It's time for coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick coffee.
All right, five o'clock here on a Thursday afternoon. I mentioned at the beginning of the show, but it doesn't feel like a Thursday. It feels it feels like a Monday.
You know.
We had Wednesday or tim start Tuesday, Wednesday off for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and kind of feel like I'm getting another week started after a nice little break. But tomorrow's Friday, and then we get another weekend, and then we have another weird week where it kind of sets up exactly the same, I'm pretty sure.
And we're trying to figure out what we're.
Gonna be doing for the Bowl game, because Louisville plays at two o'clock on New Year's Eve. We are not I don't believe we were going to going to be doing a show that day because of me filling in on Whas in the mornings. But we also have the postgame show that we are we're going to do, so you know.
We'll have that.
I just don't know what we'll be doing before that, because while the game's going on, I wouldn't want to be on the air because you know, I woul want to be watching the game, and I feel like a lot of people who listen to this show would also,
you know, be probably watching the game. But regardless of what we're doing before that, we'll have postgame show and react to whatever happens Louisville and Washington, which still Man, this is the first time I feel like it's really a collective thing within like the entire fan base, that
like people are seeing this for what it is. And I hate using the glorified exhibition because you know that that that's I mean, that's kind of what it is, but it just sounds like, you know, it's I was gonna say, it sounds like it's a waste of time,
and technically it kind of is. But there's value with guys getting more practice reps, and it's kind of something you have to do, right because these Bowl tie INDs, of course, are tied to conferences, and you know the conferences have you know, if everybody just opted out for a Bowl game and the ACC couldn't fill one of their spots, that would be an issue, right, So, like there's a lot of money still made from these Bowl games when it comes to TV, and as long as
that's the case, they're they're still gonna happen. But it does seem as if like nobody's trying to convince themselves or anyone else that this is just a whatever game because you don't even know, like you know, whatever happens will not be in any way a like.
Global gets killed.
That'll suck and we'll have to react to it, but it will know that it didn't really matter because it's not the team that you watched all year. It's a team that's missing, you know, their best players for the most part, that are going to be moving on to the NFL, or at least hope to move on to the NFL. You're still gonna have, you know, I mean, Colin Lacey's playing, and that's awesome. You're gonna have a
different quarterback. That's something that'll be interesting to see because we only saw Tyler Shuck this year for the most part. You're gonna have your freshman running backs. But you know, Jacorey Brooks, Tyler Shuck, Ashton Jilatio they're not playing for for obvious reasons. So it's not like I'm dreading it. I mean, I'm gonna watch it, and I hope they win.
But like I, just as as somebody who you know, my mood and my morale, my overall well being seems to be impacted substantially in a good way when Louisville wins, in a bad way when they lose. It's just very weird for me to know that, Like I really couldn't if Louisville gets beat bad. I wouldn't even be able to make myself really that upset, because you know, it's
not the same it's not the same thing. But there are actually some Bowl games going on later tonight, which maybe we'll get into that later, maybe give out some picks. I know Austin's been In fact, you haven't shared any recent wins to me. That doesn't mean that you're not winning though, right like you, I want to act like anytime you, oh you haven't so ye that then we'll change that.
A little unluck I'm a little unlucky today with Toledo just kind of blowing a toe.
Oh did they Yeah?
Now Pittsburgh is up thirty to twenty. They scored twenty the answered points.
Is it in the fourth quarter yet?
Yes, it's a fa third quarter, I.
Think, Man, I I didn't see that coming, but it's a fourth court, and I hate that you're losing this bet.
You know, it look good early.
All those bonus bets from other people's accounts.
My man is still hustling.
And you know, if somebody catches on to it and they boot you out, there's another sports book you can try with, right thing.
I like it. Man, good stuff, all right. So hopefully everybody.
That's tuning in now had a good Christmas. I know I certainly did. I did talk about it at the beginning of the show that I did feel a little empty on Christmas morning realizing that, like there was no gifts that were being opened by my wife that I got. We decided not to do gifts this year, and I know a lot of couples do that from time to time, and I didn't think it would matter at all. I felt like, Okay, that saves me that last minute rush shopping that I typically do, and you know, it'll be
better and we'll save money. And you know, I missed a little bit. I missed the madness that comes with it, right, like the scrambling at the last minute to make sure, you know, I feel like when she opens up presents on Christmas morning, she'll say that I did great and I went above and beyond. But we decided not to to do gifts this year, and I've told her no more. We're gonna have to. We're gonna need to. You know, we don't have to go all out and buy each
other ten gifts a piece or anything like that. But you know, I missed that part of it. But everything else with Christmas was great. Got to spend some good time with family, and with that, it feels like I haven't been here in a long long time. It feels like, you know, the last time we were on the air, which was Monday, was like two weeks ago. So it'll be probably next weekend. I guess when you feel like
you're finally I don't know. I guess Louis of Basketball is back in action on Saturday, and then they'll play on New Year's Day against UNC, which of course we won't be.
