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OneLegUpAlex Media Goes 'Beyond the Surface' With AM Pfeffer POWERED by Podmatch 3-25-26 · OneLegUpAlex Media

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: All right, Well on my line right now from beyond
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: the surface, what is called an X rated sports network
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: x R A Y is a m ffer am. I
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: see the BTS right behind you. But thanks for joining
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: my podcast and being that you're involved in sports. I said,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: we gotta start with the nca tournament. I mean, are
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: you covering the NCAA on your show at all?
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Absolutely. I mean we're mostly a basketball show, so
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: if that falls into the purview NBA specific, but look,
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: you know we we know this is a big draft
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: and a lot of big names coming out, especially top
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: heavy for six or eight guys. So yeah, the NCAA
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: tournament is absolutely on a radar.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: And I know you cover adaptability, but I want to.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: I want to cover this tournament. I mean, any stand
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: out so far that you could say, Okay, he could
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: be the number one, he could be the number two,
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: Like where are we looking?
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Look at look at Darius Acuff, right, I think he's
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: cemented himself. Has got to be a top three or
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: four guy for sure, where he may have been Summer
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: five to three previously. Reebok just gave him a massive
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: deal that got announced yesterday, the first time anyone out
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: of college is getting their own shoe deal like that.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: To me, he's better than Darren Peterson, right, I mean,
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: Peterson's the number one guy. He's been the number one
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: guy coast to coast the whole time. But he's got
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: injury history, and does he really you know, is he
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: somebody you want to build a team around, because look
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: at what he did with Kansas, pontuned them a little bit.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: AJ debantsa you know, put himself in BYU. But he's
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: the best guy. You know, his upside is ridiculous, right,
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: six foot nine, week span, beyond athletic, can jump out
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: of the gym, can jump out of any gym. He's
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: who i'd build my team around. I'd pick him number one.
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: But a cuff for sure. And they have a huge
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: game coming up obviously, you know they against Arizona. Now
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: they're the four to one. They get to this sweet sixteen,
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: Let's see this kid really shine?
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: So all right, Well, I only do the NBA, but
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: I mean a team like Texas going from first four
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: to sweet sixteen? I mean, what's the rise on their run?
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: What do you see him from them?
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: The Texas? It's funny I mentioned them on the show
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: the other day because you look at what's going on
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: in this weet sex it's mostly chalk, right. You got
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: one through four pretty much with everybody, but then you've
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: got Iowa and Tennessee. Yeah, you know, kind of kind
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: of exciting. Iowa was a nine seed, but they've got
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: the history and the lineage of being in the tournament
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: a lot. Texas is interesting because they were always a
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: top three, four to five team and they've fallen from
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: grace a little bit. But look what they did. They
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: built it, they built. They beat another number eleven in
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: the play in, so it was eleven verse eleven they
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: had to get into the field to begin with. Then
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: they take down Miami Ohio, the great undefeated Miami Ohio
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: until the postseason. Uh but but really, you know, the
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: big game against Gonzaga, and that was just massive. I'm
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: excited for them. You know, it's cool seeing they're the
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: Cinderella of the tournament at this point. We're just saying
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: that about Texas. But you know, I think a lot
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: of people all of a sudden they find their hearts
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: down in Austin.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: All right, I'd be remissed by to ask you about
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: the nine to one, you know, showdown and then Iowa
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: coming out on top. I mean, wow, that last second shot.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: I mean, everything about that game.
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: Unbelievable, really super just incredible. You know, everything about it
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  Speaker 2: was like your heart's to your just like this is unbelievable,
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: you know. And then they get Nebraska, who, by the way,
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: was amazingly been in the season. But really that's an
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: interesting nine to four matchup, right, you know, Big ten,
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: Uh Nebraska, you know, not historically in the Big Ten,
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  Speaker 2: but now all of a sudden they are. And then
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: they find themselves like rivals in the sweet sixteen. Now
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: it's as cool as it gets.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: Nine to one Iowa versus Florida. I mean, that was
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: one of the biggest games of the weekend and unexpected,
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: I would say, but you know, and I'm trying to
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: think of the kid that made the big shot, right,
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: Guys like that that make the shot may not always
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: be drafted. So I mean, is it great that we
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: get to showcase these kids for that one shining moment
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: as they say, or does a team look at that
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  Speaker 1: and say, wow, maybe you could play in the pros?
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: Like it is a one hit wonder for a kid
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  Speaker 1: like that that made the shot.
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: Wonder for sure. I don't think a lot of teams
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: we'll look at we'll look at him and suddenly say, oh,
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  Speaker 2: he could play at the next level. I mean, maybe
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: he gets a G League invite or or TBT invite.
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: But for him, absolutely, I mean, he has this one
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: shotting moment in forever. He's gonna tell his kids and grandkids,
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: guess where dad was. Look at this, watch this tape.
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: I think it's amazing. I will say this about that matchup.
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: Not particularly surprised Iowa ended up winning that game. I
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: think Florida was was a bit of an attempting village
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: in this tournament. And you see it all the time, right,
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: they were the big, the big team last year, and
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: and they were incredible and they won. But but you
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: know then they got depleted and you know, yeah, they
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: got the number one seed again, but a little bit
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: a little scarce on on on some of the talent
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: on that team. So, uh, not surprised they lost so early.
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: All right, Let me let me ask you this because
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: and by the way, the guy's name was out Avarro
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: vul Garris. I believe us who made their game winners.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: So there you got.
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: Credit where credit is due, you know, get his name
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: out there as much as possible.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: Get him the shot, and he deserves every moment of that.
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: But we he came to the tournament and we all said, well,
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: why is Saint John's ranked lower than Yukon And we
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: got this BS explanation about this. It's like Saint John's
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: beat them twice, but they get a lower seed than them.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: I mean, is this prestige of Yukon? Like what went
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: into this?
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: I think it's besieges of Yukon and a little bit
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: of a backhanded slap to Rick Patino, And it's just
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: the reality. I mean, you know of saying, hey man,
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: you still got to earn it. In a lot of
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: our eyes, you fell from grace and you're still a
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: bit disgraced, and you know, yeah we want you in
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: the tournament, and yeah, your name means something. And look
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: he's proving it how good he really is, obviously, But
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: there's also something that we said about that that whole
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: side of the Eastern bracket right like one through six
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: was ridiculous, but not at all surprises see Saint John's
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: there wouldn't be surprised to see in the final four.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: All right, do you think this is those last tournament.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: I mean, I love that he's still going on this,
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: but is this it are we saying to the end?
