You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox Sports Radio. It's great to be back.
We will be doing our show in Green Bay starting on Wednesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and first come, first serve as far as a studio audience. Once we get to capacity, then we will have to close the doors. We'll do a meet and greet on Wednesday night at the Bar on Home Grown Way. That'll be from four to six and there's no admission fee there. Basketball yesterday over the weekend, the Pacers are a sneaky good team. I know they're facing a banged up Bucks team without Dame Lillard, but
they win nuggets and overtime over the Clippers. The Knicks, I thought they were going to lose to the Pistons, and then there was a twenty one to notzhering run and the Knicks survive Game one, the Timberwolves over the Lakers, and then yesterday the Thunder beat the grizz by fifty one points. That's the largest Game one victory margin of victory in NBA history. Fifty one points, the largest in
a playoff game since twenty fifteen. And you're watching the game and I felt bad for Mike Breen, he's the play by play voice, and I'm going, Mike, you're gonna have to do some Phil You're gonna have to tell some stories with Richard Jefferson here and Doris Burke because this game is going to get out of hand early. The Lakers somehow were surprised at the physicality of the Timberwolves. I never understood that. I don't know if I'd ever admit that where I go. Yeah, dang man, they play physical.
Luca played well, but the rest of the team didn't hold up there under the bargain, and Minnesota came after them and didn't let up and picked up the victory there. But you know, you can't lose games at home, can't, not first round, can't. And you can't be surprised at the physicality of a team there, but they were. But Luca did have a respectable game, but you know, Minnesota had a balance to attack here. Oh, Claoma City, they're a cute story. They're no longer a cute story. They're
a real story. And I think sometimes we get caught up and he go, oh that team out there, and Oklaoma City, Oh look at them. How many wins do they have? They went sixty eight and fourteen. They dominated. You got some other players on that team. I know they're going to have the MVP in Shay Jalen Williams is a rising star. Chaed Holmgren maybe a future Defensive Player of the Year winner. They got a really good bench. The Thunder no longer a cute story. They're a problem.
They are They're a real problem. And sometimes you'll see teams I mentioned this with Houston. Houston lost to Golden State. There are certain teams that go into the playoffs and it's almost like it's a fact finding mission. It's like a school trip. You're like, let's go see what that's like. Hey, let's go into the playoffs and see what that's like, and then we can kind of collect our thoughts and then get ready to go into next season. Now, I'm not going to say that they're not going to beat
Golden State. I will be surprised if they beat Golden State, only because of Golden State has been there. I mean, if you look at just Steph Curry, Steph has more playoff games than the entire roster. Then you throw in Draymond Green, then you throw in Jimmy Butler, then you throw in some of these bench guys, then you throw in Steve Kerr. It's an incredible advantage for them. And you saw with Steph and Playoff Jimmy, they're probably the
best tandem in the NBA. And I thought, you know, Luca and Lebron the way they were playing at the end of the regular season, and I would probably still side with them. But probably the general consensus is Steph and Playoff Jimmy the best tandem. But the Cabs rolled, they beat the Heat, but the Warriors beating the Rockets. I'm not surprised at that at all. It's just different basketball,
and there's certain teams. Oklahoma City, they were on a fact finding mission last year, then all of a sudden, you go, Okay, what did we learn? Go down through history a lot of times you have to lose to learn how to win. What does it take? What do we do, what didn't we do? What do they do better than us? And I think that's what you're seeing with Okacie Cleveland, big question mark there. They were great,
best team in the East during the regular season. The general consensus is what the Boston Celtics, and rightfully so, that team is so Deep. It feels like everybody can shoot a three. You could probably get the trainer out there and he might be able to be respectable from three point range. Everybody and then an oh, by the way, Derek White, you know Olympian. See that's the dangerous part of this. When Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum aren't great but they're great, that's when you win championships.
Yes, Marvin, have we ever disrespected a team like the Boston Celtics, And I don't mean that like purposefully, but we didn't talk about them at all all season long and they were the defending champs with the best starting five in the NBA.
But it might be a compliment that we've just taken them for granted, that there's certain players and certain teams that they get elevated and then we go, Okay, we told that story. Now let's move on, because that's really we're in the storytelling business. What's the story you're telling about the Celtics this year? Man? Can if the good Rod Deep Ross, how about Peyton Pritchard? You know, I mean, you just we run out of ways to describe somebody, and a lot of these teams you don't look at
where they are in the playoff seedings. The same thing with San Antonio. People would get caught up in oh man, are you going to be the number one seed and have home court advantage. Spurs didn't care. They were like, we use the regular season to get ready for the postseason. Certain teams are like, we use the regular season to make the postseason. Boston uses the regular season, just like
the Patriots. They used the first three or four games of the regular season for their training camp, like this is our preseason, and then they use the regular season to get ready for the postseason. And that's a compliment to them. All Right, Seaton's not here today, So I'm guessing, Todd, are you doing the poll question? I do have the odds to win the NBA Championship? OKC is your favorite, Then it's the Celtics, and then a distant third the Cabs.
