Nightcap - Hour 1: Lakers can’t contend, Ingram leaves $40M on table, Travis Kelce retiring?

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OH Show. The Lakers lose big in Utah.

After dismantling Utah just a few days ago, they mose by twelve, snapping the six game win streak they headed til they all start breaked. Thirty two twenty Alex the Lakers side Alex Lynn seven foot tall, two hundred and fifty pounds of sorryness.

But the big old that was hell. That wasn't what was in there. I just read that just came to it.

The Lakers needed much size of the fisicality, which he did not provide. After the Knicks trade with Mark Williams and the Charlotte Hornets, they wage Christian Woods to create an open roster spot. He missed the season after recovering from off season surgery. But tonight was a tough first start for Alex Land, who did not do a whole lot. Got some good cardio in other than that, twenty two minutes, two of five, two offensive ReBs, so he had seven

But they didn't. They didn't defend.

And when you don't defend it, you don't shoot the ball, well, you end up going down by twenty four to twenty six points. He end up losing by twelve. But the game really wasn't closed. Don't let the final score fool you. The game was not dis close, all right.

But listen, the Lakers as opposed to the last game. As opposed to the last game, the Lakers came out flat. They came out flat. They played very uninspired. Obviously, Jackson Hayes only getting seven minutes having what maybe four points were but the four to six points something like.

Yeah, yeah, four points in three minutes.

Ever since he where ever, since he was out of the game, I think he's the only defending presidents that could really be inside the paint and be able to defend to some extent. After that, it was just a god damn layup line basically for the Utah Jazz layup anddults.

Hey, how many longs?

How many loves did you see? I mean they throw a log from out of back. It was love city. It was love city now.

Also, one of the things you have to notice about this game too, When the Jazz played the Lakers, the first time, they turned the ball over I think maybe eighteen nineteen plus times.

This game, they were able to protect the ball a little bit more.

They didn't have as many turnovers, and obviously with the Lakers coming out as flat as they did and the Jazz being efficient as they were from the line, I forgot.

I think Collier had twenty Uh what was it? Why you say LRD marketing?

Well, yeah, marketing and Young Bull was balling man, yeah, yeah, yeah, Young Young Bull was balling.

Yeah.

He versatile, he could score, he can rebound, he can facilitate, yeah he I mean he's been an All Star, he's been an All Star. We know Jordan Clarks again who heating up with the best of them. John Collins had a nice game tonight, seventeen points, eight rebounds and assists, two blocks. But uh, yeah, you could tell early on the show the way the Lakers came out. They came out really with no enthusiasm. They didn't defend. Uh, they didn't attack the basket. They look at the free throws.

Yeah, I mean, listen, Lucas is gonna take luc a little minute to get going, Yeah, to get this rhythm back. Also, bree, if you're gonna have games like this, you're gonna have games like this. It's hard to be on every single night. It's hard to be on it recent the night, and tonight just happened to be one of those nights where he was.

Now he had played well, he had Reeves had really played well, say, the last eight to ten ball games. He'd been really well, had a career high forty five points, and when Luca and Lebron were both out of the game, played well the other night when Luca first got there.

So yeah, he had a down night tonight. He didn't shoot the ball.

He ended up with fifteen or eleven assists, did a great job of facilitating, only had one turnover, so you can live with that. But he didn't shoot the ball well. He was one a team from the three point line. Jackson Hayes left with a facial contusion, so that's probably why you got a Land playing probably more minutes than you really wanted him to play. Koloco also got nine minutes. But they just don't have bigs. They don't have bodies to really throw at people. And the guys that they

Obviously, I think if Jackson Hayes is there, he's some type of defensive presence. Obviously with his length, Yes, he's tall, and the Lincoln just couldn't seem to keep up with the pace that Jazz had the whole game.

Well they got they you know what, they end up taking the lead because the Jazz had a little stroy a scoring drop and that's what happened.

You know, it's a game of run.

The Lakers got their run and then all of a sudden, like they relaxed, wouldn't play any defense, and lay up, lay up, dunk, lay up, three three three three three. The next thing you know, back in the game is blown wide open. Yeah, but they're gonna have to do a better job. JJ is gonna have to find a combination. Look, he's trying to he's searching right now. The three guys that you're not gonna start is probably Reeve, Luca and Lebron. Uh.

Nice little float like flow to let float in the pain. He looked he looked good.

Yeah, but he looks very comfortable, look very comfortable, very poor, very confident, especially in the shot selection.

Yeah, but that's hard for me to believe that the White House wouldn't be better than than than Alex Linn.

It's hard to be to believe. I ain't said he gonna be.

We don't need the white See people say, well, you keep talking about Dwhite. You don't need the White Howard to be Orlando Magic Dwhite Howard.

He can't, nor should you expect that from him.

But what they got, So you can't tell me the White how And can't be better than the collocual. Really, he can't be better than Alex Linn. That's all we ask him to be better than that. Not be all NBA, not be Defensive Player of the Year, not be that, just be better than that.

Okay, Okay, okay, okay, I say, I see what I'm saying. Okay, I have a question for you. Then, So, how long obviously we have to all star breaking up right now? How long has Bake just figured it out? How long had the jj F is out? What pieces he need to be able to contend each and every night?

