The Herd with Colin CowherdHe also talks to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts about the greatness of Shohei Ohtani and the challenge of trying to win back-to-back World Series
The Steelers probably won't fire Mike Tomlin even though their offense is outdated
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Here we go, it's our two and a Friday. One of my favorite people, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, is going to be stopping by. They're playing well now. They have dealt with a ton of injuries, a lot to the pitching staff. J Mac, You know, I was thinking about this as we watch these tea. I think it's pretty fun. The Pacers and the Knicks Minnesota. Who knows that. I think, OKAYC is going to go back home and win. But to me, I know these aren't the biggest brands, and I was thinking about this this morning. Is two teams that get lumped together a lot, the Lakers with Lebron and the Warriors with Steph and the reason being two West Coast teams. They often play on Christmas. Iconic stars and well known co stars Luca and Jimmy Butler. But I was thinking about this yesterday. I think I was a little hard on the Warriors yesterday. They're old, but I do think they're in a better spot than the Lakers. First of all, one has Steve Kerr and one doesn't. I think Kerr in series coaching is about the best coach. I mean, I think he's Phil Jackson. I think he's as good at in game coach. And there's a lot of good ones. Pop was great. I think one has JJ Reddick, who could be really good, and one has Steve Kerr. Advantage Warriors. The other thing is the warriors last two draft picks can both play and both fit in really well. POD's is a starter, it's a good draft pick, and Quinton post is a rotational guy. But neither one is overwhelmed. And they have a trade piece in Jonathan Kaminga. Now the Lakers have one and often reportedly, you know they only want a star for him. I don't think you're getting a star for Austin Reeves. But here was Steph Curry talking about the future of the Warriors.
Our contracts are me, Draymond, Steve, Jimmy all two years and we want this ride. The lasts as long as possible. But it's just about what does this team need for next year. That's all I really focused on right now, and I'm excited about it because there's clarity, although there are a lot of decisions that need to be made over the summer.
Okay, I saw a story this morning. I think it was Bobby Marks, a guy I respect, Hey, keep your eye on brook Lopez. I'm like, he's thirty seven. We've already got two thirty five and thirty seven. We don't need another. But I do think they need a big and another wing defender. And they're going to sign and trade Kaminga, So they're gonna get a good piece for Kaminga. He's he's played really well last three games of that series when Steph was off the floor. He just doesn't fit into that offense. Pods does, Quinton Post does. And so they got a great coach, a great star, they got a Batman and a Robin. They've got two young guys, and they have a trade piece. I think the key is getting a big doesn't have to be a dominant big, and they've got to get a pretty high to me, a high end big or a high end wing piece, but they're gonna have to part with Kaminga, and they're gonna have to part I mean maybe with a Moses Moody or whatever it is contractually. But Jimmy Butler talked about he thinks the future is brighter than a lot of critics do.
I still think that we have a lot of great basketball left ahead of us, don't. I don't think this age saying is anything. The way that everybody's taking care of their bodies doing right, I think the potential is there. So with this full season we got coming up ahead and I think we'll be able to find out.
