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A new weekend is upon us. And as I say every single edition of The Fifth Hour, we do this eight. I do it eight days a week. Not yes, Scott, I do it eight days a week because four hours a night are not enough. And Friday Friday Friday an opportunity to talk about one of my favorite topics, the business of sport. We're gonna get to that in a minute, Gasco,

which I'm excited about. Yeah, it's you usually have because the summertime for us in the National Football League, and it's always the time where you can showcase uh certain things around the NFL, and one of them is the NFL Book. Him that you have crafted a few years ago, and uh, I know Frank Clark was added to a

list just a few few days ago. Yes, as I pointed out on the radio show the other day that I had the chiefs in the NFL book him and that's actually a twofer because he got arrested twice for gun violations. We didn't even hear about the first one. And you see, the problem is he's got such a generic name, Frank Clark, like it doesn't stay it out. So there are as you know, the people over t MZ and some of these other websites they constantly are looking through to see who got arrested, to see if

they can match the name up with the celebrity. It's very hard. Your name Frank Clark, I mean that's you know, Joe Blow. You know, it's like it's like what are you doing? So it's like John John Smith or something like that. So it's it's a pretty generic name. But but we had that. But the sports business in the big story of the week, this nc double a story, and I didn't spend too much time on it on

on the radio show. I thought the podcast would be the perfect format to break this down because there's a lot of lawyers involved, there's a lot of bureaucrats. It's the perfect storm, and I thought who better to break it all down? And something we've talked to before Michael McCarthy, who is the senior writers at front Office sports dot com. It's a somewhat recent startup covers sports business and they

do a really good job. It's it's it's a startup, so it's a new website, don't have a lot of a lot of traction, but it's it's head in places. And Michael McCarthy, if you remember he was on last time couple of months ago, he's worked for the USA today. That's where I first came in contact with Mr McCarthy, Sports Illustrated. He's had bylines at the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, He's been all over the place

covering sports business. And so we welcome in Michael McCarthy here to the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller and David Gascott, and so let's get into it. The Supreme Court ruling, bombshell ruling. Is this the end of the n c A as we know it? Michael put it in layman's terms, how big a deal is this? I truly believe it's beginning of the end for the n C double A. Um,

this is it. Uh, you know, just the way the Supreme Court changed sports betting in this country, I believe that with this ruling, the Supreme Court is going to completely change the landscape of college athletics and opened the door for UH student athletes to be paid as they should be in my opinion. Yeah, so, now, how does

Title nine plans? I I worked with a guy on the overnight o Eddie Who, and I've heard this from other people that say, well, this is there's no way this actually goes forward because, yeah, the women's college basketball player, the woman's tennis player is gonna say, wait a minute, how come the football player at Alabama or the basketball player at Duke is getting all this money? Explain in Layman's terms here, Michael, why that is or not is

not an issue as far as this is concerned. I think it is an issue because you know, once the cat is out of the bag, everybody is going to want a piece of the pie. But you know, the fact remains that there are certain programs and certain sports that generate almost all of the revenue for college programs. You know, football being one of them and basketball being another.

But you know that is not going to stop somebody from you know, the crew team from setting you know, I want my percentage of this, So I mean, I think it all has to be worked out. It's going to be incredibly complicated. But with his a will, there is a and when there's money, there's a way too. I mean, if people are going from getting zero to getting something, I think they'll they'll work it out. Well,

it sounds the way you explained that. It sounds like we're just gonna have endless lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit once this thing actually, whatever it ends up being happens, right, is that the way you see it. I do see that exactly that way. I think there's gonna be incredible wrangling over money, incredible wrangling over percentages. It's going to pit men's sports against women's sports, trans athletes. I mean, you know, you've opened up a can of worms here,

Supreme Court. Uh. That is just gonna you know, be be scorpions in a bottle fighting over the money. Uh. And you know it's not the worst thing in the world. I mean, somehow it will all that out. Uh. And some people are gonna, you know, get more money than others. And some people are gonna be desperately unhappy and some people are gonna be thrilled. But I think this is the way it had to go. I think the Supreme