Or you're not contending this, this team, this this roster is not built to contend. It all depends on who you get in the first round matchup you Mike and stell you Mike, and still I mean Luke and Lebron, Mike can steal it.

But that's as far as you're going.

You're not beating in the team to have You're not You're not gonna be okay, see not not with this right, You're definitely not you and you what you're gonna do with yoke? Now, Jamal Murray went crazy to night. He had fifty five. Jokich had a quiet night. They said, Jamal, I've been carrying you know, I've been doing what I do.

Take it over.

He drop fifty five and everybody knows Jamal Murray can get habachi ha.

Yeah, and he got that tonight. But no, they're not. They're not. They're not. They're not really you know, doing anything, not with this roster.

Not like I said, Lebron and Luca could probably get hot and can steal yours a series, but after that that's where the buck stops. They're not they're not good enough to really do anything. They don't defend at a high enough level. Now, they can't control the clock, they control the pace of the game. Both of these guys with the ball in their hands can control it, but

So DA they're going to the break called the loss.

But they had won sixth straight, so they win the last six or seven and uh one to one nineteen, they have to be pleased. At thirty two and twenty a lot better than what they were last year. At the All Star Game, we'll see what they do. Lucas get some time off. Lebron is the only one going to the All Star Game, so it'll be interesting to see what the guys do with their time going into the break. But I ain't like what I saw tonight. I ain't even litch it. I didn't even hold you

And listen, it's so funny how the game of basketball works. Listen, you play.

You played two three nights ago, happy, having many nice and was you come back and playing the exact same team, exact same personnel, and you come out completely flat.

You look completely different. Turnovers you did, they did, turnover and they didn't get back.

Nobody got back there loafed like babe, I ain't getting no foul, and they moping. And you know, I wish Lebron would stop doing that because sometimes, you know, he turns the ball over, he doesn't get a call that he thought he should have got bro get back and he don't.

He lagging back and then they busted three. Well, you gotta understand now he's a little older in as man, you know, having having a shoot back down that court every time the ball is turnover. When you when you say, hey, all I'm saying is don't walk.

Okay, I ain't saying you gotta be speedy gunzales, but just don't walk. Just don't walk. Give me, give me a little bit more effort because the guys are looking. You can't miss a shot. Get mad they didn't call a foul, mope down, and then transition.

Yeah, I got you, I got you.

Brandon Ingram declined one hundred and sixty million dollars with the Pelican, only to accept one hundred and twenty million dollars with the Raptors.

But listen, I have a question.

Uh, I don't know in what world Chad y'all stay with me real quick. Now, I don't know in what world whereas that bad? We leave forty million dollars on the table and choose to go somewhere else. You ain't nobody for the see and tell me. Listen, I just I just left New Orleans for a week, six six, seven days straight. You ain't gonna tell me based on what I saw in that wonderful city. Culture, the people, the food, the architecture, the history.

That's you.

You ain't playing You don't want to be there. You ain't playing basketball? What the devil is alive? Who you just saw tyree You just saw ty Reid complain making thirty two million in Miami with all that water, with all that nice web, with all the women down there, he complained.

Now you want to try again?

Not wait a minute now, now listen, Now that's apple ourtist. You talk about two different scenarios. You talk about the Tybreek Hill that just came off a season that was nothing like like he felt it should have been. You had a quarterback that gotten hurt, He wasn't get the ball like he felt he should.

He was frustrated. Stay with me. He was frustrated about for one, not putting up the numbers he should have.

Two, not getting the ball the way he should at three, he got in front of that camera before he cooled down.

That's called them rule number one.

After the game, you make sure you go take a shower and calm down before you say anything you shouldn't say before you get in front of that camera. Now, you're not gonna tell me that New Orleans is that bad, even if you do play the game of basketball to the point where you know what, I'm not coming I'm not coming back here. I'm not signing the here. I'm gonna leave forty million dollars on the table. I'm gonna go somewhere else and play for one hundred and twenty.

Not going somewhere else. He went to Canada. He went to another country because he want to win. You say, frustration. Who wants to be there? You see Zion? You think Zion want to be in New Orleans? I mean if I mean, hold on, did Anthony? Did Anthony Davis want to be in New Orleans? So I'm just trying to figure out that the players that they've had that wanted to be there. You say, you can't understand why, because

A place, some kind of way, some shape way, film form of fashion where people want to come.

He means to do what you need to do, because see it's great for you. Ojo.

If you're a tourist, I'm trying to whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa whoa.

I ain't no goddamn tourist. I'm from New Orleans. I'm from you.

A tourist, you go down there for a couple of days, you get to eat the food, you get to get. But I'm saying, these guys got to live it. They want to win. That's not that New Orleans is not conducing for winning. It's okay, that's not a knock on the city.

I got you.

But who But let me ask you a question. What big time Fridge decided with New Orleans. Oh wait, you just said take your time till we got time. We just getting started. Tell me the big time Fridge and decide of the New Orleans.

I understand what you're saying.

I understand what you're saying, but you didn't hear what I said, first, the onus is management creating an environment where people want to come to You know, there was a time where people didn't want to come to the heat. You know they was they always wanted to come to the first of all, Wait, first of all finished?

How many big only think you traded for Jimmy Butler? I mean you got Jimmy and Lebron was Lebron was? But Bron ended up being a trade. He did them a solid. They didn't get KD. They didn't get no big mother free agents. So why you over the huff for the putment took by coming to Miami?

