Steve Ballmer lied through his teeth to ESPN

0:00Broadcasting live from the Hyundai Studios, present it to you in part by your local Hyundai dealers. This is Chicago's number one most listened to sports station. 1043 the score is Chicago Sports. Chicago Sports is 1043 the score. Always live on the free Odyssey app. WSCR. WSCR FM and HD1 Chicago in Odyssey Sports Station. The score! This hour on the score is brought to you by Minards. Save Big Money at Minards. I'll tell you before this season started, they said the Dodgers are ruining baseball. Let's get four more wins and really ruin baseball. Let's go! The series could end on one swing in either direction. Here's the O2 pitch. Fouts as well. The member. Bits to the back. Move it up. Bits to the chip. You got to knock him out. The Dodgers stand tall. And went back to back titles.

1:01I respond to the blowback the Dodgers are breaking baseball. Passionately disagree. The Dodgers are an absolute behemoth. Built by tremendous amateur scouting, pro scouting, development, excellent leadership by Andrew Friedman on the baseball side. Big, big, silly, ridiculous television money. That just doesn't exist anymore for anybody. Mark Walter is the owner of the Dodgers, he and his Guggenheim group. The center of the latest Pablo Tore finds out investigation that is underway. There's a new Pablo Tore finds out episode that has just come out. And there's not a ton of new stuff. But what it really does is it sort of like maps out everything in a really clear and concise way.

2:02And basically Mark Walter has been playing kind of an elaborate shell game where he takes money from one investment and gives it to another investment. And then he ran out of money and he used money from insurance companies who are basically taking money from Americans in some interesting ways. And he banked on that and there's lots of details he can get into. And I think we'd bore people with a lot of the finances. But suffice to say that the Dodgers owner who was also the Laker's owner is probably going to have to sell the Dodgers pretty damn soon. He just sold the Lakers. He flipped them like a condo in like a year turnaround. And now he's probably going to have to sell the Dodgers. And with all their deferred money and everything that's going on there, it's going to be really weird to see how that affects MLB labor people. MLB labor piece in the off season because the Dodgers are a big big deal as the kind of the template for what a lot of owners think is everything that's wrong with MLB. So it's a fascinating moment.

3:03And I don't put anything past Pablo Torrey in that little investigative beast of podcasts he's put together, which is an incredibly powerful thing. And it's important for journalism and it's important to I feel like there's always this thought that I mean, maybe it's just maybe in cynical. But like shady business is what makes the world go around in some respects and not in a great way, especially when it comes to sports. So I mean, it's first of all, it's hard to fathom the amount of money that is being moved around and put into these things and the money, the value of these teams on a level of talking about like flipping teams and selling teams. It's just tremendous. And it doesn't surprise me that things are being done. And unfortunately, it just leaves a mark on the entire organization. Like, you know what I mean? Like it takes away from you think of the Dodgers and you hear all of this and all these investigations, even the Clippers. And it takes away from everything that is pure about the sport. It's like, well, we're not even talking about the players or what the team's going to look like.

4:04It's more of like, how is this going to affect labor deals and how is this going to affect baseball? It's like, you're not even talking about the players anymore and the sport itself and the game changing. You're like, we've lost it all. You're right. And here I am wanting to do it. What the hell's wrong with me on a Friday afternoon? I'm here for it. You're supportive. I'm supportive. And I appreciate it. You know what it is? And the Dodgers kind of broke the finances of baseball with all the deferred money. And there's like this. What's interesting to me is that there's a lot of people saying, well, everybody could do it. I mean, if the Dodgers do it, because it's not true. Right. Because what the Dodgers are doing is leaving it for the next ownership group to deal with. And now that next ownership group might be coming very, very soon. And maybe it'll lower the valuation of it. I know who they all know. But they did it in this really kind of interesting way. I've been talking to people walking here. I'm sitting there saying, I'm not going to be here.

5:06Exactly. Not going to be anywhere near this thing. So we'll see what happens with that and how far the Poblotory investigation goes. But let's look at the Clippers thing for a minute. Okay. Because we haven't had a chance to talk about it. The Clippers with their massive punishment from the NBA, which completely vindicated the journalistic work of Poblotory. I wanted to shine a light on just how just how freaking dishonest Steve Balmer, the Clippers owner was. And just how shameful the faux journalism has been at ESPN. ESP FNN, which once had like this vaunted journalistic department, unfortunately can now not be trusted. And I really hate that Don Van Nade is name was attached to the article that came out a couple weeks ago about the Clippers penalty upcoming, which basically said, I think it might just get a slap on the wrist.

6:10Which is absurd. That Don Van Nade's name was attached to that. But what came before that was a year ago, Ramona Shelburn got Steve Balmer, the Clippers owner to sit down for an interview September 4th, 2025. And Steve Balmer went on there with Ramona Shelburn and refuted Pablo Tories reporting by lying through his FN teeth. Up front, I want to say one thing very clearly, we the Clippers have abided by the salary cap, circumvention rules, because that's the right thing to do. And we have done that. I happen for what it's worth to think it's a very important rule in terms of promoting competitiveness and equal playing field across the league. But whether I agree with it or not, it's the rule. And we've absolutely abided by that. So how do you define that rule against salary cap circumvention?

