Latest / The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views / TABLE TALK: Assessing The 4 Major Philly Sports Teams!

Transcript

TABLE TALK: Assessing The 4 Major Philly Sports Teams! · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

0:28
Speaker 1: Welcome to Table Talk here at the Philadelphia Sports Table
0:31
Speaker 1: podcast show, the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show
0:34
Speaker 1: in the world thirteen years strong. Got a great discussion
0:38
Speaker 1: coming your way this week as we examine all four
0:41
Speaker 1: major Philly sports teams with our good friend John Jansen
0:44
Speaker 1: from Fox Sports Phillies The Gambler. My friend, thanks so
0:48
Speaker 1: much for jumping on. It's late Monday night here, but man,
0:50
Speaker 1: I appreciate you taking the time.
0:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks for having me someone fun times in Philly sports.
0:57
Speaker 2: I think we're getting them sobering reality now. But yeah,
1:00
Speaker 2: it's been good.
1:01
Speaker 1: Exactly. Look, Monday night, it's late, John, and I you know,
1:05
Speaker 1: I was watching the Flyers unfortunately lose to the UH
1:09
Speaker 1: Carolina Hurricanes. Boy what a game it was. They lost
1:12
Speaker 1: in overtime. But we're gonna get to the Flyers in
1:16
Speaker 1: just a bit. Current state of Philly sports here, John,
1:20
Speaker 1: I mean, this is the first time seventeen years that
1:22
Speaker 1: all four major Philly sports teams have actually made the playoffs,
1:26
Speaker 1: and even the Philadelphia Union made the playoffs last year
1:30
Speaker 1: as a top team in the Eastern Conference in Major
1:32
Speaker 1: League Soccer. Look, we live in a sports fan community
1:36
Speaker 1: where there is just so much ups and downs all
1:39
Speaker 1: the time, tons of emotions within the Philly sports fan base.
1:43
Speaker 1: But things really aren't that bad, right, I mean, things
1:45
Speaker 1: are not that bad in the world of Philly sports
1:47
Speaker 1: right now, right, That's where we got to start off.
1:50
Speaker 2: Yeah, and maybe that's it's just an interesting perspective now.
1:53
Speaker 2: And I think the one thing that's really getting me
1:55
Speaker 2: is just the Sixers thing too, because like a lot
1:59
Speaker 2: of the times, like they have been in the second round,
2:01
Speaker 2: they've been better, but there just seems to be a
2:04
Speaker 2: little bit more youthful vibrants coming from them, from the Sixers,
2:09
Speaker 2: from the Flyers, not so much the Union anymore. And
2:12
Speaker 2: we can get to that, but maybe even the the Eagles,
2:15
Speaker 2: you know, they get Mackay Lemon and they're they're just
2:18
Speaker 2: like Sean Mannon comes in, you know, new offensive coordinator.
2:22
Speaker 2: It just it feels like there are like turning them
2:25
Speaker 2: some pages. But maybe just a little bit more perspective
2:28
Speaker 2: as well. And again the Sixers are the example of that.
2:32
Speaker 2: A lot of times we got on for them for
2:33
Speaker 2: not getting out of the second round. They only won
2:35
Speaker 2: the first round. Yeah, you know, this isn't like they've
2:37
Speaker 2: been able to accomplish something that we've keep tasking them
2:40
Speaker 2: to do, right, but there does feel something different about it.
2:43
Speaker 2: And again, I think it does come down to that
2:45
Speaker 2: youthfulness and bj Edgecomb and Tyrese Maxey making big plays
2:49
Speaker 2: and just seeing maybe the final flashes of Joel Embiid's brilliance. Yeah,
2:53
Speaker 2: it's I think we're appreciating where things at are a
2:58
Speaker 2: little bit more with all the teams in general. Yeah,
3:01
Speaker 2: which is very nice.
3:02
Speaker 1: I think it's important to note though, John two and
3:05
Speaker 1: I think there are certain fans within the Philly sports
3:07
Speaker 1: fan base that do realize this others that don't at times,
3:11
Speaker 1: is that the majority of the time Philly teams are
3:15
Speaker 1: relevant within their league or their association. I mean, look,
3:20
Speaker 1: the Sixers have been disappointing absolutely over these years in
3:23
Speaker 1: terms of not getting the Eastern Conference Finals, but they've
3:26
Speaker 1: really have been a relevant team in general over how
3:30
Speaker 1: many years. The Flyers now getting that relevance as well.
3:33
Speaker 1: The Philadelphia Eagles, we know they are one of the
3:35
Speaker 1: most relevant teams in the NFC, if not the NFL.
3:39
Speaker 1: And of course you have the Philadelphia Phillies, who, yes,
3:42
Speaker 1: again have been disappointing, but they have been a very
3:44
Speaker 1: relevant team in the NL East, and I think it's
3:47
Speaker 1: important for us to realize that relevance when there's a
3:49
Speaker 1: lot of cities out there that do not have that
3:52
Speaker 1: on a consistent basis.
3:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, and it doesn't happen often. These are teams that
3:57
Speaker 2: are coming out of big droughts. Phillies. I know, we
4:01
Speaker 2: it's been maybe four years now, since twenty twenty two
4:05
Speaker 2: that they've been able to get to World Series runs
4:07
Speaker 2: or at least even to uh, you know, past divisional rounds.
4:11
Speaker 2: The Flyers. It took a long time, but there there
4:13
Speaker 2: there have been these long droughts and they've finally been
4:19
Speaker 2: kind of broken. And yeah, right, relevancy is back to
4:22
Speaker 2: organizations that have always been I'd say the Phillies have
4:25
Speaker 2: always been very good but always relevant, and the Flyers
4:28
Speaker 2: always relevant. So yeah, that is it doesn't happen a
4:32
Speaker 2: lot when all of it comes together at the same time.
4:36
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's it's very neat and really it's just
4:40
Speaker 2: kind of cool to see where the city lies two
4:41
Speaker 2: at times, because yes, it's a big basketball city. Uh
4:44
Speaker 2: And I've always liked that about Phillies history that has
4:47
Speaker 2: a tremendous and rich basketball history, but also like, man,
4:52
Speaker 2: this town loves hockey, and I have seen more orange
4:55
Speaker 2: around here than I've seen Sixers than I've seen Eagles.
4:58
Speaker 2: I mean, Eagles have been and you know, super Bowl
5:00
Speaker 2: champions recently won two Super Bowls recently, and still like,
5:04
Speaker 2: the amount of orange I've seen has been absolutely nuts.
5:08
Speaker 2: So it's just fun to see those those pockets of
5:11
Speaker 2: fans coming back out and really like, Philly is such
5:15
Speaker 2: a strong hockey town, but it can be again rich
5:17
Speaker 2: basketball history. This love for the Eagles, Phillies baseball right
5:21
Speaker 2: October's been great, So it's fun to see that all
5:23
Speaker 2: kind of come alive.
5:24
Speaker 1: There's there's a lot of electric in the city when
5:26
Speaker 1: it comes to the world of Philly sports. For sure.
5:29
Speaker 1: Now the team that seems to have the biggest challenge
5:32
Speaker 1: rate here at the moment, even though they have been
5:34
Speaker 1: they have been winning some games here has been the
5:36
Speaker 1: Philadelphia Phillies. They have of course fired Rob Thompson, but
5:40
Speaker 1: they are now winning games trying to really crawl back
5:43
Speaker 1: out from the bottom of the basement. How would you
5:46
Speaker 1: assess where the Phillies are at right now as they're
5:49
Speaker 1: trying to rebound from just this horrendous start to this
5:52
Speaker 1: season here at the beginning of May, John, what are
5:54
Speaker 1: your thoughts.
5:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean they're they're desperate, Like, hey, this is
5:58
Speaker 2: this is an organization that I know they didn't do
6:00
Speaker 2: much in the offseason, but you know they have this
6:02
Speaker 2: score together that they spent a lot of money on already,
6:07
Speaker 2: and like this is sort of the last kind of
6:10
Speaker 2: effort for it. It's like the last season. So it's
6:13
Speaker 2: it's desperate. So I think Rob Thompson getting fired when
6:17
Speaker 2: he did, I think any other time, like if really
6:22
Speaker 2: they would have waited him maybe another month. I always think, like, man,
6:24
Speaker 2: the month of best, like that pivotal moment of when
6:27
Speaker 2: like you either are that team after that month, like
6:30
Speaker 2: if they kept struggling, that's what you are, but you
6:32
Speaker 2: also have plenty of time to get it better and
6:34
Speaker 2: be a really good team by the end of May.
6:36
Speaker 2: And they just didn't even give Rob Thompson that just
6:38
Speaker 2: because like they're desperate. So yeah, it's it's what it
6:42
Speaker 2: screams this season. It's what really the messaging always felt
6:46
Speaker 2: like in the off season. So it's like it doesn't
6:49
Speaker 2: surprise me that Rob Thompson was really expendable because he
6:51
Speaker 2: was probably gonna go at the end of the season anyway,
6:53
Speaker 2: no matter what happened at barring like a World Series run. Yeah,
6:58
Speaker 2: but I mean disappointment was going to be like if
7:00
Speaker 2: they didn't get out of the National League and into
7:03
Speaker 2: a World Series. So it always just felt like it
7:04
Speaker 2: was last year for that. So yeah, it's just it
7:07
Speaker 2: seems very desperate. Things have gotten better, but also like
7:10
Speaker 2: they're playing bad competition. Yes, of course it's gonna look
7:13
Speaker 2: better against the Giants and the Marlins, not to say
7:16
Speaker 2: that they can't get better, but it's it's not like
7:18
Speaker 2: the Rob Thompson firing to me, does much or was
7:21
Speaker 2: like inspired the Phillies like to get it together. It's
7:25
Speaker 2: just like it to me, it's all just timing based,
7:27
Speaker 2: and like, yeah, they the timing was they played two
7:31
Speaker 2: very bad teams and we're able to win those series.
