Team USA, Bronny James, & Wright All Along - podcast episode cover

Team USA, Bronny James, & Wright All Along

Jul 16, 20241 hr 6 minEp. 252
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Episode description

On today’s episode, Nick picks his starters for Team USA, reacts to Jalen Brunson's discounted extension, and discusses how Bronny is adjusting to NBA life in Summer League. Then, Nick recaps his incredible string of championship predictions from the weekend. Lastly, Nick and Damonza answer your questions.


0:00 - We're Back!

03:21 - Team USA Dominance 

11:16 - Brunson Extension Explained

23:05 - Breaking Down Bronny in Summer League

27:57 - Caitlin Clark and Team USA

35:23 - Wright All Along

41:14 - Nick Checks In 

53:54 - F1 Minute

59:52 - Fan Questions

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Transcript

Speaker 1

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Speaker 2

All Right, welcome in episode two forty eight, Fresh back from vacation, hopefully, look like I was on vacation, uh and got some great time, spend time with Demanse, celebrated his birthday while we were there, some great family time. Demon's great to see you. That's the most time we've spent together in you know, since you lived in New York in a very long time. So that was that was truly great. We had a wonderful vacation. I know

we missed a lot. There was some very very significant, obviously national non sports news with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, that which actually coincide coincided almost to the minute with some very significant personal news. So we will wage our way through that about thirty minutes from now. But before we do that, there's a lot to get to and I want to stay focused on the sports stuff that we missed, So let's get right into the show.

Here's what missed the cut Patrick Beverly considering an allegedly historic deal in Europe. Let's show. The tweet is Pat Bev gonna have the podcast translated to Russian or the reporters covering him there gonna get a pass. That's from May third, and it is looking Demond's a like a classic two. I will see, we'll see. But the Bamani used to always say, listen to me now, believe me later on that this the Pat Bev thing, seems to be one of those categories. Kelsey and Mahomes go on

a double date. By the way, shout out to my friend Patrick expecting child number three. It also has been brought to my attention because the kids are named Silvers or Sterling and Bronze, But I think that they're I could be wrong on this. The Dogs of the family I think are named platinum and gold or something along those lines. So I'm not sure what precious metals mahomes is gonna have left for baby number three, but I'm

very excited for that. And shout out to him and his wonderful wife Brittany on the pending arrival of a new family member. And Nick Chubb out here squatting five hundred and forty pounds shortly after less than a year after suffering one of the most gruesome knee injuries you've ever seen. That guy is just an unbelievable physical freak. Shout out to him, and hopefully he's back fully healthy this year. But oh, steel and silver are the dog names,

and sterling and bronze. Okay, so gold and platinum are available. Okay, that's great. Thank you for the wonderful producers, and thank you to the people in the chat who are pointing out there who were here early excited for us to get on the air. But demonse, let's get to a team. USA had some exhibition games while we were going one against Australia yesterday update.

Speaker 3

US, so those exhibition games are now underway. We did not cover against the spread. We won ninety eight ninety two. A couple of things going on all a team in the USA right now. Kauai got sent home, Katie is now hurt, and Kurr is talking about potentially benching EMBIID. So with us playing Serbia here soon, is there any doubt in your mind that will take the cake? No?

Speaker 2

So I think this is from a talent and still in their prime, or guys who have aged out of their prime but are still great perspective. This is the best collection of talent and team USA history. I understand that people say that sacrilege because of the ninety two Dream Team, but ninety two Bird was a shell of himself, Magic had just retired due to HIV, and you didn't even have Isaiah Thomas on the team. So it just wasn't the The collection of talent wasn't up to the

level that this team is. And now the rest of the world has gotten so much better. You're not to beat you know, it's no beating in Gola by sixty points. I understand that. But this team I think is unbeatable. And if you people say, oh, well, that hasn't been the game man we lost since the Dream Team, there has been one year we did not win the goal.

Since then, we have won I think twenty eight consecutive games that that mattered, or I'm sorry we were twenty eight to one in games that matter because we did lose an early round game in the non knockout stage last year, and we win all these games by double digits. What happened in the Australia game is they were up twenty four in an exhibition game in the second half

and stop paying attention. So I so this is the there and the Serbia tomorrow is kind of a bummer because Serbia plays tonight against Australia, so there's a chance that Jokic doesn't play in the Serbia game. But if you look at the against the US. But if you look at these rosters, yes, Canada has Shay, and Greece has Giannis, and Serbia has Jokic, but none of these teams have a second player that would make the Team USA roster. And we have answers for everything the other

team's going to try to do. So I am not concerned in the least.

Speaker 3

Say it again to Mase, do you like speaking of the rosters, like, do you think the Team USA roster is up to par Is It how you would have it?

Speaker 2

Well, yeah, I mean, are these the twelve guys I would have picked? Obviously, it was a story recently that Jalen Brown didn't get on the initial team and then didn't get picked when the replacement. I would have had Jalen on the team over Kawhi from the very beginning. I think at this point Jalen obviously more reliable, and you could argue just Flatley a better player. I do understand them going Derek White. Now. Jalen thinks it's purely Nike,

and he might be correct. There is an argument to be made that the roster construction should be eight stars and four Derek White types, guys who are gonna find if they don't play.

