Creating the Ultimate NBA Broadcast Team

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Go all in for your team this summer with Ferrero Enter for the chance to win a range of prizes just by purchasing your favorite treats like Kinder Bueno with an irresistible chocolate wafer and creamy hazelnut filling, or Kibbler Chips deluxe cookies with indulgent and rich chocolatey chunks, or Ferrera Rochet squares, with crunchy hazelnuts and milk chocolate wrapped in iconic gold Go all in. By any two for rarero brands and you could win one million dollars. Official rules apply. Learn more at go all inandwin. comot We are back for real ones The moment everyone's been waiting for the real oness press box crossover. that we seem to do every year. I got Joel Anderson. I got Brian Curtis. We are here to give Our first ever power rankings of NBA Studio showhs. I'm very excited. And we have another segment that we're going to do at the end where we create our own studio show I got the best in the business, the Avengers of Ah media journalism and media criticism How you guys doing I mean, I'm you know, I don't normally get to get on Netflix, man. This is a big deal for me, you know, I'm gonna tell my mom my mom may engage in some of this content because, you know, she's got that Netflix subscription. So I'm just honored that you would have us on A We usually prefer the dream team to the Avengers just FYI. We're good with. Okay.. Okay. Sveners is more my generation. That is that's twenty twenty four. You guys are ninety two. I forgot. I apologize. We are. All right, let's get right into it, man Let's talk about let's talk about NBC. first as our first studio segment show in our power ranking Let's start with the studio show. All right. We got Maria Taylor, they have combined her with with Carllo Anthony Vince Carter and Tracy McGradyy. What have let's start with Joe. What have been your thoughts on that pairing and Give me a little your power rankings and how you feel about them in the best out of ten So it's interesting because those three players you mentioned are probably if I'd If there was some sort of ranking of like the coolest players of like the Ats or whatever They would probably be it You know, like Vince Carter who, you know Champ Try Mmigrator whos, I mean, the only guy I've ever seen throw the ball off the backboard dunk it in a regulation NBA game And Carmelo could just get buckets, but I just I feel like they're still figuring it out. likeike and what I think I do Is I want to listen more to Vince's and Tracy's podcast Sometimes I listen, I see clips of it and I'm like They still like for being cousins or whatever, it just hasn't translated yet and I don't quite know what that is. And like Carmello is always just very chill in a way that I'm just like he doesn't project a lot. So it so there's not a lot of enthusiasm. It's just like they always got to be like You guys are awake You know, you guys what Are you guys excited about this at all or what? Maria is a pro. likeike I mean, and she's been doing this forever, but of the I mean, I don't see think are we doing? We're not ranking them yet, are we Not yet, not yet N yet. Okay It seems like you're giving it away, but not quite yet. N yeah, okay, yeah. Well, I mean, but I feel like it has It has a ways to go. I don't think it's bad. I think the idea of pairing Vince and Tracy cousins who have already a rapport with each other is a solid one U I guess I'm just really interested to see like what happens with Carmelo Be even on his own podcast, again, clips, I'm just like He seems like a fun person to hang out with, but not necessarily somebody I got to listen to talk on TV. Is that fair, Brian? I think it is. That show kind of reminds me of that Nets team that got KG and Paul Pierce and all those veterans and just like I'm going to roll it out and see what happens. Yeah. what if we got the two thousand eight Celtics but like as they're old like Exactly. Yeah. And you know, studio shows are kind of like basketball teams where you need people that play different roles and we got Three scores And I guess four if you count Maria Taylor. Weve got three scores on this show and I'm just kind of like These are all kind of the same person You know, where where's where's the guy who's playing a different role who played a different role in the NBA could bring that to TV and I mean, first of all, I listed them game four. They were at halftime. they were on the court, game for the Western confference F finals And I couldn't hear them. like they're on the court talking. they're all talking very, very softly. The audio wasn't great. And Joel hit on a great point, which is that we've now hit in twenty twenty six, which is like, What if these guys are better on their own podcasts than they are on the network Studio show And what is their podcast getting out of this that NBC isn't getting out of And that totally feels like what's happening on NBC right now. They're just not They've got interesting people. It's an interesting idea But they're just not maxing it out Well, I think the interesting point that you just that Joe put out in Brian, you kind of put the exclamation point on is I mean, they're really just as it's it's it's crazy to see a former player actually act like themselves as during their playing days when they're behind a mic, right? whereere they have to get theirs. And I feel like when we talk about Carmello He is a guy that you have to build a world around that I like his podcast so much, right? Yeah because it's notcess it's Carmelo's world is that he is controlling as opposed to him wanting to fit into a system, which is a bit poetic considering his basketball career in the backstretch of his basketball career, right? And you whenever I see them even in game four. I there was also I believe it was game five as well when they had a segment on the court with Chet Honggren and they were All of the guys were trying to get their points across over each other or trying to make themselves seem like what they think and former NBA player is supposed to be on a show like this when honestly It's not rocket science. All you really have to do It' just be one of the guys. You just want to you just got to be somebody that people want to hang out with. and I feel like this group doesn't really hang out with each other and it shows because they're always just trying to like get talk over each other and try to figure each other out and then try to outwit each other, but they're not they're talking they wind up talking at each other as opposed to talking to each other, Joe Yes. Yeah, I get I think the to your point, I think it's a great idea. They're just like, Ohh, they're homies. like, you know, these their cousins, They're very similar. I bet they like great conversations off air. So I get that they're like, well, maybe we can have their personal chemistry and it will translate on TV and it just hasn't happened. And to your point about Carmelo U it Carmelo throws a fantastic party. I bet you can like even on his podcast, like he can get Merow on there to talk about Dces. I hain't heard Merow talk about Desces anywhere else, right? He can get people to come on there and they're excited to meet him on a show where he's like got to do more than just like show up and be cool. I feel like that's kind of where the problem is right now. One thing I heard in talking to somebody from NBC before the season started is when they were thinking about what are we going to do on our studio show Mhm They thought about it like this. They said, okay, we don't want a Stehven A character on our pre game show creating an international incident with somebody in the NBA So let's not do that We also don't want a Sam Sirania type character who is making the show about something Yanis might or might not do in a month. rather than the game that's going to start in twenty minutes So let's not do that. Now we can all three agree those are both good things not to do, but the problem is what are you going to do What is this show about? What do you remember? And when I watch that show a lot of the times, it's all like, he talks and he talks and she talks and here we go. And at the end of it, I'm like, I don't remember anything you just said The best