HR2: Jon Crispin previews the Final Four round of March Madness | Commanders seem to be going BPA in the NFL Draft

Final four, Saturday night in Indianapolis, two good ones. Illinois, Yukon, followed by

Arizona Michigan, Arizona Michigan feels like a national championship matchup. John

Crispin is with us. John calls games for ESPN, NBC, Peacock. John was a really good college

basketball player. One of my favorite things to say when John's on the show is John not

only scored 62 points in a high school basketball game, but his grandfather Cliff still

owns the Maryland state high school boys basketball single game scoring mark. He scored 79 points

in 1956. And as we've talked about before, I'm pretty sure there was no three point line,

but I don't think I've ever asked you, was your grandfather a really good shooter? I'm assuming

he was. Yeah, he was one of the few that actually shot jump shots. So I think like, yeah,

back then, like he actually would pull up from 10 feet and shoot a jump shot. And I have

this image of, there's a movie semi pro. I don't know if you've seen it, where in the

movie, they had the first alley you've done. And I have this image of my grandfather in

some way in the 50s, being the guy pulled up for jumpers and everyone's like, whoa, what

is that? What is that? What is he doing? Like, is that legal? Like, should we check the

route? Yeah, it's okay. You could do that. So he had more of a, they'll look not called

a three level scoring game. There's still more a two level scoring game, but to score 79

points. And oh, by the way, we tried to taunt him a little bit. If you could even do that

to your grandfather, he never said much about his career. But we try to say like, yeah,

who'd you do it again? You know, sisters of the poor. You make up one of those things.

You guys, I don't know, they were pretty good. They did two divisional guys on their team.

Oh, wow. All right. But, but John, it was because back then, everybody shot a set shot,

right? Yes, yes. And it was like not exactly fluid. The game itself wasn't all that fluid.

It was very your turn, my turn. So clearly, there was a decent taste to that one.

It's one of those things where you're like, everything in our world is recorded today.

And to the point where it drives you nuts, right? Like no, no moment is missed, which means

every moment is missed, right? Because you're not in the moment. You're, you're, you're catching it,

right? I hate it. I hate the phones held up when people are at a great sporting event.

Like, why don't you just live it and enjoy it? What are you doing? It's, be present.

Be present. Like, and, and by the way, you'll enjoy it a lot more if you're just present.

You feel every bit of it. I would love to see some hate, but I'm sure it would be like that type

of really sped up tape, you know, when you see like the old video where they're moving twice

as fast because the frame rate just isn't the same. I'd love to watch that. And just in a way,

it's like, you look back and you go, that's where I'm from. And also like his life wasn't easy.

Like people always say, like, oh, you guys have been lucky. I'm like, yeah, but our luck comes

from it. Our blessings come from somebody else's suffering. And, and he went through it. And

here we are. Brother was just named head coach and Air Force, you know, I know pop would be

pretty proud of that. So it's all good stuff. That's awesome. I did not know that. So your brother

just got the Air Force job. Yeah. Just had his open press conference yesterday. He, he took me

on my word. I said, Joe, I will be all over you. If you pull a piece of paper out and read

anything, I said, we think about and talk about everything we think about. You could just roll.

And he did. And it was awesome. It was nice to have somebody get up there and not use a single

cliche and no coach speak just simple talk. Why don't you coach? You and I've talked about this

before, but you'd be a really good coach. Why don't you do it? So I think the honest answer is,

I'm not at 45 years of age. I'm not willing to do what the world demands you do to be able to

get to the level that I'd want to get. And I don't even care. I'm not one of those guys that says,

oh, I need to be the head coach at a power five. No, no, I couldn't give a rip. Frankly, I,

knowing what I know and seeing what I see in the role that I'm in, I don't really want that.

I like balance in my life. So at this point, am I willing to be a film guy to learn how not to do

things? No, I'm not. I have too much conviction. I have too much clarity in my own world to go chase

after something that's done away that I just disagree with. So, you know, would I coach someday,

maybe like a D3 level? Yeah, I'd probably do that, but I wouldn't do it to be a part of the

world that everybody wants to be a part of to have the power, the money, the success. I just wouldn't

do it for that. It's not enough. So I like what I'm doing. I get to serve it in my own way. I get

to be around it in my own way. And I own a trade school in South Jersey. So I'm touching the

world of broadcasting and sports. And then I'm also putting 150 to 175 people a year in jobs.

