And we continue on Fred Rogan Rodney peaked on seventy LA Sports. Let at this how our Vick will be along with the Haig coup. But now let's get into the Lakers, the Clippers, the NBA and a burning question with our insider from the La Times, Dan Wiki. Dan, how are you today?
Guys? How did you know something was burning? I was just crushing my traps in the guys, I'm getting into just phenomenal playing shape for the SME season tournament coming up.
Guys, well, actually I am I talking about Dan. You're not even No, you're not doing anything. He is Trapp. That's funny. Hey, all right, listen, I want to start with this Joel emb that's been at three games confrontation with a columnist. First off, what do you think of that? And second? What are the relationships like between writers and players these days?
So that's uh okay, let's start with the second question. First, I think the relationships I meen writers like traveling beat writers and players are generally fined. There was a clip that went around after the Pistons game where I asked Lebron some question about the Lakers without a D and he kind of you know, was like, what do you want me to say? Like it It wasn't tense by any stretch, but the clip of itself was like a little provocative. I caught a couple of text messages from
some people, including sometimes fellow host. Ryan Hollins was among the people who texted me about this, asking me kind of like, are you guys cool? And it's like, yeah, no, we're totally fine. That happens, right. The columnists player relationship is a little different, right, Like it's the commiss obb to be provocative.
That's sort of what they do.
And the sort of old school rule is that if you're going to rip somebody, you show up the next day.
Look.
Wait, wait, wait wait, that's exactly what I said. I said, I can respect you all day long. I had a guy in Detroit that did that Mitch album My Man, and still to this day that told me, I'm hey, I'm gonna be hard on you, be hard on you, and he showed up. And those guys that show up the next day after they do that, I have nothing but respectfully that I understand you got a job to do and that's what you're doing.
But don't don't.
Yeah, yeah, you say your piece and then guess what, Like the way adults handle this is that so I disagree with you, I can have that disagreement with you, and if it can get sometimes it gets verbal and heated, so be it right. It should never get physical. But the commist wrote about Joel's brother and about his son, certainly I think crossed the line. Uh in messaging. I don't think it was necessary said you don't put your hands on another adult because.
Wait, and yeah, you're getting all muffled. Where are you because we want to hear it. You're kind of muffled.
Yeah, that's walking walking three suspension. You know he's gonna misclaim the Lakers.
Vic in the x f l A can you.
Hear us man floating it off the ground for him? And now it's even because like I mean, like this is uh the XFL you don't handle it with physic challenge that Kevin, you.
Should pull that. You should pull that so we can play for Dan Dan you Harris Dann Can you hear us?
Guys? Leave you guys, just run me down?
Stop? Where are you?
Where am I now? I'm in Memphis? Bad bad reception.
It was so bad. What happened so bad? We were yelling at you to stop because we couldn't understand you. So we have to do it again so we can hear what you have to say. Now, we hung on. We lost him. I'll get him back.
It was that was Vic at the Long Beat and Long Beat, you know, at the XFL tryouts or whatever the combine that he was at.
Remember the winds were gusting.
The winds were gusted, and he kept talking and kept talking.
And yeah, yeah, it was great. We're yelling Vic, big big. That was the same. That was Dajabu right there. It was the exact same thing. As we try to get Dan back. Can I just tell you a quick story about Vic. Yes, I'm sure Vic is listening now. So it was a bit baffling. Vic sends me a text and well, all right, well let's bring Dan back first. Dan, are you.
There, guys, I'm sorry I ran through the stop sign apparently, listen. I had no idea.
That was one of the great moments. It only can be topped by the number one moment like that where Vic was at the XFL camp of some sort. We're talking for ten minutes, couldn't hear us. We were screaming at.
Him and he just kept talking.
It was like, wow, okay, so let's go back to the question.
Dan, Okay, let's do it all.
Right, the columnist, we did hear you say. We kind of lost you the point where you said he wrote about his son and his brother.