7:34
Speaker 2: So now they just need to get you know, some
7:37
Speaker 2: consistency out of the bottom of the lineup and consistency
7:40
Speaker 2: hitting overall, which they kind of have had but not really.
7:44
Speaker 2: And then like Zach Wheeler came back too, starting rotation
7:47
Speaker 2: is obviously gonna look better when he's when he's there,
7:50
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's just some more pieces are really starting
7:53
Speaker 2: to come together. It was a horrendous start. It's gonna
7:56
Speaker 2: be a lot of work to get into the wildcard
7:58
Speaker 2: picture because of how good the National Central looks at
8:00
Speaker 2: the moment. But yeah, it just it all felt desperate
8:03
Speaker 2: and I don't know if it needed to, but it
8:05
Speaker 2: was and it is what it is. The only thing
8:08
Speaker 2: I question now is Don Mattinglee didn't want to manage.
8:13
Speaker 2: Don Mattinglee doesn't have the greatest track record managing especially
8:17
Speaker 2: playoff teams. So, like I was, at least if you
8:21
Speaker 2: didn't like Rob Thompson, you still he's had some success
8:23
Speaker 2: in the postseason. Is Don Mattingly the guy? Really? Have
8:26
Speaker 2: they turn it around? Like I'm confident that Don Mattingly
8:29
Speaker 2: can lead the Phillies absolutely postseason success. Yes, I question
8:33
Speaker 2: that heavily. So I think that move was a little
8:36
Speaker 2: bit premature.
8:37
Speaker 1: I absolutely do as well. Like I was on another
8:39
Speaker 1: podcast recently and I said, if things are happening the
8:41
Speaker 1: way that they were, say a few weeks ago, at
8:44
Speaker 1: the end of May, then I could see the firing
8:46
Speaker 1: of Rob Thompson kind of just what you were just saying, John,
8:50
Speaker 1: You know, I do go back to the whole Dave
8:52
Speaker 1: Dombrowski being culpable. He wasn't really accountable at all. During
8:56
Speaker 1: that press conference when they named Don Mattingley manager. Still again,
9:04
Speaker 1: the team again beating competition that they should be beating
9:08
Speaker 1: for sure. I mean Marlins tonight they beat him one nothing,
9:11
Speaker 1: Aaron Nole actually pitched well for the first time this year.
9:15
Speaker 1: But really, we're starting to see the uh, we're starting
9:18
Speaker 1: We're starting to see this team. I'm not gonna say
9:21
Speaker 1: come undone by any stretch, but we're seeing age. We're
9:24
Speaker 1: seeing a downslide with certain players, and I think that
9:28
Speaker 1: we need to realize that certain retooling in the future
9:31
Speaker 1: is going to need to happen with this Phillies team.
9:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, probably, And that that was I think why they
9:37
Speaker 2: were why they've been desperate, because they I think they
9:40
Speaker 2: understand that, yeah, there's there's a lot of change happening
9:42
Speaker 2: after this, and so they're trying to at least capitalize
9:46
Speaker 2: on what they have now. But that, yeah, that again
9:49
Speaker 2: leads to a little bit of a premature I think
9:51
Speaker 2: firing of Rob Thompson. But yeah, it's it's it's hard
9:55
Speaker 2: to win ninety five plus games, you know, every single season. Yeah,
9:59
Speaker 2: that is a extremely hard, and I think it's even
10:02
Speaker 2: taken for granted how good they have been in this
10:05
Speaker 2: run where they've had three plus three straight ninety plus
10:09
Speaker 2: win seasons and even the year before that getting to
10:11
Speaker 2: a World Series. All of that stuff is extremely hard
10:15
Speaker 2: to do every single year, and they were doing it.
10:18
Speaker 2: But once you get towards the end of that, yeah,
10:20
Speaker 2: it's it's hard to continue that. And like some guys
10:22
Speaker 2: are gonna to dip down, not everything's gonna be the same.
10:25
Speaker 2: Starting rotation was amazing last year and off to a
10:27
Speaker 2: rocky start this year, getting a little bit better, but
10:30
Speaker 2: off to a rocky start. You know, you kind of
10:32
Speaker 2: just have to to figure those things out. I think,
10:34
Speaker 2: really what they should have done just you know, believe
10:37
Speaker 2: that you know, the pieces that you have that you
10:39
Speaker 2: stuck with in the offseason. If if you really believed
10:42
Speaker 2: in them that much, you would have given I think
10:43
Speaker 2: the manager a little bit more time and this team
10:46
Speaker 2: more time to figure it out. You know. I just
10:48
Speaker 2: don't think they trusted it, and they made a move
10:50
Speaker 2: that I think short term maybe great. Maybe it did
10:54
Speaker 2: help them, you know with the Giant Series and all
10:58
Speaker 2: of that, but again, I think it's more timing and
10:59
Speaker 2: now long term, like this team that you were confident
11:03
Speaker 2: would be a playoff team and maybe win the division
11:05
Speaker 2: if they do all of that. Like, again, I don't
11:07
Speaker 2: know if Manning Lee is the right guy to lead it,
11:10
Speaker 2: and I think that could be a huge move down there.
