Latest / The Tortured Fans Department / Ep. 79 - Moon So High (Internet Invitational Thoughts, CFB Playoff Rankings & Loaded Saturday Slate, AFC Playoffs Are Set, NFC Is Up for Grabs, NBA Season Surprises & CBB Has Begun!)

Transcript

Ep. 79 - Moon So High (Internet Invitational Thoughts, CFB Playoff Rankings & Loaded Saturday Slate, AFC Playoffs Are Set, NFC Is Up for Grabs, NBA Season Surprises & CBB Has Begun!) · The Tortured Fans Department

• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, everybody, and welcome back to another episode of the Tortured Fans Department podcast.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Sean Boyle, and joining me today, it's a recurring guest.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of my best friends, it is Mr.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Michael Blum.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Blum, how are you?
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, Sean.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: I am good.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: Very happy to be back on the pod.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's always appreciated when you give us your time.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: I know the listeners appreciate it as well.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: A lot to get into today, Blum.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot happening at the moment.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to try to dip into each of these topics.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think one of the sneaky topics that we're going to lead the show with is the internet invitational.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: This thing has taken the world by storm, at least my world.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: This is, for those unfamiliar, a YouTube golf event that was ran last year for the first time.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: This is the second ever edition of it.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: And it's put on by Bob Does Sports and Barstool Sports.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: And it's basically a YouTube golf tournament of all the best or most popular YouTube golfers.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't actually say the best.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: There's some varying abilities in this tournament.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: But it's a big spectacle.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: They get a lot of people together in the same place.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: They have a million cameras rolling and they put out, I want to say an eight or ten episode show with the winning team getting a split of four million dollars.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Blum, you watched this last year.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: You've watched the first couple episodes this year.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to me about what you've seen so far.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: So before I begin, Sean, are we in the business of spoilers?
• 1:40
  unknown: Yeah.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know what?
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: I should have prefaced.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because we're going to talk about what happened.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: We are going to be in the spoiler business.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have not finished episode three, there is liable to be some spoilers about the contents of what happened in the first three episodes.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: I will I'll do my best to talk about it without getting into the specific details, but we could play it by air to see how it goes.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's fair.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: We could talk about what's going on without overtly saying what happened.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: So to your point, Sean, awesome viewing experience.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: I know you said you didn't watch the first one.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: I really enjoyed it.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: I think it is as unique as a viewing of golf as it gets.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: I think they tow the line really well between a golf tournament and a reality show.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think anything Dave Portnoy has his fingers on, he wants the chaos, he wants the carnage, he wants tears if it calls for it.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: So the way it is produced and designed, I think is great for the viewer.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: To your point, a lot of various skill levels, but they do it in a way where it's very fair and everyone has a shot to win, which I like as well.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: But in terms of this season specifically, I think it's been, I mean, more of the same.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's been great content.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: Like you said, there's three episodes in.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Episode two was awesome.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh a big time commitment, but if you just want to watch the last hour of episode two, it goes to a playoff great drama.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like I would put that up there against like just watching PGA Tour drama in like a playoff for 18th hole, just because of how much it meant to those people to have a chance just to move on.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: This was the first round.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: So to have a group of golfers kind of all rally behind someone was really cool.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Kevin Kisner is there as well.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: He's like the rules guy.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: He's just great for the dry sense of humor.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh he goes at rigs a lot, saying that when he on his downswing, it looks like he's getting shot with a shotgun, which is uh very funny.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: I like how he messes with him.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it's a great viewing experience.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: If you like golf, I think if you like reality TV, definitely recommend checking it out.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was blown away by the first three episodes this year.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: As you mentioned, I didn't watch last year.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: I kind of knew what to expect because I I had it spoiled for me last year in terms of what happened.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm not a super big YouTube golf fan.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Not to say it's it's bad or anything.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: I just don't find myself gravitating towards it too often.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: I am a Barstool fan and I do enjoy Bob Does Sports and what I see from them.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: This is something I'm putting time aside for to watch.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: I think the format is incredible, and I think the key, and you touched on the PGA Tour comparison.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: The key is they're able to edit this and create a format that is so much more digestible than a whole entire PGA Tour round.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: There's not a lot of people that want to sit around for four and a half, five hours and just watch a round of golf on the PGA Tour because a lot of rounds of golf are pretty boring.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a lot of tap-in pars and there's not a lot at stake sometimes unless it's a major event and there's drama on the final day.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of golf that we see on television is relatively meaningless, or at least it's boring and it's not edited.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: So there's no way for them to manufacture chaos and drama like there is in the Internet Invitational.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I can see why YouTube golf does so well because listen, this formula works.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's been really fun.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm definitely a fan moving forward.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Who do you think have been some of the most impressive performers in terms of what you've seen on the course so far?
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I'll go right to a UFC fighter here, Sean.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: Justin Gagey.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: For those who don't know, he is a UFC fighter, been around, I think, for a while.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: No clue he could golf, no clue he was this good.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: So I think just from an expectation standpoint, he's he's really impressed me.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: And then some other guys that are I think specifically YouTube golfers, uh Micah Morris, he seems like he's one of the best guys out there.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: He just I haven't seen him hit anything remotely close to a bad shot.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think he was playing with Ryan Whitney the the first two rounds, so those have been a fun pairing to watch.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then George Bryan, I think, is one of the best as well.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um his brother, Wesley Bryan, which we'll talk about.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: He was on the PGA tour, he is a PGA tour winner.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but his brother, I think, is really, really impressive.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: And then Sean, I hope you agree with me when I say this, and I don't mean to be, you know, disrespectful here, but it's a 64-person field.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: There's, I want to say what, eight to ten girls in the field, and it's been three episodes, and I cannot distinguish one like characteristic of the girls to separate them.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: They talk the same, they dress the same, they act the same.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: So they're all great, don't get me wrong, but I just couldn't tell you one reason why I would, you know, separate one girl from the other.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh a lot to unpack in what you said there, and I do agree with a lot of the points you made.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: Justin Gacy stood out to me as well.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Bum, he has the hands of a surgeon.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: I I cannot believe how soft his hands are on the green.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: He was hitting 50-yard chip shots to two feet routinely.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: And it's like, my goodness, those hands are soft.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: What do you do for a living, Justin?
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Are you a dentist?
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: No, actually, I kill people with my bare fists.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm a UFC fighter.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that that to me was a big takeaway.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: I could not believe how good he was.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: And you could tell he's a seasoned vet in the UFC too just by the cauliflower ear.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: Those ears are puffed up to a point where you know he's been around a time or two.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: He's faced a couple fierce opponents in the octagon.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: I also want to comment on your women takeaway.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: I don't necessarily disagree.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: There are two women who I knew of heading into this.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: And it was Paige Sporanik, who's been around for forever.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: I think everybody probably would be more familiar with her than some others.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: And then I know Marissa Wensler because she was a Kentucky Wildcat.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: Marissa played golf at Kentucky.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: She was a very good player in college.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: She, I did not know, is part of Good Goods Women's Side.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Good Good Girls, I think it's called.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: And apparently she's a YouTube star as well.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I didn't know that, but I think her golf game's been killer, and I've been rooting for her.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: But for the most part, no, I have no clue what's happening in terms of who's who or how to distinguish between them women.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: But they're all ridiculously good golfers.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: Unbelievable.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: And they're playing from the men's teeth.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: They're contributing.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: So I mean, couldn't even imagine.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: They hit the ball on a string.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's just, oh, look at that swing, it's perfect.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Where's the ball straight?