Court made the right decision. And I think if you know, you listen to people like Paul Farmbound who know their stuff about college sports, you know this is the beginning of the end for the n C Double A. But I saw the story the other day that you guys at Front Office Sports that the NFL agents are are essentially working like vultures right once this story came out with the Supreme Court. Uh, and I imagine the NBA

guys are doing the same thing. Oh, it's not as prevalent in you know, in basketball, because guys come out, they're one and done guys. But what what kind of money, Michael is being tossed around that you've heard and what's been reported with these NFL agents trying to suck up some of these top college players. I mean you're talking about potentially billions here, and likeness rights and advertising rights

and sponsorships. I mean, this is a gold rush that probably will be looked back a couple of years from now comparable to the sports petting gold rush we ball experienced. It's the two eighteen Supreme Court ruling. I mean, just today, Canada paved the way for legalized sports betting, and Canada is an enormous market. Everybody loves to bet up there

and they love football. So you know you're gonna have two gold rushes going on at the same time, and you know the agents who are doing that, in my opinion of being pretty clever and smart, that being proactive. You want to get out ahead of this thing. You want to try to see around the corner of what's next. You don't want to be reactive. Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Miller Show weekdays at two

am eastern eleven pm Pacific. Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Meller Show weekdays at two am eastern eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. Michael, on that note, does this mean that it's a swift kick in the pants from the Supreme Court to Mark Emmert, where now you're gonna possibly look at realignment. No more power fives, no more mid majors. You're gonna have conferences that are aligned based

on a region A last the South, Midwest, and the East. Yeah, I think you know, the head of the n c A has to you know, literally remove the Supreme Court's foot from his ass after this ruling. I mean that's even possible. I mean it might take surgical interventions, but yeah, I mean every even the grabs now, including the TV rights, which you know, I'm I'm curious to see, you know, right now ESPN as a regual stranglehold on college athlete TV rights. You know what's going to happen there? Uh?

You know, the Supreme Court doesn't often do something like this where it just changes the world upside down. You know, it happens, you know, once every five ten years, but this is one of them. Yeah, and you look at the Supreme Court, I mean, the majority are conservative, so it's pretty interesting to see them throw this thing for loop. I guess the biggest question that that a lot of people might have in their mind is why did it take so long for someone to advocate for these student athletes?

Because you know, it's not going to come from the universities themselves. Money. You know, it's all about money. You know, the people who had the money was in their best interest to create a system that was virtual serfdom for these student athletes. And you know, there was always the thing, well, they're getting an education, they're getting this, but I mean, who's kidding who? I mean, the money that they were making off these kids compared to what the kids were

getting back was so lopsided. I also think David to the point about why this is happening now, I actually think that the reason, one of the reasons that's happening now is there's been so much focused by the media on the enormous sums that are paid to college coaches, the savings of the world and the urban myers, and the fact that these men are making you know, twelve million dollars a year, thirteen million dollars a year, and their kids on the field of making zero, nothing, zero,

you know what I mean. I think was one of

the to put it over the top. I hate to think radically about this, but do you think this can actually push college athletics and these universities towards I don't know, like maybe satellite programs or academies, because the reality is, if you're looking at college basketball, these kids are staying for a year maybe two at max unless they're mid level, they're not gonna go anywhere out for the college days and then for all intensive purposes of the college football players,

they're there for a couple of years and only because they can't get there as a freshman. Do you think this turns into something where it's just a specialty program for these universities, because what's the what's the incentive for these programs to bring these kids in and have them be one and done. Yeah, I think we're already at that.

I think we've already got a two tier system in college where, you know, the really special athletes who have a chance is to make the pros are on that track and the other athletes are doing it for nothing, for the love of the game. Uh. You know, I have a daughter in high school who was a high school athlete. I have a son in college, so I'm real familiar with the amateur athletics. And i can tell you you know, a lot of the kids I know and the kids I coached, you know, go into college

athletes knowing that they'll never make the pros. Uh, well, they'll never make a career out of it, but that it's something that they love whereas you know what I mean, you have that special athlete, you know that kid who's born you know, with a right arm like a thunderbolt, as Crash Davis would say in uh, you know that Great Baseball movie. And they know that, you know, from the age of ten twelve on that they have a shot,

and they're on a completely different track. Well, Mike Michael as well, you mentioned the coaches and Nick Saban and these top coaches that make tens of millions of dollars a year. And I've already seen some of the propaganda from the n c A and some of the schools that this is going to destroy the business of college sports. And this is a Domesday scenario some people have been hinting about. But what's the trickle that Does this impact

