David Samson Shares The Most Interesting Part of the Clippers News | Hour 1

0:00It's one of my favorite times. There's that point in every summer where I start convincing myself, I'm going to be normal about football this year. Not as emotional. Not lose myself completely in it. And then the game start. The sprinklers. The smell of grass. The roar of the crowd. The toasting of Miller Light. Ah, that right there my friends. That's my favorite part about all of this because make it football time is great. Make it football time a Miller time. That's special. Some of my favorite weekends are built around football. Getting everybody together, putting the college games on on Saturday come back for the NFL on Sunday, order way too much food, and crack open Miller lights for me and my friends. That's a perfect weekend for me. And Miller light is a beer I reach for every time because it's crisp, refreshing, and easy to drink. Especially when football starts. When it's still somehow down here. 90 degrees in Miami. It's a true American pilsner that cools the body down the original light beer since 1975 and just 96 calories and 3.2 carbs. Legendary game days start with a Miller light.

1:00Make game day legendary. Go to Miller light.com slash stand by delivery options near you or you can pick up some Miller light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Game time is Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller brewing company Milwaukee Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. You are listening to the down levatar show in partnership with the Draftkins Sports Act now live in all 50 estates. A fat episode of this live appears on Pablo Torrey finds out it's got a lot of details in it. And I want to say again, because I really don't think damage check people understand why it is that journalists don't often do this work because it's really hard and you need resources and it's dangerous. And so what he just did was really extraordinary. I haven't seen anything like it in my sports journalism career. No one got close to him on this story and he seems to have had all of his facts straight in a way that's been validated by the NBA. David, I bring you in here and I want to talk to you about some of that because I know

2:02that you love the hardest things. You run, you know, ultra marathon, you're just a crazy person and this is the very hardest thing that you guys have done. From yesterday, what was most interesting to you? We were all willing, along with Metal Arc, to not take victory laps. And why do I say that's interesting because you talk about the way Pablo got attacked. It was coming at all angles. The trap it all was coming from other journalists. It was coming from leagues. It was coming from lawyers. I lost friendships over this. We've been dealing with this story since last May. So we're talking about a year and a half. And when you go public with an allegation, the way we were doing starting September 3rd, you've got to have your ducks in a row. We didn't do it as a fly by night, irresponsible episode. And then we built and built and built. And what happened yesterday was a total validation. And it would have been on point for Pablo or for Amin or for any of us to just stand there

3:05in peacock. But instead, what we wanted to do is explain to the audience what you heard and what you're reading. We will explain what it is, but there's more. And even in the Wachtell report, they pointed out there is still stuff to go over and to be released and to be investigated. And I got great satisfaction in that. David, I'm very interested in how the ESPN story from a few weeks ago went down. Those are super, super respected reporters, okay, who had their name attached to that story. You have to, or am I wrong in figuring that just all of those sources were clearly coming from the clippers and the clippers throwing BS at them. Yeah, it's really hard to say that you can be respected when you write that article. You put your name to it and then you go silent when the truth comes out because you're so angry that you got scooped by Pablo Torrey finds out and you got rolled by them in a way that is unbelievable. So ESPN allows themselves because they get beaten by the New York Times, the athletic

4:10and metal art media to endorse a story that was just fed by the clippers, corroborating sources from where? How do you responsibly put that article out and the NBA in 53 minutes releases a statement saying that ESPN article, what are you even talking about? So what happened? Steve Balmer and Steve Balmer's crisis PR people said, you know what, we need an article out there saying there's no thread that can get Steve Balmer to salary caps or convention. Let's release an article. Anyone interested? No, no, no. ESPN, they're in. They do it. They put their names behind it and it was all wrong every bit of it. Do I take satisfaction in that? No, because it's misleading to the public when you've got an article like that that is not properly vetted and ends up being completely incorrect. And then you stay silent when the investigation is complete and you see a 36 page report