So that's pretty cool. Wow. Good balance. A trade school. So what are, are you talking about

roofers and electricians and plumbers? That kind of a thing? Electricians, HVAC techs were open

in new location with welding and carpentry and plumbing to do refrigeration. So yeah, it's

just getting people the opportunities they need to get in the field. It's all good. Yeah, well,

and some very good livings in those in those areas too. At John Crispin ESPN on X. All right,

let's go backwards before we go ahead. And let's talk about Duke Yukon. You're a basketball guy.

Tell me what Duke did incorrectly at the end of that game against Yukon.

To me, it's less about the end of the game and it's more about what what allows you to give up leads.

I just think that's that's the biggest issue. I look at a team that took their foot off the gas

and they've done this. Frankly, they did it last year. They had a better team last year

and they couldn't close the door. They took their foot off the gas. They tried to manage the end

of game situations as opposed to just beating your opponent by 20. They got slow. And I think,

look, the boosters are part of that. As great as he is, playing through him slows the game down

at times. Playing through Cooper Flag was different. He didn't slow the game down. And that's not a

knock. It's just the reality. I think everybody lives, we live in this world where it's if you say

something that absolutely means this. No, two things can be true at the same time. He gives you

the best opportunity to win at the highest level, but there are also things that come where if

you're planning to get the team who's going on a run, you can't play your turn my turn basketball.

You've got to get back and create rhythm and flow. They weren't able to do that. So then you

allow a team like Yukon, who is at this point absolute house money. You allow a team to have

a chance and you panic. Similar thing happened last year where they couldn't get the ball in

bounds against Houston. Houston. And I really good team didn't have a chance to live to their

potential. So I think the panic, the fear you can see it, you can feel it. I think a lot of that

comes from the expectations, which that's what you get at Duke. But in the end, man, why are you

throwing the ball around? I really couldn't get it. If they didn't foul booze or they were going

to foul saw. If saw just dribbles it up the court, three seconds go off the clock. They foul saw.

Maybe he makes one. So what? At worst case, you're playing for over time. But to throw it around

for Isaiah Evans, not to get a hand up when we found out on a radio show that his Instagram handle

is get a hand up. Really? Yeah. Yeah. You wanted him to have a hard closeout on Mullins at 35 feet,

right? No, just a hand up. Yeah. What you want to do in that case is making dribble. You know what

I mean? It's like, and again, it's so easy for us who are not playing, who don't have all the

fields that go into playing the game to say you should have done this. It's very easy to do that.

But a lot of these situations or things you do go over, but you just can't simulate a trip to

the final four on the line. That's why I try to tell people all the time, you can simulate situations.

Hey, down 10 with two to play. This is how we're going to do it. Okay. That's great. But what do

you do when you're actually playing in the elite with a final four trip on the line? All right,

we're going to simulate an end of game situation where they have to foul, but they don't want to foul

Cameron Booser. All right. Well, you can run that all you want, but you can't simulate it with

a final four on the line. So I just think we don't really take all those things into account.

Things happen, breakdowns happen, and here we are. You saw a lot of college basketball this year.

The wizards here in our town are likely going to end up with a very high draft pick.

Where would Booser go for you in the upcoming June draft?

Man, you see, this is a tough conversation. It's a tough answer because I don't think he's

one of the top five guys. And that's not a knock on him in any way. It's just how quickly do you

translate? Not do you translate. Well, if you're a great player and you know how to play the game and

you understand how to get what you need in a game and then figure out how to mold and manipulate

the game around you, he can do all that. But I think it's a two, three, four-year process for him

to really figure out where he fits within within an organization on the floor, how he plays guys

around them. I think he's a tougher adjustment. He's a little bit more heavy-footed, wide-based.

The gate isn't athletic, but he's incredible at what he does. So easy, the guy that's going to come

in and just completely dominate the game. The way Cooper Flag has this year? No, he's not. He's not

that guy. He's not Palo Bancaro either. He is very unique in his own way. So I look at guys like

Darius A-Cuff and I'm like, he makes somebody better right away. He's Chris Paul and Steph Marbury

at the same time. I think that's a guy that makes everybody better right away. H.A. DeBanza,

DeBanza, I can't even pronounce it anymore. DeBanza DeBanza. Yeah, we've said it over and over again

and it's been changed. So DeBanza, he translates right away. Haylon Wilson translates right away.

