Welcome in What's Right with Nick Wright, Episode three twelve on nc DOUBLEA Tournament, Day one. And so here's the thing. If you're watching live right now, the games haven't tipped off. Oh the dog just jumped on the couch. Look at Dexter in the back. They're just hanging out. So here's
here's the deal. We are. We're gonna bang, bang bang through this show because I think, to be totally honest, people are focused on the college basketball today and by happenstance, by dumb luck, the TV shows only a half hour today, which is good because first two days of the NCAA Tournament, nobody's watching Sports TV. They're watching the actual games, so that thirty minutes will be you know, for friends and family only essentially. However, today's show, we have good stuff
for you. And something happened yesterday demonse that enraged me, and probably not in the direction people would think that I'm going to talk about it. So after we do Lakers, Nuggets and some NBA from last night, we're going to do that story. But first and foremost, here's what missed the cut. Season two of Quarterback Joe Burrow Jared goff
Kirk Cousins It's gonna be a weird one. Burrow Amazing year, team stunk, Goff Amazing year, dog walked in round one, and Cousins playing the role of Marcus Mariota from season one of Quarterback as himself in season two of Quarterback, the veteran quarterback who gets benched. So we're I'm interested how it's gonna go. Jalen Milroe runs a four to three seven. It is pro day if he gets drafted
higher than projected. He is the first Jalen Hurts quarterback, meaning a guy who's like man and now Jalen was a better passer in college. Jalen Hurts Dan Jalen Milroe, but leader has some winning characteristics, tough, but questions as a passer. That was Jalen Hurts. He slid to the second round. Milrose projected to go second and third. Wonder if he goes higher. Kyle Hamlinson had a take on
White Lotus. I am not equipped to discuss the last White Lotus episode, he said, does anything ever happen in White Lotus when people just watch and say watch it to say next episode gonna be crazy? If you did not think the last episode of White Lotus involved two of the most bananas scenes in the last decade of American television. I don't know what to tell you. I'm not saying it's great TV. I like it, but people can dislike it if they want. But there were two
scenes in White Lotus this past week. I've never seen anything like it on television or in life. Also, the Celtics just sold for six point one billion dollars to Bill Chisholm. There that is the after shocks of the Celtics going for six billion. Like you know that stupid meme about the little tiny domino and then it goes to the giant. It was like this led to this.
There is a version of that meme where the first domino is the Celtics sale and the last domino is a competing professional basketball league backed by foreign, mostly saudy money that Lebron James is a piece of. I'm not
saying that's going to happen. What I am saying is if the Celtics are worth six billion, if the franchise fee for the expansion team Lebron wants is going to be six billion, If that all happens and it just gets too expensive, is there a world where what Lebron's partner, Maverick at you know, has been kind of publicly flirting with a competing league where Lebron's a part of that. Maybe. But speaking of Lebron, he didn't play yesterday, did Jokic.
Seems like a totally fair fight under those circumstances. I wonder who won Lakers, Nuggets, Demons take it away?
Yeah, so funny.
Luca actually came out and said that any team that has Jokis is always going to be dangerous. But like you just said, Jokich and Murray didn't play, so Luca let them up. La Cruz to that w He's he's looking really good. He's also had his six thirtieth point game in a month of March. What do you think about the Nuggets resting their guys again?
Though, so listen, Joker plays as much as anybody. Michael Malone was correct that Jokers played I think the second most games of any player in the last decade, So I'm not going to kill him for it. I'm not certain exactly why Jamal Mury, you know, Jamal Murray couldn't play. Maybe because Jamal Murray without Nikala Jokic. You know, doesn't quite look like the Jamal Murray that a lot of folks like to believe he can be. I I will say this, the Nuggets are no longer a bad matchup
for the Lakers. The Lakers are a bad matchup for the Nuggets. And that's with or without Joker. And there's multiple reasons for this. Uh. I understand Daniel, our producer, saying Jamal was hurt last game two. I get it, man. I'm the I'm not I'm I'm not accusing anyone of anything I do. I does anybody think that if this were a playoff game, Joe Kitchen Murray wouldn't play, wouldn't have played, of course not. They're not that injured. But
that's totally fine. You want them to be rested and healthy. You'd prefer it not happen on a national TV game. You'd prefer it not have to happen in back to back games. Uh. But it is what it is, so to speak like, you deal with it, and you you know, you move forward. I think a lot of people assumed that the Nuggets, because they rested those guys or they didn't play against the Warriors, that they would play in the next game. But whatever, I'm not gonna kill him
for that. What I am gonna talk about is if this is a playoff matchup, it favors the Lakers heavily, because here is the thing. The Lakers scored one twenty last night, could have scored one forty. And I said it on the TV show. I will say it again with this question. In the playoffs, if you get Lakers Nuggets, if Aaron Gordon is primarily matched up on Lebron, who is guarding Luca? They tried some Peyton Watson last night?
