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And I've been rude.
I've not let you guys know that there's an open invitation to join us. If you'd like, you can always text in on the ln N Federal Credit Union text line five oh two four three eight ninety seventy three. And if you would like to give us a call, you can do that too, five O two five seven to one seventy nine hundred. So, uh, we've been all over the place in the first hour Monday night, raw his in town tonight, and uh, I think, and I'm glad somebody sent this on the text line.
And I remember I.
Knew there was some type of a of a of a drought where we did not here in Kentucky get events from the WWF, which then became WWE, And somebody sent in an old link that uh. And this makes total sense, by the way, because in the state of Kentucky there is a Commission for boxing and wrestling to where you if you're going to operate really any of those two things in any way, you have to have a license as a wrestler, a boxer promoter, probably even
like Mma fighter too, I would think. But the commission is there to regulate it and to really from an I understand, keep it from you know, it protects the state from having the the reputation of a bunch of backyard brawls where people don't you know, they're not doing it safe. Not everybody's had a physical you know. I mean there was this happened actually within the last five six years.
I believe there was a.
Promotion because Indiana does not have a commission to where you don't have to have a license, you don't have to pay the commission a specific fee anytime you have an event, and that's that's what you have to do in Kentucky, and there's good reason for it because it kind of keeps the riff raf out.
But across the across the river.
In southern Indiana, there was an event where they had like what are they I'm making a fool of myself here. It's not called like a backyard match, But like.
I on sanction match, No, am I crazy? Do they call it a death match?
Probably? Yeah?
Okay, but like you know yes yes yeah, light tubes yes, led and thumb tacks yes. So like I was thinking death match. But I'm like, surely they don't call it a death match, and turns out they actually do. But anyways,
there was one of those that took place. It's somewhere in southern Indiana, and they had to, like the Health Department had to like send out a press release to the to the news stations around here in Kentucky and that like if you were there and you were near where this match happened, like one of the participants has like HEPSI or something, so like you have to go get like checked like it's but but again there's no
it's a complete free for all in Kentucky. There's regulations and you have to you know, there's certain things you like, if you put it this way, if you end up having a match where there is actually it's either it's real or fake blood, you have to let the state know a certain amount of time before it takes place.
They've got to be away of it.
And if you don't and they find out that you did have a you know, you did have it without letting them know. I mean, they can go as far as shutting you down, but I think what they would do is probably find you or maybe.
Limit the amount of events you can do.
I mean, I don't think they're like I mean, I don't know if they're strict compared to like other states where this takes place, but you kind of have to be, I guess strict because if not, like it's the type of it's the type of thing that people could really you know, like again we're talking about matches that they call death matches where you know, you can have people legitimately cut open and.
It's just I mean it's dangerous and whatnot.
So like this may not like anybody who is working production for WWE tonight, and they'll be more of them than wrestlers probably, right, I mean, like it's a full
on production. I mean, I think I haven't seen the live product, but I would be willing to bet that the Netflix production of ww munten net Raw, which they recently just obtained the exclusive rights to to broadcast it, it's probably comparable to anything you'll see in any other sport NFL, I mean, NBA, Major League Baseball, College football Playoff, Like it's as good as it gets when it comes to that. So every single person that's going to be
working in that capacity, they also have to have a license. Yeah, so logistically, and this makes total sense. Logistically, it became just maybe it just became a lot more work than maybe they typically have to do when they go elsewhere meeting the ww I found that again, thank you who
ever sent this in. This is an old article that's got a quote from former WWEC Olena McMahon, who now works for our president, which is just crazy to think about, to be honest with you, but she was quoted in the early two thousands expressing frustrations with Kentucky's regulations, saying they were quote holding wrestling to a standard that didn't fit the genre, so they tried to And I think there was also some bad blood around that time because
of the decision to move their farm system. Essentially their development center used to be OVW here in Louisville, and then of course they moved it to Florida, and then they ended up kind of starting their own thing years later. But yeah, there was a This does not include the exact dates as far as that the state of Kentucky went without having any live events, but it was for
it was for multiple years. But yeah, it looks like this was in two thousand and two thousand, in May of twenty sixteen, there was a Courier Journal article that was talking about some changes made to the Kentucky back Boxing and Wrestling Commission that I guess made some adjustments to make it a little bit more doable for the WWE to show up and have events. Yeah, this is twenty sixteen. It is under the existing rules in the
state of Kentucky, ww's unable to produce are televised entertained. Yeah, this is I'm sorry. This is a statement from WWE in twenty sixteen as they were I guess working through to get some changes done, but it says that we were not We're unable to produce our televised entertainment events in a manner that is consistent with other states. Working with the new commission, we hope we can return to Kentucky with live WWE televised events including Monday Night Raw, SmackDown,
and pay per view. So yeah, they made a change around then, and since then, I guess it's been coming back pretty consistently, which is a good thing because you know, even if you're not into wrestling. Look, I totally get it, everybody's got their own things they're interested in.