the the top coaches salaries at all? Do they continue to go up to they go down now because the players are getting some uh some cut of the pie, if you will. How does this affect the coaches? I think it's uh, it's going to have a trickle down effect. Maybe more than a trickle down effect. I think, you know, some of the college coaching salaries are gonna be frozen

if not go down. And I think where it can really hurt is where you're you know, you've seen these coordinators at the big school who were themselves making multiple millions of dollars as a coaching waiting, as a head coaching waiting. I think it could really hit them. So, you know, I think playtime is over for these college coaches. You know, they had it sweep for a long time, especially the football coaches. You know what I mean, they

made tens of millions of dollars. They never kept their promises to their players, They never kept their promises to their programs. And reality is going to be, you know, a tough wake up call, but it's a long overdue absolutely. As far as the sports betting, you mentioned the gold rush, which we've seen here in the next few years in the US, it's it's already started state by state as they add add more money. Uh. You know, what do

we talk about from the from a sports perspective. I remember, I think last time we had you on, we talked about there was an owner that had said they're gonna make more money from gambling eventually than television. Uh. And and you know, just that whole whole mindset I know some of the teams have partnered with a sports gambling outfits. Is that just gonna become the way of the world now that you have to have a deal with DraftKings

or you have to have a deal with somebody. Explain what the landscape is gonna look like, Michael, five years from now, Well, the landscape is going to, you know, be completely different. First of all, legalized sports betting is going to be completely um uh, you know, accepted and normal. It wouldn't be surprised me to see, you know, the fan duels and the draft kings of the world own

their own media rights. Let's say, you know, you're the Chicago Cubs or you're the Cleveland Indians, whatever in your media deals up. Why couldn't a fan duel or a DraftKings, you know, go ahead and buy those media rights themselves. I mean, you've already seen it with the Valley Sports Network. I think you know number two that this whole uh situation in terms of being a gold rush, I think you're gonna see media companies, but competting companies and betting

companies become media company. In fact, that's happening already. We just did a story that ESPN is looking at opening their own branded sports book, similar to the old ESPN Zone restaurants. Meet while You've got you know, the fan Duels and the Draft Kings are out there hiring talent, hiring reporters and analysts. So I mean, would it surprise meet five years from now to see Adam Schefter reporting for Fan Duel or DraftKings instead of ESPN? Not at all.

Would it surprise me to see Woge delivering his wog bombs for a sports betting company that's now a meeting company? Not at all, because they're the ones who could pay those salaries. What kind of impact do you think Amazon is gonna have this entire game? Amazon is what everybody is watching. I mean, I think that the real key to watch with Amazon and Thursday Night Football is one word megacasts. ESPN has proven that these mega casts have life.

They've done it extremely well during college football National Championship Game. And I think Amazon is going to go out there with a program that's gonna be completely different than what we see on you know, Sunday afternoon CBS. It's gonna be uh, you know, one main telecast. You know, maybe you have an al Michaels, you know, somebody who the fans are familiar with. But after that, there's going to be special telecasts devoted to all sorts of things. There's

gonna be a sports gambling Amazon game telecast. There's gonna be uh, you know, the kind of MegaCast coverage that you see on ESPN. So I think Amazon is really looking to shake this up and to really segment it. They're not gonna go out there with a you know, one size fits all telecast like we've seen for fifty years of the NFL. It's going to be specialized. So on that note, then, are these leagues gonna have compliance units that will police and try to look at the

underbelly of this gambling universe? Or do you think that the leagues will rely on the FBI and some of the other agencies to root out any kind of wrongdoing. I think the leagues have always sort of looked the other way and relied on you know, uh, you know, law enforcement to let them know. I mean, you know, take a look at the Tim Donnahey scandal. I mean that this went on for so long in the NBA.