How that work? Luca had twenty before you turn the game on and okay, no, no, no, Aaron Gordon's gonna guard Luca? Then who is guarding Lebron? It ain't Michael Porter Junior in a bad back. It ain't Russell Westbrook. It certainly ain't Christian Brown. Who are we talking about? Con car He ain't doing it. Gonna dust off Dario Sarich, he ain't doing it. It's certainly not the two guys who
were missing last night and Joe Kitchen Murray. The Nuggets are bad defensive team at this point, and having Yo Kitchen Murray out doesn't hurt their defense and the Lakers scored at will without Lebron. Now, the Lakers, I think are going to actually end up being the best offense in the league. And you're starting to see it where they are generating so many great looks from three, so many wide open threes, and that's without Lebron on the court.
And here's the other thing about the Lakers Nuggets matchup. The best thing the Nuggets had going for them in these playoff matchups is Joker, no question. The second best thing they had going for him was D'Angelo Russell minutes. And the third best thing they had going for him was Darvin Ham's coaching, which is why there was nobody that was a bigger Darvin Ham defender than Michael Malone.
Michael Malone out there defending Darvin Ham, like Darvin Ham owes him money and he needs him to stay employed to get it. He's like, this is unfair that guy took him to the conference final. This is an outrage and Michael Malone, now of a sudden, Lakers got real coach. And by the way, are we done with that demands? I haven't checked the scoreboard. Is JJ Reddick now just
Lakers head coach? Or is he still you know Lebron's podcast buddy, or now that everybody knows he's a great coach, or we just saying no, he's a Lakers head coach, because I know if he wasn't a great coach, it would be Lebron's podcast Buddy. It'd be like I'm I just again, I'm not seeing the exact rule right, and I'm not sure about the rules of any of this stuff. What I do know is this Nuggets are in real, real trouble and the Lakers are real, real dangerous.
You don't think the Lagants are just like resting their guys strategically, like the same thing Golden State did with Steph Curry.
I like, bigger.
I think that's a game they wanted to win. That you're fighting for seeding. I I don't right now, the Western armentge standings go like this, Oklahoma City has locked the one seed. It's so bananas they they have locked locked up the well, I guess technically they're their magic number for locking up the one seed is one game with fifteen or how however, man eat thirteen games remaining. Uh,
they have fifty seven wins. No one else in the conference can get to fifty eight, So Oklahoma City's locked. And then it gets interesting. The Rockets have twenty five losses, the Lakers have twenty five losses, the Nuggets have twenty six, the Grizzlies have twenty seven, the Warriors have twenty nine, Clippers thirty, Timberwolves thirty one. So four five six, I'm sorry, two three four five two games apart, two three four one loss apart, and I don't think the Nuggets would
give these games away. Say it again, it would be.
In their best interest being one game. I mean they were tied before last night and then now Lakers.
Yeah.
And the other piece of it is because of last With a win yesterday, they would have locked up the season series three to one, which would have given them the head to have ty breaker if they finished with the same record. Now it's two to two, so I'm not even sure what ty breaker it goes to. Now the Nuggets do they get Portland next? Then Houston Chicago?
Like I'm just looking at their easy, tough games. I think they When we went to Tankathon before and we checked it, I thought the Nuggets were league average essentially remaining strength, strength of schedule. They have a little tougher than league average. They have the eleventh hardest strength of schedule, left the Lakers by the way of the third hardest
strength of schedule, left Houston tenth hardest. I'm just doing the teams fighting for this seed, Memphis seventh hardest, Golden State with the easiest of the group with the eighteenth hardest. So but here's the other piece of it. For the Lakers, as I said the other day, you can now kind of definitively say, even though they lost those first three without Lebron, they have survived his injury. They I said, if you missed ten games, going six and four would
be a great result. And six and four is now very on the board. And I don't know that he's gonna miss four more. But the Lakers are three and three. Lost to Brooklyn, bad loss, lost to Milwaukee, lost to Denver in what would have been an unbelievable win when Denver had all its guys and Lakers without six of their top eight. And then blew out Phoenix, blew out San Antonio, blew out Denver. And now the next four home for Milwaukee, Tonight home for Chicago at Orlando at Indiana.
