Nightcap Hour 1: Lakers look HOPELESS vs Spurs + Will OKC go BACK 2 BACK & BREAK Warriors RECORD? + Kevin Stefanski WANTS OUT of Cleveland + Eagles REMOVE “Positivity Rabbit”

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Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for joining us for another episode of Nightcap.

Y'all know who I am.

I'm your favorite UNC Shannon Sharp and my partner and co host the Liberty City Legend, the Bengal Ring of Fame Honoree, a former pro bowler and an All Pro. He's Chad O Yosenko Johnson and joining us every Wednesday. The third member of the Big Three. Y'all know him from Little Rock, Arkansas, University of Arkansas, lum Iso Joe Johnson.

Joe, what do you do? Bro man? What's heapening? What's happening? Boy?

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They had.

If I'm not mistaken, I think they had seven players and double figures. Their bench scored like forty four forty five points, and the Lakers only got bench production from Marcus mart But Joe watching this ball game, and we look, we know Oster Reeves struggled tonight. That's that's an a normally he anomaly. He's played great the entire season, so we know they can score. Luca's gonna give you somewhere

So do you know what you start like, Hey, man, they're gonna pay me.

Two under meal to put the ball in the basket, not to defend, and so they're gonna that's gonna be their issue. But I was surprised, But how well the Spurs played tonight, I wasn't really surprised.

You know, you got to give props to the Spurs on Kenocho, but you know, the Lakers just coming off their road trip on the East Coast. Man, that's a three hour difference. It takes a little while for the body to get back acclimated, you know, to a specific time. If I'm the Lakers, obviously you're definitely disappointed being at home. But you gotta get a Spurs credit. Man, they got a lot of young cats who can put that ball in the hole, man, young legs. Hey, the youth came

I mean, oh yo joe.

Spurs got thirty nine in the first quarter, got thirty one in the second quarter, so that's seventy points at the half. Then they go get thirty four and the third. That's one hundred and four points. You're gonna have a very tough time. You let teams score that many points. You're gonna have a hard ass. Unless you shooting at an elite level. You let a team score like that, you got your work cutout for. You got your work

Can they defend? Can they defend? Then they're gonna score. Luca's gonna Luca Lucas gonna give you. I mean, he got an easy equal.

Look, he's gonna go off every first quarter because he's gonna get up about fifteen shots, so there's gonna be a great chance he's gonna have somewhere between twenty and twenty, maybe even thirty points in the first quarter. So he's gonna get He's gonna get off to a great start. The question is can they defend, because what happens when your shots. See what happened was they got off to a great start, and when it wasn't defending, it was fine because the Spurs missed a couple of shots and

Hey, that's that boy, man and a deep and he always hey listen, he always been that boy were down there in sack Town. I just the fact that I'm not sure why certain players, I think depending on where they play. Obviously, if you're not flaming boyant, if you're not flashy, you don't get the credit you're not. You're not seen on TV as often as you should, you know, I mean, especially those they don't watch the.

Game of basketball. But but he liked that.

Oh yeah, he always been like that.

And as far as the Lakers are concerned, on they they've really never been able to play defense. You understand, that's not the way that team is built. They're they're they're off of the juggernaut. And when Rui was off the night, when Austin ree was off to night, you know, it had it's something has to offset them not having defense.

So they have no choice but to be efficient.

They got no choice. But from the field, and everybody has to be on. Everybody got agree. You know tonight you.

Had two individuals that score.

I mean they they they are part of the scoring obviously Lebron Luca, you know they they could do. But if U and Austin not on, they really don't stand no chance. Not just against the Spurs, but hell, anybody.

Yeah that could score it will. They're always gonna be a problem. If you go back and study the Lakers, Joe and O Joe.

If you look at the Lakers, say the past, since let's just take since Lebron been there. Yeah, thing that's always given them problem. Elite back court courts, quick back courts.

Yeah, guys who can.

Always give go back and look at since Lebron has been there, teams that Darren Fox has always given them fits. Shaye is always gonna give them fits. Somebody that has an elite tyrese MAXI guys that John Moran.

Anybody that has an.

Elite back court is gonna cause them problem because they can't defend that. They can't defend on ball. So you come with help, they swing it. You rotate one more time. Now, guys wide open, so they don't have guys they don't have guys that can. They can't rotate multiple times, and the thing would makes okay, see so great they could rotate once twice, three times.

Four times, five times a lady.

Yeah, and they always gonna have three elite level ball defense on ball defenders. They're gonna be on the court of all times. Oh yeah, you got carusso ed, you brought Wallace, he it you just bring you just Joe comes in. You just they just keep throwing people at you and at you and at you and at you.

It just it just overwhelmed you.

Yeah, they got the okay, see, got defensive minded guys, you know, and they playing extended defense, meaning they picking a full court. The Lakers are more built. They're gonna try to outscore you pire point blank. Uh. And I thought they were very lethargic to thing. Like I said, I thought they was a step of two slow to night too, okay, Joe, uh and the young team, that young Spurs team took advantage of a Lakers team. Like I said, they had been on the road just coming

Man.

They sit on top of the West as well, and I look forward to seeing them play. Okay, see, man, it's gonna be They're gonna be a great team, a fun team to watch. So well, I was gonna go to the I was gonna go to the game. But I ain't going now why because the Lakers ain't playing.

I don't want to see no, Okay, seeing Spurs, man, that's gonna be a good game. I'd rather go watch a worm fight to jumping Jackson, red woodlers fighting, who's gonna get whos gonna get eaten by the fish?

Hey, hold up, I think I think women gonna be back, though, I think women gonna be back for the championship.