Speaker 3

I apologize, go ahead, I guess. With it being Kawhi that was replaced, he wasn't a glue guy. It wasn't like he was like those role player type of guys.

Speaker 2

It would one hundred percent agree, and they by the way they set put this roster together, it's very clear they're not valuing glue guys like the on the initial roster. The closest thing to a glue guy if you would, and this is insulting to him is Drew Holliday, and Drew Holliday is more than a glue guy, but a

guy who doesn't need shots and can just offend. So if I were the one putting the foster together, the guys who probably would have been most the guys who were on the initial roster that I would have said, I'm not sure if we need them are Devin Booker, Kawhi, and that really might be it, and I might have replaced them with just more specialists, if you will. And again, Devin Booker. That is not a knock on Devin Booker, but when you have Durant and now you can argue

Bookers better than Durant. At this point you really can't argue that Booker played really well against Australia. But I do think there is a if Booker's better than Durant, it's close enough that the that the legacy part of it, and you wanted to have the old guys together. I'm

fine with that. And if you the point I'm making is there are your concern is are there going to be guys on the team who are upset if they're not getting shots and not getting minutes because they're stars, and would those roles be better filled with guys who are just thrilled to be there and can do one thing really well. With all that said, it absolutely will not matter and Team USA is going to roll everyone.

There is not a Argentina or a Spain or a France team from ten to twenty years ago where those teams had been playing together and been crushing together for a long time on this team in this field. So I'm actually, I'm actually good with it. One more Team USA follow up, Demanse No about the starting five.

Speaker 3

Yeah, if you were giving the reins, who would be your starting five for a Team USA.

Speaker 2

So the reason I wanted to make sure you asked that was because on TV I gave out the starting five and then Steve Kerr said, you know what, Nick right, You're exactly right. My starting five would have been the exact starting five that Steve Kerr ultimately picked. Anton Step in your back court, Lebron and Tatum in your front court with Embiid playing center. Now, there is a chance

that you mentioned Kerrs talking about benching Embiid. There's a chance that Anthony Davis could be the better option as far as switchability, playing you know what I mean, playing a perimeter defensively, Embiid actually is the better option as far as spread, you know, playing a five out style, because he is a far better perimeter shooter than a d But the starting five that Kerr went with is

the exact starting five Wade Davis Embiid. Anthony Davis hasn't been a good perimeter shooter since the bubble, and he doesn't really shoot threes anymore. Embiid, on the other hands, probably the best jump shooting big man certainly of the last thirty years, and maybe ever he might just be flatly the best jump shooting big man ever. But that's the other reason. Like you have embid Ad and Bam

as center options. It's just a well built team. And so the only question or concern that you're gonna have is when the games really matter, it is you know, is Haliburton or Booker or I mean those are Bam gonna be upset if they're not getting minutes. Derek White's not gonna be upset. He's not getting minutes. He's happy to be there, all right.

Speaker 3

Next, So Jalen Brunson pulled sort of a Tom Brady. He left some money on the table about one hundred and thirteen million to keep that nice core together and build on that chemistry. Do you think this makes a lot of sense or do you think that he'll just end up leaving that money on the table just to lose. Do you like, will they get anything done?

Speaker 2

So I want to talk about what he did because I this is the power of Woj and woje Wog's tweets, because I'm not saying that what Wog wrote is incorrect. What I am saying is it's set the conversation on a path that I think is a touch misleading. So Woj, when he broke the news, called it an unprecedented move in favor of team building to keep everyone together, et cetera.

And I don't feel that that is exactly right. And I honestly have felt that the coverage of this has been again I've even been to be fair, I was out of the and I wasn't following it, you know, day by day. So I don't know if it's right to say the coverage of it has been lacking. But the initial coverage that I saw was a little to me unintentionally misleading because I don't look at this purely

as sorry, my computer just restarted. I don't look at this purely as Jalen Brunson taking a team friendly discount. I look at it as Jalen Brunson hedging against catastrophic outcomes while maintaining ultimate long term upside. So to be clear, Brunson took five I'm sorry, four one p fifty seven in a year he would have been eligible for five to seventy, so one hundred and thirteen million dollar delta

there with an additional contract year on it. It was to me presented a bit as if he had the five to seventy available now and instead took four for one point fifty seven. And that is flatly not. That is not what has happened here, So why does that matter. I don't view it purely as taking a discount if the contract we're talking about is not actually available to you until you play another year of basketball. And the reason that that is relevant is because we have seen

so many times guys get get injured. Well I shouldn't say so many times. It's the one instance everyone kind of thinks of, which is what happened with Isaiah Thomas. Isaiah Thomas played one you know, was getting ready to get a max, suffered a hip injury and never got

any of that money, never got any of it. And by taking this deal here, Jalen locks in four for one point fifty seven, which by the way, after three years of he can opt out of if he's still a star, and then sign that massive five for four hundred people have talked about and be an eighty million dollar a year player, which is unbelievable million bucks a game, but hedges against a catastrophic outcome or an injury, which for a player of his size who hasn't yet made

huge money, it's made great money. Huge money is super valuable.

Speaker 3

And when we talk about yourself.