Can you go three and one in those four you should be able to even if Lebron's not back. And that's the other piece of last night the blowout being awesome. Luca only played thirty two minutes. Reeves probably played a little more than he needed to, but so be it. And so the Lakers are really well positioned. Houston keeps winning. Houston, to their credit, has really taken advantage of the absolute softest stretch of their schedule imaginable, and they have won
more soft game Friday against Miami. But their schedule during this winning streak has been the following teams for Houston, New Orleans, New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, Philly, Orlando. So those are the worst, like some of the worst teams in the league, plus Orlando, which has been really bad for months, and Phoenix, which hates itself, and now you have Miami, and then it gets way tougher for Houston. So I because after Miami, Houston goes Denver, Atlanta, Utah, Phoenix,
Lakers Utah Oka see Golden State Clippers Lakers Denver. What a final stretch for Houston final five games Oka see Golden State Clippers Lakers Denver. I wonder what OKAC is gonna do down the stretch because they will have locked up the one seed and with the Calvs losing all of a sudd and as of late, they will you know, they're gonna be in a good position for the number one overall seed. But I expect Houston to drop back
and eying. The Lakers got a real shot at the two, a real shot at the two, and so I you know, I think and Daniel tells me LA is the tiebreaker because they win win their division? Oh, the stupid divisions or the next tiebreaker. Oh well, then last night's game was even bigger for Denver because now if they finished with the same record, Lakers have the tiebreaker. That's noteworthy. That's really really noteworthy. All right, Ask what are the follow ups here?
Pal, Well, who do you think needs to adjust more when Lebron does come back, because you know, Lucas obviously getting into a groove. So Lebron Luca, Oh, Lebron's Lebron.
Lebron can do more different things. Lebron can play so many different ways, So it wouldn't make sense to ask Luca to adjust because Lucas not going to be great at other things. Lebron can be great at playing almost any style of offensive basketball, so Lebron should and will look like and so that to me is not even a concern. And one of the benefits demanse to having
every single statistical record in NBA history already accomplished. You don't have to worry about your stats as much like when you already have all the records, you already have all the all nbas, all the points, all the all of that you can, you don't really have to necessarily put that first and foremost in your mind. Now, I will tell you this a sneaky stat that Lebron cares about. That is such a silly one.
The double digit what oh well.
No, no, no, that one's not sneaky.
That one's definitive.
The thirteen hundred straight game of at least ten points. But he doesn't have to try to get that one. It's that he has averaged at least twenty five points per game to the tenth of a point in every single year of his career except for his rookie season, twenty one straight years. And the reason I know he cares about it is a few years ago, post ankle injury, going into the final game of the year, he needed
a bucket. I think he knew the exact amount of points he needed, and he needed a bucket late and went and got it. So he finished that year averaging twenty five point zero zero zero. Right now this moment, Lebron has played fifty eight games and has scored one thy four hundred and fifty points. So let's just do the math on that. Fourteen point fifty divided by fifty eight, that is twenty five point zero zero zero zero zero.
So here's the point I'm making. I do think Lebron will want to make sure when he comes back he's still getting twenty five at night. I haven't talked to him, but I I think that is a sneaky one that he would be annoyed if he missed it by a couple one hundredths of a point.
So yeah, but even with him having to make the adjustments with Luca, like him getting twenty five points isn't like a stretch, Like I don't think that's like it's gonna be hard with his new role.
I actually think his scoring might go up with the new role because I think I think his assists will plummet and scoring go up a bit and rebounding go up a lot. That's what I would anticipate is gonna happen here, all right.
Go to the other side of it. Yeah, So.
Anthony Davis the Swears, Oh my gosh. Tim McMahon reported that he wants Anthony Davis to play, but the team doesn't want him to play right now. He said he is steadfast in his determination to want to return this season, maybe as soon as next week, despite the fact there are people within the Mavericks organization that try to take him out of it. Do you think Anthony Davis should try to force the issue and play here?
If he's healthy, you should play. They're tied to the City of Dallas. Yeah, get listen, they're tied for the tenth seed like they and the team they're tied with, Phoenix, is an open revolt. I know they've won a couple in a row. But you can make the play in and if you have a health even as injured as they are. If you have a healthy Anthony Davis, you're live in the first playing game against the Kings, and then you see what you are in the next playing game.
If you get there against either Golden State, the Clippers or the Timberwolves, like you. You can't just napalm the entire season like this. And I give Anthony Davis credit for wanting to play. I give him the mint credit to be totally honest for wanting to play. I think it's the right thing to do, and I think it's I now, listen if he is not you know, if they're like, ah, he really shouldn't play. He's not healthy,
but he could force that's different. But if he is cleared by the doctors, you should let Anthony Davis play.
That trade what you say, I was saying, like, after making that trade, I don't think you can mail it in in any type of form or fashion whatever you can possibly do, I think you should be going after Like obviously the fans are in a bad state.
