HR1: Does it feel like MLB Opening Day for Nationals fans? | Julian Reese breaks another NBA record!

It's Charles Barkley here with Wayfair.

Let me tell you, game day is serious business at my house.

If I'm grilling, chilling, and watching hoops,

my outdoor setup better be ready to play.

That's where Wayfair wins.

From patio seating and umbrellas to grill and grill accessories,

Wayfair's got it all and it shows up fast.

I'm talking fast and easy delivery.

So level up your grill game and your outdoor chill game

and head to Wayfair.com to get your outdoor space

ready for the season.

Wayfair every style, every home.

Studies show that 100% of everybody in the world

wants to curl up indoors and do nothing

because it's so darn cold out there.

That's why many people are turning to bombas,

whose pillowy plush slippers and warm arena wool socks

have been said to be the most comfortable in the history of feet.

Bombas products have been found to boost cosiness

by up to 1 million percent.

Okay, enough fake statistics.

But could bomba socks and slippers really be the cure?

Go to bombas.com slash audio and use code audio

for 20% off your first purchase.

That's B-O-M-B-A-S.com and use code audio.

Oh, could this vintage store be any cuter?

Right.

And the best part?

They accept discover.

Accept discover?

In a little place like this?

I don't think so, Jennifer.

Oh yeah, huh.

Discover's accepted where I like to shop.

Come on, baby.

Get with the times.

Right.

So we shouldn't get the parachute pants?

These are making a comeback.

I think.

Discover is accepted at 99% of places

that take credit cards nationwide.

Based on the February 2025 Nilsen report.

Take me out to the ballgame.

Today is opening day.

Does it feel like it?

In our city?

I know there's not a home game.

The nationals are opening it rigly against the Cubs today.

220 first pitch.

Cade Cavali will be the day one starter.

It doesn't feel like opening day in our city.

Good morning, everybody.

Sweet 16 games tonight.

A smell test later on in the show.

Ben Fox, who is Yahoo's sports betting analyst.

We've had a bet on the show before.

He'll join us at 11 a.m.

Grant Paulson will jump on with us at 1135 to preview.

The Nats season, one in which the odds makers say

will be the second worst in baseball.

They're over under on win total.

64 and a half as an average number.

Only Colorado is worse.

And they're much worse at 56 and a half for 57 and a half.

The Rockies for a second consecutive year predicted to be

just horrendous.

But the Nats are right there.

And there's separation between them as the projected second

worst team in the league and the teams that would be

third, fourth, and fifth worst teams in the league.

They're terrible entering this season.

New general manager, new on field skipper will be

interesting to watch to see whether or not this team can

make some strides towards perhaps a contending team

not next year, but maybe two, three years down the road.

But I want to talk about just opening day in this town.

I think most of you don't know this about me.

Maybe you recognize it when we're into playoffs and October

baseball, but I really love baseball.

I've always loved baseball.

Now, not growing up with baseball, not having a team here

for 34 years, which a lot of you experienced.

I mean, I'm just barely old enough to remember the senators.

I remember my father taking me to a 1971 game when

Denny McClain made his debut as the senator's picture.

The reason I remember that is not because of Denny McClain.

I just remember that when we came out after the game,

the car had been stolen.

True story.

The car had been stolen.

And that was a traumatic event for a young child.

But that was RFK in the early to mid-70s.

But anyway, after they left, I didn't as many of my friends did.

I didn't adopt the Orioles as my team.

I just didn't.

I don't know why.

I think I just always had this sense that I wanted to wait

until we had a team back in Washington.

I'm glad I had a sense at a young age that there was a big difference between

Washington and Baltimore.

They're two totally separate cities, personality-wise,

and many others wise.

And during the 70s, during the 80s,

there were always pushes to bring baseball back.

I mean, RFK's stadium on Sundays during football season, big banners.

So baseball in 1978, baseball in 1984 back in Washington.

There was that moment in which it looked like the San Diego Padres might move to Washington.

But it didn't happen.

I mean, 34 years without baseball.

I will tell you that I had a little big Tony in me as a kid.

And what I mean by that is big Tony's favorite teams are the Pittsburgh Steelers,

the Montreal Canadians, the San Antonio Spurs, Duke.

You know, he's just always on front runners.

And in the mid 70s, the Oakland A's were my favorite team.

Vita Blue was my favorite player.

Catfish Hunter, Ken Holtzman, Reggie Jackson.

That's, you know, Sal Campanaris, Bert Campanaris, Sal Bando, Mike North.

Those teams, I love those teams.

In part, because I was a kid and I love the different uniforms.

Like the Oakland A's were like the first, I bet this is true.

Although they were probably doing it in the ABA and maybe even in the AFL in the 60s.

But I think the Oakland athletics or the Oakland A's of the 1970s,

the great teams that they had, the multiple World Series titles that they won.

I think they were the first team to have more than just a home and in a way Jersey.

They had white, they had yellow, they had green.

They had three different jerseys.

I might even be missing one.

I mean, it took a while, Max, just so you know, for, you know, multiple jerseys, alternate jerseys.