Speaker 2

Well, I so I that kind of but it's you keep the to me. This is how I look at the Jalen Brunson thing. In one hand, was the play out this year, play well, sign the five for two seventy right, and and then hope to still be great, you know, five years from now, and sign it one more really big contract and have some ceiling be put on the nix ability to build out the rest of

that team those in one hand. In the other hand was lock in right now four for one sixty while making it giving the Knicks a little more flexibility, but critically also keep being able to attain maximum money if you awesome for the next four years when you sign your next deal. So of all the ranges of outcomes, right, if we were to again, I know this is a little convoluted, but I think this is the right way

to look at it. If you're looking at it almost on a line, there is worst possible outcome, right, which is he gets hurt terribly this year and none of that money's there. That's the worst outcome, and that's now removed entirely. That the next if we just go from worst to best, the next outcome is he signs this deal, but what and is excellent this year and could have signed the five for two seventy, but deprived himself of that opportunity, And the next time he's available for free agency,

big money is not available to him. That is now possible. The next outcome is would have been on the range of outcomes, is awesome this year, signs the five for two seventy, doesn't get another big contract in five years, and he's locked into seventy. That's a little better than the one I just said. The very best outcome is signs this deal is awesome throughout and then signs one of the biggest deals in league history in four years. That's where you make the most money possible of any

of me. Kind of what he did by doing this was remove the worst outcome possible entirely and remove the second best outcome, locking in a median outcome and still keeping the upside of the best possible outcome. So if this were if this were deal or no deal, maybe

I should have done it like this. It would be as if on the on the board left is ten dollars one hundred thousand, a quarter of a million and a million, and what they are saying is, hey, we will allow you to remove the ten dollars suitcase, but you also have to give us the quarter of a millionar suitcase. Think about it like that. I just realized it. This is exactly how I should have described it. You're

playing deal or no deal. There's four suitcases left, and by the way, you're never going to be allowed to take the deal. You're just gonna have to open suitcases. And what is on the board is ten dollars one hundred thousand, two hundred and fifty thousand and a million, and they are saying to you, you can get rid of the ten dollars one, but we are also taking

away the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars one. So the ultimate goal will still be available to you and you remove all the significant downside, but you're trading in order to do that, you are trading out a really the second best possible outcome here quarter of a million bucks Jailen bruns And by the way, is an added bonus. It's gonna help you know your team. That's what jail Brunton did. So it is a great move for the Knicks.

I think it is a smart move for him. But presenting it as if it were purely taking a lesser deal when the bigger deal would not be available for another year, I think misses some important context to the situation. That's all. I hope that made sense to people. All right, Demonse, Let's.

Speaker 3

Go on to the next with that core staying intact, with Jayalen Brunton taking the cut, where do they where do they land line up for the best futures in the finals.

Speaker 2

Well, so as far as the best futures, I mean, they've got their core locked in I still have questioned. Now. The other the other thing this allows for Demanse.

Speaker 3

Is the.

Speaker 2

If they do decide they want to trade Julius Randall, that doesn't have to be like a pure salary dump. They can get back real salaries in return because they have this added flexibility the next few years because of Jalen's deal. So that's a positive. I like the team they've built and they were really good last year.

Speaker 3

Say it again, don't they need a big right now?

Speaker 2

They yes? I mean they have Mitchell Robinson, but they lost Hartenstein. Yes, they do need a big and that's where I think maybe the Julius Randall trade could could come into play. But in the East, you really only need a true big against Philly. In the West you need a true big if you go up against Joker. But you know the but they got to make the finals and the Nuggets have gone Sorry Daniel a little backwards and feel so sick. Nuggets draft pick Tours Achilles

this weekend in Summer League. That is brutal. Uh So, I sorry, I only laughed because Daniel just chimed in into my ear for the first time all show. Just so brutal, just sounding press fall, and it's not funny. It was just I just didn't expect to hear from so I. It's not perfect. But by the way, the Celtics big is out for the beginning of the season and then we'll see. So there's right now, there's no perfect rosters out there built. I do really like what

Okac is built, and they got Hartenstein. But I think the knick sture in great shape. They're in the best shape they've been in in thirty years at least. All right.

Speaker 3

Next, so Bronni off the court is winning Call of duty tournaments. Bronni all in the court seems to be struggling a little bit. He had had two points against the Celtics in the Summer League game over the weekend. He admit that that he admits that he's in a slump and wouldn't mind going to the G League. But his coach JJ Reddick thinks that he'd be something like lou Dort defensively. So I want to ask you, what do you see from Bronnie so I.

Speaker 2

So here's the thing. I think he's zero for fifteen from three, So that is obviously not going to not gonna cut it, boys, And that's going to right now, be up here. It's why right now he looks so out of his depth, so to speak. It just it doesn't And I believe in Brownie's instincts and his feel for the game, and I do think he's a good defensive place and I think it's it's go ahead, demanse.

Speaker 3

No, exactly.

Speaker 4

No.

Speaker 3

He does have the ability to stay in front. He's very he can move his feet. He is a great defender. I see that in him at the very least right now.

