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March Madness And The Coming Phillies Season! (PST Episode 608) · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

0:00
Speaker 1: What's up everybody. Hope you are doing well. We wanted
0:03
Speaker 1: to let you know. This podcast episode was recorded on Wednesday,
0:06
Speaker 1: March nineteenth, twenty twenty five. By the time you hear this,
0:10
Speaker 1: some things may have changed here or there, but we
0:12
Speaker 1: hope you enjoy the show. Welcome to the Philadelphia Sports
0:48
Speaker 1: Table podcast show, the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast
0:51
Speaker 1: show in the world. That's right coming up in April
0:54
Speaker 1: twelve years that we will be doing this podcast show.
0:58
Speaker 1: Hope you're all doing well out there. Longtime listeners, thanks
1:02
Speaker 1: for sticking around with us. If you're new to the show,
1:05
Speaker 1: we got a great show coming your way this week.
1:08
Speaker 1: I'm Jeff Warren, I'm here, my good buddy, Len Hunsicker,
1:10
Speaker 1: How are you, Lenn.
1:11
Speaker 2: I'm doing good. Hopefully every's have a good week out there.
1:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, hopefully everybody is having a good week. And hopefully
1:18
Speaker 1: hopefully you're not watching the seventy six ers, because you know,
1:21
Speaker 1: even though we're gonna get into the seventy six ers
1:23
Speaker 1: on this show, my god, is it brutal watching this
1:27
Speaker 1: freaking team. Holy crap.
1:29
Speaker 2: Well, I mean it's it's guys that, like, you know,
1:32
Speaker 2: I know, they got Quentin Grimes at the in the trade,
1:36
Speaker 2: but it's mostly guys who are just like, geez, these
1:39
Speaker 2: aren't even the bench warmers shiting the hell are they?
1:40
Speaker 1: I know, I'm like, who is this guy? I've never
1:43
Speaker 1: even heard of him before. Yes, we're gonna We're definitely
1:47
Speaker 1: gonna get into some Sixers talk on this show. We're
1:49
Speaker 1: gonna get into some initial March madness talk as well,
1:53
Speaker 1: specifically from a women's college basketball perspective and the fact
1:58
Speaker 1: that it's in a pretty good play right now, pretty
2:01
Speaker 1: strong place. Can it be as strong as it was
2:03
Speaker 1: last year when we had stars like Caitlin Clark and
2:07
Speaker 1: Angel Reese Son. Can it be as big as it
2:11
Speaker 1: was last year? We'll talk about that for sure. And
2:14
Speaker 1: then Len and I are gonna get into some Phillies talk,
2:16
Speaker 1: specifically talking about one gentleman in particular, and that is
2:21
Speaker 1: Bryson Stott, who is looking to have potentially a bounce
2:24
Speaker 1: back season. We're certainly hoping for that. And then Lennon
2:27
Speaker 1: and I are gonna get into some memories just remembering
2:31
Speaker 1: Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham his time in Philadelphia. He
2:35
Speaker 1: is retired now from playing professional football with the Philadelphia Eagles.
2:40
Speaker 1: We're gonna dive into some of those memories with him again,
2:43
Speaker 1: We're gonna getting into some Sixers talk, and then we
2:46
Speaker 1: are gonna be ending the show this week with some
2:48
Speaker 1: Flyers talk. The reality of this restructuring and rebuild really
2:54
Speaker 1: really setting in here. As this team. It's been rough,
2:56
Speaker 1: especially offensively for this team as of late. The guests
3:01
Speaker 1: that we were supposed to have on this week, we
3:02
Speaker 1: were going to be getting into some Philadelphia Union talk. Unfortunately,
3:06
Speaker 1: was ill not able to join us this week, but
3:08
Speaker 1: I know he's going to be coming on at some
3:09
Speaker 1: point in the future. So land Man, let's get into
3:13
Speaker 1: some March Madness talk here. And look, I know that
3:17
Speaker 1: over the course of the past couple of years, I
3:19
Speaker 1: just have not been into men's college basketball and even
3:22
Speaker 1: March Madness over the past few years. I just really
3:25
Speaker 1: haven't been into the tournament too too much. But I
3:31
Speaker 1: still want to recognize the fact that you had some
3:36
Speaker 1: really interesting basketball games, like say number sixteen seeds like
3:42
Speaker 1: Alabama State Saint Francis. You know, you have a game
3:47
Speaker 1: like that that were really great. It gave us our
3:50
Speaker 1: first buzzer beater of the tournament before even the first
3:54
Speaker 1: round began, and these playing games, I mean, they are
3:58
Speaker 1: fun to watch from and entertainment perspective, I think they
4:02
Speaker 1: give a team like Alabama State a great tournament memory
4:07
Speaker 1: before having to play the number one overall seed. I
4:10
Speaker 1: just wanted to mention that because I know some folks
4:12
Speaker 1: are probably listening saying, how can you not be into
4:15
Speaker 1: March Madness and the NC Double A Tournament. It's just
4:18
Speaker 1: the level of talent over the years, I think has
4:20
Speaker 1: kind of dropped off. But I do recognize that when
4:22
Speaker 1: you have these moments like Alabama State had just a
4:25
Speaker 1: great tournament memory, that it's got to be recognized. So
4:28
Speaker 1: I just wanted to throw that out there before we
4:30
Speaker 1: start to getting into some of the NC DOUBLEA women's
4:33
Speaker 1: basketball stuff.
4:34
Speaker 2: When yeah, and there's other there's interesting, you know, like
4:38
Speaker 2: an interesting storyline right now with surrounding North Carolina, who
4:42
Speaker 2: won their their first four playing game last night. You know,
4:46
Speaker 2: here's a team that you know, when you were looking
4:48
Speaker 2: at the bubble teams, a lot of people thought they
4:51
Speaker 2: shouldn't be in. They get the basically the last you know,
4:55
Speaker 2: spot in the tournament, and everybody's complaining about that. And
4:58
Speaker 2: then you have the the head of the selection committee
5:01
Speaker 2: happens to be North Carolina's athletic director. And the optics
5:05
Speaker 2: of that are awful because we're saying these guys don't
5:08
Speaker 2: ever get in and you know, oh wink wink, nudge, nudge.
5:11
Speaker 2: Now they did. Look they they you know, won their
5:14
Speaker 2: their playing game pretty handley. And now they're coming in
5:17
Speaker 2: against an old miss team and I believe they may
5:21
Speaker 2: be favored against old myths. So maybe that's kind of
5:23
Speaker 2: a thing of like, hey man, we're North Carolina, you know,
5:27
Speaker 2: I know, you know, we didn't beat any of the
5:29
Speaker 2: top teams, but we're still these guys and now we've
5:32
Speaker 2: got a chip on our shoulder. Maybe that propels them
5:34
Speaker 2: to a run. Yeah, So that'll be that's another kind
5:37
Speaker 2: of interesting thing to follow with this.
5:39
Speaker 1: Absolutely yeah, absolutely, Look, I I've been I've been enjoying
5:45
Speaker 1: women's college basketball so much more over the past couple
5:49
Speaker 1: of years, and specifically, I mean a lot of us
5:52
Speaker 1: were really honed in on last year and the women's
5:56
Speaker 1: NCAA Tournament and the fact that what happened last year again,
6:01
Speaker 1: you know, talking about what Caitlyn Clark meant to women's
6:05
Speaker 1: college basketball. Angel Reese as well, you know, they really
6:08
Speaker 1: helped to propel the sport in so many ways in
6:10
Speaker 1: terms of its popularity, which has gotten it into a
6:13
Speaker 1: really strong place here. But I guess the question is
6:17
Speaker 1: will the ratings be as strong without those stars and
6:20
Speaker 1: is women's college basketball still going to be in a
6:23
Speaker 1: good place moving forward here? And I know that they
6:28
Speaker 1: have seen a bit of a dip that they've when
6:31
Speaker 1: I say they, you know, women's college basketball has seen
6:33
Speaker 1: a bit of a dip in terms of their attendance
6:37
Speaker 1: overall interest in terms of ratings. But you do have
6:41
Speaker 1: some pretty good stars out there, you really do, like
6:45
Speaker 1: Juju Watkins. You have some great brands that are out
6:49
Speaker 1: there as well, and I think women's basketball, specifically women's
6:53
Speaker 1: college basketball is still going to be strong. Great matchups
6:58
Speaker 1: really do help in this regard as well. When so,
7:01
Speaker 1: I don't think women's basketball college basketball is dead bindy stretch.
7:05
Speaker 1: We know that that's not happening. Slight dip, maybe it's
7:07
Speaker 1: because because of Caitlin Clark not being around, but I
7:11
Speaker 1: think women's college basketball is very strong and it's I
7:14
Speaker 1: think it's going to be here for a while in
7:16
Speaker 1: terms of like how monumentally successful it has become.
7:21
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, there's no denying the Caitlin Clark effects.