But having the WWE.
Here, whether it be for SmackDown for Raw, for a pay per view, or for really any event, like it's good for our city. And they probably realized meeting the Commission here Austin, they probably realized, we'll do whatever you guys need us to do, because that's a big payday.
Because what happens there's a cut.
I don't know if it's like the one appearance that they might make in Kentucky, which they're making more. You said they're coming for SmackDown before too long, but like that's how that commission is able to even fund itself just from those those events, So.
It would be hoove them of course bringing more rassling.
Yeah, let's do it.
I'm down there and it did go. Yeah, And this is this is the change they made. And I'm not sure how many people are inserted in this, but I'm sorry, I'm kind of nerd out on it. But this, the change they made was a blood stoppage. So there was something implemented that basically just the wwe said, we can't, like it's not worth us to go through all this trouble and maybe even change how we want to do our content, our stories based off your restrictions, but they
did make that change in twenty sixteen. It says regarding blood stoppage, the current rule reads, quote, if a person accidentally bleeds while participating in an exhibition show or appearance, the individual bleeding shall cease participation in the match and made rejoin the match once the bleeding has stopped. Yet, that's insanely not realistic in any way, right, I mean, you know better than me. Like, imagine somebody accidentally coming up bloody and having to you know, like.
Right, they got to stop it, patch it up like usc fighter, going back to the corner.
Exactly.
So, despite how anybody out there feels about Matt Bevin, remember he had a big part in changing dude.
He did the whole thing he put He put Chad Miller in place of the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission, and that is that is legitimately how this all changed.
And there it hasn't actually happened yet. But the training academy for OVW where you can still technically go and you know, train to be a wrestler rather it be in the ring, or maybe you want to do some behind the scenes stuff, But again it's not currently set up that way to my knowledge, but there is something that Bevin pushed to where it can actually be considered
a trade school. Think about how crazy that is to where like Austin, you can go work at ups and have them pay your tuition and it's not for you going to u of L or JCC. They're paying your tuition to learn how to wrestle, which gains amazing. It's just yeah, it's just interesting and there's nobody else that could they could offer that. So anyway, shout out to wrestling as we've got WWE right in town to night.
All right.
So, Chucky Hepburn was in the NBA G League Combine over the weekend, which it's it's for those who are just on I guess, like the borderline list of being able to you know, to actually participate in the NBA Draft Combine, which is taking place I believe this week. So Chucky, I didn't see any stats. I did see that he had a game winning three point shot, and actually I believe I'm double check here. I think in
that game he actually did have a pretty impressive stat line. However, he didn't get the call up to actually participate in the in the real NBA draft combine, which I guess doesn't necessarily mean he won't get drafted, but I would say right now he's not projected to get drafted and probably won't. But Chucky Hepburn to me like he's the he's the perfect example of a guy that it's just about timing an opportunity. Like there are so many guards and I don't want to act like Chucky Hepburns just
grow on trees because he's a pretty special talent. But there's so many guards that are like him, meaning they can run your team as a point guard. They can play off the ball and still be effective for you, and they can, I mean, you can shoot it consistent enough,
good defensively and smart. Like there's so many of those guys that are playing in Italy and Greece, in Turkey, in China, and I think the NBA meaning like the NBA personnel, like they're well aware that they got a guy on contract right now, But there's twenty of those guys in other countries that are really you know, they're they're just as good and just as capable, but you know you don't have you don't have root for twenty
of them in the NBA. So you know with Chucky like this is the this is the player comp that I think Chucky Hepburn I mean again, I hate I don't know. This has been a saying for a long time, but I always hesitate to do it because I don't think there's a way to say it without without it sounding like an insult. Like if I told if somebody told me, hey, you're a poor man's Austa Montgomery in a way, I would be like, Wow, Austa Montgomery's a
pretty big deal. Love that guy. That's a compliment, but also like poor man's like you know, but so I guess I'll you know, I don't want to insult Chucky. Loved Chucky, But to me, Chucky Hepburn could be a poor man's Fred van Vliet. And I'm thinking to myself, what can Fred van Vliet bring to an NBA team
that Chucky can And instantly I'm thinking size. But you know, Chucky six to one hundred and ninety pounds, I believe, take a guess how much you think Chucky Hepburn weighs Austin I'm gonna look it up.