Really distant fourth is the Warriors, and then even further down the list is the Lakers. It does feel like it's a two race, two team race. But the Cavaliers. Cavaliers are a lot of fun. And I was watching last night. You might go, who's this guy who's lighting up the Miami Heat. Ti Jerome. Well, Ty Jerome played for Virginia and I remember when he was playing and mcleven and I went back and forth because he goes, this Virginia team isn't good. I said, man, this they
can shoot, they can shoot. And Ti Jerome, who's that? I said, I don't know who he is, but I know he can shoot. All of a sudden, Ti Jerome pops up and you go, I'll be damned. It took a while, but he had a couple of games this year that got on the radar and I went that dude, and they went at Tyler Hero last night. It was not nice. It was not nice. That's where you needed parental guidance because I'm going, damn. Everybody wanted Tyler Hero guardian last night. But Ti Jerome went at him. And
you know they did a great job. Great job, Yes, poet, I.
Had to look up Ti Jerome. I couldn't lie to you. He's been on four teams in six years. He's played six seasons and only started ten games.
Yeah, wow, but he can shoot. He can. He got some buckets. He had twenty eight points and win. That's the most by any Cavalier in their first NBA playoff game since Kyrie had thirty against the Celtics back in twenty fifteen. Stat of the day, stat of the day, that past stat of the day, stat of the.
Day, here comes that what stat of the.
Day, Thank you, Will Ferrell. Stat of the day, brought to you by Panini America. And you try not to get caught up in one loss, you know, I like that. Ja Moran says, you know, we won't play this way next time around against Okay, see wow, stop the presses. You won't play that badly. You're gonna play a little better. It's almost one of those where he could say if they lose by fifteen, see I told you we weren't gonna play that bad. We're improving here. But that was
there was no pulse. Yeah, the body that there was no pulse. There was a corpse. But sometimes you'll have these big blowouts and then you know these teams flipped the switch on you, and maybe have that with Memphis. I don't see it, just because I think Okac knows, let's be great. We were great. Continue to be great. Don't take anybody for granted, and don't be surprised. The Lakers were surprised. That's what surprises me. Wait a minute, guys, come on, you know, and it's not like Memphis is
Minnesota is Memphis Minnesota. They can play for a title, and that's where you just you can't be goofing around here. Take something for granted.
Yes, Mark Lakers, Hey, this is the team that beat the Denver Nuggets last year in the playoffs. They took jokij out. So why are we surprised that nas Reed and Julius Randall are being physical with them? Did he not see the Scott report?
But then JJ Riddick says hey, and Lebron said that, hey, we were kind of surprised at their physicality. There should be no surprises right now. You play together long enough, you got you know, Luca playing well. And I really think that they have a chance to play, you know, for in the Western Conference finals. I mean, I really do. But it comes down to defense. But I didn't think physicality was going to be the difference. But it was all right, Uh poll questions don.
Uh, we're a roll with this one from Paulie. I think the Thunder will win the NBA title? Sure, too early, okay, yeah, sir? Or too early okay?
I don't think they're better than the Celtics. I think I think they're a great team. This is one of those where they don't get a lot of publicity, just like the Cavs didn't get a lot. You know, we the media steers you where they want to steer you. They guide you. So when you turn on ESPN or Fox, they're going to guide you to where they're going to guide you any place else maybe the Nicks, maybe they're gonna guide you to well, Memphis because Jaw's in trouble.
Where else are they guiding you? Therefore, you really don't have a unless you watch these games. You don't have a good opinion, a strong opinion on a team because you're like, oh, okay, see I see the highlights. Yeah, all right, SGA and he's really good. But that's all you know. And then you'll see some of these other teams and you'll go, oh, wow, I was watching the Pistons, man, they're pretty good. It's because the media will hold your hand and take you where they want to because that's
where the stories are. And we do a disservice to some of these other teams that play really well. And that's why I'm Glad Sga is getting recognized because he has been great and players will say this, and they've said this, Jokers the best player in the game. But they're happy that Sga is going to be the MV pick, like he he deserves to win the MV pick because of what the team did during the regular season. So that'll give you a sense of the players know. But
is anybody talking about the Indiana Piecers. The WNBA team in Indiana gets more, you know, headlines, credit attention than the Pacers do. The Pacers are a really good team, but once again, the media does not guide you there. The only member of the media who does is Pat McAfee because he's in Indianapolis. But there will be some interesting stories that come out. And if you haven't watched Detroit, yes they did blow the lead the Knicks twenty one
to nothing run. But Kate Cunningham is real. He is a real star. Yeah, Paully, I.