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: Or is it gonna extend a little bit?
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: We were debating that on the show as well. I mean,
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: you know, look, it is a starting to go get
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: in the media and talk about the cracks of college basketball.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: But at the same time, he still as Michigan State
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: in the top twenty every year, no question, right, and
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: he's always a threat to get to the final four.
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: I think this is twenty ninth or thirtieth year. Wouldn't
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  Speaker 2: surprise me if you're retired, but also wouldn't surprise me
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  Speaker 2: if he was there for another five years. Personally, I'll
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: go out on a limb and say he comes back
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: next year.
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: I think so too, all right, Am Pepper's who were
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: talking to Power by pod Match. By the way, I
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: love those guys, and I love that you know you
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: find a lot of connections there. I certainly do as
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: a host. We'll get to them in a minute. But
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: I know you have a story beyond, beyond, beyond the surface.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: And because you are beyond the surface, I mean I
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: saw your bio and how you're always dealing with adaptability
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: as well. So let's shift to that. Your life, I guess,
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: has had to been adapted a lot. Your son is autistic,
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: if I'm not mistaken.
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  Speaker 2: That's but my old said, I have three children, and
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: my eight year old son is autistic.
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  Speaker 1: But did the adaptability stop there with him? Or have
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: you noticed your whole life adapting over the years.
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  Speaker 2: Well, no, it certainly doesn't stop with him. You know,
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: since he's come into my life and since we got diagnosis,
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  Speaker 2: which is now going on about six years, I've certainly
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: become a different person. I like to think, a better person.
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: He's an incredible soul. He has taught me so much already.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: He continues to teach me so much every day, and
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: I expect him to teach me the rest of my life.
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: And I love that he's in my life. It's a blessing.
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: It's very it's special to have him. He's really a
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: special soul. It's something that was unexpected. I didn't know
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: much about the disability previously, but I'm glad I know
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  Speaker 2: about it now.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: You know, a lot of guys in sports were sort
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: of tough and everything, and even though I one leg,
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: is still tough it out and all that stuff has
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: the diagnosis almost because you sound like a guy who's
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: been a sports talk show host and all that. Has
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: it softened you a little bit having him in your world?
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: Would you say?
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: Look, if I'm being candid, I think in some way,
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: in a lot of ways, it's softened me. It's forced
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: me to really slow down and appreciate what's really important.
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: What I thought was important before is not the case.
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: And in some ways it's hardened me. It's hardened me
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: to certain institutions. It's hardened me, you know, to certain
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: people who think that they're helping but really aren't, and
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: vice versa. So it's a double edged sword, really.
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: And you know about society and sports. I want to
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: get to that in a minute as well. But I mean,
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: you're doing the show, You're doing this and other So
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: when you see these almost underdog kids, the alone teams,
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: that's got to warm your heart a little bit, like, Wow,
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: I got a feature them on the show.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: I meant take fire warm is an understatement. You know.
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: It's a totally different world, especially with my son. I mean, look,
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: I've he's in karate. That's one of his great social recreations.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: He's an orange belt now he's We've tried to have
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: him played baseball. It didn't really go particularly well with that,
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: but we tried. We've tried surfing. That was tough for him.
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: But I just put him on skis for the first
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: time this year. It was double what inexperience. So they
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: did a great job up in Big Bear, California. They're
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: a really amazing program there. They had two aids on
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: the on the mountain with him. But yeah, absolutely it
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: warms my heart, and yeah, I think about it every
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: day and and you know I do as my career
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: goes along, want to make that a bigger part of
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: the shows that I'm on.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: And I'm so glad you made him an athlete, you
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: know why. And I've said this for on other shows
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: that I've done as an adaptive athlete myself. I feel
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: like people with disabilities need that competitive edge, right because
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: if we're not showing we're here to win, they're not
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: going to take us serious. That's how I feel. It's
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: like we all show that we're here to be you know,
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: we're here to be part of society, yes, but also
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: to win at life. And that's how we get one
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: leg up.
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: And man, I love it with Alex. Tell me what
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: was the last thing you competed yourself.
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: I've competed in since I was the age of three.
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: I've done a lot of New York road adraces. I've
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: done run the Game's physically challenged over the last from
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: the age of five to twenty one, and I would
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: running on one leg. I mean, that was the whole thing,
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: and it was always fun. I got a little nervous
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: when I was a kid, but then I grew into
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: like all the applause and cheering and all that, but
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: just doing finishing the race. I was like, all right,
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: I'm never doing this again. But sure enough, I'm back
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: out there the next year. Uh. I just finished at
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: a five k Yankee Stadium actually, so that was really special.
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: Too, amazing. Congratulations that the new Yankee Stadium. I assumed
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: the new one, right, yeah, the new one.
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: I grew up in west Chester, New York myself, so
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: I grew up a big Yankee fan. So that's pretty cool, man.
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: And I did that in about an hour, which is
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: I was very happy about because that's a lot of
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: stingers and everything like that. And I usually rolled play
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: around the city. I didn't do my wheels. I never
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: do wheels during races really because I don't want that
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: much of an advantage, I guess, so I just I
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: run and walk.
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: It so amazing. That's awesome, man.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: But like I love itself every day. I love that
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: you encourage your kids in sports. I love that I
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: see kids in sports they're disabled because and I talk
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: about accessibility to kids to play sports because it builds
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: character no matter if we're able body or not. You know,
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: that's the whole point of it.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: It really does. You could see the difference that we've
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: noticed that physicality really builds his confidence. So it's tremendous.
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: We push it as much as possible. Absolutely, even when
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: he isn't always into it, we realize by the end
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: of it, he's into it.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: So this has his focus. I mean it sports something
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: he gets focused on because I know autism. There's a
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: focus factor here.
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a great question, not a tremendous amount. So
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: it's a lot of repositioning him and making sure that
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: he remains focused. But you could see that he enjoys
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: it throughout, so you know he needs a lot of breaks,
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: but he comes back to it. Sports are one of
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: the things that he focuses most on. Look, it's more
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: than arithmetic or writing or other activities. So yeah, I
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: mean it's upper echelon for sure. Again, hard to corral him,
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: but when he's focused and he's into it, it is awesome.
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: Tell me about the youth sports world, because I feel
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: like a kids are told to be specializing in one
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: sport and that's killing sports. These kids would be playing
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: sports multiple sports. Opening Day is this week? Right for baseball?
