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Old Republic, a sole fashion of fairness. He treats crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as the rich pill poppers in the penthouse, to clearinghouse of hot takes, break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller starts right now under the big top we go. The weekend kicks off with another edition of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller Still Standing, Still Standing, and we're back at it again. We're gonna have a conversation with a friend of ours coming up, but some news we must

take care of here first. Joining us this week back from suspension. We'll get more to this on the Saturday podcast. But unfortunately, to the complaints of many West of the four oh five, David Gascon. That's from the crazy time. Yeah, I'm alive, I'm ready, I'm rocking and run. I drove to work. I'm like you. It's a great fucking day in Los Angeles. Yeah, okay, this is the point out here that where have you gone? Ryan McBain, We all miss you. Where have you gone? He's gone? I kicked

his ass out, all six ft five pounds of them. Yeah, he did a great job. He deserves credit. The podcast has never sounded better with I am McBaine producing the podcast. Just dominating performances. Good. I heard you had some guests on that were not above the age of eighty the last couple of weeks. It's a good job by you. Legends, legends of the game, legends are and they don't age you. They do not and unlike you, I do not have

an age bias. I I love to learn and not have an age bias from my elder I love to learn from my elders. Tommy John it's a firecracker, right o. Tommy was wild. It was unfiltered, unfettered, like you know normally, I'll be one of the throwaway questions we all do it is, Hey, how are you doing right? How are you doing? Now? Most people take the how you're doing questions. I'm doing good. Thanks for asking. I asked Tommy John how he was doing. He then proceeded to tell me

that he almost died from COVID. He was paralleled. Uh, he had some illness that he had, he was paralyzed. His wife saved his life. He went in all the details like he's just like throw everything out there. Was not expecting that. It was not expecting that. But he was great. Tommy was wonderful, and I do think you should be in the Hall of Fame. We talked about that. But well, he's got two eight once they claimed because

he pitched so long and that that's not impressive. But he pointed out that he has the most and I didn't realize this. I looked it up. He's not it's not blowing smoke. Tommy John has the most not no decisions in baseball history. And so you figure if he want half of those no decisions, or even a third of those no decisions, he would have been way over three d winds and therefore hall of Famer. But I

to me, it's closed. But then when you talk about the impact that he's had as the guinea pig Tommy John surgery and how many Hall of Fame pitchers have had their career saved because of Tommy John. To me, that puts you in the Hall of Fame one thousand percent. I mean, there's there's various ways that guys getting the Hall of Fames. Like Dick vital Is in the Hall of Fame. I don't think he's anything to be celebrated

on the you know, for you know, immortality. But Tommy John, yes, like that, you specifically have a surgery named after you to ramp up your your miles per hour. And the other counter argument to that is that, well, it would you rather be in the Hall of Fame in a dusty museum in Cooperstown and then people forget about you or like Tommy John for a hundred years. As long as this surgery is a thing, his name will be mentioned in news stories on the internet and radio and television.

So and so had Tommy John surgery. Yeah, it's like Luke Garrick, right, Luke Garrick's been gone for a million years. I was a very that's a very bad as. As Tommy pointed out, he'd rather have the surgery than they and it's like Lou Garrick had but uh, you know, we still mentioned Lou Garret's name quite a bit and people are diagnosed with that terrible illness. Yeah, not sad, but yeah, it's kind of wild, wild and crazy Weld And you know what's wild and crazy, the great Rob Parker.

And we have an opportunity now to catch up with the man, the myth, the legend. He's our teammate, he's our brother of teammate. Here. We're all in the same family, the same umbrella at Fox Sports Radio. You see him on TV. He's a professor, he's a writer, he does it all. And I gotta tell you, Rob, You're like, it's like, where's wald Forget, where's Walda? Where's Rob? I've been following you as you have traversed the United States on this amazing summer vacation. How many towns, Rob, have

you visited? This is unbelievable. It has been a been It's been great. Um, you know, obviously we were locked down. So I have friends all over worked all over the country. So I love to get out in the summer. I love to go to ball games and and and and eat some good food and drink some beer with some buddies in the stands, you know, where I'm not working.

