Ah, here we go. Fred rgan Jonas notching today for Rodney on a five seventy LA Sports. You know you thought it was just delightful watching the Dodgers last night.
All right, well, let's like, I never do that to you. I don't try and take one little thing and spin it out of control and twist it into something that's that I didn't say. I would never do that to you. I would never know that I had never done that to you. I would please expect the same respect in return when it comes to my commentary.
Okay, my bad, if you've never done that to me, I would never do that. Okay, what exactly are you saying?
You look at last night? Yes, listen, they lost the game. You know you want to take a short sided view. That's fine. You lost the game because in the eighth inning there was a meltdown defensively, which they haven't had in what like two years? Was the last time they had an inning like that where everything just sort of fell apart. It wasn't like you know, their you know, their reliever got lit up. It just fell up part
bad plays, bad balances, et cetera. And then on top of that, you had multiple times hits that would have been hit against any other team in Major League Baseball and against any other outfielder in Major League Baseball. But the problem is the guy you hit it near is named p Crow Armstrong, and he's a superstar in the making, and he's a local guy from Harvard Westlake, and he was doing things that you never ever see a center fielder do. It's like one of the great outfield performances
we've seen by anybody in a long time. That stuff is not a everyday occurrence, fluky, kind of weird. You tip your cap on a couple of those plays. But here's why you walk away long term and you're feeling great about things. Has ya Momoto ever looked better? Like I mean, and I know it was a short sample size. They weren't close to the stuff he had, Like they
couldn't touch him. He had what eights strikeouts and four innings the last time he had a performance like this, Like, if you want to go all the way back to maybe April against Washington, I thought he was tremendous. So I'm a little surprised that you're as down on them as you are, considering you were just hoping, Hey, if he gets lit up. Yeah, not great, But the most
important thing is he comes out healthy. He looked great, and if you're the Dodgers long term, I think he had If he's feeling good about things.
Okay, yeah, Well I take a little different approach. First I thought, yea, I'm a moto. Did look really good. And again, the whole key for me is how's he feeling today? That's it. How's he feeling today? Because they couldn't touch him early in the game. He had some help in the umpire, I'll say that, but overall they couldn't touch him, and he did. Look at what are you laughing about? It's true?
Okay, I mean it's true.
What are you laughing about? He looked great, He looked really good. Okay. If he's okay today, I'll take that. That's a major win. Defensively, that was in a backle borderline embarrassing. They can't make those mistakes. It doesn't matter what game, who they're playing. You can't make those mistakes. And they made them. That is not good. Is that a lack of focus? Is it a lack of bad luck? I don't know what it was, but you cannot make
those mistakes. Ultimately, that's what doomed them, and you've got to guard against that and hopefully they got that out of their system. All right, So they had a bad game.
I mean, yeah, but you know how often does that happen. It's not like this happens all the time. They had a bad game, and you'd rather have these bad games now than get to the postseason. And next thing you know, Dodger Stadium is about ready to fall apart because people can't believe this is happening to them again in the playoffs, So little reminder. I think they're gonna bounce back. I don't know why you have to be so negative all
the time. Why can't you just focus and try and find a smile somewhere in there, somewhere behind just that dark, ominous look you have, just that silhouette you present of nothing good happens to the Dodgers at this point in time during the season. Listen, Yamamoto went out there and was dealing help from the umpire or not, Maybe he
was due something. Maybe everything evens out in the end, and maybe yeah he did get the benefit of the dollar a call on a couple of strikes there that maybe wouldn't have been called strikes in other places, but I'll say this, this stuff was there. You've got was it our Austin Barnes who was saying afterwards, that's like I didn't expect that. That was the best he's ever looked. So yes, if he feels good about things, I think the Dodgers come away from that game feeling great about
the fact they're gonna be in the postseason. And don't
worry about it. You're not gonna see Pete crow Armstrong the boogeyman again after tonight because the Cups aren't going to the playoffs, So you kind of leave that to the side, address that in Japan when they start off the season with him next year, and then focus on the current state of play, which is this team getting to the postseason and trying to overcome the negative perception that you've thrown on them all already, well before the playoffs have even started.
Okay, So anyway, I didn't say anything of a negative nature about the team because I thought all along they're going to be just fine.
Did did I just twist your words out out of proportion? Did I just do what you did to me?