But yeah, and like playoff games are fun and as upset as the Dallas fans are, and they you know, does rightfully so are they would get hyped up for a play in game or you know the potentially like that would be fun. And so you gotta if he's healthy, you gotta let him play. The guy's played thirty minutes for twenty five minutes for you since the trade yeah, and so you gotta at least let the fans have something, some type of hope for next year, like Anthony Davis
comes back and looks good something. All right, let's go to the other Lakers stuff.
Yeah.
So since it was a blowout, Luca got a lot of rest at the end of that Lakers game. So now they got The Bucks just lost to a currulous Warriors.
Who would you have in that game tonight? So your thing Doc had that meeting with Giannison Dane. I am legitimately not just worried about the Bucks. I'm ready to say the Bucks are done as a contender. I didn't I had been holding on hope for them because of how good Giannis is. But these are some bad losses, man. The you know, the losing to Orlando would started this five and seven, not being competitive against OKC, losing to
Golden State without Curry. The only time they've looked really good, you know, in the last couple of weeks was against the Lakers, when Lucas still scored. What did Lucas score in that game? Forty five? So that's so, yeah, Lucas scored forty five and the Bucks still blew the Lakers out, and so I the Bucks should win tonight. The Lakers are on a back to back. The Lakers kind of knew what they needed was a split with Milwaukee and Denver.
They got the benefit of Denver resting their guys. But at this point, you can't be shocked any game the Bucks lose because they just seem disjointed and they seem like a team that cannot survive anything but an excellent game from Yannis. So and I think this kind of speaks to the situation the Bucks find themselves in. The Lakers are on a back to back, Lebron is not playing, the Bucks are desperate, and it's a three and a
half point line, So the Bucks should win. But the Bucks, Uh, the Bucks right now are just an okay team with an all time great player and.
Get back just driving to the cup. I'm shooting well.
I mean, Yiannis has been unbelievable this year. I mean, Giannis is like thirty a game on sixty percent, like Janice's numbers this season, thirty twelve and on sixty percent from the field. I mean, he really has been great. The rest of the team just hasn't been there. It would be a great win for the Lakers tonight, but you've gotta you've gotta think that the Bucks get this one, and then we get another update after tonight about Lebron's
health and the next time we're gonna see him. What's your follow up here?
Uh yeah?
What do you think about Draymond saying that he's a million percent as a case to win Defensive Player of the Year after his performance against Milwaukee?
Listen, he was unbelievable against Giannis, and Draymond probably does have a case for Defensive Player of the Year. Listen, I have to segment, Mike dra I almost have to segment my Draymond opinions into three buckets in my brain. Bucket won is this. I think Draymond Green is one of the greatest defensive players ever. I do think that on the pre and post KD Warriors, Draymond, not Klay Thompson, was the second most important player, and I don't really
think it's that arguable. I think he unlocked so many things they could do. And and I also am on the record from years ago that those defensive Player of the Year awards Kawhi Leonard won. I think Draymond Green should have won and so I think Draymond should have three already, and I do think he is a legendary all time defensive player. That's bucket one in my brain.
Bucket two of my brain is this, every single person that I am tight with that has a personal, non basketball relationship with Draymond Green talks about him like he is one of the best dudes in the world, and I have to give him credit for that. The third bucket of my brain is that, man, oh man, he just strikes me as a really bad guy. And the Carl Anthony town stuff from this weekend I thought was outrageous.
I thought him, mister new media, And we don't as the dog is back there and we don't need to make this a social breakout clip or anything. But I just want to get on the record on this, mister new media, being like talking about one of the problems with old media was not getting the real story going with anonymous sources getting stuff wrong and then putting out there are Carl Anthony Towns. You know, people are saying, I'm hearing he was scared of playing Jimmy when Carl
missed the game because he was at a funeral. He's then confronted with that for some reason, thinks he's above apologizing. Baron Davis, who was on the other side of that conversation, immediately apologized and then uses it a way to promote the Draymond Green Show. And then when he does play really well against Karl Anthony Towns and the Knicks over the weekend, takes a victory lap about the whole interaction
when he was dead ass wrong. That's shitty, that's a bad so like so like Draymond Green, one of the greatest defensive players I've ever seen, and I actually think should have more Defensive Players of the Year awards Draymond Green. When it comes to Draymond Green, that's not an NBA guy or a podcast host. Everyone I know that knows him loves him and swears by him. Draymond Green the
basketball player slash basketball media guy. Just when I say basketball player, I don't mean quality of player, but how he acts on the court at times, and the way he you know, talks about guys, all those things, does all of the things I typically dislike in an athlete. So it's a complicated thing.
And that that think that just happens not complicated at all, Like that that thing with Karl Anthony Towns, the show must go on.