So so I would say I've been to New York, UM, Philadelphia, UH, Atlanta, Denver, Washington, d C. Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Richmond, Virginia. It's been an epic ethnic summer. Have been to tens that's more cities than I have visited like the last ten years. Rob, I mean, my my good. Now, now was this all planned out? Or was this like scattershot? Did you have did you buy all the plane tickets before? You just buy them as you win? Like that's a

lot of travel there. You're a veteran traveler from your baseball writing days, right, so you're you know how to play the game. But did you have it all planned out before you're just gonna wing it? Oh? Yeah, No, It's got to be planned out because you know me, guys, I'm always trying to save a buck. So I gotta like I'm always trying to play on my trips, get the cheapest flight available, you know, make it all fit. Then it's gotta be you know, wrapped around ball games,

you know, Like that's the other part. So I just can't show up to a city if if a team is not playing. I want to at least if I'm going to go to St. Louis, the Cardinals have to be playing, you know what I mean. Or if I'm going to Chicago, one of the two teams have to be playing. So I had it all planned out, and um, you know, I had to make a couple of adjustments because sometimes these airlines, when you buy your ticket too early in advance, they change the times and they don't

always work out. But it was epic. I ate more food and champagne, and I was getting people tweeting saying, what's your cholestero all level? Because every time I look, you've got lobster and steak on your plate and you know what I mean. So, uh, it was great. You're the You're the ambassador, Robber. Everyone loves you that way. How often did did people and you were in the crowd, You're sitting in the fan, you're a man of the

people there. How often did you get recognized where people like, hey, that's Rob Parker, Wait a minute, what are you doing here? It was it was, to be honest, Ben, I gotta say this, It was amazing and how many people I wanted to get a picture who recognized me just sitting in the crowd with my buddies, you know what I mean, who uh came? There were people. Now I'm gonna tell you this. I was in d C the night of the shooting outside the stadium. I was inside the stadium,

and I'll tell you that story. But that night before all hell broke loose, three fans via social media found you know song following my my feed that I was in the ballpark and said hey, what section are you and can I come down and get a picture. I mean, just nice people who are in the ballpark themselves, who just wanted to say hello and grab a picture. So so it was it was amazing how many people were so nice and just wanted to say hello. But that

night was was unbelievable. We're having a great night. The padres were in town, tattoos was four for four at that point. It was a great night, comfortable, I don't know, the drinks were flowing, the hot dog three, you know, it was just perfect. And I'm there with three of my buddies, who are the biggest baseball fans going. So we're we're enjoying our time. My best friend Fred lives down in Maryland. So all of a sudden, we hear the shots, and I look at my friends and I'm like, dude,

did you that that was Those were gun shots? You know, like it was no doubt in my mind that there were gun shots and not a car backfire and or whatever. So I look up. We were sitting first base side, so we had a clear shot of you know, uh, the concourse level on the third base side. So I look over to where I hear the shots, and then all of a sudden you see people running for their lives to the exit. I don't know, uh, dave or been Have you guys ever been to the park in

Washington or not? I have not been there. Okay, So center field is like the main entrance in and out right like where the subway is, and most people coming through center field, So people are running from the third from third base to the center to center field to to the exits. So I'm like, what the what the hell is going on? Then I looked down on the field and they're no players, no umpire, nobody in the dugout. So I said to my friends, man, something's happening here.

We need to. We need to get out of here. So we decided to get up from our seats, head to the concourse and we're gonna walk out, you know, through the center field exit as well. So when we get up and start walking on the concourse and we turn left, all of a sudden, people are running towards us and screaming like it's a horror movie. So I'm like, oh my god, there's a shooter in the ballpark. That's exactly that's what I'm thinking. I'm fearful for my life.

Me and my friends, we strong arm our way into an office like the consent when they were ward the concessions out of like you know, keeping up with people. We push our way in. We wind up in a closet which like eight or nine people and in there, I swear to You've never been more scared my life. We're thinking, do we need to push something up against the door in case the guy is trying you know, the shooter is trying to come in, and it's this guy gonna kick the door and then shoot us all

like for real. We had no idea. And when you see people running towards you, what else are you to think? Right? Why would you be running away from the exit? Yeah, that's crazy. And how long did you stay in there? Well, twenty minutes, it felt like three hours. It was unbelievable. That was a young kid with his dad. They got separated from his mom and sister. He's under the desk like a little boy. We're trying to talk to him