Then well, yeah, that's off that's off limits. I mean, like, well, it's unnecessary too write. It didn't strengthen the argument. It was stupid for lack of a better term, you know. But still to me, that doesn't it doesn't justify the use of putting your hands on somebody. You have to be smarter than that. You have you put your team in, yourself at a disadvantage for that, You've got to be better. And you know, over the past few years with the Sixers, it has been one thing or another. And this is
just the latest chapter of it. Probably won't be the ask either.
Dan, have you have you ever been in a situation where it's gotten in you know, tense like that, not not to the point where somebody's put their hands or wanted to put their hands on you. But but you had to ask a tough question that you knew probably that the guy was going to be a little sensitive to and.
And you were yeah, it happened, and it happened in the trading complans going we had to ask Jackson his about the team's video. Yeah, I mean, like, yeah, it happens. It happens a lot, you know, and people aren't happy about it. I think in that case, certainly Jackson understood the question was coming, but like, yeah, no, it happens. You know. I think it probably happened more when there were fewer cameras around earlier in my career. You would
get into stuff, you know. I had a a pretty like, in my mind, like a pretty strong exchange with the player once after a game about something I tweeted during the game. You know, no, no cameras were there to cap. It didn't go viral or anything like that. But it happens.
I think though, you know, usually you meet people on the common ground of like, you know, you're both human beings and like you know, Ronnie, like you said, you're trying to do a job, and I understand that they're trying to do a job, and sometimes answering tough questions are part of it. I think, you know, for me,
it's like you try not to make it personal. Yeah, you know, And I think certainly, when you invoke the memory of someone's you know, dead brother and their child, it's it's about as personal as it gets, you know, So I think that's that that's the misstep, right. I think trying to be dispassionate about this stuff is usually
it will works best. But look, it's a it's a space in which you know, right now, I think like, if you're not saying things that are loud or outrageous or stuff like that, it's harder and harder to break through. And I'm hoping that we'll course correct and we can, uh, we can have more civilized and nuanced discussions about these things.
The league dinged in three games, and that's pretty serious to get three games for that. Don't you agree they want to cut this off right now?
Yeah?
You know, I mean I think at once, like when I saw it seemed like both a lot and not enough at the same time, you know, because of just how unusual it is. Uh, but you know, I mean, look, it's gonna cost him a million dollars in game salary, Like that's a that's an expensive shove. Yeah, yeah, you know, And and I just think again, like it's just you know, I mean, that's a team that's not off to the
head the start. It wants to be off. They need to get their players on the court, they need to really get their seasons started in earnest and it's another hiccup.
Yeah, yeah, definitely hiccup. All right, so let's let's let's get into the the Lakers.
Dan.
You know, obviously we all heard the Anthony Davis comment of we don't know who we are and you know, one night with this, one night with that, and you know, what do you make of this team?
It started off three and zero and.
Was it fools gold as they started and you know, probably a lot of people overreacted to them starting off that way. And now they've come to earth, come back down to earth, and we figure out this is a Laker team that is pretty media mediocre.