It was the same for every team, you know, white at home, gray on the road, dark on the road.

And, you know, as a quick aside, last night, I was just kind of flipping around channels.

And I happened to have landed briefly on the NBA network where the Warriors were playing a home game against the Nets.

Just pull up a highlight from last night's Warriors Nets game.

And tell me if it looks anything like a Golden State home game.

The floor is completely different.

The uniforms are completely different.

I actually, I know this is old man get off your lawn kind of a stuff, kind of stuff.

But I hate that there's at least no consistency with what the floors look like.

Like, if I turn on a game, I want to immediately identify, oh, that game's in Detroit, that game's in Philly, that game's in Washington.

But everything changes, it seems like every night.

I mean, it's hard to decipher quickly where the game's being played, although you have it, you know, with a scoreboard.

You know, on the set, the team typically on the bottom is the home team.

Or the team mentioned second, if it's horizontal, is the home team.

But anyway, back to baseball in the 70s, not necessarily, but I loved baseball.

And I still think October baseball is as good as it gets in sports.

The tension of playoff baseball, I absolutely love it.

When the nets moved here, I was beside myself.

I remember those first few years listening to, you know, Charlie in particular, you know, Dave eventually.

But listening to the games on radio that were not televised for those first few years, home games all the time, I mean, I was into it.

You know, that one particular season, when through the half waymark, they were 51 and 41 at the 81, 51 and 40.

I think it was.

That was actually exciting that they were, you know, much better than anticipated their first year.

And look, from 12 through 19, 2012 through 2019, that was exciting.

I mean, to have playoff baseball in Washington, I remember doing the show with Tommy.

You know, from the stadium before game one against the Cardinals in 2012, kind of chilly, you know, in October and gray and cloudy.

And it just felt like playoff baseball.

And I'm like, wow, this is a big deal.

Like this is what we've been watching some of us in October with other teams, you know, over a long period of time.

And now we get this, you know, to ourselves.

And of course, there were scars built up rooting for this team during 2012 and before 2019.

You know, the painful playoff losses, I mean, the game five loss to St. Louis that first year in 2012 with the big lead so painful.

Then the same thing happens against the Cubs and the Dodgers, you know, at home.

Before finally making that World Series run, which started with that incredible wild card wins.

So does a thinning hit.

You know, it was it was phenomenal.

It was great.

And it was like, wow, we're not turning into a baseball town because I don't think that's ever going to happen as long as the football teams here.

And it's the number one story.

And I would also suggest I doubt it's ever going to happen as long as the current ownership is in play.

It's just not an ownership that is top notch in terms of winning being the most important thing.

Making money or losing as little money is much more important than the former.

But some of those years I felt like opening day was exciting.

But man, we are now, you know, in this, this is going to be the seventh year.

Now, 20, you know, 2020, it was terrible luck what happened to our baseball team.

You win a World Series and there is an amount of incremental revenue jump.

Goodwill, new fans that jump on for a first time champion.

This is something I remember during 2020.

I found this article that was written about the first time your city's sports team wins a title and what it means to the franchise.

It's like this massive increase in revenue because of sponsorships, because of tickets sold, because of everything that comes with being the defending champions.

And they didn't get a chance because of COVID to have a normal sort of, you know, bounce that the World Series in October of 2019 would have provided.

So there was some bad luck not to mention that our owners are in commercial real estate and commercial real estate ended up taking a massive hit because of the pandemic.

So it was the worst possible situation following the game seven win in Houston.

You know, what would happen over the next couple of months?

So bad luck for sure.

But I mean, this team, you know, since that World Series, you know, take the 60 game, you know, 26 and 34 losing season during the pandemic out of it.

65 wins, 55 wins, 71 wins, 71 wins, 66 wins.

And this year projected to be fewer than 66 wins.

I've seen a lot of predictions of 100 plus losses, you know, they lost 107 in 2022.

And the bounce that they hope to get actually is completely deflated in my opinion.

I don't feel it. I think it's snuck up on us.

And then by, by the way, how the hell do you watch these games?

I mean, there's no more massing.

They're part of the MLB TV, you know, conglomerate now.

You know, if you don't, if you only have YouTube TV, I believe you've got to stream these games at 1999 a month.

I'll tell you what, for this team right now, couldn't be a worst time to not be available easily in terms of the games being televised.

I know that I think Xfinity Comcast has a channel that those games will be on same with a couple of other spots.

But worst possible timing, not to have, you know, it bundled into a cable package or available over the air.

I mean, 1999 a month for this team.

I can't imagine it's going gangbusters.

Does it feel like opening day to you?

301230980, 301230980.

This in many cities is a huge day, huge in Baltimore, in Boston, in New York,

in Philly, in Chicago for two teams, in Detroit, in Houston now, in Seattle, in LA for sure, San Francisco.

These are tried and true traditional days on the sports calendar.

I don't think it's become that for us.

I think it had a chance to, and I think it felt like that for a while.

It may speak to just the nature of what I think we've become as a sports town,

which is after the football team, it's bandwagon.

It's, you got to be good to really draw a mass audience.

And then it's fleeting.