and say everything's gonna be all right. We just the whole time, we saw no police, no security, no announcements from the nationals, nothing like that, Like you're on your own, try to figure it out. And uh, it was a scary scene. And eventually we saw we come out of the closet and we're still waiting in the office and then something flashes up on one of the TV screens that it said, you know, everything is under control, you can you can exit the stadium now. And then we

started to walk out. But what a what a what a crazy crazy night. Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Maller Show week days at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Maller Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. And so the shooting happened on the third base side, as I remember, and it was they said it was outside the ballpark, but it was right

near the ballpark. Is that what they claimed happened. Yeah, And you know, you know, there's no walls there, you know, it's just like offending, so you can hear the shots. And I'm sure if someone wanted to shoot into the stadium, they could, you know what I mean, there's nothing, there's nothing.

It's not like an enclosed stadium. It's it's open. So that's why people were fleeting because I'm sure they heard the bullets and maybe even saw sparks, you know what I mean, and thought someone was shooting into the stadium. Why they came running towards us. We had no idea because after we got out and we found out that, uh, there was not a shooting in the ballpark, and there wasn't a gunman in the ballpark, and it was two

guys in cars shooting at each other outside. It's still to me didn't make sense unless somebody yelled, you know, you know, if you've got a crowd and somebody yells, hey, there's a shooter, or somebody starts to run, you know what I mean, other people are just gonna run. Yeah, I remember when that that terrible shooting happened in Vegas

or the guy in the window. There After that, there were a lot of ballparks that were very concerned about you know, some something like you know what you described might happen, happening or whatever. So it's it's wild. Yeah, but you went back after that, you you you went back to games and stuff, right, You're like, oh, yeah, you know, I went to I went to, uh to a White Sox game. I went to a Cardinals Cubs game. I went to a Red Cardinals game. I mean, you know,

I mean baseball. To me, that's that's uh our utopia. It's a it's a great escape. It's a great place to go. And we thank god haven't been involved in you know, off like that in the ballpark. And now think about it now where uh, you know, years ago, there was no as we know, you know, metal detectors and all the stuff that we have now, so it's safe as ever. And that's what my thought was, like, how in the world did the guy get a gun

into the building? Do you know what I mean, like that was the thing because many years ago, yes, you know that we could. I once I was covering the Knicks. No, it was it was it was the Knicks. And I'm leaving Luguaria Airport and I'm late for the flight. I'm running. You know, this is no security, no no check nothing. You just ran to your gate. I swear to you. The plane door had closed. I banged on the door and they let me in. They don't those things. Could

you imagine that? Like that's how it can Yeah, well that had to be even like when not eleven happened. Every everything, but even before that, I mean there was security. It wasn't like it wasn't insane. They just asked if you had you'd always had you remember they when you checked into the airport, there has anyone touched your bags? If you have the bags may possession. That was always like they asked you a couple of questions and that was like the but that was it. But there was

no other like security or anything. And and and that was the case in ballparks forever. But now I feel safe when I go to a ballpark or sporting event. It's the same thing. If I go into a club. I want them to pack me down. Do you know what I mean? I want to go to a metal detective. I want to know I'm in a club and nobody has a gun. Yeah, you wanna think you wanna at least believe you're gonna be saying. So. Of all the ballparks you visited this summer, best ballpark food was blank.

Best ballpark food was commiskey. I'm that's not commisc what is it? Guaranteed? Rate Park was pretty good? Uh, Cincinnati was very good. No, I didn't have a chili dog. I'm sorry it's not I did not. But but in Cincinnati. Have you guys been to Cincinnati once? Yeah? I was there one time years ago, but I have not spent a lot of time there. You were, you were the Reds beat guy. You lived there, right, that was your town, right? I lived there for for two years. And you got

that Montgomery in ribs. Oh my god, there's a boat house and then there's the original restaurant. And of course I had some ribs, not at the ballpark, but I'm selling that some great food I saw that. What makes the Montgomery Ribs so much better? Why is that such a wonderful place. That's better than all the other rib places. You know, like it's it's it's house cook fall off the meat, fall off the meat bone, you know, fall off the bone kind of thing. Very tender and just