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it must be nice.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's a nice way to play golf.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: Who has been maybe the most disappointing character from this event so far?
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: So disappointing, there's a few people that I think were out in the first round.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a big Jersey Jerry guy.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's very entertaining.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: I wish I would have seen more of him.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then Wesley Bryan, like I said, he is a former PGA Tour member.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: He is, or was, a professional golfer.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: He won a PGA Tour event, and I feel like I've seen nothing out of him yet that kind of sets him apart from the rest of the elite YouTube golfers.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: Which, I mean, is fine.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's only three episodes in, but if you throw a PGA Tour player out there, I would just expect maybe a little more out of them.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm with you on Wesley Bryan.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: It was Bob carrying Wesley around off the T.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, what's going on here?
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Bob's a 12 handicap.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: I can't believe what I'm seeing.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: I also think the biggest disappointment for me was Brad Dahlkey.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: This guy, not necessarily in terms of how he played on the course.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: He might have been the worst captain of anything I've ever seen.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: The red team in the first episode, they went down so quickly without a fight that I couldn't even believe what I was watching.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: He he got almost every pairing wrong.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: It seemed like they really didn't stand a chance.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Thankfully, we had the other two groups put on the type of show we needed, which carried us through the first two episodes, but really disappointed in Brad because he was a defending champion, if I if I do have my facts correct, right?
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_01: Him, uh Francis Ellis, and Beef R.I.P.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, yeah.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm also a big Jersey Jerry guy.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: I thought it was so funny when he was eliminated on the second day.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: Frankie calls him to tell him that they're playing for$50,000 on the ninth hole, and Jerry just hangs up.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: He just can't be bothered.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: And then he calls Frankie back and says, you know, I won my match.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: I did my job.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: If you would have done your job, we would have been we would have been through.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: That was great.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think otherwise, the only other person I was a little bit disappointed with, and I think he's an awesome guy and he's been a good captain, but Ryan Ruffles, he's he's sort of similar to Wesley Bryan in terms of level and pro status and those sort of things.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: He's been a little bit disappointing with his play, but he's making up for it with entertainment value, seeming like a cool dude and his captainship.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've never heard of Ruffles as a golf guy myself.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: Was he he was never on tour, was he?
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: Was it Cornfairy?
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: It might have been Cornferry.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: He got a cup of coffee, maybe on the PGA tour, but he his sister is also a really good women's player, Gabriella Ruffles.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: So I was familiar with them a little bit.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: I think they're from Australia, but they are both really sick good players.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't know that he turned to YouTube, but I know he was a good amateur, good in college, and had a promising look, at least, on the PGA or Cornferry tour.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because see, I don't think he was in the field last year.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: So that was a pretty good get for him to as a professional or you know, semi-pro for for this year.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: His team's doing well, so he's he's winning the captain battles, I would say.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: In terms of who are you rooting for moving forward, Bum, who would you like to see win this money and take this thing home?
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I have I would say three favorites right now.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: I really like Bubby, I think his name is.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: He just seems like a very down-to-earth, likable guy.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: He was uh playing last year.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: I think he made it fairly far.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know what like his I don't know if he's good good or what brand he is in YouTube golf, but he seems like a guy like I would just be friends with, very like cool laid-back guy.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta root for Chasszy, the little guy.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: Okay he's I think he's the number one, I think he said it on the video, he's the number one ranked little person, if that's a proper thing to say in golf, I'm pretty sure.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's sick if that's true.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: I I believe you, and that is pretty cool.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: He can bomb it too.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's very impressive how how he's unreal.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: And then you gotta go with John Gruden.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like he's one of those guys where he is maybe bottom 10 or 15 in terms of skill level out there.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: But uh he hit some monster shots at the end of episode two, I believe, uh, before that playoff.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_01: And uh just like a likable guy.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_01: It'd be cool if he wanted.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, he doesn't need the money at all, but to see him like in this environment, Super Bowl coach, coaching Warren Sapp, Raiders, all those great teams.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: Now he's just playing with YouTube golfers.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: I think it'd be a cool story if he was able to take it home.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm 100% with young Gruden.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: He adds something special to this dynamic.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a captain, you have to take him a couple rounds above where his performance lies just because of the intangibles.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: Having a Super Bowl-winning head coach in your ranks, trying to pump guys up and give motivational talks, that's unmatched in terms of this tournament.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: I also thought it was funny as hell when Kisner came and it was gonna save the one team by hitting a shot, and then his team actually ended up benefiting from it, and he flipped the script so quick.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: He first started chirping PFT saying, Why don't we settle this like men and just played the whole ourselves?
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then Kisner worked in favor of Gruden, and he immediately was like, I fucking love this guy, man.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: It was so good.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm with y'all, Coach Gruden.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think he had something cool.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: I also really like Bubby.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: He's played, I think, all the rounds so far with Marissa Wensler, and that's the pairing I'm rooting most for.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: Those two, Marissa, go cats.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's where my chips would go if I was a betting man, because I think they're playing some good golf and they're sneaky.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: And also just in terms of who I'm rooting for, and then somebody else I would throw in.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: I would like to see Ryan Whitney win some money and kind of shut Portnoy up a little bit.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: I I do enjoy Portnoy makes this thing go in a lot of ways because of the dynamic he adds as well.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: But Whitney, he's just a great locker room guy as well.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like White has a good balance of locker room guys and then good golfers, and it's working nicely for them so far.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Whitney's a good call out, just great like dry humor, like he says, going at Portnoy.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: On the flip side of that, I don't know how you feel about this Bobby Ray guy, Sean, with the cutoff sleeves.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: Like, he's one of those guys where you just look at and you can just tell, like, this isn't my kind of guy.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: He's not like an unbearable personality by any means, but there's no one that's unlikable outwardly.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: But if I had to pick one guy, it would for me, it would probably be him.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the sleeves is a bit look at me.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: The lack of sleeves, I should say.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: He kind of redeemed himself a little bit with some of the things he was saying, but I was with you on the same page.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: I was kind of just like, I don't take it away, please.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: I don't need any more of this.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: I would say nobody came across though as somebody I'm rooting against, really.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: Even Big John, whose whole persona is just like 25-year-old TikToker.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: I I guess he just smokes weed and talks to chicks and is really good at golf.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: Not for me personally, but I thought it was pretty sick seeing him have the moment that he did.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we probably should have mentioned him way earlier.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: He is definitely one of the people I had no idea who he was before this.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_01: And to your point, like he just seems like he smokes, he drinks, he talks to girls, and he plays golf.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: Which if you're like in your early 20s, like, yeah, I guess that that sounds pretty cool.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: That sounds not so bad if you're 22, 23, whatever he is.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna continue watching.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a fan of the Internet Invitational.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: Another big thing about the Internet Invitational, there's not a ton of political ads during the show, Bum.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Thankfully, election season is over.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: We're not a politics show.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: I need to preface this conversation with that.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: We're not gonna dabble into actual politics, but I think we can all agree that we're happy to be done with political ads for a while.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Why do we have so many, and why are they all the same?