Well, I just think we don't know what they are yet, right, I mean I think where you know, just a handful of games into the season, and you know, what's unique about this group is that it's both you know, this feels all very similar, but while it's everything is also new too, right, Like they're playing with a new system, they've got new standards on offensives to what they're trying to accomplish there's some new roles and different things like that, and you know, when you think of it that way
with the new coaching staff, like of course they're going to be growing pains of course right now. Though I think the tricky part is that this is also like functionally the same roster that it's been, and you know, when you're running into some of the same problems that you've run into in the past, uh, it feels the problems feel more compounded. I think it's been you know,
you mentioned that kind of by Anthony Davis. The thing that struck me is that, you know, I mean he's called these games must wins, you know, and I think, like, like sure, you know, you know, after losing to Cleveland and they got it was a butt kicking, like you know, after that game, I think, you know, saying like the next three in this trip are must wins. You know, that's what you say when you want to like win
a road trip and stuff like that. But like he said in a way where he meant it and like to be honest, like they're not must wins, like you want to win them, of course, you know, but like this is the first week of November. This team's sort of fortunes are going to be written over the next
six months. And you know, I think, like, like I understand what eight is trying to do and and trying to get his team to play with a sense of urgency, but like, I also think it leads to some overreaction when quite frankly, you know, like they had a really bad night against Detroit, a really bad night. That happens if they have a really bad night again tonight, you know, that's an issue. I think there are some emerging trends that have these guys Anthony Davis, Lebron James, you know, included,
like a little worried. I think the bench production has been one of them. It's been pretty bad. I think among the worst in the league right now. That's that's something to be worried about. I think, you know, the defensive metrics have been pretty terrible. And for a team that has Anthony Davis to be this bad defending at the basket, you know, that's not that's not a great sign, you know. So I think there is a little I don't want to say panic, there's some worry about some
of the things that this team isn't right now. But I mean, guys, we have a lot of basketball left. And I think here's the other thing to it. And this is going to sound like an excuse, and maybe it is, but you know, today is the the eleventh game out of fourteen down in the preseason that the Lakers have played away from Los Angeles. And you know who knows that stat? My wife, my kids know that stat. This team has not been like this has been a really really long month, and like I said, I think
like I felt some of that in Detroit. Certainly, we'll see where they're at tonight in terms of their attitude and kind of their approach to this game and see how they bounce back. But you know, this is a team that's a little banged up. Guys are under the weather. It's been a really long road trip, and you know, for a team that's gonna be, you know, in the mix of like that back half of the playoff race, Like you know, that's that's probably how it should feel.
Now.
Did the first week of the season make people feel like maybe this is a team that could be up there with the thunder maybe a little bit, and and sure, maybe you can get there again, But you know, this is a team that if it's gonna win, it's gonna be on the backs of its best players, and it's going to be on the backs of its system, and it's still really learning its system.
Well, Dan, I look at it like this, and I think Lakers and Clippers different teams. Lakers better than the Clippers, but both sort of this way. At any given night, they're an average NBA team. They'll win some, they'll lose some, but I don't sense a great deal of expectation of either one of them winning the title. I mean, if you're objective at the beginning of the year, let's just not be in the play in that's different. Then we got a shot to win this thing.
So I think the Lakers, I think, I mean, I'm not around the Clippers every day, so it's not fair to totally judge what their expectations are. But you can just look at how they've acted, you know what I mean, in terms of the moves they've made and not made, and you can kind of tell kind of what kind of team they think they can be. I think in the Lakers case, like you know, I mean, they want to win, right, Like that's there is one goal for this team, and now how realistic that goal is I
think is you know, to be determined. I think after the first week and particular and even how they played in Phoenix and a loss like that, this team thought, you know, maybe our expectations for what for what we could be maybe they were shifting a little bit. And and I think that's why you hear things like, you know, the frustration in Anthony Davis's voice. You know, despite the fact that, like I said, they're they're about five hundred, they're above five hundred, and we're in the second week
of the season. You know, this is a team that's gone off the very bad starts the past few years. It's in better position on that front. I think it's fair to say that, you know, they will grow more comfortable. J. J. Reddick will grow more comfortable in the job that he's tasked with. Those things will continue to kind of trend northward, and if they stay healthy, I think they'll be a
better team in a month than they are today. But but I think their expectations jumped really uh and I think part of that has to do with the continuity they have. You know, this is a core that went
to the Conference finals two years ago. This is a team that felt like if it could just get more organized, if it could just have a better system to fall back on, this could have clearer role definition, maybe they would have a better chance in that frunt and and I think they've gotten or there's a sense that they're going to get those things and so maybe maybe they think more of it. I'm not there on them yet.
I mean, we'll see. You know, they've got some It's got kind of an interesting stretch of schedule here where you know, they can start stacking good ones. But to your point, I mean they're good enough to I mean they're good enough to lose to Detroit, Like that game was never really in question, and the loss in Cleveland was the same. You know, that game was never really in question.
Now, So so where do you feel that they they are? Dan?