Darren Peterson, whether he's going to play or not, he translates right away. So there are a number

of guys out there that right away have an impact. And I think if you're going to take somebody

in the top five, they've got to have an immediate impact and not walk into a role when you're

the type of team that has greater needs. So I don't want to knock him, but I do feel like there's

a little Pintibo here where it's like the translation might not be quick. Right. I agree with you.

That was interesting. Your comps for A-Cuff Jr. Marbury and Chris Paul. I see Lillard in A-Cuff Jr.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. He's got a little Dame Lillard in him. He doesn't look to... Here's the

funny thing is as much as he scored, you know, he went to 46 earlier that you're the game reason

that was just epic. 49 it was. Absolutely epic performance, but his best skill is not scoring.

Scoring is the byproduct of him knowing how to manipulate a game. And you see him sharing the

basketball there at times when I prepped for him a couple times this year. When I prepped for him,

I watched it. I'm like two of his four turnovers were not on him. They were the they were the

interceptions that Peyton Manning had where you go. Where is he throwing it? Well, he was actually

throwing it where the guy should have been. Right. He makes the right reads. He sees the game

clearly and that's where draft scouts and all the all the different scouts and GMs. They're going

to start to see that clearer and clearer where they go. This dude knows the game before it happens.

That's special. And to find that in such a young kid who's got a great demeanor too,

which I think is important. He's just got a stone called demeanor. That's the kind of guide. What?

Yeah, I love him too. Now, the one thing in these games, it doesn't seem like his favorite

thing is guarding anybody. That doesn't seem to be a high interest for him at this point. No,

that's that's a challenge. I think it's a challenge for incoming freshmen who have never played

defense. And now you have one year teams. So is it the kids fault or is it the fault of reality?

I don't know if it's a term I like to use the fault of reality. Well, the reality is you're not

teaching defense the way you used to teach defense. You're playing. You're teaching situations.

You're saying, all right, well, this is how we're going to defend ball screens. But you're not

teaching strong side, ball side, help side. You're not doing all that stuff. You're not running

shell drill. Very few teams do that stuff anymore. And those are the ways you just learn the basics

of defense. Right now, what I do think he can do is what the NBA asks you to do. And that's guard.

Can you guard when you need to guard? He has the capability of doing it. He just really hasn't

had the demand put on him. So you go to the next level. There's going to be demand placed on you

to not get exposed. I think I'll figure that out. Just a different it's a different way of playing

the game anymore with one year teams. All right. Here is maybe a bit of a contrarian take here,

but I want your thoughts on it. I actually thought before this game, and I still think it now that

the Purdue Arizona game was a matchup of the two best teams in the tournament. And Purdue was not

anywhere near as good as Arizona was in the second half, but Purdue, you know, handled Michigan

in that big 10 final. They had been playing at a super high level for about a month after sort of

floundering a little bit in the middle of the season. I think that they if they they had a seven

point halftime lead, but I think they're the second best team in the country no longer in the

tournament. What did what did you think of that game and and my comment about Purdue? Well, I

don't disagree, but I but it falls in the category of you're not wrong, but that doesn't mean you're

right. I can't disagree with you, but you might not be absolutely right. Where where Purdue was off

the charts good is when they just played everything through Braden Smith. And if you look at the

Michigan game, it wasn't about all the sets that they run to free guys up on the perimeter. That

was happening, but it was happening. There's almost like a decoy as camouflage where all the

actions started and ended with whatever Braden Smith could have done. The defense had it was a

gravity that came his way. It opened up the floor. Everything worked for Purdue. When they couldn't

get stops, it didn't matter what worked. And then they started chasing the game. So Arizona was

a team that just they made shots. And that first half was it was a remarkable performance. Watch

him. You're just watching me like Arizona teams, they make shots. They're almost impossible to

come back against. They're also physical that tough. They do execute. They have a great game plan

of creating rhythm flow, getting up and down the floor. Purdue got chasing the game. And if they

can't dictate the game early through Braden Smith, then they get behind and then it's then it's a

struggle fest because they just they struggle to come back if they can't get stopped. So I think

Michigan's probably I think it's Michigan and Arizona are the two best teams. I give the not the

