And we continue on Fred Rogan, Rodney Pete, and special guest Eric Dickerson today on five to seventy LA Sports. We got the NFL Draft starting here in a couple of hours. Rams and Chargers do have first round picks, Chargers twenty two in the Rams I think around twenty eight, but there's talked that they may make a deal with the Giants, so we'll see. Okay, Eric, before the break, you said you wanted to talk draft, so let's do it.
Yeah, twenty six for eight, Rams got twenty six six. Yeah, yeah, So what you're saying, I mean, I guess we talked about the draft. I mean I think one thing is when I look at the Rams football team, I mean I got to say this year and I said at the end of the season, I said it doing the season, I did not see this coming. I did not see him being that good. I didn't see that defense being
that good at one point. I mean, I got to say that Jared Verse and Kobe Turner, I mean they did a great job that they did a great job on that defense. The whole defense did as a unit. At times they had breakdowns, some big breakdowns, especially against for you, but I didn't see them winning after they went eleven.
Games with to put the playoff again. One of the eleven games or ten eleven games, I didn't see that.
I think this year, I think people are expecting even more out of the Rams. I think the big question is is how long much long can Matt Stafford play? You know, can is he the guy that can can lead this team back to the super Bowl again?
Uh?
Do they have a young quarterback someone that possibly can can take his spot if something happens to him? And I know we won't get killed one. I know we won't get a chance to cam Ward. I think he probably be the first pick that yeah was the Shadil Sanders won't We won't get him even Jackson Dart from Mississippi,
you know, none, none of those guys. So I think if we do have a quarterback, it's gonna have to be someone that a young quarterback is going to be like, Wow, this guy, he just came out of nowhere.
Uh.
And I think I think that to me, I think the quarterback and an offensive line is the position. And also cornerback. You know, they got some quarnerback issues that they need to to really kind of tighten up, you know, on on this football team. But you know, I think this year, I think I think a lot of Ram fans are expecting more out of them, how to say, because of last year. And you know, right now, you notice as well as I do, it comes down to injuries.
It comes down to you know, guys staying healthy, how they're playing, how they mesh together. You know, you know, we got to live out there, Adams. You know, how's that going to work out?
You know?
Missing?
I mean, I just don't even understand the Cooper Cup thing. I just don't get that. I really don't deal with it when it happened. I just don't get it.
Man.
It's almost like, you know, I got to say, it almost remind me of myself the way they did me.
You know, just just just wrong.
Man.
It was just to me, it's just wrong. I mean, I just didn't like it and I don't like the way it's handled. But you know, I don't work in the front office, so you know McVeagh and les Need has done a good job. But I just didn't like the way that went down. Yeah, but that's football, that's football.
Yeah, Unfortunately, it is the business side of football that that not even I mean even for US players we don't always understand or agree with. And yet it goes down and it happens, and you know, they're they're banking on, uh, this is the way it is and in the long run is going to work out the best for the team.
But sometimes, you know, you look up and go, I'm not so sure.
I'm not sure this works out for the best for the team, you know, I mean, we got to we got a cat that is delivered for us. We're not you know, we're not talking about somebody else, you know, off the street. We're talking about a cat that that delivered for us. That was Super Bowl MVP, right, you know, he's a Super Bowl MVP. You don't just you know, replace a guy like that, and you do with everything
everything it takes to keep it. And I think that that that kind of is the thing that rubs at least it rubs me with a lot of people.
Players.
Players, Yeah, yeah, players.
Wise you know you in that locker room.
Yeah, he didn't you know, like, wait, we didn't sign who, right, we didn't.
We didn't bring who back.
That's exactly that's exactly how it sounds about you saying it right, just perfect.
What we did, what we signed, why we signed him. He can't play. I'm serious, I'm red. That is exactly riding is right on. I've been I'm like, what the hell we doing getting him?
He a bum?
Or while we while we cut.
Him and money? Man, you know how these teams are. You know it's all about the money, you know. I just it's so frustrating because I'm not thinking about it, like you just said, right, and he was h the MVP of the super Bowl.