Didn't want to bring this up so early, but I was watching thunder Grizzlies. I'm just looking at that. I don't know all the Grizzlies players and like, oh, Scotty Pippen June on the team, and I think he got the start for the Grizzlies. He spells his first name s c O T t y. His father, Scotty Pippen Senior spells it s c O T T I E m hm. That blew my mind. I always thought if you named your son after you, that exact same spelling of.
The name back to you. Okay, thank you, Paulin break it down. Yeah, it's worth break breaking into programming. Wo no, young, you can do it.
I guess who stell of the day? Style of the day, start of the day, stell of the day. This is the stele of the.
Day, Paulie, would you stay on that story? Please? Yeah?
I E?
Or why with Scottie Pippen Junior the third Now it's in your head though, is he junior? No, it's gone?
Is he?
Is he junior?
He is Scottie Pippen junior.
But it's s c O T T Y again.
Okay, his father I E I E E Yes.
I gotta tell you.
I found that kind of interesting as well.
Now that poly mention, that's not a good sign.
No it's not.
No.
Oh, Fritzy, Fritzy sent this to me. He was a Hey, Luca's number is seventy seven. I go okay, And do you realize seventy seven days after they traded Luca, the Mavericks were eliminated from the playoffs.
Fascinating.
Yeah, I go okay. My thing numerology, I know it is, I know, love it, I know. But did you notice that no one responded to you as well?
I totally annoyed.
I didn't get a k or a thumbs up or a smiley thing.
I was way too busy for some rey. I don't know what I was doing, but I'm sure I was way too busy to then, you know, very nice respond to your seventy seven seventy seven.
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The Chimberwolves beat the Lakers Minnesota made a franchise playoff record twenty one to three pointers. So when JJ Reddick and Lebron say, hey, you know, we were surprised at the physicality of that, well, okay, but what about the three pointers that you gave up twenty one Let's talktor Chris Haynes senior NBA insider and host of the Haynes Briefs show on YouTube. He is covering the Bucks and Pacers, and then he's going to go to the Rockets and
the Warriors. Worst first round lost so far turned in by who.
Hmm, Well, I mean I think you definitely got I mean the worst. I think you say the worst by a point differential. You can say to Memphis Grizzlies. You know the way they lost to Oklahoma City. But I think most people believe that Oklahoma City is going to get out of the first round relatively unscathed. But the team you just talked about right now, the Lakers and the Minnesota Timbwolves, even though that's not I understand the Lakers have the higher seed, but I think that's a
prey even matchup. And I think when you look at the athleticism, you look at the dog of Anthony Edwards, and you just look how they went into LA and took care of business in the threes. Those threes were opened up by driving penetration overhelping Anthony Edwards would be able to get to whatever he wanted to get to on the court, and it was setting up guys and guys found the rhythm and once they found it, they didn't let go of that rhythm.
So the Lakers have some issues for sure.
The Memphis loss like it was laughable, Like after a while, you're just going, I mean, does Memphis have any pride here? And I know we see teams turn it around, get blown out, and then they come back and they'll make it competitive, maybe win that game. But Oka C seems to have learned something from last year like that. It feels like they understand, you know, how to be a playoff team. I don't know if you have them going to the NBA Finals.
Put me on the spot, DP, I haven't made a selection. Nobody, nobody has ever asked me yet for my prediction. I got them in the.
Clint Waits you know have started, Chris, you know how this works. You can't wait till you know.
Well, usually, DP, Usually that's how it works. Like if you don't get asked, because now, because now you get to see these games, go on to see a trend and then somebody they might ask you in the semi finals round, then I'll have a better gaze.
Then I'll look much more smart, smarter, and brighter than.
You give me your two favorites to win.
The favorite two favorites, I would say, okay, see come out the West and Boston to come out the East.
Okay, then give me your other two. Following them.
The other two I would have to go with. God's tough, you know. I want to say Denver. I want to, but there's been so much the team is different, changing of a coach. I think that series with the Clippers is going to go seven games. I don't know who's coming out. I want to say Denver.
DP.
Don't hold me to that. Please, don't hold me to that. I want to say Denver. But in the East, I understand Cleveland had the best record over there for the most part. Oh boy, there are about a few other teams that I can see making noise in the East. I think if New York gets on the run, they can do some things. I think if Damian Lillard gets back, I think the Bucks and Giannis can do some things. It's tougher in the East for me, DP, I will say, I will say between New York.
And Milwaukee, a team not in the playoffs, the Atlanta Hawks, the Trey Young situation. Yeah, you look at his numbers and you go God those are great numbers, but I don't know what kind of I mean. I can watch him play, but it just seems like he's going to put up really good numbers for a team that nobody really cares about. And I wonder does he need to be on another team to show how good he can really be, how clutch he can be playing in big moments.