11:12
Speaker 1: Is Done Mattingly the guy to lead this team. Leave
11:14
Speaker 1: us a comment below on YouTube. What were your thoughts
11:17
Speaker 1: on the firing of Rob Thompson as well? Leave us
11:20
Speaker 1: a comment below on YouTube. If you're listening to an
11:23
Speaker 1: audio podcast, head on over to YouTube and search out
11:25
Speaker 1: the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show. And as we're moving
11:28
Speaker 1: along here, want to get into this Philadelphia Flyers team
11:31
Speaker 1: because honestly, John, like I sort of don't care what
11:34
Speaker 1: happens in this series against Carolina because the postseason has
11:37
Speaker 1: basically been icing on the cake. I mean, yes, I
11:40
Speaker 1: say that in jest. Of course, I do care. I
11:41
Speaker 1: want to see them advance. Reality is, it's just gonna
11:45
Speaker 1: be a tough haul. It really is. But back in January,
11:48
Speaker 1: none of us thought this team would be where they
11:50
Speaker 1: are today. How are you looking at the Flyers season
11:53
Speaker 1: here at this point and where this team should be
11:55
Speaker 1: going in the future.
11:57
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's there's young pieces there. You could tell that
12:01
Speaker 2: there's there's been a lot of restructuring, rebuilding, whatever you
12:07
Speaker 2: want to do it, and it's it's now showing results
12:11
Speaker 2: and they are able to get the places that they
12:14
Speaker 2: haven't been. I think the sobering reality and maybe it's
12:17
Speaker 2: not sobering, but like at least it's very easy to
12:21
Speaker 2: see they are still well a step below above Carolina
12:26
Speaker 2: and like some of these top teams in the NHL,
12:29
Speaker 2: and so like they're getting there. The pieces are there.
12:33
Speaker 2: You have a few young players, maybe you now have
12:37
Speaker 2: a goaltender. I don't know if Loodar is going to
12:39
Speaker 2: be you know this playing well and like you just go.
12:46
Speaker 2: But there's still some things to figure out. And I
12:48
Speaker 2: think the Flyers know that. But as exciting as it is, yeah,
12:52
Speaker 2: it's also like crazy to see them against Carolina and realize, like, wow,
12:57
Speaker 2: Carolina is like whoa, this team's good and that they
13:00
Speaker 2: have been like if it wasn't for the Florida Panthers,
13:03
Speaker 2: which has been their biggest obstacle obstacle, Carolina should probably
13:07
Speaker 2: have a Stanley Cup by now. This has been like
13:10
Speaker 2: they have been a standard of excellence in the NHL.
13:12
Speaker 2: For quite quite a while, and I think the Flyers
13:16
Speaker 2: are just like, that's what they want to attain and
13:18
Speaker 2: they're just not quite there yet. And I think that's
13:20
Speaker 2: kind of what we're going to see this series. But
13:22
Speaker 2: to even be in the conversation or at least being
13:26
Speaker 2: able to try and show that and get that tested
13:30
Speaker 2: that they haven't even been on these tests because they've
13:32
Speaker 2: just been an afterthought. Now you're able to see it.
13:35
Speaker 2: You're able to see like, Okay, we're not quite there yet,
13:37
Speaker 2: but we've gotten there.
13:38
Speaker 1: Yeah.
13:39
Speaker 2: So that's that's really It's an awesome place to be.
13:41
Speaker 1: It. It is great place to be. It's fun to
13:43
Speaker 1: watch this team again tonight when they lost to the
13:46
Speaker 1: to the Carolina Hurricanes by score three to two in overtime.
13:50
Speaker 1: I mean, it was just a damn exciting game overall
13:54
Speaker 1: despite the loss. And again, folks, we're talking to John Jansen,
13:57
Speaker 1: our friend from Fox Sports, Phillies, the Gambler and Buddy
14:00
Speaker 1: before we go to break here, why don't you let
14:02
Speaker 1: everybody know where they can find you online and what
14:05
Speaker 1: you're doing out there in the interwebs.
14:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, you can find me at Jay Jansen thirty four
14:11
Speaker 2: doing a lot of weekend programming for Fox Sports and Gambler.
14:14
Speaker 2: You can just search up Fox Sports, the Gambler or
14:16
Speaker 2: just the Gambler on the iHeartRadio app and you can
14:18
Speaker 2: find us at fourteen eighty AM and one of two
14:21
Speaker 2: five FM. But yeah, just a lot of weekend stuff
14:24
Speaker 2: nine to eleven in the morning at parks with Mike
14:26
Speaker 2: Current Dic Girardi and also started a baseball show, the
14:29
Speaker 2: Sunday Lineup eleven am to one pm to well.