Speaker 2

But the problem with that is the great defender side of it is, Man, it is almost impossible to actually be a great defender in the NBA at six to one, and so the if he were six ' four, then we're talking about something totally different. So, but the answer is was always going to be that, yes, he needed time in the G League. The answer was always going to be that he should spend most of this year in the G league. I also think that he's clearly pressing,

and that's understandable. There's a lot of scrutiny on a kid who was the fifty to fifth pick. So any idea that Bronni was going to no matter what he did at summer League. Any idea that Bronni was going to be a real contributor to the Lakers this year, I thought was foolish to begin with. I think that these I think these next two years are development as is for a lot of second round picks. And you see, I think he's handling it well. And I think that Listen,

basketball will be a cruel game. If you literally miss every three you take, and that's going to be a majority of the shots you take, it it's going to look awful and right now, that's how it is. And so the I also thought winning the Call of Duty thing was actually a bummer because it just leads to people on the internet. It leads to an easy meme, you know what I mean of the internet sayings focused on the wrong stuff.

Speaker 3

But I go ahead, I mean no, I mean, I don't know. I was gonna say, I bet he probably didn't want to win that, because I feel like he actually might think something about that.

Speaker 2

But but evidently, man the James family, lebron claims he's top like two hundred in the world in Madden and then Bronni just won the Call of Duty thing. So I don't know. All right, let's go to Caitlin Clark.

Speaker 3

You do you want to talk at all about the Jalen Brown lip reading what he said of the game with his new girlfriend. I think sounds like you said that he wasn't ready for the pros. Talking to le Bron, he.

Speaker 2

Said he's not an NBA player, and then Jalen sent out a tweet that didn't really like take back what he said, but you know, seemed to pay a compliment to Lebron. I mean, listen, Brownie right now, is not an NBA that that's not a that's not a harsh assess now again, this is the the problem with taking a guy's short statement and you know, extrapolating it. You have no way of telling was he's saying like never will be an NBA player. That to me is premature

and probably too harsh. Not an NBA player right now, that's accurate, and I think every again, this is the point that I hope people understand. If the guy was ready to be an NBA contributor this season, a team would have spent a first round pick on it. They would not have cared that about what Rich Paul and Clutch and those guys are sayings like, no, if this

guy can help our team right now. But the vet the right, the that this majority of guys taken out of the lottery are not NBA players day one, and almost note second round picks are. There's the rare exception are NBA players day one. So yeah, I don't think what Jalen said was unfair, and we don't have the full context of it obviously, and so the but I think that's probably about right. All right, let's do Kaitlin.

Speaker 3

Yes, Diana Tarrasi is dealing with an injury which could hold her out of the Olympics. Kaitlyn Clark recently came out and said that her goal was still one day play for the Olympic team. Back when the roster was announced, she obviously hadn't earned it the fever with three and ten, but since then she's been on an eight and four run. She's averaging seventeen, ten and seven. So we're getting Kaitlyn Clark in the Olympics. Being now everybody's best interest.

Speaker 2

I don't think it'd be in Caitlin's best interest. I think that Kate having some time out of the spotlight and not having the Caitlin Clerk kind of media machine overtake the coverage of the women's Olympic team would be better for her standing amongst her colleagues. And I think having a month off to really like rest, recuperate and truly be out of the spotlight for the first time

in a year plus would be excellent for her. I also think every single one of my Caitlyn Clark takes from during this season has been is being proven out in real time, and it's glorious as a professional takes mean to see when they were losing and she was struggling, I told you it was the schedule and the back to backs and the teams they were playing. I told you that once they instead of playing three games in four days, they were playing three games in ten days,

she would start rolling. I told you that by the end of the year she would be one of the ten best players in the league. I told you that once the schedule saw oftened of the fever would be firmly in the playoff race. And I told you that there would be a lot of really dishonest actors when it came to the Caitlin Angel debate, and that's happening already. The idea and I am on the record stamped as someone for more than a year that has defended and

supported Angel Reese, and I'll continue to do so. But I do I must say two things, and I don't care who gets mad at me. Do not care. Thing. One is this the idea that there was that the Rookie of the Year race is close right now is a historic a historical. Two, how Rookie of the Year races have gone in all of sports forever. Angel Rees is having an excellent rookie season. She has been the

second best rookie clearly. But the problem with winning Rookie of the Year is it typically doesn't go to the person who is clearly the second best rookie. So it is and this idea that it was, oh well, it should go to Angel because her team had one more win at one point that was nonsense. But also that was a take that wasn't gonna age great just because those records were going to shift and they already had.

Angel is having an excellent rookie year and is proving she is going to be a ten plus year really good player. Caitlin is having one of the best and most productive and useful rookie years of any player ever that's just what it is. That there is one right now, clear flaw in her game, which is the turnovers are still an absurdly high number, but she, despite that, she adds so much value to them offensively. So that's first point.

Second point is this, if we are going to treat the WNBA like a real sport, which it deserves to be treated like because it is. And if we're gonna treat these athletes like real athletes, which they deserve to be treated like because they are, we must not be patronizing in our coverage, which means the criticism of the actual basketball must be honest. And now is where I

will be honest. The last two games when that double double streak was alive for Angel Reese, the hunting for a double double in the final seconds of a blowout in either direction is unbecoming of a great athlete. It and if any male athlete were doing that, they would get roasted. And so the the or right, there's plenty of instances of it, and we're like, give me a break. And it's especially bad when it comes in a game that is lopsided again, you know, in the other direction.