I mean, he seems kind of stocky, but not over two hundred pounds.
So they listen him at six two one ninety and you know, I mean he's not beef.
Sounds sounds about right.
Yeah.
Van Vliet looks stocky, right, Van Vliet looks like a little running back out there, does he not? I mean, to me, he's a he's what they call And I love this nickname. By the way, it's it's so it's it's not super creative, but it's just clever enough to be perfect. They called Baron Davis this the bodyguard because Baron Davis was built, you know, I mean, he got a big body, so like to me, when I think of Fred Van Vliet, I kind of think a little bit of Baron Davis to where, yeah, not not tall,
but certainly strong enough, but also athletic and quick. So again, I'm not acting like Chucky. Hepburn's gonna be Baron Davis or Fred Van Vliet. But I just you know what again, what what do what does Van Vliet bring that Chucky couldn't do. Chucky's a good shooter, by the way, he didn't shoot it great at Wisconsin, I believe in the
last year he was there before coming to Louisville. But we saw last year I mean, he could get hot and light it up, and he's physical, you know, you know, six two one nineties not tiny, But I mean there were times where he knew, Okay, I'm gonna back you down, like I'm gonna post you up because I have I'm strong enough to do it, and you're probably gonna be taken aback by it. So I hope it works out
for Chucky. But you know, Van Vleet is listed at let's see, six foot even, one hundred and ninety seven pounds, so you know, shorter and probably you know, I don't follow the NBA close enough to know just how good or bad Van Vliet is at certain things. But you know, like Chucky's an elite defenders, He's I think, maybe not elite, but to me, he's a really good distributor, right Like, He's a guy who has good vision, can get guys involved,
and can score if you leave him open. So I don't know Chucky to me, And this is clearly coming from a Louisville fan perspective, because I love Chucky and I want I want him to do well in the NBA, But I'm alst like like Russ Smith, never making it in the NBA, it's not because he wasn't good enough. I mean, it's just because like there were I mean, there are countless amounts of guards that are six foot one that probably aren't maybe as gifted at Russ at
certain things. But like it's just timing an opportunity in the NBA for those kind of roles. And you know, there's way more players that are capable of filling the role than there are those roles available within the National Basketball Association. But anyways, with Chucky, I mean I think that's he's a good enough player to where if he did get an opportunity, he could play a long time. But again, those opportunities that's the hardest thing to actually
actually have come your way. I used to say this about Russ Smith because I remember even when Russ was crushing it at Louisville in his last two seasons here, where he really you know, was was it all means he's one of the best players's ever played here is the reason his numbers were tired. But Russ, I mean, I would look at it at that time, one of the guys who played I think a lot of minutes off the bench for at the time, I think the
best team in the NBA. Remember Norris Cole who played for the Heat when, of course, when Lebron was winning titles with Miami, I would watch and think, if Norris Cole can play in the NBA, My goodness, Russ Smith can play in the NBA. Look, you could even say the same thing about Mario Chalmers, who actually had a lengthy career.
But like, again, let me give you an example, he was real cheap.