Yes, and it's gonna it's gonna be a while.
I guarantee you he's gonna have a bad tation as my about the Rams for a while.
I would I mean I did. I mean, I was that guy.
Man, I hated the Rams and I left then, but the way they did me, I mean I hated them, I mean, and then met with john Shaw and we just kind of I just kind of forgave everything after he said, I'm gonna tell you that was my fault. It should have never happened, and you will always be a Ram to us for life. So I just want to let you know that. And yeah, that that that made me feel better because I'm like, man, I gave my heart and soul for.
This football team.
I mean, and I feel I feel that Cooper finally feels the same way. I mean, it's like and it just to me, they just I don't know, maybe maybe I'm wrong, like except I'm not on the inside, you know, But to me, they just didn't put a forurth enough effort to try to keep it.
You know, that's just yeah, that's it. That's it, d that's it. It's like one thing. It's one thing to say, you know, we letting them go and just like well whatever, But when guys feeling guys know players, no locker room knows when you don't you don't exhaust every effort to try to keep him. You know, if it's a money thing, it's a money thing, and you know, you know, people can deal with that. Guys can deal with that. We're all we're big boys. We got our big boy pants on.
We can understand that that. You know, money, money sometimes doesn't it doesn't come out the right way, and you gotta do what you gotta do. But if you feel like, you know, the team didn't do everything they could or or maximize the effort that they could to keep a cat, that everybody liked and that one, you know, one day right of the Super Bowl for you, and you didn't really go out and fight for him. That's it, right, Eric, You didn't fight for him. You ain't fight for him. Man, Man,
that that's I damn sure. No, they ain't fight for me. They ain't gonna fight for me.
So that's exactly right.
For me.
No, they ain't gonna fight for me. So I'm you know, okay, good Brittons, I'm out by. I ain't got no you know, I'm done with y'all because there's you know, we're talking about lord Y all you want. But man, if you don't fight for this cat, how you gonna fight for me? And why should I fight for you going forward?
That's it.
When john Shaw told you that, er, Eric, when john Shaw told you that, despite the fact it was john Shaw that made the move to move you, I mean, and you don't you know you made me feel better because you feel better. I go, john go screw yourself. You did that and you and then all that my bad?
Really yeah, I mean, that's that I thought. That's all. That's all he could do. That's all he could say. That's all he could say.
I mean, because look, John Shaw back in those days, and a lot of the Jim managers. Now, let me tell you a lot of these guys, they don't know the hell they're doing.
Fred. They have no clue. I mean, they really don't.
They guess they have these jobs because of you know, they've been through the organization, or a buddy, or they got a rich friend, or I'm gonna take care of you, you know.
Get passed down.
A lot of these guys they don't even know what it's like to get hitting them out playing football, have no clue. So when John John was a numbers guy, John was an attorney and a accountant. John was all about the numbers. I will never forget. John made a statement to someone. They told me said, John, y'all says this about football players, They're like horses. You open the gate, they're going to run, which is true. Think about that. If you put us on the field, we're gonna play hard.
I mean, cause, when I can tell you it was times I was so mad at them, but I got that I can't let my team down. I mean, and I'm not gonna I'm not gonna luwer myself to play sloppy because I'm mad at them because I have a standard.
I have a standard to playoff too. And yes, I mean that's all I got. I got like I was.
And it's gonna look on you, not not anybody else.
It's gonna look upon you as a guy that didn't didn't try to do whatever.
It's all gonna be on you. Nobody cares that way.
And like this, I think the thing for me, No, no, they don't care.
The thing.
I think they got me and I think, you know, like I said, I don't know, it's the Cooper situation. But you know, for me, especially back then Fred, they vilified me. I was a bad guy. Nobody liked me. They made that. See, nobody liked me. I was not a good teammate. I was selfish, I was arrogant. And that's what man. My mother hated the rams. He hated football. She said, I hate that crap, he said, because I know how we raised you very Those are all a
bunch of lives. And you know, it's just it's sad when when when the team don't stand up for the players. But hey, man, like I said, this is football, I got somebody you know what is that I do? You know how they are. But you know, I you know, thing against me is sometimes they keep guys I call them, you know, I call them they keep their booty liquors.