7:11Well, there's obviously writing in the league rule book on this, but I can make it really simple. We cannot pay a player anything beyond what's in his standard player contract. And we cannot cause anybody else to pay the player what's beyond their standard contract. And that would include, for example, sponsors and doors, that is for voting. We can't do that. And we didn't certainly in this instance. I mean, we can have sponsors. The players can do endorsement contracts. We can do sponsorship deals with the same companies that they do endorsement contracts. We cannot have any involvement in their negotiation with their, the companies who sponsor them. We didn't in this case and we never have. Man, that's crazy. We did it, huh?

8:11That's crazy. It's, I, we could do a whole psychoanalyst study of how people can just lie like that blatantly. People do it all the time. But to hear it is so jarring. And there are many times, and even sports when we've heard, I did not cheat. I did not do this. I did not do that. Well, it turns out you did. And I always think it looks so much worse when you circle back and find out like, hey, we can play a clip of you blatantly lying. And then be justified in it. Yeah. Like, you don't, you don't think that's going to come down the pipe at some point? Well, there's different kinds of lying too, right? Right. There's like omitting. Well, there's the omitting. There's, how about the lying out of fear that you're going to get in trouble or upset somebody that happens kind of emotionally in a moment? And I'm not excusing that, but it's, it's a little more biologically understandable. Reactive.

9:11Yes. Yeah. And then there's the omitting of like, you know, I'm not going to share that because it's probably, you probably just not good. And then there's calling up Ramona Shelbert and saying, can we sit down for 15 minutes? So I can lie to you. So I can just lie through my F and teeth to you. Like, and can I use you as a relationship? And then you establish, so that's kind of like transactional journalism relationship. But like, just to call somebody up and say, would you give me a chance? You don't want to remind me of, remember when Alex Rodriguez stormed into WFAN to sit down with Mike Frey? And then he sat down with Mike Frey and then he sat down with Mike Frey and then he sat down with Mike Frey and then he sat down with Mike Frey and then he sat down with Mike Frey and then he sat down with Mike Frey after taking a big L in a courtroom in New York. And like, I think if I remember correctly, like, he bailed and they found a way to like not actually deal with the charges at hand. And he immediately marched over to WFAN and took over the radio show and lied for 10 to 15 minutes in Francesa. So let him go because you know, it's good guest. It's good.

10:13Yeah. Lies are not sometimes it's just entertainment and you got to decipher what it is. But that's the line of entertainment and journalism that you know, you ever been sitting there interviewing somebody and what 17 years doing TV sports? Some like 14. 14. Yeah. Ever had somebody just sitting there completely lying to you and you knew it? Yeah. Yeah. But I'm like, what are their names and what are they? I always say the book or the podcast after I'm officially out of this career will be enlightening. But I think it's just like you understand. I think it's the levels of line like you're saying, right? It's like, what's the intention behind it? Like if you're calling me up in this case to do a story and I want a platform so I can lie, that's so next level than like, like you said. And this moment I'm kind of back into a corner. I don't know what to do. It could affect. There could be a domino effect. I'm just going to lie. Like it's just bizarre. But yeah, yeah, there's times you're like, that is not true.

11:13Yeah. Yeah. You know, and it's just to me, it's just an understanding. I'm very someone that like, oh, stores that away in the back of my mind. So like now anything you tell me moving forward, I'm just going to be like, yeah, no. That makes that makes all the sense in the world. I'm glad the Clippers got absolutely torched as they should. Yeah, as they should. And you know what? The rest of the league is actually glad too. Like I was reading something where I think it was on a defector where they have reached out to a bunch of executives on other teams. And they the overwhelming sense was relief from the other teams like, okay, good. Thank you. Because Adam Silver didn't go soft. And now the rest of the league knows that it is a real, a real deal situation. That's important because if you start letting a little bit get away, like them get away with a little bit. Yeah. Everyone else going to be like, well, they pulled it off. We got to figure out a way to pull it off. Caitlin Sharky's nickname is, you know, Shark, because that's easy. But Lawrence Leonard. No, Lawrence. I think it was Lawrence. I think it was Lawrence. Pretty sure. Pretty sure it was Lawrence.

12:16Calls you the butcher because that was, that was your name and what high school hoops or colleges. No, no, college hoops younger. Like it started like middle school hoops. Middle school and then it went into high school because I just had five fouls and I was going to use them. Yeah. So intentionally or were you just going to go out there just like hurting people. But I was a foot taller than everybody else on the court. I mean, I was 5, 10 in second grade. So I was the kid in the class photo. That was like standing in the back. You know, I coach at the time. Coach back. He was like, hey, butcher. Chill out on the fouls. But at 5, 10, if you're a foot taller than everybody else, it's sometimes is probably on them. They would jump in to you. Behind the amount of the behind the back calls that I would get. I'm like, it's all ball. Like what am I supposed to do? Not block the shot. They're 5, 1. Yeah. There's like the principle of verticality. Oh, I hate it. If you're just standing there with your arms up, that shouldn't be a foul on you. And I'm like, at that time in youth sports, they don't teach the 5, 10 girls how to ball handle.