moment I feel like from them wasn't even them talking. It was, I believe it was in Portland few weeks a few months ago when they were just all shooting around. I don't know who guys saw this segment, but Ama Fid was basically just took a handheld mic and just interviewed them as they shot around. And I think that was like that that was I was riveting, like just to be able to see somebody do that both from F Reid's standpoint where he's actually because that's really hard to do to actually make television while you are in a non controlled setting. and he was able to do that. But I think if I'm going if I have a critique or a note it's Did himm doing that Get them playing or, you know, or back get them actually get them active and you know, you see that on the NFL a lot where there's a lot of um you know, Richard Sherman's going up against Randy Moss in a studio and like how do you actually, you know, get off of a break when you're trying to when you're a wide outer versus a quarnerback? I would like to see more of that. I think that can unlock something because you know, they definitely in their individual capacities have an aura like, oh, man, I want to be around R McGrady. I want to be around and you see that But I think that they the producers can kind of bring that out more and maybe just like maybe that's more enct stuff. We'll see. Okay Let's talk about go ahead. Oh, no, I just want to said the thing that I think about the show and you will be able to appreciate this loogan is a guy that actually goes to games the idea it seems like What if we had post game handshake. where the guys are covering their mouths and we made that a studio show. Like this feels like that It's just like, oh, man, I to I w to w Bron and Dwayne Way to sayand each other. And it's just like Yeah maybe they would sh all that on air and And it just That's the other thing that frustrated me. There was a one part where where and this is this goes into the argument of like players thinking that they can do our jobs And there was a McGrady clip when he was talking about Jalen Brown a couple of weeks ago where he was like, I talked to Jalen Brown and it was a whole lot of nothing being said, right? Where he's like, I talk to him and he's my friend and I don't want to step on his toes, but I want to say something and you want to been like a very awkward stale segment, right? And if you're going to be that like if you want to be the guy that is like I'm friends like the Duayne Wade for instance, like, hey, man, I know this guy. theseese are on my pals. This is what they have to say. You got to fully do it. You got to you got to actually sell it And I don't think that this show knows what it wants to be yet. And they got a long ways to go. Marie is great. and the reason why I think Oh That's why I think it's not Maria's fault is because we've seen Maria and other in other situations where she's thrived because of the people around her, right? I think in the WNBA version of UB NBC's coverage of the W. She's great with Su Burg I also think she's great on NFL, but it seems like those guys are the NFL The NFL co stars are more engaged with what she's doing, right? These guys are a little bit. Yeahah, man, I'm cool. I got my cartiers on. I'm just too Yeah wheree like the NFL guys are like, I have spent this whole week studying this match up and all the ramifications around it and I'm going to give you my one hundred and ten percent. And I think that's also the difference between football and basketball players, right? But Let's get to Let's get to the play byy play. What do you guys what do guys think about the play byy play? The conference finals team was Mike Terico, Reggie Miller, Jamal Crawford U, Zura Stevenson and Ashley How did what did you guys think of of that team so far throughout the conference finals? Jamal Crawford's funny because he was six man in the NBA for so much of his career and he still feels like a six man on that broadcast. He's like, I'm going to get two shots up and they're going to be really good. And then I'm not going to shoot for twenty minutes, you know. Be Reie, you know, Reggie's a volume shooter. And by the way, Mike Tarico's a volume shooter too. Yeah they talk about. That having said that though, I think that team's been really good. You know, T Rico' just like And again, we have not heard him do NBA in a really long time A lot of people don't remember it at all because he was it was back at ESPN when he was doing it. But like if I think of announcers now who felt like they were touched by the hand of God Maning they have the great voice and the ability to just go at any time. It's Torico and Joe Buck for me. So to hear Torico doing play by play during the Western conference finals It's been awesome I think I think that I think that whole crew has been great. I want to stay on Torico real quick, Brian. because I was reading your great piece on Turico. Mike Torico has a note for that. And you basically start with his preparation and your lead. You're pretty good writer, Brian. I've stolen. Thank you. But than you. She's very very good. One of the things the anecdotes, you start with an opening anecdote about a play in which he has to find a player that that wasn't on his sheet, I believe and he has to like in real time, talk about the game, get his iPad, get a note from his iPad, look at the iPad and figure out the name And I'm over here like watching this and I'm like, o, I don't even see him break a sweat throughout the whole time. His preparation is something that really takes him over the top. And you see it right now because Mike Breen was talking, I read a GQ article that Howard Motherfucking Beck wrote way back when he had a Q and A with with with Mike Breen. and One of the things that they were talking about was just how hard it is to talk during blowouts or talk during dead time. And Mike Torico has had a couple of times where it was dead moments. and instead of just having a dead air, he's actually giving you He's giving you anecdotes. He's giving you I think it was during the challenge during the Minnesota Timberwolf San Antonio Spurs series where there was a challenge on Wimby or a challenge to see whether it was an upgraded for a flagrant foul or his elbow on Nz Reed. and you Terico is setting the scene. He's telling you, o, this might not be good for the sppurs And he's giving you a play by play of what's supposed to happen next And there's not a lot of guys that can do that First of all for one sport, but he could do it for like three or four or five different sports. And I'm saying all this to just say I'm really glad to have him back, Joe Yeah, no. I mean, Mike is a pro man. and you know, without How do I say? he has to be as good. as he is to have made it back and to be in this position. L he has to be as excellent as he is. to be in that role right now. And yeah, so when you listen to him, it's just very seamless. I'm like, you kind of forget, Oh, Mike hasn't been calling basketball in a long time. I haven't heard Mikeketball in a while. And he just goes in. it's like, o, you would think that he'd been following the NBA and doing this for the last decade or so, right I'm one of those people and I know that this is going to make me and you know one of Brian and I's mutual friends hit us up about this I don't mind Rie Milly I like don't I don't get why everybody hates Reie Miller so much. I really don't. Why is that Why is that Briant? Why is that Briant? Why do you think people hate Reie Mill U I mean, I think first of all, half the people in my timeline who hate him are Nick fans And reallyad last year when he was announcing important nick games, you know, they were like, this is justes. This is unbelievable. Oh, by the way, Mike Breen is doing play by play. That's all cool. But Reggie doing it that's an enemy of the st. We can't possibly. It was like it was like Warrior fans whenever Mark Jackson would call the wararriors game. I lived that life. Y. That's right. That's right. That's right. I mean Reggie's not cuddly, right? I don't think Reggie goes out to be loveved He doesn't want that. But even then like I don't even think that he's like trying to be offensive. if anything what I feel from Reggie Miller that I, you know, that Maybe people