Norri's Cole was undrafted, I believe, or maybe you know, second round guy out of Cleveland State State. So you know, Lebron James one of the biggest things that like I always paid attention to when he was really, you know, in his prime. And I sound foolish saying now, because you could make the case Lebron's really never left his prime. When it comes to just on any given night, he can show you that he's one of the best and
most talented athletes of all time. But there were dudes that would would latch on two teams Lebron play for and when they didn't have a Lebron James is the guy that you know is running the team and they're just out there as a complimentary piece or you know, guys, you just don't even realize they're out there because Lebron's doing everything. When they're not on a Lebron James team anymore, they don't last in the NBA. Same thing with north
Cole once he no longer was playing that. You know, they put all the money into Wade, into Bosh and Lebron, so then they just had a bunch of supporting cast characters that were cheap, and once they no longer play alongside those three, specifically Lebron, they never played in the NBA anymore. I mean Booby Gibson in Cleveland, remember that guy, Yeah, I mean West.
Yeah.
Like they're dudes who you know, they owe their career to playing alongside Lebron, to be honest with you, So but again, it's all about opportunity. Had had Russ come out of had Russ come out of college and the Heat drafted him at that time in like the second round, I bet he to you know, I don't know, hard for me to just hard for me to think in any way Russ having such a secondary role because the only thing I can envision is Russ doing everything because that's what he does, you know.
But maybe he would have been able to make it work.
I always defend guys who get clowned for, you know, have fun in Venezuela, have fun and you know overseas, and I mean, I'm sure they would love to be in the NBA experiencing what.
That is like.
But like the lack of self awareness when you make fun of somebody making a living playing a sport, like what I mean, I just I mean, think about how many people can claim that in their lifetime, you know, the job that they're doing in order to you know, make a living and probably make a good living and live a good lifestyle is because of the sport that they put everything into. So there's so many guys that
are good enough to play in the NBA. There's just not enough roles and opportunities and jobs, right, Like, there's not enough jobs in the NBA. And I don't act like every player is NBA caliber, but there's so like outside of the top six or seven, maybe eight guys on an NBA team, most of them at least they're role players. The vast majority of the league is role players, and there's many guys that can can play that role. It's just an opportunity kind of thing, and that's hard
to come by. All right, quick break, We'll come back on the other side.
Keep it rolling along.
We certainly got to talk about Michael Jordan coming back to basketball, not to play, but to be an announcer. I mean, I'm excited as can be when it comes to that. So it will certainly get into it. And this may be fake news, but sounds as far as what I read that like, it's not I mean it's not made up. But UCLA, Yes, Ucla the Bruins. They've got scientists on campus that have reportedly come close to solving baldness, meaning like they believe they've got something that can cure baldness.
Which talk about a come up for the boys.
I mean, shout out to you if you're balding, and UCLA is the is the school with the scientists that fix it. I think you have to be a Bruin fan to some extent, right, I have to. You got to stick around right here on Sports Talk seven.
Ninety Now back to coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
If you ever want a real reminder, not that anybody ever really needs it, but the NFL moves the needle really is the needle. I mean, the NFL in this country when it comes to interest and viewers. I mean, no league, pro college, whatever, should ever try to hold themselves to the standard of the NFL. And I think the real reminder of that for me is always just the lead up to the NFL schedule release, because it's here.
Schedule week is upon us, and we'll get it this week Wednesday, I believe it is at eight o'clock, and just the like how much this has been just a talking point with you know, those who have a platform covering sports in any way like this will get more attention than the NBA playoffs as they're currently ongoing. I mean, maybe that's an exaggeration, or you know, maybe there's just no way to actually to compare the two, but yeah,
it'll be here soon. And we found out earlier today that it'll be the Cowboys in the Eagles that officially kick off the NFL season on that Thursday night, So not a surprise those two big brands. Obviously, the Cowboys no accomplishments really in a long long time, but they're still the Cowboys, and then obviously the Philadelphia Eagles they are You're you're defending Super Bowl champs. So I guess that was announced on the Today Show with Mike Tarico
earlier today on NBC. And let's see the So there's so many different broadcast partners now with the NFL. I mean you've got Fox of course, Prime Video, ESPN, CBS, Netflix, now, I mean you've got I mean, this has to be a record as far as how many different networks have had at least some what of a piece of the pie when it comes to broadcasting live, live NFL games.