Yeah. So I don't think the Lakers are in this good a position. I don't think they have Steve Kerr. I don't think they want to part with Austin Reeves, where the Warriors absolutely want to part with Cominga, so they'll sign and trade him. I think both Steph and Jimmy Butler are complete, absolute workaholics and grinders. I think Luke could gets your buckets. And I think Lebron's older than Steph. So I going forward and so far, Mike Dunlavy replacing Bob Myers has done a really good job as a GM his last two picks have been really, really good. Both guys can play. I mean, one guy comes from the Netherlands, which doesn't have a history of a lot of great NBA guys. That's a great pick. And you know, POD's just growing in confidence. So I think the Warrior's future is brighter than the Lakers, and a lot of it comes with they have played Cominga enough to know it doesn't work here. And I think Austin Reeves is a more consistent player than Kaminga. Cominga is the longer, better athlete. But the Lakers don't want to trade with Austin Reeves, so they could get real precious on that. I mean, the Warriors know like we're gonna move, We're gonna move Kaminga. It just doesn't work in this ecosystem. So I don't know. I just I look at the I look at the West, and if you tell me, Kerr, Jimmy Butler, POD's post, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and a really legitimate B plus player. I don't know if they're going to dominate in the West, but I will say with the NBA allowing this level of physical play, you don't have to be as pretty and Butler's a defender, and Draymond's a defender, and Kerr's a good defensive coach despite being more of an offensive guy as a player. So I you know, I think it comes down to, you know, who do they get for kaminga in the sign and trade? You know, listen, the league is less mobile than it was five to ten years ago, but everybody's looking to make trades. And I also think one of the things that one of the things to think about is with all these teams now overachieving, at least in the eyes of many, the Knicks, the Pacers, the t Wolves, Denver, with all these teams sort of overachieving, I think gms think to themselves, if I can get like a McHale Bridges level player, I don't need to ramp, I don't need Giannis. If I can get a McHale Bridges and I have the right coach and the right star in Jalen Brunson, I can get to the conference finals. So to watch some of these lower seeds win, I think it's really encouraging for teams that maybe like we're playing teams or one and done teams. It's like the next are proving I mean, they the Pacers are, although the Pacers were underrated all year, but they're all proving it. Dave Roberts around the corner Dodgers manager last night. Otani did it again on Bobblehead Night. I also thought this was kind of noteworthy. Is Dave ready to go? All right? Let's bring him in? One of our favorite guys. Dave Roberts ten years Dodger manager's two World Series championships last five years. You know, I think I said earlier today that Tiger Woods, Lebron James, and O'tani are the only athletes in my life that came in hyped and have exceeded it. I think Lebron surpassing Magic Johnson and assists and Kareeman points is exceeding the hype with Otawi. How do it's weird to say, manager, coach? What do you do when you have the greatest baseball player probably ever suggest things? Is it? I mean, what is it like to manage a Tiger in his prime, a Lebron in his prime?
I think it's one of those things that it's an interesting question. And number one is you try to stay out of the way as much as possible and not intervene.
That's number one.
But I also think that you got to just treat these guys like everyone else. And I think that they really watch closely that you don't try to treat them any differently. But there's different in the sense of what they earn that right, But for the most part, I treat him just like anyone else, but col him. Yeah, I agree. It's just like you know Tiger what he did? You know Lebron the expectation and you can probably say maybe Michael, but there's not many people. And now you're talking about show Hay on a global scale, like and he's really the only player I've ever seen that's moved and needle with baseball.
Yeah, no, it's it's baseball's in a good spot right now. I mean, Aaron Judge is putting up cartoon numbers. Oh, Tawny, two huge brands. A lot of the best players are in the best spots, now you well, O Tawny on Bobblehead Night, hits two home runs and has six RBIs give me a sense of the personality of the dugout. Are players amazed? Are they laughing? I mean, this kid literally on Bobblehead Nights in games in which the world is watching is better, Like what is the reaction or the chemistry like in the dugout at a night like last night, it's.
It's laughing, it really is.
I think that you know his bibblehead night, Homers, and I would say his on base plus slug as ops with the biblehead is probably two thousand, it seems.
Like to Homers every time. No, but Colin, it's unbelievable.
Like any big moment, there's just you know, it's like Michael taking the last shot Tiger, He's gonna make this putt. That doesn't always happen, but this guy seems like every single time there's a big moment, a big spot anticipation, he delivers. And it's just with baseball where you just can't dictate all the time. It's just it's really uncanny and like I said, laughable, I guess is my answer.
What's the hardest I mean, we know you've got a great roster. What's the hardest part about managing a really great roster?
I think understanding. I think the hardest thing is having these guys want for more, always kind of having some type of carrot and at the end of the day, trying to find something that's bigger than them, because players are motivated by different things, whether it's celebrity, it's money, it's the Hall of Fame. But if you can get these guys ultimately having a consistent message that it's not just about them, they will get their flowers and their notoriety, but it's about for us. It's winning a baseball game each day and winning a championship and now potentially creating a legacy for the Dodgers.