5:13right in front of you. Zaz, I have been very happy with all of the things you do around here except for occasionally listening. You just let David get away with when I'm sitting here saying how it is that he's been great and Pulitzer Prize worthy with all of his analysis that's different from everyone else's. I just asked him what was most interesting about yesterday's story, one of the biggest sports candles of all time. And he said that we didn't take a victory lap. An astonishing, an astonishing bad answer to that question. No, let me explain why it's not Dan. We had a strategy session before we went live. We talked about what's the tone? How do we want to approach this because you can bet that we were covered with brute strategy session. David, you guys don't know what it is. What's interesting? You think that's interesting? What do you think that's interesting? Yes, I do. Oh, okay. The most interesting thing is very important. The most interesting thing from yesterday is that we had a strategy session about not taking

6:14a victory lap about what the tone should be about what we want to deliver to an audience who's been with us for over a year and four minutes. At home. I was breathless for 15 minutes. So not how we started. At $30 million. A little bit more than 15 minutes, by the way. Yeah. Still, by the way, the penalty was so soft. When I read that 36 pages, I would have been so soft. So soft. Wow. I mean, it had been fired, frank fired and bomber suspended for at least two minutes. That's what I want to get to the penalty phase of this conversation. And specifically, how severe is this from where you sit, David? Is this, does this kill the clippers franchise? Do they need to read it? They killed them branded. I mean, five first round picks. What's it all amount to? Are they, are they wounded or are they dead in the water? Well, let's see what the NBA allows. If Kuwait gets traded to the Raptors and they get two of those five back, then they're a net down three. If the NBA does not approve the trade or they don't approve the return, then we will

7:16see what the final loss of picks is. $30 million. Steve Bommer is not going to change. It's a cap league. He will still spend to the cap each year and try not to circumvent it for what will be a record third time. But in theory, he's still going to be able to spend what he's always been able to spend. So it's not going to have an impact on the operation. Will they fire Lawrence? Frank the way Jim Crane fired Jeff Lunau the next day after the Astros scandal? Well, maybe bring in another GM. So I don't see it as impactful on the court as other people are. It's not the death star to the Clippers franchise whatsoever. It's not that sponsors are running away from into it, Dom or from Steve Bommer. So that's why I don't think it was harsh enough. Zaz is stung by that. Yeah, I don't agree what's, I mean, I think they sent them to the Stone Age. It's losing those Drappics, five straight years. It wasn't even like, okay, we're going to do every other year. Okay, it was five consecutive years on a team that's already going to be terrible by the

8:23time that 2029 pick rolls around. No one's going to want to play for them. I think it is a death blow. And who's going to go to their James David is another question. You know, now they stink. You know their cheats. What's the incentive to buy tickets? Well, and I'll add to it. Like who's going to play for them? There's no such thing as free agency anymore in the NBA. The great players, they demand trades. No one is demanding to be traded to the clippers. And so yeah, the clippers will have cap space. Like I know they have cap space next year. They're going to overpay some second third tier guy. That's how they're going to spend their money. Like this was a death blow to them for the next eight, nine years. They're going to be so bad. They've been so bad. But it's not as though they've been a successful organization. They haven't won, even with circumventing the salary. Boy, yeah, you're right. You're right. They've done no winning whatsoever. So I'm just not sure what the increment down is not nearly as big as the possibility of up. Steve Bomber wakes up today, misses a full year, but he'll be behind the scenes.

9:24They will have money to spend. So I just don't see it as harsh as you are as. Now, but the money to spend, it's it's that like I said, there's no one to spend it on. They're going to get some like whatever free agent was available a month after free agency, that's the guy they're going to give money to. Look, I was not even remotely a difference maker. They're going to be terrible. Dan Wetzel pointed out all in all to acquire and then later via MBA sanctions, Kawaii Leonard. This is what it cost for the clippers. 2021 first round pick, 2022 first round pick, 2023 first round pick, 2023 first round pick, swap 2024 first round pick, 2025 first round pick, swap, 2026 first round pick, 2029, 3031, 32 and 33 first round picks. Shay Gilges Alexander, who was the two time MVP, Danilo Gullinari, a $30 million fine Steve bomber suspended for a year, Lawrence Frank's suspended for six months, Gillian Zucker suspended for a year while Kali Leonard averaged 47 games per season in his season. Dan, I think the Kawaii Leonard transaction, and I'm calling it transaction because the trade