Where win? Who? Let mean let me finish? Let me finish. Okay, there was a time where nobody wanted to come to Cincinnati. You know that.

Oh, don't nobody have a problem. They still don't. May stopped playing? Yes what big time pridgees, y'all got all of them want to come? I said, they want to come. The timely hasn't been right for them to Oo don't you say they want to come. I'm just telling you I'm not an I don't sit on no tree. I can't throw the head all the way around.

Lit put it to me.

The big the big free agents that that have been that that have been available. You listen to me, that's where they wanted to go. They just didn't say anything public and then it didn't work out in their favor.

Why didn't they go? I just told you didn't work out in their favor? Why money? So you want so?

In other words, they want to go to Cincinnati knowing they're not gonna get paid, knowing Mike Bride has been cheap, knowing the Bengals have been cheap.

They're entire they entire existed.

But I'm not really I'm just I'm just telling you. Now, Listen, who's a who's the owner? Who's the owner?

In New Orleans? Who's the owner?

The Pelicans? Miss Gail Benson, mister Benson. Wait Gail, Miss Gail Benson at Gail? Yes, Oh that man, that's cook girl.

You for real?

Yeah, man, man, I gotta I gotta talk to them, miss Benson. I gotta tell them in Benson because listen what I saw in New Orleans, there's no reason why two things can't coexist. The Pelicans have an a winning of winning mentality, and it all starts at the top. To go along with the goddamn city that is winning itself.

I know.

But the hell I saw the past week I was out there. I told you I'm from the Seventh Water, I'm from Uptown now, I'm from uptown. Matter of fact, you want to.

Go with me?

Uh uh in March for what? Uptown Uptown Super Sunday. No, Well, let me ask you a question, don't yo talk to me?

How many big time Forridge you signed with the Atlanta Oh you at oh Night?

That's a place to be, ain't it all? How many big times for basketball? Fridge just signed there? Hey, they don't have a they don't have a winning environment. They have a winning city. Though.

The aesthetics are very pleasing outside of the arena, I can tell you that I don't go that often. I'm just telling you what somebody told me. I ain't telling you what I know. I'm telling you what I heard at Lanta is a beautiful place.

Man.

So it's Houston. What is Houston? What do you consider Houston? Yeah?

I like Houston. Okay, I know you like Houston. I'm talking about that environment. The team, they're they're young, they're up and coming. I love what I made is doing with that team.

Uh, uh, some gooon. It was an All Star I like I like Jalen Green.

I mean the guys twenty years of age falling out they got they Uh I'm in Thompson. They got a nice young squad. They got a nice young squad. Probably need one more veteran, you know. Van Fleet. I like van Fleet, I like Brooks. They get after you, they play hard, night in and night out. They have a little rough patch or they lost about five or six games in a row, but you can deal with that. I think they're gonna be just like the Texans. The Texas isn't gonna be a place that you got a quarterback.

We'll see what they do.

Uh. They lost a lot of their receivers. Tank Dale got injured. Uh, Stefan Diggs got injured. But I love the edition of Joe Mixon. There are a couple of pieces away. They're gonna be right back. They're gonna be right back in the mix. That's the thing. I listen, brandon Ingram did not make this decision, didn't take this decision lightly.

It wasn't no man, okay five.

He had been sitting there for an extended period of time, and he realizes, he said, first of all, the guy that y'all want to build this thing around, he can't stay healthy. Now, for the most part, brandon Ingram hadn't stayed healthy either, So let's be all.

The way with that.

Yes, So he I mean, hey, I understand he's looking at Zion and Zion can't stay healthy. But brandon Ingram missed a lot of time also, and and Pelican fans y'all know that. So it was like, man, let me go ahead and bounce. He's like, I go to a team. You know they got Scotty Barnes. I like Scottie. They got that.

I mean, look, I hate calling the man last day, but huh, how you leave forty men on the table. I'm come on, nine, what are we doing? Look?

Oh see the mass mistake that I made a lot of times that I put myself in that situation. You can't put yourself in that situation. You wouldn't know. But oh, money can't by happiness. The man ain't happy. Listen if money came by your happiness. But you know what money can buy you. It can buy your time. It can buy you time. Get them ball hat all the time you want to been in there?

Boy?

You know what hey look at Look at what you call him? Look at what's the guy named? Talk to me?

Look at Melimda Gates. Bill Gates worked two hundred billion, two hundred billion. She said, I'm gone.

He goes right, I'm gone you know, I don't even money can buy happening, like the fact that you brought that up because I'm just failure. This is the fact that we have being as in this world. The fact that we have being as in this world. And one of the things with little girls growing up, they're tought, you got to find you somebody that's able to provide

Just have it. What the try? What chance do us normal folks have?

Well, you gotta be happy, oh Joe, you make it seem like just all of the women or me and get the bors too me and leave relationships.

I ain't never seen, ain't not. Don't don't do that. When the last time you've seen a man initiated a boors, I ain't seen in a very long time.

More more more times than not, it is the woman initiated. But it's the woman that's also getting fed up, right, So it's not something that she she Women don't haphazardly do things. Women are very methodical, very very thoughtful, They're not just rushing out there.

See a guy, see a guy, See.