Here because that's a holiday.
So you know, I was gonna say, we'll feel like we're back in rhythm with our normal, you know sporting calendar where you have a couple of basketball games, you know a week, you've got a couple more NFL Sundays before the season comes to an end, or a few of them, and you know, but with the holiday, it just kind of feels like, you know, and it's a good thing because it's downtown, right, Like, no, there's no there's no way that many people have been pretty deductive
at work this week, right, Like even if you did work Christmas Eve half day, you work Monday, and maybe you're working today and tomorrow, like it just you know, it's downtime. And I know certain industries don't have it downtime, so I guess I'm not really talking to those of you that are in those industries, but for a lot of us, like it's just kind of you know, even when we are working, we're kind of on holiday break.
It feels like, yeah, office is like, yeah, nobody's here today.
And next year, Christmas will fall on a Thursday, with Christmas Eve being Wednesday, that Friday, nobody's working, right, Like that's going to be known as like the most like that'll be everybody will use whatever vacation they have left if they have any, uh, to make sure that you know, they get off that day because it's just I mean, I don't know I used to work with somebody that
would know and this was a good strategy. I want to see what you would do, Austin, because I didn't do this, but I oftentimes when I used to work my mother job before I was able to do this full time, like it was a known thing. I used to work in for a software company. We're talking typical,
you know, cubicle office life. And you know, same thing with us, like even though we have to work like Christmas week, when we got off Christmas, even Christmas Day, like that week, we would have been working, but you know, it would have been downtime as I just mentioned.
Ye, so my buddy would know, like, hey, I'm not going to take.
The day off after Christmas or the day before Christmas Eve because I kind of know it's already gonna be somewhat of an off day anyway. Yeah, and then I can save those vacation days or that PTO. And I always thought, you know what, that's not a bad idea, Like would it be that bad to come in knowing you really aren't going to have the full work day because nobody's really working all that much, and.
Save those days.
But I don't know, I just the thought of knowing like I don't have to get up and like and I'm off Like that's I still I think I probably would always prefer that route, but say saving up days for you know, basically getting kind of an off day that doesn't count against you.
There's some value there as well.
Of course, Well I do a lot of other things like promotions and other programming too, and not a lot has been going on. So usually I'm here in the office at like eight o'clock. So now I didn't do that today. So I just came in probably about like a couple hours ago, like two hours before we started the show. And it's I mean, it's good when I can just consider this my job because I love coming over here.
I love being a part of the show.
So like the biggest part is sleeping in for me, So sleeping in just more or less felt like an off day and I get to come in here and have fun.
So this this is work. They pay you, man, They're not paying me. I need to talk to who do I need to talk to?
Yeah, at the HR.
So again, the holiday schedule has has just made things you know, different for us on this show, with us being off Christmas, even Christmas day and then I didn't mention it earlier for those of you that weren't with us, though, But I'll be filling in on has in the mornings, just one station up from your dial, you go up from you go from seven ninety right up to eate forty. It's the next station in line. And I'll be filling it for Tony Cruz tomorrow morning, Monday morning, and I
believe Tuesday morning. So with that, you know you won't be hearing me for a full three hours. I think some days I'm just gonna out. I don't really mind doing six hours, but they don't like the idea of me doing six hours because I guess, you know, technically, they feel like I'm being overworked and like the you know, the product, if you can call this a product, would suffer. But like the thought of doing one hour just to like,
you know, have a short show. Because I did the earlier shift, I feel like once I started, I would just want to keep going, Like I would be like, why not just take it up till six o'clock.
So I don't know who.