The guys who are right, but Kischers keep them. I'm like, well they give me old booty liquors. Yeah, keep keep you.
All right.
Our visits with eg I brought to my fordard is offer employing pricing and all Ford you pay what Ford employees pay. Get your Southern California. Ford dealers take advantage pricing while you can Ford from America for America.
Eat is. Thanks for hanging today, man, it was great. All right, man, I love you, We love you brother.
All right, when we come back to Clippers, back at it tonight, try to grab a two one lead over Denver and the salty a will join us.
They are Yeah, he left that fast.
Get oh, come on, it is so back Thursday on Rogan and Rodney, Rodney, Pete, Fred Rogan, come on, let's go Freddy.
All right, we've got the Clippers and Denver. They're at the Intuit Dome tonight pre game here in the radio station at six, the game at seven. On his way to the Intuit Dome. Right now, the salta, Adam Auslin, Adam, good afternoon.
I may be a little bit more salty, guys, because I'm stuck in traffic. So the A and the salty A may not stand for Adam, if you know what I mean?
Oh, where you stuck at?
Where are you? Adam?
Well, I'm about to get I'm on the one ten South, about to get on the one oh five west. I believe it's like going to Lax when you're leave going from Burbank to into it Dome thinks about an hour to get there. But at night after the game, I can get home in twenty eight minutes. Believe it an hour?
Yeah, of coursolutely, Yeah.
It depends on if you And what's crazy about La? Right?
You can you can leave five minutes on either side of your your your nation, you or your departure. You leave five minutes on one way or another, and that will cost you another thirty minutes.
Just because of where LA is. And it's incredible that way.
He's not gonna know. I got you know, I don't have to leave right now. I got five more minutes. I can leave in five minutes, but that five minutes will turn it into thirty minutes if you don't leave at the appropriate time. It's just a it's just a deal of living in La. What is the into a Dome gonna feel like tonight.
Adam, Well, there's a little bit of something extra going on tonight that has Clipper Nation amped up and fired up for this ball game. I don't know if you guys heard it or playing it on the show, but David Adelman yesterday seemed to take a shot at into a Dome, calling the wall kind of a high school thing. He said it was cool, but then he also talked about how they're pumping in sounds and he seemed to
be implying that they had fake crowd noise there. He compared it to a situation a couple of years ago when they were playing Phoenix in the second round, and so Clipper Nation is gonna take offense to that is the first ever playoff game there tonight, obviously it's their first ever home I say they're gonna be ready to
go and have a little something extra. For David Adaman who said, you know, it's different the wall, he wasn't giving it too much credit, even though back in I don't know, December, when they first played their Denver they went ten of nineteen at the Charity Strikes. So teams all year long when they shoot against the wall, they shoot their lowest free throw percentage in the league. It has been extremely effective. They have a home court advantage.
And David Adaman also said is it gonna survive? And he seemed to be infered that is the NBA gonna take it away? Is it too much of an advantage? Then, I'm pretty sure when they built this thing they knew exactly what they were doing. They cleared everything with the NBA, and if anything, Commissioner Adams still that's where I think likes it because it just makes it such a unique place to be at. So there is going to be
some more juice tonight add into it. Though when it comes to the crowd and the cheering and the booing for the Denver Nuggets and David Adelman, well, I.
Can't believe he would even suggest that it would go away, because he didn't say it did very much to him. That's interesting, that is what he said. I mean, I think I'd be more concerned about the fact that the Clippers are a better team. That's what I think I'd worry about.
David.
I don't think I'd worry about the wall, and if the NBA likes the idea, I think I'd be more concerned about the fact that the Nuggets kind of look out a sink at him.