It's just not Maybe we should be okay with people scoring, you know, with three seconds left in a blowout. We have decided as a sports culture that that's against an unwritten rule. And I thought the double double especially, it'd be one thing if it's like a there's no good comp for it, but like a you're going after Demaggio's

hitting streak. Like, but this double consecutive double double record was not exactly a pantheon record that like, oh my goodness, we've been talking about this for and it all also wasn't like I don't know what the number is, but at one point Steph had something like has hit a three in x hundred consecutive games. It wasn't some historic multi year thing. It was a cool thing that had happened for a moment, a bunch of new holidays. Oh it just it felt it didn't feel like a So

I thought that was a bad look. And I also think other people thought it was a bad look, and we're afraid to say it because they don't want to. I feel like there's so much paternalistic patriot patronizing of the w n B. A let's treat it like a real sport, which means there's sometimes you gotta rip people like that's and then for all the court stuff like it's and so that's that's my take. I hope Caitlin's not in the Olympics. I think it's better for her

if she's not. And I think that she's already a problem and was it was that was inevitable because we watched her in college and she was a historic problem. All right, Uh, quick break, speaking of things I was right about, I mean, I don't know. I just gave out straight winners of the three biggest tournaments going on in the world a month ago, right before they'd even started. We'll discuss that next What's Right? All right, welcome back

in What's Driving Nick Right? Episode two forty eight. So the just full disclosure were the that the show's gonna get really heavy in about five minutes. Uh, but just that's kind of what this show's for. Sometimes it's actually where it's not actually gonna get heavy in the way you guys think, but it's gonna get heavy in about five minutes. But first, before we do that, let's do maybe my favorite thing in sports media demons, which is

playback video of me being correct. So go ahead and set it up for us if you would please.

Speaker 3

Yeah. So last time we were on here, you had a couple of predictions, and we're gonna take a listen here for the fans on YouTube.

Speaker 2

Oh, let's take a listen. I'll go with Spain in the Euros and in Copa I'm just gonna go with Chalk and I'll just go with Argentina. You guys know, I tend to always root for Brazil, but I think it's going to be Argentina. I told you guys, I'm gonna pick Alcarez to win every major for probably the next five years, and I'll be right more often than I'm wrong. So anybody watch sports on Saturday, because here's

how it happened. You woke up in the morning, h rub the sleep out of your eyes and al Corez was already up two sets nothing on Joker and then finish them off in a third set tie break check one. Then maybe add your morning coffee, went on a little run. I was on my third rum punch and watched Spain play England in an epic. I say Saturday, this would have been Sunday. Pardon me, Yeah, I have the days, all the days running together in my head and watched

Spain play England in an epic match. I actually watched it in a crowd. There were people from Spain there on vacation and some English people on vacation, and I told the English people ahead of time. I was like, just so you know, I'm gonna be a little annoying, but once Spain scores, I'll buy you all around a drinks. They were incredibly gracious. It was great. Spain went up won nothing. England had a great goal to tie it up. Spain then scored in electrifying fashion in the eighty eighth

minute check to and then Argentina. After the disaster that was the crowd control at COPA in Miami, Argentina in the waning moments of extra time dealt with Columbia that trifecta. I don't know what it would have paid, but I hope you bet it. Uh great listener viewer Twitter follow Uh that I can't hold on what is his Twitter name exactly? Bag Van something go ahead?

Speaker 3

Adults behave that way to sports that I mean, you're sneaking in through Vince. Oh you're grown here, so you're an adult.

Speaker 2

Well yes, that's crazy, but also well, well, a couple of things by the way. The person I was trying to shout out was his name is crisis actor Bagger Vance. Uh. You can follow him on Twitter at mister Brandon twenty three. He has been a longtime viewer and listener and friend and I actually have watched a big either soccer game or football game with him in Vegas before. I can't remember if it was soccer or football, but regardless, Uh, he got down on Alcarez and on Spain, and so

shout out to him. But the the thing, But what was a shame with that demant was a lot of people who had actual tickets then weren't being let in. They had spent a ton of money, people had traveled. It was a disaster. That thing was a was an absolute disaster. But now that I'm done bragging about it, what's the question here? Do we have a question here?

Speaker 3

The I think yeah, yeah, I mean, so you obviously predicted the Euros, Cope and Wimbledon. Do you want to talk about Alcarez, Spain, Argentina or do you want to gloat some more?

Speaker 2

Well, no, I think we should talk Alcarez, uh, because we put a cool graphic on social media about Alcarez's start to his career, and by this age, no one has ever done more. Uh now that isn't Borg was had the greatest start overall, but that we were talking more about twenty five, and he retired early. Joker had to deal with the fact that when he was young he's dealing with Federer and Nadal Nadala deal with when

he was young he's doing with Federer. Federer didn't really you know, Federer, gott An early starting those other guys. But this guy is just as uniquely talented as any tennis player I can ever remember. And I'll just keep picking him in every major. I'll watch him in the US Open, uh here in a few weeks, maybe from center court as one of the ball boys. As we discussed, I'm auditioning for that next week, I think. So that will keep you guys posted on. Of course, I don't

know if we'll see the light of day. We'll see how I do. Demand's worried I'm gonna tear my Achilles. Demanse was worried We're gonna be the torn Achilles father son duo. I'm more worried of a clone hamstring. But it'll be me, my buddy, Mark Carmon who's coming in from Chicago to also audition. I think it's happening next week. Oh well, Karen plays tennis almost every day. But Karen's also old, man, I mean the and Karen's old and he's carrying a little more weight than I am. So

I don't know, but the that that'll be great. But alcaz is the story. Argentina winning despite you know, Messi getting hurt is great. And Spain just rolled this whole tournament. Spain I think finished the tournament total goals. I think they scored fifteen and allowed four. I mean, they were they were just so clearly the best team, and so shout out to them. Okay, consider this just bit catharsis

and a bit public service. So so I know, maybe people feel an expectation or that I have an obligation or something to talk about. Uh. The shooting at the Trump rally on Saturday, and the last shooting at a major event in America I was at, this was obviously different. This was, you know, what was pretty clearly an assassination attempt.