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's like I feel like at this point we need to do a better job of at least separating having ads be different, but it's I feel like the same voice over them, no matter who the candidate is.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: I'm tired of, you know, on my football Sundays when I'm not watching Red Zone, seeing a commercial in between, you know, my the Panthers and you know, whatever Buccaneers game or whatever's on.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_01: But the one thing I will miss though, Sean, and I'm curious to hear your thoughts, is I love it when my commercial airs saying, oh, like this candidate, candidate A, is like the best ever.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like they're kissing babies, they're gonna cure cancer.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: And then it cuts the the next commercial, and that next one is just a smear on that candidate saying, Oh, like this guy, like he or girl, you know, kills puppies.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like that, the dichotomy of like those two back to back.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: I find that very amusing.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but other than that, yeah, I'm very happy that uh we won't be seeing more of those in the future.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they're all the same.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's redundant.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think they work on anybody.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: If anybody's voting for that reason, then they're they're misinformed to begin with.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: But I would love to hear just once from an ad from an opponent.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: And they honestly, honestly, I just chirped people who might vote based on an ad.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: I might vote for someone if they did, just like a normal coach press conference the week before a game.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: Just come out and say, you know what, it's a really tough opponent.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: They're very likable.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be a tough matchup.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think they do a lot of things right, they're well organized, they don't beat themselves.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: Just give me the coach speak.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I would be like, you know what?
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's nice of them.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just gonna try my hardest to beat them.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: And then if you really wanted to win me over for a little comedic effect at the end, be like, yeah, no, I don't agree with them diddling kids.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: I do wish their name wasn't on that list.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: I think that would be so much fun if they did something like that.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: But instead, we get the same voice over the same ad beat into our schools for months and months and months, and then it all goes away.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't know if any of it helps.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: You just feel like Josh Shapiro has a great jump shot, close out hard on him.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: But uh, we have a good plan to stop it, and we're gonna do our best.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: Make it make it really sports specific.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: Just give me generalities, coach speak, tip your cap to him, say you're gonna try hard to beat a good opponent.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, I've never heard anybody say that about their opponent in politics.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's all just smear campaign after smear campaign.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: So just thankful that that's over with.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get back to the sports world, Blum.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: A big week in college football.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: We had the initial playoff rankings come out ahead of a loaded college football weekend.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: Any major takeaways from the playoff poll?
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: We should preface this conversation with this, these polls don't really matter at this point.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's nice to talk about them.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: It creates some banter and for guys like us to talk about.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: None of it matters when there's still a bunch of games left to play.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: So take all of this with a pinch of salt.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_01: And it's the first reveal, so there's gonna be, I think, more hype around it than normal.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: But um, yeah, some things to call out.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_01: So Utah and UCLA are the two undefeated teams.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: Utah 3, UCLA eight.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: A little surprised Utah over Indiana personally, and I'm sure we'll get into your Kentucky Wildcats, Sean.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: I did not think they would be as high as six, not because they didn't deserve it, but just because I didn't think they would put them over um, you know, an undefeated UCLA or a BYU.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: So if you want to use this as a segue, Sean, for you to just talk Kentucky, by all means.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I I actually don't know necessarily where I think Kentucky deserves to be.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't re-rank the teams myself.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: In terms of the one loss team that they're behind in Indiana, I do have a bone to pick about that.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: I would be fine if you put Kentucky below UCLA, since Kentucky has a loss, UCLA doesn't.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'd be fine if you put them below Utah and some of the other teams that they're behind.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: The problem I have with Indiana being ranked two spots ahead of Kentucky is this.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: Kentucky and Indiana both have one loss, okay?
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: Kentucky's loss is to the number five team according to this very playoff committee.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: They lost to Alabama, who's ranked number five in the playoff committee's words.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: Indiana's loss is to the 12th ranked team, Ohio State, in the committee's words.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so on paper you would say Kentucky has a better loss.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: Say you're not counting losses.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: Kentucky has two wins over teams in the top 25 of the playoff committee's rankings.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: They beat number 14 LSU and they won at number 21 South Carolina.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: Indiana has zero wins over those teams.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: I just don't understand, based on what happened so far this season, how you can make a fair case that Indiana deserves to be ranked above Kentucky.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: And that's not even factoring in the style of these performances and the way that Indiana was able to survive Michigan and Minnesota, who both easily could have won those games.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: So I do have a little bit of a bone to pick with that.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's not the end of the world.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: I think the big thing is Alabama being ranked fifth is a little wild.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not so sure the reasoning there.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: I think it just points to the committee once again being inconsistent.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: And it's guys that are full-time ADs and conference commissioners that then have to go above and beyond and scout teams and provide analysis.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: I just think maybe these aren't the people that should be making these decisions.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: And I think on the flip side of that, Notre Dame is one that I feel like is always going to be controversial every year because of who they play.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, they're 7-1, they're 11th right now because of Boise State jumping.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: They'd be the last team in, technically.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: They, which we'll get into the games this week, shown they have a monster one this week against number one team Miami.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: I personally think that is going to decide if they make the playoff or not.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: Because I feel like every single year we're staring at a 10-2 Notre Game in late December, and it's, oh, should this team make it?
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I'd be curious about that.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, then you said Ohio State 12.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_01: Always curious to see how the committee deals with you know a team dealing with an injury.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: Julian's saying, quarterback out for the year.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, obviously, they lost this week, so falling to 12 there, which I think is expected, but curious to see if that's because they lost or because they don't have their quarterback.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: And then the other wild card, I think, is Wake Farrest at 16.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_01: They play in the ACC, which is not one of the more respected conferences in the Power Five.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_01: Their only loss was to number one Miami.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_01: They're seven and up besides that Miami game, so I expected them to be maybe a little bit higher.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's tough to put them over like any of the two lost SEC teams, but um, I think that's another team to watch in the weeks.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you on Wake Forest for sure.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know where exactly they would fit in.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't do this exercise, but I would have them certainly higher than 16th based on what they've done this year.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: Ohio State is going to be fascinating.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: Like you said, I don't know what the right answer is on that topic.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: One of their losses was to a point at Texas.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Texas.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: And that, I mean, it's a tough place to go.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: They didn't have to go there and play that game, but they chose to do it.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: They're now being punished for doing that.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: And now they're going to be punished even further for losing without their starting quarterback.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately for Ohio State, I think they're one of the clearly one of the 12 best teams when healthy.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: But now, without saying, that schedule looks to be a bit of a gauntlet with a backup quarterback.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll see how many losses they end up making it through with, but definitely would be concerned if I was an Ohio State fan.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: Notre Dame, like you said, just every year, rinse and repeat.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: There's going to be a big conversation around Notre Dame.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what you do with Notre Dame.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: I agree completely.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: They need to win this week against Miami because if they end up with two losses, there's not enough signature games on their schedule to get them in over any two or even three loss SEC team, in my opinion.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I will say, Sean, if the the season ended today, first round of the playoff, Notre Dame going to Lexington to play Kentucky.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to tell you this.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: I like that.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: I wish we could sign up for that.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: And also then I think the winner would play Utah.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: I don't hate that.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: I don't hate that one bit.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: See in the Final Four.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: So that would be great if that was how it broke out.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying it would be a lot that Kentucky beats Notre Dame, but that would certainly be a favorable matchup in Lexington.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think this weekend's going to tell us a lot about the playoff picture.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: There's so many good games, Blum.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: It might even compare or be better than that October 17th Saturday that we had, which I dubbed the best Saturday of the year in college football.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: But why don't you talk about just a couple of the games you're most looking forward to this weekend?