You know, it's interesting, your guys R and D has been great, your analytics, you're ahead of the curve a little like the Warriors in the NBA. It's a really smart organization top down. But the pitching injuries, Snell glassnow, it's just it's all over baseball. Tommy John surgeries have exploded over the last decade. And you know, I read about this stuff and a lot of people are saying the reason being all through baseball, Dodger issue, it's a sports issue. Is that the answer to everything now is throw harder. We'll replace in the fifth or sixth inning. And I'm just going to throw that out as a theory because it's not just the Dodgers it's everywhere with pitching injuries. Is the problem now that the instruction of baseball as guys throw as hard as you can every pitch, because that's one of the theories out there about the increase in pitching injuries.
Yeah, I think that's fair. I do.
And the unfortunate thing is that it's starting in you know, middle school. You know kids that are eleven twelve playing travel ball. And I'm not trying to deem travel ball, because I will say that the players are better than ever. But right now we're in a culture where so as hard as you can, go as hard as you can for as long as you can, the compensation is for strikeout, swing and miss. And so if you're a player, you're going, okay, what's my compensation where the value is not you know, going seven innings, giving up four runs, tho one hundred and twenty pitches, it's potentially on four or five innings, striking out eight or nine guys, and that's my compensation. And with that, you know, you're throwing as hard as you possibly can every pitch, ripping breaking balls you're gonna break, And that's unfortunate what's happening. So I can't argue with the player as far as the competition piece of it, the compensation and also the organization. You're trying to compete and win, and so to have a guy, you know, temper back and throw eighty five percent of his potential velocity to not get out, that doesn't sound too appealing either. But the industry, the breakdown, the injuries, it is unfortunate because you do want to see the best players out there. So I appreciate you saying it's certainly not a Dodger thing. It's an industry, I think, And how are we going to combat that? I don't know the answer.
Yeah.
No, I've been reading about this because I knew you were coming on, and I'm like, it's everywhere you know, it's Clayton Kershaw is going to have a season debut tomorrow. And I mean there's an argument. I think it's a fair Argument's Sandy Kofax. I mean, he is in this era, he's the Sandy Kofax and he doesn't have to He's got a pile of money, he's got success rings, and Clayton he wants to be part of this magic and what does he ad give me? Stuff? I don't see in the locker room, on the team plane, in in in your office off days. What does he add?
Man? You and I got to go have a beer at some point because I just love this conversation.
You know, Clayton.
Adds certainly a track record. He adds toughness compete. I was actually telling my wife last night, We're talking about Clayton pitching, and I was like, I just can't wait to see him get back out on the mount and watch that compete where every single throw is conviction and he's just not going to be denied. And he puts in the work and for me, and he is like a different person than when I had him in sixteen. He's a father now of four or five kids, and he's got a different perspective. Right he sees the finish line now he's chasing three thousand. But when he gets out there, he's just an absolute beast. And I do believe that he is the modern day Sandy Kofex where there is no self promotion. He doesn't want any media, but obviously being a great pitcher, first ballot Hall of Fame, he's going to get it. But he just wants to be a part of this team, wants to help us win, and he just loves competing. So for me, We're going to see him on Saturday, and I just can't wait to see that kind of toughness, that fight, that compete, because that resonates with everybody and it raises the bar for all of us.
You know, It's funny. Final question if people always complain the NBA is too long, and I'm like, try being a baseball manager. It's double and your plan outdoors and it's in the heat, and there's pitching injuries. Do you forget the players for a second? How do you stay fresh? This is a lot of games, it's all you know what I mean, You're in a lot of nice hotels. I get it, but it is it is groundhog Day? How do you make sure it's not and that you bring energy every night to this roster that needs it needs energy, it needs guidance.