Michigan because I think what they've gone through in the big tennis has allowed them to face a

lot of variety. And it doesn't mean it's going to be easy. It doesn't mean you're going to win

every game. But when you look at the records, I mean, what are they like 28? They're both like 28

and 3 and 3 and 3 and 3 and 36 and 2. I mean, that's what we got in the final four. These are teams

that have won a lot of basketball games. So I get you're going to have a couple hiccups. And if

you're Michigan, I wouldn't I wouldn't feel too badly about it because they look pretty darn good

this tournament. Kaufman, Ren's foul trouble hurt them. Arizona was the better team. Don't get me

wrong. But I did want to ask you about Braden Smith since you brought him up. I think he plays at

the next level. Do you? I do. I really do. I think in a way, the next level is gotten so space-oriented,

ball screen oriented and passing oriented because it's advantage basketball. They just want to

find and create an advantage. And you look at some of the other guys. I think you need to continue

to develop a shot and it's not really develop a shot. It's got a good shot. He's got to develop

the ability to get it off. That's what the whole next that's what the next level is all about. Can

you get shots off? I know you can you can move the game. Can you get shots off? That that's the

next step. Got like Peyton Pritchard. And I hate to do that. You take a six foot white guy and

compare him to a six foot white guy. Can't stand when we do that in our business. But they both have

the same limitations if you can call it that. Maybe we'll call him constraints, not limitations.

Where size is an issue. How do you get shots off? That's going to be the next level of

maturation for Braden Smith's game. And if he can do it, coupled with all the other things he

does really well, I don't see how he doesn't play at the next level. Yeah, it's so funny because

I think we all do the same thing. I compared him to Steve Blake who had a 13 year NBA career

and was very underrated as a shooter and as a defender coming into the NBA because he was

long armed and competitive as hell. And Braden Smith has like a six seven wingspan, which I don't

think most people would know. It's talking about a cuff controlling a game. What did you make of

just Keaton Woggler's, you know, a couple of games last weekend and kind of controlling both

of the games, the Iowa game and the sweet 16 game as well. I think what's been most impressive

about Woggler is his ability to control the game within their system. And their system is very

European as is their roster makeup. Yeah, but they play like an old European pro team. I even made

the comment in one of the games I was doing that if I was a high level European pro team club,

I would just hire all seven of them. I would take seven or eight of those guys and just say,

we want you guys to play together because it's it's masterful basketball. It really don't rush.

We are never in a hurry and there are times when it doesn't look like they're looking to push,

but they will if they have the opportunity. They really give you one chance to score and then

they walk it up. And it's like, all right guys buckle up. Like whatever you do, we have a counter for.

And they are the beneficiary of space on the floor where you have big two can shoot, big two

you can play through, big that will command the double at times in the post, but also if plenty

it's Houston, they welcome two guys coming to the basketball to ball screen situation because

they passed out of it and played four and three. And guys like Andre's story of it had

lanes to the basket when there are rarely ever lanes to the basket against Houston. And they were

there because of the space on the floor. A lot of that comes from from Woggler and his ability to

just patiently operate their system. And I think he doesn't get enough credit for that maturity.

He gets credit for his skill and and the big numbers he put up earlier this season. Well he might

have been forty forty five or forty six again this year. Forty six, I produce those number. Yeah,

forty six it jumps off the charts, but what really stands out is his ability to play within the

system and then operate that system well. And then when he needs to be the guy, he's the guy.

So I think his patience has really jumped off the charts this year.

John Crispin from ESPN joining us right now does work for NBC and Peacock as well. So let's

jump to the two games and start with that one. Illinois against Yukon. Who do you like and why?

Well, I like Illinois because in a in a, I hate to say your turn my turn, but in a

yeah, so your turn my turn game. Yukon wants to operate in the half court. They want to execute

fifty different sets. And I think Daddy Hurley needs to get more credit for the job he's done

this year. I think his antics kind of take away what he's really done with this group because

they couldn't make a shot to save their life coming into the tournament. And then they stunk

when they got into the tournament. The fact that they're playing in the final four is really a

byproduct of all the different things they do that you have to prep for that give them an

advantage. They have a ton of sets and in a short prep, good luck with Yukon. There's too much

to go over. So there's confidence in that. Taurus Reads been really good. So that helps.

If they can make shots, they can keep it a game. But I just don't see how they can stop

Illinois. There's so many weapons and they're so comfortable playing in that style of game.