You know, it's, it's jump on board for the biggest games at the end of the year as you're going into the postseason or into the tournament or whatever it is.

I mean, even, you know, some of it, look, I think the caps fan base, obviously from a volume standpoint,

it's far from the largest, from a passionate, dedicated, loyal standpoint.

It's probably number two in this town, behind our football team.

Now again, the numbers won't support it being number two in overall volume of fans.

But in terms of how loyal they are, dedicated and non bandwagon-y they are, they're probably second to the football team.

Everything else got to win.

Got to win big to really draw a big crowd.

And the nats are so far from it.

The wizards are so far from it, we think. Hopefully not. Maybe next year.

Does it feel like opening day in Washington DC?

I understand it's not a home game, but it's still opening day, the first of 162 games.

This is a big, effing deal in a lot of places.

We don't have our home opener until Friday, April 3rd at home against the defending champion LA Dodgers.

By the way, I think I mentioned this the other day when we had Mark Zuckerman on the show to kind of preview the season

and talk about the World Baseball Classic.

And that is, it's a brutal start, scheduled last of the season.

They open up against the NL Central favorites, then the Cubs.

Then they're on the road, then they're on the road against the NL East favorites in Philadelphia.

They're home against the NL West favorites and the defending champion Dodgers.

Say hello to your first nine games.

I'm looking forward to watching Cade Cavali pitch today.

I'm looking forward to following James Woods, young, emerging, hopefully superstar kind of a career.

I'm concerned about Dylan Cruz. He's down in AAA.

I think there's a reason to be concerned. Maybe it's too early.

Does it feel like opening day to you 3 0 1 2 3 0 0 9 80?

And if it doesn't, why not? We earned for baseball for so long.

And now it's been back here for 20 years.

And it just seems like very much underwhelming.

It does to me anyway. 3 0 1 2 3 0 0 9 80.

It's Kevin Chinchon, the team 9 80 and the team 9 80 dot com.

Hey y'all, it's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair.

Ever order furniture online and wonder what if?

Like, what if it doesn't fit?

Uh, little to the left.

Wait!

Yep, should have gone with Wayfair.

Or what if it doesn't hold up?

That sofa was 4 days old.

Should have ordered from Wayfair.

Or what if it's that material that makes that noise?

It was a sofa, I swear.

With Wayfair, there's no what if.

Just style you love, quality you can trust, and furniture that actually fits your life.

Visit Wayfair.com or download the Wayfair app.

Wayfair, every style, every home.

You're a pro at running your life.

At committing to your workout.

At showing up every day.

At Bombas, we're pros too.

Pro is at making socks.

Our sport assortment has specialized socks for whatever sport you're committed to.

Running, hiking, golf, pilates, and so much more.

Maybe a sweat wicking yarns, blister fighting details, and targeted art support.

Bombas sport is pro level socks from the pros of socks.

For another pro, you go to bombas.com slash audio and use code audio

for 20% off your first purchase.

That's bombas.com and use code audio.

Oh, could this vintage store be any cuter?

Right?

And the best part?

They accept discover.

Accept discover?

In a little place like this?

I don't think so, Jennifer.

Oh yeah, huh.

Discover's accepted where I'd like to shop.

Come on, baby.

Get with the times.

Right.

So we shouldn't get the parachute pants?

These are making a comeback.

I think.

Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide.

Based on the February 2025 Nilsen report.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance.

Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news,

you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue.

And guess what?

Now you can call them on your auto insurance too, with the name your price tool from Progressive.

It works just the way it sounds.

You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance,

and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget.

Get your quote today at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.

Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates, price and coverage match limited by state law.

What I got is, I guess, some discussion about another team in town that not enough people care about right now,

but the Wizards snapped their 16-game losing streak, winning at Utah last night,

133 to 110.

And Julian Juju Reese, the Maryland rookie,

who had a 20 rebound game set all sorts of rookie records for the Wizards,

offensive rebound records back against the same opponent, Utah at home, on March 5th.

Again, 18 and 20 that night, 20 rebounds 18 points.

He went off again last night.

17 rebounds 26 points for Julian Reese.

He's the only rookie in the NBA this year to have two games of 15 plus points and 15 plus rebounds.

I talked about him when he did this against Utah at home.

He was a joy to watch develop over four years at Maryland because there were moments where it did not look like he could be an NBA player.

It did not look like he could be even a good college player.

He was a terrible shooter from the free throw line for a few years, improved, kept working at it.

Everybody you talk to at Maryland, they loved Julian Reese, Juju, the younger brother of Angel Reese.

I think most of you know that.

But congrats to him, man.

He is making the most out of this opportunity after being a part of G League teams and getting called up back in early this month and to have two games.

I mean, 18 points 20 rebounds in 38 minutes against Utah the first time.

Last night he only played 30 minutes and had 26 and 17 had a block shot, had a steal in the game.

He was 12 of 16 from the floor.

He's actually in his six games for the Wizards.

He's a 65.1 percent field goal shooter.

He's not attempted a three. He's not going to be the guy that spaces the floor as a five.

Although the stroke isn't necessarily as terrible as it used to be.