14:31
Speaker 1: Very good, very good, folks. We're gonna take a break,
14:33
Speaker 1: and when we get back, got more Philly sports talk
14:35
Speaker 1: of course coming your way. All right, we are back
14:39
Speaker 1: with John Jansen from Fox Sports Phillies The Gambler. And
14:43
Speaker 1: as we're moving along with this assessment of the Philly
14:46
Speaker 1: sports scene, as we're talking about all four major Philly
14:50
Speaker 1: sports teams, we get into the Philadelphia seventy six ers. Now,
14:54
Speaker 1: I mean, they just shocked the NBA and the basketball
14:57
Speaker 1: world in general this past week and when they knocked
14:59
Speaker 1: the Cellltics out of the postseason. I did not see
15:02
Speaker 1: this coming. I don't think anybody saw this coming. Just
15:05
Speaker 1: so wonderful to watch. The team is down three to
15:08
Speaker 1: one and they end up coming back in what could
15:11
Speaker 1: be the greatest comeback in Sixers postseason history. And I
15:16
Speaker 1: mean this was more john than I think just advancing
15:19
Speaker 1: to the second round of the playoffs, because at the
15:22
Speaker 1: end of the day, I mean, the Sixers took the
15:24
Speaker 1: soul of the Celtics at this very moment here in
15:27
Speaker 1: twenty twenty six, and they stumped all over it. I'd
15:31
Speaker 1: love to see it, and we all love to see it.
15:33
Speaker 1: How are you looking at this Sixers team right here
15:36
Speaker 1: right now as they you know, head into this next
15:38
Speaker 1: chapter of the season. Losing to the New York Knicks tonight,
15:41
Speaker 1: they really got killed. Nicks looked very much rested, and
15:45
Speaker 1: the Sixers looked like they had just got done playing
15:47
Speaker 1: two nights ago as well. Hopefully they rebound from this.
15:50
Speaker 1: But what are your thoughts on the Sixers and where
15:52
Speaker 1: they're at right now?
15:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the Celtics series is really interesting because
15:58
Speaker 2: it is it is just the first round series, and
16:03
Speaker 2: that's not been the Sixers Achilles heel. It's getting to
16:06
Speaker 2: an Eastern Conference final and then maybe to an NBA final.
16:10
Speaker 2: But there there's a different perspective I think now because
16:14
Speaker 2: it just feels like it's getting closer to the end,
16:18
Speaker 2: you know, and Bid, we just don't see a lot
16:19
Speaker 2: of now, it's it's a lot of like you just
16:22
Speaker 2: you don't know. And to see that flash from Joel
16:25
Speaker 2: Embiid h to see them be Boston, which has been
16:28
Speaker 2: like the standard of excellence in the NBA. They've gotten
16:33
Speaker 2: the NBA Finals, They've won NBA Finals, Jason Tatum and
16:36
Speaker 2: Jalen Brown have been two of the best young players,
16:38
Speaker 2: especially as as it comes into as a duo and
16:41
Speaker 2: as a team, and the Sixers beat them like that,
16:45
Speaker 2: just that just hasn't happened. So I'm glad it's being
16:49
Speaker 2: celebrated the way it is. I'm glad Embiid is a
16:52
Speaker 2: big part of that because Embiid really changed the series
16:56
Speaker 2: once he once he started playing. Because the Celtics have
16:59
Speaker 2: no answer. They have really no paint presence at all,
17:02
Speaker 2: and Embiid had to take advantage of that in order
17:04
Speaker 2: for them to win and did and did so in
17:06
Speaker 2: a fashion where like they did for multiple straight games.
17:10
Speaker 2: And you know, Sixers come back from a three to
17:12
Speaker 2: one deficit, which hasn't happened. So yeah, it's it's it's awesome.
17:17
Speaker 2: I hate to go as far as you know, I
17:20
Speaker 2: think a lot of fun is is hearing like legacy defining,
17:23
Speaker 2: you know. I don't know if it's that, it's just
17:26
Speaker 2: because we've seen them go out of first rounds, we've
17:28
Speaker 2: seen the beat I think good teams in the NBA playoffs.
17:31
Speaker 2: I think it's more of you know, this team is
17:34
Speaker 2: talented and it's great to see Embiid on the floor
17:38
Speaker 2: playing high level basketball. I think it's more just appreciative
17:42
Speaker 2: of what of what it has been. Yeah, and hopefully
17:45
Speaker 2: now you know what seemed like maybe a last season
17:49
Speaker 2: or you know, you just hope like VJ. Edgecomb plays
17:51
Speaker 2: on the playoffs and like Kyrie s Maxton takes over.