It's almost as if Yukon has to put pace on the game. But I struggle to think that favor

some. So I think it goes the way of Illinois. I mean, does anybody have as many sets as many

plays as many as a thicker playbook than Danny Hurley has? No. No. And the fact that he's doing it

in the era of one year teams. Right. The most remarkable thing. I mean, to get guys to buy

into following orders anymore is unbelievable. And there has to be an aspect of intimidation.

And I don't mean that in a negative way. I just mean like he's my coach. I will listen.

Right. And I think he's got that. And these guys buy into it. You know, sometimes the key is

understanding what you're not. Everybody wants to talk about what you are. It's like, hey,

what we are. It's fine. But it's good to know what you're not. They're not an elite level basketball

team. So they've got to be the best product together. And that's what they figured out.

They played other strengths when they recognize a strength. So if there's something that's

working inside, they're going to keep playing to it. If using Taurus Reader around the perimeter

as a screener, because the NCAA tournament, they actually allow you to screen without calling

fouls, if that frees you up into your secondary and your third options, then you're going to

operate a little bit more with them around the perimeter. So there's a good amount of feel.

But there is an extensive playbook to go to. And there are not many people that do it. I think

Northwestern does a really good job. They run a lot of different stuff. But nothing like you can.

That was an interesting observation you made. Because I kind of felt the same way and sort of

noted it in watching the tournament is that they're really very, very liberal with calling

moving screens. Like they're letting you set screens. And there's a lot of contact. And sometimes

it's moving. I have not seen what you see during the regular season, which is one of the favorite

referee calls, right? You know, an illegal screen to sort of wave it off and point in the other

direction. I have not seen a lot of that. Why do you think that was a conscious effort?

Their conscious decision referee wise, we're going to let them play a little bit. We're not going

to we're not going to get some of these big dudes in foul trouble early with moving screens.

I think it's the conscious subconscious, right? Like the whole season officials know they're

like, I really don't want to call this, but it's a point of emphasis. And we had it a few years

back with freedom of movement. Right. And I always said, look, if you make freedom of movement

at point of emphasis, you need to have a counterpoint of emphasis that is freedom of contact.

Otherwise, you're just going to blow the whistle the whole time. So you need to be able to define

what allowable contact is within a contact sport. If you're going to have this freedom of movement

idea, because all we did was blow the whistle. We celebrated the fact that we scored more, but we

didn't look at the fact that it was all foul shots. It's like, yeah, that's not good basketball.

Just because we're scoring one point more per game doesn't mean it's actually working. No,

we're just putting dudes on the foul line and the game stinks. So that's freed up a little bit.

Then we got into the illegal screening, which needed to happen, but not at the level that we're

seeing it. So during the year, it's not just about the foul that gets caught and not being able to

free up your offensive teammates. It's about the fact that you're taking some of the best players off

the floor for something that was allowable a year ago. Right. So I actually liked that they finally

get to the point where they say, we're going to let them play a lot more. We will clean up a

grigis, but we are going to allow contact. I think players have adjusted to it just fine. Both

teams are able to do it. The ones that you shouldn't be able to get away with are the hand-off

butt screens. Those are so impactful because it takes you two, three feet off your line, and now you're

in a short-roll situation in a two on one. So I like the idea of officials sitting down and looking at,

hey, what's a foul that gains an advantage? Let's call those. I think that's the final iteration

of it. I think that's where we get when we get to the final four because while we want to let

players determine the outcome of the game, we want to make sure players have the opportunity to

determine the outcome of the game. So finding the balance has got to be key. All right. So you like

Michigan because of the wars they've been through in the big 10 more than Arizona. But how do you

see the matchup? What's the key for Arizona? I mean, the way they played the second half and the

way they played at times if you're, they just have seven, eight guys that seemingly could start for

everybody in the tournament. Yeah, except Michigan. And I think that's what makes it so good. It's

like they're both very similar. And I would say the difference is Arizona's been able to play

their way all season. And when they haven't been able to play their way, they've lost some games.

Michigan's played it a variety of different contests, right? When you play Iowa, it's a different

way of playing. Yeah. Like they will slow you down. They will make it methodical. They will

make you uncomfortable. You just have to accept that the game might be one in the seventies.