A guy will leave a great woman for a fine thing. That is how women think. Women don't think like that, right. Women are very methodical. Women are very meticulous. When a woman, when a woman leaves a man and they've been under religious for an extended period of.

Time, No, now, she's had it up to here right now.

You notice I said it here because when she had it up to here, she stayed when she get to hear.

Also, what you need to understand too long. You got to think about this. When a woman is fed up before she gets to hear and she's right here, all her chicks, all her checks and ducks got to be in a row, all our eyes got to be dotted, and all her tears got to be crossed before she gets to here so she can exit.

The plan has to be played out completely.

She can't leave until she knows exactly what Plan B is, and they're going to execute herself because you can't leave and they be dead in the water. Which is why when you when we talk about billionaires and their wives and marriage and divorced, you noticed they always take half with them, right, Yeah.

I mean a lot of times there's like, look, look, look here, I ain't taking half because because neither one of them had prenups.

So theoretically they could have got a big ol'd chuck. They could have got.

Bought it what they got right now, forty fifty billion, They ain't nothing to laugh at. Yeah, but I think the thing is a lot of times when women women already see women were already told you what they're unhappy about, and you know, fix it, right, we know we ain't listening, and then like, man.

I don't know what happened.

Well, she kind of told you, yeah, and she dropped bread crumbs. Not only did she tell you she dropped bread crumb that made a loaf over time.

You didn't hear you made the loaf over time. Now, yes, you ain't got the disin. Oh Joe, let's talk to me first. First overall pick Markel Folks is back in the NBA.

B has agreed to a contract with the Sacramento Kings to twenty six year old guard has spent first out of the season without a deal following the exploration of his wiki contract extension in summer of twenty four. He could see early playing time as the squad tried to fill the boy port guard left by the Aaron Fox who was traded to the Spurs.

Will folks ever be able to show why he was the former?

No, No, he's never Is it that that that that that that that ship is sale?

Is it here? Is it still here? What if? What if? Here is fixed? Now?

I think that's a barrier. He couldn't get passed hold on mentally. Then they take him over Jason Tatum. They took him over Jason Tatum.

He was like that though, never forget he was like that what the reai based on what he showed?

Oh, show that shot.

You don't normally take a guy with that with a with a shot that looked that that defected the mechanics could shoe.

I mean, we can't. We can't talk about you're boll times or not.

Ain't nobody listen, No matter how good he is, I don't believe the number one receivers going going number one overall. As a body catcher, you gotta be able to pluck the ball. You gotta be able to play a traffic you gotta be able to transition. So if you got that many flaws number one overall.

I mean listen, number listen. Shots can be fixed leath the shooters right there down the street. He's not too far. You get with him in the off Seaton. If it's that big of a problem. Hell Sean Marrion, remember he shot he went first overall though, And see that's the fight.

If you take a guy like that, oyah, if you take a guy like fifteen sixteen, you think about it. You take a guy number one overall, he's supposed to be franchise changing.

He's supposed to be lebron shot.

That's what he a Keem with a Will or Kareem Magic Johnson, that's what they're supposed to be, Dawight Howard, franchise altering.

He wasn't that AI have a question based on just fults come out of college. You didn't.

You didn't think once he got we was going here going to be franchise changing based on the film that he put up.

And well, I looked at him, I mean he was like he had a lot of hit a miss. But I was just always liary of that shot. Okay, it just concerned me it did you think somebody would have took Sean Marriman number one overall?

He would have had no you know, hold on, he would have been he would have had to be extremely dominant in other and.

Other and he was a he was an anesthetic defender. Yeah, I mean he turned himself into he with that shot. He turned himself into a decent shooter. Can make threes, yeah, but he could defend, he could rebound, but I just it's just hard. No, that was too much time has passed for him to live up to what he was where he was selected, the slot that he was selected at. No, he not living up to that now, can't he? Hopefully he can have a serviceable career moving forward.

So he was out of the league. Yeah, he was out of the league for first half of the season. What what? What guy? You know that side of the league for first half of a season.

All the so it comes back and you're like, well, you know what a we showed made a mistake on him.

It doesn't happen like that. I mean, well, listen, hoping he comes back and makes a difference. He feels in that role in sack.

That Darien.

The Aaron Fox leaves and he can come in and be efficient and be somewhat, if not what we thought you would be.

Be something close to it. Right. But here's the thing.

You can have a quirky shot allah Ben Simmons, but normally you need to be sixteen. Ben Simmons was an All NBA defender. He was he was like an All star six ft ten, could handle the ball. But you see, eventually that caught up with it because he became afraid to shoot the basketball. You see, I can't teach you how to shoot if you're afraid. See, I can't teach you how to swear him if you're if you're afraid of the water, you can't learn how to swim.

He just said.

Ben Simmons was scared to what marks he became scared to do. Also, what so guess where that starts from.

Well, he's scared to go to the basket because he didn't want.

To get fouled. He didn't want to get fouled. Yeah, this is a contact sport. It's a physical game. How could you knock?

Now, I'm gonna say you to the free throw line? Oh so we don't want to again. Yeah, that's where that starts at.

Yeah.

Mentally, they already they already they're already beat mentally before they even get to the game. So you can't even let the game freely because there are certain parts of your game you don't want to get exposed.