7:25
Speaker 2: I mean, it was huge with college basketball last year,
7:28
Speaker 2: and it's transferred over to the WNBA this year, and really,
7:32
Speaker 2: I mean, it can't help but dip a little bit
7:35
Speaker 2: because you don't have that level of star and that
7:39
Speaker 2: level of name effects tournament like you did that year.
7:42
Speaker 2: Now that being said, there are still names in this tournament,
7:46
Speaker 2: in the women's tournament more so than the men's, and
7:50
Speaker 2: I think that is part of the problem is you know, okay,
7:52
Speaker 2: I'm looking at the men's you know, you know tournament
7:56
Speaker 2: and okay, probably the biggest name to me is Cooper
7:59
Speaker 2: fleg Could because because he's, you know, going to be
8:02
Speaker 2: the number one overall pick. Outside of that, who the
8:05
Speaker 2: number the presumptive number two and number three picks play
8:09
Speaker 2: for Rutgers who aren't in the tournament. So, you know,
8:12
Speaker 2: and these guys that that you know are the big names,
8:16
Speaker 2: they're one and done's that's not the case in the
8:18
Speaker 2: women's game. You've got somebody like Paige Beckers, who's been
8:21
Speaker 2: at Connecticut for four years now. Caitlin Clark was was there,
8:25
Speaker 2: you know, per whole career. Juju Watkins is presumably going
8:29
Speaker 2: to be there for for at least three years at
8:32
Speaker 2: USC and then if she and that's going to be
8:36
Speaker 2: the thing that maybe maybe a we'll see a spike
8:38
Speaker 2: in a year or so if Juju Watkins starts to
8:41
Speaker 2: threaten Caitlin Clark's records because oh, now we got to
8:44
Speaker 2: watch this chase, you know. So there's there's stuff there,
8:48
Speaker 2: and there's there's familiarity, which and I think that's something
8:52
Speaker 2: that hurts the men's game is you don't have the
8:54
Speaker 2: big names because they're all either coming out of high
8:56
Speaker 2: school again too straight to the NBA, or they're spending
9:00
Speaker 2: a year in college and then they're out of there,
9:03
Speaker 2: and it's just like, you know, that's that's the issue
9:06
Speaker 2: with me and college sports in general nowadays, is like
9:10
Speaker 2: I don't know who's going to be on the team
9:11
Speaker 2: from one year to the next because of the transfer portal.
9:14
Speaker 2: So whereas I just feel like there's more continuity with
9:19
Speaker 2: players in the women's game. I'm not saying the transfers
9:21
Speaker 2: don't happen there, but the big names are going to
9:24
Speaker 2: be there for two to three years, and that doesn't
9:26
Speaker 2: happen in the men's game. Anymore. And I think that's
9:28
Speaker 2: why you're seeing more of an uptickt interest in the
9:32
Speaker 2: women's game versus the men's game, because you get to
9:35
Speaker 2: know the names, and the names are going to actually
9:38
Speaker 2: be there for a couple of years. Yeah, it's a
9:40
Speaker 2: good I think there's a lot to be said for that.
9:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think there's more parody too when it
9:45
Speaker 1: comes to women's college basketball. I mean, there isn't an
9:47
Speaker 1: undefeated team in women's college basketball this year, or and
9:52
Speaker 1: not necessarily a generational player like Caitlin Clark as there
9:57
Speaker 1: was last year. But I think there's more power in
10:00
Speaker 1: the sport for sure, and people aren't just watching on TV.
10:03
Speaker 1: They're actually showing up in arenas. They're showing up to
10:06
Speaker 1: the games themselves. I mean, the Power conferences have had
10:10
Speaker 1: really strong attendance marks too, so I mean the Big
10:13
Speaker 1: Ten they had its second highest average attendance in the
10:17
Speaker 1: last fifteen years or something to be said for that.
10:19
Speaker 1: I think there's more parody in the sport for sure.
10:23
Speaker 2: There definitely is. I mean, you have you know, you
10:25
Speaker 2: have a team in South Carolina that is kind of
10:29
Speaker 2: the juggernaut of this era in the way that maybe
10:32
Speaker 2: Yukon and Tennessee were in previous eras. I think South
10:37
Speaker 2: Carolina is that now. You know, you'll get teams that
10:40
Speaker 2: they'll jump up like LSU you know, every now and again,
10:42
Speaker 2: like they'll they'll win one or you know, Texas is
10:45
Speaker 2: a threat this year. But you know that's another storyline
10:48
Speaker 2: with with regard to Yukon. Okay, you've got this program
10:52
Speaker 2: where you know, people win multiple titles and Page Beckers
10:55
Speaker 2: is still trying to you know, win her first title
10:58
Speaker 2: at Yukon ye in Our Life last year. There, So
11:01
Speaker 2: that's a storyline, you know. So I don't know, I
11:05
Speaker 2: just feel like there's there's just more to hold onto
11:09
Speaker 2: there in terms of storylines than there is in the
11:11
Speaker 2: men's game.
11:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's gonna be interesting to watch. I'm gonna be uh,
11:15
Speaker 1: it's gonna be a fascinating watch actually to watch March
11:19
Speaker 1: Madness with regard to the women's side of things for
11:23
Speaker 1: sure this year, Buddy, you got anything else for this
11:25
Speaker 1: particular story before we head onto some Phillies talk.
11:29
Speaker 2: Now, let's let's do it all right, Philly's talk.
11:32
Speaker 1: Bryce and Stott. That's who we want to get into
11:35
Speaker 1: in terms of what the expectations are going to be
11:38
Speaker 1: for him this year. Scott zeleki Over at MLB dot
11:43
Speaker 1: com put out a story recently where he was really
11:47
Speaker 1: talking about how Scott injured a nerve in his right
11:50
Speaker 1: elbow last May and after that the rest of the season,
11:54
Speaker 1: whenever he swung and he actually missed a pitch or
11:57
Speaker 1: hyper extended it, he just felt this numb in his
12:00
Speaker 1: fingers and it really contributed to his struggles. Last year,
12:05
Speaker 1: Bryson stop batted two forty five. He had eleven home runs,
12:08
Speaker 1: fifty seven RBIs, a six seventy one OPS. Really took
12:12
Speaker 1: a step backward from that twenty twenty three year. That
12:16
Speaker 1: was very, very encouraging for US Phillies fans and certainly
12:20
Speaker 1: for him when he hit two eighty. He was batting
12:23
Speaker 1: two eighty in twenty twenty three he had fifteen homer
12:26
Speaker 1: sixty two RBIs, and seven forty eight OPS. But Len
12:31
Speaker 1: Bryson Stott, he's been healthy this spring. Keep our fingers
12:34
Speaker 1: cross here, I mean, yes, it's spring training. He's batting
12:37
Speaker 1: three ten, He's got one home run, five RBIs, ten walks,
12:42
Speaker 1: five strikeouts, and a nine toh one OPS in the
12:46
Speaker 1: thirteen Grapefruit League games at this point. I have hoped
12:50
Speaker 1: that Bryson Scott's going to be able to get back
12:52
Speaker 1: to essentially maybe what he was, maybe even better than
12:56
Speaker 1: he was in twenty twenty three. But I think now
12:59
Speaker 1: is the time for us to really see something from him,
13:02
Speaker 1: you know, right out of the gate, like right, I
13:04
Speaker 1: mean the seasons Like, I mean, what do we got
13:07
Speaker 1: like eight days left as of us recording this. Yeah,
13:10
Speaker 1: so I think right out of the gate, we're going
13:12
Speaker 1: to see a strong Bryson stud at least from an
13:14
Speaker 1: offensive perspective. That's that's, of course the hope. But I
13:18
Speaker 1: think that's what we're going to see. What are your
13:19
Speaker 1: thoughts here?
13:21
Speaker 2: Yeah, No, we have to we have to. You know,
13:24
Speaker 2: it can't just be the you know, the top three
13:26
Speaker 2: or four guys in the order, because you know that's
13:30
Speaker 2: going to be criticism all season long of you know,
13:33
Speaker 2: they didn't really do much in the off season, and
13:37
Speaker 2: granted you know that that's to be expected. You can't
13:40
Speaker 2: go out there and sign a three hundred million dollar
13:42
Speaker 2: guy every single year. It's just not sustainable. So you know, yes,
13:47
Speaker 2: there are going to have to be some years. You're
13:49
Speaker 2: singing it, right, now with the Eagles, where they're not
13:52
Speaker 2: going to be doing a lot in free agency because
13:54
Speaker 2: they're you know, they're trying to just keep things going
13:57
Speaker 2: for the next couple of years. So I get that. However,
14:00
Speaker 2: that means that that that you know, bump is going
14:04
Speaker 2: to have to come from within. Yeah, and if I
14:06
Speaker 2: have to come from guys like Bryson Stott and granted, look,
14:09
Speaker 2: you know, I know he was hurt, so you know,
14:11
Speaker 2: I'm not he didn't forget how to hit, let's put.
14:13
Speaker 1: It that way.