I'm not sure exactly what we're going to have in store for you next week during the holiday week, once again. But you know you'll get you'll get me in some form or fashion. It just probably won't be, you know, three hours every day live because one we were going to be off on New Year's Day, which I assume
most people are anyway. All Right, So this is some big news that we did discuss earlier for those of you that are just now joining us here in the five o'clock hour, our five o'clock crew, Some big news in college basketball that you know, somebody would have told me this was gonna happen two years ago or a year and a half ago, I would have said, that's crazy. But Jim Laernega is stepping down at Miami mid season because they are laugh out loud bad like they are.
They're probably see if I can pull it up here. They might be dead last in the ACC when it comes to ken Palm rating. In fact, no they're not. They're not even close to it because they've actually played a competitive schedule where other teams have happened. But right now Miami is sitting at four and eight. They've got losses to Mount Saint Mary's, they lost to Charleston Southern and VCU, a bad Oklahoma State team.
Got them.
They're only their best win on the season comes against Presbyterian and it's actually the only win that they've got since November twenty first, so in a month's time, and I guess this is the last month of his time there, And clearly it did not end well for Jim Layernega. But from November twenty first until December twenty first, they played it looks like nine games and he went one in eight in the only was against Presbyterian. So with that, you know, they had a long break here. They had
looks like ten days off. They don't play again until New Year's Day. So clearly Miami found this long window of time here as as as their time to take to make them move and get and move on from Larnega. He's gonna step step down, But I mean, I highly doubt this was something he just randomly decided to do.
So you know, that's big news. That's a good job.
And I think there are many ACC coaches right now that won't be ACC coaches after this year. I mean, I don't know that for certain, And in fact, I think if then, if if you see some of these guys stick around, we may be getting our answer as far as is the rest of the ACC going to commit to making this basketball conference much better than it is now and getting it back to you know, we can even recognize what it once was because it's fallen
off substantially. So Miami's open, Virginia's open, you know, I don't don't. I don't see Red Autry surviving its Syracuse because they were terrible last year and they're even worse this year. I mean, I feel like Syracuse is a good example. Syracuse in Virginia are two schools that you feel like they value basketball. They prioritize it. It's clearly
what they're known for in sports more than football. Therefore, they will, you know, go you know, they're gonna go whatever route they They're gonna take whatever route they have to to get the best coach possible to where they can win at a high level. Now, some don't have the money that you know, these SEC schools have. But
I mean, I just can't see Syracuse. And again, I don't know, maybe I'm wrong about us, because let's keep in mind, Syracuse is really only is only Jim Behim right, and he was there forever he was there too long to be honest with you, so, like, maybe we'll learn that this new sea, you know, Syracuse post Beheim doesn't value basketball like they once did because it wasn't as if they ever really had to go out there and do anything crazy to make a splash higher before they
had one guy who kind of built them up and stayed for seemingly one hundred years. But it's a good job that I feel like a lot of people would want. Therefore, I I mean, I can see them attracting some names, and you know, they're a program that I don't think it would take that long to get them back. Same thing with the Virginia I mean, they're going they're going to need to go through like a rebranding obviously because
Tony Bennett had a very unique style and whatnot. But you know, that's a good job Miamis, as I mentioned, that's now open. Like other coaches that may not be, I mean, who knows Hubert Davis this year Carolina's seven and five. I mean, he's one of them, he's one of their own, and he did take them to the National Championship Game in his first season I think it was. But since then, like when you consider all the talent they've had, I think, you know, to say that that's been a failure would.
Be a lie. And there's a lot of ball left this year.
But like if they end up being like a bubble team this year, I kind of doubt that they would do it, But I also wouldn't be shocked if they did, because you know, it's Carolina. They don't want to stay down that long. So like, if that job opens up, who else is maybe going to be looking for? I mean, there's no doubt Mike Young at Virginia Tech could lose his gig because they're they're really bad right now. And I don't know how good of a job that is, to be honest with you, So that's probably not a
good example. That's a job that's gonna open up. But I doubt that they're gonna be able to go out there and find some big name. The only coach that brought them legitimate success they lost quickly to Texas A and M. That was when Buzz Williams was there. Leonard Hamilton Florida State. You know, Leonard Hamilton's been there a long time. That's a good job that I think a
lot of people would want. And who they hire, you know, like all these other schools I mentioned, you know, Boston College, maybe they make a change.
I don't know. I doubt it.