Is that what you did? What to me? What you do to me every day. Okay, that's exactly what you did again. That's fine. Everything you said defensively, that's unacceptable and that can't happen again. But the best part of it really was, aside from watching Yamamoto, you were right, Pete Crow Armstrong kept the Westlake. He's Wes like Harvard Wes West like Harvard Westlake's twenty two, twenty two years old. Yeah, my god, was that fun.
He's unbelievable.
That was so much fun to watch. And how fast is he?
He's the guy if you go look up. It was a play that went viral earlier this year, he had an inside the park home run at Miami and he got from home to home in like fourteen seconds. Like he's like, it just blazes. And he's really struggled at the play throughout most of the season, but lately he's picked it up and he's one of those guys to where all you have to do is get him on base. If you get him on base, he's taken two. It's like the Eagles have this term where they call it
first to nine because of the brotherly shove. They know they're gonna get a first down, so they're not worried about the ten yards. Just get his nine yards. We're gonna get the extra yard. With Pete krah Armstrong, there's no such thing as just a single. If he gets on first, he's taken second. Like you don't have a say in the matter. He's getting that bag regardless of what you do. Nobody's throwing him out. And so the problem has been, well can you get him on base?
The problem's never been his defense. He is, un like Cody Bellinger, is one of the best defensive outfielders in Major League Baseball. Ian happ on the other side as a gold glover, like those are really really good outfielders, they're not close to him. I have no idea how he play that ball over the wall that seemed like it went in between two fans arms.
Yeah, the fan should have caught the ball. Yes, the fan should have made the play. It doesn't you give the fan an error because he should have caught the ball. But somehow he went up at the end, and by the way, that would have made it a one run game, so I wouldn't have tied the game. But he went up, he looked like the happen. He looked like a kid. Yes, he just looked like a kid having a great time, laughing and smiling. Bellinger was laughing and what about those other defensive.
I'm telling you, man like and I've been watching it and going, okay, this this is like happening a lot. Now he's becoming a superstar. And he was one of those guys we mentioned with Dave ass yesterday, how you've seen two different ways that it's gone. Because a couple of years back, in like twenty sixteen, it was almost a race to see who was going to be the dynasty in the National League, and like twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen,
you remember the Mets had that great pitching staff. The Mets went to you know, they went to the World Series. I believe they had that. You know, the Dodgers ran into them a couple of times. And then you had the Cubs, and then you had the Dodgers. Well, the team that's had staying power and has lasted as the Dodgers, like their farm system ended up being better, their players panned out better at the major league level, and like the guys that have left, the Cubs have struggled. And
one of those guys was Hobby Bias. Well, when they traded Hobby Bias to the Mets, one of the pieces they got back in return was Pete crow Armstrong, And so when they got him in return, he was one of these top prospects in Major League Baseball, but the
people just weren't sure. Yeah, maybe you'll figure it out the plate, maybe, But defensively he's always had it and he's one of those guys to where you just want to watch him play the outfield because no balls out of reach, Like there was another one, who's was it Tommy Edmonds home run that went over the Look at how high he got up for that ball.
I saw that?
Yeah, click, who is this? I'm telling you know what, Fred? He gives us hope, you know what I mean. It's like the first time you and I saw Larry Bird were like, hey, man, hey, that's us. Like, yeah, Pete crow Armstrong gives us hope with his speed and the way he's able to move and fly around in the outfield, and it just he he looks like the most unassuming
guy ever. He looks like he'd be a skateboarder, like you would just he looks like a guy that you would see walking out of Spencer's with like a bag of gummy worms and like a Depeche Mode shirt and instead he's out there playing center field or like we've never seen before. It's crazy. Guy's unbelievable.
Did you see the catch he made? Kind of the running he was headed toward the wall and made this kind of picturesque backhand grasp.
What was that that he didn't?
It was like, what are you doing? And did do that?
And the other thing too, is that he taught like Dodgers, like fans in the outfield have been get it into him at Dodger Stadium because every time he makes a play, he's barking right back at him, like whatever they're saying to him, he hears it and he's barking right back. And they showed like a picture of him when he was five years old because his mom is an actress. I forget her name, Damn it is it Ashley Crow.
I forget, Like his mom's an actress, but I yeah, I think they're both in Hollywood somehow, some way, And so they showed a picture of him out getting no more Garcia Para's autograph when he was five years old at Dodger Stadium and they're like, you know, like if I were to tell you like that you went from that to this, and he was just like, ah, yeah, you know, like didn't really even want to address it or talk about it.