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: Aaron Judge not only played baseball, played bast he played
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: multiple sports. Why do we get away from encouraging these
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: kids to do more than one sport? And then, oh,
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: by the way, you got to do like all this homework.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: I feel like they're getting a lot of mixed messages
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: right now. I think sports should be a focus, but
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: they shouldn't be asked to specialize on one right. They
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: should be open to play other sports.
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: Could not agree more with you. I mean they should be.
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: They should have the availability and all the time to
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: and encourage to play as many sports as possible and
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: get outside, get off your screens. And I know I
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: sound like a whole guy, I'm sure like saying that,
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: but that's just the reality. I mean, you know, even
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: those in Silicon Valley, You'll tell you the same thing.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: Go move your body and go do as many sports
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: as possible. Be active, and by the way, it expands
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: your mind, right, I mean half of sports is mental.
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: So it's you know, you're you're playing a different kind
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: of chest in basketball than you are in baseball, in
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: football and hockey, you know, in fencing. I mean, pick,
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: pick whatever your endeavor is in wrestling, and yeah, absolutely
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: the I couldn't couldn't agree more. Encourage all of them.
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: Don't don't pick just some focus and get wrapped up
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: in that. That that'll drive you crazy, just as Tiger Wills.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: I'm the kid crazy too, I think. Son. Let me
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: ask you this. You have the other two? You have
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: two other kids? Are they sports minded? Are they also
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: in competitive.
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: Or what question? They're they're just coming in their own
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: they're four years old. They're twins, boy and a girl.
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: We have our son in soccer. He was starting to
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: do a little karate as well. I'm actually taking him
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: to a swim lesson after we do this right here.
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: My little girl, she really does gravitate towards gymnastics. In ballet.
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: We've asked her what she want to do. We tried
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: soccer and a few other things, but those are her
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: two big sports and she's absolutely doing it. But she's
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: already a tremendous swimmer. So yes, short answer is absolutely.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: And we by the way, we're in the yard all
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: the time. Right yesterday we did the neighborhood bike ride.
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: I'm teaching them how to skateboard. You know, we're kicking.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: I got a soccer bowl in the front yard. We're
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: doing that. I brought up the t ball already. Yeah,
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: absolutely love it. You strike me as an athlete yourself.
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: So what'd you play? Oh man, I appreciated. You can
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: see that through the screen, all five ten, one hundred
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: and sixty pounds of me right.
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: All the got is very athletic too.
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: So well, you know, I'm an individual sports guy for sure. Tennis, golf, skiing,
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: those are my sports growing up. I definitely enjoyed some
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: rec leagues. I was pretty good a baseball growing up.
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: But I'm not going to pretend some of the major sports.
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: And I never played football. I did not play football.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: And I will say this, and I'm happy to put
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: it on camera. I'm not sure I'll ever let my
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: children play football, I really don't. I mean, when they're seventeen,
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: they can make the choice themselves. But that's a scary sport,
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: you know, from the ages of I would say ten
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: to sixteen. There's too much coming out about it. We've
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: really known too much about it the last decade. And
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: I love football, and I'm a hypocrite because I watch
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: every Sunday and even Saturdays. But at the same time,
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: you know, for my own children, not between the ages
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: of ten and sixteen.
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: All right, let me ask you about this, because football
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: is a sport that's actually getting the less tougher on
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: the field too. I mean, they're flagging guys for stupid calls.
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: Let's just be honest with that.
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: But being a flag, Look how big flag football is
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: could be coming see.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: Right, it's a big deal for them in fanatics. But yeah,
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: I do believe there's a narrative that if you keep
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: your kids out of sports entirely, sports will go instinct
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: I extinct. I don't think it will. But for football,
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: how do we keep it from not going extinct? I
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: mean there's a concern that as kids get older they
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: don't play, you're not gonna have enough players. Is that possible.
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: I don't think it's possible. I actually wrote a book
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: a number of years ago back into that publish in
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: twenty nineteen, and I expect and predicted at some point
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: that football will go extinct. I think unfortunately, the insurance
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: companies won't won't be around for it after a period
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: of time, and there will be too many injuries from
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: it ultimately, I mean, or you're just diluting the product,
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: especially from the quarterback position, that it's just not something
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: that's going to entice people. And that's an insane thing
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: to say, considering how big the NFL is and how
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: where it's expanding. But that's life. You know, we might
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: talk about it in twenty twenty six, but twenty forty six,
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: twenty sixty six, you know, it might really start the
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: phase out.
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: All right. I see you talk about athlete branding and
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: all that, and we've we're going back to college for
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: a second. The NIL. I hope the NIL doesn't kill
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: the NCAA. But from your perspective, has been in sports,
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: been around sports, been involved, is it gonna kill that too?
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: I mean, is the NIL going to be overtaking the sport?
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: Oh don't. I don't think so. First of all, it's
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: so interesting that it's one acromymum I refuse to use
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: because I think it really they talk about diluting the product.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: We have to call it what it is. It's name
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: image likeness, and people need to understand what that really means,
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: because you're using somebody's name image likeness, and that is
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: very important at the base level to really to realize
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: this is a human being that you're making money off of,
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: and vice versa. But you know, look, there is this
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: notion that all these thousands of athletes in the DNC
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: Double A are getting name image likeness deals. At no,
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: not the case. It's like the krem de la Crem
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: of the krem de la Crem right, So okay, and
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: it's like anything else. And they've got to learn that
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: early on, because when you get to the the pro
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: sports level, if you're lucky enough to make it there,
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: there are some people who are gonna get the Hunred
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: million dollar contract and those who are going to be
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: out of the league in three years. Well, in NC
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: Double A, there's only fe people who are going to
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: get the name image likeness deals. Everybody else isn't getting that.
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: So I don't think it's it's going to kill it.
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: If you want to have a larger conversation talking about
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: private equity coming in, right, the big ten about to
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: take that deal is still thinking about it, or the
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: fact that the Give versus Utah it took a five
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: hundred million dollar private equity deal. That's more concerning to
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: me than anything all of a sudden. You know, you've
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: let the spreadsheets into the game, who are trying to
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: turn this around in three to five years and make
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: a profit. That's the only reason private equity comes in
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: is to resell later down the line, and they'll do
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: anything to turn a profit on that. That's very different
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: to me than name image likeness. I'm not I'm not
• 17:33
  Speaker 2: agreeing with name image like this. I'm not saying it's
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: great for the sport or what we've done. The transfer portal,
• 17:37
  Speaker 2: especially as part of the equation, is a little strange.