Yeah, I just I even played. I just thought Ben Simmons didn't work hard enough on this game. It's hard because I see guys, look at offs, the Reeds, offs, the Reeds has gotten better and better, an undrafted Fridge has gotten better and better and better and better. But it's hard for a guy to not to get to not get incrementally better if he or she doesn't work

Well, that's all that.

Ben Simmons sixteen sixteen. Put the ball on the floor, shoot he can't shoot that well. He can defend. So there's a difference that arsin reeves having the buses ass to get to the point where he's at right now.

He has Oh see what you said? Yes, if we're getting so.

Ben Simmons came in as the number one pick, it felt that, you know what, I ain't got to bust with my.

Ass exact exactly exactly, which is which goes to my point.

It's hard not to get incrementally better if you work at something, you know, and if I can't, if I only collect one count of your O Joe in fifty years, I gonna have fifty k here as opposed to not collecting any I go two or three years and don't collect any Guess what I'm gonna have nothing nothing. Yeah, And that's the thing. It's hard for me. There is no way six foot ten man listen man can have leball, could defend. He can defend like four or five positions.

When I look at Ben Simmons, now, no check, don't get on me like this, but I see Ben Simmons, he should have been Jason Tatum before Jason Tatum, he should.

He should have been Lebron. He should have been a bigger Lebron Magic Johnson because that's what he was. He's a point guard and then he's a six foot ten point guard and he can facilitate it like crazy. Yes, Yes, that's what he could have been. Yeah, I mean, and he could defend. Yeah, I mean, that's that's crazy. That's crazy. That's crazy. Some of the biggest busts of all time in NBA history, And we use that term when we bus.

All the injuries right right, the injuries.

Yeah, my homeboy from Savannah, Purvis Edison, his knees gave out on him. Markev's folk. They have a knee injury and the shoulder injury. He tried to change his shot, but it just didn't work. But I wish the young man the best of luck. He can't be no more than what twenty six twenty seven tops, because he gotta be just like the same twenty six. So he's still a hopefully young fella. Can get a couple of get a couple of years, stick, get an opportunity to get

It's just tough. It's just a tough reality. And you know, I think.

I'm gonna take some time to figure it out. And I think it only to my teammates to do that. If I come back, that's going to be something that's wholehearted his decision, and I'm not half asking it, and I'm fully and I'm fully here for them.

I think I could play.

It's just whether or not I'm motivated or it's the best decision for me as a man, as a human, as a person that takes on all that responsibility.

Listen, as a man, as a human, as a football player, as a competitor. Knowing Travis Kelsey personally understanding him, knowing how the season ended, the competitor in him in him is going back to get it done the right way.

He's not going out like that.

The last taste of his mouth is not going to be defeat to the Steelers, especially with a score.

Line like it was. Twenty two points don't even count get lost?

Is his body able? I get all that mind? Is his body able? You saw what you saw? O Joe?

No, no, no to say yeah you saw what you saw this year? Yeah? Yeah, I hear you.

Okay, So now that's so. Let's let's be real that have a fair conversation like we do. Everybody.

Listen.

Can I can I take a little bit off my plate and still be able to eat when I need to? Can I take a little bit off my plate and still be able to eat when I need to?

Can I have now a grade? Take the chunk of the play? No?

No, yes, Travis Kelsey. Great players don't get that. Don't get that luxury? What great player you know? Did they allow you to do that in Cincinnati?

Oh no? So I want to know you've covered this game, you've played this game.

What great player gets to take when he's played a skill position? Just to say, okay, take some time, bro, you really take some time off. We ain't even worried about you. You know what, I'm not people in the people in the stands, all this is eighty seven and they see Kelsey on the back, and they expect them to be that ten time pro bowler that all pro I got bet they're used to. They won't accept anything.

Else, right, I think I think we still get that. I'm just saying I believe. Now, that's one thing for me to say it. See I'm not inside this body, Yeah, I'm not inside. So it's one thing for me to say it. Based on obviously what we what we saw this year, the chemistry between him, the rapport between him and my homes, I think he can still do it. I'm just saying, now that's up to him. But knowing, knowing the way it ended, he ain't going.

Out like that. I can tell you that, Oh Joe.

The thing with great players, and I was, I was a pretty good player.

I just can't do it.

Oh, you you can't do it. You can't do it with the regularity that you once could. You see how he can summons it up one game and then he'll disappear for four, He'll summons it up again and he'll disappear for three. You see in the playoffs, he had that one big game against Houston and then the other two. Yeah, you see what happened That's what happens as you start to aid, this is a funny thing.

Even with him aging, even with him not being able to summon it up every game.

You have a quarterback that can overcome you knock, summon this up.

Because every different game, when the Kanda City, when the Candy City Chiefs playing, it's somebody else's day. One day of one day was Marquise Brown, One day is Xavy Worthy, one day is Noel Grade.

One day in Travis Kelce.

So he talked about that Houston game where he went crazy for the following week. It wasn't on him. Somebody else had a day. That's the joy of having a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes.

You ain't got to be on a game when you great.

You can you not ain't how it works for a gay a guy with his great You can't just be running around out there and you go three or four games catching one to two passes. That's what he was talking about. Hey, you saw the man on the sideline last football. He didn't get the ball. You think that man gonna be able to come out there and run around, put all that time in and catch one of two balls a game.

Yeah, sometimes something and the fast twitch is not there like it once was. He barely got out of his stands. Guys were already moving and he.