And I don't know, like Dame Lillard, and maybe it's not a fair comparison, but we look at Dame and go, God, he's playing great and meaningless games for the most part, and then all of a sudden he gets traded and it's at the latter part of his career. I don't know if the Hawks are at that point where they yo. You know, maybe we're better off without Trey Young. What do you think?
So?
I had Trey on my show, The Hainsbury Show on YouTube. Everybody check it out. I had him on my show last week and I asked him about that DP, just about where he's at with the organization, with his career, and he said he's.
In a good spot.
He said he knew that there was going to be speculation once the Hawks went to a younger core had the number one pick. He knew there was gonna be speculation about his future, but he said he bought in. He took the you know, Zach number one pick. He brought him to his hometown in Oklahoma to show him around, to spend some time with him right after Zach was drafted, just to get him engaged.
And so he's somebody.
Who again just just told to me about a week and a week and a half ago that he's down with the process. He wants to see this Atlanta Hawks squad turn the corner, and he wants to be a pivotal partner. And then dp he changed his game this past season like he was more I think we know that trade is a great facilitator, but he modified his game like it wasn't just shoot first trade. You know, this was a guy who was getting guys involved. And so that that speaks to his maturity, and that speaks
to you know, him trying to empower his teammates. But with that being said, there definitely are teams out there who are monitoring his situation and trying to see if there's going to become a point this all season where that he can be had and where he can be moved because he's definitely a guy who want. Like Trey is one of the most competitive guys in this league. When he went to that conference finals a few years ago, played against the you know, he wanted, he wanted to
continue on. He wanted the organization to do things, to make moves to keep the team on the trajectory. Now they took it a little backstep of the you know in recent years. He wants to get back to that point. But as of now, DP, I can say I haven't heard anything on Trey side that will lead me to believe that he wants out right now.
Will Yannis finish his career in Milwaukee.
I don't think so. I don't think so. I just you know, this is going to be a pivotal playoff. This the twenty twenty five playoffs for the Milwaukee Bucks.
It's going to be pivotal, you know, will if they don't get to the finals, win the finals, or even make a deep run, you can probably see some wholesale changes going on in Milwaukee from you know, you can go from coaching staff, from front office to the players, like it can be a pretty big significant wholesale if Milaukee Bucks don't make a significant run this postseason.
Could you see them trading Joannis?
I could see them going in a different direction, And yeah, I can see that possibility if things go sour this postseason, for sure.
He's Chris Haynes, senior NBA insider, host of the Haynes Briefs show on YouTube. He's covering Bucks Pacers for Game two and then heading to the Rockets and the Warriors. You know, the Warriors winning the game against Houston and then we see that playoff experience that they have and Golden State, to me, is a fascinating situation because can you do this? Can you win four games? Can that group?
You know, because that's what it takes every one of these series, you can say, are you able to win four? And I think they I think they could go to the Western Conference Finals. And I don't know if anybody would be surprised, but would you be more surprised if the Warriors went to the Western Conference Finals or the Lakers did.
I would be more surprised as the Lakers went to the Western Conference Finals because the Golden State Wars, they still have their nucleus in place, and they've upgraded in Jimmy Butler, somebody who fits seamlessly in what they're trying to do on the offensive end and defensive end.
The Lakers, we knew there was going to be some growing pains.
You're talking about two Hall of Fame basketball players, but they have very similar ways of playing the game and they both require the ball and it's worked better than what I thought when I'm talking about Lebron James and Luca doctors. But we're talking about going to State, man, they're just plugging in.
You know. They Jimmy Butler with.
Somebody who could fit, and he saw what he did, clutch baskets after clutch baskets, making plays, and he's somebody that doesn't have to take a lot of shots to be efficient. And so I think if you know, talking about the Lakers and Warriors, I think the Warriors will have an easier path to get to the get to the finals than the Lakers.
Best in basketball right now is who.
Are we talking about in the playoffs or overall?
Let's do playoffs?
DP.
You know what, DP, You're really good at what you do because you know this is this is why, this is why you get a lot out of Charles Barkley. You know, you know how to answer. You know how to ask the right questions. You never know what you're going to ask and it requires an answer.
So let me say, now you were stalling with the compliment. I see right through you, Chris.
Okay, this works here, that's why you do.
Do you think there's a better tandem not in the playoffs than in the playoffs? No?
I can't say that, Okay, and I would get ridiculed for even saying there's a better tantent that's not in the playoffs, because if they were, they would be at the playoffs.
You're stalling once again by saying regular season play homes.
Okay, let's let's allow me to go. I don't want to disrespect the champions.
Allow me to go. Jason Tatum Jaylen Brown? Is that safe? Is that safe? After DP?
Yeah?
But I don't want safe. Do you really feel that right now the best tandem in basketball is Tatum and Brown over Jimmy Steph, Luca Lebron.