don't think this is cool anymore, but he has like enthusiasm, like real enthusiasm for the game and what is going on in front of him. and it conveys to me. So I will look up You know, sometometimes if I'm just got the TV on in the background and I'm doing something and I hear Reie Miller say something I' like, what You know, I'm looking around to see what's going on. and I appreciate that about because it could be real easy to just get bored by the NBA andight to feel like I've seen it all. I've done it all. And he still manages to make it feel like an event. So I appreciate that about Reggie Meller a lot. Speaking of like making an event, what I do love about this team this will go back to presentation, but to game presentation, which is the next one. I love the fact that NBC is doing two sideline reporters for the conference finals. You got Zura Stevenson and you got Ashley Sham Madi who have been great. But I think that's a great wrinkle that NBC specifically is doing where you have silent reporters in two different locker rooms, which is the best because you juxtapose that when you have one for a big a big time match upp The silent reporter gets a little stretched too thin. When you have somebody embedded with both teams, I think that's great. And those two have done a great job as well. And I think that that's a wrinkle that NBC has brought back. and that we were really missing because all the networks used to do that I don't know where we stopp for basketball. I'm really mad that we stopp now that I see it again. The idea of having two is great, but I want Brian to answer the question. Do you think they've been great Brian? the sideline reporter because Brian is the sideline report reporter expert here. So Well mean after after game one with Wimby, I was just like, you, we can't we had to ask Wimby better questions than this. likeike we just seen one of the crazy fair you know, game ones of the Western Cerence finals ever. But that's a whole thing. I will just say one thing before we wrap up NBC I think that whole broadcast we talk about the game presentation They've got a great sense of humor, a sly sense of humor that reminds me of old school NBA on NBC of Narv of Bob Costas. Like they had that thing. remember Luke Cornett was getting blessed by the nuns before the game the other night And they show that and then he gets a donunk like Luke Cornet's one dunk and they go back to the nuns again and they're just all sing stoically in the crowd of the Frostbank center And again, it's funny, but you don't linger on it. you don't hit people over the head with a mallet. You just kind of do it and then you move on. I love that It's it's a sensibility And it's fun. It makes it makes the game fun That one Brian and also like when Wimby is talking to Mitch Johnson and you and then they immmediately cut to Greg Popoviticz and Tim Duncinan, likeike, that's television I feel like we got away from tellelling a story. basketballs they're telling a story and that's NBC's backag. All right, tell us let's give our let's give our power rankings for the studio Let's give our Joel, what's your studio show power ranking for NBC Best out of tent, what would you say Wow Best out of ten Mh. Man, Okaykay. Studio show, I was save Four and a half That's pretty nice. Brian, Oh, that's nice. Okay. I think it's nice. Brian What's It's kind of what a generic it's kind of generic, you know, studio show product to me. So yeah, I was gonna go four or five Yeah. I think we can. I mean, what would bad be then? Like can can we can we actually No, I said it's good baseball Bad would be if Jason Garrett were on it. J I'm give it I' see you, Brian. I'm gonna give it a four It's giving college television show. That's what it's. Wow. So I'm gonna give it a four out of ten. What about what about play by play? I think I'll start on play by play. I'm going give it I'll give it a nine out of ten, which is pretty good. think I think they've been great join What do you think Jo? Yeah, I was going to say eight and a half, nine. I mean, because I didn't even get a chance to bring up Jamal I like Jamal Crawford again, legendarily cool player I want to every time he says something, I kind of I find myself I want to hear what Jim Mal Crawford has to say. about basketball. Like he's just that kind of a person. And so like I feel like and when when they get more time and more reps with each other, I think they're going to be like it'll probably be nine and a half to ten next year if once they get more reps I'll do a nine too just because I think Terico probably has levels to go to that we don't even anticipate now. And then a little bit of the I give it a nine just because I don't think you need three people to call a basketball game and I'll always think that I'll die on that hill, but let's go enjoy it. Game presentation, I got to give it a nine and a half out of ten. I think that they present the game really well from the we didn't even get to the nostalgia aspect of it where it's like actually Bob, can you just do Bob Cosays can you just do this every week? I mean, you're New York C you just can you just do this? orr I just love that the way the enthusiasm that NBC has brought to the NBA and I can't wait to see. I think they're going for the finals. I think they want the finals in the next CV deal and they're going to try to They're going to try to this is their audition for that So we'll see what happens. But Brian, what is your game presentation, Square? I feel there's been a few technical snfs, so we can't go quite, you know, nine out of ten, ten out of ten, but I'll give an eight for the storytelling, for just the sensibility they bring to the broadcast Yeah, storytelling, a lot of fun. I'm going to go Yeah, I guess nine, you know, I think it's it's really, really high. I look forward to, you know, when youre when when you're, you know, looking for the game on TV or YouTube TV and I'm like, oh, it's not on YouTube TV. it's on something else. and normally that's annoying oratever sometimes or you got to change the I chang channel, whatever. But with this I don't mind it. Like I'm like, okay, I'm glad it's on NBC. and it like it's not even that much a piece of nostalgia. likeike it doesn't feel that much like it was when I was a teenager. But even still, it's great. I didn't realize how much I missed NBC being involved in the NBA Let's talk about a condition many people haven't heard of And it turns out, it's more common than you'd think Pyrony's disease, or PD for short PD can happen when scar tissue builds up under the skin of the penis. This can cause a curve or a bump during an erection and for some men, lead to pain during intimacy and may impact mental health It may also lead to anger and frustration deression, lower self esteem. and even withdraw from sexual activity and physical intimacy Because of this, some men could feel embarrassed or reluctant to talk about PD The actual cause of PD isn't always known In some cases, it may be linked to a minor injury or repeated injuries during sex or other physical activity The good news is PD is treatable If you notice a curve with a bump trusted urology specialists can help diagnose it walk you through your options, including non surgical treatment To learn more about Pironi's disease, visit talkaboutpD. com U Let's go to Amazon No The studio show, Taylor Roes, Blake Griffin, Darkk Nvinsky, Adonas Hous, get a little Steve Nash in there, you can get some John Wallen there, but those are pretty much the people that are doing it. What have you guys thought of the Amazon Studio show Dirk has been the interesting discovery for me U as a Dallas Fort Worth guy. I was looking forward to him being on there just because, you know, Mavericks fan saw his Persality Go through this interesting transformation. You know, it was always very, very laid back sometimes too laid back for sports writers. Never forget that he won an NBA title. He beat LeBron in the finals and then he came back looking incredibly chunky the next year like he'd just been like, all right, time to eat all the benagerries I want to eat. I mean that's derk to me. Ran, Are you doing okay? Are you trigguered right now Exra bs and demons with that About Dirt coming back with love handles. Yeah, you