I do like David Adelman, and he said all the wrong right things so far, but this may have been the wrong thing. This may have been his first rookie mistake as a head coach. And he knows better because obviously as dad Rick Adelman, he remembers Phil Jackson back in the day inciting the Kings fans and saying it is a cow town and so they brought the cow
bells there at Arco Arena. David Adaman was there for all of that, and he just had this little tongue in cheek just trolling going on yesterday where it just seemed like he was poking fun at it. He had a little bit of a grin on his face. But him saying that they were pumping in artificial sound there that has fans going. But yes, his team, they don't
have the momentum right now. It's all with the Clippers after what they were able to do in Denver in Game two and just the other worldly performance by Kawhi Leonard guys, going fifteen of nineteen from the field in that Game two and responding after he had seven turnovers in Game one. That was his second best playoff game ever as a Clipper. He had a forty five spot in the must win situation of the first round in Dallas in the Lions, then against Luka Doncis and the
Mavericks back in twenty twenty one. But outside that, this was just Pete Kawhi Leonard. And I know a lot of people are saying, look, he hasn't been this good or he hasn't looked this good and so long. Well that's not true. When he's healthy, he looks this good. Last season he was playing some of the best basketballs of his career and then a month before the playoffs started. Unfortunately, as de Flerida like, he has always been able to come back and look like the same player he eventually
gets there. And the way they have done this where you know they've held him back. He wanted to play earlier, but they wanted to be overly cautious because of all the NI issues going on the last few years. So now he's at thirty nine games right now, he has played so far this season, and he's right in that sweet spot hopefully where he is good to go and peaking at this time of the year as they're in a playoff series, because that's what it looked like on Monday night in Game two.
Yeah I did, Yeah, I did.
And he's a tremendous talent as you mentioned, when he is healthy, and the same goes for James Harden. I mean, we talked about it before the series started, who who's got the pressure on them to to play to play big? You know, and we we went to the local guys. Is it is it James Harden? Is it Luca Dantage,
is it Lebron James? And a lot of folks believed it was James Harden as the one guy that's got the most amount of pressure on him to perform, because you know, he he is a guy that hasn't wherever he's been, there have been teams that he's been on that you know, blew three to one leads.
Uh, he hasn't come up big.
So in that respect, Adam, do you believe that there is more pressure on James Harden than any any other star in this town in terms of the playoffs and going deep or is it or is the pressure off of James Harden, because it's not really necessarily him. It's Kawhi, Leonard, It's Lebron and Luca, So James Harden is more of an after thought. I tend to believe that James Harden's got a lot of pressure on him to.
Prove that he is he is the guy or is worth.
All of the attention and everything he's getting from the Clipper and Clipper Nation.
Yeah, I think there's definitely plenty of pressure on him. Kawi does alleviate it to a degree because he is the batman on this team, and you just saw it in Game two. But James Harden hasn't been good enough in elimination games specifically, that's where a lot of his shortcomings have been. In the playoffs. We're not there yet. When that time comes, there will be more pressure on him to perform to either close out a series or stay alive in a series against Denver. But up to
this point, he's been very good. He's averaged twenty five points through two games.
He had he was.
Sensational in Game one. Had they won Game one, which they should have up by fifteen he would have been the best player on the court for the Clippers. Obviously. I think he had thirty one points eleven assists is just too turnovers. That game wasn't on him. He did his part. It's funny in this series, both teams can make the argument the game they won they actually played
worse it. The Clippers won a game where it was pretty much just Kawhi Leonard and some big shots from Norman Powell lay that pulled them through, and Denver ended up having twenty turnovers. But Denver overall, they played really well in that game outside of the turnover issue. They out rebounded the Clippers by eighteen. They probably should have won that ball game. The Clippers can say the same thing for Game one. They had a few guys that were playing at a really high level, but they're the
team that had twenty turnovers. That was the difference. So you look at it this way. Yeah, they're one in one so far in this series, one game apiece, but it's a series that has been determined by one point so far. The Clippers have scored one more point through two games and the Denver Nuggets. That's how razor thin the margins are. That's how close this thing has been?