Earl Grant. I think it is in like his third or fourth year. But like Boston College and Virginia Tech are jobs that when they open up, like, I don't really expect them to go out there and you know, make a big splash and spend a ton of money and go pluck somebody's coach. But those other schools, I kind of feel like, this is what we're gonna learn. Okay, are they committed to like getting this thing fixed, not only for the conference because they're not required for the
conference to be good. I mean that's not something that they can control. But collectively, you're gonna see some some I mean there's already been a lot of changes made. Right You've lost the legendary coaches and that's a big factor in why the league has dropped so much when it comes to basketball. Meaning coach k moved on and you know they've actually been able to stay pretty good. Carolina, they took a step back, not a huge step back, but clearly a step back after Roy Williams moved on.
Patino Louisville clearly has never been the same since Patino left Tony Bennett, he slid pretty far. And you know then he quit on his guys, you know, at the beginning of the year, or I guess really before the season started.
Ques.
You know, again we just mentioned Behem was there forever well they you know, because you get what you pay for, and I don't. I have a hard time seeing you being able to go get coaches that are at like if you are if you're at an SEC school that clearly is known, like for example, Buzz Williams. Buzz Williams is a is at Texas A and M. They've got a lot of money resources, they can pay him whatever because you know they have the money, and to them, it's not like, oh we really got to you know,
they're not hurting for money. Therefore, whatever they spend on a basketball coach is not going to be a sign that there they love basketball. It's just gonna because they have the means to do so. So he's always a good he's always going to be at a place where they're not. They're not a basketball school, and football is always gonna matter way more. And you could be good at Texas A and M. But like do you sell out games regularly when it's not a big team in town? Like,
probably not because that's just not a basketball school. So what I'm getting at is, let's say Syracuse opens up, and like Syracuse was willing to pay Buzz Williams.
Syracuse is a better job because of the basketball.
Tradition, because of their humongous fan base, and it's just a basketball school to be honest with you, Like it's not an elite place, but like it's a when we're talking about what's the better basketball job when it comes to tradition, history, proven fan base that will support you, it's it's qs.
Over A and M all day.
But in this new world where A and M has you know more, I guess financial security. Like the SEC in the Big Ten, there's no concern about their league, you know, losing money or dissolving. In the ACC, I don't believe will ever dissolve, But the ability for the ACC to ever get close to the amount of money that the Big Ten in the SEC are gonna or that they have now and that they're gonna have moving forward, I don't. I don't think that's possible for the ACC.
So like maybe the money's the same, but overall you're in a weaker league, Like would you well, I'm not even saying that they would go after Buzz Williams. I'm just thinking like, if you want to go make a big splash and you're willing to pay and you're in the ACC, who would you go get that?
Where? Who would you go get? Where?
The scenario is played out like that where they think, Okay, wow, that's a commitment that they are gonna They're gonna go get whoever they want. And despite you know, the ACC no longer having the momentum that it once did, this.
Guy was still willing to go there.
Like, I just don't know, I don't know how it happens, Sarah, I am harpin on the leagu theyve got to go out there and improve the the product of basketball, and they do, but I don't, you know, I don't think there's there's it's a risk regardless because I'm not sure who the names are that you feel like, Okay, this league's gonna be really really good because they went out and got I think when Bruce Pearl came back to Auburn and Cali Perry left Kentucky to go to Arkansas,
I mean Rick Barnes goes to Tennessee.
Those are the type.
Of moves that, like you could see, oh yeah, there's they may be pretty good. And sure enough, now as we speak, the SEC is the best league in the country, and I don't think it's close. All right, quick break, if you're on hold, stick with us, We'll get to you on the other side. You can also text in so again five O two five seven, one, seventy nine hundred boone lines are open. Keep a lock right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
So we talked about this a lot in the in the three o'clock hour, and I've been nerding out on just numbers because I think Netflix having the NFL on Christmas Beyonce at halftime, I mean, they didn't need to. Everybody's aware that the NFL is in a league of its own when it comes to the amount of viewers that they have for their product. And again, it wouldn't shock me if they continue to get more and more dominant and separate themselves from every other league because the
NFL is just different. We all knew that but I think Netflix on Christmas Day with everything that came with it, I mean, they were just they were flexing. So to see you, I'm trying to find some numbers as far as just how many people signed up, and I don't maybe that's out there. I just I haven't seen it yet. But there is a antenna. There is an outlet that covers like television and streaming, and they've got a chart here that shows from December twenty three to November twenty four,
meaning December last year till this past November. They show the daily sign ups that Netflix, Paramount Plus, and Peacock have and clearly there's huge spikes on certain dates where they get way more people signing up. I mean the Netflix. The biggest day for Netflix to have new sign ups was probably not a coincidence and not a surprise that it was the day that Jake Paul and Mike Tyson were fighting. So here I am thinking that everybody has Netflix.