10:28for Paul George was really for Paul George and Kawaii Leonard, the transaction to acquire Kawaii Leonard back then, it's the worst transaction in the history of the end. This is bullshit. I'm making a good point. I'm telling you. Everybody's laughing around me. It's because Tony's not even know what Tony's up to. He called him Kali by act like Leonard. I mean, it should be. It should be Kali Leonard, but he didn't mean to. According to the report. According to the report. Yeah, according to the reports, y'all. They harmed me. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. You know what's interesting? We spent a lot of time reading reviews before, well, you know, buy a new TV, pick a restaurant, but when it comes to taking care of ourselves, we don't always do the same thing. That's one of the reasons why people like what BetterHelp is doing. Instead of just telling you people like it, they're showing you. You can visit BetterHelp.com slash reviews and see real customer feedback that's updated every day. BetterHelp has an average live therapy session rating of 4.9 out of 5 based on more than

11:321.7 million client session reviews. More than 6 million people have used BetterHelp globally. And if you decide to get started, they match you with a therapist based on your needs. If it isn't the right fit, you can switch therapists at any time. See the reviews. See what stands out. And see if BetterHelp is right for you. Visit BetterHelp.com slash DLB. That's BetterHELP.com slash DLB. Down Levitar. I don't like the word blue, but I do have at least one pal that I can think of who has... Actually, he says he fell asleep in coitus. They've been a chick. You may look at me and be surprised to hear this. I happen to be a vigorous love maker, so that would never happen to me. This is the Down Levitar Show! Toplar said on the live show last night that if he had just been given the report and asked

12:39what do you think the punishment will be, he would have guessed that they would take the team from Balmer. You agree with that? Yeah, when I got done reading, we had 90 minutes basically to prepare to read it and to get on the air. And there's no punishment. Wachtel investigated. They gave the investigation and the report to the NBA and then the NBA decides on the punishment while negotiating with the union and in theory with the clippers. When I read what Wachtel had, which is even more than what we had, I assumed what was coming was either a forced sale or a multi-year suspension for Balmer and an elimination of the employees in that report who are just all over it. Zooker got crushed in that report who's the president of business operations. Zucker. She knowing, excuse me, Zucker. It's not Zucker. We were corrected yesterday actually. I heard Balmer introduce her as Gillian Zucker as they were doing the Intuidome reveal. I went and I was like a dog with a bone on this.

13:40Oh, Balmer's an own liar. All right, fair. Thanks. According to their reports, they kind of me. Yeah. David, I also remind you Dan one more thing about the first round picks. Please, do you remember when the T Wolves have the salary caps or convention with Joe Smith? Yes. Do you recall? I don't know if you're reporting that story. They lost a bunch of draft picks five as the years. Five. Yeah. And then it became three. Right. So there. So we really don't know the final final here with the clippers. It could get worse for them. It could get better for them. So we just, it's just, we're just starting. Okay, but would you advise just starting is crazy here? If you're the clippers, do you think the NBA would take a deal of, okay, we won't fight you at all at all, but no more penalties. No more penalties. We stopped the investigation now and we shut it down. Wouldn't that be what you'd be advising the clippers to do? Yeah, but the NBA is not going to take it because they got embarrassed with the Rosier situation. So remember, they're bruised from that and they're worried that Pablo has more and walked out, acknowledged in the report that there's stuff that's still being corroborated

14:41and investigated and looked at. So you don't want to cut a final deal with prejudice and then say, Hey, sorry, we can't get back at the clippers because we agreed not to prosecute that. What does the fight look like when the clippers take the fight to the NBA here? What do you think is going to happen? What it's going to look like and the optics of most people for some reason seem to have wanted Pablo to be wrong about this and the clippers to be right. I was really confused by that. It was confusing to me because what we did on the show was basically explain how it is that an organization led by a man who's the fifth richest person, the richest owner, how does he skirt the rules and make it uncomfortable for the other owners in basketball who are trying to compete on a level playing field? And the reality is Balmer makes it impossible if he's going to have the large esthetic he has and he's also going to like cheat and steal and violate the rules. So when I think back to what Balmer can do given their statement, the only thing he can do right now is you go to the court and you file a lawsuit.