arere you okay? You have No I mean, look right now. Theverick the Mavericks winning one time was like that was it. I was all good. I expected At that point. But you know, to me, it's his sensibility infuses that show. It's very laid back But it's laid back in a way that works a little bit better than the NBC show You know, like somehow I think they've caught a little bit of some. It's a little bit like they their NFL Thursday night show in that way. I think too. But what's a bit of a speak easy vibe, right? Like Yeah you're kind of going into a bar to go watch the game, but it's not quite like a sports bar necessarily. It's like a It's like a cigar bar. you know, I'm going tap into cigar bars Its like some OG, you know, type of vibe. It seems like a place that Joel would would go to, right? Yeah. I mean, yeah, absolutely. you know, I don't think I'm cool enough for them because I mean, one thing about And I'd forgotten You know, there was a moment like Blake Griffin was like doing comedy sets around LA and he was stillort going to be the next guy. And I still I think he's been really, really good this year, but also I'm like, man, just imagine him next year of the year I feel like Blake Ron could be really, really good What do y so to acknowledge that there is a conflict here. I share an agent with Hdonas Haslam, okay, which is a weird thing to think about. Which yeah? Well. When you work at ESPN I got an agent.. When you work at I want to let people know the conflict and also I used to work at ESPN and you got to have agent there because otherwise you don't know what the hell is going on. What do y'all think of Youdonis? Beuse I'm get what they want him to be Um I just I don't know Wait, you confess the potential conflict of interest, but then you're not Please. Venue dis Haslum's performance. Was that a dis ake kind of just. it wasn't, but you kind of like set us up to dis him as what say we were happed. You don't like, dont please don't I was not trying to offend you, okay? justust so you know, so we were to see each other publicly. It was. I'm gonna be honest with man I like Eonas on the broadcast. I actually do like him. I know you're trying to set us up to be like, Hey, Eudonas is a trash, but like, no, I like I likeonas. I think he's been great. Like, you know, it it's we were just talking about in the last segment of like Fer players on TV really give you an insight to what they were in locker rooms and I see why Eugonas was so respected in a locker room. He's a respected voice on that panel. I think that like sometimes when I see him talking like really, really fast, there's just the note like, yo, your Eugonas has them. We already respect you. okay? It's all good. You could just get your lay your point out. But I think that that just comes out with reps It's also post career, he was more podcasting, right? where you have chances to get your thoughts out and wax poetic like we're doing right here. But when you go on TV, we've all done TV before. you got to get in and out of your point. I think you's suggesting to that. But in terms of like charisma, Brian, I think that I think Edonis is really good. I do like This is the one thing Joel and I have a concept on the press box called secular grace where we give secular grace to people. and almost everybody we're talking about here, this is our first year on television.. Yeah, like they have podcast reps maybe in a way that they wouldn't have had ten, twenty years ago an ex player They're still figuring it out. So there's a really, you know, we saw this happen when Tom Brady in football. like your're two Tom Brady way better than your one Tom Brady. So let's maybe cut Edonis and you know, Mello and everybody else a little bit of slack. Yeah you know, I think who's helping out the the, um The transition for all these guys in television. Taylor Roks, I think she's been great. I think she has been amazing. Jo I don't know what you're going do if you're going Joel No, no, no' to say just let me just let me I'm gonnacare. You everybody, I mean, look, man, everybody can look at Taylor Roks and understand that she's a beautiful woman or whver. But the funny thing about it is that people say There's this joke on the internet about how Taylor Rooks can get guys to do anything. Remember when she got Jen Brown to be like, yeah, we're gonna win like five championships and Jama Rant. We f in the West. You know, she can always get guys do so. And I feelelt like she has a knack and it's charisma. It's the whole package of Taylor Rooks that can make them sometimes get outside of themselves and be silly in a way that maybe they never got a chance to be because right these are all st like with the exception of Dons These guys were stars and they really I just want to say quick note, quuick note, quick note. you got your black woman mixed up Joe. That was Malika Andrews who said who got the from John that we' good in the That was John. Oh man. Oh wait. Oh. Okay, you know what Taylor did? Who was it? Oh man, who's man. this is this is going to be an embarrassing way to say Who's the white guy to plays for the heat? What's that guys man? You know I'm talking about Tyler Hero, Tyler Her Tyler Hw. Man Tylor Roks had Tyler Hero wrapped around her He was just like cool. It felt like he was like trying to take her out on a boat vacation or something. And anyway, Taylor Roks has an ability to get guys to step outside of themselves. And I think that's great. Like I'm just like put her in there and make guys do stuff around her. please. I think she's going ultimately, I think she's going to make Amazon this Amazon NBA show, the best one on television. I truly believe that. I think the only thing that I would I'm curious to see is The fact that like Amazon is just still an app, right? Wh it's not like something and I don't know how big you can get in the streaming area when you're just an app. So I'm curious to see just how Big this Amazon show gets with the constraints of that. But I think like allld is considered, this has the potential to be. and we'll get to the get to this to the end the best NBA show that we have When they have the Western Conerence finals next year if I'm not mistaken. so you know, that will be the spotlight you're talking about where it's like you'd be watching them, you know, even if even if it's an app Are we at the point? A you are you guys have you guys gotten over the fact that like when you come home, you don't know where the game is and it's on I still have a problem it's It's pretty frustrating to me. I'm like, fuck. I mean it's not really that complicated, but it's still just like an extra stoke. S sometimes I don't want to have I off scro. Yeah It's like if I'm watching like, Second from watching NFL Sunday ticket during the playoffs, right? Like I want to I want all the attention that I have on one particular game. But like if you're watching NBA or I will say NBA League pass, but I think NFL is a better example where you're just like, okay, they're on a studio show now or are they doing a halfftime? where they're doing a halftime for this one? But like, no, it's the playoffs. This is supposed to be one continued thing. We'll stay up for you. You don't have to like you don't have to put stack these games this way. So that's frustrating. Okay, let's let's let's move on to the game presentation. What do I like it. I like the mismatch icon. Its just like it's like some video game shit where it's like it's also kind of fun and disrespectful What have we thought about the game presentation of Amazon Well, the big asterisk is getting the sound r You know, And I remember when Amazon started with the NFL a couple of years ago, somebody over there was like It has to work thing is it just has to work And you know, it sounds like really simple and really stupid. And you're like, well, that's not much of a point. Well, it turned out to be a point. It turned out to be at the wrong time. Yes, that pissed everybody off Um, The actual game I think when it I think it's been very good. And I think it's been very good, you know, largely because Ian Eagles driving the train. likeike that's, you know, you know, he's it's Ian's first ever Number one job in the NBA You know, Turner when they were looking for a