17:54
Speaker 2: Now it's like the Knicks are tough and you have
17:57
Speaker 2: to get past them. But your roster looks pretty good
18:01
Speaker 2: side by side with healthy healthy yet and your roster
18:05
Speaker 2: looks really good compared to Detroit. So like in Cleveland
18:11
Speaker 2: as well, Like your roster looks really good compared to
18:12
Speaker 2: those teams. So now it's just like, Okay, this is
18:16
Speaker 2: an opportunity I didn't think would be there, but now
18:18
Speaker 2: it's kind of there, and like this could be this
18:21
Speaker 2: could be something really exciting. Game one I don't take
18:23
Speaker 2: too much away from with the next because like Game
18:26
Speaker 2: one was gonna be, Knicks are gonna be fresh stitchers,
18:29
Speaker 2: We're gonna be, I think, a little bit fatigued on
18:30
Speaker 2: tired legs. Game two is going to be a really
18:32
Speaker 2: big one they see if the Sixers can take one
18:35
Speaker 2: on the road, but then also you know if they don't,
18:38
Speaker 2: just keeping your home court advantage. So I don't think
18:40
Speaker 2: this series really starts to lay game two and three
18:43
Speaker 2: Game one, Like I kind of expected that, and I'm
18:45
Speaker 2: not blaming the Sixers at all. It is what it is.
18:49
Speaker 2: But yeah, I think the series kind of starts in
18:50
Speaker 2: game two and three and Game two, especially if they
18:53
Speaker 2: can steal one on the road. But yeah, it's again
18:57
Speaker 2: not legacy defining, but man, it's just really great to
19:00
Speaker 2: see it is. It's just great to see emb playing
19:03
Speaker 2: at that level. I just don't know how many more
19:04
Speaker 2: times we're going to get to see it. And we
19:07
Speaker 2: did and in a really big moment against the team
19:10
Speaker 2: that's plagued them and that's really beating them a lot,
19:12
Speaker 2: and that was that was great.
19:14
Speaker 1: Back in December, we wouldn't have thought in a million
19:16
Speaker 1: years that the seventy six Ers would be the second
19:19
Speaker 1: round of the playoffs. But again, folks, this is Philly sports.
19:22
Speaker 1: We see this kind of bizarre stuff happening all the time. Again,
19:25
Speaker 1: we should be grateful for it and we should celebrate
19:27
Speaker 1: this Sixers team. But John, I want to move on
19:29
Speaker 1: to the Philadelphia Eagles, you know, because they had a
19:31
Speaker 1: very interesting draft. Of course, they also had an off
19:35
Speaker 1: season with a lot of chatter about the future of
19:38
Speaker 1: the team and whether it was a j Brown that
19:41
Speaker 1: storyline about a possible trade happening, Makai Lemon being the
19:45
Speaker 1: new shiny toy, or what kind of offense Sean Manion
19:48
Speaker 1: is going to be implementing. As you mentioned earlier, you know,
19:51
Speaker 1: there's some questions about how the Eagles are really going
19:54
Speaker 1: to look here in twenty twenty six. The safety position
19:57
Speaker 1: may end up looking like how's the pass rush really
20:00
Speaker 1: going to look at the end of the day as well,
20:03
Speaker 1: what are your thoughts on where this Eagles team is
20:05
Speaker 1: at as we're looking at twenty twenty six and this
20:07
Speaker 1: season starting.
20:09
Speaker 2: It's changing. It's it's different, and we knew when Seawan
20:13
Speaker 2: Mannon came in that it could look different, but this
20:16
Speaker 2: is like they're they're getting the pieces that are for
20:20
Speaker 2: a Shawn Manyon McVeigh Shanahan style offense. The players that
20:24
Speaker 2: they are getting a would not fit into what they've
20:27
Speaker 2: been doing in the past few years. This fits into
20:31
Speaker 2: this new scheme that we thought they were So it's
20:34
Speaker 2: it's gonna look new if Eagles fans want to change,
20:37
Speaker 2: like this is it? Yeah. And it's not like anything
20:40
Speaker 2: on the Hurts either. You know, I think Hurts has
20:43
Speaker 2: been really good. You know, I I fall like in
20:46
Speaker 2: the middle of the whole Hurts conversation. So it's really
20:48
Speaker 2: funny if I say anything good or bad about him,
20:50
Speaker 2: I always just get it from both sides. I think
20:51
Speaker 2: he's like really good. But it's it. I think it's
20:55
Speaker 2: necessary for him to get some of these things. Now
20:58
Speaker 2: he has the opportunity to throw throw in the middle
21:00
Speaker 2: of the field because the offense will call for it.
21:02
Speaker 2: And you have mckaye Lemon who's really great in the
21:04
Speaker 2: middle of the field, So you're gonna have those opportunities
21:07
Speaker 2: that they didn't. But like all of it's kind of
21:09
Speaker 2: there to to make some of your weaknesses not as bad.