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: But I don't think name image likeness alone will kill
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: the sport, not at all.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: All. Right, I see you in sports media, So tell
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: us some places we might have seen you on because
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: I'm curious now.
• 17:50
  Speaker 2: I mean, look, you know I've been on some shows
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: and this and that, but really, I've kind of cut
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: my teeth and made made my bones, i'd say, on
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: Beyond the Surface, which is now something we launched in October.
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: I've been on the X Rated Sports Network for a
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: good three or four years, but a lot of what
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: we've done is evergreen, and we've we've chopped it up
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: and put it out on the social media outlets. I
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: mean now we live twice a week on a YouTube show.
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: Please like and subscribe. Beyond the Service is a great
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: show on the X Rated Sports Network. That's really where
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: you've seen me again. I've been on another podcast APT
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: I had a New York Jets podcast myself, but I
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: think that's really where you would have seen me or
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: will continue to see me for some time.
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: All Right, we'll get to the Jets in a bit,
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: because you pick on them a little bit, so we'll
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: talk about that in a second. But just you talk
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: about sports mirror and societal mirror. What are we talking
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: about here, because that's a very deep I feel like
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: it's a very deep conversation to have right before this
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: Sweek sixteen. Is you know, I do believe we all
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: rally around our team. Is that kind of what you're saying?
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: Is how sports mirrors our behaviors as people. Is that
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: what we're saying here.
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: One hundred percent. I mean, it's really an allegiance to
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: the flag in any sport, right, the flag, the banner,
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: the pendent, the jersey. That's really what we're talking about here.
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: And that's the same in our lives, the same way
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: we feel about our families, about our religions, about our
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: sex sects I'm saying, and our plans and our people
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: and you know, the capacity really for the what you
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: have in your life to have x amount of people
• 19:11
  Speaker 2: in your life, or the bandwidth you have for your family,
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: or or what you know, or or the caring of
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: other people. But the interesting about sports is like this
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: allows us to expand that into the thousands, tens of thousands,
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: millions of fans around the world that you could share
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: in and share in the consistent story with them. That's
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: important for society. That's great.
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: I mean, but look, you probably saw all the videos
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: outside the garden when the Knicks were on their run
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: last year. I mean it was insane. People were on
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: the light pulbs. I mean it was I didn't ever
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: think I'd say that in the city, but here we
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: are because you know, and that's the thing. I think
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: the city's hungry. We haven't had a world champion in
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: over five thousand days. Okay, Like that's not normal for
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: New York City. We're built on champions.
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: I mean, look, the biggest media market in the country
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: is it doesn't have a champion, you know, and the
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: Yankees are falls short every year. It really is incredible. Well, yeah,
• 20:00
  Speaker 2: New York City is due overdue, well passed prime attacking,
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: bring home a ban or somebody please actually want to liberty.
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: I want to give the liberty their flowers.
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: Liberty did there due, absolutely And the w NBA right
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: now is exciting. You want to talk about something that's
• 20:15
  Speaker 2: just as good as it gets and as exciting as
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: a gainst the fact that they just signed that deal
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: with the CBA and they're bringing back that season. Man,
• 20:21
  Speaker 2: you're about to see this league hop.
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: Well, let me ask you about that. Because we saw
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: Kaitlyn Clark's impact in women's college basketball. I don't know,
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: I feel like now it's faded, Like, Okay, we have
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: to find the channels to figure out where the games are.
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: I mean, they're not marketing as well as when Kaitlin
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: was there.
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: Don't worry, they will. They just signed with the part
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: part of the CDA, and part of the money that
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: came in is a two point two billion dollar infusion
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: of media money. Right, so there's an extra one hundred
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: and seventy million dollars to go around every year. Don't worry,
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: you're going to see the media.
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: IOWA did make the big dance actually on the women's side,
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: but you didn't hear about it.
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: But they lost, Yeah, but.
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: You didn't hear about it in general. And I'm like,
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: just because Kaitlin Clark's one in their thought she was
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: going to be the trendsetter that put these the whole
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: thing on the map. And I don't know, maybe there
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: was something along the way where.
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: I didn't expect that. I didn't necessarily expect it. But
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: by the way, don't worry, the numbers are still there.
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: The live stream look, live streaming is where it's at.
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: Sports streaming is really the last bastion of ad spend
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: and what can be scaled at level for the streamers.
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: Don't you worry. They'll keep pushing the product. You're still
• 21:23
  Speaker 2: going to see plenty of NCAA women's stornamen You're gonna
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: see plenty of the w NBA coming up, volleyball leagues,
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: especially for women, the NWLS, the soccer league, which is
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: blown up in a good way.
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: And there's professional women's baseball too, so that's happening also.
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, it sounds great.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: I mean it is fun indeed, all right. I also
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: got to just have Kim Molkie. She's one of the
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: best coaches out there. I love her energy in LSU.
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: I mean, she's great, So I gotta give her a
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: shout out today too. All right, I am. I gotta
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: ask you about this because you do pick on the
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: Jets and they're an odd case study in organizational leadership challenges.
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: Why don't we just be hones to say organizational failure? Okay,
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: that's what it sounds like.
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: To me, Well failure. Woody Johnson, he's a clown and
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: he drives a clown car, like I have no problem
• 22:15
  Speaker 2: going on record and saying that as well. I mean,
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: here's a guy who went across the pond to take
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: an ambassadorship, you know, for what I think is not
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: a very good regime, and you know, and the time
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: that he did it left his brother in charge. They're
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: all over the place. They let their kids in the clubhouse.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: They literally do decide who to sign or not to
• 22:33
  Speaker 2: sign based on video games and Madden ratings. This is
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: this is a real story, and this is you know,
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: believe me, it was printed and I believe every word
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: of it that was there. The way they brought an
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: Aaron Rodgers, the fact that it didn't work, you know,
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: the money that they spend, that they can't hire any
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: coaches like a Mike Rabel or Mike Tomlin, who I
• 22:50
  Speaker 2: wish they could have prived for the Steelers years ago,
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: or Andy Read. These guys don't want to come, so
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: you end up with coordinator after coordinator after coordinator, and
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: you got to go into the well. And I'm not
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: saying anything bad about our current coach, because hey, Aaron
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: Glenn was a Jet and I love the guy and
• 23:02
  Speaker 2: he did a great job in Detroit. But again, the coordinator,
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: you know, and he really didn't look great last year
• 23:08
  Speaker 2: and we'll see, hopefully he could turn it around. But
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: these are guys that like this. This is the job
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: that they take because they don't get the big names,
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: because they have organizational dysfunction and failure and to get
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: the stink off. The culture is very difficult, but the
• 23:20
  Speaker 2: fish rots from the head. This starts from ownership.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: They just got rid of Justin Field. I don't have
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: n't many caught that story, but I'm like, why do
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: they go here? You got rid of your guys would
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: be your QB one. It's a mess right now.