Was still in his stand So choke.

You watched the game, everybody saw a check. Y'all know I'm not making it up. Y'all saw what you saw? What you saw? Hey, I understand what you're saying. But ain't nobody going out like that? You know that? I know that. Regardless of what he said, do you keep saying going nothing like that? What's to say? It's not gonna get worse. It's not gonna get worse.

But of course, how do you know what a quarterback over there with number fifteen, the head coach over there and his last.

Night he walked? Did he have so? What number did he have on last year? And how did he look? What number did he have on last year? You know the competitor that young bull is. You know you know what he is. You know he not going out there.

You know he's not gonna say you know what, Okay, I'm done. I can tell you that. Now we canna make a special. Let me ask your question. He comes back, what he comes back? What does that do? Does that change your perception of Travis kelcey. Does that move him up or down your ranking?

Cause I got him as the goat right now, So I'm trying to figure out him coming back making another Pro Bowl. Does that change your perception of Travis Kelsey who and what he is?

No, but that's not why he's coming back.

It's not not not for him to change our perception on how we feel about him as a player. He's already solidified. What he's done is already concrete. He's coming back for him, not for us, him for what he doesn't heat the taste?

What can he what can he do for himself to make himself feel good?

Like, yeah, go out on go out on.

His terms, on the way he wants to go out, and not with a bad taste left in his mouth like this game has.

That's the only thing I can think of. I understand said everything he's saying. I'm with you.

When Tom Brady walked away? Do you believe tom Brady can still play the right circumstances, He couldn't play at tom Brady's level.

See that's what you're missing.

See you're looking at him just coming back being a guy, a guy Travis Kelsey used to being the guy Tom Brady used to being the guy, not a guy. That's two different scenarios. And Tom realized, I'm not Tom Brady anymore. And see when you Tom Brady, you get measured to a younger Tom Brady, not to the guys that's playing now, because Tom Brady still could not play half the guys that's in the.

League, Yes, sir, but he couldn't be that guy anymore. So basically, what you're saying, you don't want to go out like Aaron Rodgerson.

I don't like I'm like you when it comes to that. But I know what I saw this year, yes sir, And I know the Chad saw what they saw this year, to sir.

And that was the.

Hardest thing because I had to watch film on myself a lot, and I just had to come to the conclusion. Now I could have came back and played. I mean I left. I left my last year. I had seven over seven hundred yards almost eight hundred yards, and I missed the last game, had eight touchdowns.

I just couldn't. So I just couldn't give it to you week the week.

Like the old ladies, A round two shatter, all right, on Saturday, It's a Monday. Here's my get I get you around to Saturday. It's a Monday. Don't bother me. I got enough for your Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. I need to deal back up. I need to recharge. I need to recharge. So, so you believe you believe Tramp comes back?

Man, let me give a composer now, my goddamn ac not on man, Okay, go ahead, go ahead, I'm.

So do you believe you believe Travis comes back?

Yeah?

Absolutely absolutely? Listen everything you hear right now. Smoke that's that's small. That ain't never smoke.

That's smoke. That's smoke. That's smoke.

No, no, no, he's taking time because guess what, go back and look at the take. Yeah, it got Ojo, It got harder and harder for him to create separation.

Right, they had guys covered in what lifetime?

Would they ever put Tomorrow Hamlet on Travis Kelcey in what realm?

Would they ever do that?

Right? Where they would take linebackers and they would take faith in and say you got it.

Yeah, it's a complete mismatch in general, just in general, the Travis kelce we know, but I can tell you one thing, even the way he looks now he won more matches than he lost. I can tell you that he won more matches than he lost. But listen, I understand what he's saying. This is something that not very many players are given the opportunity or for the opportunity to be able to do, to be able to decide

Yeah, but I think the thing for him, with nothing left to prove, there are a lot of opportunities, be at the media, be it in the movie, in the TV space. I mean, Travis Kelson is gonna get to have an opportunity to make a lot of money. His podcast New Heights with his brother does extremely well. Uh you know, you know you hear that he wants to get in TV. He wants to get in movie movies. You talk about a guy that's six foot five, Uh, you know, statuesque. We'll see how well he could act. Uh.

He did a great job.

On Saturday Night Live, one of the best performances for an athlete that you're gonna see.

So it tells me he does have the chops in order to do it. But for me. If I'm him, I'm gonna think long and hard because.

And the thing I was tell him retirement is it's there ain't no league that you can go to. It's not like golf you can go to the senior circuit or you like tennis. They got to sing. You know, got a little thing that you go play. And you see Philippusa's and Mace and Roll and Roddick and all those guys playing. Sometimes you see Agacy jump out there. They're not that in football, and so retiring and football is final. I would take a month or two and thinks, seriously,

You can't train the way you train like you once could.

Hey, you know when you're young and you can hear a look at the promise, I hear a link today and I'm promised I'm gonna work harder tomorrow.

Uh huh.

You don't work like that. You do diligence. You're eating needs to be on point, you're training. I'm not saying you didn't trade smarter. Your body can't stand that kind of intensity and that's what I had to learn the hard way, Ocho, because as I got older, I was still trying to train it that intensity. Not so much the intensity, it's the volume that got I still had the same intensity, but it was the volume that I was still trying to do. I was still trying to

Factory in right. And so I don't I don't want I don't want people.