But yeah, the schedule will be here soon and there's two regular season games that will take place in London, and one game is going to be in Berlin, Germany, and that's the Cults are actually going to be part of that. They're also playing a game in Madrid, Spain. I don't think I realized that, And the Dolphins are going to be part of that too, and then there's going to be a regular season game in Dublin, Ira in the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a part of that one,
and then they'll play in Brazil. That'll be uh, the Chargers, and then of course the Jags. They're gonna return to Wimbley Stadium. In London because they've they you know, they're kind of they've I'm not sure that the United Kingdom asked for them Austin, but like that's who they got stuck with, the Jags, and they clearly have some real uh you know, some some some representation over there, some fans.
But when you see all these games being scheduled in different countries, like, I'd be shocked if this isn't a continued thing, meaning.
More, they're not.
They're not going to scale this back at any point. If anything, they'll just add more probably.
Yeah, And they're they're now doing things I think it may have been either in the last year, last two years or like last year the Jags stayed for two weeks over there, so doing like two straight weeks of over in Europe, and they're doing like Germany, and like you said, they're they used to do like Mexico and stuff one opening night.
So no, they're not scaling it back at all. Yeah.
And look, I mean it's it's a business, right, I mean, it may to be world Yeah, and I just I mean, has the NFL, I mean they rarely get it wrong.
I mean, and I'm not sure.
Like if it's if it's all, uh, you know, Goodell, because he's just a great commissioner. But like the NFL product is just it's it's awesome.
It is awesome.
So uh yes, the schedule release will will get me excited, and then I'll remember, oh yeah, we still got many many months before we get there, but uh yeah, it'll just.
Think four months from now, we'll be able to watch Sunday night football.
And am I the only one who is aware that, you know, it really hasn't been that long since we had an NFL game, But the Super Bowl for me seems like it was two years ago. I don't know why it seems like so much time has passed, but uh yeah, it's because I you know, when football season's not here, I think a lot of us miss it.
But it'll be back. It'll be back at some point, all right.
So speaking of coming back, Michael Jordan, he is going to be back in basketball in a way that I guess he never really has. I was going to say back in basketball. He's he's been an owner of an NBA team for a long long time, but he's in the background. I think that's the best way to describe Michael Jordan because there's no scenario that he's ever going to be like irrelevant or you know, somebody you forget about.
He's Michael freakin' Jordan, but he's he has publicly stayed in the background really for the vast majority of his life since leaving the NBA, and now he'll be on TV because NBC, I mean, they they they had to know like they were gonna really surprise a lot of people and get a lot of love for this announcement, because it didn't you know, for someone like myself who does like to nerd out a little bit on media leaks that kind of thing.
You know, as far as like who who got the like who had this? Nobody?
NBC just announced it and apparently nobody. There wasn't anybody who had any kind of scoop that Jordan was considering because you just would never expect it or think it because he's been gone for so long as far as away from playing the game, and is never, to my knowledge, ever expressed any interest in being any.
Way a part of media.
So I'm curious what Jordan gets out of this, because he certainly doesn't need it as far as money. He doesn't need it as far as attention. He still is able to get his fixed when it comes to basketball, I would assume, because you know, he happens to own the Charlotte Hornets. But I'm not complaining. I'm happy that he's decided to do it. So the NBA on NBC man that logo is nostalgic. The theme song, of course, is iconic. But they made it official today with their
entire team. They've got Mike Turico and Noah Eagle will be doing play by play. They've got Carmelo Anthony on board to be a studio analyst, and then the game analysts are going to be Reggie Miller, my Idol, and then also Jamal Crawford, who's off to a really good start in his media career, former player who I feel like play for every team in the NBA for twenty years. And then special contributor Michael Jordan. And here was how
they announced it earlier today. Kids will never never understand what they missed out on with Jordan in the nineties. I mean it was it was something special. And I don't just mean because he was great and probably the best player that will ever play this game, but just like he had a star factor to him that you just I mean, I don't know anybody i'd compare it to,
to be honest with you. And I don't mean just like with accomplishments, because obviously there's some other great athletes in their respective sports that have done something that puts them in a category, like Michael is in basketball, but like Jordan, I mean, it's Michael Jordan. I mean that alone.
Like that, that's all you really need to say.
And if you're young and you don't remember it because you were not alive or you know, just too young, I'm sure I'm not doing a good job of really letting you know why it was so special, But man, it was just it was something.