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but we brought in Geno Smith of all people
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: who we drafted so and years go in the second
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: round and now he's back for a round two. Actually,
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: at the price we got of it was pretty good.
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: The moves that have been made in the offseason happened
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: to be very good for the Jets. We'll see where
• 23:44
  Speaker 2: it goes from here. But you got to build on it, right,
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: You got to draft well, and you got to make
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: it count this year and next to get back into
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: the league again and be a competitive team. This is
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: the This team is fifteen years without a playoff appearance
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: across all the major sports. It's not even the Buffalo Sabers,
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: who are going to be in the playoffs this year.
• 24:02
  Speaker 2: We're at fourteen. There's a bunch of other teams that
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: like nine and ten years, but the Jets blow them
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: all out of the water. That's how ysfunctionally are. That's
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: hard to do.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: All right, And I love the Yankees and full sculture.
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: I'm you know, I've been welcome in by the Yankees
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: for twenty five years as part of George Simon's guest
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: But your main focus about why great sports franchises win
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: and why special organizations ever change. I feel like the
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: Yanks have become sort of in the middle. I don't
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: know how that happened, but they're like, there's still an
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: amazing brand, They're still an amazing franchise. They're still a
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: winning franchise, but the World Series part hasn't been there
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: since the three Peete or you know, and almost four
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: p But hey, how do we get back there as
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: the Yankees? And I mean, I don't know, I don't
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: like the infighting now or whatever you want to say
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: that Cashman is trying to deflect from the whole lineup
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: narrative that he creates it. They're just a lot of
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: things going on there that Yankee fans are probably keeping
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: an eye on right now. So how do we get
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: them back to that greatness that they had.
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: A great question? Look, I want to temper expectations. Winning
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: means playoffs, Right, everybody thinks winning is the championship, or
• 25:14
  Speaker 2: that you've gotta have consistency and win. These championships have
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: become a dynasty, and I don't necessarily agree with that.
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: That's lightning striking. That's lightning caught in a bottle. Oftentimes,
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: the Yankees more than any other team, says the Montreal Canadians.
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: You know, they have that lineage, they have the history.
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: Every Yankee fan should already be dining and feasting on
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: that for the rest of their lives. That's the reality
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: in the playoffs. Consistently made the World Series just two
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: years ago, could easily get back to the top. So
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: like the fact that you're playing in the World Series
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: and maybe not winning, you know, as a fan of
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: the team as I am as well, I consider that winning.
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: I'm excited by that, you know, I don't. I don't
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: worry too much about it. Like, look, you know, it
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: all comes down to understanding, like the arms race that
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: is happening on the defensive side of the ball, when
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: you're spending a billion dollars as the Dodgers are to
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: get the three greatest pitchers from Japan and the Yankees
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: are not, and they're not figuring this out, that's the problem.
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: But they still are competitive. They still put the bats
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: in the lineup, and they still figure out how to
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: play the small ball is necessary. They still you know,
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: they called they brought a long judge. It's not like
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: they went into the talent pool and paid this guy
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: eight hundred million dollars to come over, or they missed
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: out on soda who went over to the Mets or whatever.
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: But like you know, they still have an amazing farm system.
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: They still have the excitement and people wanting to play
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: for the Bronx Bombers, so they still have the culture, right,
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: But I would say the younger Stein brown Er is
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: not the Oldestein and even George through the years, right
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: in the seventies was terrible, and in my day growing up,
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: I remember late eighties and early nineties were awful until
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: ninety four until Cheter came and Brittie Williams came and
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: and and you know, Mahler became I mean went on
• 26:43
  Speaker 2: a very different run. But like you know, people forget
• 26:47
  Speaker 2: the Yankees haven't always been good or they've had some
• 26:49
  Speaker 2: real lulls and they and they were known as a
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: terrible team. So it ebbs and flows. But to me,
• 26:54
  Speaker 2: the Yankees, ya, I love that.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: I know you're on the West Coast now, I love
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: that you're You're still in the New York post of things.
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: Like you said about the New York minds at the
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: New York fan base was great.
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: Oh wait, that'll that'll never leave me twenty six years.
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: This is my twenty six year in LA but I'll
• 27:06
  Speaker 2: never leave New York.
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: If buy where were you raised and born and raised
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: West New York?
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: Right? I was. I was born in White Plains Hospital.
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: I grew up in Purchase, but I moved to Denver,
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: of all places, when I was fourteen. Now you want
• 27:18
  Speaker 2: to talk about a culture shock, and you want a time.
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: I got to Denver at at one of the most
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: exciting times because the Rockies had just started a couple
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: of years before, the Kbechnor Deeks were becoming the Avalanche.
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: Two years later l Way, who everybody thought was out
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: of town, suddenly had a massive resurgeon and then that
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: team won in ninety eight ninety nine. So like, what
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: a time to be in Denver in the mid to
• 27:36
  Speaker 2: late nineties coming, Yeah, what's it?
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: And the Abs one in that time and you know
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: coaches on Long Island now as Patrick wall I mean,
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: what a full circle thing there, full service.
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: He's the best, best goal ever.
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: Oh, unbelievable. And the ABA are still there. I think
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: they're gonna win another ring soon because they just looked
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: that good. But well, I have to see so boy,
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: you've been even Oliver. Now, was that for sports? Did
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: you travel around for sports? I was.
• 28:01
  Speaker 2: I was not that kid growing up traveling around for sports. Again,
• 28:04
  Speaker 2: I did the individual sports, a lot of stuff that
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: you know, the aristocrats of Westchester County were playing. But no,
• 28:11
  Speaker 2: but I went to Indiana University. I went there for
• 28:13
  Speaker 2: business school because you can hear me talking a lot
• 28:14
  Speaker 2: about business. That's my degree, and then you know that's
• 28:16
  Speaker 2: really what I that's my who I am, the character
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: you know on beyond the surface, I'm really the business guy. Obviously,
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: you could talk any sport you want, love NBA, love
• 28:24
  Speaker 2: the NFL, but I come at it from a business lens.