Don't care about that. Big Bend can be back, The Eiffel Tower can be back.

I ain't going.

It's gonna be a hell of a game where you're gonna wish you went to this game? What you what you would have bet the ratings will be.

They're gonna be high, I mean the Lakers. If the Lakers is playing, they probably be a little higher, but they gonna be a little Luca and Lebron. Yeah, but I'm saying, hey, look, you can't you can't deny with okay, see doing no oh no.

No no no no no no no no, like two things can be true. Joke.

Always think about it. The Spurs have always been been really really good, even when they had Duncan. Even that manu u uh, Tony Parker and Ni Kawai came late, but they also been a low draw.

That's just that's just the wad is.

Hey what they playing that game at Joe Vegas?

Hey?

Hey, what aren't that right there? But that right there?

I'm sleeping. I'm getting some rest.

Hold on.

You don't want to go to the game.

I don't do you want to go to the game? Joke?

Come on, I'm winning. What's up, old Joe? Where we're going?

We can fly down man when the game is Saturday. Oh damn. I got to be in Philly, man.

Yeah see I knew it. I think I got something to do too, And I got to be in my bed.

I ain't you ain't got to be in the ain't got.

Got to be. You don't have to, you don't have to what I gotta do.

I mean, I'm gonna tall you like crazy Joe told totally men and lean on me. You gotta do stay black and it's time to go, time to go.

That's it. Anything else out side of that, you gotta we can go to the game.

No you can't. Yah, man, I do not wish to go to the game. I had never saw I never seen Luca play, so I wanted to see Luca.

So if the Lakers was playing, you would have went to the game.

I absolutely would have went to the game. Absolutely, one thousand, a trillion percent.

You would have said, would said courtside.

Ten million percent. Damn, that's if they do.

If they did it like the first time they did it, Joe, you know, it was like it really wasn't like no court side. It's kind of hard to explain. Yeah, but it was cool. It was cool the lights. You know, the Lakers won the first one. Uh, they beat Indiana. Lebron was the MVP of the thing. So yeah, it was really good. But yeah, that was when my god was like, oh yeah, Lakers, they let me down. So I guess I gotta wait for another game to see Luca.

Yeah.

It was it was uphill all night man. Yeah, and they got up to a great start. I thought the Lakers got off to a really good start. But then look, the thing is if you get off to a great start and you're not playing defense, that's fine. But what happens when you start missing shots and you're not playing defense and you can't keep nobody in front of you. So now all of a sudden, lay up, they missed

Then from that point on they really never looked back. I don't, I don't.

For me, I never got the sense that the Lakers were really really into it. I mean, I think they cut it to eight, and then the Spurs push it back to twelve right before the half. And then they come right out the half and hear the three to start Lakers here the three, and.

The next thing you know, they go boom boom, boom boom.

The next thing you know, what was the twelve point leaders a twenty point league?

It's just like that. The Spurs are deep, man, they deep. They got a deep team. Man.

They got a lot of guys who contribute. They don't just lean on one guy. They hit you no, no, no. So I was in prison, I ain't gonna lie I was in prison. They've been playing great ball off season, so it was, you know, good to kind of see him going la and really take that challenge and really just take control of the game. I looked up to start the third the second half, I thought the Lakers was down ten or so. Next thing I know, they

To come back and match it with a three, and then next thing you know, they go like go eight to oh and and just like that is it's twenty it's twenty four, and they really really, Like I said, I think Austin Reeves struggled to night.

He just didn't have it tonight for whatever reason.

Looked like you said, it was a tough game for them in Philly, because that was a game who could played extremely well. Ron had what twenty nine and and and played extremely well. Austin did what did what he does. But the night they just they just didn't have it. And I think I don't know if it was I think it was more soa Spurs then the Laker's not having it. I think the Spurs aided and than not having it because they were able to push the pace.

Joe, Yeah, I know, I ain't seen him.

Man.

I like old Vendo.

I like his energy and ef that he bring to the game, and it seemed like tonight they could have used it. And I thought Marcus Smart came in and gave him some some big minutes. But the Lakers gonna struggle. Man, when you can't keep guys in front of you and you keep getting your defense broke down and guys spreading out for three throwing live shooting floaters, it's just that's gonna be hard.

That's gonna be tough. It's gonna be tough to deal with. So it's gonna be hard for also Joe because he can't shoot the three. Because they're gonna come help off Lucas, They're gonna come help off Reeve, They're gonna come help off Bron. So when they swing it, do you see how many open threes that Marcus Smart got? Yeah, when they kept swinging, kept swinging, they kept swinging. You see ruin open threes, open threes.

The Toronto game. What happened? They collapsed on bron ruin wide open Marcus Smart? How many? I mean he he came in.

I think he might have got ten or eleven three point attempts and I'm not so sure any of them was contested. So that's why it's gonna be hard for Vando to play. Yeah, he's a he's a good wing defender on ball defender. But if you can't shoot the three, it's gonna be hard for you to get unless you're eight d eight, unless you're eighting.

Everybody's gonna have to be able to shoot the three.

Yeah, it's it's it's just it's tough because they put it puts so much pressure on the Lakers perimeter guys, because Austin, Luca and Bron obviously all perimeter guys, and they gotta be efficient, okay, oh Joe for them to really look good. You know, they can't really you know, uh, afford to you know, not have good nights because it's gonna be nice like this where you don't really get a lot of points in the paint and you can't

Yeah, yeah, ideos he's not gonna get as many laws from Luca. I mean, Lebron was looking for him a little bit tonight. But hey, look, I expect longer they can give us a look, I'm expecting somewhere if he can give us fourteen to sixteen on the night, Joe with a double figure rebounds. That's that's pretty much what you can expect for him. Every once in a while he'll surprise you and give you twenty four and twelve, twenty four and fourteen. But that's not a normal occurrence.