21:13
Speaker 2: It's not like they're going to turn into strengths. It's
21:16
Speaker 2: just that you want to keep the defense honest, and
21:18
Speaker 2: they will. They were able to get some pass rush
21:21
Speaker 2: too as well. And the trade. Again, I love the
21:24
Speaker 2: mkayle Lemon pick. I think he's a really dynamic player
21:27
Speaker 2: at USC. He was my favorite player to watch in
21:29
Speaker 2: college football last year and I think he's gonna be
21:32
Speaker 2: a ton of fun. Eagles fans are gonna love kay Lemon.
21:35
Speaker 2: But yeah, it's it, definitely. It felt this offseason felt
21:40
Speaker 2: like for the Phillies, it's I had to say opposite Phillies,
21:42
Speaker 2: like nothing changed. They just kind of went in and
21:44
Speaker 2: like we're going to redo it or we're gonna run
21:47
Speaker 2: it back with the same thing. The Eagles are like
21:48
Speaker 2: now we're kind of changing things up, like this is
21:50
Speaker 2: this is a shake up. It was disappointing last year,
21:53
Speaker 2: and in order to make it not disappointing again, like
21:55
Speaker 2: we really have to change some of what we've been doing.
21:58
Speaker 2: So this would be I think under Nick Sirianni, the
22:03
Speaker 2: biggest difference we'll see in a team from year to
22:06
Speaker 2: year than we ever have. I think some years have
22:08
Speaker 2: been better better than others, but everything's been kind of
22:11
Speaker 2: the same in how the offense is run, the structure
22:13
Speaker 2: of the team. Things are changing, and we'll see what
22:17
Speaker 2: that leads to. Because I don't know if it puts
22:20
Speaker 2: that much like Hurts has been to two Superbowls and
22:22
Speaker 2: won a Super Bowl MVP. I don't I don't know
22:24
Speaker 2: if I'm with the sentiment that this is a make
22:27
Speaker 2: or break season for him. I don't think it is either. Yeah, no,
22:31
Speaker 2: it's definitely not. They'll have time, but like, how how
22:35
Speaker 2: do they react to the change, and like what what
22:37
Speaker 2: does that lead to? But yeah, it's definitely for the
22:40
Speaker 2: first time it's changed.
22:41
Speaker 1: It absolutely has. It absolutely has well, buddy, before I
22:44
Speaker 1: let you go here, And I know it's a general question,
22:47
Speaker 1: but I think it's an interesting one to ponder, which
22:50
Speaker 1: of the four major Phillies sports teams do you see
22:53
Speaker 1: truly making a run for a championship within the foreseeable future.
22:57
Speaker 2: Here, it's still the Eagles, Phillies. Phillies, I would like
23:04
Speaker 2: to say, just because like we we just you know,
23:07
Speaker 2: you mentioned Aaron Nola just had a really good game pitching,
23:09
Speaker 2: and Hayzusizarto has put a couple of really good back
23:11
Speaker 2: to back games together pitching, and you still have Christopher
23:13
Speaker 2: Sanchez and you still have Zach Wheeler like man that plays,
23:16
Speaker 2: that plays in the postseason. Ye, and that plays very
23:18
Speaker 2: well in the postseason. And I think you're gonna see
23:21
Speaker 2: better numbers out of Andrew Painter as the season goes along.
23:25
Speaker 2: I think you'll start to figure it out a bit.
23:27
Speaker 2: The stuff is good, but there's there's some really great
23:29
Speaker 2: stuff there. So I think the Phillies are somewhat close,
23:32
Speaker 2: but again feels like a desperate season, and the Dodgers
23:34
Speaker 2: are still right there, and the National League Center looks
23:37
Speaker 2: really good. The Cubs, I think, with that lineup, are
23:40
Speaker 2: big time contenders. So yeah, I think it's a little
23:42
Speaker 2: bit tough. It's the Eagles. And it's so funny to
23:46
Speaker 2: kind of hear this because there's so much change of
23:50
Speaker 2: like it feels like make or break and you know,
23:52
Speaker 2: Sirianni and Hert's like, how long I just look at
23:55
Speaker 2: that Ross. I'm like, I don't know what you guys
23:57
Speaker 2: have seen. Like, yes, things got bad last year, but
23:59
Speaker 2: they made the postseason last year and he won the
24:01
Speaker 2: division last year. I think things could get better. I
24:04
Speaker 2: think they all of the problems that these like pundits
24:08
Speaker 2: had of the Eagles last year. I think they addressed
24:12
Speaker 2: and addressed them very well. So I just don't see
24:15
Speaker 2: like the glaring holes R. I don't see like because
24:19
Speaker 2: it's not like with Hurts if he doesn't take well
24:22
Speaker 2: to some of these things, it's like okay, still but
24:24
Speaker 2: it's still good. Yeah, like it's still if it still
24:27
Speaker 2: is what it has been, it's been good. But I
24:29
Speaker 2: just think there's gonna be enough changes to where there's
24:32
Speaker 2: just a little bit extra. Oh, there's a little bit
24:34
Speaker 2: more juice that it's gonna have. So yeah, it's it's
24:36
Speaker 2: the Eagles, and I just think that the roster speaks
24:39
Speaker 2: for itself. It's it's a phenomenal ross. Absolutely top makes sense, Folks,
24:43
Speaker 2: what do you think about? What do you think about?