First time we've had in this country a president or former president or presidential candidate shot since Reagan in my lifetime, like I vividly remember when the guy threw the shoe at George W. Bush and I wasn't a George W. Bush guy, and I was still bothered by it. I'm like, what are you doing throwing a shoe at the president? This obviously way, way, way scarier and worse. But I don't really have a take on it. And it's I mean,

you guys know my take on guns. You guys know my take on the easy accessibility of guns and so, but I also don't have a take on it because I oddly have spent very little time thinking about it. And that's because, like, literally fifteen minutes before that news broke, I think I dealt with the saddest moment of my life and it wasn't even my tragedy specifically. And so there'll be a moral to this story, I promise.

Speaker 3

So.

Speaker 2

I my wife has a dear friend. If you follow my wife on social media, you've seen pictures of her. I don't want to Her name's Ashley, and Ashley is closer to Demands's age than my age, just recently turned thirty. And uh Ashley, who helped Danielle build this store, who has been a true light in our family's life passed away of natural causes unexpectedly in her sleep Friday night, and like fifteen minutes before the Trump shooting happened, I

had pulled back up to our house. We were out on vacation, and my wife met me at the door and I knew someone had died. I just you just know it because of the look on her face and the tears, And at that moment, you're just you're just in that split seconds you kind of go to people

in your life who are older. And when she told me who it was, it might it buckled me because it's the death is awful, and I all these things are awful, but the sudden death of a as far as you know, fully healthy young persons, nothing that prepares you for it. And when I say it was the saddest moment of my life, it was this pain on my wife's face, whatever pain I'm dealing with. But then our baby, our ten year old Deanna, this she called her t t Ashley. She she stayed at Ashley's house.

She this was a on on the fourth of July. It was me, Danielle, Deanna and Ashley. This is fourth July. Let I don't know how many days ago that was watching fireworks. They're spending a beautiful day together, beautiful day and uh and nothing prepares you as a parent. Tell your kid that nothing prepares you as a kid for that. And the shriek from Deanna and all these things they're just seared in my memory. So I'm saying this because it's a little cathartic, because I you know, I don't

feel as sad as I am. It is a true, true life, shaking earthquake of a tragedy for my wife and my daughter, and incredibly sad for everyone, and as sad as it is for them. My wife and I were with Ashley's mother and brother last night, and it's not something you I tried to. You know, you don't know what to do. So I'm saying it here because

it is part of, I guess, the grieving process. But I'm also saying it here because I really, really really hope that someone listening or watching, and I know it's cliche, but god, it's true. Here's this and reconnects with someone or reaches out to someone, or buries a hatchet with someone, because god damn man, some of these things literally take your breath away and you don't get the chances to say goodbye or tell people how much you love them.

And I am feel incredibly blessed that that wasn't the case with my family and Ashley, she know, she knew, knows new. I don't know how much we love her and how special and important she was and what a bright light in this world she was. But that's not always the case, and I'm sure there are some people who didn't get that chance.

Speaker 3

Uh.

Speaker 2

And it's also unique, I uh, I dealt with as a kid, oddly a lot of death, just I add, a very blessed childhood, but a lot of death was like the one thing, but almost none of its sudden. One one, the guy I called uncle John, John great Man, John Tivetten, uh was a firefighter with my father and died in a fire. And so I I remember that. I remember that. That's a seared memory. It's inside out, one of those core memories of the bad ones though,

the blue ones. And I remember my mom shriek. I remember the whole thing, but the but all the other death, it was people were sick. People they were old, they were sick, or they were young and they were sick, and you got a run up, and that's hardening of itself because you're kind of like forever grieving, pre grieving all of it. But uh, but nothing, nothing I've ever

experienced as was like Sunday nothing. And there's there's no there's no blueprint or instruction manual what to do and I and there's there's there's no right or wrong way. But the reason I am bringing this to this audience today is because maybe, just maybe, if somebody will reach out to someone and tell them they love them. And the reason that I even mentioned the Trump piece of it was not just because of the duality of the time.

It was literally I was on the ground consoling my wife and one of my dear friends text me and said, did you see what happened? And so it was simultaneous basically when we got the news and when that happened.

But because these next few months at the very least are going to be a very very tumultuous time in our nation, as all presidential election seasons are, but particularly the last few, and having one of the candidates recently be the victim of an assassination attempt only ups the ante on that massively, and there's going to be a lot of people who are just every every minute of the day refreshing Twitter and staying angry and staying online and staying in their phones, and all of it, for

good or for bad, it's been. Presidential elections are important. I'm not trying to act like they're not. But man, when I tell you, like, none of it could feel less relevant to me in that moment, even though I

knew the gravity intellectually of what happened. So I say that in that, hold your people close, hold them close, and be there for your people, and and be in the moment when you have those moments, especially over these next few months when we're gonna have a lot of media and a lot of things that are going to get us distract us from the stuff that truly matters.