They weigh you down, man.

The Thunder improved to an twenty four and one and not tied for the best record in NBA history through twenty five games. Chase scored twenty eight points on eleven and fifteen shooting. Check had twenty four points on nine of thirteen shooting. But that's it again for a second, and neither one of them played in the.

Fourth Aden Boy, Hey, hey, hey, Joe and Uncle, you think you think the done to have a chance to actually beat the Warrior.

Yes, yeah, I do, and I think they want to. Yeah.

So basically, what y'all telling me is they basically gonna repeat.

I already been been saying that.

Oh you think, are you serious?

Man?

They look like a.

Team on a mission? Oh Joe, they don't. They not playing? Do you see them boys out there?

Man?

How they compete? They play hard? Man, They play hard. They pick up.

Full court and what it does It wears you down, you know what I mean? And they hit you in ways. They got guys coming off the bench who get into it.

They not playing and they since you know what?

What? What's I think the most impressive thing about them about this team that it looks to me from the outside looking in, and Joe you would know better than I would, is that they sincerely, genuinely like each other.

Now.

I know, there's not a whole lot going on in OKC. There ain't a whole lot of things you can do. You can't go to rock on Redeo driver, you can't go canal or you can't go to our basel.

You can't do all those thinking.

Okay, see whatever reason, they sincerely genuine I look to me. They really like each other. Yeah, I love to see them when one's doing When Shane's doing an interview, if somebody's doing an interview, everybody's standing around and they watching.

They clap him for and that's what you gotta have.

Yeah, Hey, hey, uncle Ojo, and they understand their assignment. Many they now hung over from the championship.

They just won.

Look they what you say, uncle, They got the best record through twenty six games, twenty fi tied.

They tied with the Warriors twenty four and one through twenty five games.

They not playing, man, they you know, they they really taking the game serious and understanding what's the stake and how they can you know, stamp their way into NBA history. You know what I mean this is it's amazing to watch bro Like how they hit you in waves. You can't double shade for real because they got too many guys. All they guys can shoot three except parks die. The game looked too easy for him, Joe. They were fifty two of there were fifty two of eighty eight from the floor.

They shot fifty nine percent from the floor, They shot fifty five percent from the three, They shot ninety two percent from the free throw line. They out rebounded, They only out rebounded by six, but the biggest lead of the game was fifty three.

Yeah, it was. It was ugly.

Did the other team even show up? Did you at least pinch you?

Oh?

Ja, Well, it looked like they didn't take the warm ups off if they did show up, Okay, seet got right to it. Yeah, they got right to it. They did not fool around. And that's what they They're not pulling around their dispatching teams and a let's go ahead and do what we need to do and get up out of it. Hey, hey, hey, and shape making easy work. He getting his numbers quick. He ain't playing.

He getting right to it.

And then they don't have a drop off when they do substitute, you know, guys coming in off the bench. They still playing with that intensity and effort that it takes to be a championship team.

I enjoy watching them, man, I enjoy.

They They're not they're not by comping to you know, I like, you know, for me, I like the NBA is built on stars, Joe. You know that it's all It's always been about that. That's why everybody's trying to get one. Every it's been about Magic, it's been about Bird, it's been about George, it's been about Lebron, it's been about Stephen, about KD. The NBA has always it's been about doctor j R. That's dor Forster, Doctor j So it's not gonna change. It's not gonna change. That's why

It is what it is.

But to watch them play collectively and to see how they do things, and to see, as a matter of fact, this business. We're gonna take care of business. Yeah, we're gonna rag each other. I can just imagine what those plane rides and those bus rides to the state. I can imagine what it's like because I believe they genuinely and sincerely like each other. But when they're on that court, they straight business.

Yeah, hey, and and and they make the game easier for each other, meaning like you can't keep them dudes in front of you. They're gonna always get in that paint. You know, we always talk about paint touches to where you make the game easy, where you can spray out for threes, where you can throw check lives, you know what I mean, you get you get those guys involved like that. Man, it's just it's it's downhill after that from there. It's it's it's just exciting. It's a it's

I you to the words right out of my mouth. Being able to play on both ends of the courts.

Because the boys so young, they got their leg that fourth quarter coming, they still got underneath them.

You know the best part about it is is that they got a guy that ain't nobody to challenge Shay. Is that the thing that helped Michael Jordan is that Scotti people never challenged him, says I'm just as good. I should be the A side. Yeah, when you got that now it's rightfully so I understand Kobe. We saw what Kobe became, but it kind of ruugh it. Magic and Kareem Magic was really a I'm good, I'm gonna stay in my place, y'all do a a pat Riley

They say, hey, you talked to Korean about this. You didn't run that by careed.

Yeah, I talked to him saying good, okay, Yeah, imagine wins the MVP. So as long as long as it stays like that, you gotta have a Peckett or the joke.

I agree.

You gotta have a CEO, you gotta have a president, you gotta have a VP. Everybody has to play there. Everybody has to play then. Hey man, it's hard to put Denzel Samuel Jackson, Tom Hanks, and Tom Cruise in the same movie.

How do you do that? O? Joe?

Hey, it sounds it sounded like box office to me.

Yes, side that boss who named being whose name first?

What you just said?

Yeah, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise.