So this uh, this was posted earlier today.
This is back NBC when they were announcing that he was that he was coming back to.
To play after leaving the Bulls for a little while. This is uh.
And again, when I think of I mean when I think of of NBA as a kid, I think of NBC and that theme song and uh, what's the name of the guy Costas? Like Costas, Bob Costas, that's the voice. Like I don't hear him really on anything anymore. I don't know if he calls any I have no clue what Bob Costas does anymore. I'm sure, yeah, I don't even know if he does that anytime I hear his voice in any way, I just think back to this era of the NBA on NBC.
We're retired, means you can do anything you want from this day on.
So if I desire to come back and play a game, maybe that's what I want to do.
Maybe that's the challenge it I may need some day down the.
Road, And that day has arrived.
Michael Jordan warming up at Market Square Arena more than three hours before today's schedule tip off. Its twenty one months have passed since Michael Jordan last played competitive basketball. For twenty one months, the NBA was without it's supreme artist. There may be many interesting peripheral aspects to both his departure and return, but at the heart of it is simply this.
The best in the world is back, and in a.
Sports world darkened by constant talk of money, strikes and lockouts, here's a shining reminder of why we're drawn.
To sports in the first place.
The drama, the anticipation, the sheer beauty of the moment. Today an artist returns to his true canvas, the hardboard courts of the NBA.
Michael Jordan is back.
Is the NBA on NBC today.
It's the Chicago Bulls versus the Indianfacer.
I mean that the hair on my neck, my arms is standing straight up.
Everything was the only one.
Oh my god, everything about that was was amazing. The artist returns back to his canvas. Yes it uh and yeah, I just mentioned how the NFL has so many different partners, same thing. That's just the new that's just the media landscape right now to where the NBA has the same situation going on, right I mean, there's a huge deal that TNT no longer has NBA games. I mean, that's that's I mean, there's still, I guess technically in some way partnered with the NBA, but nothing like what it's been for.
A long long time.
And you know, I'm sure they are although the ESPN for being the dominant leader in sports right their NBA coverage should be.
Way better and it's just not.
TNT's killing them, which is why T and T is gonna lease their crew to ESPN to utilize because they you know, they know they can't hang. But like I just I love how competitive it is now with these networks,
you know, ESPN, Amazon, Peacock. I mean, like just you know, TN T like they're they're all trying to get a piece of the pie the NBA and put together the best broadcast team they can to obviously, you know, make it to where you feel like your NBA watching experience is that it's best on their network.
It's super competitive, which is really.
Good for the industry, to be honest, I mean, that's that's good for every industry when there's a good, healthy competition because everybody's knowing they got to keep continuously trying to improve and not get stagnant.
But you know, as.
Competitive as it is, NBC pulls out Jordan, like, you know, like okay, well yeah we got nothing, we got we got nothing the top that we can't match you. You pulled out Jordan, and now we we you know, we'll all collectively compete for second best. And man, nostalgia it can it can.
It can die.
Pretty quickly, and it probably will once you know, it
becomes the new normal we watch it. But early on, I mean, I don't think anybody at the time knew that when they were growing up or you know, somewhere around my age range that like the NBC aspect of your NBA viewing experience as a youngster in the nineties, when it felt like it was super competitive, and you know, you had guys like Michael Jordan, I mean like it their their coverage, meaning their imprint on it, and how they presented the NBA to us, like it was a
big factor in it. Obviously again the players themselves and the storylines and the drama and all that. Obviously that's a big factor too. But like I don't think any of us knew we'd miss then we'd miss NBC when it comes to the NBA, and then we didn't have it forever and now it's back and it's it's gonna be great, So good stuff.
A right. Sticking with the NBA.
On the other side, I want to talk about the NBA Draft Lottery because it takes place tonight and we're gonna find out where Cooper flat is going to start his NBA career. And I mean, if it's the Jazz, I mean, come on, come on, like they can't let that happen. Sorry, Utah Jazz fans, but like this guy, he's I don't know how marketable he is as far as like his you know, he doesn't seem to have a whole lot of range when it comes to like personality,
which that doesn't matter. If he can ball, he can ball. But I think Wimby being as good as he is and so many people not really realizing it because he plays in San Antonio, like the NBA can't do anything about it. But like I'm starting to now understand and maybe believe the conspiracy about the Knicks rigging the lottery years ago so they could get Patrick Ewing. Because look, playing in a market that you know is not Salt Lake City or even like New Orleans or San Antonio, that matters.