A crooked referee, you know what I mean, shading and fixing games, and the NBA had no clue about this until it came out. I think that, you know, the sports leagues are not going to waste a lot of time and resources on compliance. I think they're counting on the fact that the increased legalization of sports betting is eliminating that organized crime element that was so dominant for decades. Well,

but yeah, you might look at it that way. But then I could counter and say, well, you can look at corruption with officials, game day officials, players, coaches, coordinators. I mean, you happened in Major League Baseball a couple of years ago at the Ties seventeen Nastros, and you know, Rob Manfred gave these guys a slap on the wrist, they got aways scott free, and then get to they got to keep a World Series title. That's exactly my point. You know, the NBA had a crooked referee, and within

a couple of months a story had passed. You know, uh, in Major League Baseball had a World Series champion cheating and cheating in such an obvious way that they were almost laughing at the rules, and the sport went on. So I don't really think the sports as leagues take this stuff, uh seriously in terms of you know, we've got a route out compliance, like they deal with it

when it comes. Well, what I've heard, Michael, over the years from people I know that work in the sports gambing instruges that when they see something that's red flag, they will contact the NBA or the NFL. There's too much money, there's awkward bets being placed on a game, and we hear the term circling the game, taking the game off the board. The the interesting wrinkle to this to me, Michaels, a amateur gambler, is that when you have it everywhere, you can bet a little bit, you know.

The the argument with Vegas was that that was controlled in Nevada, and if there was too much money coming in in the legal sports betting, they take a game off the board. But there is a path where you could make a lot of small bets. It would be a pain in the behind, but you can make a lot of small bets nationally in Tennessee and New Jersey and Colorado and and do it that way. It's a lot more work. Though, it's a lot more work. But the sports league, if they are in business, Michaels, you

said it. With these you know, these gambling these are some of them have partnerships. They almost have no choice but to add a compliance officer, right, I mean, that's that's going to happen there. If you are in the compliance business, you're going to have game ful employment in sports wagering, right. I mean, this is gonna be a boom talent, a boom business. But look at look at all the sports scandals of the last couple of years. You know, every time we found about found out about

these things. They always came from the outside, didn't it. And the league always appeared flat footed and they were like, oh my gosh, what happened? We had no idea about this? So, I mean, you know, I think they'll talk a good game. They always do. But you know, to your point about the best watch strokes they have are in Vegas themselves. The wise guys know when the lines are moving, The

wise guys know when something is up. They'll be the first ones to alert the league's you know, to check out this game or that referee or that official, because they know anybody, and they don't want to lose money. That's that's to lose money. That's the whole point. Of it. This is the golden goose for them, you know. Uh, but you know, I really think that the league's you know, they're all talk about this stuff. I mean, yeah, you know that they're gonna have some XFBR or X, you know,

Deputy commissioner of the New York City Police Department. And they sound good, but you know what I mean, they're always caught flat foot, and they're always caught by surprise, and they always apologize later on, but it never seems to be them that it covers the undoing. They're the

ones who cleaned up the mess afterwards. Michael, With the Eastern and Western Conference playoffs underway with the Clippers and Sons and Bucks and Hawks, um, what have you seen just in terms of the overall ratings with the NBAM do do you anticipate a huge slide? Do you think, like, hey, these are fresh faces that are out there on the court, and it's an opportunity for the NBA to promote these kids. I think you just hit the nail on the head. I'm gonna go counter here. I think it's great for

the NBA to have some fresh faces. Do you realize this is the first time in a decade We've had an NBA Finals where we haven't had lebrono stuff, you know. So I would argue a couple of years ago we had Golden State Warriors fatigue, and I would argue that, you know, and it's point, even though lebron Is is a great, uh attraction, people have lebron fatigue. He's also a very polarizing UM athlete at this time with you know, his political stances. So I mean, I think it's a

great opportunity for the NBA to get out there. I think, uh, you know what I mean, having fans in the stands is an amazing thing. I mean, if you look at these games compared for the bubble games, it's two different things. Uh. You know, there's nothing like the excitement of having the crowd literally on top of the court at an at an NBA game and it's the best seat in the house. And now that it's back, I think that the rating

is gonna be pretty good. Well, And I want to ask you about that, Michael, because I get these stories that come out and you're in the sports business world. You're a perfect guy to ask these And I work in radio, so I know, how about spinning ratings in radio.