Now.
You don't understand that. Like it's one of those things to where even Dodger fans, like people that cover the Dodgers are like, yeah, man, like Yamamoto, Man, what the hell was that that we just saw? And that doesn't happen a lot, especially on that stage, Like think about all the star power that was there, Japan was represented, you got like everybody's really excited about all the matchups.
Max Munsey was mashing the ball, Tommy Edmund had a couple of home runs, and the guy everybody's talking about is this little guy from a Spencer store in a mall somewhere who just lit the field on fire defensively, Like it wasn't really anything he did offensively, just defensively. And then if you see him get on base, just watch him run the bases if you get an opportunity or look up that video of the inside the park
home run against Miami. The kid is unbelievable, but good thing you don't have to see him again after tonight it's over.
Okay, so your glass is really half full? Yes, really half full?
How could you not? You were the ones saying yesterday, I just want yamamotor to feel good. If he feels good today, was he not better than you expected in review one thousand?
Yeah, he looked good. So and he feels good today. So that's the good news. Uh. I can't dismiss the era. Sorry, won't can't allow that. But you're right. The price of admission last night was Pete crow Armstrong.
Jeez, he really was.
And you know, you just wonder to yourself. Okay, the Cubs made a deal. They traded Hobby Bay as they get this kid, Pete crow Armstrong. And you have to remember when teams acquire prospects, there's a reason for that. Somebody thought they'd be pretty good. Maybe the team that's selected have gave up on them or didn't think they would be as good, or they wouldn't have as high as a ceiling. But that's why even the Dodgers, when they make these moves, I think David Vasse talked about
it the other day. They trade Michael Busch. All right, Michael Bush is killing the Dodgers. What did Vassy say? He didn't even know the guy's name. He said, they got a picture in return that everybody projects to be a star.
It is something fairess, is what it is. Yeah, I forget something like that.
They got somebody in return that they project to be a star, and by all accounts and many evaluators in baseball, that could really happen. So they had to give up something in Michael Boyce who torched the Dodgers to get something that you haven't seen yet.
Jackson Ferris, All right.
Jackson Ferris. So the match gave up Hobby Badias for some kid named Pete crow Armstrong. He's so important. He has two last names. And this kid when they get him, you don't know anything about him. But now look at what you've seen. I mean, the Cubs are going to be pretty solid in that outfield if Cody Bellinger stays there for years to come.
I mean defensively, like the Cubs shouldn't allow and like there should be zero airs on the score sheet the entire year. Like if you consider half Bellinger, Pete crow Armstrong, like Dansby Swanson, Nico Horner, who I know you were pushing for the Dodgers to trade for before the deadline because you wanted to play me so Horner if they acquired him. That's not exactly why. Okay, well I thought that.
That's the way I interpreted it. But okay, the last thing we need to do here is make accusations of each other. That would make us sound less professional.
I mean, you don't need to jump to conclusions.
Okay, I don't want to do that. Michael Bush is a phenomenal defensive first baseman out of nowhere, so yeah, but like all of that is awesome, They're not going to the playoffs. I mean, they are four games out of the wild Card. They struggled all year long, so yeah, they figured it out now, but they're not going to
be anywhere in sight. Yamamoto though, that was a guy last night, who if that's the version of the of him you're getting Fred you could roll him out there game one like somebody hit that, like somebody like that splitter he throws like. The Cubs were bad. They had no answers for it, and it was almost like, thank god, he's only going four and I thought he could have gone longer. They could have kept him in the game. Longer, but I understand the idea. Listen, We're just gonna slowly
work him back. Dave was talking about Dave Assay was saying two to four innings, you max that out at four. He was tremendous man. So just based on what his performance last night, you gotta be feeling a lot better about things. Is approach to playoffs?
All right, we're off and running.
Uh.
Bill Pe will join us next. Bill Pe will join the show. Jonas knoxon today for Rodney and now let's bring on the man we referred to as Bill P. Bill P. From the Orange County Register. It is Bill Plunkett, and Bill, how are you today?
Well, I'm apparently not as busy as Bill Plashky, but happy to be here.
No, no, no, that's not true. We actually wanted you today. We didn't even look for Plashky. You know, we're getting tired of Plashky. We wanted you today.