number one guy they picked Kevin Haran over him. And so here's Ian. He gets it's a new, it's a new partner He gets to be the number one guy. He's doing it with Stan Van. I've got plenty to say about if you want to hear that But like to me That's when you get and, you not only get a great play by play guy, but you also get a sensibility to use that word You know it's going to be fun. You know, he's going to be on it. You know, there's going to your broadcast is just going to have this looseness to it which I really really love I love the season part of it. Go ahead, Joe. No,kay, can you just say you Stan Van Gundy because I'm I'm, you know, on the edge of my seat waiting to hear what you have to say about Stan Van, who I'm a big fan of. The Nerd boys, and I mean no disrespect love Stan Van because he's teaching. He's always teaching basketball. The television boys, if I may include myself in that small category because there's like five people that actually care about sports television as a thing by itself Go like this. He never stops teaching It's like, hey, can you have just a sense of the medium once in a while where you're like, that was awesome? The N? Okay, we're playing to break. No you have the we're doing and the pick is here and the pick is here and you're just like, dude, you just wait but you have the same critique for Hubie Brown, No. Did you have the same critique for Hubbie Brown? Because Hubb Brown would do the same thing. and he would like whenever there's a whenever there's an exciting play, he would just go, there you go. There you go Oh crazy. That's a crazy dog. It was more like, oh, that's the right way to do it was grandfathered in and I use that word grandfathedly I just feel with Stan Van, there's just like he just doesn't have a sense of the medium. You know, like he's interesting and it's better with him just being with Iyan and not having Reggie in there because man, then they would just talk all the time Yeah But I feel like he's a really interesting announcer who has this flaw about him which is that he which makes him kind of great whichich fllws him He's interesting in old school way. Yeah, and Hubie is probably a good com I want to talk I want to talk about Noa Iga real quick. I know he's on peacock, but I'm really, really impressed with him. I cannot wait to see how he is ten years from now Because in this point when And I you know, being young in this business, you kind when and I remember doing this early on real ones where like you just defer a lot to the older guys and kind of get their opinion on it U And he's doing that right now. But there's this Chris Rock interview where he talks about comedy and you don't really become a comedian until like your late thirties, forties, right? Because you have kids and life experience And I feel like Noah with life experience and maybe some kids is going to be like he's like ninety five overall now, but I feel like he's going to be like ninety nine at some point I really, I just really impressed by him. I didn't want to go by go up the show without like shouting him out. I think he's been amazing. I think he's like a young Bob Costas It's funny, I almost think you know this is a controversial opinion, but I think football might turn out to be as his best sport Joe I could see thisball guy and I could see that out to be Joe's I like I think if I had a weird prediction I would say like football turns out to be Eles best Okay, what attributes would show you that that football would be is better the better sport. Well, we just we've had side by sides now, right? with him doing the NBA and him doing the big big ten game of the week for NBC on Saturday nights and And I'm watching it's just like, I don't know, something about Football's a little more relaxed at times. There's a little bit, you know, like time between plays. and I don't know what it is about his I wouldn't, you know, his dad is good at both, but I would say baskball Definitely his dad's go to mode. But with Noah, I could see football being Somet something about the match between the voice and the and the sport Iieo always head trophies in my house because he was the voice of u NBA I think it was Voice of NBA liive or NBA no NBA shootout two thousand It was a voice of NBA shoot NBA shootout in two thousand. Yeah. Is that on my playlayStation? Basketball video game. was on PlayStation. That was my first ever NBA game.. Your first game was PlayStation hu? Young. Yeah, I right. Anyway Let's let's let's quickly do power rankings. Studio She for Amazon I'll go seven and a half a room to grow. Man, would you I think it's a good seven and a half too. It's a good seven and a half p etcer M Yeah, you took my score, Brian because I was going to go seven and a half. eight felt I mean, I feel like in three years they could be nine You know? Yeah. But yeah, seven and a half for now. I think'm go I think I'm gonna to go seven. but it's a good seven. It's like I'm really excited to see what they do. I'm excited to see how they grow. Okay Let's get Somehere out there is a Chevy truck And the person who drives it, well That's a Chevy person Probably no one Your buddy, your sister, ones who always show up, do the first to rise, the last to leave They always have that little extra something, and maybe you've got it too Cherolet, togetherether let's drive. Visit Chevy dot com slash trucks to explore the lineup This episode is brought to you by Duluth Trading Company. Whether it's the nineteenth inning, the twelfth quarter, or the fifth and half shift, overtime isn't going anywhere, whichich is why Duluth builds hard working gear for folks who work their butts off. Their work shirts are built for function and comfort, giving a big foam middle finger to all that's futile. And the new ultra tough no quate utility shirt is equipped with cooling and wicking tech to keep you comfortable Give no quits. shhop at a Dulh store near you or at duluttrading. com Th are faves, or at least my favith. Let's go to to ESPN their studio show U which is inside the NBA on some nights, which is NBA today on other nights, which is NBA countdown, which is I don't know if they even know what it is on a given night U But during the post season, it's been inside the NBA. Joe, what have you thought about inside the NBA during this post season It's interesting because my criticism echoes what our bosses was which is that I just don't think they have enough time to lay out and play like they did on TNT. right? And I think ESPN is doing the best possible version of that. like it has been so much better That's what I sort of expected. Like I just thought a lot of the mischievous and the goo right up on the edge kind of stuff would disappear Chack and Kenny, they can't help theirself. Like they're just going to be themselves wherever they are, but I kind of feel like all the commercial breaks and all the other stuff like just It just feelel like it it breaks up the conference finals the other night when they had the Game four. like the reason why I watched all the Game four in a sweep is so I could see inside and it felt like it was done after thirty minutes. I was I was it was very antic cllimactic. like It' so short. It's so short. I just feel like I feel like I was like, man, I missed them. I don't I don't see them as much as I used to. Like they come by and they don't stay very long. So yeah, I love the show. I respect the fact that ESPN has maintained a lot of the chemistry and the bells and whistles that they that made them great over Tant, but I'm just like, I just kind of wish There was a way to lt them stretch their legs out a little bit more. Brian, what have you thought of the criticisms of this show this season? Because it feels like largely when they're on television, they are the same. They are just in a new medium in front of a new audience, but it seems like they have criticisms that were leveled beforehand, but like I still think there's there. I don't think they've lost the step necessarily. I don't I just don't think that we see them as much I think all those criticisms are fair. Like it does feel weird. It feels like they moved into a new house and they' people are judging them like I've been this way this whole time. like, what are you talking about? Yeah. And