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like you said, Sean, a handful of matchups between top 25 teams.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'll focus on three that I think have the biggest playoff implications.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: So the first one I mentioned earlier, Notre Dame, Miami.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: If you're Miami, I don't want to say this game means nothing, because obviously you would love to be able undefeated, but like they're making the playoffs regardless of the outcome of this game.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_01: And like I said, Notre Dame, this is a do-or-die game for them.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_01: I think if they win, assuming they win out, they're in.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: If they lose, I would argue with 10 and 2.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_01: Again, Notre Dame team would find themselves on the outside looking in compared to a three-loss SEC team.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_01: So that's a big one.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: BYU Utah, two, I think, surprises.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: Top 10 teams that we didn't expect.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: So that's kind of like a who's who game, who's for real.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: And then I think the biggest one is Bama LSU, who's going to be that first three loss SEC team.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: So those are three big ones.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_01: Uh definitely will have my eyes on all of those.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: And like you said, it's going to be a great weekend of college football.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I do like that all three of those games you mentioned, one, they're spaced out.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's beautiful.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: We have a noon, a 3.30, and then a night game in there.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_00: Those are probably the three marquee games, if I were to pick the best three in terms of the most meaningful for the playoff as well.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: But it doesn't just stop there.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: We have also at noon Texas going to Missouri.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: Both of those teams are 6-2.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_00: If any of them end up with two losses, they would be in the playoffs if you're a two-loss SEC team.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_00: UCLA takes their undefeated season to Minneapolis for a game against Minnesota, who basically beat Indiana last weekend until Indiana put in their backup kicker and nailed a 60 yarder as time expired to save their ass.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: So that'll be potentially interesting.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm interested to see how Minnesota responds after a heartbreaker and how UCLA travels because they're another team 8-0, but they haven't really gotten that signature win yet.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: Oregon goes to Ohio State.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_00: Both of these teams are still alive too.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_00: Oregon, you can say what you want.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_00: They're going to lose more games.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: But if they were to win out, they would be in the playoff as a three-loss Big Ten champ.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_00: Ohio State needs it at home.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_00: That's at 3.30.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_00: That's going to be great.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: Really, throughout the whole day, there's just amazing games.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: We didn't even talk about Kentucky going to Tennessee yet, a place where Kentucky has had very little success.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: And we're hoping Will Stein can change that.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: And then at 7.30 as well, Georgia goes to Ole Miss in a game where, yeah, Georgia can probably afford to lose it.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_00: Ole Miss probably can't.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: But if if all of a sudden Georgia ends up with two losses and still has a bunch of games to play, that season gets a little scary as well.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: And then if they're not in the playoffs, you really don't know what's what.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think again, this is all the drama we wouldn't get if we didn't have a 12-team playoff.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: It does make some games maybe a little less exciting for the top teams, but in that 8 to 15, 8 to 16 range, every game you play from here on out is most territory.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: So definitely good for college football to extend the playoff.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a good point.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_00: And also just to reiterate that and hammer down for next year, when we have 24 of these teams, it's just going to keep expanding the amount of games that matter.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: So, yes, we might need to rethink about what one loss means or what two loss means in terms of getting into a playoff and ultimately winning a national championship.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: But it's going to be super cool to have a bunch of games that matter every single Saturday.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't think we'll ever get to a point where losses don't matter.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want to make that argument, you might be able to argue it already because Alabama's fifth in this playoff pool.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't think the 24 is going to change too much.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let's move our attention to the NFL, Mr.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: Blum.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to kind of take me through just a state of the union.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to check in at the top of the conferences here.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: As we start to get a playoff picture built, what do you think is going on at the top of the AFC?
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: So at the time of this recording, we are through week eight, about the kickoff week nine.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: And Sean, what if I told you that I am 100% confident who these seven playoff teams are in the AFC?
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: It might sound crazy, but let me talk you through it.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_01: So right now we have one seed, the Bills, two seed Broncos, three Steelers, Jaguars, Chiefs, Bengals, Patriots.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: So we have our four division winners, three wildcards.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_01: Those are the current three AFC teams.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_01: The next best team after that, the Patriots, are the Cleveland Browns, who have had their moment, but the Steelers, I think your Steelers gave them a dose of reality in terms of what is to come.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_01: No faith in the Browns.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: The next best team after that, the Las Vegas Raiders.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_01: A fun story.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_01: Kirk Cousins playing great ball, but they have the worst defense in the league.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_01: You can't trust them.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: After that, the Ravens, who just traded for Jacoby Brissett.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's never a good sign.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's never a good sign.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: You don't want to be making mid-season trades for old beef brissett.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: They're four and four.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: Again, I'm not buying that.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_01: Next we have the Houston Texans, who I like, but they're two and five, and I think they dug themselves in way too deep of a hole.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: I think that Giants lost two weeks ago killed them.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: I think if they won that game, I could argue for them, but I don't have faith in them making up the ground that they lost.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: After that, it's Jets, Colts, Dolphins, Titans, Chargers.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's the AFC right now.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: I can't believe I've not heard this anywhere else, but you're 100% right.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_00: You're 100% right.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: Those are the playoff teams.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_00: There really is not even a need.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: There's, of course, like the Steelers could lose the division to the Bengals, and that could flip.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_00: But the terms, the teams that are in the dance are the teams that are in the dance.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think you're right.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_00: I would go, I would co-sign 100%.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_01: I've never, it's halfway through the season, and we already know the seven playoff teams in the AFC.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_01: I've never don't recall, like, we don't need a playoff picture graphic on my TV for the AFC.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's just a waste of time.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: Like, we know to your point, seatings will be determined, division winners, buys, that's all up in the air.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_01: But we know who will be playing football in the AFC in January.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's crazy.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: I did not think of this on my own.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_00: I've been focused on the Steelers just quietly, not talking about them a ton.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: They're just winning some ballgames.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_00: Like what I see.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_00: But I did not realize the AFC is pretty terrible if the drop-off is right to the Browns and Raiders, which that's wild.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I apologized, I believe, on your behalf in the last episode about the Houston Texans.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_00: Would you like to issue an apology to the fans if after we doubled down on them when they were two and four?
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_01: I would because um I'm very much a hand-up guy, but I just think they can very well make their way back to 500, but I think passing one of those seven teams who I think are all trending in the right direction is just a tall task.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: It was it was it was heartfelt the apology, but it wasn't an all-the-way apology.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_00: He wasn't ruling them out yet, even though he said 100% the playoffs are decided.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_00: So I think I'm with you on the Texans.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard to quit them.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard to quit them because the offense is playing well, and it's just like, well, how is the defense bad?
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: It went from being the best defense in the NFL to what happened.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_01: That's the thing.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_01: If you would have told me before the year the reason the Texans are bad is because of their defense, like that would be the last of their issues I would project.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, again, NFL is just very random.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_01: You can't predict it sometimes, and I think this is just one of those cases.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: And you're right, it is totally random with the Texans.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I want to ask you about the cream of the crop of those seven teams.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think the Bills are the best team?