This is the weirdest thing ever. In my opinion, I didn't like.
It at all. I one thousand percent agree with you. I totally agree. That is not a complicated thing. Draymond was dead ass wrong, didn't want to admit to it, and has a weird thing that not just he but a lot of men have, which is saying my bad, I was wrong is like a sign of weakness when it's not. And so I totally agree to Monsey, that's not a complicated thing. The point I'm making is squaring how he appears to be when he's not almost playing
the character of Draymond Green with that. That's what's complicated. It's easier when you know what I mean, Guys have a consistent personality like oh, that dude's just a bad guy at all times, or or that guy's just and so that's not the case here, and so that is that kind of just is what it is, so to speak. I there's also something that's not complicated, but it's going to sound complicated, and it's what happened with Jackie Robinson yesterday, and we will do that in a moment. But first.
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and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG dot co slash b ball. Okay, So here is the deal for what we're gonna do over the next few minutes. And this is kind of a production note as well to our people. Once I get into this, I want I want this to be a standalone YouTube video and I want it to be in full posted to our socials, and I am asking the audience who's watching now, please do not get in arguments in the comments about it. It's not worth your time.
I know that might be a fool's errand to ask, but let people yell into the void because I need to get something on the record here because and the segment kind of starts now, folks are far too often fighting on enemy ground and seeding the wrong territory. So this is gonna be a winding road, but follow me down. So, once upon a time, I really thought that when I
was done with sports, I would go into politics. My wife has since kind of convinced me she's not really into that, doesn't think it would be fun to be in that world. And as it turns out, you know, my dear friend from high school, Quinton Lucas, beat me to it as being the mayor of Kansas City. So that's not even cool anymore. And if I wanted to go for the very top of the top, it looks like, Hey, would there ever be a sports guy who thought about
running for president? Well, it turns out I wouldn't be the first to consider that either, So you know what I'm not. I don't think I'm gonna run for office, but what I might do one day is open a consulting business that teaches folks how to frame and have arguments, because far, far too often what happens is folks who have my political leanings seed the ground on definitions and meanings of things to intellectually dishonest charlatans, and then we
have arguments based on their terms. And that has happened, and we just saw it happen in real time with DI. So here is where we're at. Jackie Robinson, before he broke the color barrier, was in the US military. There's a story about him on the US government website. It got deleted, it then was reposted, and DI was in the url. Jeff Passing made a huge fuss about it. Shout out to Jeff. They have since fixed it and
restored it. And this is what folks who are on the first, the right side, the correct side of Jackie Robinson have been saying. Calling Jackie Robinson a DEI hire is insulted. And everyone who agrees with me politically was saying that. And that's why we lose arguments because we have just seated the ground that, oh, yeah, DEI is bad diversity, equity and inclusion. What that means is people
who didn't deserve a job got one. And don't you dare call Jackie Robinson DEI because he wasn't he deserved it. But what people don't see is that's how the bad actors win is by reframing definitions, because a DEI hire is not someone who did not deserve the job, who got it. That's just what they have claimed it is. And now folks are like, you can't call Jackie Robinson DEI hired some insulting guys in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson was the definition of a DEA hire, and that's
why we need it. He was he awesome, Yes? Was he deserving? Yes? Was he blocked because of his race? Yes? And so it is not an insult. Now, this whole thing it was department offenses, wasn't a DEI military, But set it aside. It it is incumbent that we not see ground and that we instead say, let's have the actual argument. And the actual argument is the reason DEI policies came to exist was not to elevate undeserving people. It was to make sure deserving people of all colors, creeds, genders,
ethnicities had a shot. And the conversation that we should be forcing is the following if we are going to act like DEI is this awful buzzword that pre DEI things were a meritocracy, true and clear, and that's how it should be. Pick the industry, pick the data set, and go out there and argue folks on the other side that it was that when and I'll give you the actual data that when fifty years ago five hundred of five hundred fortune five hundred CEOs were white guys,
that was a meritocracy. And fifteen years ago, when four hundred and fifty of four hundred of fortune five hundred CEOs were white guys, that was a meritocracy. And four years ago when there were four black fortune five hundred CEOs, that was actually when we were doing it all by merit. And now that, thanks to the scourge of DEI, that four has doubled in four years up to eight. That you know what, all the white guys who got the
jobs deserved them. That was merit, and the black people or women or whomever got them, they they were the undeserving. If that's the argument, make them make it. When you look at the United the our politicians, fun fact, how many governors in US history have been black. The answer to that question is five, kind of six, but one during reconstruction. Would have been one more during reconstruction, but that fella got, you know, died suddenly in his office
due to a suspicious poisoning. Can't quite figure out what happened there. So four black governors since reconstruction? Was that all merit was that? Listen it just as it happened? Was never a good black gubernatorial candidate? What about this one? Pre Barack Obama in Illinois in two thousand and five, there had been around two thousand United States Senators in our history pre two thousand and five. How many were black?