Denzel Washington, and Samuel Jackson who name going for art? And just for good measures, I'm gonna throw Jack Nicholson in there when he was in there doing this thing? Who name going first? O?

Joe?

Hey, I don't.

Exactly. That's tough. Did you hear Prince Prince said he was supposed to be in Uh? Would it beat it? When? Uh? When Michael Jackson Tall West's night your ass is mine?

Say, well, who's saying that to who? Definitely not saying that to me, And I'm not gonna say that to him. So we not fit to do nothing together.

That's kind of like Harlem Knights.

Yeah, that's my movie. Oh you're talking about when you had Eddie and Richard red Flox.

We had a.

Robert Robert.

Donald Ray. Yeah, Charlie Murphy. What's Dela resee Dela Rese? Yeah?

Hey, Richard Pryor.

Yeah. So when you when you are the same thing with life. You had Bernie Matt, you had Eddie Murphy, you had Martin Lars, you have hey, okay, he it may be it may be a picking order.

Okay, see, but but all them guys are oozing with confidence, Like Jason Williams. Since since he's been back, they hadn't dropped off. He's been I think he's been pretty aggressive. You know, he's deserted himself to you know, let let people know that he's still that dude still here.

Yeah. Uh, it's gonna be It's.

Gonna be hard to beat them dudes, man, especially for sure.

Yeah.

SGA gave Chris Paul for the team's success in recent years. Chris was really the first person to show me what it meant to be a professional. He was always doing extra. It was more so off the court than on the court. It's the things that you don't think about as a kid. As a kid, you're taught to just work super hard, but you're really not taught nutrition, taking care of your body, getting massages, getting treatment, those type of things. He was always on top of. He's just had to get better.

You see, Joe, You see what you need?

Yes, sir, just because you get hired at the bank, that don't mean they need a teller. That don't mean they need a loan officer. Sometimes they just need somebody to work security, somebody. Sometimes they just need somebody to take out the trash. You need to understand what you're getting hired for. Just because you work at the bank, that don't make you the CEO. That don't make you the number one loan officers. You see what I'm saying.

Oo.

But the hard the hard part, especially with people with ego and pride. Most of them don't know they roll. Everybody want to be the boss. Everybody want to be the head honcho. You you get, you get that job at the bank. Everybody want to be the CEO.

Yeah, there is no pecking order because people can't sit pride in her side. I think with the thunder done really well is everybody understands their role and it's it fits perfectly, and that's it.

That's why they play so goddamn well.

Somebody bring coffee. Somebody to bring a milk. Somebody bring the donuts, Somebody bring the breakfast sandwich. Who got the napkins? Who got who got the pay for? Who got who got the pay for? Who got the knives and tharts? Everybody got a job, everybody got a roll. And the way y'all look at it, and I think the way they see it, Joe, nobody roll is more important than the other. Yeah, you might be bringing the donuts and all I'm asked to do is brain silk plastic were all.

You can tell that when you watch them play, when you watch okay you can't. They know.

You know, Shad's the leader and those guys follow his lead. Man, it's it's uh, it's a beautiful thing to watch. But like I say, man, they never have a drop off though. It don't matter who's in the game. That's championship pedigree, championship basketball. And yes I do have them repeating, Yeah it's gonna be tough for somebody to beat them in seven games.

Yeah.

See, that's the thing about football, Joe. You get one shot, tell you you have an off game, your ass going home, right, I just gotta be better than you that that day, that day, that day.

And your ass going home.

In basketball, somebody have an off day, just like what was that eighty five when the Celtics blew the Lakers out, they call them memorial They master beat them by like thirty forty.

Everybody thought it was over Laker k right back wa wah.

Before we move on to football, A lot of shows

The pivot eighty five South, how we like our chances?

Got Hey?

Man, listen all you hear right? If you listen to the people that re fonder, you listen to what they're saying. That's false confidence. Man, They not even talking with confidence. Ut, like, we really do this, We really do this, We really.

Compete at the highest level, Joe. You competed at the highest level. You compete at the highest level. I compete at the highest level, and I talk that ship when I do it.

Ain't nobody that responded today gonna beat us in nothing Nathaniel and I stand on that. I stamped that I'm talking about ten told and if I was prime eight todes, they're not doing nothing with us, man, with all due respect to them, If there's a if there's a way that we can make this happen, we talk about making history, you know, all us uniting, having fun of podcast Olympics or podcasty Cathalon, whatever it may be, and just doing

Yeah, it's very uplifting instead of a you know, podcast taking shots at each other. And yeah, you know what, let's do, So let's go some positivity. Everybody getting bread in this yesh? Yeah, yeah, we know something making more than others. But we all were all able to provide a very good life for our families. So you know what, let's do something positive. But hey, y'all don't know now they are nobody from a nightcap on that table tennis because Shannon.

Leep ain't to be best with.

Poo pool bowl.

If y'all we call it it's pool, but you want to call it billiards, we call it whatever you want to get up, Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And it don't matter how many balls you want on the table.

Yeah, hey, what you want to play eight ball? You wanna play nine ball, you want to play five? Yourself play, we play whatever you want to play. A matter of fact, just to make sure you know that it's real skill, We'll play Lambs pocket wherever the ball go in the last pocket to eight ball got to go in that pocket because I don't I don't know nothing about that. Everybody talking about man, I know he Pete Back. I heard you talking about you know how to play talk boy. Look, hey,

What else would be a good one?

I just thought about with that paintball, paint ballinall three on three on three paintball.

I'm just trying to think.

I'm just trying to think of things that are competitive that would be fun, not just for us to do. But I'm talking about the masses is gonna be tuned.