The best talent in basketball pound for pal is No, we're not.
We're just best tandem.
Will you stop?
You're better than this.
Lebron?
Luca?
Okay, see that's not that hard.
It actually was.
Which team did the best job of tanking for Cooper Flag.
You know what it was.
There was a lot of teams that had a really good job. You know, I'm going to go with the Utah Jazz. They let it be known pretty early on. They put out a They put out a release and just basically said, these seven guys aren't playing for the rest of the season.
You know, it was these minor injuries.
The NBA Awards season, you have to play at least sixty five games. I was wondering Jared Jackson Junior. I thought was gonna win the Defensive Player of the Year. He's not one of the finalists here.
How many games did he plays?
He played seventy four, but he's not one. So it wasn't even one of those where because it's that super Max deal. If he wins Defensive Player of the Year again, and I thought with Victor wen Been Yama out, then he was the favorite. He's not even one of I got Dyce and Daniels, Draymond.
Dra Well d P.
Draymond's had a phenomenal season. But you know, Dyson Daniels leads the league in steals. Evan Mobley I would have you know, I felt like all along Evan Mobley might have been the front runner to win that award award what he's done with Yeah, I do think I think so as well. I think he's the favorite. But Jared Jackson, you know, it was a tough this was a tough
one this year. And and DP, I'm telling you I don't have a vote this season, which I'm glad because DP around this time, you know, players that have those claus in their contract, they start to call me around the last two weeks of the season, Hey, you know my situation, who are you voting for it?
And it just puts me in a tough spot.
I'm not gonna name names, but I've had multiple players call me constantly over the path last you know, the lab but the last two weeks of the season, just to get a gauge, and I'm like, damn, man, that's that's tough about to.
Be anybody try to buy your vote, like saying, hey, Chris uh Man, I got these new Jordans and what changes do you wear? Or hey, you know once you go out go out to dinner, you know, maybe made me go to Cabo. I'll make sure you take care of you.
They haven't said that they haven't tried to buy it. But what they did do they do? They do try to propose an appearance.
You know what.
Hey, you know they the way they say it, like, hey, you know what, you have a nice show. I could think about coming home if.
Great to talk to you DP any time.
Man, you take care of brother.
Best tandem in the NBA is who Luca?
All right?
I just want to make sure, thank you, Chris.
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio.
W APP taking part in his forty second NFL Draft, Mel Kuiper Draft Expert. He'll be at the ESPN desk for every pick of the NFL Draft starting Thursday. But before the draft, listen to the final episodes of the First Draft Podcast with Melfield Yates in Mike Greenberg available wherever you get your podcast, Mel joining us on the program. Why do so many opinions seem to shift based on stuff that's not from actual games that these players play.
It's college the pro Dan, That's what makes it so so difficult. You're seeing guys play in college against players who will not be in the National Football League, so you're not getting apples to apples. And then some games you want to watch an offensive tackle, but the defensive ends going on the right side or side opposite where the player you want the one on one to be, so you get little snippets, okay, snapshots here and there
of a player against another great player. That's why senior bowl practices are so important because you're getting good on good. You don't get that in college on a regular basis, so a lot of times the stats can.
Be skewed one way.
You can have great numbers against I call am aog s DAN another occupation. Guys, that's what they are. You know, they're aogs. That's what you go up against in college. I can win that phrase years ago. That's what it is because that's college football. That's the same thing when you talk about high school. It's tough to go from one level to the next and be accurate with your evaluation.
So when you end today, it's over evaluation too, because you're talking about so much time between the end of the season until late April that you do kind of overthink it and you do factor in things that maybe shouldn't be as heavily weighed because it's so much time and it is level to a different level, and you have to look at everything possible to try to make a good evaluation. Certainly, Dan, a lot of scouts believe, and funeral managers later in the draft, take the talented kids.
Bill Polli and Hall of Fame were always told him, no, take the talented guys later in the draft. The guys are call him under achievers, Dan, but they have a big time skill set and for one reason or another, they got dinged in the process a bit. Take those kind of guys in the fifth, sixth, seventh round or bring him in his undrafted free agents.
How do you grade Travis Hunter considering there's two positions.
He's it's a hard decision on wide receiver and corner when you have other players that are fully invested in that one spot. So you say, Okay, Travis didn't play just wide receiver, he didn't play just corner. He was out there every play, every snap. That to me prevents him from being as good at one or the other that he could be.
So even with that said, Dan.
He's my number one wide receiver and he's my number one corner, and it's amazing that he would just focus on one position, how great he could be. So to me, Travis is as unique as any player in the history of the draft because he is going to play both ways.
Right away, dion said it perfectly.