Quick question? The answer to that is four, two during reconstruction one hundred and sixty years ago or one hundred and fifty years ago and two post reconstructions since Obama. You add it all up, all of history, from the start of the US Senate to right now this moment, there have been fourteen black US Senators, eleven elected, three appointed. So again, again, if your argument is when the numbers were literally ninety eight to two white, guide to everyone else.
That's when we had a merit based system. And now that the numbers are slightly going towards the actual demographics of the country. That's all bullshit, you know, elevating undeserving people. Then make that argument, and folks who are saying aim into what I'm saying. Make them make that argument. What you can't do is let them is act offended when when people are like, oh, you're calling Jackie Robinson a
DEI higher, Your goddamn right. He was a great example of it of why it's an important They are important policies because you had a guy as great at what he did playing baseball as Jackie Robinson who was blocked entirely because of his race, and then the DEI policies of the day gave him a shot and it's like, holy shit, this guy's awesome. That's the idea behind it. And you're not going to win arguments if you only have them on other people's terms. Stand firm and say,
here are the numbers. Here is how disproportionate in every industry, in every position of power, in every political sphere, white males are. Is that because, in your opinion, because they are simply smarter, more equipped, savvier, all of it. If that's what you believe, make them, If that's what they believe, make them argue that if they won't say that's what they believe, then ask them, so, how do we fix that? What are the policies one would have to implement to
make sure we're actually getting the best in the brightest. Instead, we've let them turn DEI into a slur, a buzzword, a meaning it's synonymous for unqualified dufist that gets a job and tar any black person or minority who has a big time job as that. And so obviously the asshole the Department of the Defense that took down Jackie Robinson's page is everyone can agree that guy's the worst.
That's an easy conversation. A far more serious conversation is, yeah, Jackie Robinson in Major League Baseball was a DEI hire, and that's why such policies need to exist, and that's why we'll defend them. Or it's just the craziest coincidence in the world. The all of the deserving people for all of the big time jobs, the ones who actually got it on merit, all of them just look like me.
I wonder how that one worked out. Hey, guys, got another thing to tell you about my friends A DAYA This episode of What's Right is brought to you by DAYA Pizza featuring dairy free cheese made with their new DAYA Oat Cream blend. Dairy free cheese has come a long way, and DAYA is leading the charge. Their pizzas offer the melt and stretch of traditional cheese without any dairy.
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select publics and sprouts. Follow DAYA on Instagram and TikTok for more updates and recipes. All right, Demanse, let's turn to the Calves a bit and then do some Viking stuff and we'll get out of here.
Uh yeah, So after winning sixteen straight games, the Calves have now lost two back to backs or back to back games. One of those games came to the Clippers, team that doesn't even.
Have a coach.
How many more losses do the Calves need to take before it's time to hit that alarm?
Well's And now it's it's three straight now, and that's their first three game losing streak of the season. And so here's the thing, Now, Donovan missed some time, but you were seeing the Calves be a little creaky really since the beginning of the month. So they had that great win in Boston, but they were down twenty five to three to start it. They then needed overtime to beat Portland. They then had a squeaker and I think it was a big comeback, not necessarily a big comeback
they but a squeaker against Miami. They then had a one point win where they did have to rally to come back to beat Charlotte. They then had again another one where they needed a furious comeback to beat the Nets, and now they've lost three straight to Orlando, the Clippers, and Sacramento. Now some of that I'm sure is we've locked up the one seed. Essentially we're fine, and they're you know, they're only six up on Boston, but Boston ain't catching them. They have thirteen games left and they
have a six game lead. So like, even if Boston went undefeated the rest of the way, Demonse, the Calves would only have to win seven games, and like, so the Calves are going to be the one seed. Now they might have squandered the number one overall seed, which would matter if it's Calves Thunder in the finals. Here's
where I stand on the Calves. I think they have the fourth best team, and maybe that seems unfair, But the Thunder, the Celtics, and the Lakers, I would pick all of them in a series against the Calves, and I'd feel pretty good about it. And so that you know what I mean. That just it is what it is. So I don't think the Calves, the Calves. You know, a week ago we're flirting with seventy wins. That felt
a little rich, And now they're still gonna win. That was so if they're fifty six and thirteen, let's say they lose four more, that still still means they're gonna win. Did I do the math wrong on how many games they have they lose? That still would mean they win sixty five games, which is an unbelievable season. But I do think they're the fourth best team. All right, let's talk to some NFL.