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: All right, A couple more things you mentioned Westchesterell Tyler
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: Kollak the other day, Westchester Nicks in the afternoon that
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: plays on the Dicks at night. I didn't know you
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: could play that. I didn't know you could do both
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: on the same yeah, right.
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: Anyway, then grew up going to Sunny Purchase and in
• 28:44
  Speaker 2: the heyday and I saw Patrick Ewing there and John Starts.
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: I used to watch those guys practice before they became
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: a great team, which was which was just awesome. That
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: was the best time of your nick fan. I loved it. Well.
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: You mentioned how media incentives can shape public perception of athletes.
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: That brings some mind. Like, let's say, athletes might step
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: put their you know, almost put their foot in their
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: mouth if you will, with the way they behave, do
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: you wish you could jump in there and say, hey guy,
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: you know, relax with the narrative. Like I feel like
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: you're a pr guy too. So what is your advice
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: when these guys put their front of their.
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: Mouth off of social media, get off your phones, Do
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: not go and talk about your coaches, yourself, your teammates
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: through the media, and certainly don't do it through social media. Right,
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: It's one thing if you got the camera in front
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: of your face and you're gonna say something, I think
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: everybody can kind of understand that, right, Like everybody understands
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: the moment of it. There's a microphone thrust in your
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: face and maybe you didn't have your best moment. People
• 29:37
  Speaker 2: forgive you for that, But if you're taking the time
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: for meditatively to go on social media and lash out
• 29:42
  Speaker 2: bad mistake, it never works.
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: I think it's so amazing how hypersentive we have been, Like,
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: oh my god, zones old delete their Instagram or oh
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: in the they remove the knicks from their bio.
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: It's like exactly, yeah, I mean that's how these kids
• 29:54
  Speaker 2: talk to each other day because they don't want to
• 29:55
  Speaker 2: have a real conversation. So the generation in their early twenties,
• 29:58
  Speaker 2: all of a sudden, it's like, ah, I just removed you.
• 30:00
  Speaker 2: We're no longer in a relationship.
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: It's like what, yeah, right, are they unfollowed? Exactly?
• 30:04
  Speaker 2: They get out, they unfollow each other.
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, so you're bad. You have hopes that
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: the Jets could get better or want regime change there, man.
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: It's always gonna belied green. You know, it is what
• 30:15
  Speaker 2: it is.
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: But when you when you also have the media brand, right,
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: do you still try and do the fine lines so
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: that maybe you can't get a press pass and these things?
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: Do you care about the press pass at all or not?
• 30:25
  Speaker 2: I'm not. I'm not a guy who travels. And it's funny,
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: you know, going back to my son. I don't like
• 30:29
  Speaker 2: to leave. You know, I'm not somebody who's trying to
• 30:31
  Speaker 2: get into games. I'm not somebody who's who's trying to
• 30:33
  Speaker 2: go elsewhere and get on shows. I like being ground
• 30:36
  Speaker 2: zero in Los Angeles where I'm at. I like coming
• 30:38
  Speaker 2: home every night. I like being with my son especially,
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: you know, I'm his coregulator and it's important to me
• 30:44
  Speaker 2: at the nighttime and in the mornings that he sees me.
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: So I don't travel much at all. My wife travels.
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: I do know. How is how is his siblings? They
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: must love this kid, right, I mean love him.
• 30:55
  Speaker 2: It's a love fest. We have dance parties before we
• 30:57
  Speaker 2: go to bed every night, you know, and kisses and
• 30:59
  Speaker 2: like we foster a lot of relationship, especially on the weekends,
• 31:03
  Speaker 2: to all be together, so, you know, really expanses regulation lessons,
• 31:07
  Speaker 2: the anxiety, and the kids all realize like, hey, we're
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: part of a cohesa family unit. We love each other
• 31:12
  Speaker 2: all right.
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: SOFI stadium you're out there. I feel like it's one
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: of those stadiums that is inclusive to the point of
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: they do have what the century devices, and I feel
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: like every arena having that is so clutch to make
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: it more inclusive, right, like people don't people kind of
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: rag on censury devices. I'm like, why it's helpful, it's inclusive.
• 31:31
  Speaker 2: They're amazing. So FI is incredible. But I want to
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: tell you a great story, and I hope this somehow
• 31:35
  Speaker 2: makes it back to Anaheim and the Angels. I'm gonna
• 31:38
  Speaker 2: tell you just just really truly, because my son likes
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: he started going on airplanes and this is a couple
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: of years ago. He started traveling a little bit, we
• 31:45
  Speaker 2: realized we're opening it. I literally just took him on
• 31:47
  Speaker 2: a plane. My wife booked me a ticket to go
• 31:49
  Speaker 2: on a train from Burbank to Anaheim. That was it,
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: just to go there and go back with him. And
• 31:53
  Speaker 2: while we're on the train, I'm looking around and I'm
• 31:55
  Speaker 2: seeing a ton of Angel gear and I'm like, is
• 31:57
  Speaker 2: there a game today? In the middle of the day?
• 31:58
  Speaker 2: Is there a game happening? And I look at my phone.
• 32:00
  Speaker 2: There is, and I'm like, spur the moment. I'm like,
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: I'm gonna get tickets.
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: Ellis.
• 32:03
  Speaker 2: I'm gonna take his name's Ellis I'm gonna take you
• 32:05
  Speaker 2: to the game. I bought tickets into the outfield that
• 32:07
  Speaker 2: took him to the game. We're sitting in the outfield
• 32:09
  Speaker 2: stands and immediately he's having sensory overlaid. It's not going
• 32:12
  Speaker 2: well at all, right, And I take him out of
• 32:14
  Speaker 2: there and we walk up where the big volcano is, uh,
• 32:17
  Speaker 2: And I'm kind of standing up there and I realize
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: he's coming down a little bit. And I see some
• 32:19
  Speaker 2: seats that are up there in center field by the way,
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: and by the way, this is when like Otani's still
• 32:23
  Speaker 2: on the team, and like, I'm we got a great
• 32:25
  Speaker 2: game against the Maritters going on here, and I like
• 32:27
  Speaker 2: and I just bring him and I sit down there,
• 32:29
  Speaker 2: and within one second, you know, they come and say, hey,
• 32:31
  Speaker 2: these are not your seats. But I said, well, you know,
• 32:33
  Speaker 2: did anybody show up Today's deserve my son's autistic boomed.