In whatever, whatever bowling. Somebody mentioned bowling whatever.

As a matter of fact, if y'all need, y'all want to we throw y'all lass down the lane.

How do y'all want to do it? Hey, we can do the frisbee. We can skip rocks across the wall whatever.

Hey, Joe, what you know about skipping rocks?

Man?

You don't know nothing about skipping no rocks cross no water. If you're from the country, you know about skipping rocks over the lake.

A dodgeball?

Oh yeah, oh yeah, man. Listen, Hey, it's a lot out there too. Boy.

Hey, everybody feels every I mean everybody talking. I mean I really like the false bra bottle. Everybody will like I could do okay, okay.

Yeah yeah sound good. Hey, then what I'm talking about right here? This that cool This some of the cool ship I'm talking about right here? He yeah, yeah, how whatever you want to do? Table like I said, table tennis? Whatever, Hey, marbles? We could play jacks when.

You pick up yeah and pick up one jib, jacks, three jacks, four jack and wipe the ball.

People.

Remember y'all remember getting like me? Y'all might have called her something.

Yeah, we get like me.

We both got heads that let me get that. Yeah, hey, you closer to the wall, we can put it in the cup.

However, what eighty five South said, they said, but they said.

They get some Hey, first of all, d C if they probably go say in DC, loast in Chico free look here already though Loaf swear he can do something.

But I know I know d C ain't.

Ain't No ain't no athlete, No Chico ain't no athlete. No athletics does not run in that gene pool.

Hey, we gotta make this happen.

Man, that's gonna be dope.

So whatever whatever, in the words of h Maxwell, wherever, whenever.

I like it. Oh yeah.

Averberry reported that Kevin Stefanski likely wants out of Cleveland. The one thing that would be really frustrating for me if the coach in Cleveland you've been trying to make decisions for football reasons and no one will accept them. I can tell you, just knowing the number of people that I know worked there, that quarterback situation was handled this year, over the last six seven months, in a way that was based solely on how guys were performing

I mean, it's tough. I think Defanski is in a tough spot. Obviously we're six and twenty four. Having you know, on your resume being coach of the Year two times, I think that that saved you and gives you a little bit more grace. But obviously you know you can't operate without a quarterback. You can't operate without a quarterback.

I don't want to get into all that. We've all seen it. We've all heard it.

You know something's right, and anyone that says it's not right based on all the evidence that we've seen since the draft up until this point, I mean, you just turned the blind eye to the bulls.

What what if it's a situation, Oh, Joe, were Kevin Stefanski really wanted to place your door.

And he was handcuffed?

But hold on, you think that's post what it sounds like to me? I mean if we're to believe what average bread is being reported? How much how much say do we believe? How much say do we believe that Kevin Stefansk can have over the final the final fifty three? How much say does he have in the draft? How much say does he have in free agency? Does he have say like say Mike Tomlin, like Andy Reid, like a Sean McVay. He had a Mike Rabel. Do you think he has that kind of say, Oh, Joe.

I would think so.

Sean Payton, two.

Time Coach of the Year would have him say so and and and some of the personnel that he brings in. I would think so. And I told I told n the other night.

Right with some of the things ever going on, I felt like, basically Kevin Stefanski was basically Nico Harris.

Yeah, I felt he was.

He's taking a fall for all for.

The upper management above his pay grade that no owner came out and said, listen, this wasn't my pick. I didn't want you to do it. So I think he's taking the blunt and all the heat and in his hands are tied. So I mean, uncle, what you said, it might be a possibility. We had no control over it, and maybe he did want him to start the whole time. But you know there's a pecking order, like we just.

Talked around, yea.

Third round pick. Oh well, well he's the third round pick for a reason, so he's always going to be get first DIBs no matter what.

And you're not.

You're not normally taking quarterbacks a third and because you're asking for trouble. The last time we saw somebody take a quarterback because look, go back and look at Washington. Mike didn't want to take a quarterback, didn't want to trade that pick. He felt they could sit right there where they were and get the quarterback that they wanted. He really liked cousins. He felt he could get cousins

Couldn't do that. You're cheating.

So they take a quarterback at number two, and then they turn right around and take cousins.

How did you think this was gonna work out?

On Joe?

You take a quarterback in the third round, and then you take another quarterback in the fifth round. How did you think this is gonna work out?

I think maybe maybe, maybe. Security. That's the only thing I can think of. Security asking for trouble, understanding that Joe Flacco is gonna only give only give you so much time left at his age. You know, Okay, we got you. What are we sure? Dylan Gabriel is the answer. You know what, We're not sure. So we're gonna take another one while.

You take it.

Who goes into the normally, that's not how you suppoke. That's not how you draft Joe. You don't draft a guy and say, well, he might not be it if you think he might not be it while you drafted.

That's good question.

But I mean, I'm not going to the store. Who you buy the car?

Man, This car might put me down, So but I'm gonna go ahead buy it anyway? Yeah, go ahead, Joe.

Listen.

But but when we think about it, statistically, from training camp to preseason, should do his head the best statistics from what we've seen, Yes, you know what I mean? So it's like to me, it almost kind of feels like perfect time. Like you say, Gabril went Dylan, Gabral went third, third round, and Shadu went filth. It's kind of a picking water. I'm kind of picking back what Ocho said. But I think Shadua has now took the rings and I don't think he's gonna give it back.

Man, I don't know.

I think the young man is he knows what's at State, he knows everybody's watching, and uh man, he just looked like a guy with a lot of confidence and poise out there.

He looked great under center. And you think about it, O Joe. Look at the guys he was throwing to, all the guys that he was throwing to with the rookies.