Wow, well you'll get tired of me fast enough to do then.
That's a fair point. All right. So anyway, Bill, let's get started. Yam Modo looked pretty good last night.
No, he looked every bit as good as they could have hoped, and probably better I mean really sharp pitch efficient to get through four innings with the limited fits County had. Splitter in particular, looked really good. It could not have gone better.
I was thinking this as well too, just going through looking at some of his previous starts, like you could make the argument, and I think maybe Austin Barnes even said it that he was better than ever, Like, was that the best you'd seen him look from a stuff standpoint all year?
No, he had two other starts earlier in the year where he looked better. He went eight innings, I want to say against the Reds. I forget exactly who it was against.
There was another one against against Washington as well too, that was good, I remember.
Yeah. And then the best, maybe the best start of all, was at Yankee Stadium. He went seven I think seven scoreless, two hits allowed in what was really honestly a playoff atmosphere. It was that weekend series at the time, I think that both teams had the best records in their league. Everybody was all excited about a Judge Otani matchup, a Dodgers Yankees World series. It was a playoff atmosphere. He
went out there, it was fantastic. Now that's probably also when the shoulder injury started, because it was two starts later that he was shut down. But he has looked really good multiple times. I mean, this is a guy who was the MVP of the Japanese League not once, but twice, and he knows what big games are about. He's pitching the WBC, he pitched in the Japan series there. I think all of those things are why they signed
him for the money they signed him for. And then to see it last night after three months off was tremendous, tremendously encouraging, all right, So that.
Makes the half full. Let's talk about that eighth inning defensively, I think that makes me last half empty.
I wouldn't worry about it too much, first of all, because two of the three errors were by guys who are not going to be playing those positions very often. Austin Barnes is not going to be starting on a regular basis. He made the bad throw that kind of started things. He k Hernandez. I don't think we'll be playing a whole lot of second base moving forward. That was just a start against the left handed pitcher for the Cubs, so it was a bad inning. It was
an ugly inning. It cost him the game. But I wouldn't I wouldn't take it to mean anything more than that it was. It was a one off, a bad night and a bad loss.
What do you need to see from them to feel confident heading into the postseason? Like down the stretch, Like if you had a wish list, obviously health would be one of them, but specifically that you I think Dave Roberts would feel much better about this roster into the postseason.
Well, last night was one of them, was seeing Amamoto come back. It's really interesting. This is kind of an odd combination. Having covered playoffs for twenty years now, postseason baseball has changed dramatically. Starting pitchers don't factor as much as they used to. You don't have the Madison Bumgarner carrying the Giants to a World Series. You don't have the Strasburg Suzer types that got the Nationals a World Series title. If you get five innings out of your
starter in the postseason, that's what you want. You get fifteen outside of your starter, and you ask your bullpen to get twelve outs every night. That's the way the game has become in the postseason now. With that being said, right now, nothing is more important to the Dodgers October
hopes than the health of their starting pitchers. They cannot go into the postseason with the same kind of setup they had last year when they had a compromised Clayton Kershaw, home run prone Lance Lynn, and they experienced Bobby Miller. They can't go into the postseason and put their hopes on that kind of a rotation. They need Yamamoto to be healthy, They need Glass Now to be healthy. They need Flaherty to be you know, continue pitching the way he has and then you can you know, fludge the
fourth starter however you have to. But I don't think there's anything more important than how those three starting pitchers go into the postseason.
Well, right now, Yamamoto is going to start, all right, if that is what we're going to see, he gets the ball in Game one, Flaherty gets the ball in Game two.
I still think you get Flarerty in game one because of the experience factor. Really yeah, and you also have to figure in, you know, when are you coming back with him for a second start. I don't know that you can count on getting two starts in a five game series out of Yamamoto, They've been very careful with his workload all season long. He hasn't pitched on less
than five days rest. With the travel days in the postseason, maybe you can get him a Game one and a Game five, But I kind of think they would go with Clarty first.
Based on what you've seen from Mookie Betts. His response, Max Muncy, I mean, I know we're asking to look into the future when it comes to this, but I just don't anticipate the top of the lineup struggling in the playoffs like they did last year. Like it does feel different this year. I mean, crazy things have happened. I know people are just assuming the worst. What's your gauge on how that lineup is, in particular at the top with out tiny leading things off.