they seem like mildly unhappy in ways that they kind of show every once in a while, but don't really show with the new place and not being on turn of sports anymore. I guess they are on turn sports ast ESPN But I tell you what Game four, the Eastern Conference Finals The calves are trash. They're completely done. Everybody in America is turning off the TV except Ecept ESPN because we paay tons of money for this and we need to get the rest of this game out of the way. And it goes to halftime and Charles is like I looked up, quQuit in the dictionary and they show a graphic and it says Cleveland Cavaliers And then they go to the screen and Kenny and Shack have top hats and are just seeing start spreading the news because the Kicks are in the finals. L like they're like, this game is over. one, two, three Cancun. It's all and you're just like That is so crazy for a studio show to do something like that Like none of the js are particully novel. Yeah. but For a studio show to be like, this game is over, one of these teams is quit That's not something you reveal in television at all right? Like that. it's just and we almost take that for granted because inside's been doing that so long In the show better. I feel like the show is at its best when they get to clown somebody. likeike when they there's somebody that they're just like, o, okay, you guys don't care. You're embarrassing them and you're wasting like and check you like, man, I could have been doing something else tonight Like, you know what I mean? They just when they when when when they're on that kind of a kick, I think that's when they're at their best I think the other thing is like they get so much criticism for You know, what degrading the game? However you want to talk notot talking nice about the game is pretty much their biggest criticism is that they don't talk nice about the game one hundred percent of the time which I realize that But I think that the NBA needs that. There's no other show like it. I still put the number one I still put them as the best because they are the authority on the NBA right now. likeike what other show? Yeah, other show has legends. Peacock has legends on their show. Amazon has legends on their show. But if you look, they have Shack and Charles Barkcley who are are literally in every NBA history book, talking about the game and actually giving their critique on the game. and they are an authority that if we lose that, we lose a big thing if we lose that authority, Brian on the game. L I think we all suffer if we just because it feels like as a bey adaraters, you're trying to run them out of the building, right? And that's the sad part. L we're gonna miss them when they're gone no matter when they leave. I completely agree. And I think the criticism that they're too negative, which you just hear so many people say now, it's like we need somebody that celebrates the game. It's like, dude, this is one of the greatest, maybe the single greatest studio show of all time Yeah, who cares Like like them them talking about the NBA the way they talk about it has made them famous and popular, right? It has it's easy has grown the game. Yes. And by the way, it's easy to hire legends. You just write a check It's harder to get legends to do a great show. And that's what ins. And also man, this is what they have that other studio shows don't have, mayaybe Amazon will have it at some point. They're fucking rock stars. You go see them in all star weekend and into a building. They're fucking rock stars. You don't want to lose that. You do not want to lose that. Absolutely not. And I think and I will say this too. and because I remember, we've talked about this before When Shaq first came on the show, I was so frustrated. I was like, man, he's stopp he's a ball stopper. he ball him and it shuts down. and he wasn't you know, playing along enough. And I feel like Shck doesn't get enough credit for just Catching on. Just getting on with the vibe. likeike like he you're not going to go to him The most, you know, the most analytical takes or anything like that.s his his big man critique is always going to be like, well, he really need need to go and get thirty five and twenty tonight. You know, Like I know that's that's Shaq's best advice to other players is you need to be more like Shaq. Okaykay But it's not a bad it's not a bad thing to do as a. canan you be shack? Okay. If not you're messing up tonight. But I really think that he doesn't get enough flowers for Moving into that show and not taking anything away from it. I just feelt like that's And when he's not there and you see other people in the row, you can see it's like, oh, it's a little it's not bad, but it's just a little off. likeike Shaack is the guy. like he's officially the third guy there and ye know, I think he should get credit for it To that point, maybe this is a hot take, probably not a hot take. I've seen the timeline a little bit, but I would love if Jerimmon just that they just had a specialized role for Jry Mon and he didn't have to be on on that desk when he comes on then. What I it really just kind of to your point, Joe like really takes away from a lot of that stuff. like it just the grievances what we've seen, we don't we don't have enough time to talk about all of that. But it's just It doesn't seem like It seems like the mayorage is just kind of stale at this point You know, it just like, I know he has to be there. He's contractually obligated to be there, but it just feels like pulling teeth when he's there too your point about like just other people coming on, Joel Yeah, no, the thing is so I'm sure you all have seen this clip of him talking about on his podcast about how the cavves like everybody was like Harden was horrible tonight. He's got, you know, the that Jalen Bruntson abused him in the picking roll and Draymond is like, no, this is terrible team defense. And like it was like it was just like a really great two minutes of break it down. likeike yo, there's no help. likeike why you letting him get the straight a free run at the through the lane And so like if they could distill that Draymond, like I think that is always the hope because like going to get that Draymon. Yeah, we're going to he that so smart. My thing you know what I would love Brian if likem Draymon was like the czar of the Tleestrator because I think he could be amazing at that if he specialized at just like, I'm going to show you what he should have did this back cut here But he the grievances always kind of to overtake his His hubris always overtakes like his smartness. I feel like. And And the show about chemistry That show is great because it's about chemistry, right? People say it's about Berlely, it's about this, no, no, it's great because everybody's friends in chemistry. And when you come on and you don't have chemistry with the other people, which he doesn't Yeah stinks. It's no good All right, what do we think about the u Let's talk about play by play and game presentation. Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson, Tim Legler. I personally think this is the best cast that Mike Breen has had since they got rid of Stan Vang Gundi, N Stan Vanag Gundi. Jeff Vang Gundi, excuse me. and Mark Jackson Um I think the chemistry is there. I think they're they're doing the best at what they have. They've had for they've had a sweep and I think they did a pretty good job. What do you guys thought about the u The studio show, Brian I'll start with you first I think go with the game presentation as well. What have you thought about the studio show and in the game presentation? I think it's the best on paper. I disagree with you on chemistry because I think Richard Jefferson feels like he's doing his own broadcast all the time. He's doing like Do you think Richard Jefferson knows that Legs is sitting there on the broadcast table next to him I mean, but just think about he s as bad as he was with Doris though, right? Be No like he was Doris. It was like aggressively of. He sounded disdainful of Doris. Yeah was that was bad But I don't know if it's his sense of humor, which is a little hard edged And sometimes on TV just kind of comes off the wrong way. But I feel like if you just look the way Reggie is putting his arm around