14:14
Speaker 2: So you know, I have hope that he can come
14:18
Speaker 2: back and be an important part of this team. And
14:21
Speaker 2: he's going to have to be. He's he's going to
14:23
Speaker 2: have to be another bat that that you know, just
14:26
Speaker 2: comes up because and you're gonna need it from the
14:28
Speaker 2: younger guys too. You know. Yes, we expect stuff out
14:31
Speaker 2: of you know, Harper and Schwarber and Turner, but those
14:35
Speaker 2: younger guys him and Boem need to, you know, need
14:39
Speaker 2: to step up and be a big presence in the lineup,
14:42
Speaker 2: you know, for for at least most of the year,
14:44
Speaker 2: because I know everybody goes through to you know, the
14:46
Speaker 2: slumps in a major league season. It happens but it
14:50
Speaker 2: can't be what it was last year for Bryson Stott.
14:52
Speaker 1: Absolutely. Look when it comes to the players who I
14:54
Speaker 1: think are some of the most consequential in terms of
14:57
Speaker 1: the players that you were just mentioning, whether it is
15:00
Speaker 1: Alec Bohm Bryson Stott. I mean, look, we know that
15:03
Speaker 1: Bryson Stott is going to be hitting in the lower
15:07
Speaker 1: half of the Phillies line up. But you know, Kevin Long,
15:12
Speaker 1: the hitting coach, said quote, I think he can hit
15:15
Speaker 1: three hundred in this league. Look, I don't think Bryson
15:18
Speaker 1: Scott's going to be hitting three hundred necessarily this year,
15:21
Speaker 1: but he's got a four to eighty seven on base
15:24
Speaker 1: percentage this spring, and yes it's a small sample size,
15:28
Speaker 1: but there's no reason that he can get on base
15:32
Speaker 1: more than he has in the past. I think I
15:34
Speaker 1: think it's absolutely possible for him. And that's why I
15:36
Speaker 1: think Bryson Stott is probably going to be one of
15:40
Speaker 1: the most consequential Phillies. You know, outside of you know,
15:44
Speaker 1: Trey Turner, Bryce Harper I and especially the starting pitchers
15:49
Speaker 1: as well, But I think Bryson Stott is going to
15:50
Speaker 1: be one of the most consequential guys on this team,
15:53
Speaker 1: for this team to see success this year, Lenn And
15:55
Speaker 1: what I mean by that is like, you know, getting
15:56
Speaker 1: back to the NLCS.
15:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, and if he can be that guy from two
16:01
Speaker 2: thousand and twenty three, you know, two eighty and with pop.
16:07
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, if he could hit two ninety
16:09
Speaker 2: or three hundred, awesome, that would be even better. But
16:11
Speaker 2: if he could just be that guy from twenty twenty three,
16:15
Speaker 2: I mean, that would go a long way and help
16:16
Speaker 2: him this team. You know, Like I said, I mean,
16:20
Speaker 2: you just can't, you know, get to get to that
16:23
Speaker 2: point in the playoffs and then have that that series
16:26
Speaker 2: where every just forgets how to hit right, like against
16:29
Speaker 2: Arizona a couple of years ago and the Mets last year.
16:32
Speaker 2: You can't. I don't know what happens the approach, but
16:35
Speaker 2: you know, hopefully that was the big acquisition this offseason
16:39
Speaker 2: for the Phillies, is their hitters approach at the plate,
16:43
Speaker 2: because it's been lacking the past couple of years. I'm sorry,
16:47
Speaker 2: it just has so Yeah, I mean, I'm expecting more
16:50
Speaker 2: out of Stock this year. And you know, he should
16:53
Speaker 2: hopefully feel a little bit of pressure because you've got
16:57
Speaker 2: Aiden Miller who's coming and he's listened as a short stop,
17:00
Speaker 2: and you know you've got Trey Turner who can be
17:05
Speaker 2: error prone at shortstop. So maybe down the line, you
17:07
Speaker 2: know you're not gonna get rid of Trey Turner with
17:09
Speaker 2: all the money you're paying him. So maybe he slides
17:11
Speaker 2: over the second when Aiden Miller is ready to come up. Yeah,
17:14
Speaker 2: and then all of a sudden, uh oh, So Bryson
17:17
Speaker 2: Stott doesn't start showing that he's a piece of the
17:20
Speaker 2: future here, he's gonna find himself a piece of the past.
17:23
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that's it's a good way to say it,
17:28
Speaker 1: for sure, But lend you know, I'd love to get
17:30
Speaker 1: your thoughts and opinions too on you know what Eric
17:32
Speaker 1: and I were talking about on the show last week.
17:35
Speaker 1: You know, we were talking about whether or not Brandon
17:37
Speaker 1: Marsh should be the everyday center fielder on this team.
17:41
Speaker 1: As you know, Rob Thompson was saying and Eric was saying,
17:43
Speaker 1: you know, maybe it's just Rob Thompson given lip service
17:46
Speaker 1: at this particular point in spring training, saying that he
17:49
Speaker 1: believes that Brandon Marsh can be an everyday center fielder.
17:54
Speaker 1: I I came out and said, you know, give him
17:56
Speaker 1: the chance. Really like maybe for the first six weeks
17:59
Speaker 1: of the sea, maybe the first two months of the season.
18:02
Speaker 1: Give Brandon Marsh the chance. Yes, we know what the
18:05
Speaker 1: numbers look like in terms of him hitting against lefties.
18:08
Speaker 1: Not great, a couple of years ago. Wasn't awful, wasn't terrible.
18:13
Speaker 1: I feel like there may be something within him that
18:15
Speaker 1: if he's given the chance and given the opportunities, you know,
18:19
Speaker 1: on a weekly basis, to be able to hit against lefties,
18:22
Speaker 1: then we should give him the chance to do that.
18:24
Speaker 1: Because I think that's why they brought him into here.
18:26
Speaker 1: It's why they made that trade initially. I don't know
18:28
Speaker 1: what are your thoughts. Do you think he can be
18:30
Speaker 1: that everyday center field er on this Phillies team, because
18:33
Speaker 1: it would absolutely help them because I honestly don't know
18:36
Speaker 1: if the platoon's been getting it done over all these years.
18:40
Speaker 2: I think he's a stop gap. And look, Thompson is
18:44
Speaker 2: is talking him up because that's what you gotta do,
18:46
Speaker 2: you know, with your with your players, you know, in
18:49
Speaker 2: spring training and in general. I mean, you want to
18:51
Speaker 2: get them to believe in themselves and you want to
18:54
Speaker 2: get them to feel like they you know, they can
18:57
Speaker 2: be here. I mean to me. He's an awesome fourth outfielder.
19:03
Speaker 2: You know, if you got to pla him in a corner,
19:05
Speaker 2: that's fine too. Can he stick in center defensively, athletically
19:10
Speaker 2: and defensively. I think he's decent enough for for you know,
19:15
Speaker 2: for now. Yeah, he's decent enough. But you know, when
19:18
Speaker 2: I think of the Philly center field or the future,
19:22
Speaker 2: you know, I'm thinking of Justin Crawford, not right right,
19:26
Speaker 2: uh Marsh, yeah, not Brandon Marsh so or or if
19:31
Speaker 2: there's somebody else in that system. That's who I want
19:34
Speaker 2: in center long term, if they can stick, and not Marsh,
19:37
Speaker 2: because I just I mean it's crazy. I mean for
19:40
Speaker 2: a team with such you know, championship aspirations, I mean
19:45
Speaker 2: you look at the outfield and it's kind of you know, Okay,
19:49
Speaker 2: Casianos is all right in the right field, but you know,
19:53
Speaker 2: I is he a top ten right fielder in baseball?
19:56
Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't think so. And then centerfield
19:59
Speaker 2: is you know, you've got you know, you've got Marsh
20:02
Speaker 2: out there because Johann Rojas couldn't hack it. And then
20:07
Speaker 2: you know, left field, you know, there's really there's there's
20:12
Speaker 2: not much in the outfield for a team as good
20:14
Speaker 2: as the Phillies are, there's really not much out there
20:17
Speaker 2: in the outfield, which is surprising.
20:19
Speaker 1: I'm a Max Kepler believer.
20:22
Speaker 2: That makes one of.
20:22
Speaker 1: Us kidding, not kidding, I don't know. I just say
20:27
Speaker 1: he's had a decent spring and I know it's again,
20:29
Speaker 1: I know it's spring training. I get it. I know
20:32
Speaker 1: you know it's not it's they're not necessarily putting everything
20:35
Speaker 1: into it during spring training in a decent way. Then again,
20:39
Speaker 1: he did exit the game against the O's, I believe
20:42
Speaker 1: with with some back pain. But I think he was
20:46
Speaker 1: back in the lineup yesterday. If I'm not mistakes, he's decent.
20:49
Speaker 2: But honestly, what to see, I mean, I don't see
20:53
Speaker 2: huge difference between him and Austin Hayes from last year.