Because sometimes you have a true angel come into your life just a few years ago, touch every person in it, leave an impact on every person in it, have all the potential in the world to do amazing things, and

something happens in her brain while she's sleeping. I really really appreciate you, guys as an audience, me feeling safe and comfortable enough to share this with you, and I really really feel blessed to have met this young woman and to have had her impact my family the way it has, And as I privately committed to her mother, I publicly commit just to myself to be there in every way possible for her family and the people in hour in her community that are really suffering right now

through a true impossibility. Okay, the only thing that could possibly make me feel better right now is seeing a different one of my favorite people in the world give us a long overdue update on F one. So a three week overdue F one minute plus some listener questions. Next, what's right? All right? Welcome back in What's right with Nick? Right? So I demon say this will make you laugh, which is probably necessary.

Speaker 3

Now.

Speaker 2

I forgot to tell Sierra about our intermittent recording schedule because of Vegas and then because of vacation. So poor Sierra has been recording F one minutes left and right.

Speaker 3

We've got three four minutes.

Speaker 2

I think we might have four that you know what I mean, have like have not seen the light of day. We're not gonna play those four. I told her sheepishly this week that well, as it happens, we were all scheduled off the air and then off the air and whatever. So the so I asked Sierra to record a new one updating us on everything we've missed since the last

F one minute actually made the air. So here is Sierra Fiddel, our F one expert, in full F one regalia, with a new microphone camera and everything set up with our latest F one minute.

Speaker 4

Welcome back to F one minute. It's been a while. I'm finding the urge to say it's been a minute, but it's been a while since you last spoken it and we have a lot to discuss, so we're just gonna get straight into it. So we're halfway into the season. It's been a very competitive one. We have six different race winners and one of them being Lewis Hamilton. If

you don't understand how much weight that carries. Louis Hamilton hasn't won a race in over two years, and he's one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic driver the sport has ever had, and he's still participating in the sport today. And ever since Maxis happened joined the scene, it's been an absolute wreck for Mercedes and it's been wrecked for him, but he's won. He won at Silverstone and it's home race. And this is important because this is his last Silverstone race as Mercedes driver

because he will be going to Ferrari next year. He will be replacing Carlos Signs. And this is also a big deal because he's been with Mercedes ever since twenty thirteen and he has most of his wins with Mercedes. So they're like this and he's leaving, and it was just an emotional moment. He was crying on the radio. It was a big moment for the fans. For especially if you're a Lewis Hampton fan. I'm pretty sure that

was like the best moment of your entire life. There are men of tears, many tears vers, but it was it was like the best moment thus far was to see Lewis Hampton win at Silverstone. And if you disagree, you are just a hater in general. Like other headlines, Wow, some really big headliness going on right now. Is this whole idea of driver swaps mid season. That's what Louis Hempson is doing is big swap. But that's next season. We have drivers at the moment who are considered being

booted out of their seats as we speak. These drivers want the top one being Surgery Uprocris. He's done a terrible job. And it's funny because they've actually extended his contract, but ever since that was released, it's like it put a spell on him and it caused him to do the opposite. They've even gone to the extent of allowing somebody else to test their car with talks of replacement. But there's other there's other drivers. There's drivers like Logan

Sergeant as well in Oakon, Daniel Ricardo. All these drivers are being there's talk is about them being replaced as we speak. So my last point for what's going on in the F one world right now would just be how competitive this season has been thus far. It's been a complete masters sabredominance for the last few seasons, and and that makes it not exciting, like we already know who's gonna win. It's really just like a battle per second, like who's gonna win second, because we already know who's

gonna win first. But we can't really have we can't really approach these Grand Prix with that same attitude anymore because we're starting to see a red red well down downhill. Now they are still winning in the drivers and the Constructors Championships, but that doesn't mean that they're not under a threat, and that's what makes it fun. So that's been your F a minute for this Tuesday. Super excited

times for the sport. It's race week, so I'll be talking about the hungering and Grand Prix happening on Sunday on Thursday. But until then, I'll see you guys later.

Speaker 2

That was great. I that was the best one by far. I really there was storytelling. There were some takes. She took a shot at at Lewis Hamilton haters. I feel terrible Forspella back from the dead and the fact that they're they're telling guy, this guy got a big contract extension and then I mean can't play. Oh my goodness, it sounds like Sergio Perez is Ben Simmons. I don't really know. That's probably unfair to Sergio, but regardless that is, I love it. I also loved it. What Sierra said

at the end is true. Even me, someone who knew so little about F one before these F one minutes, I felt what she said at the end was totally true, which was it seemed not that exciting because the same guy wins every time Verstappen was just it, just it, And I don't know enough about car racing, but I'm like, well, he just probably is the best car. Like this seems a little unfair, like this guy just has the best car. It just wins every.

Speaker 3

Time, Like with the retirement and stuff. I mean, you could drive F one cars until you're fifty.

