But then you slot in creating in Saint John's which Fox has at three thirty Pacific. It just kind of messes everything up. But in a perfect world, they would split it up so we can watch. You can't kind of have all these games like in a standalone situation when possible because even the big ten semi in the in the sec semi between Bama Flord and Michigan Maryland are going to be going on cre currently.
Well.
Well, and that's the thing, like if you're when you look at ESPN and Fox, you gotta work. You're better off working and together with it because it's a final, right correct, Yeah, And because it's the final, you don't want canibalism right right, like you're gonna you're gonna eat off each other. Yeah, that's a good point, father, you know. I mean, you're better off staggering it with the finals. Like, I get it, you got a lot of games. You gotta get a lot of games in, but it's a final, so at least stagger the finals.
Yeah, you should find a way to get a final to be by itself for as long as possible. Maybe there's a little bit of crossover from the end of one in the beginning of the other, but to start within an hour and ten minutes of each other or whatever, it is just probably not the best idea.
Yeah, Like, I don't know why you can't start at nine thirty to Louisville Duke. Yeah, nine thirty Eastern, six thirty percent.
I mean, you know, I think you're fine.
It's a pretty late tip, but.
I guess they do it all week Garden Goods. You know the championship game, isn't that usually eight fifty five Eastern? Uh?
Yeah, you're right, Actually, you're right thousan percent. All right, Well, let's uh to quick too. We'll come back.
We'll take a look at everything from a betting standpoint with our man the Brains. Coming up next, where the fellas right here on Fox Sports Radio.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.
Alright Fellas from the Tyraq dot com studios. Kfig Kevin figures in four fit secuz my man college chill listening. He said, Saint John's hand ride today. He loves the Johnnies and now joining us FI from a betting standpoint, the Brain. Yes, Brad Feinberg, Good morning.
Brain, How are you, buddy? Could you hear your voice?
You too? Always always happy?
Saint Patrick's day, Big weekend, Same same to you, big weekend. Uh, I brain, we got cut big great day of basketball today. It was a fun day yesterday, and uh this is a perfect appetizer for the tournament.
Let's get it started.
Let's start with the Big Ten, and I'll start with your squad, Michigan, because you're a Michigan man.
Probably my favorite bets of the day. I did that Maryland thing three and a half yesterday. You get totally four today. The Michigan had a great performance last night. They'd been struggling and they played I'll play a good game against the Purdue team that has also been struggling. Uh me, Maryland, I bet them to win the Big Ten before the tournament started. I think they're the most under the radar team that's played much better than people realize this year. If you think about it, what this team has done, Anthony, They've only lost I believe six games this year, and every one is I believe been by six points are less, and I believe five to six have been by three points or less. I mean this is a team that is I mean every time you have beaten them, it's basically come down to the last shot. I'm not saying they should have been thirty and oh I'm not going to say something like that. It's ingenuous, but it is a team to me that could have been a lot better than their twenty four and sixth record. I just think they're better than Michigan, I really do. I thought this line should have been closer to six and a half. I laid three and a half. You could still lay four. Still woul lay four. It's my favorite bet. I think Maryland is a different class of Michigan, and I think they win this game by double digits.
How do you feel about the other Big Ten with Michigan State taking the Poscorns?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Michigan State.
Yeah.
A lot of people coming into the season didn't have the highest of expectations and you look up they have twenty seven wins and all of a sudden izzoh. You know, people think they can potentially make a deep run into the tournament. What are you thinking here?
Well, they well they can't. I didn't look they I don't think they're the most talented team. But again, you obviously it's a good coach and is though I lean to lean Lean, I didn't bet it. I lean Wisconsin. That being said, Wisconsin hurt my feelings a little bit down the stretch. I thought they were going to be a little bit stronger than they've been, although they seems like they may have righted their ship recently. It's not I think it's a bad number. I thought Michigan State would be favored by about two and a half to three. You could take looking at my boarder, you could take three and a half lean Wisconsin. I think it's more of a fifty to fifty kind of game, but didn't. I wanted at least four to consider taking Wisconsin. I was not able to find a four, so I passed on it so far.
All right, let's go to the se see the one semi final, the first one of the day, Auburn, Tennessee.