Jamaal Crawford and bringing him in and asking him questions and, you know, just kind of like saying his name Ac just feels like he wants to do the broadcast by himself You know, I'm sure part of them does. Yeah, and maybe that's just his sensibility as a player and that's fine. But like it's like, you have three people there And I feel like Legs is doing gambling reads and like everything he says is smart. Like it just feels like it's two different parts that should be one part Well, I think one of the things that vived a critique, I think One of the things and we'll get to this like in our final segment of like creating a a specific studio show I think that like Mike Breen has had a bit of a history of not bringing people all of the way in, right? whereere you know, you've seen that ever since Van Gundy and Mark Jackson left where he was just kind of like, okay, I'm just going to get mine. I'm going to give you fifty, but like I'm going to leave the other people behind. And I wish like Maybe he can do a better job of integrating them or like at least okay, if Richard Jefferson is telling jokes like What's Mike Tarico going to do? He's going to just like tell jokes as well. He's going to like build off of that and Mike Breen is like, I'm going to be the legend. Y'all need to keep up with me. And I kind of want him to be a little bit more integrated A I allace media experts? No, I think I think that is a fair criticism. Like if it happens across multiple Right? thenen it's like, all right, like is there something that you could be doing then to to, you know, to to, you know, to distribute a little bit better or help Richard., You know, it's like, hey, man. Yeah, you know And sometimes we, I mean, I've been on podcasts with whatever. I'm like, hey, man, you might want to start makeaking fun of that person because they know they, you know, So maybe I don't know if that's what Mike Green needs to do at Richard Jefferson because I don't think I think to Brian'spl, I don't think he's being mean. I don't think that or he's like being selfish or anything. I just think he's just sort of a drive, funny guy. And if you ever see his clips on the internet or, you know, whver he's hilarious.'s a funny He's a funny dude. He's a legit funny guy. So maybe he's just in love with himself in that way and he just need to peel it back a little bit Game presentation, way too many oldies going to break. I was saying like, what are we man? We're the We're in the sixties and seventies. Like Sirius has already canceled those radio stations guys. It's all over. The old pictures of like, hey, it's Calavves Nicks, but here's a picture of LeBron winning a title like twenty years like ten years ago, like, okay, well, that's random W the whole broadcast feel so the The aesthetics feel very stale to me. I'll just say that. Joph for, let me ride that hobby horse around the cur. That's love That. All right I'll start with. I got a question for Brian into his power rankings. I'm going to do a power ranking for the entire broadcast, just the entirety of it from inside to the game thing. But I wanted to ask you really quickly just about the future of ESP for NBA because again We alluded to it at the beginning of this. I don't know if ESPN knows what it wants to be with this, right? Like When you look at Amazon, everything is flowing. There's a plan for everything. ESPN just throwes money at everything, right? They maybe didn't like what NBA today was was. so they got they bought inside the NBA, but that is just have wrangled and they don't know what they do And it's very unorganized. and I don't know who I'm going to see on a given night What is the future of do you think what they are going to be? is it going to be a lot even a future of more disorganization? Or are we going to find like some cohesion? and then what is your power ranking? I think they'd like to just collect stars at ESP and that's their new thing. We got Steven A, we got McAfee, we got inside the NBA, we got Joan Troy, lets just let's just collect stars and figure it out And you know, to me, it was like if anything, you just have inside the NBA on more, right? If that's your show, then that's your show. Like F NBA today be its own show in the middle of the day. Sure.. Yeah, just write another check. likeike they they're good. They're good writing big checks for big stars Yeah U Game presentation, to me, that's like a seven inside a nine only for the awkwardness of just being in a new home. You know, otherwises, it's it's a tennis Joe Yeah, I feel like the studio show it's The one thing in the NBA season that I know I'm going to watch a lot of if I can. likeike if I like like I if I'm going to miss something if I'm going to miss something re probably going to try not to miss a studio show. So nine, nine and a half, like it's the standard, right? That's everybody wants to do that. Play by play. Yeah, I think seven, seven and a half. like I don't. Mind it, I don't find it I don't find it grading. I don't find it like, you know, the best show ever, but I get what they're doing and game presentation. This's just ESPN. Like ESPN is like Hollywood You know what I mean? It's just like they They've got all the history they got all the tradition. They don't have to do a lot for you to come in come in there and be impressed. and they don't try, right? They don't try to do that, right? They're just like, this is SPN. you came to us, bro. And so in terms of game presentence tried to impress nobody since like eighty five. Yeah. That's really. Yeah. That's real. O last thing though, I would give presentation. I think inside nine and a half, I would give the studio. I would give u I think a play by play, I'd give it like a seven, eight, maybe, you know, it's not home nothing to go home to, but The other thing that was just funny is like the shams thing where It's so funny the difference between the NFL and the NBA. The NFL, they ride for each other, their're teammates. if we make an agreement, that's what it is. NBA is like, Ill fuck that. We everything we're all for ourselves. I don't care what you got. I don't care how much money do you pay. We we've got to undercut all of that, bro, We are competing. Okay. let's let's get a to build your dream team of network, stududioh, play by play, and game presentation. Game presentation is what who is going to produce it? Now there is one wild card. So what we're going to do is we're going to do both they have to be living and currently working in within this media space right now. but the wild card could be somebody who's eer tired or is passed away from us. So I will give my first list And you just to give a blueprint of what we're doing and then I will throw it to you guys. So all right. my studio show Um I think it's going to be Ernie Johnson, who is the guy that is the stirring the thes stirring the pot. I think I'm going to put Draymond with the Testrator U He's just going to go he's going to go in a corner. I'm just going to be like Draymond, just go in the corner. You' tellestrator. I think I'm going to I want Sue Bird in there. I know she's she's done WNBA, but I think like for a studio show, she could both do behind the desk and she can also do some storytelling, which is great. She can she does her her her ey. I think is for NBC. She does She'll go to a certain place like similar like Michael Strahand or somebody. They go to a certain place and they do like a TV package for her. And notot a lot of former athletes can do that and she's a double threat in that way. And I think that she can banter with with the guys too. I think then they respect her. So I think I would want her on the desk U, Blake Griffin I this is going to be hilarious And u I think Steve Nash. I put Steve Nash is my studio. a big studio show. play by play U Mike Torico, because I just think that he can just work with anyone. Charles Markley because I miss him as a play by play guy. likeike I wish I could have him more. E time I see him, it one it feels like an event And when I see him, he's always has jokes like him and Dick Vit Tal were amazing on television. It has nothing to do with the game. You just want to hear what they have to say. like certain guys like Bill Walton, you just want to hear what they have to say. I