15:43But when you file a lawsuit, you have to show in a document, what are the grounds for this lawsuit? What are you trying to prove and what do you want back? Do you want your 30 million back? Do you want your draft picks back? Do you want Adam Silver to be fired? You can't really sue for that. But you have to have a injury and then you have to have a penalty for that injury. So Steve Balmer has to get a lawyer to agree to write on a piece of paper that he got injured here and that's why he's suing and I can't wait to read it. David, I'm going to give you some time to think about this so you don't say the answer of the most surprising thing from yesterday was a strategy session that you had about taking a victory lap. What do you guys think was the most surprising thing yesterday? Because David's got real expertise here. He's gone through way too many documents and I want to know what surprised him yesterday. What were you surprised by yesterday? Because even listening to the 14 episodes, I was surprised that there was so much more here. You can't just give a player an expense account.

16:44You can't just allow a player to run around and not reimburse you on things that's outside of the salary cap by itself and it's crazy by itself. I couldn't believe that there were two more companies that hadn't yet been mentioned at least. Two more companies. There was also the fact that that bomber, at least according to the reports, y'all said that the clippers personnel were all, quote, collective workers to try to help Mr. Leonard achieve his financial goals. Like that is crazy that he would say that to Uncle Dennis, like that part of it is nuts. And that that comes from Lawrence Frank's notes according to reports, according to reports, y'all. The most surprising part to me, look, I raised my hand. Adam Silver's a nothing and this doesn't change my opinion of Adam Silver being a nothing, but I have to tell you, like I'm surprised that he brought the hammer down. He this is a very appropriate consequence. The most surprising thing to me that yesterday was more Cuban congratulating Pablo.

17:44Yeah, I don't think it was enough. The congratulation. Yeah. What do you want? All he did was write congrats Pablo. He declined to come on with us today. We asked him to come on with us. A public or is a woke liberal shit eater who only covers one type of person and actually does it terribly? No. He does it well. Who's that from? Like what? It's just somebody on the internet that said that. That was the most interesting thing. Yeah, he covered it well because we have a lot of stuff that comes up. And it's like that was the most interesting. Yeah, that was also mine. A comment on the internet was the most interesting thing from yesterday. David, what surprised you? You can see the battery. You can argue with a football stuck in a tire. Coke has got something coming to him later, by the way. What surprised you, David? Talk to me, David. No sound. Technical. Why are you waiting for him? I'm with Zach. We got Dan. Listen, I hear you. Don't you think that the actions of Balmer indicate to me that he thought that ultimately his pal were going to hold on. David, you said I appreciate you stepping up trying to help Samson, but he seems to have

18:49gotten his stuff back. Go ahead, continue, David. Sorry, David. I would just say it's surprising the actions of the president of business operations, who maybe she just, Balmer said to her, you're going to do this because if she of her own volition did the type of activities that she did around Kawaii Leonard and the signing with these sponsors, there was such a conflict. It was such a violation of the rules. And she lied to Wachtel. That's in the report. And that's a major thing that she did as well. So I was very surprised that in an investigation, you would have someone at my level, a president, lie to a law firm and act the way she acted. I was asked by my owner to do a lot of stuff over my 18 years. I would never do something that would have gotten me in trouble, ever, no matter what. And this woman was willing to do it, I guess. But wasn't Balmer operating like somebody who anticipated his peer group, ultimately having his back?

19:50No matter what they said about this feels out of bounds. Didn't he think that Adam Silver was going to be his white night, ultimately, and not take him to task? He's a well-liked owner, Steve Balmer. And so this is painful. But at the end of the day, if you're another owner, you're saying to yourself, we all have to do whatever we have to do to sign players. We're all doing things that may be in the gray, but we can't have someone operating this far outside of the boundary, because then it will maybe force us to have to do worse things or spend more money and we simply can't compete that way. So that's a miscalculation by Balmer if he thought he had the support of the other owners. Tony, you know that moment at a party or a tailgate where everything just sort of clicks? I know it well. It's usually when I show up, everybody goes crazy. Yeah, you usually take all the credit for it, but it's because Tony usually walks in with Quarvel. I'm blocking my piss. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Quarvel is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night. It has that effect on people.