But yeah, really happy for Juju who's had a really nice start for his first opportunity.

He's playing on a team obviously that is not trying to win basketball games.

After a 16 game losing streak, the one win last night didn't really hurt them.

They've got 10 games left in the season and they are currently three and a half games ahead of or behind excuse me Utah.

And they are only right now a game and a half behind or in front of excuse me thinking about it inversely

because you're trying to get to the bottom.

The Pacers are currently the worst team in the league at 16 and 57.

Then it's Brooklyn at 17 and 56 in the Wizards at 17 and 55.

But the jazz who they beat last night, they're 21 and 52.

So they're not going to catch Utah over 10 games.

That's not going to happen. They're not going to all of a sudden go on a nine and one run to end the season.

Which is pretty much what they would have to do.

The reason this is a discussion, they need to finish in the bottom four to ensure that there's no chance when we get to lottery night in the NBA playoffs draft lottery night that they end up finishing outside of the top eight.

Top eight protected pick and they certainly want to have a pick in this upcoming draft.

Back to baseball, the Nats today at Riggly kind of a cool place to have opening day.

I don't know. Have they ever opened up at Riggly before? I don't think they have.

Maybe they have. It doesn't seem to jog my memory.

But maybe that's part of the issue here is that memorable opening days for this franchise have been few and far between.

And that's my general feeling right now is I just I don't feel like we are embracing as a city a major league baseball teams opening day.

I know it's not a home game and that makes a difference. But I have a feeling even if it were a home game, it wouldn't be a massive deal today.

Do you feel it? Do you feel opening day? Yes or no? I don't. It's even going to be hard for some of you to find the game on TV, not the best possible year to be shifting there.

By the way, Bob Carpenter no longer a part of the broadcast, right? The Nats broadcast now.

Wait, I know the answer to this, but see there you go. Something that should be so easy to answer.

Because Bob Carpenter retired, right? Who's calling the games? Dan Kolko. Oh, Dan Kolko, of course. I knew that. I did know that.

Congratulations, Dan Kolko. Sorry for having a difficult time pulling that. He's done a great job on the field during this era.

All right, Greg in Gathersburg. Does it feel? I didn't ask you, Max. Does it feel like opening day to you? Is this something you care about?

So baseball, if you, I'll give my list of like teams I support. So it's usually Caps, Commanders, one to the one A, one B, and then really one C, one D is the Nats and the Wizards kind of alternates.

But whether wise feels like opening day feels awesome outside. It's going to be a nice day today.

Would love to drink and watch some baseball outside two blocks right down the road. But you know what?

That's the benefit of where the station is is that you can roll right out and walk right into the ballpark.

Yeah, I mean, I can remember we did shows opening day. God, man, because the station, this station covered the Orioles and carried the Orioles games for many years while 1067 was carrying the Nats games.

And so we ended up at Camden Yards more often than not an opening day doing our radio show. But during, you know, playoff games, we had a studio in the bullpen in Bow Blair's bullpen down there on half street.

We had we had our own studio there for a few years where we did a bunch of shows, especially during the postseason. All right, Greg, does it feel like opening day? Yes or no, why or why not?

Now, Kevin, it doesn't. A lot of reasons when I was little, my dad always had tickets for opening day for the centers.

And this was a, this was a family outing. It was like they come and get you out and get us out of school early.

Everybody dressed nice in those days to open in game. It wasn't, you know, t shirts and jeans and tennis shoes. I mean, you dressed like you were going to a family function.

And, you know, back then with the senators, it was, you know, waiting to see Frank Howard hit him on into the upper deck or might get speeding.

Just a lot of great memories. Like I was telling Max, you know, now opening day in traffic on the beltway. There's a little difference there.

But, you know, you've mentioned a lot of things about baseball and sports around here that we have in common. And it just brings back a lot of great memories.

Yeah, I mean, look, I don't remember really senators opening days. I remember going to RFK in that very final season.

For sure, they were a bad team, terrible team. And by the way, the, the, the attendance for senators games were, it was one of the reasons that Bob Short moved the team.

It was, they, they were drawing like 8,000 a game or something. It was terrible.

Yeah, and the president was the, with, with brought the first pitch more times than not, correct? Always, always, always.

And they had a star in Frank Howard, you know, they, they had an absolute, you know, home run hitting star in Frank Howard. But, yeah, it's, I really thought that we would have this as, you know, market down opening day every year when, when baseball returned in 2005,

that this was going to be a big, big day every year on the sports calendar. And I kind of feel like it isn't. And I don't know if there's anybody to blame other than the learners, you know, and, and ownership for putting out such a, a terrible product and looking borderline apathetic about putting a, you're disinterested in, in putting out a bad product.

I mean, the best thing that could happen post this impending maybe next year lockout would be for them to sell the team to somebody who has the wear with all, they have the wear with all, but also the willingness to build a winner for sure.

And who knows maybe Paul Taboni will end up being an absolute Maestro as a GM working within the constraints of the learners ownership and could build something because certainly Mike Rizzo did a hell of a job doing that.