Yes, it's a good one. Yeah, it's a good one. You know, it's interesting. Auburn is in my opinion, And that's the team that, by the way, I thought was the best team in college basketball all season. Uh and they you know, that's in the future that I've been following the most because they that's the team I have my biggest position on. So I've been rooting for this team very very hard, and unfortunately, to me, down the stretch, I haven't seen the same I don't know. Yeah, just the last the last couple of games, lose to A and M badly. They lose at home to all to Alabama, and then the last gaving it's Mississippi. They just had. It was a good team, I get it, but it was very close. It's a thirteen point favorite. It was pretty tight. So I don't know if they're playing their best basketball right now. Tennessee is another team. I don't love Tennessee. I just don't that. Being said four and a half points, only way to lean, didn't bet it. Only way can lean here is Tennessee. My numbers made this four four and a half lean, Tennessee not betting it.
What about the other game with Alabama and Florida would be the second time these two times i've met in the last.
Few weeks, and Florida was able to get the victory last time. How do you feel about this one?
You know, it's interesting. Yeah, they did in Florida as the team I think is really really good. I think Alabama is good too.
Now.
Alabama when they stepped up in classes, fay out a few times they have, but then you know, I watched them yesterday and maybe I'm putting a little bit too much recency bias on that certainly possible. I did bet them plus four and a half. You could still get four, just because I think it's a game that either of these teams can win. Now, a team like Alabama because they scored so many points, maybe like the money line better because points are less scarce for the team like Alabama. But I do like album I am getting four. I think they can keep this one and more of a fifty to fifty kind of game, maybe get a little bit of a wrench from losing. They lost ninety six to ninety one a few days ago. I like Alabama's actually one of the games I did that today.
Wow, look at that? All right?
All right, that's funny because I don't know. I love this Florida team. Maybe I overlove it.
Maybe no, I have Florida is one of my big three, So I do. I do like Florida quite a bit, but I I do think Alabama can again. I don't know, we'll say again. I thought number on the.
Line the line is is speaking your language because it's only three and a half, which to me is an Alabama line.
Well, I mean here's the thing. I mean, I don't Obama Anthony that they have been a good team this year. I mean like they had again, they had a little bit of a I mean the twenty six and seven playing in the SEC.
Phenomenal. I get it before, No.
I understand that, but they they had they had. Also, they should have beaten Tennessee on the road. That was a tough loss. They did everything except win the game. And then they won at Auburn, so uh, and then they lost that home for Florida by five. But this is the team to me in this three games, four game stretch where they're playing a bunch of drag. You know, they put tremendous dragons like huge teams. They should have beaten Tennessee. They lost a horrible ending, They choked it up five in the last thirty seconds and they end up somehow losing in regulation. Okay, they did lose to Florida at home in a close one. Then they won at Auburn, then destroyed Kentucky. I kind of just like the way they're playing. We'll see again. Having all the respects on the world for Florida, by the way, not an anti Florida player. I think Florida, Anthony, I agree with you, is tremendous, but just more an intuition played more than anything else. I think the Alabama win this one.
All right, let's get to the finals. Let's begin in the Big twelve. Houston Arizona.
Yeah, you know it's funny Houston have not Houston the team I've been fading, and yesterday I played by U and they, I mean talk about not even getting close. They just they just killed them. Arizona. I thought they would win their first game against Kansas. They then had a flight upset yesterday against Texas Tech. Look, the line here to me is maybe at cat Hi it's you can get there's places out there at seven and a half, Lean Arizona, do Lean Arizona. I just can't get myself with this Houston team, still to trust them laying points like this, But I also don't trust Arizona either, But my definitely would be in easy Lean on Arizona. I still don't love Houston lane big points.
How are feeling about the Big East Final with Saint John's taking on Creighton?
You know well again, yeah, I mean at first Saint John's I mean what an incredible I mean, I mean just incredible job. Rick Betino's Dawn, I mean, I just and I root for Saint John's. And I'll tell you what, Anthony, do you know what? Why do I root for Saint John's? You know why? No, I'm gonna tell you why, because everyone listening or you should know. My least favorite thing. I can't stay everyone else loves it. It's like pizza, except in this case would be like me hating pizza. I can't stand the three point shot. I loathe it, and it is it is. If they got rid of it, I'd watch, I would make it. I'd sign like a thing to watch. Yeah, twenty thousand basketball games and I'll just watch them all something uself in a room and I'll never leave my house. Okay, if you get rid of the three, I would like it so much more. Saint John's wins without shooting the three, and to me being able to do that and when you're zagging when everyone else, literally literally everyone else is digging. I give them a lot of credit. They win with great anacious defense.