I could you not have Netflix? Well, a lot of people didn't have it, so they signed up for because they wanted to watch Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. You know, the day where Peacock had the most sign ups in one day just so happened to be when they had exclusive NFL AFC wild Card games, to where if you did not have Peacock, you were not watching. So it makes sense to do this with you know, with your one offs, because you're not making as big of a financial investment in getting one game or two games.
I mean, if you.
Wanted to just say, hey, we want to have weekly NFL games every week and we want to you know, in the NFL wanted to entertain that, that's clearly a really really big commitment. And I mean it's just a huge I mean, I'm not saying Netflix would ever do that. But one of the things I talked about earlier is that I don't know why ESPN or why Disney doesn't try to sell ESPN the Netflix one. They could make a ton of money on it. Also, the brands don't seem to they don't need to be aligned, but they
kind of are. And I think ESPN, despite it being dominant and being the worldwide leader in sports, I think the one thing that could that holds them back a little bit is that they're underneath Disney, because I just you know, I think they've got to be a little bit PC more so.
Than people want them to be.
And I mean, I just clearly they're their livelihood as a company is way more based off of Disney than it is ESPN.
You spend's just just a component of what they do.
And again it's it's not like it's nothing, but like Netflix, I thought showed us a little bit that, you know, if they wanted to, I feel like they would have the resources to make it to where everything that's currently under ESPN or that that is technically under Disney, if it was all within Netflix, like I think that would be phenomenal. I doubt it will ever happen, but I was really impressed with the production and everything that came
with watching the NFL yesterday on Netflix. And I don't really know what to expect, but I thought it was awesome. And I'm sure that doub will continue to uh to try to get as much live sports, maybe not as they can, but just you know, continue to kind of see, Okay, did we you know is this working right? We are we getting a lot of new sign ups? Are we getting you know? Do we have the right production crew on hand? That kind of stuff? All right, let's go to the pone one five two is the number if
you want to jump in and join us. This person has been waiting patiently. Let's go to Randall. Randall, you're on Sports Talk seven ninety.
What's happening, hey, Nick k Austin. For a second there, I thought I was on a waiting list for my student loans. But thanks for taking my call. Happy holidays, it did brother. So about the Netflix thing, man, I don't have it. It's one of the only streaming services I don't have. Still kept up with games, you know, love seeing Baltimore route Houston. I guess we're learning that Houston is not as good as they seemed earlier in this season. I did expect Pittsburgh to play a closer
game against Casey. Me too, thought maybe case that would be their final or or one of the games that they dropped this year. But apparently not. But it got a little bone to pick with you on the quality of the games. I know viewership is what's most important, but we had five NBA games yesterday and four out of five were one of two possession games at the end, and I thought they were just actually more exciting.
Yeah, they were more exciting than then then. I feel like most NBA games are in the regular season. Uh,
and that that's good for the NBA. I just feel like where it would have been a bit I mean, I'm sure plenty of people still watched it, but I feel like the NF if the NFL didn't decide to have games on Christmas Day, yesterday could have been a lot better day for the NBA, because I just don't think many people noticed that the product was as good as it was because they were just more so locked into the NFL.
But yeah, you're right.
Actually ended up later in the evening watching the second the last two games, and yeah, they were they were for NBA games. I was more entertained than I've been in a long time.
Yeah, the Lakers Warriors one was especially fun. But yeah, just thanks to taking our call, no problem cards. I hope we win this weekend against ku hopefull. Yeah, whole game, no matter who's playing. And I met you in public, man, you're you're a great guy, failing man, just like myself.
And okay, thank you, love your love.
Your co hosts. Austin, I mean Austin, that's one of my favorite cities, Austin, Massachusetts. So y'all have a good night.
Thank you really appreciate that. Yeah, the NBA. I mean I I've been This kind of speaks to where I'm at with the NBA because it's been something that's been out there to discuss on this show. We never make it like the lead, and it would never be something that we spend a ton of time on, but it's it's been a national storyline here lately.
That the NBA does have.