Because look over that period, you know, you're talking about five playoff seasons in eight years, you know, which included a world series run and victory.

Thanks, Greg. Let's go to Alan in Derwood. Does it feel like opening day to you, Alan?

Alan, you there?

Alan, you there?

I'm a huge basel. Yeah, yeah.

I got you now.

I mean, I'm a huge, yeah, I'm a huge basel fans by favorite sport.

I grew up in New York. So I mean, just being from there, it makes this like a holy day.

Even though I'm not in the Yankee fan, I'm an A fan.

And it's just like my favorite day of the year.

And even as unfortunate that the nationals are down right now, but I think we've got a good GM,

at least it comes from a good system. They develop a lot of good young players.

So I think this promise there, this season will be a downer.

But, you know, I think I would just point out that they're back in contention in three years.

But I just take a more than that, rather than national approach, I think a national approach.

I follow every team fairly closely.

The commissioner, my basel fantasy league, we've been doing this league since the 80s,

the early 80s, in fact.

We do in New York City draft every year. It's going to be this Saturday.

And I just really get into it.

So that's the attitude I take. I'll be following my A's up to New York in a couple of weeks.

I'll be going out to Sacramento next month.

And I've been to every major league baseball franchise stadium.

So, you know, that sums it up from me.

Yeah, okay. Look, I mean, I have friends that are massive baseball fans,

and they're into it, and they're betting it heavily.

And they're paying attention to it on a nightly basis.

It's not me. I'm just going to tell you that.

It's not me to do that.

It's a hard watch, nine innings.

And I know that the speeding up of the games has helped from a consumption standpoint.

But for me, I'm all about October. I love October baseball.

I think the tension, the competitiveness of it is as good as it gets in sports.

Love that part of it.

And look, I'll go to, you know, typically I'll go to four or five games a year.

I think last year was probably the fewest I've been to, maybe two or three games last year.

There have been a couple of, you know, givens every year, which is, you know, a game until the fifth inning,

and then off to the MGM.

Max, that's been a move that me and a few of our friends have made.

You know, you go to the game, fifth inning, done. We're off to the MGM.

And then that turns into a much longer night than the baseball outing itself.

But, yeah, I, I just don't, I, I just sense that this isn't a big deal.

And it should be because it is in a lot of cities.

And it doesn't feel like it is here.

Does it feel like opening day to you?

301230980, we've got an open line.

If you want to weigh in on it, bones, bones go ahead.

Kevin, my main man shout out to my man, Max.

Yes, bones.

I'm crazy. You know, I came up, you know, we used to go to the game.

You know, we had to pay for the dollar because we was 12 and under, right?

And we used to go to the games and I said, you didn't have to pay anything as a 12,

under 12, you didn't have to pay to get in.

We're going to have to pay a dollar.

Oh, a dollar, a dollar, a dollar.

A dollar if you were under 12.

Yeah, 12 and another, we're going to have to pay a dollar, man.

I remember, you know, Paul Limblane, a really old Rodriguez.

Yeah, Mike Epstein, Tim Cullen, Paul Cassanova.

Yeah, Paul Cassanova, I ain't seen a catcher like him yet.

You know, who was the Dick Bosman, Dick Bosman pitched was a big time picture for them.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Dick Bosman, Horatio Peña, you know what I mean?

And Ted Williams was the manager.

I mean, Ted Williams came here in 69 and was the manager for three years here.

Yeah.

Hey, wait a minute, bones, bones.

Help me with something.

Andy Poland would be able to get this immediately.

Kurt, Kurt Flood, Kurt Flood, who basically created sort of the free agency period in baseball.

He played for the senators at the end of the senator's run, right?

Yeah, Kurt Flood was definitely there.

Right after that, you know, a situation that transpired with him, right?

Right.

Evans Detroit.

Right.

Here's Detroit, okay.

Yeah, it was Detroit.

Yeah.

And then I'm saying, Kevin, you know, like now, it don't feel like opening day now because most of these people are defrains here.

They transient friends, you know, they'd be going through the games for Baltimore, for the Philly, you know,

for the Virginia team.

I know.

Yeah.

So I don't feel like it was to me, you know what I mean?

I got you.

Now, I hear you on that.

I think it's, I mean, look, we've talked a lot about this over the years, about DC as a sports town.

It is not, you know, a great sports town compared to great sports towns.

It's just, it's far from New York, Boston, Philly, Chicago, you know, even to a certain extent.

I know this is going to sound crazy because it's such a laid back town, but you know, it's not even L.A.

or San Francisco in many ways.

Those fans are super passionate, you know, Dodgers fans and Lakers fans and in San Francisco, Niners, Warriors, Giants.

I mean, we have very much, it's kind of always been this way, but we have one team that has a mass following and a mass sort of passion level.

And that's the football team.

It's kind of always been that way, even though as you know, bones were kind of a basketball, you know, from a root, you know, community standpoint, a basketball town.

But yeah, interesting.

Yeah.

All right. Thanks, bones.

Appreciate it.

Let's go to our guy Robert in anapolis who has a much better sense because Baltimore is definitely a baseball.

I mean, Orioles opening day is a massive deal.