20:51It does. You usually take the credit for it, but again, it's the Quarvel effect. It's like that moment in a big game where everyone in the crowd just starts standing up, hooting and hollering. Keep it, Quarvel. Keep it, Quarvel, baby. Down levitar. Let's throw to my boy, Jeremy Tasey, who's sideline right now. Tash money. What's it got for me? Tachi. Thanks, Jack. This is the down levitar show. I should pause for a moment here and remind the audience that David Samson has been just crushed in his personal life over the last year by the death of his daughter and the Kira fund is something that he has established in the wake of some really great suffering that he has tried to work through around here in an impossible situation. The course of the last year and now over the course of the last month, he has raised an extraordinary amount of money because of how wounded he is by what the last year has been. Nothing personal makes its return next week for those of you who have missed it greatly.

21:56Next week here from Miami, and it will be live on our YouTube channel beginning at 7am all week as David continues to fight through an unimaginable pain. Real quick, what can we tell people without doing too much with this wound that is important for them to know about the Kira fund? We're trying to find a cure for glioblastoma because right now doctors are batting zero and when you get diagnosed with it, you're going to die and Kira only lived nine months in 11 days after being diagnosed. The show that came out when we won the Pulitzer on September 3rd, that's the last show of mine she ever heard. A year later, here we are in September 12th was the day and I'm just committed the rest of my life to having no other families suffer. The way Kira suffered, the way our family and her friends have suffered and to do it, we need research. We need meaningful movement in this area. All federal funding has basically been cut off because in glioblastoma you die and I'm trying to make it so that doesn't happen.

22:56When you explain to us differently than Pablo did and forgive the clumsiness of the segue after that particular subject matter on what you believe actually happened with the plea bargaining that the Clippers and the NBA were doing so that it would not get to this point where it seems like the Clippers are pissed and surprised that the NBA did what it did yesterday. Do you think I have it accurate when I say the Clippers were both pissed and surprised because I'm imagining they still wanted to talk about a settlement that involved their cooperation. What is fascinating Dan is that they said in their statement that they saw that report one hour before it was released and they were completely blindsided by it and in my experience that is total absolute malarkey. The truth is that back when that ESPN article came out what would be absolutely normal is that the Clippers were very well aware of what the punishments were going to be of what the findings were.

23:56That's how leagues work. They investigate then you go to the team you go to the union you start negotiating a settlement. What are we going to do here given this set of facts. The Clippers were not happy and so they get an article written saying there's nothing to see here but the fact is they knew there was something to see here. Is it possible they hadn't seen the actual report until an hour before? Yes but that's parsing words. At the end of the day the negotiation between the NBA and Steve Balmer was about punishment and in order for Steve Balmer to agree to a punishment he has to get rid of the notion that he did nothing wrong and he's been saying that since he went on the air with Ramona Shellborn day one after our first episode and he has maintained that. He made every bit of evidence at what point does he open his eyes and say, Gnug I can't fight this anymore. Gnug before he files a lawsuit will it be that means enough.

25:00You get a shag Latin. Oh I thought you were. Gnug was stunned by that one. I thought you were doing enough backwards there. Gnug. Gnug. Gnug means enough. Like it's enough. Gnug. I'm not doing this anymore. I don't know that was that. But are we trying to claim that that's the Yiddish? He's just saying. Not it. I'm not claiming. It is. It's Yiddish. What? Zazlow seems to dispute this. It's like you don't know Yiddish. Vigorously and vehement like. Vigilous word. You don't. Wait, you're vigorously saying that that's not Yiddish. I'm just saying it's not. Not vigorously. According to reports, y'all. Gnuggin it. Uh, uh, go ahead, damage check. What do you have here for Samson? I'm just curious what you think Balmer is doing in a year from now. He just waits out this penalty and returns as sort of the al Davis of the NBA in, uh, you know, he digs his heels in and moves forward. Where does he go? Don't, I mean, the clippers brand. Is it fair to say I'm out of prison or the moment and this is hyperbole?