Actually, what I think made it a story is they finally acknowledge that they have the people aren't watching like like they need them to. And it's been like that for a few years to where if you really looked at where NBA regular season games ranked as far as viewership compared to like some of the most random college football games you can think of, among like Power four, Power five programs, you'd be surprised. The NBA does not
do great and viewership for their games. Now they do really well everywhere else because there's so much drama in that league.
But I kind of haven't really wanted.
To discuss the NBA like as a topic because I just feel like nobody. I just feel like the NBA, if you're not really into it, it's just kind of background noise anymore, and maybe you tune in when he gets closer to the postseason because that is a better product. But even then, in the seven game series that they have, I mean, you got teams that come out and just
know not our night. Well we'll we'll tank and we're we're gonna know that this is just one loss and we've got three more games to you know, to play or whatever.
It is, Like that's just you know, it's been that way for a long time.
But as society evolves, I think sports needs too as well. Like the NBA in a eighty two game regular season with their really not being like just the competitive nature is so visibly not what it once was. And I know I sound like a boomer, like back in my day, you know, they would fistfight.
These guys could never.
Hang in the in the you know, the nineties NBA where they were bullies out there. Like it's that's not at all where I'm coming from, And I don't want to sound like that, but the NBA is not to me. More often than not, it's not just about where the game's competitive, right, did somebody keep it within four or five points or do they get be bout thirty. I mean, I just mean, like play by play the game, it's
just like it's at times it seems unserious. And that sounds crazy because we're talking about, you know, the National Basketball Association guys who are the best players on the planet to get paid millions and millions of dollars because you know they're great. But as a as a sports fan and a basketball super fan, basketball is my favorite sport, always has, always will be.
I just don't think that the NBA product is I mean, is very good at all.
And I used to be the guy that would tell you, yeah, the NBA is actually you know, whenever people used to say, well, I don't watch NBA because they let them walk or they don't call travel, they don't play no defense. Like I used to be the guy that would bark back at people and be like, do you realize that these are the best players on the planet at the sport And it may not look like a college game and you may not care because you know it's an NBA team,
not your college team. But like, the product of basketball is elite. I used to be able to say that and feel like it was real. Now I can't even lie. I can't lie to myself. I can't lie to anybody. The NBA is just not you know, it's a rare occasion where like you can tune in to watch a game and it feel like, oh, wow, there's a big game here because they play eighty two of them and you know, any this is something that's been going on
for a long time, so this isn't new. So I can't necessarily claim that this is why they've had such
a drop in viewership in recent years. But maybe this was like the starting point because people love competitiveness, competition, that's that's what's the entertainment part of it, right, Like, if you're a die hard fan of your team, you're gonna watch regardless NBA, college football, college basketball, because that's just you know, it's part of your culture as a sports fan, like that's your team, your ride or die.
You know, they could have a team that's really boring to watch play, but you're gonna you're gonna still watch. Sometimes they may have a really exciting team, so that's a little bit different. But when you when it comes to you not having a dog in the fight and you not even really like let's say, you can't even bet on it, what do you want if you like if you like the sport, you want competitiveness. You want
to see a good game. When you get to the end of a game and somebody says, wow, that was a great game, you know what, when it usually ends up being a really competitive game. In the NBA, there's just not that competitiveness. And when you have guys who you know are healthy, meaning like they're not hurt, they're not like nursing an injury, they're not trying to get
back to one hundred percent. When you have guys that are just not playing in games because the team decided they need rest and they're doing load management, like that's the telltale sign like this is an unseerious league. If you're not out there every single night trying to win and prioritizing every game as if it's really important, it's
not competitive. It's lightly competitive. And I just think enough people have realized, like they may still keep up with it because you can keep up with it and not watch it, because I think that's what actually happens.
In the NBA.