All right, wait quick before ronn Is it that close Adam though in terms of these teams and how good they both are? Is it that close in terms of matchups, Adam?
Or is it one has more of an edge?
I mean, and they're playing like it's closed, But is it really that close?
I think the Clippers haven't been as close to touching their ceiling as Denver has. The Clippers have two guys that have way underperformed in this series so far in Norman Powell and bo Don Bogdanovich. If either of them, or if both of them start to hit shots, Bogie is over in the series so far, then the Clippers, I think, can get some distance between them and the Denver Nuggets. Then they can show the separation in talent.
But the other side of it is Niko hasn't played his best ball yet now, credit to Clippers and the defense they're playing on him and showing him a lot of different looks out there. But there's still gonna be a game coming. It might come tonight where Nico drops forty and as his Kawhi moment. Like Kawhi, I knew how well he played in Game two with that level of efficiency. Joki is capable of the exact same thing.
It's coming at some point. It is inevitable. So I think the Clippers they have more of that higher potential and they haven't reached that yet than Denver has. But make no mistake, the Denver Nuggets still have the best player in the world over the last five years in igally Jogic.
All right, adam, battle to traffic, have fun tonight.
All right, love you guys, be good.
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All right, we're back to wrapping up right after this.
Oh yes, closing it out on a full show on a throwback Thursday with the grooves, with the hips, with all the good stuff. My man Eric Dickerson joined us today as tonight is the NFL Draft. I don't know about you, Fred, does it feel like it's a little bit lackluster from years past? Just in terms of first of all, the star power is not there as it's been, which is okay, but it's it's still a solid draft.
And maybe not, like I said, the biggest stars in the world in previous drafts, but but quality of the players in the draft certainly.
Is up there.
I think there's some of the not big a lot of name value in this draft. I also think this we're now seeing the full effects of nil.
And you go, what does that mean?
Well, the kid at Tennessee held out and ended up at UCLA because of a contract dispute. And when you're seeing these college players now, you're talking about how much money they're making, and that's being a pro. They're getting paid right now, and the story's coming out before the draft who's making what in college? So I actually think just from a perception standpoint, and because there's not that one guy that's a killer. Yeah, it seems a little
more subdued this year. I agree with you on that, Rodney. It does just doesn't seem to have the old oomph. And not every draft will have that open not everything in life has that same hmm. They try to resent in a way where it's really exciting. Yeah, they're solid players, and some teams are gonna get better tonight, and that's great. But Travis Hunter, he's a great story.
Yeah, yeah, he's the story of the draft.
I think, you know, when he goes though, you know, it kind of falls off and go, well do we
need to keep watching? Which, you know, having the draft in Green Bay, I think is I'm sure they didn't have really, you know, the big time knowledge that this was going to attract the attention that they absolutely had to have, because without the Green Bay's become the story more so than the draft itself and the players that are being taken, you know, and that's no disrespect to the players that are going to go in the top fifteen to twenty picks, but to look up and go, oh,
we got this guy, or you know, Caleb Williams.
Is going to go here, and Drake May is going to go here.
And it's going to be organizational trage or change in this draft, and so it's going to be so exciting.
No, it's not that case. It really is that, you.
Know, we'll see what teams get better, but there's not that instantaneous person that comes into a room or a building and go, we're changing the culture and everything's going to change because we got this one guy that that's not happening with this draft right now.
Now.
It may happen down the road, but just as we look at it from outside looking in, it doesn't feel like there's that guy right now that can come into the building and go, Okay, we went from you know, being a non playoff team that doesn't have a clue to a team that, man, we got a shot to go deep into playoffs.
Yeah, well we'll find out starting tonight tomorrow, Benny Bonsignor will be on the program and we'll go over what had happened to that point also tomorrow. Davidssa from the Stadium and Dan wik from Minneapolis. Ronnie, thank you great job today, Kevin, appreciate it very much. Again, a big shout out to ed for hanging with us for about ninety minutes, and Rodney we get them tomorrow, yea, sir,