20:56
Speaker 2: I mean, if you if you gave them both a
20:57
Speaker 2: full season, yeah, I think they're pretty much close to
21:01
Speaker 2: the same guy.
21:02
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's gonna it's gonna be. It's gonna be fun
21:04
Speaker 1: to watch though, right out of the gate. And next week, folks,
21:07
Speaker 1: we are gonna have our Phillies season preview. That's gonna
21:11
Speaker 1: be next week's show. Can't wait for that. So you
21:14
Speaker 1: got any other Phillies talk here, buddy, before we head
21:17
Speaker 1: into some Brandon Graham talk, before we talk about his
21:21
Speaker 1: career with the Eagles and anything else with the Phills, Bud.
21:24
Speaker 2: Well, just, you know, notation ranger Suarez is kind of
21:29
Speaker 2: they're just looking at him with back stiffness, and this
21:32
Speaker 2: is something that he had an issue with twice last season,
21:35
Speaker 2: So it's just something to keep an eye on. That's
21:38
Speaker 2: why they kept a guy like Taiwan Walker around. Even
21:41
Speaker 2: though Walker and he did kind of get hit around
21:43
Speaker 2: today against the Yankees. I mean, the velocity is still up,
21:46
Speaker 2: so that's a good thing, and that's something he's gonna
21:49
Speaker 2: have to have if he's gonna if he's gonna, you know,
21:52
Speaker 2: be the number five starter if for if for whatever reason,
21:55
Speaker 2: Suarez or anybody else is down for a prolonged period
21:57
Speaker 2: of time. But yeah, I mean, I kind of had
22:01
Speaker 2: a feeling that they were going to need Walker for depth.
22:04
Speaker 2: And of course it's it's rear and it's ug we
22:06
Speaker 2: had already possibly with with Suarez in his back, so
22:10
Speaker 2: we'll have to monitor that and see what goes on there.
22:12
Speaker 1: Absolutely all right, Well, let's move on here before we
22:17
Speaker 1: get to our break here, we wanted to just talk
22:21
Speaker 1: about Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagle for fifteen seasons and now retired,
22:27
Speaker 1: officially retired. He had his press conference at the Novacare
22:31
Speaker 1: Complex just a couple of days ago, and just wanted
22:35
Speaker 1: to remember him. And of course, you know, Len, we
22:38
Speaker 1: all remember Super Bowl fifty two, the strip sack at
22:41
Speaker 1: the end of the game that helped seal things for
22:43
Speaker 1: the Eagles probably the greatest could be, could be the
22:48
Speaker 1: greatest defensive play by a Philadelphia Eagle ever when we
22:53
Speaker 1: look at it. I mean, look, they just won the
22:56
Speaker 1: Super Bowl with Cooper dejene an amazing pick six against
23:00
Speaker 1: Patrick Mahomes, and this, this recent Super Bowl is still
23:05
Speaker 1: very very fresh in our minds. But for the Eagles
23:07
Speaker 1: to get their very first Super Bowl because of the
23:10
Speaker 1: help of a defensive play and that strip sack that
23:14
Speaker 1: Brandon Graham just laid on Tom Brady and you and
23:17
Speaker 1: I watching it next to each other at the bar
23:20
Speaker 1: up at Penn State. You know, our longtime listeners have
23:23
Speaker 1: heard our conversations about that moment and what that meant
23:26
Speaker 1: to us. But man, I I remember him getting jerked around.
23:30
Speaker 1: You know, remember Chip Kelly had him playing linebacker for
23:33
Speaker 1: two seasons, right, I think that I think that's what
23:35
Speaker 1: he what he what he was playing. I think it
23:38
Speaker 1: was for two seasons. I think, yes, yeah, and he
23:41
Speaker 1: was playing outside linebacker. And boy, talk about talk about
23:45
Speaker 1: an incredible career. I don't know, what do you what
23:48
Speaker 1: were your thoughts when you heard? I mean I was sad.
23:51
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, just because he's been a staple
23:54
Speaker 1: of our Eagles football life for so long. I was sad,
23:58
Speaker 1: but like happy for him to.
24:01
Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean I watched the retirement press conference live
24:04
Speaker 2: when it happened, and I mean that's the way to
24:08
Speaker 2: go out though, right, yeah, I mean, yeah, why why
24:12
Speaker 2: hang around? You know, you've been facing these nagging injuries.
24:14
Speaker 2: He you know, re injured his arm, his his triceps
24:17
Speaker 2: in the actual game itself, so I'd have to get
24:20
Speaker 2: surgery again. So you've already been doing the Willie or
24:24
Speaker 2: wonly come back for two years. Now, you just won
24:27
Speaker 2: the Super Bowl. You're not going to get a better
24:29
Speaker 2: ending than this one. It's time, so I mean, and
24:33
Speaker 2: and really, I mean you want to talk about the
24:36
Speaker 2: poster boy for you know, maybe we need to cool
24:39
Speaker 2: our jets sometimes with these guys when they're young in
24:41
Speaker 2: their careers. You know, this is a guy that you know,
24:46
Speaker 2: and he mentioned a couple of times in his in
24:48
Speaker 2: his retirement press conference, so you know, he was considered
24:51
Speaker 2: a bust at a certain point. He was a guy
24:54
Speaker 2: that I remember, you know, this is before you know,
24:57
Speaker 2: we started doing the show, but I remember like screaming,
25:00
Speaker 2: Earl Thomas, Earl Thomas, Earl Thomas, why are they drafting
25:03
Speaker 2: another defensive lineman? And again this is back before you
25:07
Speaker 2: know we really saw the fruits of the you know,
25:10
Speaker 2: drafting for the trenches philosophy. It just seemed like, you know,
25:15
Speaker 2: they were just adding on to a position they didn't
25:17
Speaker 2: need at that time and ignoring a backfield that they're
25:22
Speaker 2: a secondary that they did need stuff on. So yeah,
25:26
Speaker 2: I mean, he was a guy that I was not
25:27
Speaker 2: happy to see here when he was drafted because I
25:30
Speaker 2: just thought they were ignoring a need. And then the
25:33
Speaker 2: guy that those first couple of seasons it was just
25:36
Speaker 2: like see and then you know, and then it worked out.
25:39
Speaker 2: I mean, and that's to his credit because he put
25:41
Speaker 2: the work in. You know, he believed in himself, and
25:44
Speaker 2: he talked about that a lot in that press conference,
25:46
Speaker 2: about the older guys on the team like Trent Cole
25:50
Speaker 2: and guys like that, and Jason Peters that that really
25:53
Speaker 2: you know, stayed in his ear and told him to
25:56
Speaker 2: stick with it, and he talked a lot about, you know,
25:59
Speaker 2: paying it forward to the younger guys, and that's it's
26:02
Speaker 2: an important thing, and it's why I'm glad he's probably
26:05
Speaker 2: going to end up with a role with the team,
26:08
Speaker 2: you know, going forward here, I'm pretty sure he's going
26:11
Speaker 2: to still be around the Novacare Complex. And I think
26:14
Speaker 2: that's a good thing, because you want to talk about
26:16
Speaker 2: a guy that's been there as a potential bust, has
26:19
Speaker 2: seen the lows, lowest lows, and has seen the highest highs.
26:22
Speaker 2: I mean, that's a guy whose perspective is worthy of
26:26
Speaker 2: having around.
26:27
Speaker 1: Absolutely. Look you when he was initially drafted, I love
26:31
Speaker 1: how you you did the logical thing. You're like, you
26:34
Speaker 1: know what, it's not something that this team needs. I
26:38
Speaker 1: don't know about that.
26:38
Speaker 2: I think that's what most people do well.
26:40
Speaker 1: I really do well. But then then you have me.
26:43
Speaker 1: When Andy Reid drafted Brandon Graham with the thirteenth overall
26:47
Speaker 1: pick in two thousand, that draft, I don't like him
26:50
Speaker 1: because he came from Michigan, yeah, and.
26:55
Speaker 2: I think I think when you're a younger person, yes,
26:59
Speaker 2: you let your let your fandom kind of get the
27:01
Speaker 2: way of common sense.
27:02
Speaker 1: Sometimes really was I was like, Ah, this freaking guy
27:06
Speaker 1: from Michigan. I'm like, ah, this this stinks.
27:10
Speaker 2: I still make fun of you about like whenever they
27:12
Speaker 2: draft the Penn Sator, I'm like, oh, perfect draft pick
27:15
Speaker 2: for Jeff exactly. Yes, you know, but yeah, I mean
27:19
Speaker 2: people had their reasons for not liking when he first came,
27:22
Speaker 2: and he, to his credit, he stuck with it and
27:26
Speaker 2: he worked hard and he became the player that he became,
27:30
Speaker 2: and yeah, he deserves every bit of credit that he
27:35
Speaker 2: got and every good thing that happened to him.