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_00: And if so, is it a is it a clear number one seed situation, or do you think there's a couple teams that could beat them?
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_01: I struggle saying yes just because of that defense, and I think how bad that secondary is.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: When it comes push the shove in late January, they're going to lose a game 38 to 35 just because that defense will always let them down.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_01: I would say right now, if I had to pick my favorite in the AFC, in terms of just the best team complete team, I would say the Jaguars.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_01: I know that is not a popular pick or team, but I saw a stat the other day that of the Jaguars' last 15 games, Trevor Lawrence left.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like they sat him in the fourth quarter eight of the 15 times because they were blowing teams out so much.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that's the most complete team.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'll probably put the Chiefs close second, but understandable if you don't want to trust Trevor Lawrence, I'm not there yet either.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_01: But uh, we're saying just complete teams from top to bottom.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's the Jaguars.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is shocking the job that Liam Cohen's done there.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_00: I can't believe it.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_00: I continue to doubt the Jaguars far deep into the season, and I probably need to issue an apology on that front as well.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_00: And it goes hand in hand with my Texans' belief, my Jaguars hate, but the Jaguars are really good.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_00: I I don't know why, I don't know how, but they are.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_00: They are really good defensively, they stop the run well.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_00: Trevor looks better than he ever has, which he might not be the best quarterback in the league, but he's certainly good.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that might be just enough to win an AFC in a year where I don't know that one team is jumping out and emerging as that sort of Super Bowl caliber ball club.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_00: I do think in the NFC we have some of those teams.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to take me through that conference now because I think there's some more heavyweights over there.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so there are, like you said, Sean, more question marks in the NFC.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_01: Unfortunately, we do have the NFC East winner and the NFC South winner, whoever that is, stealing two playoff spots and a home game in the wild card round.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_01: But what that means is, Sean, what if I told you I'm gonna name you seven teams?
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_01: Two of these teams will miss the playoffs.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_01: 49ers, Vikings, Bears, Lions, Packers, Seahawks, Rams.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's two of those teams is missing the playoffs.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's so fucked that we we need to watch the NFC South and the NFC East in the playoffs.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: Why do we need to do that?
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: I hate, I love division races, and I think there's something to having how foot like how football used to be carrying on, and and it usually doesn't bone us like this, but I feel like the last five years, the NFC South has boned us.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_00: And we've gotten a real bad product out of that division time and time again.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_00: And now it's gonna really cost a really good team for missing the playoffs, which is crazy to me that those two of those teams you mentioned will be left out.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_00: I can't even begin to tell you which two.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_00: I keep wanting to say the Vikings, but they really don't blink when I want them to blink.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_00: They they suffer their first loss finally, but that defense is just absolutely nasty.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I agree with you on the Vikings.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think if I had to pick two of those teams, I would say the Lions stand out to me as the first one, and then I don't know, maybe either one of the Seahawks or the Rams or the Packers.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like they're all like you can make arguments for all those teams, but I would probably say like the Lions, I'll go Lions and Packers, I think, could be the two.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm kind of with you on the Packers.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: They they were impressive the last couple of weeks because I had almost written them off early in the season, and they are getting Micah Parsons back eventually, probably near Thanksgiving.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_00: So that's good news for them, but I don't trust them as much as I do some of those other teams.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_00: I keep wanting to think the Rams are a different version of what the Rams actually are.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_00: They they just aren't as good as I thought they would be.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: They have dug themselves a big hole, not saying they can't make the playoffs, but I do think they're not in that Super Bowl contender echelon that I thought they would be throughout the preseason.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_00: We still haven't seen them fully fit with Miles Garrett and everything, but it seems like it just might be a year where we don't see that.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: Devontae Adams is on the shelf for a while now.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what we're gonna do with that NFC West because you trust the 49ers, but then the Seahawks are kind of similar to the Rams, where they had that Super Bowl run last year, but this year it just isn't going right for them.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it's down to injuries.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_00: They haven't dealt with too many to my knowledge, but the defense is still, for the most part, doing its job.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_00: The offense just looks completely worse without Kenneth Walker.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_00: Who would have thought that Kenneth Walker was damn good last season and just couldn't earn a carry until the playoffs?
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_00: That actually, sorry to go on a tangent here, but that actually leads me to a point.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_00: I like Clint Kubiak.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's a really good ball coach.
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_00: He is a running back terrorist.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_00: He does not know what is going on in his own backfield ever.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, this guy, last year I was screaming from the rooftops.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, Charbonnet's a bozo.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_00: Every time he touches the ball, he runs into a lineman.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: Every time Kenneth Walker touches the ball, he looks electric.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, fast forward to the playoffs.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_00: So Charbonnet's on the shelf, Kenneth Walker wins Super Bowl MVP.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_00: Hate to say SB was right, SB was right.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_00: This year, we have what first round pick, Ashton Genty.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_00: He every time he's out there, it's not been great.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_00: But every time Mike Washington's out there, guess what?
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_00: Mike Washington runs into the line too.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_00: Neither of them run the ball well.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_00: Play the guy that's on the fantasy team's dickhead.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's absolutely unbelievable.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_00: And also, defense is out there, if you're listening, anytime Genty's in the game, it's a pass play.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_00: Because they trust him to pass block and they throw the ball to him.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_00: They don't run it with him anymore.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a nice little innovation from the Raiders offense.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_00: But I just want your thoughts on that and then the NFC.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_01: Well, a Mike Washington fantasy owner speaking to an Ashton Genty fantasy owner.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_01: I love what we're seeing.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_00: Of course you own him.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_00: You're such a comeback.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_00: You can't start him, even though you know that.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_01: I will say, not to play devil's advocate, uh, one n two for you, I should say.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, Mike Washington does have one of some of the worst vision I've seen out of a running back.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_00: He runs right into the line bomb.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: He does.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_00: I could see benching Genty if you had this guy who really was dominating every time he touched the ball.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_00: Mike Washington, I watched all of the Raiders' game last week.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_00: He ran into his own lineman every single snap for one to two yards.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_00: And Genty did a little bit better because he caught some passes and stuff, but his the line isn't good.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_00: They're not a great rushing football team.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_00: But all of that to say Clint Kubiak, good ball coach, clueless in terms of what a good running back is.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_00: And it ties back to Seattle really having a problem running the football, therefore, really having a big Sam Darnold issue.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_01: And also, while we're on the topic of running back, something we should probably bring up NFL traded line is after week nine, the biggest domino to fall is Jonathan Taylor.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_01: And his rumored teams are Vikings, Packers, and Seahawks.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_01: So that could be a big domino to fall on which one of those NFC teams, you know, bubble teams in the playoff picture can separate themselves.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_00: And also, I uh quickly on the topic of running backs, whoever allowed Josh Jacobs to play again.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're starting him in a fantasy league, that's diabolical.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_00: That you shouldn't be allowed in in fantasy leagues starting that guy.
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_00: He did a handcuff celebration.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_00: Do I have that right?
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_01: I saw that.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't want to believe it because I didn't think someone could be that like stupidly obvious about it.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_01: So but I did see that, and yeah, it did not it did not look great.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_00: Could be AI.