13:19So all I have to do is get the rebounds and foul. So don't, you know, don't knock me for doing my responsibility. I bet they were bad free throw shooters too, right? Right. Right. Playing a little hack a shack out there. Send them free throw line. Just two shots. I'm taking you out. I'm taking you out. Yeah. I'm sorry. You're guessing that that a middle school team, a middle school girls team has struggled from the free throw line. Freshman year. Yeah. It was just the pressure that you were assuming. I'm a bad free throw shooter too. So just just wondering. Yeah. Wait, you said second grade though. Middle school, second grade. I mean, well, second grade is when my height happens. Okay. Okay. So I'm just saying I was a little bit ahead of the curb. So I feel like I was an easy target for referees in middle school and high school. Yeah. Because they're like, well, look at her. She's right. But then we got to like junior year. And I was no longer the tallest one. And then I then my basketball career ended. I'm like, wait, I didn't pick up those those power skills, power forward skills.

14:19And now I'm not the center. So I'm just going to, I'm going to interview the athletes from here on out. Alex, you're deceptively tall. Like sometimes I don't realize how tall you are. And Tani's also tall. But I don't know. Like I've a long time relationship with Tani. Like when I was hanging out with you two in Vegas, I was like, who the hell are these giants? And why am I so short? 20 hours. Seriously. It's a keem and Ralph Samson right there. I just felt bad because you guys all met my brother Gabe. Yes. Who did play football. Yeah. Yeah. Do you want to do one level? And if you want to picture Alex's brother, the description that Tani has of Gabe. It's if you were playing like a, you know, an EA sports game and Alex here was your creative player. Now his brother Gabe, who played football, picture that creative player Alex and you take all the sliders and you put them up to 99. That's, that's his brother Gabe. So a little bigger, you know, I don't know about the awareness, you know, or the intelligence, but the intangibles way lower, way lower.

15:21Oh no. The physical skills and all that. Yeah. The sliders are a little higher. And your dad made the same adorable joke to both me and Tani. Didn't he? Like, sorry, I got to, sorry, I got to put up with this guy. Oh yeah, it was elite dadding. Yeah. He does that to everybody. And Dave Quinn with Gabe too. Alex Coaches, same joke. Yeah. He shows some love to your son. We're not putting up with him. We actually enjoy him. We actually like him here. Thanks for saying that you're Mr. Cool. Your check is outside. Parents are harsh critics. Parents are harsh critics. My mom is my biggest fan of my harshest critic. Oh really? Oh yeah. She watched. Oh, she watches everything. She's probably watching right now a live stream of this. Wow. Really? I'm just going to be like, this is unique because she never sees me in this kind of atmosphere. But texture says speaks. Your co-host is offering really good insight. I've never heard her on the station before. That's Caitlin Sharkey from WGN television. This texture says to me, stop your hating BS. Steve Balmer is worth $145 billion. He doesn't give an F about anything or anybody.

16:22That ain't bleep to Balmer. Okay. That's fine. Yeah. I love the radio feedback. Yeah, yeah. The instantly. No, look, it's good. I just pretend no one's watching. You don't get any feedback. Zero feedback. Unless you really bomb. Whenever we can cater for the billionaires, we got to do it on these airways. It's our public service. It really is. It really is. It really is. We got to stand up and make sure the billionaires get the respect that they deserve. You've Kevin Warren, his tax breaks. Come on. Shovels in the ground by the end of 2020. Aquar. Seven. George McCasky too. 28 maybe. I don't know. Speaks and Kaelin Sharky on the Speegle and Home Show on the score. Set up this next guest for us. Tees it. Kaelin Jorun. Jorun Paris coming up. She's a singer. She's a sports anchor reporter extraordinaire at a competing station. But that's what, you know, that's what we do around here in Chicago sports. We're all friends. Women unite us. It's good stuff. So looking forward to talking to Jorun Paris who covers all Chicago sports. And also has a beautiful voice.

17:22That's a tease for all you listeners after stay tuned. The score is celebrating the start of football season with Miller, like and circus sports on Thursday. The day starts at 10 a.m. with Rahimi and Grody. Live from Cody's public house and Lakeview until 2 p.m. And from 2 to 6, it's the Speegle and Home Show. Live from Timothy O'Toole's in St.R.ville. Two live broadcasts. Kicking off the start of football season on Chicago's sports radio. 103 the score. Brought to you by Circus Sports. Spending the way it should be with no bet fees. And Miller, like the official beer of the Chicago Bears.