26:01The clippers brand is now officially worse than the jets or the browns or SFU. I think Balmer has to sneak into games as missed outfire. Oh, Bobby Valentine. Well, most of the time I was born by Valentine. I'm with Dan. He can't sneak any that he's going to try, but he, of course, is going to be involved over the next year. He just can't be in the arena. But part of the rule is when you're suspended as you can be there up until game time, often with players who are suspended and then leave when the game is starting, but the punishment was clear. He cannot be around any team activities that includes practices that happen. He cannot be around the team. It doesn't mean he can't be in his office. It means he can't be around team and league activity. Best guess. Is that the thing that hurts him most here? Best guess. Yes. Yes. I think the Raptors should adjust the parameters of the quad trade. What other clippers are going to do? Raptors should say, well, still give me the same players because it's how he's have to

27:03match like to make the trade work. But you know, those two first round picks are in trade. No, we're going to keep those actually. What are you going to do? You're going to keep quiet clippers? You saw it's your fan base? Zaz, there may be a possibility here that that trade does not get approved by the league as is and that it has to be adjusted. Or they knew in advance that that trade was going to happen and they did five first round picks knowing the net net would be three. Baseball is super interesting and we are terrible in not acknowledging how great the Marlins are in making this season still interesting. Yeah, I know. I know, but because I want to talk baseball with Samson and we've been one subject for a long time, which we're not usually, but I do want his expertise on one more question here before it is we get into other subject matter with him. And the question is, if the clippers hadn't been a repeat offender here, how do you think the penalty would have been different? I believe actually that it would have been exactly the same while they did mention the

28:04Wachtell report that he's a recidivist. The fact is it was so blatant and so beyond the pale worse than the Timberwolves, worse than what Steve Palmer himself did with the Andre Jordan that these penalties would have been what they were. Will it stop other teams from doing it? That's what you want with penalties. You want it to be a deterrence. You want owners to look and say, I don't want a $30 million finer to lose picks or to be away from my team for a year. And that regard, I think the punishment is sufficient to stop blatant salary caps or convention, but I just don't think it was harsh enough to what Palmer and his staff did. Good nougat. What's the movie you're reviewing for us today? So I watched the documentary and I wanted to know whether any of you had spent a minute watching the Novak joke of it's documentary called The Wolf and Winter. So the US open is going on now and the Joker who has the most grand slam titles of anyone,

29:05it's a documentary not really a love letter like the Federal sort of end of Federal was. This is more interesting about what kind of person he is, how he can be the best and continue to fight against everyone hating him. Remember, Federal and you had Nadal and all of a sudden, Joker Fitz tries to crash the party. It's a documentary about what it means to try to become the best, stay the best when everyone's after you. And I found it extraordinarily compelling. Sad for the streaming service that has it, he lost in the first round of the US open and it was released to have him not losing the first round of the US open, but it's still a very good documentary. What did you think of Koka's performance yesterday on behalf of your show at our giant draft kings takes over a guest station event? He called me after he won the football competition to say that he could not believe how bad Tony was. Wow, it was not at his best, but still good enough to win and to remind everyone that

30:07when it gets stuck in the tire in this sort of competition, that is the same as getting through the tire. Though it is not. And what planet is getting stuck in it going through? The tire made the catch. The lie Leonard. Right, that's my case. You're fighting Tony. Again, with you, not you, Tony, you're not fighting for a win, you understand? You're fighting for us to acknowledge that you tied somebody who you should. It would have gone to sudden death. That's what you don't understand. It would have. Yes, of course it would have gone to sudden death. No versus Koka one throw. That's not a lie Leonard. You see how Koka throws a ball though, right? I have no, he has no business. Look at the wind upon that thing. For all your braggado, you should have obliterated him. I hit the tire every time. You're arguing that two out of five should be the winner. This guy's still arguing. You hit one. By the way, Koka's outside right now. I'm going to have everybody set up the tire. We're going to go in the garage. Rematch a cool idea. Show that idea. Koka a day. First, Choka. Why does he get to do a rematch?