Is it just still a feeling out period until Christmas or the new year? And you know, Daj's kind of getting his feet set and we're figuring out if Lebron and a D can you know, continue on. Obviously those two being healthy is the key to everything. But the supporting cast is there a need for some help? Is there? Is it the supporting cast is going to get better. I mean, who has to get better in order for this team to feel like or at least the fans to feel like they can make a run come come March.
Yeah, I mean, I think they need to tick up, you know, shooting the basketball. Austin Whos and Dangel Russell have to shoot it better than they have to start this season. I think, you know, they need to be more consistently competitive on defense. They were really really physical in the first couple of games of the season at home, and they were physical against Phoenix in Phoenix and then like you know, Cleveland kind of pushed them around. Detroit
certainly pushed them around. You know, we'll see the night how that goes. But I think that's the thing that to keep an eye on. I mean, I think, you know, it's it's interesting early on it. But like Lebron and the first in the first three wins, right was like a very clearly defined secondary offensive option, closer to being on equal footing with some of the other players, Like he took over the game for a couple of stretches
here and there. But but it really, you know, it was a little slow out of the gates and it opened up the door for Ruey Haachimura and different guys to to really kind of get system baskets, while like you know, in Cleveland, like Lebron kind of left the system a little bit. So like, you know, how comfortable
is he going to be? And what JJ Reddick is being is asking them how comfortable is D'Angel Russell and that I think that stuff is all still being figured out, you know, honestly, and I think that's what you would expect, right. I think a more troubling thing has been the bench production generally speaking. Like you know, I think Max Christi is off to a really rough start to the season, and the Lakers had high hopes for him after signing
him the summer. I think Gave Vincent has done some good stuff defensively, but it's not in a good offensive rhythm. And that's a guy that I think they need to put the ball in the basket a little bit. You know, we'll we'll see here soon. On Jared Vanderbilt, you know, as a guy who will help I think, you know somewhat with that defensive identity in that second, you know, but he's not gonna score, really, that's not him. So it's you know, what, how are they gonna how are
they going to generate offense? You know in those stretches and from where? Like can all of this really be on their their top five? And you know, I think that's a lot to ask of that group, right, Like, I think they need more help. And so, you know, I getting Dalton connect more involved, getting you know, Max Christy more confident, and and you know, a guy who can score seven points a game off the bench, just kind of creating those those points by transition and you know,
making an open shot that'll go a long way. And you know, those don't seem like huge adjustments, but like they're gonna matter when they happen. And if they don't happen, this team is going to have to make changes. They're gonna have to add they don't have enough.
All right, One one quickly? Why we let you go? One final? One seventy six ers in town to take on the Clippers the return of Paul George. Do you think do you think the Clippers made the right move and letting him go? No, I don't either.
I don't I think, and I mean I understand the logic behind it, right, I mean, like this wasn't a guy that was ready to play the start of the season either, right, Like, I mean, there's a lot of money to commit and a lot of years to commit to a player who's you know, hasn't been available, and you know, you the pairing with Kawhi Leonard had sort of run its course and stuff like that. But you know, being it into a dome, I was there for the opener.
I just you know, you just wanted more excitements in the team. Like I love the spirit they play with. They play so hard on the defensive end, guys like you know, you know they have like they have the ability to like really junk up games and play with a lot of fight like they did the other night
that that huge comeback win, like they possessed that. You just kind of wish there was more star power on the team, I think, And like, you know, like while the basketball reasons for not bringing back Paul George are probably good ones, I think you know, walking into that building, like, you know, I I think it would be more fun if it felt like a huge game every night.
Yeah.
Yeah, have you guys been over there yet?
Yeah? Absolutely, Yeah.
I mean it's gorgeous building. Yeah, it's a gorgeous building like like, and it's just like you really wanted to bounce like that. That's what it was built for, right, Yeah, it was built to be It was built to be a place that sort of rocked with the crowd.
You know.
I'm not trying to lean too hard into the wave motifs and stuff like that, but it was it was a place that was supposed to be loud and like you know, and there's no justtical friends, they made it as good of an environment as they can, but I mean, like it's just it's different cheering for Paul George than it is cheering for Derrek Jumps Junior. Like that's just different.