the sauce. You know, I don't know what they put in it, but it is delicious. You can you can you It's like you come back to Cincinnati, you definitely want to get some ribs. And and they had a they had an offshoot place up in Detroit, uh in suburban Detroit that used to feature the monk goom we in ribs. And I used to get it there too, and they just I don't know, you know how something just tastes right, just taste good. That was That's the montgomer In. I don't I'm not. I don't have a

contract with them. I'm not an endorser for them, but I swear by their friend. Well and Rob, we we actually have the same diet, which will upset g you you as I understand it. You know we've nosed over here. Is you like your your steak well done right, butterfly cut or whatever. I'm the same way, yeah, medium, Well, I just take a little ben a little paint just a little bit, but you got a butterfly cut it so that it cooks day. You can't eat the meat

bleeding and all that. Yes, yes, but Rob, you and I are different compared to Ben. Ben likes his meat charcoal black. I like it very you done? Yeah, oh, you like it very well done. I say, I like I like my I don't want my steak to be Even when I get a hamburger, I order always say

well done, but not burnt. There's a difference between like cooking it or just having a little bit of pink, you know, in the center, but not then you like it like you want to meet unrecognizable Yeah, well what I do, Rob is I I'm not a vegetarian or vegan or whatever, but I like that. And I see the blood or any like, I think I'm actually eating an animal. When it's it looks like the tires on your car, I'm like, okay, it's you know, it's something else.

So I've convinced my you know, or if it's or if you had a sandwich and it had a tail on it, you might take okay. Rob. With you traveling so much all these Major League Baseball parks, what do you feel like has the best I guess energy or ambiance these days, because it feels like your fans obviously getting back in the stands and the Dodgers in Astro's the last couple of days, Chavez Ravine has been packed.

What's it been like across the country? You know what baseball is is back as far as fan was every game I went through the crowd, the stadiums were packed, and you know, I think St. Louis is a baseball capital of the United States. I can't get over. Everybody's a Cardinals fan. They love the Cardinals. Everybody wears red. It's a small market. I think the car I think St. Louis is a twenty three largest TV market, you know what I mean. But they don't run like a mid

market or a small market. They operate like a major Like a major market. They try to win, and um, I'm impressed in any town that can run two football teams out of town. I got to declare as a baseball capital of the United States and just think about what St. Louis. The only thing that people in St. Louis care about it what the Cardinals and the Blues.

That's it. And they had they had an A B A team, Right, and whoever that's one of the great stories, right, whoever owned that St. Louis A B A team, They still get a share of the NBA TV money grandfather did. Yeah, yeah, they did it for a long time, like twenty five years. Finally the NBA was like, we can't continue this, so they made the guys settle for like an eight hundred an eight hundred million or five hundred million to any agreement,

but it was put for forever. It was. It was the most ridiculous contract that the NBA could have signed, where they were going to get, you know, a piece of the TV revenue forever. All they had to do was keep their patent. There was the spirit of St. Louis. The guy's brothers owned the team and they were genuss I mean to get them. But back then, guess what the TV revenue was. There was like a hundred and seventy five thousand a year. You have something, Yeah, nobody was,

nobody was paying attention to. That's crazy, crazy, crazy, all right. So you gotta talk some baseball. Rob can't rob hardcore baseball. So I heard, I heard that you have been trashing, sullying the name of the Dodgers after they acquired Max and trade Turner from the Nationals. Now, how is that a bad move? How? How how did the Dodgers do anything wrong? Rob? I'm not sure. All I said is I think the Dodgers have turned into the evil Empire

now that they've taken it over from the Yankees. They're the ones who have a payroll that's a hundred million more than the Yankees since when the Dodgers were counting Tenney's before and now all of a sudden, they don't care what's going on. Who they want Trevor Bauer, here's forty million dollars. Whatever we want the National League, uh, Cy Young will pay him. We want to go get Sherzer. They heard that the Padres were close, and they went out and said, well if you everybody, even Ben mallor

if you want them. You know, like anything, the Dodgers are now bullies. They run baseball. They whatever they want they get. But you you know, being a baseball guy, that it doesn't make. It's not like the NBA where if you have if if Brooklyn hadn't and you you were all over the nets. But if they if the injuries hadn't happened, the Nets would have won the championship.