It does, it does, and when you're playing a marathon of one sixty two, I think the thing is to keep guys motivated each day. That's probably the biggest challenge and my thing I love most. I realized probably three years ago that I wanted to do this longer term, and fortunately I signed an extension, and at that point in time, I realized I got a poor into myself because us as coaches and managers, I tell our guys all the time, we're not allowed to have bad days. You know, players can do that, but not us. And so I have found a way to pour more into myself, my faith being number one and number two. I like to play golf and I had the good fortune plan Augusta National this road trip as far as well as Pine Valley.
So it was a pretty good road trip for me.
And I think for me is when I get out there and hit the ball around, I come in more energize because I've kind of filled my cup and the players certainly feel that. And that's kind of how I've done to kind of take care of myself a little bit.
But Colin, honestly, I love players.
I love the game of baseball, and so it's fun for me to go to work each day.
Can you hit a fairway wood? Because I can't.
You know what, I can? Not great, but I can. But I'm just saying I can't. I didn't say I can hit it well, but yes I can't.
You're the one guy on the planet not on the tour that can. Dave Roberts, it's great seeing you. Thanks man, you're the man.
Colin take care. Thanks for having me on.
Oh, of course, of course, Dave Roberts. Who is you know, it's it's you know, you think, oh, the big payroll. I'm gonna tell you something. Folks. Try coach in the Philadelphia Eagles. Oh, they all these good players, Yeah, they run through coaches. Doug Peterson went to Super Bowl. He's gone, like, you coach an SEC team, you win a national championship. Jeanie Chiswick Auburn out two years later, like there's a lot of pressure to manage the Dodgers, and he's just got such a nice temperament and reminds me a little bit of Joe Tory, who for years was managing the a Rod Jeter relationship. Everybody's like, oh, Tory, there's a reason he had Don Zimmer on the bench with him. It was more than just baseball. You were managing a lot in the New York media and the New York talk shows and A Rod and Derek Jeter to get a guy a Rod who was arguably the best shortstop. I'm gonna go play third. You don't think you have to manage that on a weekly basis, and the tabloids absolutely. We got Ian O'Connor, by the way, New York Times bestselling author. He writes great books, his Skryzhevsky book, his Belichick book. I got some questions on Belichick with Ian O'Connor, some insight because I've kind of I'm in on an island here. I'm kind of supporting Belichick a little bit. I think the family stuff is a little transparent.
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Since twenty nineteen. The last five years, they are twenty ninth in offensive touchdowns the Pittsburgh Steelers. Only the Jets, Giants and Panthers are worse. So it just it feels like and they lost their left tackle, their star running back, and one of their receivers and quarterback, so it's going to be a mess. So count me as somebody predicting the Steelers are not going to make the playoffs and not going to win a playoff game for the ninth consecutive year. And it's remarkable because you have Burrow and Lamar Jackson in your division, so you're seeing great quarterback play. I'll give Cleveland credit. They take swings. I don't agree with the swings, but they take swings. You know. That's just not what Pittsburgh is. So I think it'll be the ninth season without winning a playoff game. The gold standard is the mold standard. We call them the Pittsburgh Stailers. It's just a just an outdated offense. It looks very nineteen nineties. They can't figure the old line out. But you know, I've always found it weird. I don't think they would fire Mike Tomlin, but the idea that he couldn't be fired. We're firing Andy Reid and Bill Belichick. So Tom Landry got fired, you know. But Pittsburgh just doesn't do that. And you know, and say this for green Bay. Green Bay is a smaller market by far than Pittsburgh, and they've had to run coaches out, so it's I'm not anti smaller market in green Bay. I'll make the argument green Bay has done a better job in my in the last twenty five years. They have drafted o line and quarterback better than everybody. They never draft old linemen in the first round, and they always have a lead offensive lines or at least top ten od lines, so they do it right. Pittsburgh is just they just feel they just feel really outdated. But for Ryan Clark to come out and say he's grown stale, I mean, that's this and there may be some agreement in the building. I would not be surprised if the Rooneyes haven't told Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin, listen, if we're bad this year, to get a quarterback next year, you're safe. And I don't think that's generally a bad thing, but I don't know. I look at that schedule once again, it's got a really rough stretch. Aaron Rodgers I think makes them viable. But Aaron at this point is just not I mean, I think with Aaron they can win nine games. I think without him they win six to seven. I think Aaron's worth about a game, maybe two, But I don't think a ton more. I think when you go to Pittsburgh, I think you're fighting a culture, and you know, I don't think one of the things if I was Aaron Rodgers I would have to think about, is you lost your left tackle you don't do O line right. I'm like forty one. I don't want to get hit. I mean one of the things when Brady went to New England, remember Peyton Manning went to Denver, they had the old line right. Stafford to La they had the O line right. When Brady went to New England, what was her first draft or went to Tampa. What was Tampa's first draft pick, Tristan Wurfs. They had to get the right tackle right. They had left tackle. They were okay, very good interior, and then he wanted Gronk. So older quarterbacks don't want to get hit and Pittsburgh Steeler quarterbacks get hit. J McK with the news, no, no turns.