That came in with him. Yeah, so it's not an accident. Those are the most of the guys that he was getting the reps with. Right.

It's just hard for me to see a scenario. I mean, like, like I said, some people say that didn't happen, But I've never been on a team where the backup didn't get something, didn't get at least two reps a period.

Right, Yeah.

Always, I mean we had veterans.

We had a veteran quarterback in Trent Dilferd who backed up Tony Banks and he still got two reps period.

Yeah.

We had a veteran ran Randall Cunningham, who back backed up Elvis' girl back and he still got two reps period A three.

Yeah, I play with Yeah, Hey, what was that in two thousand and one in Baltimore?

Is dope?

I ain't know rand I was there.

Yeah, I ain't there.

Uh huh, it's dope.

Man.

So so this notion that you wouldn't give a rookie that had the potential to go in the game any reps when veterans that have been starters, had been to Pro Bowls was getting reps. It's just it was just unconfortable to me that people thought that was okay. That's what I couldn't That's what I couldn't understand. Look, if y'all don't understand, I know, I don't know. I'm like, man, I don't know what's going on out here.

Look, we know.

Every coach, every general manager has they gut in the media when they want to get certain things out.

Joe, Yeah, they know how to get it out.

I'm not saying this is the case. But I'm saying I know that to be factual. So when I want to get something out, I know who to get it to, sources in the NFL. No, your source with the team told you that NFL. Your source with the team told you that.

I know how it works.

Yeah, I just like me to me, I just like to to I just talk because I don't like to get information. I don't because I be I be using it and they're gonna Yeah, the person that I'm talking about go, No.

I got that from a very very reputable person. So I just listen.

I just let stuff go. I just like you, hey, from my from my personal experience and how stuff go. But y'all best believe.

Yeah. But I mean he's a two time Coach of the Year.

O Joe.

Uh, I don't know.

It looks the Baker situation how that worked out. But your door, how that's playing out.

Who knows. Maybe maybe they maybe they want a high draft pick. I don't know.

Uh, Mendoza, I believe Mendoza is gonna win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday.

Yeah.

It's just like and he Ojo, he might turn around and he might be.

Who knows great, historically great, But as I look at him and look at your door, I mean, if your door had that kind of offensive line protection when he was in college, are we are?

We sure?

Yeah?

So I don't know if the FANSK you want out. Maybe that's a situation where they probably want him out. I don't think he'd be unemployed long. I mean, he is a two time Coach of the Year. Ohoe, he is fairly young. But we'll look, there's gonna be some openings. What well, first of all, we already know there's gonna be two openings in Tennessee and the Giants, and the likelihood there might be more.

Who knows, it might be one in Las Vegas. Damn don't know.

Ye and Pete just got there, huh.

Yeah, just be leaving too.

But hey, the thing is, and the NFL, if you remember a couple of years ago they sent that membo out. Man, y'all gotta stop hired and fire because think about it, the John Gruden thing, he got ap on the contract, he still got to pay that. Now you got Pete, So you got three guys that ain't coaching for you that you paying. And then if you bring another coach in you gotta pay him.

That's for and staff, that's in patience and patience.

So it's gonna be very interesting to see how this thing plays out, Ojo. But at the end of the day, you know what's in that division. Joe burrows in that division when he's healthy, he's unbelievable. The thing is is that he does he's not healthy.

All the time.

Lamar is in that division. I just Lamar is hurt and he's missing throws and he's not like that. He's not running like he once did, Ojo, because I think he's afraid he's gonna hurt that hamstring again and so he look, Lamar is missing throws that Lamar hadn't missed since his rookie year.

Yeah.

So in order for you to be in that division, your quarterback's gotta play well. You got Aaron Rodgers. Now we don't know if he's gonna come back, you know, be at forty two and coming back. I don't know, uh, but you gotta you got you gotta have a quarterback in that division, just like the a f C, the a f C West, you gotta have a quarterback ALC South quarterback, you got Stroud, you got Lawrence, and they had competent quarterback play, and and and and ended for

They y'all think they're gonna sign Philip River. They already signed it. Oh did it?

Yeah?

The question is is he gonna start? That's the question. Ain't the question if they're gonna sign it?

He gonna? Is he gonna start?

I'm saying who else they got they can play in front him? They got Riley Leonard, but he got a banged up knee.

Yeah, he's starting, He's starting. He started. Listen, he Joe. I mean that there's a relationship and understanding of scheme and tactics between Shane Stiching and Philip Rivers. So the system, he's very familiar with it.

And because he's so familiar with the system, all it is now and is getting as much timing and chemistry as you can, you know, with the offense and with the players right now.

But he's gonna start Sunday.

I'm sorry out for what he does is he's giving and hoping and giving that team a chance to keep their head above water because they still have a chance to make the playoffs and they're just trying to see this. We're gonna kick, We're gonna kick these tires and see what Philip Rivers can do for us, you know, for the rest of the season, to see if we can make a run, make a run at the playoffs.

And they got to in there.

They gotta stay high because they gave their two first round picks. Hey, they give them two first round picks. And the further you fall down in the standing, the how those picks are. So guess what next year if Daniel Jones doesn't come back healthy until because he was dealing with a broken leg, and now you've got to tourn a Key leave so he's got to heal two injuries. Now you mess around it, Now you mess around to be like the nd of old. Yeah, well, just just

Now you're right back at square one, Hey, them.

Injury is gonna take a while to hear. Man, you ain't gonna be the rest Dames Jones back with them two injuries right there, and.