Uh.
I mean, the best defensive team in my opinion in college basketball, and they and I love how they win. Do I think it's sustainable for six games and say a tournament? No, I personally don't, but I'm actually again, I'm I'm rooting for them and I love what they've been able all commage. Look, they're playing a Creyton team that is you know, to me, Clayton is a is a good not great team. They had a good win last night. They had a crazy comeback against the Pall when they were down by like eleven with less than two minutes to go. I'm not I'm just I cannot get myself to to fade Saint John's here while the numbers high, didn't bet it numbers high. I thought the number coming at six and a half. It came in six and a half. That being said, if I was forced to bet it lean here Saint John's. But I think there's other games in the car better to bet than that because Saint John's still not a team I love to play points with.
And then the acc Yeah Coop and no Brown Brown hurts.
Too, huge thing huge Yeah yeah. Well last night it's funny two of my favorite teams to bet the share in Louisville and Clemson had Clemson yesterday which I had a good day yesterday, BC Man, Clemson was a that one hurt me and they almost kick back. If you watch that game. They were down by thirteen with like two minutes to go, and then they got it. They had that ball back down too with twenty seconds left. Crazy come up, didn't quite get there. Uh, Louisville has been incredible all year. I mean, this is a team that has been incredibly consistent without those two players. To me, I mean, I know, you know it's Duke still Duke whatnot. I didn't quite have the guts to bet it, But for me, I leaned Louisville all day. You can get six and a half out there, even see. To me, that would be my lean one trillion percent based off the injuries. But again, that's why you're seeing this number, and that's why it's not like five points higher. Okay, But I guess I'm saying I would rather take Louisville getting six and a half versus getting eleven with those two guys playing.
Right.
What do you think about North Carolina A cousin I talked about this earlier in this year, whether or not they should make the cut. Now that they lost to Duke in a tough fashion last night, where do you see North Carolina as far as whether they should be in or out?
I again. North Carolina to me, has been one of the most disappointing teams in college basketball this year. From what I thought they were going to be to what they were. Fourteen losses is quite a bit. I didn't love the ACC as a conference overall. To be honest, I really didn't like the top three teams. That was about it. That being said, I do think this team played better. Again, It's not saying much, but I do think they played better down the stretch after they got blown out by Duke. I think down the stretch they only really had I think one loss last ten or so. I thought they played much better. I leaned yes for them. I have them in my field personally, but it's going to be tight. It's going to be tight. But I actually do think they I used it would deserve loosely, but I do think they deserve.
A bit I got.
We got about thirty seconds, forty five seconds.
Who else? Anything else you got today?
NBA? NBA. Look, we saw that four point play right with Tyree Howiburton against the Bucks the other day. Now back to that game for more Indiana Flying as the Sixers game. They was lost crazily with the Sixers playing no one. I did bet the Bucks minus five. I have no problem with them with the money line minus two hundred. I think they get their revenge over the Pacers today. And a couple of props. Michael Beasley Lake Beasley forty nine and nineteen over thirteen and a half points. So no reason not to keep playing. A guy hasn't playing incredibly well all year.
I like it all brain enjoyed the round ball, Buddy good.
I appreciate you, buddy. All right, I'll speak you guys next week. Be good and good luck everyone.
Thank there he is the brain, all right, fig great stuff man, I love it. I'm off to go coach the the All Stars beautiful.
That's the luck to you and the kids.
Man. Should be fun.
Thanks, thanks buddy. All Star game today, so looking forward to it. Uh, my brother always love hanging with you. Great stuff. Man, really enjoyed it.
Likewise, appreciate her brother. There goes a cuz.
Anthony Gargano Here on Fox Sports Saturday, The Fellas with Anthony Gargano Kevin Figure sitting in for Jason Fitz, will come back and wrap things up. Coming up next here on Fox Sports Radio, bring you put Mark.
Up to this didn't you.
Absolutely the fellas on Fox Sports Radio, Kevin figures Anthony Gargano had to take off a little bit early coaching his son's All Star game after they just won the championship earlier this week.
So congrats the Cauz and his son on that.