This is the herd line news, Colin.
One of the reasons I love working with you is you and I both loved the WNBA. Now that Caitlin Clark is there in the season tips off this weekend, how about this, Colin? The league is so smart, and remember you blasted them last year for the scheduling.
They have lined it up.
So Kaitlyn Clark's Indiana Fever face Angel Reese's Chicago sky tomorrow and how lucky are they call it the NBA has no playoff games tomorrow. There's Friday and Sunday, so the WNBA is all alone Saturday.
This is great.
WNBA commissioned Kathy Engelbert called Clark the most popular athlete in America. I think there's some dispute on that one. But she did win Rookie of the Year WNBA, All WNBA, she was an All Star, was fourth in MVP voting. Listen, I know the league. We haven't talked about it a lot on the show prior to last year. But as you said, as you'd like to say, when things change and you get new information, I changed due and I know you're kind of fired up about this.
Yeah, No, I said, this is that I think we had. I counted last year at one point somewhere between like eight and twelve times I either led with the WNBA Caitlin Clark story or it was in my first hour. And as you well know, behind the curtain, this is boring to the audience, so I won't spend a lot of time on it. Sean McVay once he didn't play any starters in the preseason, and everybody followed him. August is a really dead month for us. I mean the or Sanders could be the story of August. Kenny Pickett was the story once of August. So we're looking for some late July and August. It used to be NFL preseason. Tom tom Brady would plan it, Eyton Manning would plan it. Nobody does, and so I think there's an opening in the sports market. I think baseball. We do way more baseball now in August because the NFL really didn't start till Labor Day weekend or the weekend after. And I think WNBA fills in nicely, and I think it's interesting the league they I don't think the league was intentional enough. I don't think they realized how good she was going to be and how popular, Like the Taylor Swift Tour, the Ears Tour, You're like everybody knew, oh oh yeah, tickets are selling out in eight minutes. I don't think the WNBA quite understood the interest tsunami that was going to happen. So I love the intention here. They're like going, Okay, let's not wait, because last year they butchered it. Remember they gave her the heart schedule in the league. The team was, she was getting beat up, the team was overwhelmed. So they give the WNBA credit. They were slow, but they figured it out.
Now, so forty one of the Fevers forty four regular season games are gonna be on TV. They're starting to get it. They got the memo that, hey, it matters. I had a WNBA writer on my podcast. He said, at the athletic this offseason, they were doing WNBA moves. Usually doesn't do any traffic Indiana Fever moves.
Coaching hires were doing monster traffic. You know this.
You have a podcast, this show. I'm just telling you, guys, Catler Clark matters.
WNBA. It's relevant now, and it's it's gonna be a big story this summer.
Next up, Colin, let's go to the NBA last night, Questionable coaching by okac's Mark Dannel. He left SGA inn late in the first half with three fouls and he picked up his fourth. Denver proceeded to go on a twelve Dozhon run, which was huge and you know, obviously, okay, see kind of that that costed.