It does.
So we talk about that in a lot more. We got plenty of time left, so stick around right here. It's Coffee and Company. Feel about Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to Coffee and Company fueled by Thornton on Sports Talk seven nine day.
There are two people that can claim to be the ass man men. I should say one of them is the badass Billy Gunn, but the other has got to be Kramer from Seinfeld.
I don't know. I people know the reference, but that's one of my favorite. I mean it's not.
I mean all of the Seinfeld references are my favorite because I love Seinfeld, but yeah, shout out to Badass Billy Gunn. Did you just go by Billy Gunn at that point? Na, he was there had to be an
ass in there somewhere because mister ass for the longest time. Yeah, so then he went to Badass after he joined d X. The reason we are playing wrestling intros as we intro each segment today is because WWE Monday Night Raw is going to be taking place tonight just down the street here from us at the YOUM Center, which is certainly exciting.
But real quick, let's get to uh, let's get to the We have a whole lot of time left, but I want to make sure and save as much time as we can to have a strong five o'clock hour. But tonight we will have the NBA Draft Combine, which means we're gonna find out who gets to draft Cooper Flag. I believe that he has easily been the most no brainer number one pick. And I'm not saying like no brainer because he'll be the best player of all time.
He might be.
I'm just saying that anybody trying to act like he wouldn't be the first player taken in this draft, Like it's just nonsense. Same thing was said about Zion, but maybe Flag it's even more so a cause, I mean, I couldn't even tell you if there is like a consensus.
Right after Flag, here's who you take.
And that may not mean that it's a weak draft, but like I just think, you know, he's he's just clearly the most talked about prospecting this draft, and it's and it's and it's you know, it's not even close. I mean, who do you think And you may know Austin, but like I can't even tell. I know, the Bailey kid from Rutgers has still be viewed as a guy that's like a top three pick, but I don't, you know, I don't know if he's somebody that is believed to be like, you know, I got.
An other guy too, right, is it? Dylan Harper?
Is?
Yeah, there's there's there's Harper, and there's Bailey.
And then after that, like I really got to be honest with you, I really don't, I really don't know. I mean the first mock draft I pulled up here has Cooper Flag, and then Dylan Harper going second, vj Edgecombe going fourth, Ace Bailey number four, I'm sorry, Edgecomb three, Bailey four, and then Jeremiah Fears at number five.
Who I forgot all about.
He was the freshman who really kind of out of nowhere became like a I mean, he was really good at Oklahoma, but he wasn't necessarily expected to be one of the better freshmen. So then you got Trey Johnson, who had a great freshman season at Texas. And then from there, I'll admit it, there's guys I've never even heard of, maybe because some of them, you know, didn't play in college. But you got Nolan Treilray. He's he did not play in college. He's he's from France. I
do remember that name. And then you've got Thomas Sober, another guy who I'm not super familiar with, but he played one season as a freshman at Georgetown. And then kan Kin Nipple, Cooper Flag's teammate at Duke. And then Derreck Queen, who of course had a really good, uh really good rookie freshman season at Maryland. So I don't even know if this draft is viewed as being loaded, really weak or whatever, because Cooper flag has just been the only thing I've heard about when it comes to
this draft. And it's not because there's any kind of you know, anticipation of is he going to be number one? We know he's gonna be number one, But tonight as when we find out who's gonna get to pick him? And right now, the teams with the best you know, the the the odds of having the number one pick. You've got three teams with a fourteen percent chance of getting it. That's the Jazz, the Wizards, and the Hornets.
If you were just considering what is best for the NBA of those teams, to me, it's a no brainer that the Wizards because of the DC market. But even but even that franchise, I mean, it would take somebody like Cooper Flagg being one of the best young players that we've seen in a long, long, long time for them do I think be relevant because you know, they've kind of always stunk. Like what is the moment of the Wizard Slash Bullets franchise in the NBA where you're like, wow,
they had a great run. Then, like I'm thinking Gilbert Arenas, I mean, that's that's what I'm thinking.