31:10That's a reward for you. Like why? Of course it is. Or it's double shame. Okay. So more pressure, he didn't seem to do very well with the pressure. David, some baseball things. Can you just contend to a top five? I'm sorry. We took up so much time with your Kawaii Leonard. Can you just scribble together a top five of top your head real quick? Because I know you've got a ton of baseball information. I really urge you. Okay. I know I've been telling everybody for a while. Nothing personal is the best at business sports business. And it is. But his baseball coverage is also extraordinary. Like it's really strong. He's on pitch clock today with Jeremy and what he does on baseball this month is the best work he does in sports every year. So David, a couple together here, a top five things we should be looking at here, paying attention to over this month because the Marlins have to, I'm assuming the Marlins are going to be one of them because they're right there. The Padres are no better than the Marlins. Well, okay. Let's go OLI. Let's start with that. Could a losing team win a division like the AL Central?

32:15That would be outrageous, wouldn't it? One more OLI. Well, Aaron Judge actually played again this year. Everyone is saying yes, but maybe not. Great one. Number five, are you watching Houston? Will your Dan Alvarez win the triple crown? That would be cool. Last guy to win the triple crown, a player we used to love on the Marlins. Number four is PCA, the NL MVP. That the end of Otoni's reign as MVP because he's not pitching anymore and frankly not hitting well and the Dodgers can't win. Number three, can the Brewers finish with the best record in baseball again? My Milwaukee team, baby, they're back just to losing the playoffs. Number two, will the Dodgers be forced to play in the Wild card round? Is Atlanta going to finish with the second best record in the National League and force the Dodgers to play a two out of three? And the number one thing I am looking at for September, can the Marlins bring it home and be a three time world series champion?

33:20I'm I'm dying for a Marlins at Dodgers Wild card round where the Marlins would be the most beloved underdog going up against the behemoth of the Dodgers. What's wrong with the Dodgers? What's wrong with the Dodgers, Samson? They can't hit. I start with Mookie Betts is so overpaid and so bad that he's just a waste of money in the line. Freddie Freeman has as lost his power. One of the greatest guys you'll ever meet in the game. I think he did his first home run yesterday since Independence Day. Otoni doesn't look right. The pitching strong bullpened mediocre Diaz Dunn, Tanner Scott, Tanner Scott overpaid mostly ineffective. At the end of the day are the Dodgers ruining baseball? Absolutely not. Are the Dodgers beatable? Absolutely. Could you have Sandy and Yuri going against the Dodgers in games one and two of a three game wild card series? That would be extraordinary and the Dodgers would not like to see that.

34:24No, why isn't anybody talking about the the cruel baseball gods taking down the feel good story of 2026 and the Pittsburgh pirates. Injury and Connor Griffin and O'Neill Cruz. Skins. Skins. Skins. Skins. I'm very sad about all of it, David. It's hard to be put in the Hall of Fame as a rookie. They're way more rookies of the year and early early career Sai Young winners who become maybe Tim Linsekum with three rings. A bunch of Sai Youngs and no Cooperstown. I don't think it's going to be that. It's already in Cooperstown. That's what that's what makes it so bizarre is that he is not Tim Linsekum. He's a giant human being out there. There was no indication this was coming. They got to fix him up in the offseason, right? It's a major question for the pirates because you don't want to he's going to get paid believe me because of all the special accomplishments and arbitration. At some point the pirates are going to be forced to trade him because if you can capitalize on his value, I don't think Skins is riding the pirates into any sort of playoff contention.

35:25If he is a four ERA guy, then they wasted what would have been the most valuable piece in franchise history, which is why next season becomes the most critical season of Skins career. Samson, his velocity is down, right? I don't know what's going on there, but that's what's going on. What's up? Velocity down. Social media coverage sideways. All right, Samson. Nothing personal next week is going to start on our channel. It's going to make its return 7 a.m. on YouTube beginning on Monday. Look forward to you getting down David Tuesday. I'm sorry. Okay. See you Tuesday. Thank you, buddy. Thank you.