Uh.

And that's like I said, that's that's his call. But I don't want people like man trash stealing. He can't get open no more. Hein't got nothing to prove. I promise you. If somebody would have told Travis kept said, okay, here you are you a rookie. We're gonna allow you to go to five Super Bowls. You'll be a ten time Pro Bowler, you'll be a four or five time All Pro, and you'll win three super Bowls and you'll be, regardless, one of the two greatest tight ends to ever play.

Turn it down? Are you taking that? You know that?

So it's definitely going to be interesting to see. But I can tell it bothered him. There's a lot that bothered him this year. He didn't have He didn't have the type of season that he wanted. He didn't have the individual success. Let me take that back. He didn't have the individual success. He had the team success. They won the division again, they won the AFC again. They didn't win the super Bowl. So that's the ultimate, the ultimate goal. But he wanted that thousand yards. Yeah, he

He had three touchdowns this year, Joe three. Hey, listen, they get it done offensively in a multitude of ways. That's all I got to say.

But in order for this offense to really be effective, he has to be dominant. When they got rid of Tyreek, he was dominant. Go back and look at it. I don't think i'ma Lie Steale super fan pays for bill board begging Art Rooney to trade.

Tomlin will sell the team. The standard is mediocrity. Trade.

Tomlin will sell the team. Rooney, We've had enough. The standard is mediocrity.

Trade. Tomlin will sell the team paid for by Kevin Adams.

Hey mediocrety seventeen win season above five hundred eighteen seventeen win season.

That's mediocrity.

How many Super Bowl appearances they have him won the playoff games since twenty sixteen is twenty twenty five mediocrity.

So let me ask you a question. So yes, they let Tomlin go right, Yeah, the name is Kevin Adams. Uh, Kevin Adams. Yep, you let tomin go?

Who you bringing?

What?

See? What happens? What happens there? That's the same thing man and women do.

I can't get out of the relationship because who I'm gonna get to replace what I got?

And I stayed a bad relationship. You see what you did? Hey? You see and you know what happened time they lead that person.

Thing in the grass is green on the other side and be right there, water and nothing but goddamn soil.

But here's the thing though, O Joe, If if Mike Thomas say, the standard is the standards six super Bowls?

Where is being above five hundred the standards? Well? Hold on? How you fed that? Hold on? All right?

Well, listen, we got to be realistic as well. Now we have to be realistic as well. You have to build yourself up to having a super Bowl team. You know what that takes. It takes personnel, you know you know what that's that takes. It takes a quarterback, a quarterback that is consistent. We don't have any questions coming into the season. Who's going to be a starter. Yes, Mike Thomas backers that come in to play, even being able to get to the standard.

So Mike Tomlin has has no say in personnel, He has no say in fredgency, has no say in the final fifty three, He has no say in anything.

Draft. Yeah he does, he does. So he bears some culpability. Yep.

When Ben, when Ben was getting old, When Ben was getting old, not the last year, but when Ben was getting old, did they go out and get another quarterback?

Nah?

When father was getting old, what did the factors do? They wouldn't get Roy. When Rogers was getting old, what did they do? O?

Joe did what?

I got? George love the pack? When Ben Rothlisberger was getting old? What did they do?

Then? Letting wither on the vine? They let him?

That's Tomblin letting wither on the vine.

Oh, that's a good one. I hain't ever heard that before with on the vine.

So I'm just saying, I mean, when when you watched the steat, when you look at the Steelers h and at any point in time do you say, you know what, that didn't even go to the super Bowl? When was the last time you said it o't Joe. Uh.

During my tenure.

Matter of fact, during my tenure, every every year we played them, they were a team whose identity was their offense. No, then he was their defense. They had the opportunity to go to Super Bowl. Now I haven't seen that. Still, the game in general, the landscape of the game is changed in general.

As far as the Steelers the Browns, No, they they've been shifted.

They shifted once they got Ben a B and the off Yeah, but they were an office. They used to be a defensive base team. Early early in Ben's career. They were a defensive based football team. They had Troy, they had r C that had Ryan Clark, that had pas Uh. You know, they had those guys like a foot names Farrier, Tim and right.

Yeah, I haven't. They haven't given us that feel in a very long time, in a very long time.

But in order to do that, in order to define that consistency again, it takes time. It takes drafting, it takes all the acquisitions, it takes finding a quarterback, finding a franchise quarterback.

That's where it all starts. Huh, that's where it all starts.

And you don't have a franchise quarterback, then you have to have a dominating defense. You got to have a dominating defense and a quarterback that gets you by a week the week and doesn't put your team in harm's way.

That's hard. But the year the Bears went to the Super Bowl, huh yeah, who is the quarterback? Yeah? Rex rossmor.

Dominate Those days over, Joe, you ain't got a defense good enough to overcome back.

Those days are over. Those days over.

So I don't even know why you would attempt to build your team like that, because that's not happening. They won't allow you to play that top brand of football anymore. But when you but here's the problem that he has talk to me. Lamar Jackson is twenty seven. Joe Burr is also in that division. Yeah, hey, so while you going nine and eight every year, or you go ten and seven, what is that gonna get you? Patrick Mahomes is a about to turn thirty. Josh Allen is twenty eight.

And they gonna get you.