Speaker 2

Yeah, right, that's what I would think. I would think you just keep going. But she's saying, red Bull that the gap is closing. So I that's great, love that f one minute. Great job, Sierra. I'm now invested in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Also, we're out of you know, these next few months, not a lot of sports for us to be watching. So I am going to I'm now that Sierra's out here giving takes, I'm gonna start watching the F one races in full and see if

I agree with her takes or not. All right, demons, let's uh uh the lot. I know a lot of people in the chat are asking the first things versus back today. It is we're back, and aside from a random day here or there because we're preempted by live sports, we'll be back for the next month. Then we'll take a week off in August at some point, and then obviously it's football season and we don't take any time off until after the Super Bowl. All right, What is Cutlass saying.

Speaker 3

Uh, snick neglecting sunscreen?

Speaker 2

I see, I want you can vouch for me, man, I wasn't that sun was just appressed.

Speaker 3

Now the sun was beaming. I don't think it. I think if you live out here, you're you're gonna get burnt. Like it's yeah, you're gonna get a little burnt.

Speaker 2

And I didn't get as burnt as badly as I could have. You got burnt for the first time in forever.

Speaker 3

It's I've got like it looks my back looks crazy. I've been moisturizing. But I also didn't put sunscreen on for the first three days. Yeah, and I feel like the first three days might have been some of our most sun intensive ones. Yeah.

Speaker 2

But yeah, Ruli oh have says something similar, tan Nick. That's how you know you're in the height of the yearly sports drought. That is correct. My complexion is inversely correlated with how good the current sports calendar is, if that makes sense, the better my complexion, the worse the sports time of year is. When I am at my absolute peak pasty is when the sports are at their

absolute best. And when I look actually like rested and rejuvenated is when you know there's been nothing going on, all right, Go to Scott Murphy.

Speaker 3

Scott Murphy said, everyone talks about worse to first in the NFL, But which team is most likely to go first to worse this season? Uh?

Speaker 2

The which team is most likely to go I guess first? They weren't first last year, Cowboys were team most likely to go first to worst. That's a great question. Everyone's answer is gonna be Tampa because the division. But just throw that out because nobody cares about the NFC South. So I don't even want you know what I mean, I don't want to include them.

Speaker 3

Wait the good They're not.

Speaker 2

Gonna be Yeah, they're not gonna be worse than Minnesota. It's not gonna be Dallas. Buffalo is not gonna be worse than.

Speaker 3

New Cartie saying Franz they have too much talent.

Speaker 2

Houston. I don't think, Oh Demanzi is gonna be so mad. I've come up with my answer.

Speaker 3

Wait, hold on, are you even okay? Go ahead?

Speaker 2

Even? Oh yeah, I don't I'm not saying I'm not picking it. But if I have to pick those in Tampa's ineligible just because of how strong the division is, I'll say Baltimore.

Speaker 3

And Baltimore after Derrick Henry. All Right, I.

Speaker 2

Don't well, I don't really care about the Derrick Henry edition. Sorry, but again I thought the answer is probably none of them. Sorry, I mean the answer is probably none of them. Uh No, and no, I don't want Lamar coming for me again. I don't don't post this Lamar and I I want us to be friendly again. Uh go to Noah Rodriguez.

Speaker 3

Uh No. Rodriguez asked a question for Nick. If Wimby leads France to the gold medal, how would that affect if you? How would that affect how you rank him amongst NBA players going into next season?

Speaker 2

It would matter? Oh if he leads them to the gold and he's awesome, Oh, it would absolutely matter. He would he would It would impact how I affect him. But on that same note, again, I'm trying to be fair. How should the fact that the team USA players by a massive margin, voted Lebron the best player affect player rankings? I don't know, probably should affect a little bit. Uh, Team USA. The players are like, yeah, Lebron's the best guy.

All right, what's the Let's go to Scott. I'm sorry, let's go to uh yeah, go to Scott Fraser and then we'll do the F one thing.

Speaker 3

Scott Fraser asked Nick, what do you think of Canada going further than the USA, Mexico and Brazil.

Speaker 2

I thought that was insane. I mean, shout out to Canada. I thought that was one of the coolest stories of the tournament. Uh in not something I anticipated happening at all. And I'm told we have a photoshop of a new F one drive. Let me see this. I'm sure this won't be Oh it's been Simmons. I thought it was gonna be me. Oh, that's funny. It's been Simmons, Sergio president. That's well done. No, he's in a race car. He's

in one of those F one race cars. Buddies will get your guys check huge the All right, yeah, that's sure. You have a much smaller monitor. All right, great show. Everyone appreciate you all, and I'll be on Colins show in ninety minutes. I'll be on my show in three and a half hours. See you then what's right? Hey, thanks for watching. If you're still here, do me a favor. Hit the subscribe button, then hit the bell so you

can be notified when we have new episodes. After you've done that, one more favor, go to your favorite audio platform of choice and subscribe there as well. Don't forget we're live every Tuesday and Thursday ten thirty am Eastern Ish ten thirty five, ten forty. It sometimes changes, but that's why you hit the bell. You hit the bell so you're notified. You subscribe so we can get to two hundred thousand followers. We're right around one hundred and

fifty thousand. We'd love to get to two hundred thousand. Get demands another plaque, so like subscribe rate, send a rating to do all that cool stuff. Thanks guys,

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