will put Doris Burg back in my play by play. I think that like because I think with her and Charles and Toico They would they would invite her a lot in a lot more than the other guys did. likeike Mike Bing just they just it just didn't work out because they just weren't inviting. and like, you know, she had her her criticisms and things like that. But I think with a better team, she would do great And I think my silent reporter would be Taylor Roks. I think that she she is also someone that makes When I go watch a game She is someone that shows me, Ohh, this is a big game you know when she's in the building. And she did great on turn her on for sideline reporting. And who would produce it? U In game presentation, this is my Wild card. I'm going with Dick Erpasol, the greatest producer in the history of sports television So that is my is my created um I love it. Studio. All right. Joel, who is your your Cate a stududio show Okay, so for our studio show, I'm going to have Rachel Nichols Come in.. Wow. Okay. Rachel Nichols was really good in her job. She was great She was really good at her job. She's very versatile. She's a great reporter Great storyteller And like she can have fun. Like she's a fun person and you've talked to her personally, like she can do that. So I really like her My studio show is going to be a little wild, okay? So I want Gilbert Arenaas. Oh, that'd be great don't but I don't know long Gill is going to be on the show just because Gil always gets in Gil's head, but he's amazing talking the game and is also very interesting as a person. He has so many interesting opinions about basketball. I love to hear him talk about it. And yeah, like he can incite people, but he also is just a funny guy. So he doesn' He's irreverent in a way that's sort of like Chuck, but it's just like nasty here.ike he's like nasty Chuck, you know what I mean U no U Jay Billis. Okay. I think J Billis is one of best people on TV period. Anytime I see a Jay Billis clip like he can do anything and he's such a smart guy and he knows his interview with Darren Peterson the other day was was great M I fuck with J Bill is heavy, man. So I want him in there. Also he's sort of like the locker room lawyer. You know what I mean? Yeah. so he's played before he come in there if Gilbert gets out of line with my other guy. Okaykay. And again. This is just a snippet Draymond Green. Okaykay. So if I can get the Draymond Green, of course you want Chuck like Chuck is, I think it's easy to say Chuck. If you can get the Draymond Green brereaking down that video. about how the calves allowed James Harton to get exposed. And then like just give him some more reps. I could see that being a really interesting guy because it alsoith He and Gilbert they're kind of combustible in a way. I kind of like to see that that chemistry play out there. and then you got J Billis to the side. likeike, hey, hey, guys, settle off. Okay. I also got ideas for two T two are the segments on there. Story timee with Jeff T Oh you can bring in Be hand. You can bring in Behan if you want. I don't know if you remember That's going to be on the subscription service. That's going be you said that That's going to be on a paywall. Yeah bean might mess that backag up. And also I would love a Q and A session with Quent Richardon and Darius Miles, the Kuckleheads was my favorite NBA podcast. right? And some of those they were interviewing guys like Mitch Richmond and Andrey Miller, who was like Andrey Miller who is low key hilarious. H you ever heard Andrey Miller talk before You would have never guessed that he went to Darious miles Dar is smiles is talking to Annena's like When the first time somebody busushs your way. Yeah. That's I We' such a great quest. Yeah I love that. So that's my studio show. Oh who is by play Yeah, who's your TV play by Pay show? Wh's Okay Wh's call in the games. so I'm also I want Marv Albert Doug I M I don't want now Mar Valbert. I Mar Valver for like twenty years ago. Yeah right. I I want late nineties Mar Valbert. eararly nineties Moth, Albert. okay? All And so I also want Hubie Brown back, okay. Okay. And and now I'm going to use my wild card, okay? Okay for bringing somebody The life Bill Walton I'm gonna go on K. I love Bill Walton. I just, know, he could make anything interesting and fun to me. I just loved his approach to life. so Bill Walton a sideline reporter. You know, I hadn't thought about Taylor Rooks when you said it like that because I had Lisa Salters You know, the Taylor Rokss thing that was that's a good idea, man. I don't know how I could steal it from you and your production company because that's that's that's like that's a good idea. So Who would produce it? Do you know who prod baby Dick ever saw, but which which I don't know how much producers we know but like which presentation who would which number presentation would you give it I mean, like, I, you know, this is not fair because this I'm just a victim of nostalgia, but like, you know, whoever produced the mid nineties NBA show on NBC, man. Like I just that. That D everaw D Eaw. There you go. So yeah, yeah yeah So that's what I want Brian Curtis, I think Brian's just going to blow us out of the water. So who would know create a studio show All right, so here's what I'm gonna do I'm gonna take the entire cast of inside the NBA Okay. With one exception, instead of Enie, no offense to Ernie We're going to put Bob Costas in the host seat Oh Oh That's your wild card. That's her wild card Yeah. it's a wild card. We're putting him in the host seat with everybody else. We're going to go ahead and press pause on the Draymont experiment for the time being. So we are impressed Pauluse are we expelling? Are we going to expeel it? Is it we might be. It's like when you say you suspend the campaign. It's like, yo you're not gonna to run that campaign back but okay.. Then we're gonna to have a seat. on that panel that we use once in a while and we're kind of trying somebody out. We can call it the sixth man or guess the fifth man, whatever we want to call it, One week it might be Simmons One week it might be Pat Riley if he's got some time. We're just we're bringing people in. We're seeing how they get along with people So that's the studio The game is going to be called by Mike Torico, of course. Cor analyst is going to be Jeff Van Gundi He's back. I don't know if that counts as a wild card. might be coaching the trailblazers next year, but he'ss whatever you want it to be. Sideline reporter is absolutely one hundred percent Peter Vessi We're going back to the wild. Yeah, he has like seven wild cards. He's not even by the room. He's. It's been all downhill from there. And then yeah, special presentation we're going AI, Bill Walton and Steve Snapper Jones as kind of this H and Waldor for the broadcast just kind of making comments and being cranky old guys from the afternoon Brian you gave me an idea. canan I make Jim Gray my sideline reporter? You certainly can. C I I want Jim Gray to be my sideline reporter. Okay, there we go.. Jim Gay Jim Greay would get the news. I jump away from a bllack woman, man, It's just a story of twenty twenty six. Yep, man, you put a white woman at the top of the stududio show. Yeah. I know, man. Yeah, I have a lot of questions to answer to today next Black community. Yeaho, man, this is the first ruins of juneteenth, Joeel, God damn. Oh man That' true. Anyways, that has been another edition, our annual edition. Let's just fucking do this every year guys. I'll gonna see you guys next Je. Of course That has been our annual power ranking edition of Ruins where we talk about the media. You can guys go check out Joel, you guys check out Brian. everyvery week on the press box, my favorite show on the ringer. You guys know that. I love I love listening to you guys I never miss an episode. I belieave you guys very soon. And Brian, I will see you very soon and Joel Fuck ll See you guys next time J because I'll live in LA D Talk soon. Bye. Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun An army hung on her every word. My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana. 'twas a lovely SUV, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it. 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