I think we can all agree with so. But in baseball it does, and you can have the greatest team in baseball and because it's uh the way baseball set up, it doesn't matter. You can still lose it that the team with the most talent doesn't win every year. So oh, no doubt. I'm just saying, but the Dodgers have had a change in. What people used to hate about the

Yankees is that, See, this is the thing. You know this, when you have a lot of money, you can cover up and you can throw more money on bad money. You could cover up your mistakes. If your Kansas city and you signed somebody that doesn't work out, that's gonna hurt your franchise for a while. That's what big money team liked it. Though I'm not meta. I give them credit.

They want to win again after that what was at thirty one or two year thirty one year drought or whatever it was, or I did it yeah, yeah, no, And the way I look at it, because I was fine. When when you're talking about when Peter O'Malley, O'Malley family owned the team, they didn't spend any money. The ticket prices were very cheap, but they didn't spend any money. And then when Fox took over, they spent a lot of money, but the team wasn't very good. Even though

they spent a lot of money. They went out and brought you know, big name player Gary Sheffield, Kevin Brown, those guys, but they didn't win. And then when McCourt owned the team, they went cheap again, and then they didn't do anything. So the way I look at this is not gonna last forever. At some point the Dodgers will be sold and somebody else by the team, and

likely not. But I an't want to enjoy this rob as someone that follows the Dodgers, because I know this is not the way it's going to be, you know, forever and ever. This is only a temporary situation where they're spending all this money because at some point they're gonna do you do the books, the bookkeeping, and be like, hey, wait a minute, what are we doing here? So right? I mean, if you tell baseball fans that the Dodgers pay roll is to ninety million and the Yankees is

two hundred, isn't that a little shocking? Come on, let's just unch a little shock by the big difference. Yeah, well, they've Dodgers have been handing out massive contracts. I think if you visit Dodger Stadium, Rob, you could get twenty million a year at least just by if you talk to me, and I would take it, Rob. I wanted to ask you, speaking of taking it, what's up with the Mets. I covered him and I've watched him over the last two years. But Kumar Rocker was a beast

for Vanderbilt. And for him to go on round number one to the New York Mets and then for them to pull the rip cord on on him because of elbow concerns. Is that more on Rocker and him not disclosing information that's putting into his arm or do you think that's on the Mets? And do you think they did him dirty? You know what people are asking, and I think they just want to say the Mets are

penny pictures. But I don't. I don't believe that because if their owners, the owner has two or three billion dollars, right, they got an owner with money. There's no reason why this guy is a is a dynamic picture. There's no way that they were hoping he's gonna be the next White Gooden, you know what I mean, Like seriously of that caliber. We saw the guy picture complete game. Was it extralyting no hitter in the college world. I mean, dude,

you can't be any better than that. But is his velocity did go down last year, and there's some concern and and I think that you know, when you're gonna make a financial commitment, that's why you have doctors. I don't think it is over money. I just it's hard for me to believe that a guy that with that money. They just gave Lindora a gazillion dollars. Okay, look so so it can't be over over six or ten million dollars. You just gave somebody three sixty, right, I just don't

I don't buy that. I saw what the Angels did two years ago with Otani, and he had elbow concerns and the Angels didn't care. Yeah, but the difference is Otani if if the elbow wasn't issue, he could still hit not as a picture, you know what I'm saying, Like I hear you, but but you have to there had to be some issue. I don't believe they didn't

sign him over money. I just that's just that's the guy you want, right, He's electric, he can sell tickets, he's he's he's all you're looking for, right, I just why would you do that? And then uh and then have a two or three billion dollar owner and then uh, you know, pull back on ten million dollars. I don't

believe that. And then I also say, you see, Scott Borrows came out after that, and of course he's the agent, and he ripped Baseball and said that he actually brought up an interesting point that it's one of these these situations where I the player doesn't sign Boris. His argument is they need to The rule, he says, is unjust and all that, and that the like Rockers should have

an opportunity to sign with another team. And there's there's no chance Baseball is gonna do that, right Rob, I mean, because then you just have to know who will not sign because they don't want to play for a team that drafts them, and then you know, wait and sign with the team that they want to play for, right, right,