• 32:36
  Speaker 2: They turned the court immediately, the usher is like, we
• 32:39
  Speaker 2: got you stay here. They went and got us a
• 32:41
  Speaker 2: sensory bag. They they were making sure that he was
• 32:44
  Speaker 2: comfortable every inning. I was blown for those.
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: Off fireworks. And by the way, as a kid, I
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: hated fireworks, like I just I couldn't deal with the
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: fireworks off every home run. It was a lot at
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: Chase Stadium back.
• 32:56
  Speaker 2: In the day. But hopefully he's okay with that. He
• 32:58
  Speaker 2: actually kind of likes the bright nights and the no
• 33:00
  Speaker 2: This is surprisingly that didn't bother him as much as
• 33:02
  Speaker 2: being around people and really having too many kind of
• 33:04
  Speaker 2: people on his head. But what an incredible job that
• 33:06
  Speaker 2: they did. I mean, I love that organization. I've been
• 33:09
  Speaker 2: a Yang You've had my whole life. But I promise you,
• 33:10
  Speaker 2: after that day, I got a little place in my
• 33:12
  Speaker 2: heart for the Angels.
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: Well, you gotta go back there. I think Trout's gonna
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: have another good year. We hope, right, I mean I.
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: Hope so, I hope so. He's the baseball needs it.
• 33:20
  Speaker 2: He's that good of a player.
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: Would like to say that that is a great story,
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: and I will tag the Angel on that because I
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: think they should know that. You know, they treat you
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: guys well, and that's very important. And again they're ragging
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: on all these other ringers for having century or whatever.
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: I think it's great. I think it's more inclusive and yeah,
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: it's perfect.
• 33:37
  Speaker 2: It's ludicrous to think that they shouldn't. It's wonderful. I mean,
• 33:40
  Speaker 2: you know, if you haven't watched Welcome to Wrexham in
• 33:42
  Speaker 2: the first season I think it was the first season. Whatnot.
• 33:44
  Speaker 2: They have an autistic fan who comes there and her
• 33:46
  Speaker 2: part of the team and they really include her. I
• 33:48
  Speaker 2: mean it looked absolutely everybody. Everybody loves sports. You know,
• 33:53
  Speaker 2: just because of the way somebody looks or thinks or
• 33:54
  Speaker 2: the way they're acting, doesn't you think you understand what
• 33:57
  Speaker 2: they're going through And that's not the case. And you know,
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: my son often gives up a vibe of something and
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: he's thinking or feeling something entirely different. And I know
• 34:03
  Speaker 2: he loves sports, and I know he loves being at
• 34:05
  Speaker 2: these places.
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: One last thing, uh is he homeschool? Does he go
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: to public school?
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: Like? What's his He goes to public school with an AID. Yeah,
• 34:12
  Speaker 2: he's in an art core class. It's it's known as
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: art core autism core. But he goes to public school
• 34:18
  Speaker 2: and he has an aide yet and and he does
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: go into general education classes a few hours each day.
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: I've seen how aids are very, very patient and very
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: you know, they handle that. They help out the AUTI
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: kids very well. I mean I was on the subway
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: years ago. And I don't think you're Ellis is going
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: to be like this, but some autistic they do hit back,
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: you know what I mean, They do have that tendency.
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: So I saw the patients of an AID to get
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: him in the grasp and like calm him down, and
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: the lady across the tracord is like, you're hurting him,
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: and we're all like, no, the AID knows what they're doing.
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: It's amazing how what a human being that takes to
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: be able to deal with that.
• 34:55
  Speaker 2: You know, we love our AID who's with him every day.
• 34:58
  Speaker 2: In fact, he has a few at different times in
• 35:00
  Speaker 2: the day. We love all of them. And we have
• 35:01
  Speaker 2: the right people in place. Took us a long time
• 35:03
  Speaker 2: to get what we call the A team, but the
• 35:04
  Speaker 2: people as as you say, it's you know, they get it.
• 35:07
  Speaker 2: And those that do the they're angels themselves. We're lucky
• 35:10
  Speaker 2: we have them in our lives. All right.
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: I want to ask you one last question X rated
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: x R A Y what's the plan?
• 35:16
  Speaker 2: Great question? So our founder are our leader is doctor
• 35:19
  Speaker 2: Phil McDonald, doctor x uh so. He is a radiologist
• 35:23
  Speaker 2: by trade. So a little double on challenge of little
• 35:24
  Speaker 2: play on words x R A Y t ed Anyway,
• 35:27
  Speaker 2: X rated is a name you're gonna remember. XSN network
• 35:29
  Speaker 2: is really great. But he did x R A Y
• 35:31
  Speaker 2: because he's a radiologist. It's one of the best medicinal
• 35:34
  Speaker 2: doctors in the country, best radiologists. He's awesome. We have
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: something called on the show called the XSN Clinic. People
• 35:39
  Speaker 2: love this where we you know, people get hurt all
• 35:40
  Speaker 2: the time, especially in the NBA, and he does an
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: amazing deep dive on every injury. People really love it.
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: So all right, can SGA in the thunder repeat? I
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: feel like they're on a track again.
• 35:52
  Speaker 2: I thought so. I have never come off them this year,
• 35:54
  Speaker 2: not once, even when the Spurs were kicking their butt
• 35:56
  Speaker 2: in the middle of the season. I mean, you're talking
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: about eleven in a row again. Jaylen Williams is is
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: back and healthy again. I still believe. I mean, and
• 36:02
  Speaker 2: n SJA is minus fifteen hundred hours to win the MVP,
• 36:05
  Speaker 2: as well as Lucas playing and as good as Wemby
• 36:07
  Speaker 2: is and Jokic too, So yes, I absolutely think they're
• 36:10
  Speaker 2: gonna they can win, and I think they will win again.
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: You know, here in New York we love Hartenstein, so
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: I mean, it's always good to see him win, but
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: we want something here in New York too, And I think, well,
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: with Kaid going down, that's a huge deal.
• 36:22
  Speaker 2: The opening man that although although you know what, Caid's
• 36:25
  Speaker 2: gonna be back and well rested, everybody better be careful.