• 38:15
  SPEAKER_00: We'll cover ourselves with that.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_00: You never know these days.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_00: But that's that's a disaster.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_00: I really think that's unbecoming of the Packers organization and then all of you fantasy owners that are starting him each week.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_00: Lastly, on the NFC bomb, who do you think is the cream of the crop?
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_00: Who do you who would you think are the best team, or maybe the two best teams, the NFC?
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_00: Because I have my answer for you.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I will probably agree with this.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_01: I think you have to go the Bears right now after the um the Jeffrey Simmons trade.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_01: Bold move.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_01: But I think if you are you believe you are a piece away, then you give up what you have to do to get that piece.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what Ryan Poles did.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, gym of the Bears.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_01: It's them or the Niners, I would say.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_01: At the Niners, there's some health question marks as always.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, they're, I think, cream of the crop.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_01: If we're talking top two teams, it'd be Bears and Niners.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_00: I I agree, I think.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_00: But I think right now, from what I've seen, those are the two best teams in the NFC.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, I'm back in the Bears.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have any thoughts on QB quarterback combos that you really trust in the NFC?
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_00: Would last week I ranked Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson number one out of the entire NFL in terms of who I trust for the rest of this season.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it seemed like a hot take at the time.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_00: It seems a little less of a hot take after that big win in Seattle, but I think there's still some good options, and especially in the NFC.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_00: Do you trust Purdy and Shanahan more than those two, or no?
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_01: I would put the Bears combo in front of them.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_01: I would even argue, I think I would put Stafford and McVeigh over Purdy and Shanahan.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_00: I think those combo would be third, and Purdy and Shanahan fourth.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, you just can't quit them.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_00: And now there's obviously a lot of other parts to football.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_00: The Rams can't get special teams right, but the the quarterback coach combo, they do have that figured out and nailed down.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_00: The NFL is pretty interesting.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_00: This week, there's of course a game in Madrid this weekend.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_00: That'll that'll be fun, I guess.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_00: But it's another week where we get to learn some more about these teams.
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_00: It is a little bit disappointing that the AFC playoff picture is already finished.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm glad you spoiled the rest of the season for us there.
• 40:13
  SPEAKER_00: Let's let's move on to a season that's just beginning.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: The NBA is well underway at this point.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_00: Just really quick, just wanted to check in.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_00: You're you're an NBA guy, Blum.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_00: What are some surprises to start this NBA season?
• 40:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think the first one uh we have to call out is the Memphis Grizzlies.
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_01: Started the season six enough, just dropped their first game in overtime to the Pelicans uh a couple days ago.
• 40:35
  SPEAKER_01: But Ty Jerome, I think, is someone definitely worth mentioning.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_01: He was a late first-round pick, I think, five or six years ago.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh been kind of a journeyman.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_01: Popped around to different teams here and there.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_01: He's averaging 28 points a game this year, 42% shooting, filling up the stat sheet as well, six assists.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_01: He's leading that team as the point guard.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_01: Cam Boozer's been pretty solid as well.
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, just a steady presence and obviously a rookie year, but uh he's been great as well.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_01: Now they have Jeremy Grant also.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, not the most star power when you look at that rouse from top to bottom.
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_01: Granted, they've had a bit of a cupcake schedule so far.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_01: They beat the Jazz twice, they beat the Kings twice.
• 41:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I definitely think that's a team worth shouting out.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_01: Just again, small sample size to start the year.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's that's a fun little team after you read some of those names.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_00: I knew about Ty Jerome's hot start to the season.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_00: And then I know they have some other ancillary pieces too, like Zach Edy, and I was a big Camboozer fan heading into the draft.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm glad to see he's doing well.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a surprising record, even if they've beaten farmers and electricians so far, which definitely the Kings and Jazz seem to be.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_00: What about on the flip side?
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_00: Is there any teams that have kind of disappointed to start the year?
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so the last time I was on this program, I spoke glowingly about the heat.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, they are off to a rough start.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_01: Uh two and five.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_01: Giannis has been great.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_01: He's been the only bright spot doing his normal Giannis stuff.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_01: Bam looks very much out of place next to him.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_01: He doesn't seem like he knows where to go.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, two very similar players and operate in the same area of the courts.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Klay Thompson's been kind of hot and cold for them.
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_01: Davion Mitchell's the point guard.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_01: He's not really a true point guard.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_01: Andrew Wiggins is very inconsistent.
• 42:19
  SPEAKER_01: So Labin, again, only semi-games in.
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think they'll be fine, but a rough start.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_01: And then the Nuggets.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if this is the beginning of the end.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_01: Again, three and three.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_01: But Jokic has looks like he's taken a step back to what we know of the MVP Jokic himself.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_01: The team lacks some depth.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_01: They're very top heavy with Jokic and Jamal Murray.
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_01: But after that, you know, kind of the bench leaves a lot to be desired for.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_01: So again, we're what two, three weeks in.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, a lot to play for, but I think heat and nuggets are, I would say, of the contenders going into the year, some more questions than I have now compared to the start of the year.
• 42:57
  SPEAKER_00: I like that.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_00: I like that.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_00: Because I I had some questions about the heat to start the year just in terms of that BAM and Giannis dynamic.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't know how it would look, but I thought they're both such good players that they'd figure out a reason or a way for it to work.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know that the rest of the team build around them is necessarily the best, and that will keep those questions around for a while until they're able to answer them, maybe with some moves or some finding some ways that they're able to operate in those spaces.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_00: I think also the nuggets is tough.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a big Jokic guy, of course.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_00: My my game's been compared to his a time or two.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_00: I did see Bill Simmons post a clip uh saying this might be the end of prime Jokic, and he read off some of his shooting numbers since the injury he suffered last season.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_00: And specifically from three point range, the the shooting numbers haven't been good for Mr.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_00: Jokic.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_00: I still think his game has to age pretty well, right?
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_00: Like he's such a guy who does not rely on athleticism that you think he's gonna figure out a way, and maybe it's not peak Jokic, but he'll Figure out a way to be really good still.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think the end of Prime Jokic is might be a bit of a stretch.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_01: He won't be uh whatever 25, 12, and 9 guy anymore.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, to your point, he's never jumped more than six inches in his life.
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_01: So that is not a concern at all.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_01: It just seems like the shooting touch is not there.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_01: Again, he always looked slow, but he just looks a little slower this year, which is never a good thing when you start off that slow.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, I think he's he's fine.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_01: He's just he was always a shoe-in top two or three player, I think, when you rank the top guys.
• 44:34
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you can't say that anymore.
• 44:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, certainly not with Maxie's emergence.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_00: He he bumps him down that list quite a bit.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_00: What do you think about the Sixers hot start, Bomb?
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's been it's been brilliant.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, life is good.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_01: Life is good over here in Philly.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_01: Seven and one had some impressive wins, uh beat the Knicks twice, defending champs, uh, beat the Cavs, beat the Pacers.
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_01: So, and they're all winning mostly close games.
• 44:58
  SPEAKER_01: They're doing it all in crunch time, which is very impressive for this group.
• 45:03
  SPEAKER_01: Defensively has been, I think, by far the the biggest bright spot.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_01: They are just defending their asses off their rotations.
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_01: I've never seen a Sixers team rotate that quickly when someone gets blown by.