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You can preregister now and then be sure to fill out your bracket between Sunday night and Thursday morning before the games begin at Fox Sports Radio dot com. It's all sponsored by Tractor Supply for Life. Out here, I'm talking to Debrie during the commercial break and she said, Hey, what are you doing this weekend?
She asked me what's going on with my family?
And I was like, ah, I might take my son to the aquarium, you know, if the weather's nice.
What have you?
And I ask her, bree what are you up to? And she says she has her her mom.
And her mom's boyfriend and his son are in town and they're coming over to breeze house. And Brie said, they're getting ready to celebrate what exactly.
Bri this holiday called Christmas? Christmas?
Christmas?
Yes on March, Fie, Yes, that is correct.
Please explain to me.
Yeah, how are you celebrating Christmas in March?
Okay, So it's funny story. So he's actually a firefighter, my mom's boyfriend's son. He's a firefighter, and he actually lives in like like Bakersfield, I think, yeah, Bakersfield, and I obviously live out here, and and it just schedules like we just couldn't go find a weekend or time and he was actually going to come down and I was actually off for like, you know a few hours. So from like four to six pm today, we are going to have Christmas and exchange gifts and have pizza and that I mean, we're not gonna have like Tamali's Like, it's not going to be like really, Christmas are all like.
Singing carols like white Christmas.
And no, we're just gonna exchange Christmas gifts.
I mean, okay, you can't say that there's been a period of time you haven't seen some family to be like, oh, like it's this is your birthday, Like oh you're Chris or you know Christmas.
I mean birthday is one thing. A belated birthday or.
Early transfer Christmas? Thank you Mark, you can for Christmas. No, Christmas is only in December. Correct, there's a Christmas could be moved.
There's a Christmas season for a reason, bree. You know, everybody's bright and cheery, and depending on the part of the country or world that you live in, there's snow and there's carols and there's all that.
Going to throw everybody off.
Is going to be crazy in the neighborhood.
Where is actually snow happening in the mountains? Like from I have it from my view, did you leave.
Your Christmas decorations up in anticipation of this event?
That's ridiculous. I am, oh, that's ridiculous.
Oh yes, six stangy Christmas gifts.
No Mars no, absolutely not no.
But it's no yeah, no, but at least it's that you know, the family get Should I just say it get together? Should I just be like just to be more formally politically correct.
Being politically correct. It's just, first of all, I think ethnic arganda.
We'll call this a violation for sure, violation.
No one's in the Christmas spirit and March okay, okay. I was looking forward to the spring.
The spring. Okay, so it's like a spring Christmas.
Yeah, you know so.
Dave Week's great marketing manager at our local affiliate AM five seventy LA Sports and at Fox Sports Radio, had this great idea some years ago. He called it Christmas in July, and we were doing a bunch of giveaways, a bunch of different prizes for the radio station. But as part of the promotion, they had us play Christmas music. We had to play white Christmas when it was one hundred and two degrees outside. People were not feeling it. Needless to say, we scrapped that idea within about two minutes, because it's sacrilege. You do not celebrate Christmas in July. Bre you do not give away Christmas gifts into a Christmas and gift exchange in March.
The songs gonna make you feel cold, Okay, yeah, exactly.
What about Christmas music?
Because I had issues after December twenty sixth I thought there should be zero Christmas music.
That was my thing, and my aunt was pissed at me.
Wait, so Anthony agreed that you should disagree and that Christmas music should continue after December twenty.
Yep, No, I got Chris.
Look, I got this look, and I tried to tell people about it, and I still got a look from somebody in the studio that's talking to you right now.
Really, no, you can't play Chris once Christmas is over. Christmas is over.
That's it.
If you want to love Christmas Day, if you want to leave the decorations up until New Year's Day, then perfectly fine, do what you need to do. But Christmas is over on December twenty fifth at midnight or December twenty six at midnight.
It's over at that point in time.
Yeah. I sound like a Grench though? Is that what it is?
Tiny?
Bet?
Tiny bet do I a little bit?
Just sounds just fine. I got this look when I tried to play, you know, play certain songs, and they got it.
Was it was horrible.
Yeah, look, I certainly understand you want to be in a cheery spirit. You're around family and friends you haven't seen in a while. I understand it's great, but you can't celebrate Christmas in March. That's a giant violation. Thank you, guys, Fox Sports Radio. Talk to you next time.