27:37
Speaker 1: I got to tell you, the culture around this Eagles
27:40
Speaker 1: team right now as we are talking here in twenty
27:42
Speaker 1: twenty five is pretty incredible to me. Our good friend
27:46
Speaker 1: of the show, and he was on last week Ed Kratz.
27:49
Speaker 1: He's been covering the team for I think twelve years
27:52
Speaker 1: being a beat writer. He put up an article today
27:54
Speaker 1: about Lane Johnson and how Lane Johnson specifically within that
27:58
Speaker 1: article was talking about you know what it's it's all
28:01
Speaker 1: about mentoring the younger guys if they want to draft
28:03
Speaker 1: my replacement of the future. You know what, I'm gonna
28:05
Speaker 1: be right there mentoring that person. You mentioned it with
28:08
Speaker 1: Brandon Graham. He was there mentoring some of the younger
28:12
Speaker 1: guys on defense, learning from other guys as well, like
28:15
Speaker 1: you mentioned Jason Peters and learning from Trent Cole. But
28:21
Speaker 1: I think this Eagles team has gotten this culture of
28:27
Speaker 1: we want to help the next man up. You know what,
28:29
Speaker 1: We are a talented group or a talented bunch of
28:31
Speaker 1: guys on the field, and we do great things off
28:34
Speaker 1: the field as well, but we want to be there
28:37
Speaker 1: to mentor the next generation that's coming up. There is
28:40
Speaker 1: something to be said for that type of culture, and
28:43
Speaker 1: the Eagles have it. Not too many teams have that,
28:45
Speaker 1: man and I hope they can continue to keep it
28:48
Speaker 1: well into the future because it's gonna breed success year
28:51
Speaker 1: after year after year. And look, there's gonna be some
28:54
Speaker 1: down years. But I love that mentoring aspect of what
28:57
Speaker 1: this Eagles team has become when.
29:00
Speaker 2: And it's funny because it permeates outside of the organization
29:04
Speaker 2: to the fan base. I was reading an article about
29:06
Speaker 2: Fred Johnson signing a deal with the Jaguars, their swing tackle,
29:10
Speaker 2: and you know, most people are like, hey, all right,
29:14
Speaker 2: you know, cool, he got you know, he got paid
29:16
Speaker 2: good for him. Other people are like, oh, it's all
29:19
Speaker 2: about the money. But a lot of the things I
29:22
Speaker 2: saw were just people just going all right, well, you know,
29:26
Speaker 2: Stalin will Stalin will just coach somebody else up and
29:29
Speaker 2: turnament and just this automatic just belief that that they're
29:34
Speaker 2: going to go to Stalin you and they're just going
29:36
Speaker 2: to keep cranking out good offensive line and it's like, hey,
29:39
Speaker 2: you know, thanks for what you did here. We wish
29:40
Speaker 2: you the best, and we'll get the next guy rolling.
29:43
Speaker 2: And it's just it's just I mean, you gotta like
29:49
Speaker 2: just growing up in that in the area and just
29:52
Speaker 2: listen to w Ip all my life just that level
29:56
Speaker 2: things will be fine, Like what like that? That is
29:59
Speaker 2: that That is not what I grew up with, ma'am.
30:02
Speaker 2: So it's it's just funny and shocking and refreshing just
30:08
Speaker 2: to hear that. I mean, that is that is the
30:12
Speaker 2: goodwill that this organization has garnered at this point. And
30:16
Speaker 2: you're not going to see with every team. I mean,
30:18
Speaker 2: we're gonna talk about a couple organizations here coming up
30:21
Speaker 2: within the city that do not have that level of goodwill, right,
30:24
Speaker 2: but the Eagles have it right now.
30:26
Speaker 1: It's a great way to end that segment right there,
30:29
Speaker 1: and we are going to be heading to our first
30:32
Speaker 1: break here. Make sure to follow us on the interwebs
30:37
Speaker 1: out there. You can certainly head on over to Philadelphia
30:38
Speaker 1: Sports Table dot com check out all of our shows
30:42
Speaker 1: over there. If something ever happens to your podcast, feed
30:44
Speaker 1: again Philadelphia Sports Table dot com. Search out the Philadelphia
30:47
Speaker 1: Sports Table on various social media sites and follow us,
30:52
Speaker 1: give us a five star rating and review us on
30:56
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, whatever podcast platform you are listening to
31:00
Speaker 1: us on. We're gonna take a break right now and
31:03
Speaker 1: we will be back in just a bit. All right,
31:07
Speaker 1: We are back here at my good buddy Len Hunsicker,
31:10
Speaker 1: and we're gonna be getting into some Sixers and Flyers
31:14
Speaker 1: talk to then end the show with regard to this
31:18
Speaker 1: Philadelphia seventy six ers team. I mean, you know Eric
31:21
Speaker 1: and I last week, Lenn talking about how you know
31:23
Speaker 1: it's officially tank time for this team. It's, by the way,
31:27
Speaker 1: officially tanked time for a number of other teams in
31:30
Speaker 1: the NBA as well. But we know that Joel Embiid
31:33
Speaker 1: is out for the year. I mean, he's got knee
31:36
Speaker 1: issues that he is specifically dealing with now. Paul George
31:40
Speaker 1: he's out for the season. He's been getting injections on
31:44
Speaker 1: a number of occasions throughout this season. Tyrese Maxie he
31:48
Speaker 1: had been injured and not on the court. And then
31:51
Speaker 1: we hear just a few days ago that the NBA
31:53
Speaker 1: is investigating the Sixers about Tyrese Maxey and Paul George
31:58
Speaker 1: missing some games with regard to tanking. And we just
32:02
Speaker 1: wanted to give our thoughts on what seems to be
32:04
Speaker 1: an NBA front office that is consistently coming after this
32:08
Speaker 1: seventy six Ers organization, whether it is justified or not.
32:14
Speaker 1: And I say that to get this started, Land, I
32:17
Speaker 1: mean Joel Embiid. I know they're not necessarily coming after
32:21
Speaker 1: quote coming after the Sixers because of Embiid, but and
32:25
Speaker 1: be it, at this point, I don't even know if
32:26
Speaker 1: he has a meniscus anymore in his knees. But with
32:30
Speaker 1: Paul George, we know that for the past couple months,
32:33
Speaker 1: we've heard the reports that he has been getting injections,
32:37
Speaker 1: and whether it's his groin, I believe, you know, in
32:42
Speaker 1: his back, his knee as well, he's admitted that he's
32:46
Speaker 1: playing through this pain and doctors have been treating him,
32:50
Speaker 1: and it obviously hasn't been a good season. Same thing
32:54
Speaker 1: with Tyrese Maxey, his back, his finger. He's been having
32:57
Speaker 1: some major issues here. But yeah, Philly does have real
33:01
Speaker 1: motivation to Tank's first round pick this year belongs to OKC.
33:06
Speaker 1: It's top six protected, but tanking is not a bad
33:12
Speaker 1: way to keep that pick for sure. Here. So at
33:16
Speaker 1: this point in the season, from what I read, they've
33:19
Speaker 1: about a sixty two point one percent chance of retaining
33:22
Speaker 1: that top six pick after the lottery here with these
33:27
Speaker 1: guys not really playing, and like you mentioned earlier at
33:30
Speaker 1: the top of the show, we basically don't know who
33:32
Speaker 1: half this team is when they're on the court anyway,
33:36
Speaker 1: I don't know, you know, teams do this year after
33:39
Speaker 1: year after year when they know that they're not going anywhere.
33:43
Speaker 1: I mean, just look at the Washington Wizards and the
33:45
Speaker 1: mess that they have been for years. A bunch of
33:48
Speaker 1: other teams, you know, whether it's the Pelicans as well.
33:53
Speaker 1: I feel like the NBA is really picking on the
33:55
Speaker 1: sixers a lot, and maybe it's justified, like I said,
33:58
Speaker 1: but I think they really have it out for this
34:00
Speaker 1: still because of what the process was. We're certainly not
34:03
Speaker 1: in the process anymore. But just when it comes to
34:06
Speaker 1: the Sixers and the word tank, it's it's like a
34:10
Speaker 1: laser that Adam Silver is just putting on this Sixers
34:13
Speaker 1: organization and Darryl Morey. So I don't know, I don't
34:16
Speaker 1: know what are your thoughts here? Man?
34:19
Speaker 2: See all right? So I feel a couple of different
34:20
Speaker 2: ways about it. So on one hand, you know, like
34:25
Speaker 2: with regard to Paul George, like, so we know Mbid
34:29
Speaker 2: needs to be out for the year, and we're pretty
34:31
Speaker 2: sure that Paul George needs to be out for the year.