Of about all the stuff that came along with the hate.
And like even times when they made the playoffs, you know, when it wasn't that era, like they weren't, I mean they were six seven, eight seed probably, which you know, you could at one point you could have a losing record and still make the playoffs in the East. So outside of those three, you then have the Pelicans, who've got a twelve and a half percent chance, which gives them the fourth best odds, and then the Sixers at
ten and a half percent. The Nets are the sixth best bet as far as you know the percentage chances of that ping pong ball doing what it needs to do for them, and you know, get the team with the worst percentage chance of getting him is the Spurs, followed by the Kings and then the Bulls. I mean, look, of all the teams eligible to get this pick, what would be best for the NBA, I believe is probably.
Probably him going to the Bulls, which again very unlikely. Or dare I say.
The Mavericks, But didn't the Mavericks give up that pick? I mean it could be wrong, but anyways, I it's not just about all right, which team could he end up on to where he would have a decent cast to work with, to where if he is really good as a rookie, they could be relevant. Because I think there are some teams within this mix that, like you could easily see, like the Sixers if they get him. Like the Sixers, they were a mess this year, but
they've got good pieces. I mean, like, I think they probably need to cons I mean, I'm sure they already are considering life without Embeid, but they've got really good young pieces. I mean, Tyrese Maxi's a superstar in this league. Jared McCain was killing it before he got hurt. You know, the Sixers and the Sixers I think, have you know they're a big NBA brand to an extent. I mean they're not the Lakers, They're not the Knicks anything like. That's the Celtics for that matter.
But I don't know.
Zion going to the to the Pelicans was such a bummer for me. And it wasn't because like I wanted him to go to like my team. I just and look, Zion, he's got to you know, he's got to take some accountability here too. I Mean, he hasn't been healthy, which maybe that's not necessarily his fault, but obviously talks like there's been plenty of talk over the years that he hasn't always done the best of staying in shape.
So when you have a guy that is this.
Seemingly impactful, and you know it's such a foregone conclusion that he's going to be the number one pick, he's been a celebrity within the sports world for two and a half three years now. I mean, the NBA wants him to end up somewhere that you know, would be beneficial for the league, but doesn't look like there's a lot of great opportunities for that to happen. So we shall see real quick. Another thing I just mentioned the Rutgers freshman Ace Bailey, who is alongside Harper. They're both
looked to be top five draft prospects. This is this came up last week on one of the NBA accounts that I follow, that there's belief that there was always some line going on about how tall he actually was, which that can happen like sometimes you can, you know.
I now, just if I see somebody listed at six eleven, I'm going to assume they're probably closer to six nine or six ten, And then of course you have the okay measure with shoes without shoes, which a good point has always been made by a lot of people when this conversation comes up, why would you measure any NBA player without shoes? Whenever they don't play without, they're going
to always be playing with shoes. Now, I guess the answer would be, well, because maybe they got something underneath, Maybe they got something in their shoes that makes them appear taller, because that's you know, that's a real thing. But anyways, the measurements are going on today at the NBA Draft Combine and Ace Bailey is listed at six foot ten. They measured him today, he's six'. Seven i'm, sorry as AN nba draft, prospect that's A i'm not
just talking about three, inches it's. Huge i'm talking ABOUT i, mean, Hell i've been trying to say that for. Years three inches is not something. Small let's be let's be real with ourselves. Here but, nonetheless like if you're viewed as he, is as this wing kind of like hybrid guy that you know is versatile and skilled but also big.
Six seven and six.
Ten as far as how, you play world of a Difference so i'm not saying this guy is gonna be a BUS but i mean he's he's legitimately a lot shorter than what they listed, him at WHICH again i guess the reports of that. Were correct, all right with five o'clock hour actually is starting, right now but we got to take a. Quick break we'll, come back we'll finish strong and get you set For for Monday night
raw here tonight At The. Yump, center exciting, exciting stuff, no doubt and there's a lot of things as always On.
A monday i want to make.
Sure we get to before we get out. Of here so let's get out, of here come back and give you one. MORE, HOURS cof i.
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