I know how that game works, but it seems like a lot of that's going on in the NBA because you read one story and it's the ratings are up thirty four percent for the NBA playoffs, and then you read another story it's like, well, actually, compared to three years ago, the NBA has lost twenty five percent of their audience. So what is the truth here, Michael, Well, the truth is often hard to decipher because there's lies,

there's damn lies, and there's sports ratings. Uh. You know, as working you would say, you know, every time you get a ratings release from a network, you've got to parts it like you're reading Pravda something, you know what I mean, because they're going to work those numbers to make them, you know what I mean, seem as positive

as it can. For example, you know, the NBA and other leagues this year are going to compare their ratings to the bubble, uh and the pandemic when ratings are down, but they're not going to compare them to two thousand nineteen, which is the last prepontimity. So that's that's an obvious one that that they use. But I also think that to your point, I've never seen such a fascination with sports TV ratings. And I've been doing this a long time.

I mean, we used to do a chart in USA today it was like this thing just for geeks and nerds, you know what I mean, like myself, you know what I mean, who cared about this? But nobody else cared. Now everybody's to dicussing it on sports radio, everybody discussing it on TV. And I think the reason for that is because everybody is trying to use ratings to prove

their point. If you're of the opinion that the NBA getting political has hurt their ratings, then you're going to seize on their ratings, you know what I mean, as a way to basche Lebron James and the league taking stances on politics. If you're of the opinion that, you know what I mean, the NBA being political has no impact on ratings, then you're gonna see some the positive

ratings this year has proved to your points. So I think politics has kind of infected the ratings game, and everybody is using ratings to tee you off to a fairly well on whatever pet cause they have. Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Maller Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific. 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. Michael's said, I think the other thing, maybe for some of the other league's is just the branding purposes, right, because Major League Baseball cutting off games for uh, you know, with ESPN the other Sunday night Baseball telecasts and what they do in the middle of the week. Same thing with the NHL going from the NBC platform and obviously now to USA

and ESPN splitting those packages up. I think the other things we just look at it because you know, Ben and I talked about in the regular during the NFL season, it's like top fifty programs in the United States in and over thirty of them are Week one or Week seven or Week eight in the NFL, and the other ones college football Obama and l s U or Baman Auburn or something like that. Yeah, it's you know, the

NFL is so dominant when it comes to TV. It's not just the premier sports property, it's premiere entertainment property. It just kicks the hell out of everything. You know, scripted dramas, reality TV, you name it. It's like the NFL went out of business, what would we watch? But you know, I am not one of these, uh you know, optimistic as well. You know things are gonna go completely after No. I think the pandemic changed a lot of things.

The pandemic change viewing habits. I think people learned how to live without sports in some cases. I think purple people learned how to watch different things. And I think we're still seeing, you know, the lingering effects of that. I'm hoping it will get back to pre pandemic levels, but I'm not as confident about that as anybody as some of these other people are. What's the business practice for you guys at front office sports? Like, how are

you guys approaching these things? I do see that you guys bring on a lot of interns along the way to to help provide them with some kind of platform too. Yeah, our whole purpose, the whole platform has been growth. I mean I started there two years ago and we were a small start up, but you know, we broke a lot of news along the way, and we punch away above our weight when it comes to to coverage, you know, against the big guys, and we have just been growing

by leaps and bounds. Uh, you know, it's a six billion dollar business. I think I'll competitor, you know, our main competitor, which is Sports Business Journal. You had to feel to themselves for a while. And I think everybody loves a little bit of a horse race, right, everybody loves a challenger. You know, if you've got coked, you want pepsis. And you know, now you've not only got

us in the field, but you've got sport Eco. So this whole idea of you know, sports business and this whole coverage, and you know Ben knows this as well as anybody has just exploded. It's taken on a life of its own. Yeah, it's been. It's been crazy the last the last couple of years. For sure. I want to go back. I want to go back to to baseball. Though for a second, because he you mentioned how fans uh embrace not having sports A hundred and thirty four

days we went. Not that I kept track Michael without a professional sporting event, as I was doing sports radio every night. But but it's not about me so major League Baseball having a likely nuclear off season after the World Series, the labor deal is up, and there's a lot of my people in baseball say it's it's they're not going to have a regular start to the two season. And every time one of these things happens, people say, well, that's gonna be it. That's gonna be the end. I

don't think it's gonna be end of baseball. But how much more damage can be done? Kind of paint the picture if you will, Michael on what that would mean a work stoppage at the started next baseball season? Uh, you know, no no sports has sport or no league has done more to shoot itself in the foot than Major League Baseball. I mean, you know there should be an intervention sometimes with this league the way you know