then you're gonna have an issue absolutely. Otherwise, then don't need for a draft that there would be no need for a draft, right if that if that were the case, and you could balk at the team and just say, well, I don't want to play there, or I'm injured, and then all of a sudden you're healthy for the team you want to play for, Right So so yeah, I don't. I don't think that that's going to happen or change anytime soon. Yeah. Now, as far as you know right now,

he's snapped. We're in early August, so you you've try You've seen more teams in person than I have this this summer, so I've got now. I still believe the Dodgers will finish ahead of the Giants. They have. They've been wobbly, the Dodgers this year, even though they've got all that talent, if injuries, they have not performed up

to my expectations. Evenly have a good record. I think they will catch the Giants, But if you look at the playoffs, the Podres have fallen off to the side here, even though they're still looking at a playoff spot in the National League. I still say the Dodgers, and I think the way it's looking now in the American League, tell me if I'm crazy here, just it's the White Sox and everybody else I'm not buying. I know the Red Sox have a great record, but that's to me,

that's a smoking mirrors team, the Red Sox. So I think it's it's if it it, it's in the top teams. To me, it's the Dodgers in the White Sox in the in the World Series where I think just spot on. When it comes to the White Sox, I think by far they're the best team. They loaded, they got a great team. I was against Tony LaRussa getting that job. I thought that was talk about the good old boy network.

I know, he's friends with the owner, he's retired, he's you know, I mean, you know, I thought this was gonna be a disaster because on opening day. You heard what happened right on opening day at the ballpark? Yeah, did not? Did you hear what happened with Tony? Know? Well, Tony, there was a couple of times in April and May where they were the guys that LaRusso is not gonna make it through the season. They were like, he's gonna

be out of here. He messed up opening day. Opening day when when the White Sox uh took the field, Tony LaRusso walked up to the top step of the dugout and he yelled out, hey, you damn kids, get up, my lord. Uh how it took me away to get there, but we got there. We got there. How great? Is uh? Is uh? The like Ryan Storf? He's so he was so bitter all these years that he fired LaRussa and let LaRussa go like and it's like the early eighties that it doesn't matter LaRussa at his age, he still

wanted to hire LaRussa again. No matter what. LaRussa could do anything, and the owners got his back and he's going to continue as the obviously White Six have a good team. But it didn't matter like all these people were criticizing LaRussa and you know, Rob, as long as the boss likes you, that's all that matters, right, That's it, and that that is really that is the perfect example. I remember Larussia got busted for d u Y right before that they knew they vouched for him, right, they

act like they didn't care. Nowadays you can d u Y and stuff that that that that reflects negatively, you know what I mean, and it hurts people. But but Tony seemed like, as long as the owner loves you and whatnot, he's going to be good. But uh, we'll see. I mean, they already had a good team. They made the playoffs last year. You remember they lost the aids UM and I thought they were a good team last year and they've gotten better, so I expect them. I

don't know. I'm sticking with and I know the Padres have had a lot of injuries and other stuff, But I say that the Dodgers don't catch the Giants. I said that the Dodgers and Padres meeting the one game wild Card, and the Padres beat the Dodgers, and the Padres beat the Giants ultimately because they get their pieces back and they get healthy again. And I'll go with the Padres and the White Sox well as a bold prediction. Fernando Tatis is all banged up. He's got his shoulder problem,

this problem. He's unbelievable. I know he is. He not an incredible player, come on, though, he's fun to watch. There's so many good players like you can look at. Uh in Fernando Tda Junior Vladimir Guerrero Junior with the Blue Jays is awesome. That was a lot of there's a lot of good young players. Now, Rob, I know it's not sexy, but why do you think nobody's talking about Tampa Bay. I mean, they have one of the

best run differentials in Major League Baseball. They don't have a starting pitcher with ten wins or more, but their first in the American League East standings. Because because that's that's a bad franchise and a bad location, and baseball has gotten it wrong with Tampa Bay. You know, Tampa was great for spring training. They need they needed to have one team in Florida, not in Miami. And you

know Miami. You know, you know many football games I covered uh Lyon's Dolphins down in Miami where they couldn't sell out. I mean, I just can't like like people talk about Miami and Sports Town. I think it's awful. Um but I I think, um, baseball should have had one team in Florida, and that team should have been