You're not going to have a drive at the end of the first half, or a drive in the fourth quarter, or two drives in the fourth quarter, settling that game that outcome and have Travis Hunter standing on the sidelines when our cornerbacks are getting beaten in the quarterbacks, driving his team right down the field against my defense. You can't have that. So Dionna is perfectly correct. It's a thousand percent correct on that this kid's got to play both ways.
Do you love or love love Shador Sanders?
Like really love Shador Sanders. I tried to be loyal to what like I said August and what I thought throughout their careers. And I understand if you want Dan somebody who looks the part. I call them ltpeers. That's what they are. They're ltpers. There's a couple other guys that that's positioned that are more physically gifted. Okay, when I talk about arm strength, when I talk about just
imposing size, the rocket arm, the four six speed. There are other quarterbacks that have that, Dan, if you want that, take those guys. If you want a kid who can just surgically take a team down the field, pick you apart, see things, recognize things, diagnose, make decisions that are sound. Also, get the ball to accurate points and precise points to a receiver, and hang in tough in that pocket, take hits and keep getting up. Don't point fingers, don't assign blame.
Win football games. He didn't have a running game for two years of Colorado. Dan, his leading rusher, upset it for the last month, his leading rusher the last two years.
The two top running.
Backs in this draft, genty and Hampton, would have had more yards in a game.
And a half then they had the whole year.
Think about that and an offensive line, Dan, you saw that offensive line that was a bad group in twenty twenty three, a little bit better in twenty four. But bottom line is he had no chance, and a lot of those snaps he had no shot.
So I'd give him a lot of credit, Dan, But.
If he's not the guy that you want physically, and you can't reconcile taking a guy that high, I get it. But does that not mean that, hey, in the mid late first round, he can't be a heck of a pick. And all this notion too, Dan, Well, if you love them, or you'll like them, whatever, if you'll just like them, you can't take them. Well, I give you an example. In nineteen eighty four, Dan, my first year at ESPN, I had Boomer Assias and the third highest rated player on my board.
Right now, Schador is at five. By the way.
Okay, so say Shador goes in the late first think it was in the second what an idiot Kuiper is right? He had Well, guess what Boomer was. Three Bengals had three picks in the first round. Then I'm sitting there, first year at ESPN. You know what's going through my head. I'm one and done. I'm sitting there with Book, I'm sitting there with Chris Berman, Boomer and Bob Lee. I'm thinking now I'm not gonna be back for the nineteen
eighty five draft. My third highest rated players there, and the Bengals passed them three times, Dan, and two of those three were bus They took him in the second round. Now, according to that philosophy, if you didn't like him, enough to take him with your first three picks in there. Why are you taking him in the second round. He's gonna be your quarterback. He's gonna be the guy, whether he was the first second round or he's your guy moving forward. You didn't even like him enough to take
ahead of Ricky Hunley, Petekotch and Brian Bladoes. Okay, so again I don't buy into any of that nonsense. Brent Fahr was like highly rated player, went in the second round, right, look what happened with him. Aaron Rodgers was supposed to go number one three full of draft, the twenty four the six of the eight sliding picks in terms of my rankings over the last yeah, since nineteen seventy, Dan, I want all the way back to nineteen seventy. Six
of the eight hit. Six of the eight sliding quarterbacks hit. So maybe Schador will be one of the six that does really well.
We're talking to Mel Kuiper, Draft Expert, forty second NFL Draft, and you can see ESPN with every pick there that'll be Thursday through Saturday, it'll be a mel and Field Yates, Mike Greenberg the First Draft podcast as well with Mel Kiper help me understand this that I know we get it. We fall in love with quarterbacks. But if I say to a team that guy right there that you're going to take, it's not a quarterback, but he's going to
be a future Hall of Famer. But instead, you'll roll the dice on cam Ward, and cam can be maybe he's a Hall of Famer. But if you said Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, you know there's a couple of guys in here that you go. Chances are they could be the safest picked and be a future Hall of Famer. But we're gonna roll the dice on cam Ward. He explain the logic there at the top of the draft. It's a arm talent, Dan, it's the trades. It's that skill
set that Brian Callahan. I listened to an interview with Brian Callahan and he.
Said, I want a quarterback doing everybody in the stadium knows we're throwing a ball, can throw the ball and deliver a pass and complete it. I want a guy that's wired, right. I want a guy that certainly you know.
Can be not just good.
Because he said he said just good, just good, it's not good enough, Dan, It's been told to us.
Listen to what they're saying. I don't want to go. That's just good.
They want Joe Burrow, they want Jaydan Dan, he mentioned Joe Burrow and Jaydon Daniels in an interview. That's what he's shooting for. He's not shooting I said this for the last couple of years, Dan, The singles and double days for quarterbacks are over. This is and even maybe even a triple. You want a Grand Slam or a home runner. You don't want that guy, Dan. So what they're doing now is they're just keeping taking shots. They're
taking shots. If my guy's not a triple, triple double or a triple, a home runner, Grand Slam, he's just a double or single, just good. Then I got to get better. I got to get better. And the one phrase that came out of everybody's mouth this last couple of years is I want a quarterback, my quarterback to play at consistently high level. Well they aren't looking at great then, right, Yeah, consistently high level?