Reason record and OKAC was a dominant regular season team. I'm not the best player in the world right now, is Yokichi has been for four to five years. I didn't. You know, Listen, he's not the first coach to do that. Secondly, when you're on you don't do that at home. But I think when you're on the road and it's a close out game. We talk about this all the time in baseball. You manage the National League Championship Series or the ALCS differently than you do Game eighty you know, eighty four in July. And so I'm on the road, it's a close out game. I'm not resting my guy and letting them catch up. Now they did, but I think I just think we have to be reasonable. You don't coach the same way. It's circumstantial, and so we can all beat up this coach. He obviously knows what he's doing, and it happens sometimes. It happens. You see, college coaches have this all the time. You get you have like one star player in college as your entire offense, and you know you can't pull a Zack's Eedy out because he is so dominant. So I'm not gonna crush a coach for that.
All right, how about this one? Did you have you had a chance to look at the line for Game seven, Sun.
Guests, let me guess, let me guess. Okay se minus four and a half?
Wow? Way off?
Okay See minus seven and a half is where this game Game seven in Oka See and they're favored by seven and a half. Now, most of the home games in the series they've been favored by like nine, ten to eleven. Okay, seven and a half feels a little bit high for a Game seven featuring the best player on the planet. I'm not endorsing any gambling on this one, but it would have to be okay see or pass right.
I'm sorry Denver passed it.
Oh yeah, I would take By the way, Gordon's healthy, right.
He got dinged hamstring got we gotta see.
I mean he pulled up with the hamstring and we know that could be a significant injury, but he didn't play.
Jamaal Murray was a hero last night. This guy was sick. He played great.
Final story, Colin is we got to go to the Patriots.
So what the audience needs to know is when you get high on a team, we're gonna ride them. So there's gonna be a lot of Patriots coverage on the show here. And Drake May's a big reason. Former Patriot Drew Bloodsoe knows a little thing about playing quarterback. He said that Drake May, wait, do you hear this comparison?
It's such a great weapon and something quite honestly, I'm a little bit jealous of. It can really break the back of a defense because you know, when you have a you know, a defensive, you know, play on third down and we're looking for some third downs right here where you cover everybody, everybody's covered, You've done your job, and then all of a sudden the quarterback pulls it down, runs and gets a first down. That that's really disheartening to a defense. I mean, you watch Pat Mahomes every you know, it seems like every game, you know, at the end of a game, you know, Pat would make one big play running the ball, and it just always seemed like in crunch time he pull it down and run for that first down. That was just a pathbreaker. And I think Drake May has the ability to do that.
Yeah, I mean, the comp was always justin Herbert. I think Herbert was more find more starts coming out of Oregon. But I think it the size, the arm, the movement. I think I think when you when you watch him play, you see Herbert. He just again he had to clean some stuff up that Herbert was his mechanics were better. But I listen you when you spend three hundred million on eleven draft picks, upgrade coach quarterback year two, yeah, three hundred and fifty million in free agency or thereabouts, like they're going to be a much better team.
So interesting.
Our staff was able to dig up some numbers in rushing last year between Drake By and the guy that Bledsoe just mentioned, Patrick Mahomes.
Are you ready for this column? This is just rushing last year, Drake.
May was significantly a more effective runner than Mahomes.
Now.
I know May was running for his life often because they had a billion different.
Offensive line combos. But he is kind of like I.
Know people like hate when I say that, deceptively athletic for his size. You mentioned Herbert. That's a great comp Listen. I hate the pay risk because I'm the Jets fit. I like Drake Bank. This is kind of like a Celtics thing with Tatum. I don't like Boston, but I like Tatum. I like this kid, Drake Bank. I think you're onto something with them being a potential wildcard team in the AFC next year.
Thanks to Drake NK.
Yeah, and I think they are absolutely J Mack with the news.
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The.
Herdline News Ian O'Connor last hour, also tomorrow's headlines. Today we are just starting. It's the Herd.