• 45:16
  SPEAKER_01: That stood out a lot to me as well.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the rebounding's been not good by any means, but better than I expected.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_01: We have the big elephant in the room of the backup center situation, which listen, it's November.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_01: We have time to figure that out, not worried about that now.
• 45:33
  SPEAKER_01: But the vibes are good.
• 45:35
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think I could have pictured a better start.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_01: Incredibly fun team to watch.
• 45:39
  SPEAKER_01: NBA is a long season, and having a team like this, be excited to watch every game is pretty cool.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_01: So, all good things so far, Sean.
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_00: Look how far we've come with Sixers fans.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_00: I can't believe what I just heard you say.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_00: You're excited to watch the games, and so am I.
• 45:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's a revelation.
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_00: We haven't had anything like this in a while.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_00: Even some of the good Sixers teams were infuriating to watch at times with Ben Simmons.
• 46:02
  SPEAKER_00: It was always there was always weirdness to it, and it wasn't ever easy, I would say.
• 46:06
  SPEAKER_00: And this team has gone through spurts of making it look easy.
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_00: But what I love about this team is in the fourth quarter, clutch time, these boys are winners.
• 46:14
  SPEAKER_00: We've got winners in the squad.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_00: VJ Edgcombe does the little winning things, hits big shots.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_00: Tyrese Maxie, always been a winner.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_00: Gamer in the fourth quarter, just gets buckets.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_00: LeBron James, ever heard of him?
• 46:25
  SPEAKER_00: Pretty good winner.
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think Jalen Brown does a lot of little things.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_00: He's been cool sacrificing so far this year, too.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now you can't say winner when Joe Umbi's name comes up, but he's been good to start this year and he's given it his best.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_00: He looks thinner.
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_00: I like what I've seen from Joel.
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_00: Even if he's thinner, but maybe slower than he's ever been.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's a weird one.
• 46:45
  SPEAKER_00: But I think this weight allows him to stay healthy longer, which is what I am there for.
• 46:50
  SPEAKER_00: Not having the burden of the extra weight is going to be huge for him.
• 46:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, all those things, true.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_01: And um, it wouldn't be a six-year segment if I didn't say one negative thing.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_01: And that would be when LeBron shoots a three, there's a 10% chance it goes in and a 90% chance it is a line drive off the front of the room.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_00: The shooting's been a concern for me.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm glad you brought it up because I there's some of those shots where I'm like, oh my god, what was that?
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's like he never shot a ball before.
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_01: It looks terrible coming off his hands.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_01: There is, I know the second that ball leaves his hands if that's going in or not.
• 47:23
  SPEAKER_01: And like I said, 90% of the time, it's like some of the worst misses you would see like a kid at Daven Buster shooting at a pop-a-shot shot.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's the kind of misses we're talking about.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's bad, bad misses.
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is frustrating.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_00: And for some of the free throws to start the year, too, he's figured it out a little bit, but some of the free throws, you're like, oh god, not now, Braun.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_00: You can't do that now.
• 47:45
  SPEAKER_00: So that's those are just things we're gonna monitor.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_00: We'll be fine.
• 47:48
  SPEAKER_00: That's not a big deal.
• 47:48
  SPEAKER_00: We don't need him to shoot threes.
• 47:50
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a good place to leave the NBA.
• 47:53
  SPEAKER_00: Let's shift our attention quickly to college basketball, which is well underway at this point.
• 47:57
  SPEAKER_00: We're in the first week of the season.
• 47:59
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're a big NBA draft guy, Blum, and you do watch college ball sometimes just to get a look at prospects.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_00: Is there anyone that has your attention this preseason that you want to watch this year?
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so there's there's two freshmen I have for you, and then a uh a journeyman, if you will, in the college age.
• 48:14
  SPEAKER_01: Tyron Stokes out of Kansas, freshman.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_01: He is 6'7, he's 2'30, one of the top recruits in the country.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, anytime you see an 18-year-old is 6'7, 230, like you'll have my attention.
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_01: Not super familiar with, you know, his game.
• 48:32
  SPEAKER_01: I don't watch a lot of it, but he seems like he's a solid two-way player.
• 48:36
  SPEAKER_01: He can create his own shot, shoot the ball, good defensively.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_01: So he seems like, as of right now, a top three or five pick.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_01: And then Jordan Smith, Jr.
• 48:45
  SPEAKER_01: out of Arkansas, point guard, another freshman.
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_01: Again, I feel like if you're either the point guard on Arkansas or Alabama, like you're gonna put up numbers, just how quickly those two teams get up the floor and play an NBA style of just getting up threes.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_01: So those are two freshmen I like, and then Thomas Howe.
• 49:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, is that how you say his name?
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_00: How it's a it's a weird, it's a weird UGH that's pronounced Hauk.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_01: I was very skeptical of that leaving my my tongue.
• 49:11
  SPEAKER_01: So glad.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_01: No, though.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_00: That's why that's why you asked.
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I've wanted the Sixers to draft him for the last two years, and he keeps going back to school.
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_01: He was a projector.
• 49:24
  SPEAKER_01: The last two years, I think he was projected late lottery, late teens, early 20s.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I think his game will translate very well.
• 49:31
  SPEAKER_01: He's an improved shooter, super athletic, moves well, can defend all positions.
• 49:36
  SPEAKER_01: By no means is he gonna be a 20-point scorer.
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_01: By no means is maybe he'll be, you know, a starting caliber player, but uh just I think he'll be a very solid pro.
• 49:45
  SPEAKER_01: So I'd be curious to see how the season goes.
• 49:48
  SPEAKER_01: And by the time the draft starts, he'll be 24 years old.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_01: So I feel like he's just costing himself money going back to school because the older you are, it's like GMs nowadays, just that's a red flag, regardless of how you play.
• 49:59
  SPEAKER_01: If you're 23, 24, you're not going lottery in this day and age.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_00: No, you're you're right about that.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_00: He probably is making six or seven million this year at Florida if I had to take a stab at it.
• 50:10
  SPEAKER_00: But you're right, in the long run, he might be costing himself a few bucks on that deal.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_00: He's also a Westchester kid blum.
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_00: He's from Westchester, so bring him home to Philly.
• 50:19
  SPEAKER_00: I do, I do like that.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_00: He is a guy who I really think will be a good pro to.
• 50:24
  SPEAKER_00: He does the little things right.
• 50:25
  SPEAKER_00: He's a great slasher, athletic as shit, plays hard all the time, which is a skill.
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I think he's really good.
• 50:32
  SPEAKER_00: He's been really good.
• 50:33
  SPEAKER_00: Another guy who's similar to him is Karchenkov at Arizona, who is not the flashiest shooter or anything, but he just finds ways to score and he plays hard, cuts, takes you in straight line drives and beats you to the rim.
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I think he's gonna be their bright spot this year.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_00: I also like the point you made about Jordan Smith out of Arkansas.
• 50:53
  SPEAKER_00: That freshman group that Arkansas has is gonna be super fun.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of them, if not all of them, could end up being first-round picks this year.
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_00: Mika Murinen is from Finland.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_00: He's an athletic as shit center who's gonna be fun to watch.
• 51:06
  SPEAKER_00: Nobody really knows.