So I think using Laxiaxal and in board has been huge for them where they put them around the

perimeter. They put them inside. He's scoring in mid-range. That's really open the game up a lot

more for Michigan. The Elliott could do is gotten better as a score. They also, they also recognize

moments. And it's really hard to point these out in the broadcast. But I always say like, I want to

be able to illustrate like recognition of the moment, right? When you just made two baskets and

you got another stop, look for a tough shot coming. And Michigan's willing to take a quick next shot

to bury their opponent and maximize the effect of that moment. They do that really well. And it

does remind me, and this is a dusty thing. It reminds me of FAU when they went to the final four.

They made runs. And then when they had what I would call run daggers, right? Run daggers are when

you're on a 10-2 run and you get that stop. And then there's one really big haymaker that basically

ends the run because it leads to a timeout from the other coach. They have run daggers.

And that's almost a reset of the game. The difference is this is a Michigan team that once that

game resets, they know how to ramp it back up again. So I think there are so many little things about

them that go kind of unnoticed, but they're really tough to play against. And when they hit multiple

run daggers in a half, it feels like you've already lost the game. You know, there's a kind of

this prevailing, there's no such thing as momentum, thought among analytics people. And what you

just described, there's so much emotion in that moment and the pressure of not having scored for

a couple of possessions. And you're on the wrong end of an 11-2 run that's about to go to 13-2

or 14-2. That next possession is so much harder than the offensively against a team in that moment

without a timeout. And it's just everybody understands that in basketball, you feel it more

because the possessions and the scoring come so quickly. And the big moments come so quickly.

And man, when there's a road environment, you know, and you're the road team and it's the home team

that's making the run. It's hard, really hard. All right. So Michigan, Illinois, and all big 10

final, who wins it? I got Michigan winning it. I think Michigan can play the game that Illinois

wants to play. And I just think they have the matchups to be able to win it. Now that being said,

it would require somebody for Illinois goes off. And it's likely Keaton-Wagner. I just think

they have enough length to really disrupt him. And also Michigan can switch. So the switching

defense really negates a lot of what Illinois does well. It'll turn into a more of a one-on-one game.

So Michigan's ability to switch, but also play with different line-ups and different rotations

where Jackson maybe at the 4-5 doesn't really matter. They've got great size. They spaced the floor

really well. I think it negates a lot of what Illinois does well. But I think it would be a great

game. And I know there's there's one group of people out there that would love to see that

final because it guarantees them a championship. It's the Big Ten. Yeah. It's been two since 2000.

I was a freshman in college. Unreal. Well, a team in the Big Ten has won one more recently. That

would be Maryland. But they were not in the Big Ten when they won their tournament in 2002.

Always enjoy this. Thanks. Enjoy the weekend, John. Thanks for doing this.

Thank you. My pleasure. John Christman, everybody, ESPN, NBC, Peacock does a great job calling games

and was a really good player himself. His brother was an excellent player as well. Kevin, she

showed the team 980 and the team 980.com. Lots of stuff coming out of the NFL league meetings in

Phoenix, where you know, not only do owners in general managers show up, but coaches show up.

And lots of things get said and lots of things get taken and run with. But you also learn some

things and you certainly learn in some cases what certain people are thinking. So the opening of the

NFL season on Wednesday night, September 9th and Thursday night, September 10th. It'll include a

home game for Seattle on September 9th, a Wednesday night to kick off the 2026 NFL season.

And then the following night at 835 Eastern, the first ever game in Australia, Melbourne,

Australia featuring the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams apparently were

earmarked as the team that would host this game. And Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers coach weighed in

in Phoenix earlier this week as to why his team is the Rams week one opponent. Here's what he said.

I'm pretty sure the Rams lobbied for that game. But what the fact they did because some bothersome.

So hopefully the league will be right and let us play the Rams in Mexico since we got to go out of

the country twice and they requested us. I'm requesting them in Mexico. Oh, not that, not that,

not that that gives us an advantage. It's just fair to make them go out of the country. That would be great

to have a lot of games between the Rams and the 49ers. I do. He might go this way when he brought it up.

I knew it. I knew it. So it's great for the right moment. Sorry. So I have brought this up a little

bit. So you think the Rams have lobbied because they're sick of seeing the 49ers dominate the crowd

at so far. And I get that. Yeah, that would sit there. Yeah, have to do silent cadence and have

our home game at their stadium. So I get their ambitions, but they were rewarded that. So I'm

just hoping we can get back to them to come to Mexico. That's our Mexican fan base.