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You know, we were talking about expectations. I think Bryce Harper has met expectations. I thought he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and he's been an unbelievable player. He's got a good social media stuff. I think he's met expectations. He is. He is an all time great player. I think Tiger surpassed him. I think Lebron surpassed him, and I think Otani has surpassed him. And it did help him moving from Angels and Dodgers they play this weekend because now he's surrounded by better hitters and he gets you know, he gets better pitches. But last night's you know another great example, it's it's Bobblehead night, and he once again delivers on his own Bobblehead night with two Jackson six RBIs and here's the blast and Dave Roberts earlier on him.
On a two o Otani launches a ball the other way, headed towards the seat set is gone. A three run home runs from schauvi Otani. It's been runs for the Dodgers in three.
Any It's laughable, it really is.
I think that you know, his Babblehead Night homers and I would say is on base plus slug as ops with the babblehead is probably two thousand. It seems like he homer's every time any big moment, there's just you know, it's like Michael taking the last shot Tiger, He's gonna make this putt. That doesn't always happen, but this guy feels like every single time there's a big moment of big spot anticipation, he delivers. And it's just with baseball where you just can't dictate all the time. It's just it's really uncanny, and like I said, laughable, I guess is my answer.
You know, it's I think the media. I think it's a fair criticism of the media that they overhype things. You know, it's it's I don't know how the tariffs are going to play out, but from what I'm reading, it will end the American economy. But I don't think. I don't think the sports media generally puts Otani, Tiger Lebron labels on players incorrectly. Again, Bryce Harper has lived up to expectations. I think Otwani's greater than we thought. Lebron surpassing magic and assists in Kareeman points is greater than we thought. But generally and it doesn't happen very often. I can remember a soccer player, Freddie Adou that that was where the media just missed. But I think a lot of that is the American sports media so desperately wanted to have a soccer star, and we hadn't had a soccer star. I think Christian Poolisic has met, maybe not surpassed, but he's certainly met the hype. I think I think he's our great offensive either goal scorer or setup man, and I think in big matches overseas, world Cups. I think when he's not on the pitch, we're not the same. We're not the same United States national team. So but but I mean, I think Eric Lindross, Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin was one of the hockey's had. About every four or five years you'll get an international hockey guy or a Canadian hockey guy, and I think they've overwhelmingly lived up to the hype. But you know, in a strange way, does it help Otani that he comes from another country and you know, isn't speaking our language. It Let's be honest, there are limits he has to have. You know, the interpreter around him probably helps him a little bit from the day to day sit around the batting cage and be engulfed in American media, that may help him a little bit. But it's just he's just remarkable. He is and what he does. A Rod did this when he went to the Yankees. Yankees were already drawing well, but he made like Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday games at Yankee Stadium feel like events. We live in an event culture now. That's why the NBA playoffs will get a number and the regular season won't. The regular season doesn't feel special. Adam Silver has made a real effort to do that. In season tournament they change the color of the courts and it's got a lot of critics, and my thing is it does feel different. It doesn't the players take it seriously. When I'm watching and see a per court, I'm like, oh oh, oh, yeah, yeah, it's it's one of those in season tournament games. Give Adam so, I just appreciate the effort. Like I think we've seen something with base I got to give rob Manfred credit. Baseball's made two or three moves. They've gotten pushed back on all of them, and they've all worked the pitch clock, the bigger bases, the defensive shift, they're going to go to robots potentially behind the plate. I'm fine with it. They've all worked. Adam Silver deserves a lot of credit. He got seventy six billion dollars. Seventy six billion dollars and the ratings were not up, and he got another He got a streaming giant Amazon. He got NBC, which really I'm not sure how NBC is going to make a profit on that. And NBC's promos have been great. Round Ball Rock John Tesh They've been great, but that's not his responsibility. Adam's job is to get seventy six