That was the only reason. That was the only reason they was playing with that broken I think it was tibby or the board leg tip fibular fibular.

Yeah, so.

That's the only reason playing o Jo and Jones because they were in prime position to make the playoffs.

Make the playoffs.

That means the pick's gonna probably be way on down there, twenty four, somewhere between twenty.

Four and thirty two. You can live with that.

I ain't really try to get no top ten no, you know, team pick, no no early team, no top ten pick. I ain't really try to do that for you, bro right, because they went all in. When you make that trade for sauce Gardener, you're basically saying, I'm all in. I'm jumping on this thing with both feet. Yeah, how long Song's gonna be on.

He nicked?

I mean they got a calf injury. I ain't no telling. And then plus Daniel Jones, it don't matter what Song's doing. You gotta have a quarterback. Yeah, hell, he can't throw them all.

And he might be forty four, but that that's all you got.

That's it hard for me to believe. It's hard for me to believe that you couldn't go.

You couldn't you couldn't scour thirty one other teams practice squad and say, hey, bro, this is an opportunity for you to start.

Absolutely not.

I mean they reached out to Sam Ellinger, who's on the Broncos practice squad. He said, no, I'm good. He said, all y'all gonna do is get me over there and then at the end of the season, y'all gonna cut me. Let me stay right there where I am. I know the system.

I'm cool.

Yeah, and hold on, I got one for a better.

One.

Other teams with thirty one other backups, how many of those thirty one of the backups are better than Philip Rivers even right now at forty four.

Well, we're gonna find out on Sunday, right, And so I want you to wear your ass over your Sunday.

All right, because you listen, you know this.

Your fighting senses, even in the off season, from the time that you from the time your last game until the time you come back, your fighting senses have to heighten, they have to get back in the lignment. They don't tingle like they once did. Can you imagine, Ojo, can you imagine, Let's just say, for the sake of argument, Ojoe, you thirty, you don't play the game for five years, and they say, you know what, Oyo, come on back out and you come back out there at thirty five.

Boy, you're gonna be running through mans. Don't read. They gonna be tearing your ass up.

You're gonna be Yeah. I think if anything he might be just be a beat off. That's it.

Yeah, it ain't nothing changed, o joy. It's not like he was running. It's not like he was Michael Vick before he left. Absolutely he was stationed. He had cement shoes on when he was twenty five. Lead, he's gonna be handing that thing on.

Ya. When did you see? What they did? Is that because they know Daniel Jones can't run like he was dead.

They stacked the line. They said, no, we're not gonna let We're not gonna let, y'all. J T beats beat us throwing the ball. So they took that away from him.

Oh, y'all.

The Eagle's positivity rabbit makes a quick exit. Bill Jeff mcclaims the Philadelphia inquired the inflatable rabbit that was installed last week to bring good vibes to the Eagle locker.

Room has been removed.

He already charges in the first and only game played with the rabbit in the house. Joe, you ever do something like this in the locker room to help you break a losing streak?

Now, not that I could think not that I can think of, but you got to get that up out of there. Boy, Hey, that was that was a lost You gotta go, bro.

Yeah, so they gonna they gonna blame it on the rabbit.

They blame it on a rabbit. Yeah, yeah, you gotta blame somebody. I mean, hey, oh, Joe, what do you care for? Good luck?

A rabbit's foot. They got a whole big ass rabbit in there. They ain't making no look, you got to go. Yeah, my brother we went to the fair. Uh.

If my brother run a rabbit's foot, you don't used to have rabbit foot key change, Joe? You remember that? Yeah?

Yeah, if my brother wought a rabbit foot, run a rabbit foot key change. If my grandpa took it and put the house keys on there. I like, I don't know why we got a house. Ain't nobody gonna bring it in, rabbit, I mean, ain't nobody gonna bring it here? Trust me, What time the Robbie did break in the house, we robbed him. Get your cast up out of the here.

But I mean, they didn't even get a thing of chance though.

God, I mean one week now, when you lose like that, don't tell y'all know, hey, some guys to go.

Hey, same same thing, same thing with the raven.

See, they took all them TV, took TVs out, ping pong machine, popper shot.

They better put them back in there because they had been losing everything. There was a couple of games. They been losing every since. Put them back in there. As a matter of fact, brain for new ones, y'all, keep them all was out for brain for new ones.

That stuff ain't got nothing to do with nothing.

Man.

Look here, man, we had a situation where I think we lost. This was ninety four, ninety four. I think we started the season ZH and four man, Joe, oh, Joe. We come to work Wednesday. Everybody got a got a piece of rope by this lord hanging in the locker. Just hold on to the rope. Guys, it's gonna get better.

When you're getting bashed, you gotta find a way to shake things up. Man, you gotta find shake things up trying to get back on the track. That's the hardest part. Boy, you're going to lose the streak. It seems like if you can't get off it, you can't. It's the same thing with a winning streak. You seem like when you go on the winning street, you can't lose.

You fight. When you kick a field you kick a walk off field.

Goal, you block a field goal, you do something a pass interfire is called to keep a drive alive. Now you're able to run out the clock or Joe gets something. But when you lose, you're like, damn.

And it's funny too, hey, uncle Joe. When you're winning, for some reason, luckers always on your side, because, yeah, to win consistently, you need a little bit of luck.

Obviously, preparation is one thing. But for some reason, everything always seemed to go right. The ball always bounces your favor or the ball always bounce your weight.

But when you're losing, you.

Don't want you don't want to talk nobody now what we're talking about. Man, I know that feeling. I promise you. Boy.