what I mean, they try to self destructive. If that happens, you know what I mean, they're gonna, you know, throw away all the momentum they've they've had. I mean, you know, they're just coming out of the Astros thing the garbage cans, and then you know you're gonna have this this year. You've got the doctored baseball. I mean that's old school. I mean, we're going back to Gaylord Perry and the spit ball here. Uh So, I mean, I think, you know, baseball has got to get a couple of years under

its belt where it's got nothing but good stories. You know what I mean that the cheating turns people off. Uh you know, I mean a work stop, a work stoppage would be horrible because you know, baseball more than ever has become kind of a local sport. And you know, if you if you have a work stopping, boy, that's gonna be trouble. Yeah. And Michael also following that up

a story within the last month or so. Uh, some of the guys on the Mets and some of the other players around baseball, we're throwing out lobbying accusations that the reason baseball changes, that the ball actually changes, the Major League Baseball corporate changes the ball is to artificially keep salaries down in free agency. That there are players who actually believe this, that it's you know, to me, it seems outrageous. Uh, Like, I don't think the baseball

is that bright. If they are that right, why is Mookie Bets in Fernando to tease and all these guys getting these massive contracts. Explained to me your perspective on why so many baseball there's more than just a couple have said that there's something to that conspiracy. Yeah, because they're dumb. I mean, I believe that, you know, Petel Fonso's theory on the baseball about as much as I believe that story about the weasel or the raccoon or

whatever in the thing. I mean, the simple fact remains that professional athletes can never look at themselves in the eye and you know, blame themselves. I mean, we were growing up, you know, batting average was valued, Uh you know what I mean. The ball was put in play. I mean, you know the ones we adored in the players we follow, you know, the George Brett's and the Rock Cruise, you know who were able to hit three forties. Now these players, you know or either want to hit

home runs. Will they strike out? Well, that's on them. And you know what I mean. And if the pitchers adopting the ball, and I believe that they are, you know what I mean with this new Tiki tax stuff, then that's on them. That's on the players. That's not our major League Baseball or is some you know, secret chemist in a lab somewhere or an underground bunker doctoring the baseballs. I mean, you gotta be kidding, Michael. And we haven't seen we've seen this, you know. It seems

like every decade, right. If it's not steroids, it's the trash cans and the videoography that was taking place a handful of years ago, and the doctor of the baseball. And the reality is that people are still gonna come out to watch the games. The people are still gonna be fans of the game. There's nothing that can be done. But do you think in the end, maybe Major League Baseball says, hey, we need to have a new guy that leads this this organization, this league, and not round

Rob Manfred. You know, I I don't think we're at that point with Manfred. You know, I think Manfred has done a solid job. What the game needs is action. The game needs action. I mean, I was at the Yankee game with my family on Sunday and the Yankees had three hits. They won the game, you know, thanks to you know, Gary Sanchez double. But it's just not

an act, you know what I mean. The shifts and and the rise of these incredible pitchers has turned the game into kind of a drag where you know, it's nothing but a strikeouts and fly balls and pitching changes nineteen Pitching changes a game. And I mean, you know, I don't know if you need a new commission as much as you need a sport that really grabs you by the throat and really, you know it says, wow, this game is fun. I mean, you know, you guys

mentioned Mookie Bets a minute ago. I mean having players like who were so exciting and so dynamic, you know, watching him run the bases or that throw he made from the Anfael, That's what the game needs. Bring us back the baseball we love, which is makes some contact, get some runners on base, have some tag outs, have steep stealing bases. You know, let's have the action that we fell in love with. Mike, I got some bad news for you. Don't think the Yankees are gonna have

any of that for the season for you. So I think you're right, But you know, having some pressed with Sanchez, I mean, his his swing looks good. And I just said the Yankees a lopsided I mean, you have a team that's you know, relied for eighty years on left handed hitting, and you know, they're right handed hitting team. And you know, besides DJ Lmeo, you know what I mean, they have no contact hitters and they have no idea how to man you facture runs. I mean the Yankees

are a perfect example of what's wrong with baseball. I mean, you see the Yankees moving anybody over, and you see the Yankee steeling base. You obvious see the Yankees creator run. Now you know they're always waiting for you know, John Garland to him one out. So they really are in, you know, in a capsule form definition of what's wrong with the game today. Yeah, the three true outcomes right, strike out, walk, home run. That's nothing else, don't don't,

don't hit behind a run, or don't do anything. Michael, I really, well you have you. I want to bring up the story that I want to get your perspective on Lamar Jackson because he doesn't have an agent. He's about to sign we think, a mega, mega extension. It could be the biggest contract in NFL history with the Ravens.