in Orlando, should have been at Disney. And about this, like when all those people, you know, you make your trip to Disney for four days or whatever, for a week with the kids, one of those or two of those nights would be a baseball game. You would have and people would could could figure out one of my team playing down there, Do you know what I mean when you with your trip? Yeah, I think that would have been the best thing. I don't know what they

were thinking. It's it's also it's like Vegas right with it's a destined people go to now Raider game that they will this year once the crowds are allowed back in the Yeah, I don't even think the Raiders gonna have a home field to so to speak, because of all the people like if right, if your team is gonna be there, you'll scalp the tickets, right and people who own it will will sell them. It's like being at a Charger game. You know it's gonna be bad

at the chart now can you rob the Charges? And they've got fans this year and they played in this little soccer stadium and there were you know, there's a few, you know a few few seats compared to it, they're gonna have six how many seats are at that stadium in Inglewood, sixt it's a humongous. They got the super Bowl there and it's gonna be Arrowhead Stadium West Like it's gonna be even worse than it was before. It's it's bad. No, I agree, And it's a beautiful place

from what I see, and I can't wait. But you know, I'm gonna go online and get me a section, I mean a seat. Uh capacity seventy thousand before the super Bowl. They're gonna have it up to a hundred thousand. Wow. So it's beautiful thousand people. Now the big question is will I be allowed to go to radio road? Rob. I've never been allowed at radio road for a Super Bowl. Never been allowed, well, I never never. Never. They've always said I had to hold down the fort, you know,

and and do the overnight back here. But uh, I gotta go this year. It's in it's in l A radio row. I gotta go l A. Yeah, you're going. You're going. Absolutely the last time, the last time we were, and we were we in Miami, Chris and I what a shocker, Will arguing on the air and the people from I don't know serious X and put up a billboard message saying, hey Chris and Rob, keep it down over there because we are about something the radio road

everybody heard of. You're the odd couple was supposed to do. That's part of the deal exactly, exactly. You know that, Rob, as we wrapped this thing up. I know you're doing Inside the Parker. Um, you're a weekly podcast and you got to MLB brow. How's that going for you? It's going really well. It really is get a chance to take a look. We cover black and brown major league ers, and you know, we just try to get people another look at the players who they are, uh you know,

where they're from, what they're into, you know. So we don't cover games, we cover just the black and brown players. And the reception has been great, UM, and the the site is growing every day. I'm really proud of it, and we're developing people. We we we have one of our first interns, um. She started We only started to site April one, and she graduated from college, intern with us for a couple of months and already got her

first full time job. So that's the kind of stuff I'm proud of, you know what I mean that I can help develop future black and brown baseball writers as well as got some of that at USC to right. That's right, Professor, Yah, Yeah, that's great. I love teaching, I really do. USC has been a great experience, so I'm I'm appreciative all right, I know, we gotta go Robert quickly. Here. Lebron the other day complaining about the criticism. I can't. I mean, I know this is just t ball.

It's up for you here, but I mean, what is Lebron doing? Serious? I mean, the Lakers have had a season. What are they doing? But but he made it like people are going out of their way because they think the team's old. I mean, like, like, I just don't even get it. Like, and if you're Lebron, what do you care? So what if somebody didn't think it's a good rosh for a good team. I don't know why he's so bent out of shape. Nobody took aim at

him personally. Dude, you just hire I mean, you just filled the roster with five or six guys thirty five or older. What NB eight? What NBA team is winning a championship that way? I just you can't keep young guys healthy. Can you look at young all the injury and you really fully expect that this team is going to be healthy come the end of the season, to

come on, this is not possible. Yeah. My theory is the reason he's so upset is because it's personal, because he's actually he's admitting by complaining that he's the one picking the players, and so that's all right, he's the general manager, right yeah, yeah, And so this is a personal attack at him because he's the guy that wanted to play with Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony and wanted these guys to join him in anyway. I know, you gotta go. Rob. We love you, man, You're the best the odd couple

obviously for our brother on Fox Sports Radio. There a teammate on Fox Sports Radio. And we will we can. We gotta have a meal at some point here too. We gotta get together. Yeah, now I'm ready for that, matter of fact, definitely. And Ben Man, tell your wife, I said. Aaron tell Us said, hello, And I hope that we get all get together soon. Okay, all right, well we'll make it happy, all right, Thank you, Rob? All right, all right, miss a gascon. You guys all right, take care. Thanks for