When I first got here Atlanta, Ojo, start it off in two thousand and five, when I first got here Atlantah, we're bad man. We started off three and twenty eight, Damn Joe. But we start off three and twenty eight.

And y'all could have used me back then.

Joe.

Wait listen, okay, Ojo. I wasn't even eating. I'm coming home, going right to sleep. I don't want to hang out. I don't want to do nothing. I can't even enjoy myself.

When you lose it like that, you get yourself, you go happen, Joe, somebody see y'all that's why you lose it.

You need to have your ass playbook. Damn bro, I can't get no food. I got right hey, I mean black guy here, it's hard man. Yeah, you know the feeling and don't go to no club. Oh man.

Man, if you lose, can you imagine not because it ain't like it is now. I mean, I don't know if maybe they still do it. Maybe they still you know guy, they still guy at the club, and they's like, that's why y'all lose. You're asking the club all the time. But and probably now, if you're at the club, they probably put that thing on social media.

Joe. I mean, now you've got social media, you got platform where people see you out.

Yeah, take a picture.

Yeah, it's the world's small. Or now you can't do nothing. Man, I'm talking about nothing. Somebody always watching. You're right, somebody's always watching.

Bro.

Hey man, let me tell you what happened to me today. Joe. Oh yo. I started to film this Lika Joan, you're Jordan back there laughing.

So I go down shell and order me an uber. I go down the guys. The guys like miss Davis. I was like, yeah, that's me. I go get in the uber. Were about fifteen minutes here. Jordan called, hey, boss, you got the wrong car. I said, nah, he's saying miss Davis. A minute later, dispatch call, he's speaker, you picked up the wrong you picked up the wrong you picked up the wrong passage. Uh, such and such. I was like, he's saying Miss Davis. No, there was another Miss Davis. There was two Miss Davis.

Wow, oh, Joe. If I didn't move for a pull side of the road and put me right out on Santa Monica, Man, get out of him? What of God?

And you got out?

I ain't got no choice. But why adn't take you back to the hotewn?

Man? I was I was close to where I was, closer to where I needed to be. Then driving me all the way back to the hotel.

Oh so you walked when you had to go?

Nah?

Shall they called me another uber? Wow?

Hey, he would have had to drop me off. Man, you got me? You got me messed up?

Nah?

Man, they got they got recorded in there. And plus I'm on probation right now, so I had to be on my best day. Okay, I got you, I got you.

I got you.

Because I was by Apple. I said, man, just just drop me mouth right here. He's like, I can't take He said, I can't take you no further. I was like, bro we I looked at the GPS. Oh Joe, We're like, it's gonna take him twenty minutes to get back to the hotel. It's gonna take himself minutes to drop me off. I say, just tell her to get get into the the uber that was for me. She didn't want to do that.

Oh so she Oh she one of them? Okay, Mmm, so.

Man, pull inside the roll. Hey, hey, you really ain't got no answer on your phone, do you? I don't know, no, no, Shelley or Jordan.

Like Jordan, Jordan having Jordan having a time, and he knows like after a certain time were about to wrap up, he'll call the uber. They give us fifteen minutes to get you know, get out there. And so once we take the picture. I many things, but I don't I don't. Oh, let me tell you what. Uh look at Jordan laughing. He's just laughing.

So you know in room dining thing, they don't let you call down it or the room service no more.

You got the skin is r QR cold with Yeah, So you know, hey, I said, man, oh you see, I don't know how to do nothing.

Man, I don't book me a two nights stare at the hotel. That was Jordan lambing. Shelly called me, say.

Why you booked two nights at the hotel? I said, heinyt book no two nights at the hotel. I ordered breakfast. She say, you ain't order no damn breakfast. You got to you got a king sweep for two nights next week? Oh, Joe, I thought, I ordered me an egg sad but just some orange juice.

Oh.

Now you see why I don't be fooling with the maps, Ojoe, because all my money I've been up sping. I'll beat up spent two hundred five dollars on a flower arrangement. That's why I don't fool with it.

You gotta be a little text savvage. Man, We got to send you to a class man.

No, that's what Jordan are. Fore Jordan went the class Okay, Man.

I was like, man, this yo put oh Joe, this Joe gonna put me out. This Joe pull right to the side, I said, Man, oh Joe. He stopped in the middle of the road. I said, well, Man, can't you pull like right over to the side.

Man, Damn, that's that's not done. I know because the uncle I know won't get down no car.

Hey, he ain't got south. He ain't got south in Joe, Joe got they got your boy, now you know a.

Yeah he he You know, if I wasn't no profacion on yoke, I'm trying to make it twenty six. I'm trying to make it in twenty six with no mishaps.

Yeah, but you can't let people just take advantage.

Of you like that outside, I get on that.

Yeah.

Yeah, Hey the devil work. Yeah, he tried to get it.

Remember, oh, Joe, I said, patience? What I said, patience? I need patience. He ain't gonna give it to you. He's gonna put you in a situation that required hello.

Hello, are you talking talking now?

Yeah?

Okay, I'm gonna get out. I'm gonna get out there, but you show Lucky caught me in twenty four.

I got out.

But now after I told your answer, man, I said, man, I have I had a day to day with your ie, got put out of uber and out of order to night and all I tried to get was a break who sandwich is some orange juice?

And I got a two nice day at the hotel. Hey, did they charge you for canceling you too? Nice day? Yeah? Cause I booked it for next week.

Then they need that cancelation fee. They need that.

They ain't getting no cancelation fee as many nice as I stay here and Jordan's I stay here. Man, we sometimes we were staying here like four five nights in the row. Okay, nah, but uh, I said, boy, I had me a day today.

I said, damn