Always has been.

Good morning.

It's going to be hopping up there because it got nice weather.

They got a lot of optimism this year.

Pickles.

New pitching and all that.

Al Golby will probably be up there, partying at PJ.

Yeah, all these are huge Orioles fans.

No doubt.

And that's, you know, that's part of the situation.

Many of the folks that are regular permanent residents over in your area became Orioles fans.

Yes.

They grew up as Orioles fans.

By the way, the Kurt Flud, that didn't involve Detroit.

And he didn't want to go to Philadelphia when the Cardinals traded him to the Phillies.

Because it was such a racially biased town, I guess, I believe was the whole.

Well, he ended up in Washington.

Washington, I remember that.

He did.

He did at the end.

Guy overlooked individual in the history of baseball, quite frankly.

What wasn't he challenged?

He challenged the essentially isn't he part of why free agency ended up becoming, you know, a reality?

He filed a federal lawsuit.

But he didn't prevail.

The free agency didn't really come about until an arbitrator granted granted that guy named Andy Messosmith and Dave McNally from the Orioles.

That all happened a few years later, but he was the one who he was a very good player of all star player.

But he did not want to go he got traded from the Cardinals where he was a very good player.

He just didn't want to go to Philadelphia.

So he tried to go about it.

And frankly, he got screwed is the way to say it.

By the way, you mentioned the West Townsend holds every rebound record for that franchise.

I know it was the Baltimore Boards initially, but he had 29 rebounds in one game.

Well, I know that, but the record that Juju set was for a rookie for the Bullets for the Bullets in Washington.

Bullets slash Wizards to think of the DC in 73.

West Unsell, you said, did you say that player you met?

West Unsell was a rookie when they were in Baltimore.

Oh, that's what I'm saying.

But for the franchise, the rookie, he had the most rebounds in a single game.

Yeah, I understand that for franchise, but what Juju set the record for was rookie rebounds.

The rookie rebounds in a game since they moved to Washington.

I got you, I got you.

Yeah.

All right. Well, there you go.

Yeah.

The opening day is a big day, but you know, you're just not a hockey or a baseball guy.

You hop in during the playoffs.

You're a baseball guy.

I actually put it in here, but let me just tell you something.

There was always a possibility and my friends know this about me, not hockey.

But I always loved baseball and even, you know, going back not that long ago,

I watched a lot of it during the regular season, but it's definitely, you know, slipped away.

And I don't know if that's, yeah, go ahead.

Like I kind of feel like Robert, if the Nats had continued on that stretch that they were on,

you know, they won the second most games over that eight year period in the National League.

Yeah.

Behind the Dodgers.

All right.

So I think it was the fourth overall most games won during that eight year period in baseball.

And I think if that had continued, I think that I, because I was into it during those years,

you know, and we did a lot on the show, especially when I was doing the show with Tommy,

because Tommy was such a baseball guy.

I mean, we had Mike Rizzo on this show for two years on a weekly basis.

So I, I, I kind of miss that, but at the same time, it's a big time commitment to be in

a regular season major league baseball, even if it's just one team.

Well, you'll get, you'll get a crowd.

You'll get people out there on opening day and like Baltimore, like Washington, Baltimore has a casino right near the stadium.

So after the fifth or sixth inning, you can move over there, but thanks for taking my call.

Yeah, thanks.

Robert in Annapolis, everybody.

Bernie, Eric, Jeff, Ricardo, stay on hold.

3012, 300980.

Does it feel like opening day to you?

I know it's not a home game, but it's the first of 162.

It's major league baseball opening day, 2026.

There was a game last night on Netflix.

The Yankees beat the Giants seven to nothing.

But today is the first day day game, springtime.

And it just doesn't feel as a Washingtonian born and raised.

And a Nats fan, and I am.

It just doesn't feel big to me.

Does it to you?

Your calls continue next.

At 11 a.m. we'll talk NCAA suite 16 and find out where all the action is on the suite 16 games.

Kevin Chiancho, the team 980 and the team 980.com.

It's Charles Barkley here with Wayfair.

Let me tell you, game day is serious business at my house.

If I'm grilling, chilling, and watching hoops, my outdoor setup better be ready to play.

That's where Wayfair wins.

From patio seating and umbrellas to grills and grill accessories, Wayfair's got it all.

And it shows up fast.

I'm talking fast and easy delivery.

So level up your grill game and your outdoor chill game.

And head to Wayfair.com to get your outdoor space ready for the season.

Wayfair every style, every home.

Studies show that 100% of everybody in the world wants to curl up indoors and do nothing because it's so darn cold out there.

That's why many people are turning to bombas, whose pillowy plush slippers and warm arena wool socks have been said to be the most comfortable in the history of feet.

Bombas products have been found to boost coziness by up to 1 million percent.

Okay, enough fake statistics.

But could bomba socks and slippers really be the cure?

Go to bombas.com slash audio and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase.

That's B-O-M-B-A-S dot com and use code audio.

Oh, could this vintage store be any cuter?

Right.

And the best part?

They accept discover.

Accept discover?

In a little place like this?