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_00: Some people are projecting him to go in the top five, and other people say he stinks.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just interested to see what he's about.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_00: Abdut Torre is another freshman there, and then JJ Andrews.
• 51:16
  SPEAKER_00: Both of those two and Jordan Smith aren't known for their shooting, so I'm kind of worried about what the spacing will look like, but apparently they're all dogs defensively.
• 51:25
  SPEAKER_00: They play hard, they get after it.
• 51:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna like that kind of team and those kind of prospects.
• 51:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'll quickly go over just a few teams at the top of the sport that are really good, and then some teams that I'm excited to watch this season.
• 51:38
  SPEAKER_00: We mentioned Florida, their preseason number one.
• 51:40
  SPEAKER_00: They obviously won their opener, but it was a tough game against Miami.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_00: Tommy Houk is there, he's their best player, but their front court is the same front court that won a national title two years ago.
• 51:51
  SPEAKER_00: Ruben Chinyulu and Alex Condon come back, and it's a very formidable group.
• 51:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's just can their guards be better than they were last season when they had a bit of a disappointment in the tournament and lost to Iowa.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not so sure that they'll be better.
• 52:03
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think they'll be worse, but I don't know that they'll end up being as good as this Duke team because Duke is number two, but they have a chance to be by far and away the most talented team of the country.
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_00: They can run two lineups at you.
• 52:17
  SPEAKER_00: They've got a variety of different ways to beat you.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_00: They've got NBA players all over.
• 52:21
  SPEAKER_00: Patrick Ngongba, he's the center, he's unbelievable.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_00: And then Boomche Boomche, who is probably going to be the number one overall pick next year, he's a delight to watch so far too.
• 52:32
  SPEAKER_00: So I hate saying it, but Duke is really good.
• 52:34
  SPEAKER_00: In terms of teams that aren't ranked in the top 10 or 15 that are going to be fun to watch, one of them for me, and I think you'll like this team too, Bloom, is BYU.
• 52:43
  SPEAKER_00: They are underrated to start the season.
• 52:45
  SPEAKER_00: They're ranked 25th.
• 52:46
  SPEAKER_00: I think they're clearly a top 15 team.
• 52:48
  SPEAKER_00: They still have one of the best point guards in the country, Rob Wright from Philadelphia.
• 52:52
  SPEAKER_00: He's really good.
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_00: They had a signature win already over Ohio State.
• 52:56
  SPEAKER_00: They bring in Jackson Kollar from Michigan State, who's a center and a really good offensive weapon.
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then they get freshman Bruce Branch, the third.
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_00: He's a wing that can do a bit of everything.
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'd be really surprised if he wasn't a top 10 pick.
• 53:09
  SPEAKER_00: I really like him.
• 53:10
  SPEAKER_00: He could score at all three levels.
• 53:12
  SPEAKER_00: He could pass.
• 53:12
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's going to be really good.
• 53:14
  SPEAKER_00: So BYU will be fun to watch, also because they're going to be better on offense than defense, which we do, we do like that.
• 53:19
  SPEAKER_00: Illinois, they run back all the Europeans from last year.
• 53:23
  SPEAKER_00: They've got them all back.
• 53:24
  SPEAKER_00: David Mirkovich, Tomislav, and Zavanomira Viesic.
• 53:28
  SPEAKER_00: They're back in the mix.
• 53:29
  SPEAKER_00: Once Mirkovich gets healthy, that's when this team will really take off.
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_00: But they also have a freshman who could do his best Keaton Waggler impression in Quentin Coleman.
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think Illinois are going to be a scary team.
• 53:40
  SPEAKER_00: They're a Final Four Darling, and people have picked them.
• 53:44
  SPEAKER_00: They're ranked high, but I think they're one of the most fun teams to watch just in terms of watching them play basketball.
• 53:50
  SPEAKER_00: It looks like a pro style, they're polished players, and they might not ever be as good as Duke is, but I think they'll be more fun to watch along the way.
• 53:59
  SPEAKER_00: And then lastly, a mid-major, St.
• 54:01
  SPEAKER_00: Louis.
• 54:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm always a St.
• 54:03
  SPEAKER_00: Louis guy, but they they once again have a really fun group.
• 54:07
  SPEAKER_00: They might even be adding Kream Abdul Jabbar to the mix.
• 54:10
  SPEAKER_00: He could potentially be back pending his court case.
• 54:13
  SPEAKER_00: But even without him, they've got a good group.
• 54:16
  SPEAKER_00: Josh Schertz basically retained everybody from a good team last year, and they have great fan support.
• 54:21
  SPEAKER_00: So if we're going to look at a mid-major, it's going to be the Billikans.
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_01: And didn't Kream he played summer league for the Lakers, I believe, right?
• 54:30
  SPEAKER_00: He did.
• 54:30
  SPEAKER_01: He did.
• 54:31
  SPEAKER_00: And then apparently, I don't know how it worked.
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_00: He played summer league, he didn't get signed.
• 54:36
  SPEAKER_00: And then he applied to come back into college.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_00: He's taking classes at St.
• 54:41
  SPEAKER_00: Louis practicing with the team, but he was eligible to play on a temporary injunction that lasted 15 days.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_00: And Josh Schertz said, I'm not going to take a risk until we get a permanent resolution of this, just because he didn't want to get into any trouble with the NCAA.
• 54:56
  SPEAKER_00: So there the court case is this week, I believe, and we'll know if Kareem is eligible to play for the rest of the season or not.
• 55:02
  SPEAKER_00: But apparently he came back even heavier than he was last year.
• 55:05
  SPEAKER_00: They said he's heavier than you remember.
• 55:08
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I love that because he was a great watch at his size last year.
• 55:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I can only imagine what that may entail for this year if he's eligible.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_00: I hope he's huge.
• 55:17
  SPEAKER_00: I hope he's absolutely huge.
• 55:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he he's great.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'm excited Call of Thoops is back.
• 55:21
  SPEAKER_00: It fills the weeknights when there's not a ton on, when there's no football, I should say.
• 55:26
  SPEAKER_00: So excited to have that back in the mix.
• 55:28
  SPEAKER_00: Blum, we covered a lot.
• 55:30
  SPEAKER_00: I think we did a decent job of getting through or getting in and out of it without too many issues.
• 55:35
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate you coming on as usual.
• 55:37
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, Sean.
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like we uh covered a lot and always happy to hop on the pub.
• 55:41
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I know the listeners appreciate it as well.
• 55:44
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me.
• 55:45
  SPEAKER_00: Listeners, thank you all for tuning in.
• 55:47
  SPEAKER_00: We appreciate it.
• 55:48
  SPEAKER_00: Please hit the like and subscribe on your way out.
• 55:50
  SPEAKER_00: Leave a comment, a nice one.
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_00: We've got some, I will say we've got some mean, mean comments coming in on the controversial big five take I posted with me and Jeremy from last week.
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_00: There, there's been some comments calling saying I look like a thumb.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_00: That's fair.
• 56:03
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, that's fair.
• 56:04
  SPEAKER_00: That's above the belt.
• 56:05
  SPEAKER_00: We'll take those in stride.
• 56:06
  SPEAKER_00: Just make sure you hit the like after you leave the mean comment.
• 56:09
  SPEAKER_00: All of that is appreciated.
• 56:11
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in, and until next time, take care of the video.