The NBA is very big as far as the culture has been for a long time. You know the fact that these guys now team up all the time, the fact that their players are very visible and their social media, like people keep up with the NBA stars and who's good and who's not and the drama and everything that comes with it, And as long as people are doing that,
the NBA is going to be just fine. However, I don't see with the way the league currently is as far as just the competitiveness of the eighty two game regular season and how long it lasts. I just can't see a scenario where they keep doing what they're doing
and the viewership does anything but continue to drop. And again, maybe that ends up not being as important, because again, if they're still talked about in a major way, the TV networks are still willing to pay billions of dollars for their rights to broadcast their games, then the NBA will be just fine. But like it makes me sad because I feel like the NBA used to be something
much different than it is now. And I guess the only reason it's kind of become a story lately is because I think it's for the first time the NBA, they can't run from it. They're acknowledging that they they're not people aren't watching their product they like they used to. It's actually impressive to know that. And yet you know, because of their partnership with the ESPN, I mean it's constantly in your face, meaning the NBA, but like not a ton of people are watching it, like you might think,
real quick, this is something I didn't realize. But this is from Chrispinini of The Athletic just more from the Netflix NFL Games yesterday. This makes sense Netflix. They are clearly getting some good results and some good feedback is they dip their toe in live sports, but they don't actually produce any of it. So yesterday's NFL Games was
produced by CBS and the NFL Network collectively. When Raw comes there, it's going to be completely WWE Raw, it's going to be WWE's production crew, nothing net Netflix produces. Jake Paul's company produced the Mike Tyson Jake Paul Fight
and the Women's World Up. It was on an international feed, so you know, that makes it to where they don't have to do a whole lot of spend as far as you know, production, and that makes me think they're going to continue to do it the way they're doing them, because if they ever did try to, you know, have a weekly schedule of live sports, or maybe they bought ESPN like I threw out there, they would have to have their own I guess they could just absorb the
ESPN production, to be honest with you. But anyways, quick break, we'll come back on the other side, wrap it up, keep it locked right here on Sports Talk seven.
Ninety now back to coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine.
Day good stuff here as we wrap it up on a Thursday afternoon. And I love seeing my man Austin and they're riding a bet that I don't know if it's I can't hear him unless he hits the there's a button that we have to hit to communicate with one another whenever we're not on the air, and I'm just I'm not hearing what's happening. But I'm seeing him into this game and I'm locked down. I'm kind of living through you.
Are you?
I mean, did you get overtime?
We're gett We're getting overtime now. So the plus six and a half is still looking good in college football, it's it starts going to the two points like after like a certain overtime, right hole.
Over time, No, it's I think after the first two then you have to start going for two or something like that. And I kind of feel like that's awesome in theory, but I've watched games where I'm like, yeah, this shouldn't be how it's decided.
Yeah, the Georgia Georgia Tech game.
Yes, exactly so. But over time in a bowl game, hey, I mean.
That's it's entertaining. The line and you've got Toledo. Did you go money line Toledo?
I just went, uh, spread.
Were they what was it? What was the line?
You got six and a half?
Okay, Uh so you're in good shape, right, Yeah.
We're looking good and I still have well it's still a part of a parlay. It's one leg down. And we had the Rutgers Kansas State game that just started. I did not following that right now, but I have Rutgers plus seven and in that one.
It's Kansas State three. Nothing early on at the live line is plus nine and a half. So you know, I like, I like your chances there. Again, I don't know enough about who's playing and who's not. But yeah, we've got one more bowl game later tonight, Arkansas State and bowling green.
Yeah, and I have I have Bowling Green minus n nice nice on.
Hey, hey you you you're looking you're looking good in the first one right now. And then I mean, and what's what I can tell just by seeing you go through this this bet is that you know, for a while you felt good, then you thought you were dead, and then now you're back alive, and now it's overtimes.
So that's the that's what makes it. That's what makes it a lot of fun.
Imagine not having gambling.
I know, it's it's it has enhanced the overall experience of being a fan of watching sports because you can quite literally, you know, make yourself pull for anybody that you bet on because you want to win. And uh yeah, it's a lot of fun. I don't looks like tomorrow. Yeah tomorrow, I mean I I because of what everybody knows, these bowl games that aren't part of the college football playoff have become you know, you just never really know
what you're gonna get. And I would be liar if I told you that I had a good feel for like which teams have the most opt outs, but just the teams themselves playing tomorrow. I mean Georgia Tech and Vander But that should low key be a good game.
Those are two teams that, like, they'll be happy to be there because that's not something they've done in a while, at least, you know, have the seasons they had where they were you know, as good as they were, especially Vandy, Texas Tech and Arkansas, Like that's kind of a rivalry matchup. I think there's a ton of opt outs because if there's a ton of guys in the portal from Arkansas, but and then Texas A and m USC. I mean again, who knows who's playing, But those are like, those are
games people will watch. We'll mock them probably and act like, you know, what are we doing here, but people will tune in, people will bet on it, and it'll be fun. All Right, we're out of time, you guys, enjoy your evening and have a good one.