So, Minnesota is out on Aaron Rodgers. He got that news and did not immediately retire. I know there were talks of him potentially doing that. So the Giants and the Steelers they're still looking out for him.
Yeah, what's here?
So where I stand on it, good job by the Vikings. I listen. The Vikings, I think are gonna end up. If they need an insurance policy, the insurance policy will be Kirk Cousins, and I don't think it'll be Rogers. I think that the Steelers need to give Aeron a deadline, and I don't know that they have the temerity to do it. But the analysis people had on the Steelers why it might work as well. He's not going to come in there and run the show like he did
with the Jets. Well, he certainly will if he sees his power before he even gets there, by making them wait the entirety of the offseason. And so I think that the Giants should just go ahead and sign Russell Wilson. I think the Steelers shouldn't give Aaron a deadline because Aaron's going to end up with the Steelers. It seems very clear Aaron is going to end up with the Steelers, and they should re seize the power back or else he's gonna come in there and just do whatever the hell he wants.
What's he thinking about, man.
He's thinking about what's best for Aaron. Rodgers that if I don't sign with Pittsburgh until after the draft, maybe they are less likely to take a flyer on a quarterback with their first round pick, and therefore I don't have to worry about being supplanted at some point. That's what I think. The only way he can impact their draft is by making them.
Wait, screwing the team, oh, screwing the team over either way.
I just I don't know why teams want to be in the Aaron Rodgers business at this point in time. But that is a you know, that is a lot people have heard me talk about that.
Enough.
Let's talk about the NFL rule changes.
Yeah, so some new NFL rule proposals. What's will be voted on at the league meeting. So first off, we got Detroit. They proposed changes the playoff seating and holding penalties. Philly wants to bring the playoff overtime rules to the regular season, and green Bay officially proposed banning the Toush push. You always said you've hated that play. Do you see any of these passing or going through.
No, not right now. So here's the deal. At some point the NFL is going to get rid of the Toush Push. They can't do it when the Eagles are the defending champs. You can't give the Eagles lifelong bragging rights of we'd have never lost. They like you can get rid of the Toush push after the Eagles don't win the Super Bowl, So they could have done it a year ago, where they could do it a year from now. But I don't want to hear these Philly fans for the rest of my life saying the way
because you still hear Patriot fans. Man Jeanie brought it up on the show Patriot Fans, Who's say, oh, the Colts couldn't beat us, so they changed the illegal contact rules because of that, And that's kind of true, but it'll like, don't change the rules that the defending champs of the defending champs, this is their play. And I know eventually they're gonna get rid of it. And I've said it once, I'll say it one hundred times. They're gonna get rid of it for two reasons. And it's
not player safety and it's not pace of play. The first reason is it's an ugly, boring play and it's bad for TV. And the second reason is this, what if the Eagles got so good at it? Instead of getting two yards when they did it, they got four and first game of the twenty twenty five season, this is an allowable play. First play, first and ten from their own thirty after a touchback and they line up in the toush push and then announce it like the
hell are they doing? And maybe, but I'm saying, like, if they got so good at it that you could just do a drive of tush pushes. They would have to change the rules mid season. They'd have to be like, no, no, no, this is out, so you can't put yourself in that jeopardy as a league. Now. I like the illegal contact and defensive holding not being automatic first downs. I wish that rule would change. There is nothing more frustrating as
a fan. Then it's third and thirteen and there's an illegal contact and the other team gets a first down, because.
Then, especially when it doesn't even affect the actually play correct.
So I would like that. I don't think they'll change it. I do not. I do not like the idea that you can get a home playoff game without winning your division. I used to like that idea. I've changed my mind. I like there to be a premium on winning your division. And no, I don't see any of these passing. All right, last one before we go?
Uh yeah, So the headliner of March Madness last year was Caitlin Clark. Do you think that anybody will be able to outshadow that or even come close to it this year?
And I'm bummed at the women's tournament put Paige and Juju in the same region. Now, the upside to that is it basically guarantees we get a Paige Juju game in the Elite eight. I would have rather them be on the same side of the bracket and that we you know, run the risk of one of them getting bounced early. But we get them in the final four. But Juju is a star and Page is unbelievable. And by the way, neither one might be on the best team.
UCLA or South Carolina might be the best team. So on the women's side, Paige and Juju should be great. On the men's side, it's gonna be Cooper Flag and this duke team that is the rightful, huge favorite. I saw a mock draft the other day that had three of the top seven picks or players on this duke team, so that that gives you an idea of how good that team actually is. All right, reminder like rate, subscribe review, please do that. It helps us out more than you
could possibly imagine. Go to Scott's question demonse.