Oh, just Steve Mike Thomlins has never had a losing season, and he didn't won a playoff game in nine years. Make sure you put that in. Make sure you put that in the bio too. Mike Toomer has never had a losing teason. He also hadn't won a playoff games since twenty sixteen.

I just want to know. I just want to know what the alternative is. That's all. You cannot be afraid of being unknown. See that's the problem.

I can say, y'all, I can tell you what's gonna happen with the unknown. Listen, We've been around this game long enough, and you know it's gonna happen. Let him go and find out. Let what Kevin Adams want to happen.

They said that with it?

And did they say that with Brett farre Did they say that with Brett Farv Yes or no?

Did they say that with Aaron Rodgers? Yes or no? Do you do know?

And we're I'm just don't we We were able to see a simple side in what was coming after No, you.

Didn't you knew, you did not see.

You saw what Aaron Rodgers played one game when Brett Farb got hurt.

You didn't see no sample size. He played one game.

Jeordan Love played one game and it looked terrible against Kansas City. Do you remember when Aaron Rodgers had had COVID and he couldn't play, and you saw Jeordan Love play against Kansas City ow of the look? Did you think Jordan loved the Jordan Love that we see now? Did you think he was gonna be that? After watching that Kansas City game? I'm just asking, all right, don't listen to me, don't listen to me.

Listen to Kevin Adams and go ahead and go ahead, and let coach go watch what happened.

Oh Joe. At some point in time, Tennis self is not gonna do it.

I understand if the standard is a standard, if your standard is playing for Lombardies, they're not close.

Yeah, maybe a new boy. Why are they not close?

It ain't the coaches, Because if your coach ain't on the field, he ain't on the field.

You know what you need, you know what you need to get. Well, it was that the case called I got right.

Now, look at all the teams that were in the playoffs this year, what is the common dot common denominator? They all had what at the hem running the show? They all had what a consistent what a consistent quarterback. Hey, the Chiefs, the Ravens Cej's drouting company earlier. Damns, he comes in and turn and what did he do to the franchise.

It's funny that you said the Ravens.

I remember the Ravens had a quarterback and Joe Flacco that took him to the Super Bowl.

What did all they do? Some do drafted his quarterback?

Oh well, it was the last time we had Lamar Jackson just sitting there in the draft.

You drafted a quarterback, Oh, Joe. Because you don't wait till the quarterback. Whether you don't wait till the fruit fall off the tree, you'll see, you see you want to wait.

To the very end. Not me, not me. I ain't not mean nothing, not me.

I'm because because because no, because you said you feel the unknown.

Oh I don't feel that.

I know.

We talk about him fire, about fire and firing tom when there's nothing in place.

There's nothing in place. You ain't playing a nan seed. But you want tomow gone? What that's it? That's all you know?

Have?

You have your ducks in the road. Okay, what's next?

It doesn't always work out like that where you have the perfect where we got a CEO, he's gonna retire, and we got the CEO and waited. It doesn't work like that. That's so if so In other words, you want perfect life. You know you know this is what happens. We already know it.

Don't have to be it, don't have to be perfect. But I damn you want some answers. I want something to fall back on. I want that, And no, it ain't nothing to fall back on right now. I can tell you that. So so you good, So you're good for the next ten years.

Be not an age seven. Whoa whoa, whoa, whoa. Listen, I ain't got no horse in the race. I am not. I love the Steelers, I love the fans, I love the people, I love ownership, I love the coaches, I love the formal players. I'm a bangal. Listen.

If they don't figure it out, that's better for us. Shit, I'm not tripping, that's better for us now. I'm just speaking, standing into context that what Kevin Madims is saying to let the man, let missus Tomlin go. Well, I mean, what's your backup plan? You got to have a backup plan. Listen, before a woman leave, she already knows who the backup plan is huh, yes, yeah, she don't just she don't just up and leave just to be up and leaving and be like, Okay, I'm back at square one, Now what do I do.

That's not the way things work. That's not the way things.

Operate, especially at that level. If a movie can be made, they're going to have a strategy, an exit plan before they just do it. As a fan, they just want, you know.

What, fuck it, get him up out of here, he got to go. I think the thing is, look is this is this is a family business.

They've owned the Steelers since nineteen thirty three, with the exception of maybe a year or two. Uh, and that's where the mcglatch, the mclitche's purchased in that state. I think they still have a share of the team. But for the most part, this is the Rooney's bait darling. Now they have some other brothers that's in the casino business and things of that nature. But this is this

You know they're not close. Oh you know what, you'd rather be the rather be the Steelers, You'd rather be the Cowboys.

Tell about false hope, which is heavy your tourn of bricks or a ton of feathers. They weighed the same. The only difference is the Steelers have been to the Super Bowl. They have been to an ANFC championship game, but I think they lost to the They lost to the Patriots, if that might have been the last time they want a playoff game. It's just tough because this

Oh Joe been a long time. It's been a real long time.

And it's not like the Ravens are gonna get worse, the Bengals are going to try to try ad.

It's like, look, we're wasting Joe burrow our prime years.

Cleveland, Cleveland is Cleveland, Cleveland clean the Browns or the Browns. But at some point in time, oh Joe. All I'm saying is I don't advocate anybody getting fired, But all I am saying is this, at some point in time, nine to eight tendencee ain't gonna cut it and losing in the first round.

Right, You're right. I can't argue with that. The volume