I don't think so, Jennifer.

Oh yeah, huh.

Discover's accepted where I like to shop.

Come on, baby. Get with the times.

Right, so we shouldn't get the parachute pants?

These are making a comeback.

I think.

Discover's accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide.

Based on the February 2025 Nilsen report.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive.

Most of you aren't just listening right now.

You're driving, cleaning, and even exercising.

But what if you could be saving money by switching to Progressive?

Drivers who save by switching saved nearly $750 on average.

And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts.

Multitask right now.

Quote today at Progressive.com.

Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates.

National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed

who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023.

Potential savings will vary, discounts not available in all states and situations.

Get more out of every mile when you share the ride to work.

With carpooling, you'll have time to relax, save money, and pick up new friends.

Commuter connections can help you find carpool partners who live and work near you.

Even if you're commuting just a few days a week.

It's a free service.

Carpooling.

Every dollar saved.

Every friend made.

Register for free carpool partner ride matching at commuterconnections.org.

Or call 800 745-RIDE.

That's commuterconnections.org.

You said that was from last year's opening day?

It was from opening weekend to last year.

He didn't have two homers on opening day.

He did not.

I believe he had the one on opening day and then the other one was the next day or the next game.

They lost in 10 last year on opening day at home against the Phillies on March 27th.

You know, I remember like there was a...

There was like pretty much a stretch where national championship game Monday was also opening day every year.

I felt like opening day.

I was at Camden Yards for several opening days.

And I felt like that was always the day leading into the national championship game at night.

It's earlier now at the end of March.

It used to be more kind of an April thing.

All right, 3012-300980.

Some of you have been on hold for a while when it gets your calls.

Does it feel like opening day to you?

I know that it's not a home game.

You know, we're not heading down to half street.

Hang it out in Bow Blair's bullpen for a pop or four before the game starts.

It's at Riggly.

What a place for opening day like that would be a nice place to see opening day.

I've never been to Riggly.

Let's go to Bernie in DC. Bernie, go ahead.

Hey, Kevin.

Bernie, what's up?

Yeah, listen.

Yeah, the answer is no.

It doesn't.

For a few reasons, I go up here in DC and I even go back to the original senators.

And one of the highlights on opening day for us, number one,

usually we were the only game in the league at that time because it was a big deal.

Because of the president throughout the bar.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And my dad and I, this is a trivial minor thing.

But our big curiosity was who was going to catch the ball that the president threw out.

You see in those days, the players, they gathered around.

It wasn't like, you know, when the president goes to the mound and then throws it to catch it.

Right.

They did from like the seats that they would be sitting in.

Right?

Yeah.

He grew up from the presidential box.

Yeah, the presidential box.

And I go back to, I even remember President Eisenhower throwing the ball in Bob Allison.

You know, Tom and Senator and later when caught it.

Right.

And then next year, the next year was the first year that no senators came.

And I remember I was ticked off.

I was in the fourth grade and dad wouldn't let me out of school.

He went to the game.

Yeah.

I was kind of ticked off.

But see, like that's those memories.

I feel like aren't being generated with like, I'll look, I'll be honest.

I didn't take my boys to opening day to Nat's opening day games.

I think maybe we went one year.

A lot of those years, I just happened to have been working.

It happened to have been on the air at the time that the game was being played.

Right.

But yeah, it hasn't become the tradition that I thought maybe it would when the expose moved here.

Yeah, that's the case.

So, in bad way, with Kurt Flood, it was the reserve clause.

Reserve clause.

You know, thank you.

It was because he wanted to be able to move freely.

Right.

But baseball had got an exemption from Congress to get out from under Sherman anti-truck clause,

which meant that they could keep players and Kurt didn't want that.

So, he sent him to the Phillies and he didn't want to go there.

So, in some kind of compromise, he ended up with the senators.

I think he was 1970 and 1971.

And he had been a great player.

He was on those World Series teams.

With St. Louis in the 60s, yeah.

Yeah, with Bob Gibson, right?

Yeah.

Bernie, thanks.

Thanks for that.

Yeah.

Really appreciate it.

Let's go to Jeff and Vienna.

Jeff, go ahead.

Happy Thursday, Kevin.

You too, Jeff.

Growing up in Cincinnati today is a very special day.

Sure.

Back, back at home, probably from age six to one I left to go to school.

I went to every opening day with my older sister.

You know, it's basically a holiday there.

My dad still had to write me a note to get out of school.

But saw Hank Aaron 714 home run.

After college, unfortunately, saw John McSherry die on the field on opening day.

It's a big day in Cincinnati today, definitely.

You know, I think that, you know, there are cities in the baseball towns

where baseball is number one.

And St. Louis is a perfect example of that.

I think, say, you know, baseball is probably number one.

You could certainly argue that baseball is number one in New York.

And, you know, maybe even close in LA.

Cincinnati is probably, I know that you guys love your Bengals

and you've got two pro sports teams.

But the Reds have had a lot more success historically than the Bengals.

Would you consider the Reds to be number one in Cincinnati?

Not since Joe Burrow, no.

The Bengals are definitely number one.