Who does that?
Dan Patrick does it every day because he's a Hall of Famer, bottom line knows, does these these quarterbacks do it every day? Consistently high level? Dan, And that's where again you look at what we're doing here. If we got a quarterback and we think he could be good, but we got to get better. This kid has the arms talent. Shador Sanders doesn't have the rocket arm. Doesn't that have the four to six speeding, This is the six three two thirty. Cam Ward has the rocket arm,
has maneuverability and creativity. The GM was with Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes has a lot of creativity and a live arm. They all see a little bit elements of the quarterback they were with.
With a quarterback they're.
Going to select, and I think they see some elements there of what Mahomes does to the way cam Ward does.
Shouldar doesn't do it that way. That's why cam Warden goes I'm.
Sure, Like, are you sure that cam Ward is going to be more successful or as successful as Travis Hunter?
No? No, I don't think anybody can.
Be sure of. So might not take that guy? That's a generational talent there. This is what I don't understand.
Well, you can't do you have to have It's the most important position in all sports, This quarterback in the NFL. Okay, so you got to keep taking chances. You're always say, if you don't have that quarterback, Dan, you're spinning your wheels. They got Joe Burrow in Cincinnati, didn't make the playoffs. Okay, so you are you gonna have all these pieces? That's what they said. And I was a big Trent Dilfer supporter. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl. Ironically, you're in Baltimore, right.
My homes have worn and raised in Baltimore.
I right, how it all came full circle for me, Dan, But people say, well, you needed everything around. They'd let the Trent Dilfer go. They cut him loose the next year for Elvis Kirback. They wanted to get better. Okay, they felt like, okay, we need everything around Trent. But he galvanized that team. He was the true leader. He was the difference maker on a team. They were one nowhere. T Trent took over that year. Okay, and he let them all those wins. But it wasn't good enough even then.
Think about that, Dan, it was a long time ago. It wasn't even good then. They had a super Bowl winning quarterback. They kicked them to the curb to try to get better. This has been going this thought process, Dan has been going on a long time. The good isn't good enough at the quarterback position in the NFL.
I need you to you gotta pace yourself because you got to get ready for a Thursday. Here, Mel, I mean you're you're in first round mode right now.
I don't know about that. Dan, the voice that always goes by, You're right by Thursday. I get all fired up this week and they start yelling and screaming, and by Thursday, Friday and Saturday you got nothing left. So I'm with you. But hey, Dan, I could listen to you say pace it. I've been listening to you say pace it for about hell of a year's day we've been together.
Do I ever, Dan? Listen to Dan Patrick?
I know, I know, I know. I think it's interesting though, that your mock draft is saying this, this is your potential. This is how you grade them, not what the philosophy is of the teams. Is that correct?
Well, philosophy?
You want positions like I say, don't take a running back in the first But I'm not going to grade a kid like Ashton Genty or Amari and Hampton from North Carolina and put him as my six fifth player because I don't agree with taking your running back in the first you great, I'm based on their ability, and that's why all those running backs were rated high. I have a philosophy that people said was idiotic, Dan, and now they're all agreeing with it. They all agree with it.
Now.
You notice that how that's come full circle too. They all said I was a nut. Now they say, oh, you know, you shouldn't really draft a running back in the first round unless you're one of those great teams that just is missing the running back, or that team won the CUSP that's just missing a running back. Tell me a team Dan in the top ten right now doesn't think they're going to be a pretty good team this coming year. Tell me a team that thinks you're
going to be picking first next year. Tell me a team going into next year's this coming season it thinks, oh, we're going to be the worst team in the league next year. Tell me a coach and that building or a player in that building they were a GM or an older that believes that. Okay, so to me, look at Tennessee. They were within a whisker last year of beating Chicago opening week of being the Jets. The second
week they ended up beating Houston. They had a lot of games where they're just a mistake here or or a block that wasn't made, or a drop pass whatever it may, or penalty or whatever, or an interception to turnover. So again, this is a fine line, Dan, Washington went from being a team that was nothing to be because they had to hit with Jaden Daniels. And that tells you what we talk about a quarterback. They hit with Jade and Daniels, and now look where they are now.
Look at the future of the Washington Commanders.
Right.
I give Cincinnati, Hey, you get a mulligan with Joe Burrow. You're not getting two years with Joe Burrow where you don't make the playoffs. You got an MVP quarterback, you better get in the playoffs. I said I'll give you one year. I'm not going to give you two. So once you get that guy, you better win consistently.
Do you regret not being a GM in the NFL?