• 36:27
  Speaker 2: I mean that that's a three or four week injury.
• 36:28
  Speaker 2: That collapse long, surprising me. Everybody thinks it's three or
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: four months. It's not. He'll be back for the playoffs
• 36:32
  Speaker 2: and he's gonna be well rested. I don't know. The
• 36:34
  Speaker 2: Knicks better come to play, cat better come to play.
• 36:36
  Speaker 2: And mccal bridges better be playing a lot better than
• 36:38
  Speaker 2: he has been if the Knicks have a chance.
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: And I you know, everybody's saying, well Brown's on this
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: that the other He's getting other guys playing time. I mean,
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: the Colex, the Shamans of the world. We didn't hear
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: about them last year as much. So we come on.
• 36:51
  Speaker 2: You know, TIBs runs everybody into the ground, right forty
• 36:54
  Speaker 2: four to forty eight minutes a game. You gotta have
• 36:56
  Speaker 2: a bench. Yeah, Browns is in a good jab and
• 36:57
  Speaker 2: he's very good adjustments. Don't don't sleep on Mike brown
• 37:00
  Speaker 2: away in the second half of the game or the
• 37:01
  Speaker 2: fourth quarter of the game. He understands the adjustments. Is
• 37:04
  Speaker 2: he have the killer instinct to being his team to
• 37:06
  Speaker 2: the championship. We'll find out. But he's done a wonderful
• 37:08
  Speaker 2: job this year making the right adjustments at the right time.
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: Well, we'll have to see. We always are New York centric,
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: but I gotta chout out Jason Tatum, all I have you.
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: I mean, what a recomeback story that guy is.
• 37:18
  Speaker 2: I mean, even if you're not a self expand or
• 37:21
  Speaker 2: you're a New Yorker at Hart and a Boston hater
• 37:23
  Speaker 2: like a lot of us are, doesn't matter. Jason Tatum
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: is that good. He's that awesome. It's better to have
• 37:27
  Speaker 2: him in the league than not. I'm so happy he's back.
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: All right, I know he gotta take Elis to swim,
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: But Lebron, I feel like the rumors are swirling constantly
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: about this guy. It is he done? Hows he throw is?
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: You know? I mean, oh I got he doesn't score
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: a point in the first half of the game last night,
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: people freak out, what are you seeing? I've been seeing
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: him at games at all.
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: Well, you look at what he's done. I mean he's
• 37:49
  Speaker 2: transitioning himself and become the third you know, the third
• 37:51
  Speaker 2: wheel behind Reeves and Luca now and the team's doing
• 37:54
  Speaker 2: so much better. I mean, look at what the last
• 37:55
  Speaker 2: ten games are. JJ sat him down and said let's
• 37:57
  Speaker 2: do and he agreed to He's amazing. Does he keep
• 38:00
  Speaker 2: doing this? Does he keep playing? I don't know. I
• 38:02
  Speaker 2: just want to say this. He's a billionaire. Does anybody
• 38:05
  Speaker 2: understand how insane it is that there's a billionaire in
• 38:07
  Speaker 2: the MVP NBA at forty one years old who's still
• 38:09
  Speaker 2: thrown his body around and consistently wants to play. If
• 38:11
  Speaker 2: I'm the him, I would have retired five years ago.
• 38:13
  Speaker 2: But lit's Lebron. Good for him, all right?
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: I feel like the Luka Trena is about a bigger
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: shockwave as Gretzky going and the Kings was right. It
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: had that impact.
• 38:22
  Speaker 2: It has now, right because everybody looked at it and say, okay,
• 38:24
  Speaker 2: you know last year was kind of a throwaway, came
• 38:26
  Speaker 2: in mid season, not everybody expects him to do everything.
• 38:28
  Speaker 2: And then this year got off to a slow start
• 38:30
  Speaker 2: and all these things were happening. Are they good? Are
• 38:31
  Speaker 2: they not? Well? Look at him now, you know, he's
• 38:33
  Speaker 2: number two in the MVP candidacy. Nigo Harrison doesn't look
• 38:36
  Speaker 2: too good these days. It is his big as shockwave
• 38:39
  Speaker 2: as as you would expect. Everybody here in Los Angeles
• 38:42
  Speaker 2: is Luca Mania now, yeah.
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: And Magic owning the Dodgers and basically running everything in
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: La right, I mean that's been happening, so.
• 38:50
  Speaker 2: Yeah, no, it's I mean, this is tinseltown, man, this
• 38:52
  Speaker 2: is the Lake Show. It's exciting.
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: I've been to Dodgers Dadion once in my life. I
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: actually liked the experience of it, actually post COVID so
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: they would still getting masked in all that, but it
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: was a fun time and I might come back out
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: there now.
• 39:04
  Speaker 2: So we'll have as ravine at sunset. If you can
• 39:06
  Speaker 2: get a game that starts at six ove o'clock in
• 39:08
  Speaker 2: the summertime, is what I mean get. You know, at
• 39:10
  Speaker 2: first you're in the heat in the sun, but when
• 39:12
  Speaker 2: it goes down. Got to be one of the most
• 39:13
  Speaker 2: beautiful venues I've ever been to. It's magic at night,
• 39:16
  Speaker 2: It's gorgeous. Dodger Stadium is special. I hope they never
• 39:20
  Speaker 2: change it.
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: It's so funny that team is like, well, well, Lolly
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: got in the first half of the year that we'll
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: just turn up with the like they expect that the
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: turn up in the second half is gonna work for them,
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: and it has because that West. No one's improved that division,
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: it feels.
• 39:33
  Speaker 2: Like, So you're right, no one's improved in that division.
• 39:35
  Speaker 2: That is surprising that that the NL, the the NL West.
• 39:39
  Speaker 2: There's just not a lot of improvement out there. I
• 39:41
  Speaker 2: mean that, you know that. You see down in Arizona,
• 39:43
  Speaker 2: they've they made some improvement and then they dipped again.
• 39:45
  Speaker 2: It's hard, but it's hard for them to keep up
• 39:46
  Speaker 2: in the arms race.
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: Yep, all right, am, thanks for your time today, Power
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: by Pop Match. We'll do this again as soon as.
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: I think we're gonna have a lot of conversations with
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: baseball in the final four and all that heat up looks.
• 39:58
  Speaker 2: I really appreciate your time, man, thanks for having me
• 39:59
  Speaker 2: on and.
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: Go follow be on the surface. This is great.