It's like bang, bang. That is gang. They are. They're amazing.

So you heard the reason Kyle believes they were scheduled. The Rams lobbied for the 49ers to be

the opponent because they don't want to play the 49ers at so far. It's not a home game for them.

Most of the Rams home games tend to be neutral site environments best case. And I was looking

at their home schedule. I mean, they play Seattle at home. Seattle fans end up taking over so

five Dallas at home this year. Cowboy fans have definitely taken over so fine. The past chiefs

they have at home. The Rams play the chiefs at home this year. They play the chargers at home.

That's not a big deal. They play Buffalo and Green Bay at home. They have a terrible

home schedule for an opportunity to play a home game that feels like a home game. I mean,

pretty much Cowboys, Bills, Packers, Seahawks, Chiefs and Niners all at home. Who's missing,

Pittsburgh in terms of fan bases that really travel. That's a terrible home schedule

for the LA Rams at so far. Now, it's not as bad for them as it is for the chargers every year.

But it's not good for them. You know, it's one of those things you really have to factor

into a season with the Rams and the chargers every year. I mean, the Rams are the favorites right

now to win the Super Bowl next year. And they have on paper certainly a great football team.

I think it's hard to argue that they weren't the second best team in the NFL if you assume

that Seattle was even better than them. They beat them twice, a little bit flukeish in that Thursday

night regular season game that enabled that NFC title game to be in Seattle rather than in so

high. But the Rams have, you know, Seattle, Dallas, Chiefs, Bills, Packers, all as home games and

so high that will feel like road games. And then the 49ers game they're going to play in Melbourne

where I bet you there are more 49ers fans there than Rams fans anyway. It's a tough thing

for the Rams and the chargers. They just have the Rams had at least, you know, a fan base in LA

from all of the years that they were in LA. And the chargers are a couple of hours north. But we've

seen what's the chargers fan base has become. I mean, it is really, really bleak for them when

they play home games more times than not. But that is, I mean, I just pulled it up during the break.

That's a brutal for crowds for crowd environment situation. That's a brutal home schedule

for the Rams. They have a home game against the Cardinals and a home game against the giants.

Those might be the two in which it won't feel like a road game. Depending on if the giants are

good or not, well, if the giants ended up being good, then, you know, in the game was later in the

season, that would be a problem. So there you go. The Rams lobbied for the 49ers. I think

looking at their home schedule, I would have probably lobbied for the Cowboys. Although the 49er

game is such a bigger game for them because it's a division game. So that's perhaps why it made

sense for them to do that. So typically what you see in most sports books as it relates to the

draft is you see odds on the team that will draft the top five players. And then after the top

five, you typically don't see a lot of odds on the players. It'll go to say Washington at seven. But

draft Kings basically did go a bit further. And the favorite to select Jeremiah Love in the first

round is Tennessee at plus one 15. The second favorite to select Jeremiah Love in the first round

is Washington at plus one 20. They're almost at the same odds. They see two teams in the top seven

as the only teams that will take Jeremiah Love essentially. Tennessee at plus one 15

and Washington at plus one 20. By the way, the over under on Jeremiah Love is four and a half,

meaning you can take under. He's going to be selected in the top four or you can go over. He's

going to be selected after four five or later. So that's the over under now. If you go over,

you're you're laying 160 minus 160. So that gives you kind of the Washington odds at seven. But

Washington, the second favorite to land Jeremiah Love per draft Kings. And it's not that far away

from what Tennessee's odds. I'm telling you, when we get to, you know, three weeks from tomorrow

night, Tennessee's pick will be significant. Because if they don't pick Jeremiah Love,

there's a really good chance he's going to be on the board at seven. That's going to make a lot

of you excited, really excited if that ends up happening. Something Adam Peter said that we have

not played for you this week. You'll hear it next, Kevin Chinchot, the team 980 and the team 980.com.

So in Adam Peters, you know, making the rounds with media out in Phoenix Monday and Tuesday,

he sat down with the NFL Network's K Adams. And, you know, there have been plenty of mocks

with Ohio State linebacker Sonny Stiles coming to Washington. He was asked by K Adams about

Sonny Stiles. This is what he said. Sonny Stiles, front of our show.