And I've heard some whispers that you know, this is not this is not going overwhelm the agent community, per se, because if he if he actually pulls this off and and you know this is seen as a foundational blow if you will, to agents because they because of the commission. But explain to me how concerned or if I'm right on this is what I'm hearing is correct, how concerned the agents are that Lamar is doing this without representation. I'd be very very concerned if I was an agent.

I mean there was a Seattle, uh Seattle seahawk explinback who did the same thing a couple of season ago, whose name escapes me, Bobby something or other, and he basically negotiators on the only did it well yeah, and it was kind of like everybody afterwards said, well, he didn't have an agent, you know, he didn't get taken right, he did pretty well for himself. So it can be done. And once you demonstrate that it can be done without giving up that little slice to the agent, you know

more players are gonna do it. Uh. So you know, to your point, I am very concerned. I am on red alert. If I'm an agent, I am giving you know, Tom Cruise level comfort and service to to my clients, you know, showing up in Phoenix for game or whatever he did uh in the movie. And I'm trying to keep my clients as happy as I can. How much do agents get in the NF I don't baseball. I know more about baseball, But in the NFL, what cut do those guys typically get? Is at four percent? Is

at three percent? And what have you heard? Depending on the agent? I mean obviously you know, if you're your Ton Condon or something like that, you know you can get a lot more. But I heard, uh, you know a while back then it was in the area of around three percent. But you know, it depends, Uh, it depends on you know what I mean, how powerful you are as an agent, how what your reputation is, like, what are the clients you have? I mean, so many things in sports, and I think we've all learned this

happened because athletes know each other. What what do athletes do? You know? I mean, use my agent, Joe, use my agent Jane. That's how you know they really get their clients by other athletes introducing them to people who they trust. And you know, to me that that trust level and that that familiarity is more important than the percentage interest. And as far as one one last thing on the

broad will go back to the broadcasting thing. Michael I I've said, I've seen several stories here recently that the hot commodity. I don't know if I believe this or not. In Sports NFL commentaries r G three Robert Griffin the Third, I is this a story that was planted by his agent? Is this legitimate? Is there a bidding war between major broadcast companies for Robert Griffin the third explain that to me, I think r G three is a hot commodity. Eat.

I mean, I don't know if he's you know what I mean, the hottest thing since Tony Romo, or you know what I mean, if you know, Fox and ESPN and go on it going to go out of business bidding against each other for him. I mean, it's pretty normal. You know, every year, as you know, there's you know a new list of players and coaches who try to enter broadcasting, and some of them give great auditions and some of them stink. And he gave apparently a great audition.

But you know, RG three still wants to play, so you know, there's no guarantee he's even gonna go into the broadcast boot. But you know, I think it's kind of like, uh, you know, Major League Sports. You know, we're always looking for the new guy, the new hot star, you know, somebody who could come in and sort of, you know, change the world the way Romo did. I mean,

I remember when Romo started. You know, there were other people you know, including me, who are like and I will own this for like, how can you get this guy a complete rookie? You know what I mean? The number one job? What are you out of your mind? CBS? And sure enough you proved me and a lot of people wrong. So I think r G three is a legit contender for a job in terms of you know, some of the hoot nanny, you know, I think a lot of that is hypen absolutely. Hey, uh, Michael, thank

you and again promote. The website is a great website. You're interested in the business of sports. It's Front Office Sports. You're all over Twitter. How can people find your Michael? How can people follow you? Well? Thank you again for the invite. Uh. We are at front office Sports dot com. We covered the intersection of sports and business and my Twitter handle is m McCarthy rev. Alright, m McCarthy reb. Very simple, All right, thanks, We have a great weekend. Michael.

Thank you guys, Thanks so much.