34:34
Speaker 2: Maxie is maybe less of a certainty, but for all
34:37
Speaker 2: intensive purposes, what's the upshot of keeping him in? But really, like,
34:42
Speaker 2: if you're some kid in Indianapolis go into a Pacer
34:45
Speaker 2: Sixers game, are you really going to sit there and go, oh, man,
34:49
Speaker 2: I wanted to see Tyree Maxy, Like he's not Victor
34:53
Speaker 2: Wembin Yama, right, or le Bron James or one of
34:57
Speaker 2: the marquee names in the league. Like nobody's buying a
34:59
Speaker 2: tick it. I mean, I don't know, I just who's
35:03
Speaker 2: buying a ticket to see Tyrese Maxey. You know, yes
35:08
Speaker 2: he is he the best player on the Sixers at
35:10
Speaker 2: this point, I do think so. But is he that
35:12
Speaker 2: kind of household name that you if you're in an
35:15
Speaker 2: opposing city that you're buying a ticket to see. No,
35:18
Speaker 2: he's not. Now, so with that thing, it's just like, Okay,
35:22
Speaker 2: get off their case with the whole tank thing. However,
35:26
Speaker 2: I do notice that I've had a change in my
35:30
Speaker 2: own personal belief in the past few years. I used
35:34
Speaker 2: to be on that bandwagon, Oh the NBA, they're they're
35:37
Speaker 2: they're t And yes, do I think that they have
35:40
Speaker 2: that they have some kind of like you know, you know,
35:44
Speaker 2: with the Sixers over the whole process, Yes, I do.
35:47
Speaker 2: I think there is still some of that. But at
35:49
Speaker 2: the same time, honestly, this front office has not been
35:53
Speaker 2: honest with this fan base with the handling of the
35:57
Speaker 2: whole mb thing. So at this point, you know what
36:01
Speaker 2: if Adam Silver wants to put the Sixers in a
36:04
Speaker 2: position where it's just like, man, this front office has
36:08
Speaker 2: been dishonest, and maybe it's better off we get rid
36:10
Speaker 2: of them, because honestly, this front office sucks. It sucks.
36:15
Speaker 2: They're not good. I just I have no faith in
36:19
Speaker 2: this front office. And again, I don't think they're honest
36:22
Speaker 2: with this fan base. Daryl Morey can go, I've got
36:27
Speaker 2: no real desire to see him stick around. The owner
36:32
Speaker 2: can go. I mean, I think out of the three
36:34
Speaker 2: teams he owns, I definitely think the Sixers are at
36:37
Speaker 2: the bottom of his priority list. So what's the point.
36:42
Speaker 2: I just I don't know. I don't there's nobody in
36:47
Speaker 2: that front office that I'm willing to, you know, to
36:50
Speaker 2: put up a fight for and say, oh no, Adam Silver,
36:54
Speaker 2: please don't take them away from us, you know what
36:56
Speaker 2: I mean. I don't care. Yeah, I don't care about
36:59
Speaker 2: this front office. You know. Uh again, you'll you're probably
37:04
Speaker 2: gonna get a lot more engaging basketball talk with Eric
37:07
Speaker 2: and you're gonna get with me. But I just, especially
37:10
Speaker 2: with this front office, I'm just I'm just so down
37:13
Speaker 2: on this organization right now. It's just they they've they've
37:17
Speaker 2: lost me. And the fact that you were doing this
37:20
Speaker 2: whole thing with you know, with Chinatown or we're gonna
37:26
Speaker 2: or we're gonna move to Camden, all right, go ahead, yeah,
37:29
Speaker 2: you know, like that, that whole thing, and now they're
37:32
Speaker 2: just the fact that you get with the way you
37:33
Speaker 2: guys run your team, you have the audacity to ask
37:38
Speaker 2: for a new stadium. Go screw on it.
37:40
Speaker 1: Like it's a really good point.
37:42
Speaker 2: Like honestly, you got to read the room just a
37:46
Speaker 2: little bit.
37:47
Speaker 1: Yeah, look this, out of all, out of all the
37:51
Speaker 1: teams in Philadelphia at this point, you have no leg
37:56
Speaker 1: to exactly, I mean, out of all the teams here
38:00
Speaker 1: we have out of the four majors and you could
38:04
Speaker 1: say five Philly sports teams including the Philadelphia Union, who
38:09
Speaker 1: by the way, we're gonna be talking about that team
38:12
Speaker 1: and what they're doing right out of the gate and
38:14
Speaker 1: the very near future on this podcast. It's amazing how
38:17
Speaker 1: this Sixers team is at the bottom in terms of
38:21
Speaker 1: how it is being run, in terms of it seems
38:25
Speaker 1: like it's level of dedication toward the fan base. It
38:29
Speaker 1: really is amazing. Eagles coming off a championship, the Phillies
38:33
Speaker 1: likely going to be contending in the postseason, you know,
38:37
Speaker 1: based on what their roster is, and again the expectations
38:42
Speaker 1: the Flyers, yes, we're gonna get to them in a
38:44
Speaker 1: bit here, really crap in the bed. But in the
38:46
Speaker 1: midst of a rebuild, Danny Brier and the ownership making
38:51
Speaker 1: some pretty good decisions at least in my opinion on
38:54
Speaker 1: where this team is gonna go in terms of that
38:56
Speaker 1: restructuring within the years to come again with the union
39:00
Speaker 1: right out of the gate, you know, looking pretty good
39:03
Speaker 1: in the Eastern Conference thus far, You've got the Sixers
39:07
Speaker 1: at the bottom of the barrel here, not giving their
39:10
Speaker 1: fan base much like you were talking about, really kind
39:12
Speaker 1: of taking advantage of the fan base in a lot
39:14
Speaker 1: of different ways. It's surprised me two years ago if
39:18
Speaker 1: you had have told me that the Philadelphia seventy six
39:20
Speaker 1: Ers would be in this position. For me, and maybe
39:24
Speaker 1: I'm just being naive about this, I wouldn't have believed it.
39:27
Speaker 1: But here we are today.
39:28
Speaker 2: Line yeah, I just I don't know. There's just no
39:34
Speaker 2: goodwill at all. There's no fit, there's no like. At
39:37
Speaker 2: least the Flyers. You've got a young, you know, guy
39:40
Speaker 2: that you can dream on in Mitchkoff. You've got draft
39:44
Speaker 2: picks coming up, which who knows that the Sixers are
39:46
Speaker 2: going to have that like? And believe me, the Flyers
39:50
Speaker 2: have plenty awards that we're about to get into. Oh yeah,
39:53
Speaker 2: but if I had to, if I had to, you
39:56
Speaker 2: know rank futures. I'm more bullish on the Flyers future
39:59
Speaker 2: than i I'm the Sixers future at this point.
40:01
Speaker 1: Yep. Absolutely, And we're gonna get into the Flyers in
40:05
Speaker 1: just a bit. We are going to take another quick
40:07
Speaker 1: quick break here, folks, pay some bills. We're going to
40:10
Speaker 1: be back in just a bit with some Flyers. Talk
40:12
Speaker 1: to close us out, stick with us. All right, we
40:15
Speaker 1: are back and Len, let's close out this show talking
40:19
Speaker 1: about this Philadelphia Flyers team, the restructuring, the rebuild. Where
40:23
Speaker 1: the realities of this rebuild really starting to sink in
40:29
Speaker 1: for this team. Look, if you look at last year,
40:32
Speaker 1: last season was surprisingly good all around. I mean they
40:36
Speaker 1: were looking at a potential playoff spot and then just
40:40
Speaker 1: completely fell off at the end of the season when
40:42
Speaker 1: Sam Erson was fatigued, Sean Walker was traded for a
40:48
Speaker 1: forward thinking type of haul at the trade deadline. But
40:52
Speaker 1: man boy, this season now we are after a slew
40:56
Speaker 1: of trades here in the midst of just of of nowhere,
41:02
Speaker 1: And that's what a rebuild is. Look, no Morgan Frost anymore,
41:07
Speaker 1: Joel Farrabee anymore. They've been sent elsewhere. Andre Kuzmenko was
41:12
Speaker 1: here for about five minutes. He was shipped off as well.
41:17
Speaker 1: Eric Johnson was shipped off before the trade deadline as well.
41:21
Speaker 1: You know this year, what we are seeing len at
41:24
Speaker 1: this latter part of this Flyer season, This is the
41:27
Speaker 1: tough part of the rebuild. This is the tough part
41:30
Speaker 1: that we're just gonna have to get through. We're gonna
41:33
Speaker 1: have the NHL Draft and this Flyers draft sooner rather
41:36
Speaker 1: than later. That's what we're all clamoring for and this
41:40
Speaker 1: upcoming offseason to see what they do. And also next
41:43
Speaker 1: year too, next year when we have mattve Mitchkoff developing more,
41:49
Speaker 1: you know, when we see what's gonna be around the
41:51
Speaker 1: corner in terms of these draft picks this coming year.