Yeah, you know you're wanting to make the crowd bounce. I mean the players.
It's on the players to make it rock, you know, it's not on the fans to just rock it out of the blue. They gotta they gotta have something to rock to and they haven't had it really.
Yeah, thanks for coming on, man, Thanks for.
A lot of rocking. That's a lot of rocking, a lot of rocking.
All right. Do you have any barbecue donar in Memphis or no?
I had a pulled pork sandwich for lunch today. It was I was telling Kevin I had a pulled pork with a side of mac and cheese in the side of greens, and I gotta I gotta tell you greens, by the way, what a hack like the fact that that is not just a more readily available side. It tricks soon to think you're you're eating a vegetable really, that you're just like soaking it in pork juice. Yeah, it's And it wasn't any greens, Dan, it was turnip greens.
Grandma used to make the turnip greens every holidays.
And turnip greens versus the collared greens. I mean, you know, you pick your poison. But yes, you're right, Dan, it is. It's like French fries on the side.
Side should be everywhere. It should be everywhere. You should be able to to McDonald's get like a big mac with a side of greens.
All right, the safe, Dan, we'll talk again, all right, take Okay, I'm glad we got Dan out of the wind tunnel so we can answer the question. Yes, yes, maybe we can. Maybe we can chantalyze everybody with Vick's former performance in the wind Tunnel.
No oh oh yeah, down the home Stretch Rocket, Fred Rogan, you know day.
Like to day especially, we need spirituality. Oh my god, do we do we need it? Do we need it? Do we need it? Do we need it? Yes? Yes, collectively we all need it, all needed and there's only one guy to provide it, only one vic the brick with the daily haikup of two and vicod afternoon.
He's never met a monkey he really liked. Let's said Rogan. You know, Fred, I have had wind issues sometimes when I go live from Long Beach.
Vicky should take some gas X for that, because Kevin pulled that or not, but that was a classic.
Vic ok fig. Do we have the wind issue?
Yes, we have the wind issues.
You want to hear a little bit of it.
Let's get a taste because you know it's windy today, you know throughout southern California and the winds definitely have an incredible impact. This was myself in Long Beach a few a few years ago. Fred, you remember, do you remember.
With no king, We'll just set it up, bick, let's do it.
Let's roll it, k and.
Where these guys stop Coy's phone.
Really, we don't have enough time and vital.
Fans I'm going to experience the game enough time they don't get any fans know and innovative ways to re imagine football.
This is a stop and I'm telling you let's stop and put down deposits very jack dot com right now, Vick, get your seats. This is going to be a very exciting lead. Do you hear a unique access of fans?
Are you getting the fans of view that they won't get in any other sports league?
Vic?
And what's really innovative for the x FH finding the fans. They're listening to the fans, and they're incorporating the fans into the you know, the process of buil in the team's identity.
That goes on for about another ninety seconds.
I just want to you.
Remember that, Vic, beautiful moment. I had no contact with you guys who I just kept rolling. I think I just there's the key. Just keep rolling. Oh you roll, let it flow, Let it flow. Meanwhile, he says, you got to got to keep the Blue crew together.
Robbie Pete, Yeah, we do Viig together in this bedb.
His baby Oh continues cooling, Run it back, run it back. Kevin figures, come on now.
Hey, Vic, wait a minute. We want to win charger tickets. Call now eight six six nine eight seven five seventy. We got charger tickets. The game is Sunday. Calls at so far against Tennessee. Who doesn't want to go see Tennessee playing.
See the coach of the year Jim Harball. Okay, oh you can have it, Dan Quinn in Washington. Harball has just done a magnificent job with the Bolts. Oh yeah, he's Coach of the Year. They're gonna make the playoffs and they're gonna they can make a nice deep run. I'm not sold on Kansas City this year. I'm not sold on the Chiefs going three in a row.
I'm not sold.
Well, nobody's asking you to buy it.