It's about at least starting to bring it back a little bit.

But the Reds are a little bit on the comeback trail.

They did make the playoff last year.

But no, I mean, Joe Burrow owns that town.

So now another 6 and 11 season.

And it might be back to be the Reds town.

Well, the Reds are supposed to be decent this year.

So we'll see what happens.

Yeah. Thanks, Jeff.

Appreciate it.

Let's go to Eric and Norfolk.

Eric, go ahead.

Does it feel like opening day to you?

Hey, Kevin, not as much as it used to in years past.

I was telling Max that, you know, back in like 2012 and for a good five-year span.

Can't fool my buddies.

We'd take a half day at work and we'll go down to a bar in Virginia Beach that had like some outdoor kind of open air.

And we get some cars and just we'd post up at a bar, you know, just right before the first pitch.

And that was kind of how we kick off the season.

And, you know, I was, I was a single guy back then.

I was able to kind of, you know, obsess about the Redskins during the football season and then transition into the nationals and the caps and wizards.

You know, after that, I could allocate all that time.

But these days, you know, now that I'm a married man, I kind of have to pick the skins are pretty much my 100% focus now and the learners.

I feel like kind of like ruined a lot of the the farm that that team was.

I mean, from 2012 to 2019, I mean, it was a fun, fun team with straws and shurser and laroche and dimmer men and worker.

Redone worth.

Yes.

Trade Turner watching him come up.

Fine.

Yeah.

As people would kind of transition out, it was another great talent coming in and it was just always such a fun group of guys to pull through.

Johnson was, was so much fun to kind of see manage this team.

Dusty's couple of years here were, I mean, he was, he was an absolute show by himself.

Yeah.

It was, they were a legitimate upper tier kind of contending franchise.

Again, over that eight year period, nobody one more games in the national league with the exception of the Dodgers during that eight year period.

I mean, they didn't have a losing record right during that stretch at all.

Five playoff trips in eight years and some gut wrenching playoff series losses, you know, at home and game fives to the to the Cardinals, the Dodgers and the in the Cubs.

And even that series that they lost to San Francisco was kind of a riveting series.

I mean, we had the 18 inning, you know, game two.

I was at that game is the temperature during that game.

I think dropped 30 degrees.

It was, it was unbelievable.

I mean, some really good kind of deep into the soul memories and and scars being created during some of those years.

And I feel like that is so in the distant past.

It's strange. Thanks for all the calls.

Appreciate it, you guys.

We're going to switch gears here, talk some sweet 16, especially as it relates to the betting portion of the next eight games with Ben Fox from Yahoo.

Sports next.

Oh, could this vintage store be any cuter, right?

And the best part, they accept discover, accept discover in a little place like this.

I don't think so, Jennifer.

Oh, yeah, huh.

Discover's accepted where I like to shop.

Come on, baby, get with the times.

Right. So we shouldn't get the parachute pants.

These are making a comeback.

I think.

Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide.

Based on the February 2025 Nilsen report,

I'm done carrying around bulky drinks.

And I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out of my pockets.

So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow five hour energy shots.

These little guys are as pocket sized as any candy.

But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero sugar caffeine boost.

Candy can't even compare at this point.

Fruity rainbow five hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor.

With a tasty caffeine kick.

That's right, caffeine just got a flavor upgrade.

And it's not just one flavor.

Five hour energy shots bring you tasty caffeine and 17 flavors.

17.

So if you're craving that candy flavored chaos.

But actually want energy that works?

Grab fruity rainbow five hour energy shots.

Got pocket sized zero sugar, big flavor.

Available now at fivehourenergy.com or on Amazon.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive.

Most of you aren't just listening right now.

You're driving, cleaning, and even exercising.

But what if you could be saving money by switching to Progressive?

Drivers who save by switching saved nearly $750 on average.

And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts.

Multitask right now.

Quote today at Progressive.com.

Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates.

National average 12 month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed

who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023.

Potential savings will vary.

Discounts not available in all states and situations.

Get more out of every mile when you share the ride to work.

With carpooling, you'll have time to relax,

save money, and pick up new friends.

Commuter connections can help you find carpool partners who live and work near you.

Even if you're commuting just a few days a week.

It's a free service.

Carpooling, every dollar saved, every friend made.

Register for free carpool partner ride matching at commuterconnections.org

or call 800-745-RIDE.

That's commuterconnections.org.

Did you know that you can buy your car completely online on auto trader?

Really? Just visit autotrader.com

filter and search through dealer listings for the car you want, make, model, color,

and all the features that matter to you.

Go ahead, get picky.

Whether you're into subcompacts with heated cup holders,

crossovers with all-wheel drive, pickups with kicking sound systems,

or SUVs that can survive whatever chaos your kids unleash.

Just drop in your info and you'll only see cars in your budget.

Really? Once you find your one and only,

you can do the whole deal online and have the car delivered to your driveway.

Or you can pick it up at the dealership

and drive your new ride right off the lot.

Really? Autotrader makes it easy to buy your car online,

because the whole process is designed around your once and must-haves.

Autotrader, buy your car online. Really?