41:55
Speaker 1: So man, it's tough to watch this team, especially when
41:58
Speaker 1: they get blown out by Carolina the way they did
42:01
Speaker 1: a few nights ago. It's like, what was it five
42:02
Speaker 1: to nothing? And then yeah, yeah the Lightning. I believe
42:07
Speaker 1: they were shut out to nothing. Just not a lot
42:09
Speaker 1: of offense from this Flyers team. And again, this is
42:12
Speaker 1: the tough part of this whole restructure. And right now
42:16
Speaker 1: a lot of young guys. They certainly have older guys
42:18
Speaker 1: like Travis Konnectney and Sean Coatorrier, but they're really not
42:23
Speaker 1: able to provide that much of a foundation for these
42:26
Speaker 1: younger guys. A lot of these younger guys really need
42:28
Speaker 1: to start stepping up and showing who they are and
42:30
Speaker 1: what type of hockey players they are. It's tough, man,
42:34
Speaker 1: It's tough to watch. But this is I guess what
42:37
Speaker 1: happens with the Flyers rebuild.
42:40
Speaker 2: I mean, I don't know.
42:43
Speaker 1: I seem more optimistic than you do, maybe.
42:47
Speaker 2: And you are. And this is coming from someone that
42:49
Speaker 2: just said I'm more optimistic about the Flyers that rebuilt
42:52
Speaker 2: that I am the six Ers. I still wonder about
42:55
Speaker 2: their player development because this isn't something that like, oh,
43:00
Speaker 2: they were in the playoffs two years ago and now
43:02
Speaker 2: they've been bad for a while. I mean, this has
43:05
Speaker 2: been going on for a little while. I'm glad Mitchkoff
43:08
Speaker 2: is here. He's had his moments where he's looked really good.
43:11
Speaker 2: He has other moments where it seems like he, like Tortorella,
43:14
Speaker 2: is wanting to glooe him to the bench. That's my
43:18
Speaker 2: own concern there with the coach, what is happening with
43:22
Speaker 2: the player development. Joel Farrabee was the guy that was
43:24
Speaker 2: drafted in the middle of the first round. He turned
43:27
Speaker 2: out to like to not you know, he got traded
43:31
Speaker 2: and hasn't really done anything in Calgary. Same thing with
43:34
Speaker 2: Morgan Frost. He was a first round pick. You know,
43:36
Speaker 2: yes it was the end of the first round, but
43:38
Speaker 2: he was a first round pick. And then another guy
43:40
Speaker 2: that got traded and there's really not much happening there
43:44
Speaker 2: for him. But what does that say about the development?
43:48
Speaker 2: I don't know. I just I don't know. And this
43:52
Speaker 2: team is, let's face it, this team is devoid of talent.
43:55
Speaker 2: You've got Connectne and Mitchkoff, who I think could play
43:58
Speaker 2: for any team in this league. You got Owen Tibbett,
44:02
Speaker 2: who you know, on a really good team Stanley Cup,
44:06
Speaker 2: you know, hopeful would be probably a third liner, you know,
44:10
Speaker 2: and he's you know, one of our better players. Outside
44:13
Speaker 2: of that, Like, I don't know, Like when I think
44:16
Speaker 2: of like, is Bobby Brink going to be in that
44:19
Speaker 2: same Farrabee you know, Cesspool. You look at the guys
44:22
Speaker 2: further down the system that haven't made that the team,
44:24
Speaker 2: like a Denver Barkie, you guys like that, Like are
44:27
Speaker 2: they going to be Like I don't know, just with
44:29
Speaker 2: with the Flyers track record of development, I don't know.
44:33
Speaker 2: I like, I I want more. This guy is a
44:37
Speaker 2: bona fide stud coming in. You can't possibly screw this
44:40
Speaker 2: guy up. That's what thing they need, no doubt about it, talent,
44:44
Speaker 2: and and this team sorely lacks that right now. I mean,
44:49
Speaker 2: I don't think any coach could could do well with
44:52
Speaker 2: this team and their talent level as it stands right now.
44:55
Speaker 2: And that's why this drift coming up is so important.
44:59
Speaker 2: I mean, if it were to fall the way it's
45:02
Speaker 2: it is as of this moment, where you know, you know,
45:07
Speaker 2: and no change is due to the lottery or whatever,
45:10
Speaker 2: the Flyers would have the fifth pick. They would also
45:13
Speaker 2: have two picks in the twenties in the first round.
45:16
Speaker 2: They would have twenty three and twenty four. They would
45:19
Speaker 2: have four second round picks. So I mean, are they
45:25
Speaker 2: going to keep all those picks? I doubt it. I
45:26
Speaker 2: would imagine they're going to, you know, move up or
45:29
Speaker 2: just for something to another draft year in order to
45:32
Speaker 2: maybe get another first round pick. Maybe they'll do that
45:34
Speaker 2: with some of the seconds. You need to hit on
45:36
Speaker 2: guys like you need to. You need to get two
45:40
Speaker 2: top sixers out of this draft, you just do you need,
45:45
Speaker 2: you need an influx of talent in the worst way possible.
45:50
Speaker 2: You're right, You're right in this in this draft because
45:53
Speaker 2: it's not coming from from anywhere else. People aren't knocking
45:56
Speaker 2: down the door to come to Philadelphia. Philadelphia back in
45:58
Speaker 2: the day when they're there was no salary cap in hockey,
46:02
Speaker 2: was a was a destination that that you know, guys
46:04
Speaker 2: wanted to come to. It's not anymore because they're all
46:08
Speaker 2: playing with the same amount of money. It's just not
46:12
Speaker 2: a destination anymore. It's not a warm weather place where
46:15
Speaker 2: where guys want to go. It's not, you know, a
46:18
Speaker 2: prestige team that places want to it's not a team
46:21
Speaker 2: where where people feel they can win right away. All
46:24
Speaker 2: those things that would make you want to go to
46:26
Speaker 2: a place they're not that. So you need to hit
46:30
Speaker 2: on You need to have a reason. Man. I want
46:33
Speaker 2: to go to play with Mitch Coffin, whoever they pick
46:36
Speaker 2: at number five, if he ends up being good, or
46:38
Speaker 2: wherever it is, like, I want to play with those
46:41
Speaker 2: guys because that's a that's a young team with talent.
46:45
Speaker 2: You know, I want to be part of that. They
46:47
Speaker 2: can't say that right now, so I mean, I don't know.
46:51
Speaker 2: They they they've got to hit, and they've got to
46:54
Speaker 2: and after they get these guys in, they've got to develop.
46:57
Speaker 1: Them absolutely, because here's my other question. Yeah, here's the
47:01
Speaker 1: other question. Though, I'm totally with you with regard to
47:04
Speaker 1: the draft picks, totally with you. I'm at this point here,
47:07
Speaker 1: and I talked to Kelly, our friend Kelly Hinkle from
47:09
Speaker 1: Broadstreet Hockey dot Com about this a little while ago.
47:12
Speaker 1: Is has John Tortorella just outstayed his welcome as the
47:17
Speaker 1: head coach of this team, and you mentioned, you know,
47:20
Speaker 1: some questionable decisions he has made with regard to Matt
47:22
Speaker 1: Ba Mitchkoff this year. And I also look at a
47:25
Speaker 1: guy in a talent like Jacob Peltier, who was a
47:29
Speaker 1: very intriguing part of the return from the trade with
47:33
Speaker 1: the Calgary Flames that sent Morgan Frost and Joel Farrabee
47:37
Speaker 1: to Alberta. But Peltier has averaged just at this point
47:42
Speaker 1: in time, eight minutes and forty six seconds of ice
47:45
Speaker 1: time in the twelve games that he's played for the Flyers,
47:49
Speaker 1: and he has not stepped on the ice during any
47:52
Speaker 1: power play or penalty kill and Obviously Tortorella is unsure
47:57
Speaker 1: about how to use him, doesn't really want to hand
48:01
Speaker 1: him a larger role right now. But at this point
48:03
Speaker 1: in the season, I don't know if that's a great decision.
48:05
Speaker 1: And I don't know if John Tortorella, at this point
48:08
Speaker 1: over the years that he's been coaching this team, if
48:11
Speaker 1: he is the right coach for this moment where this
48:14
Speaker 1: team is going to need to be. I don't know
48:17
Speaker 1: if John Tortorella is the guy to do it, because
48:20
Speaker 1: I've been wanting to see Jacob Peltier a lot more
48:22
Speaker 1: on the ice. Do I think Jacob Peltier is the
48:24
Speaker 1: end all be all? No, but I'd really like for
48:27
Speaker 1: the guy to be playing more than eight minutes and
48:29
Speaker 1: forty six seconds on the ice every night when when
48:33
Speaker 1: the front office makes this type of trade, I want
48:36
Speaker 1: to see a little something more than eight minutes and
48:38
Speaker 1: forty seconds a night. So I wonder how much of
48:42
Speaker 1: the the struggles, not just the struggles and the challenges,
48:47
Speaker 1: but where the team is at and where they could
48:49
Speaker 1: potentially go. I don't know if John Tortorella, from a
48:51
Speaker 1: head coaching standpoint, is going to really be part of that.
48:53
Speaker 1: I don't know. I've been really thinking about that.