Okay, Scott says it's time to try to quit smoking. What patch do you? Oh, what patch do you recommend? I need the strongest one possible. Thanks so.
Unpaid endorsement the generic Target brand Step one Nicko Team patch clear is the best one. And now yeah, now I don't know, you know the so here it's hard to phase down. But if you get on a schedule of putting on that phase one target nicotine patch first thing in the morning, you'll kind of get that same rush you do from a morning cigarette and it really
will last all day. And I also strong recommend that in the beginning phase of this trying to quit smoking, don't the first week or so, don't drink because anybody that smokes, you get an extra even strong in the nicotine patch, craving for a cigarette when you've been drinking. So get yourself used to the nicotine patch. That that would be my That would be my recommendation. Uh go to Trey.
Uh to Tray says Oh yeah, Tray says Nick best vacation advice at All Inclusive and Costa Rica.
Uh, Matt, turn off YouTube.
Oh no, don't worry. So here is Oh I don't know if Trey was trying to tell Matt to turn off YouTube. I don't know. I am not an All Inclusive fan. And there's two reasons for that. One is one of my favorite parts about traveling is eating, and typically the food at all inclusive places is mediocre, you know what I mean, because people so like that's one piece. The other piece is this. It almost forces you psychologically into drinking more than you want to because it's like, well,
I paid for it already, it's free. Like you feel like in order to get your money's worth, you need to be hammered by noon. And then you know, and so and so I would I'm a bigger proponent of stay somewhere nice and buy liquor, either at the airport or you know what I mean, off the resort and keep it in your room whatever it is. So if you do want listen, if you're a cationing and friends or whatever and want to really get hammered, more power to you. But don't you don't necessarily have to do
it at the hotel, bar, at the those things. As far as the my favorite place in the Caribbean, the only place in the Caribbean that I've gone to that one of the time, as perfect weather, and the beaches are as beautiful as anywhere, and it's such a small island you can see everything you want to see. Is Aruba. Now there are portions of the island that have become almost like Orlando, but with nicer beaches, just super kind of like tacky americanized. But there are other portions of
the island that are just unbelievable. So I but I had a great time in Costa Rica. Uh and the you know, there's there's not really a bad space. Oh one other thing, Saint Martin for food is great because there's a French side and a Dutch side. The Dutch side is kind of more fun. The French side's fancier and better food. And if you go to Grand Cayman, it sounds like the most touristy, silly thing there is. But the swimming with the stingrays in Grand Cayman is
app You did that, demands you. You were there with us when.
We it was turtles, turtles, there's turtles.
Maybe there were turtles, but when we.
Took the most scared and got.
The yeah but whatever, it.
Was no, no, okay, I was thinking of like the pool. I don't know where we did that with the turtles. The sting raise was out in the actual ocean.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that is actually better than advertised. It's like a really, really truly elite I can't I cannot speak highly enough about that and one other little vacation tip. Okay, this is one of my things. My family does, so we very often do an airbnb instead of a hotel because we have so many people and because we want to be able to cook some of our own meals or whatever. I'm a big airbnb guy if it's the whole crew. But the kids obviously like hotel pools and
like resort style pools and stuff like that. So pro tip that I think you're shaking your head. I think I don't even think this is against the rules. I think it's in the gray air. Make a reservation early in the after early early in the afternoon for your whole group for lunch at the nicest outdoor restaurant at whatever hotel or resort you think your kids would like the pool the most. Get there, immediately, order a full round of drinks, a bunch of appetizers, and make it
clear you're gonna spend money. And then while the adults are drinking, snacking on the appetizers and eating, let the kids then go run and you know, do the water slides, play in the pool or whatever. They won't give you a hard time because you're not a hotel guest because you are spending money and you're eating, but that way
you're not just tied to that location. And then the other thing is again if they really really like it, what you do is you leave a really big tip, you know, become friendly with the hotel staff, and then if you want to go back and maybe not order quite as much food, whatever it is, they usually will take care of you.
Success rate so far, yeah, I.
Mean I'm pretty good at that. Uh. And again I'm not trying to it's I'm not like trying to get over be cheap. I just the like little kids, like meeting other little kids on vacation. Not gonna be able to do that at the airbnb. And so yeah, this is.
I appreciate you getting me to that pool that I was looking for.
The well being sarcastic right now, sarcastic. Yeah, this less for deman is more for Deanna. But still when Demanse was Deanna's age, we took a bunch of water vacations Toss City and water parks and in Texas, yeah, we take different vacations now. We used to go We'd be like, hey, we're driving to Galveston and that was fun. We had a great time, but it's a little different now, all right,
Good luck in your march Madness, Pool's fun Show. Good job everybody like rate, subscriber view, Help us out what's right.