24:46
Speaker 2: Who's gonna win the next championship in Philadelphia? Leave us
24:48
Speaker 2: a comment below on YouTube. Again, here's our good friend
24:52
Speaker 2: from Fox Sports Phillies, the Gambler, John Janssen, My friend,
24:56
Speaker 2: thank you so much for taking the time, so great
24:58
Speaker 2: to talk to you. Come back and joined us down
25:00
Speaker 2: the road. I'd love to have you on the show again. Yeah,
25:04
Speaker 2: absolutely would love to thank you for having me on
25:06
Speaker 2: and real quick maybe and give me a quick answer
25:08
Speaker 2: off the top of your head rolling Stones at the
25:09
Speaker 2: top one hundred greatest guitar solos, and I thought it
25:11
Speaker 2: was a boring list. Okay, I know you're a rock guy,
25:13
Speaker 2: So what's your answer. What's your favorite?
25:15
Speaker 1: Look, I'm a rock guy and I am right here
25:18
Speaker 1: an Eddie van Halen fan. Right here is one of
25:21
Speaker 1: his guitars, Eddie van Halen, and it has to be.
25:24
Speaker 1: And this is going to be so incredibly boring to say,
25:29
Speaker 1: but Eruption is right up there.
25:32
Speaker 2: Terms of modern guitars. No, no, no, no, not at all.
25:35
Speaker 2: But in terms of modern guitar solos, his son has
25:38
Speaker 2: some of the best ones I've heard recently.
25:40
Speaker 1: Ye gang seeing him live, Yes, and seeing him live too.
25:44
Speaker 1: He's the real deal. He is the real deal. There
25:47
Speaker 1: is nobody that can say he's either biting off his
25:50
Speaker 1: dad whatever. He has his own style. He can play
25:53
Speaker 1: other styles as well. An incredible musician, and he got
25:58
Speaker 1: those genes from his dad for sure. Yes, he's well
26:02
Speaker 1: what what in your mind? What is the what's what's
26:04
Speaker 1: the greatest guitar solo?
26:06
Speaker 2: Oh, I'm gonna be I'm gonna be a little boy.
26:09
Speaker 2: So I like in terms of modern ones, I like
26:11
Speaker 2: John mayerslow dancing in a burning yeah things, it's great.
26:15
Speaker 2: I'm a big I'm a big March tremony guy. And
26:17
Speaker 2: uh song Blackbird by alter Bridge it feels like a
26:20
Speaker 2: modern Stairway to Heavens.
26:21
Speaker 1: Very good.
26:22
Speaker 2: I would definitely check that one.
26:24
Speaker 1: Very good.
26:24
Speaker 2: And any events sinister Gates is great, like you do
26:26
Speaker 2: any Slash solo he's come out with recently, like Anastasia
26:30
Speaker 2: if anybody hasn't listened to that, one of the coolest
26:32
Speaker 2: guitar rock songs that has come out and within the
26:36
Speaker 2: last like ten to fifteen.
26:37
Speaker 1: I gotta tell you, John, we got to talk music
26:39
Speaker 1: on the show here for God's sake at some point.
26:41
Speaker 2: Were because I see the guitars, I see it playing
26:44
Speaker 2: guitar on social media.
26:46
Speaker 1: So I've actually got a signed Steve I picture right here.
26:52
Speaker 1: And that's a technical guy, one of the best in
26:54
Speaker 1: the world. Obviously, there are so many Steve Vie solos
26:57
Speaker 1: that I could name. But anyway, Buddy, I'll let you
26:59
Speaker 1: go since it's lead. So again, folks, John Jansen from
27:02
Speaker 1: Fox Sports Phillies The Gambler, tell everybody where there and
27:04
Speaker 1: find you on the socials.
27:06
Speaker 2: Just follow me at Jay Jansen thirty four and again
27:08
Speaker 2: just check us out The Gambler on the iHeartRadio.
27:11
Speaker 1: Let's talk again in the future, John, Let's do it.
27:13
Speaker 2: Absolutely sounds good.
27:15
Speaker 1: That's going to do it for us here on Table
27:17
Speaker 1: Talk this week. Please share our podcast with your friends
27:20
Speaker 1: and family members who are Philly sports fans or sports
27:23
Speaker 1: fans in general. We thank you our listeners for being
27:27
Speaker 1: part of this online community with us and within this space.
27:31
Speaker 1: Please make sure to check out our website Philadelphiasportstable dot
27:35
Speaker 1: com for all of our podcasts, and follow us on
27:38
Speaker 1: our social sites over on Twitter at Philadelphia pst, threads
27:43
Speaker 1: at Philadelphia Sports Table, and over on Instagram as well.
27:46
Speaker 1: Take care and we'll catch you next time.