48:56
Speaker 2: Well, and I'm glad you brought those names up because
48:59
Speaker 2: Tortrello based came out and said, you know, they're asking
49:02
Speaker 2: about Palatier and he's like it was not big enough
49:04
Speaker 2: to be a checking forward. I don't know if he's
49:07
Speaker 2: a scoring forward. Well, first of all, there's nothing to
49:11
Speaker 2: play for you at this season, right, why don't you
49:13
Speaker 2: try exactly and just see if he can be? And also,
49:17
Speaker 2: how about you not just say, oh, this guy sucks
49:20
Speaker 2: essentially right in the media, you know, for a guy
49:23
Speaker 2: that has you know, been here for what a month?
49:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, Danny Breer just brought him in the front office,
49:29
Speaker 1: just brought him in.
49:30
Speaker 2: I mean he's basically saying in the press, I've made
49:35
Speaker 2: up my mind on this guy already, yeah, which is
49:38
Speaker 2: just short sighted and dumb to do. So. Yeah, I
49:42
Speaker 2: mean as far as as far as Tortorella, I've I
49:48
Speaker 2: is there things that he does that I think can
49:51
Speaker 2: be beneficial. I do think he focuses on the little things.
49:54
Speaker 2: I think he focuses on details. I think he teaches
49:57
Speaker 2: things that younger players need to see. I don't to
50:00
Speaker 2: take that away from him. I do think he does that,
50:03
Speaker 2: but I also think he just makes up his mind
50:06
Speaker 2: on people right away. Yet there's other people such as
50:10
Speaker 2: Rocky Thompson, his assistant coaches. That's that's handling a dismal
50:15
Speaker 2: power play. That's thirtieth out of thirty two teams in
50:18
Speaker 2: the NHL and has been bad for years. Meanwhile, that
50:22
Speaker 2: guy is going to get a free pass because because
50:24
Speaker 2: Twrdorella feels some kind of loyalty killing. I don't get it.
50:28
Speaker 2: I genuinely like, this guy has stunk for years as
50:34
Speaker 2: a coach and for some reason. I look, I don't know,
50:39
Speaker 2: maybe there's some altruistic you know, behind the scenes, like
50:44
Speaker 2: I don't want to say, like a Chris Carter thing
50:47
Speaker 2: of like, you know, but I don't know, maybe there's
50:51
Speaker 2: something I just don't see of why he's keeping this
50:54
Speaker 2: guy around and just defending him to the nth degree
50:57
Speaker 2: and all that stuff. But again, thirty out of thirty
51:00
Speaker 2: two teams, yep, And that's that's what I mean. Like, yes,
51:04
Speaker 2: it is the coaching, it's the talent as well. They're
51:08
Speaker 2: thirtieth out of thirty two teams. There, they're I think
51:10
Speaker 2: tied for twenty second in the league and shooting percentage.
51:14
Speaker 2: They are dead last in save percentage for their goalies
51:19
Speaker 2: out of thirty two teams. I think they are goals against.
51:23
Speaker 2: I think they're Yeah, they're also I think thirtieth out
51:26
Speaker 2: of out of thirty two teams there. So it's just
51:29
Speaker 2: like there's just I'm sorry, twenty eighth out of thirty two. Okay,
51:34
Speaker 2: allow me not to you know, not the shorthand them,
51:38
Speaker 2: but you get what I'm saying. There's there's a just
51:41
Speaker 2: a lack of talent all the way around. Now, apparently
51:44
Speaker 2: they have two really promising, you know guys in Russia
51:49
Speaker 2: that are goaltenders that you know, maybe they'll become something,
51:52
Speaker 2: and that's great and all, but like, I don't know,
51:56
Speaker 2: you know, you've had so much trouble developing guys over
52:00
Speaker 2: the years, and why am I supposed to believe that
52:03
Speaker 2: these guys now all of a sudden are going to
52:05
Speaker 2: be good when you haven't developed anybody else, I mean
52:08
Speaker 2: except for you know, the guy that you know is
52:11
Speaker 2: in the rape trial, Carter Hall. So you know, I
52:17
Speaker 2: just I don't know. It's it's hard to feel good about.
52:20
Speaker 2: I do think they need a new voice coaching this team,
52:25
Speaker 2: and that's the Twitterells got one more year left, so
52:27
Speaker 2: I think they're gonna keep I think they're gonna keep
52:29
Speaker 2: the gang together. And then I think after this this
52:32
Speaker 2: next season, they're going to boot him upstairs. But then
52:35
Speaker 2: then you then you, I don't know, then you kind
52:37
Speaker 2: of run into the same thing that we complained about
52:40
Speaker 2: with the flyers of the Bob Clark era, where oh
52:42
Speaker 2: there's too many yeah, yeah, Okay, they got rid of
52:46
Speaker 2: a guy, you know, and bumped him upstairs. But now
52:48
Speaker 2: he's just in the front office, and he's and he's
52:50
Speaker 2: just you know, kind of spout in the same crap
52:53
Speaker 2: that people are going to listen to and holding the
52:54
Speaker 2: tea back in that.
52:56
Speaker 1: Too many cooks in the kitchen? Yeah yeah.
52:58
Speaker 2: So so then then we're back to where we were before,
53:02
Speaker 2: you know, like where where where does it end?
53:06
Speaker 1: I just yeah, I.
53:08
Speaker 2: Mean, it's crazy that I'm about to say this about
53:10
Speaker 2: a team when when I don't feel like they've got
53:12
Speaker 2: the worst future in the city. But like, man, if
53:16
Speaker 2: I lived another fifty years and this team doesn't win
53:19
Speaker 2: a Stanley Cup, I won't be surprised, right, Like I genuinely.
53:25
Speaker 1: Surprised fifty years.
53:27
Speaker 2: Well, Let's be honest, that's not happening. That would put
53:32
Speaker 2: me to ninety nine. That would be a hell of
53:33
Speaker 2: a run. And that's not realistic whatsoever. But that being said, there,
53:40
Speaker 2: you know, there's just I don't see how it happens
53:45
Speaker 2: with this team.
53:47
Speaker 1: I'm trusting. I'm trusting.
53:49
Speaker 2: Look, you got to look six seven years in the
53:51
Speaker 2: future before we're like and I feel like we've been
53:55
Speaker 2: saying that for how long.
53:56
Speaker 1: Now, I know, I know we were saying it with
53:58
Speaker 1: Ron Hextall. You know, we really thought.
54:02
Speaker 2: Crazy that we're still doing this.
54:05
Speaker 1: Yes, absolutely, well, buddy, it is a good way to
54:09
Speaker 1: end it on a down note. And I'm just kidding,
54:13
Speaker 1: just kidding. It's real. It's it's real talk, folks, It
54:16
Speaker 1: absolutely is. That's what we do here, for God's sake.
54:19
Speaker 1: We're not w I p never never, We're never gonna.
54:23
Speaker 2: They're they're too real in the other direction there, they're
54:26
Speaker 2: just there. Everything sucks all the time. Yes, Hey, there's
54:30
Speaker 2: a good thing going on with this team. How can
54:32
Speaker 2: we poke holes in it?
54:33
Speaker 1: Exactly? The Eagles just won the Super Bowl. Let's take
54:35
Speaker 1: a crap all over them.
54:38
Speaker 2: So that's that's what that.
54:40
Speaker 1: Is, all right, buddy, well, I think that's going to
54:43
Speaker 1: do it for us here this week. You got any
54:45
Speaker 1: final thoughts before we head out with anything in the
54:48
Speaker 1: world of Philly sports or just the world in general.
54:54
Speaker 2: Not much positive?
54:55
Speaker 1: No, not much positive?
54:57
Speaker 2: Right, well, especially the whole world in.
55:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, the whole world in general. Park You and I
55:03
Speaker 1: had a good half hour discussion before we hit the
55:05
Speaker 1: record button. If if the listeners could have hurt us?
55:09
Speaker 1: Oh jeez, all right, buddy, Well, folks, we're gonna be
55:13
Speaker 1: heading out this week, and again, thank you longtime listeners.
55:17
Speaker 1: If you're new to the show, rate and review on
55:20
Speaker 1: whatever podcast platform you're listening to us on. We'd greatly
55:23
Speaker 1: appreciate that five star review, or I should say five
55:26
Speaker 1: star rating goes a long way. Shoot us off a
55:29
Speaker 1: review as well. Philadelphia Sports Table dot com is where
55:32
Speaker 1: you can reach out to us. Shoot us off an
55:34
Speaker 1: email Philadelphia Sports Table at gmail dot com. We'd love
55:36
Speaker 1: to read it here on the show and respond to it.
55:39
Speaker 1: Search us out on various social media sites. Again, I'm
55:42
Speaker 1: Jeff Warren. Here are my co host this week, Len Hunsicker,
55:46
Speaker 1: and we're gonna have some great content for you next week.
55:49
Speaker 1: Come and rate up right around the corner as well.
55:51
Speaker 1: It's gonna do it for us. Take care, we'll catch
55:53
Speaker 1: you next time.