There's no more Kelsey Brothers. This is it for the Chiefs at two.
All right, anyway, you want to win the charger tickets, Rodney would call her number number six, number six, Call right now, you'll win the charger tickets.
Meanwhile, his music magneth the cole. He moves me at twenty four to seven total foss total fos, no chests, Roddy foil beg.
They're gone with King's flavor. Yeah.
Well, fellas a very solemn moment. This morning public funeral mass for the Great Fernando Valenzuela at the Cathedral of Old Lady of the Angels in Dtla El Toro's catcher with the Dodgers, Mike Soosha spoke in both English and Espanol, saying Fernando had the heart of a lion. Viva Valenzuela, Viva Valenzuelaw. Meanwhile, we continue to talk Dodgers Altnisan the surgery repairing a torn lab room in his left shoulder, That same shoulder Oltani hurt sliding into second against the
Yankees in Game two of the World Series. Fellas when we were watching all Tony sid.
And when we were watching go Tony Son, what did we see? We'll find that answer.
Out, Yeah, yeah, come on, we got to fitish strong right here. Rodney Pete, Fred rogan Vic the brick Jacobs.
Come on, baby, come on, hey, sus in La way to go Oh fall means football at Sofi Stadium, Join the celebration where the Chargers salute the service this Sunday against the Titans. Secure your seats today at Chargers dot com slash tickets. Listen to all games at all ninety eight to seven. Go Bolts and hey sus, you're going to the games. Will have a great time, Vick.
Well done, Hey sus, that beautiful Sofi stadium. Watch the Bolts roll the Titans, and Dodger stands feeling you. A Toisan's arthroscopic surgery was performed yesterday by the Master. He was in great hands with doctor Neil A. Latrage And Fred, I know sometimes you've mentioned you would suffer an injury just to go and see doctor Neil and get to get the procedure. That is correct, Vic, He's unbelievable.
On yourself self, inflict wounds on yourself to go see Neil.
Yes, I would injure myself so I could have Neil correct the problem. That's how good of a doctor he is.
He is the greatest. Meanwhile, the mount Fuji of mate O Toonisan should be ready by spring training. And as they say in Japan.
Hyaku giking me heal quickly hiaku gy.
Hayaku running. Oh no, Fred, don't try to do it.
Don't try to do it, for I saw you don't try to.
When we saw Otani after he located that left shoulder, and we saw we saw him playing. You knew how much pain he was in. But he did it. He did it. He did it for the for the for the crew, he did it for his teammates. Total self sacrifice. That's why he is samurai. That's why he is a Samurai warrior, living through death, showing no fear, ultimate self sacrifice.
Oh Tani, well you know what that leads just to.
Before I get to the high Creu. Did you know Matt Freed, the free agent stud pitcher he played on the same Harvard west Lake team with Jack Flaherty and g Alito.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, they were loaded.
Is that wild?
Yeah?
What a staff Harvard Westlake head. They're a better staff than most teams the major leagues. Yes, they did, Flowery Gilito Freed.
Yeah, they were loaded.
Most teams would take that that quotation right now and again. The Paul George reunion with the Clippers tonight reunited, but it doesn't feel so good. Listen to it right here, Ram five to seven, the other sports tip seven thirty number one.
We got to get to the high.
To the source reread let's go to the source.
Get it.
It's very seasonal because you know me, I'm a man for all seasons, and this is for show the master.
All right, show. Oh there we go, Yeah, let's do it.
Let's you know, let's play the hits go something like this. The autumn day is done, the cruise upon the withered branch, blink at the setting sun.
I feel you, Mahia, right on time. That was damn rights right on, Fredris. Yeah, well that's why he's there, Vic, because he's that good. You don't want to mess with Basho. Don't do it, wouldn't you. The guy used to be a drunk though, Oh I think he was too much soccer. A few few pops from time to time, I think so. Yeah, got his creative haiku juices flowing. Okay, Ronnie, thank you, Kevin, great work. Thank y'all. Rodney. We get him tomorrow, yes, sir