Yeah, they can't afford to have them go one for twenty again in a series like Freeman and Betst That sank them pretty pretty good again. The starting pitching put him in holes and they just never had a chance last year. I think they are potentially deeper lineup this year than you know. They were pretty deep when they had Trey Turner in that group up top two. But the key I think you're going to get something out of Bets and Freeman. What are you going to get
out of show? Heyokhani, I mean, I know he's the greatest player on the planet and generational talent. He's never played in the postseason. We don't know what he's going to be. The WBC was high pressure for him. I don't think it's the same as a postseason. I don't think it's the same, isn't it that in the World Series. So that's still a mystery to me. And I don't
know how he's going to react. He's you know, he hasn't been the same hitter in the second half that he was in the first average wise, still hitting for power. He may be selling out for power a little bit recently because you know, chasing the record. I think he is still a mystery in the in the postseason until we see Until we see it, I.
Think you've like found in the postseason. Personally, I think he'll have a big postseason. I like it. If the pitching holds up for the Dodgers and Bets and and Freddie hit this go around, I think they're gonna be okay. If you know, again, if the pitching holds up and they're healthy. What happened to Bondage?
Huge question mark there, huge question mark whether the pitching holds.
Up all right? Then? Yeah, what happened.
Bond Bonda did not apparently did not see the movie Bull Durham where Crash Davis teaches Nuklalus that when you punch somebody, you punch with you don't punch with your pitching hand. He got frustrated after his outing Monday night and he hit something man his pitching hand lost.
Do we know what he hit? Any any guests.
Don't know specifically, but I would bet a wall, just walls, walls tend to tend to win that matchup.
I mean, like, at what point during the time between you're throwing the punch and hitting the wall, do you not realize, Yeah, this is a terrible idea. Like a door, I can understand, you know, like you know, if you want to like a dry wall, I can understand You're you're gonna go through it and you're gonna feel a little bit better about things. I mean, don't they have like a speed bag or like a heavy bag anywhere nearby so guys can unload on that as opposed to
punch in a wall. It's a terrible idea.
Most dugouts do have a punching bag down the hallway. A lot of a lot of dugouts. Yeah, and guys will guys will wail on it with their path frustrating at that. Yeah, it's it's not you're thinking logically. And in the moment he was clearly not thinking logically. He was very upset. And I'll say this. I'll say this about Anthony. They picked him up on the cheap and he has been a very valuable piece of that bullpen. Has not pitched as well recently because they have worn
him down. They have used him more than anybody else in that bullpen since he got here.
Oh well, listen, if you if you acquire himy as well use him.
You know, he got him using it and he was pitching. He has pitched well for most of that time, so he was he was a very good option.
Uh you know frequently, Aybell, what do you hear about Glass? Now? How's he doing?
The bullpen session looked really good yesterday he you know, says that the y elbow has calmed down. He's not feeling anything there. I think they want to get him into game. So he's gonna throw a sim game. He's going to throw the hitters Friday in Atlanta, and I think we will see him start next week. They're not gonna send him to a minor league rehab. They want to get him in major league games, and if they do that
next week, he gets three starts before the postseason. Glasnow is a big, tall guy, long levers, as they say, and the timing and the mechanics of his delivery are fairly complicated as a result, so they want to get him in major league games so he can smooth as much of that out as possible before a postseason game. You also have, you know, the way it looks if they're going to get one of the top two seeds, they're going to have that five day break again after
the season and before the start of the DS. I think you might see some of these guys in as intense as they can make them interra squad games during that five day break to you know, build up pitch counts and smooth out mechanics for guys like las Naw and Yamamoto who have been out so long.
Hey Bell, what did you think of Pete prol Armstrong last night?
Outstanding? What a good young ballplayer he is.
Huh, it's exciting man by that's uh. And and when you get resounding like a credit from Dodger fans, who you understand, Like, yeah, he called, you know, won a game for him for the Cubs in Dodger Stadium. He's a local guy. But some of those plays were unbelievable, like.
He and he covers so much ground out there. And yeah, the the one uh, I think it was on Otani that he caught on the warning track while sliding was remarkable. And then he steals home run from Muncie to end the game. Yeah, he's He's gonna be fun to watch for a long time.
It was also kind of kind of odd the like the heart scare that Porter Hodge for the Cubs had happened that I can't believe they left him in the game, Like he's got a heart.