Not at all, Dan, though I had that chance to get into the league when a great probably the best friend I ever had in the NFL, where we're all you think about Ernie you Corsi general manager who was going to bring me in.
At age twenty three, before I came to.
ESPN, Dan, he offered me the position to come work for him, just do whatever now as an assistant GM like some you know. Erroneously said it was just to be his assistant as a young kid coming in. If I need kaiper to go wherever, I'll send them if I need him to find out something else. And I said great. He said, what do you want to do? He said, just keep going through the eighty three draft.
Will announce you in July.
I had the NFL security come down and interview and go through all the process to be accepted in and all that.
So I was gonna that was all gonna happen.
In July, Ernie had drafted John Elway without his knowledge. Er John Elway was traded to Denver. There was talking about the Colts leaving town. Ernie would obviously be leaving as well. He wasn't going to bring me in as his guy, knowing the future is so uncertain for him with this organization. He called me in June, Dan and he said.
No, I can't bring you in.
I said, I said, okay, what do you want me to do?
He said, Hey, nobody knows that I was going to do this.
It hasn't an announced to anybody. You've got a great business going. Keep doing what you're doing. Everybody craves that type of information.
Keep doing what you're doing.
I did, and guess what, five months later, got a call from ESPN to come up an interview for the job. Got that started in nineteen eighty four. So without Ernie caring about a twenty three year old kid, and he would have just brought me in, I'd have been with the Colts, hit a left. I'd have been gone at some point. ESPN would have had another draft analyst, and I don't know what that go I'd be doing right now, Dan, But.
That leads me to what happen. Happen with Brent Musburger. I campaigned for him. I reached out to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Pete Roseld Award. I'd like to do the same with you. I think you should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
I appreciate that, Dan, but I don't. I don't, I really, I never. I just believe there's so many people that just you get you're fortunate, you get a little lucky, on your side.
You're around great people. I was, Dan, work with you.
All those you you changed, You changed an industry. You what you have meant to the NFL can it's it's a different version of John Facenda, Like he was the voice and you were. You were the draft guy. Like, look at what it's a cottage industry that you created that is contributions to the game. I know you're modest, I don't care. I'm going forward with it. You you deserve to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
You do, Dan.
Your great friend Andy Poland has been saying the same thing. I tell Andy the same thing. You know, Andy, and he said he's gonna. I said, you know to me, you get into this and you see so many people that were responsible with ESPN for what's happened.
So you say I did this.
ESPN really did it, Dan, because they televised this thing when the NFL didn't want it to be televised.
Think about that.
Think about all the great producers that were from Bill Fitz who offered me that position in eighty four, all the way up John Wildhack. You think about what he did. Freddy Gadelli. Freddie Goadelli was able to coach me along and teach me so many things about this business. Jay Rothman, Brian Ryder now, Robert Dampsky, all the great producers.
Way you're giving your Hall of Fame speech, Wayne.
Markman is believing in me all these years. Seth has been a great friend.
So all the ESPN guys, Dan, they were responsible, and all the people that cut those highlight packs, that all that worked behind, they were responsible for the drastics. That's keep in mind. Dan, ESPN televised draft before I got here. Okay, so the draft was on a ESPN because before I became a part of the telecast changed you changed.
Well, I appreciate that. But for John for sending what you just said.
The voice, that voice.
Dan pulled people into the NFL.
You're the hair, he's the voicemail.
My great friend, You'll make great friends. George Young, right, late great George Young, Calvert Hall's owns. George Young, famous famous graduate of Calvert Hall history.
Great friend of mine.
Used to write me handwritten notes after he got the book, when suggestions and just thoughts. He'd called me during the draft even and give me, get me to tell him his opinion of what went on George Young always said one couple of things. He said, first of all, when you draft a player is just as important as who
you select. So value is important. He said to me yours when I basically when I started ESPN, you got to you gotta get a voice, coach Mail, you got to get that ball to you gotta get that Baltimore accent out of that. You gotta lose that Baltimore accent. George Always, I said, Charles, I'm not.
Going I gotta change it.
Whatever I am, I am, and it's not. It doesn't resonate and his voice isn't getting done. I can't change my voice. George, you got to get that Baltimore accent and lose it. You're never gonna have any chance. So it was funny all the conversations I look back to with George and like Elady of course, and my great friend Jack Faulkner with the Ams was phenomenal back in the day. Today, I mean, all the way, all the way through my career between Jack Ernie George.
Save it for your Hall of Fame speech, Save.
It, I would say, give that up. You know, I got a lot of people in the lake that hate me.
You know, I got a lot of a lot of people know they have hated me for a long time. I do not think anything n f L related through the Hall of Fame whatever, that will never work hand in hand.
Then no.
Uh, I'd say pace yourself, but you're not capable, and uh, good to talk to you. As always, We'll see you. Thank you, Take everybody