Unbelievable. He's an impressive guy. I'm saying that from a chatting perspective, from your

evaluation perspective, Sonny Stiles, objectively. He's outstanding. I mean, we went to their

pro day last week and they have four guys that are probably going to be picked in the top 10. That

places a factory. And they got great coaches and the players are really well coached and they're

really good. And Sonny fits into that category. He's big. He's long. He's fast. He's athletic. He's

really smart. He's a great leader. So he's a really good player. I told him, I think I can give

all these things, but your football IQ is really what? Sort of pops a little bit. Can you speak to that

a little bit from what you see? Yeah. I mean, he's just that he gets those guys lined up. All the

players on the team review him. They talk about his leadership, his abilities, football IQ,

the coaches do. So I mean, if you talk to anybody there, he's going to be a team captain, you know,

guy for 10 years. Sounds like you like sunny styles. You know, with Adam Peters and maybe it was

K Adams. I don't know. But he was about as animated as Adam Peters can be in talking about a

player. That's the first time I've heard that. That's the first thing that I thought of was. And look,

we've talked about this many times in the past. Sometimes it's, you know, a big name,

um, national NFL, you know, interviewer. Like I've noticed this with my, my, my good friend,

Scott Vampelt, who's great at what he does. But, you know, a lot of the players and coaches,

they can't wait to be on his show. They're, they're fans as well. So sometimes that creates an

environment where you're able to get even more out of somebody. We've heard Adam Peters,

repeaters, most of the time, say very little and say it in borderline monotone. That's not what

he was there. I'm not saying that he's given away anything there. But clearly, they're very,

very high on sunny styles as is everybody else. You know, and remember, we played that answer. See

if you can find the one about positional linebacker running back safety, um, his answer on, on that

from yesterday. Do you have it play, play that? I forget what the question was leading in. But he

he talked about, you know, the positional value many people have essentially said, you don't take

running backs at, you know, top 10 linebackers, top 10, safeties, top 10. Here's what he said.

There's a lot of conversation about some of the guys at the top of straf, after

they've had non premier positions, including like running back and part of the conversations

up with the economics. I would like to wrap that player that like, it's, it's just not as, uh, the

price later on, especially it was not a tie. Some other ones there for maybe it's not,

maybe you could value play from a salary cap respect. Does that matter to you at all?

Yeah, you consider it. Yeah, but he just, I really consider more how much they can impact us

and talk in with our coaches, talking with the staff and the other scouts. Like, okay,

how much can this player impact us, you know, and whether you're saying, whether you're saying

it's running back, whether it's a safety, whether it's a linebacker that are non-premium positions,

but at the same time, like, I had Fred Warner in San Francisco and I can't tell you how much

that guy impacted our team. And so, like, there are, you know, their exceptions to that. And so,

I think, I think you're kind of, you can overthink it by doing that sometimes, but just, I would

like to say, the best player can help us now in the future. I'm worried about the second contract

later. Yeah, I mean, remember this Fred Warner was taken in the third round. He wasn't taken in

the top 10. And I think Adam Peters had something to do with finding Fred Warner in the 2019 draft,

something like that. But yeah, the point is, you know, do you take a player like that at number seven

overall? I'm all for you got to try to get a great player period. The positional argument,

I understand the math on it. I understand, you know, the value of having certain positions

on rookie deals versus others. But the bottom line is, you don't want a mediocre player on a rookie

deal that, you know, at that point, at a premium position, at that point, it won't matter if the

players in mediocre. I'd rather end up with a great player that ultimately, you know, you're not

getting as much value out of the rookie deal. The value comes in the performance on the field.

And so if they think Jeremiah Love or sunny styles or Caleb Downs are absolute surefire,

blue chip A plus superstar potential players. And they're the highest players on the board when

they get there, take them. I mean, I think I mentioned, you know, just that draft where, you know,

in 2023, when Detroit selected Gibbs at 12 and then a linebacker shortly thereafter. But

they're both great players. This team needs great players. I do like sunny styles. I like them a lot.

I mean, and it goes well beyond what he did in Indy, you know, with the size and the speed and the

testing. There's just a real intellect there and a downhill physical mentality that you love for a

guy who is, you know, 6465 and 250 and runs 435. And apparently, according to everybody,

is really smart and a born leader. Up next, David Harrison, who covers the team and was out in Phoenix

this week, from Channel 9, we'll jump on with us. Kevin Cheyenshow, the team 980 and the team 980.com.