Scare there too. Yeah, we didn't know in real time when when the trainer was out there, We didn't know what he was checking on. We just you know, Hodge took a knee at one point. But apparently this is something that he had issues with in the past. Uh, And I guess he talked the trainer and to let them stay in there, and yeah, it was. It was odd. And you know, if you followed the Dodgers for years, we're familiar with this with Kenley Janssen and the problems
that he had with with the irregular heartbeat. And I don't think he pitches in Colorado when his team goes there because the altitude has such a such an effect on him. He was, Yeah, he was pretty scared one year. I recall when he had had the issue in Denver.
Bill last night. Was it a heart scare? Was it anxiety? Do we know exactly what it was?
As I understand it, he has had I forget how they described it, but a rapid heartbeat at times in the past, and when he felt it happening again, it understandably scared him a little bit and that's why we had the trainer come out there and eventually things settled down. But I don't know the whole background on it, but I do believe this was not the first time he's experienced it.
All right, Well, we appreciate experiencing you again today. Thank you very much Bill for coming on.
Thanks Bill.
I hope it makes your your heartbeat get rapid for good reasons.
Yeah, all right, there goes our buddy Bill plug into the Orange County Register. You know, Jonas, you asked Bill a question. It was a pretty good one. What do you need to see this season to make you feel confident about the in the postseason? And maybe what we'll do next hours we'll open the phone lines and hear from people.
Yeah, let's do it, all right.
Yeah, so you can formulate that we'll do that next hour. How much money do you think Miller Moss, the USC quarterback makes this year?
Uh? Well, I mean it's college those you know, those athletes aren't getting any money. Fred, I live in the olden times where you know, everything was on the app and off.
Okay, well, uh, how much do you think Jonas Natch is in today for Rodney? All right? With nil? College has changed, College sports have changed. Miller Moss, USC quarterback, How much money do you think he makes in NIL?
I'll say five hundred grand a year?
He makes one point two million?
All right?
Uh, he's got deals with EA Sports for college football, twenty five Fraankrance dot Com, and an NIL deal with Rock and Pro team. Juju Watkins, USC women's basketball player pretty good. What do you think she gets paid a year.
Five hundred one thousand dollars a year.
Very close five hundred seventy six thousand dollars a year. See wide receiver Zachariah branch usc how much you think he makes?
Some really talented not a quarterback though, I'll say seven hundred fifty thousand.
Four hundred and fifty four thousand dollars piece.
It's a bargain.
Yeap safety Kamari Ramsey, what do you think he gets paid?
Oh two fifty three forty.
And defensive tackle Bear Alexander one hundred bucks, three hundred and one thousand dollars.
Well, listen a little off.
Did I mentioned that Moss is I think sixteenth nationally in uh nil.
Rank Cavy look man like there is it's it now would for some of these guys, it would behoove you to stay in school, like stay in college. Like there's the guy Cam McCormick for Miami, the guy that started at Oregon and now he's at Miami. He's like going on twenty six years old. The guy's been like this
is his ninth year in college. He like he was part of the Justin Herbert Organ class and he's still playing college ball at Miami, like cam Rising of Utah, like some of these guys like you could stay in and make decent money depending on you know, how you have things set up through whatever, Nilda, you have so good for them.
You think if these guys are getting paid now, they're open to criticism. You don't treat them like college kids anymore.
Well, except at Colorado. You gotta be careful.
Well, that's true.
Like you cannot listen. You gotta be careful. You cannot criticize Colorado because if you do, you're a hater. Diann'll come after you. He'll take away your media credential. You can no longer ask questions. By the way, have you ever had your media credential taken away to where somebody could have said that you can't ask me questions anymore?
Never?
I mean so, the fact that it's happening at Colorado is a little odd.
Well, it happened here last year.
Oh yeah, that's right, that's right.
Yeah, Hey, you can't come to the news conference anymore, great, no.
Problem, I know good, I love it. Oh ruin my day.
Right, if you show up after the game, you can't ask any questions? Okay, I can listen to e free answer exactly.
And most of the times, And I'm glad you said that. I like, I've been to press conferences before. I think I've maybe asked. Like I sometimes I would go and not ask any questions because somebody may ask the same version of a question you were going to ask anyway. So you just listen and you take down your notes, you record it with your recorder, whatever you're doing, and that's the same thing. And you don't even really need to be there to get all of that information, like
you can get it else. Like, I just feel like sometimes they think they've got this power over media members that really you're not impacting the job that much. Like we could still watch the games, we could still get the quotes, we can still write the stories or discuss the topics. You're not really hampering or doing any disservice to some of the people in the media.