billion, not to make it work fiscally for the networks. And I think I actually think our commisions right now are really good. I think Goodell, Rob Manfred has been right on so much. But we don't like authoritative figures. We don't like leaders. Canada didn't like Trudeau. Our presidents are popular, Our commissioners aren't. Our CEO's aren't. We just don't. We're just in a time nobody's popular. But I think by and large they listen. I'm looking at this show, Hey Otani, four games in which it's been Otani Bobblehead night, He's batting four forty with four home runs, eight RBIs and three stolen bases. Guys, just he's an all time talent. The utter story that we have is I was talking earlier about when you talk Lakers, you think Warriors. You know, huge brand West coach, Lebron and Steph. The league puts them on in Christmas, and I think I think the Warriors are actually in a much better spot. First of all, they have Steve Kerr and the Lakers have a very very young, aspirational driven coach, but he's not Steve Kerr. Secondly, Jimmy Butler and staff as your two stars are both workaholics and grinders. Lebron's in his forties, he has taken nights off, and Luca doesn't really play defense and is not in the greatest shape. The utter thing is the last two draft picks by the Warriors, Pods and Post. Quentin Post are good players. One starts, one's rotational. They don't feel overwhelmed. They also have a trade piece they'll sign in trade Jonathan Kaminga and they'll get something for him, hopefully size and hopefully another wing athlete. I do feel like the Warriors are a playoff team next year. I saw this morning at brook Lopez suggestion duty's thirty seven. We can't do that. Whereas I said this, I think the Lakers are in a little bit of trouble because they really don't want to part with Austin Reeves. And I agree with Bill Plasky's a very popular writer for the La Times. I don't know how you get better without it. I just don't know how you do it. So you have to move off players. The Warriors are moving offcoming everybody in the building agrees. Half the people in the Laker building don't think they should move off Austin Reeves at least that's their positioning. So here, let's start with Steph Curry on the future of the Warriors.
Our contracts are all me, Draymond, Steve, Jimmy all two years and we want this ride the last as long as possible. But it's just about what is this team need for next year. That's all I really focused on right now, and I'm excited about it because there's clarity. Although there are a lot of decisions that need to be made over.
The summer, I still think that we have a lot of great basketball left ahead of us.
I don't.
I don't think this au thing is anything. The way that everybody's taking care of their bodies doing right, I think the potential is there. So this full season we got coming up ahead, think we'll be able to find out.
Now the NBA, Adam Silver doesn't want dynasties. He win't. He wants to make it harder to trade again. Silver's made some good moves NBA Playoffs more physical. It takes away some of the three point parade importance. The other thing is we got different champions every year. Adam Silver wants that he wants more inclusion. The editor thing, it's harder to make trades. But we're going to have a Yannis deal, potentially a KD deal, Potentially Kamingo will get a better player to a big market. And there's there's rumors the Lakers is going to be hyper aggressive. So I don't know. My takeaway is, I think the Warriors are in a better spot. Listen, if I have Steve Curran, you have JJ Reddick, I'm a better I'm in a better spot than you, There's no question about that.
Let's settle down with this blow up the Lakers.
We need to make all these move Let me just remind folks they were a top four team in the West, Okay, who'd almost finished second in the West with only having Luca for half a season. Called I think the Lakers troubles are overblown. As for the Warriors, I would agree with you. They're in a great spot. Listen, you say, hey, who could get Yannis? The Lakers are the Warriors? Well, the Lakers don't.
Really have them o.
The Warriors could package young players and draft picks and make a running Honest, I personally don't think it'll happen, but they're not far off either. The problem, as you alluded to, is the West is so young everywhere.
The Rockets are young and on the come up. The Spurs they're coming next to year.
Okay, the Mavericks with Cooper Flag, they're gonna be back. I mean like Minnesota ain't going nowhere, the Thunderer loaded. It's just the Western Conference right now. The imbalance is crazy now. Colin Adam Silver, I think he came on here and talked about expansion. Well, those are two teams that break that are coming to the West, Vegas and Seattle.
I mean, we'll see.
So there's two more teams of the West.
Yeah, probably our three next