Yeah, I've always believed the best place to get these guys is one on one. If you set something up with them off to the side, then you get asked the questions and you can conduct the interview you want in that setting. In the press conference setting, it really is a free for all. Now, the writers need that because oftentimes everyone is not available one on one, so they've got to get in there. But the point is this, if one guy asked the question, you're going to hear
the answer. And honestly, unless you've got something so incredible cooked up that you've got this one question that no one has thought of, then you can listen to the answers. By the way, you can write your story anyway you want. At least you have the quotes. So when they pull your credential, it's like last year and they took the kids credential. I think he was writing for the daily News at USCE. Okay, no problem. I don't want to battle traffic anyway. I'm good. Yeah, I'll just watch on TV.
I'll just watch on TV and they get the press quotes afterwards, no problem.
And I mean it's not like Lincoln Riley's dropping doozies from a quote standpoint to where you got to.
Be there, Yeah, I mean like Colorado. Okay, And they do this in some NFL markets too, smaller markets, not the size of LA that would never work. But in a smaller market, we're gonna take your credential. Take it, take it right, go ahead, take it. I'm gonna write about you taking it. I'll certainly write about that, why you took it, what you're all about, how you operate.
Did you hear the story about David Tepper, the owner of the Panthers. So during the draft, he was driving into the facility to go be with the team during the draft. And by the way, he's done a horrific job with that team. I mean, coach is gone. Bryce Young's never gonna get off the ground there, and it's terrible because he's a good player, but he's in a craft spot. He's on his way to the draft room
for the first round of the draft. He sees a sign on a sports bar that takes some swipe at the Panthers, like hey, this time Panthers draft better or something you know like that, but like whatever, a sign at a sport He pulls over on the way to the draft and goes inside and confronts the guy at the host stand to ask them why that sign was put up and what their problem was. The guy's wearing an Eagles hat that goes in there. It's not even the guy who put the sign up, he just works
at the place. And David Tepper takes the hat off his head because he didn't like the fact the guy had an Eagles hat on. I'm like, hold on a second, you imagine that, Like, hey, Dave, you know the drafts in like ten minutes, where are you at? Yeah, I'm at Skip's Bandit bar off the Interstate. I didn't like some guys sign and then I walked in there and a dude had an Eagles hat on. I got to take care of this. I'll be there soon. What Like,
you can't control everything. And so when you see like Lincoln Riley or you see Dion Sanders, Like the best part about that exchange that you have with the CBS reporter is that lost in that was the fact that somebody asked Dion Sanders a question about why he would recommend AFLAC insurance to people because that's one of his sponsors.
The whole thing has gone completely off the rails, Fred, completely off the rails, and we need somebody like you who's got credential, integrity and somebody who's got a respect from the media community to step in and put a stop to this crap.
Well, see, here's the thing that the teams don't understand. First, David Tepper, you got bigger issues to worry about. Your team's awful geez, so what are you worrying about this guy wearing an Eagles.
Hat for sorry Adam. By the way, Adam Auslin is a Panthers fan.
I'm all that fine, that's fine. They're not very good.
I mean, it is completely embarrassing where this franchise has gone. He exemplifies how ownership is the biggest advantage in sports, because the Panthers are at a great disadvantage right now with Tepper throwing the drink and the Jaguars fan face last year. By the way, at a game, the guy is unhinged by the way.
We keep up in the andy on what was inside the drink on the on two pros and Brady Quinn always asked me, like, what do you think was in that drink? It started with Dike coke, then it went up to light beer, then it went up to an ipa. Now we're at lighter fluid. No perfect, Yeah, like perfect, I think I read that. Yeah, like whatever, Yeah, just something along those lines that would just melt somebody's face if you planned on them.
Yeah. The thing teams don't understand and look back in the day. I remember I had done something with the Rams, and this is when they were still in town. And then the player said, we're not going to talk to you.
Was there.
You know what I did talk about? You know what, I'll tell you about it when we come back. I'll tell you about it when we come back. Yeah, it's a good story. So I'll tell you what happened when we come back. Why they wouldn't talk to us and the writers wouldn't talk to us. I'll tell you that story as well.