NBA Trades & Baseball Shockers: What Just Happened? 6/20/25

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All right, welcome back to another episode of the Strike Zone to EndZone podcast featuring the one and only Trey Ballard and our returning I guess now he's the permanent co-host guest Matthew Traion in town. He's the one he's the Yeah, he's in front of the camera. I'm back to being behind the camera. I'm your producer. Four weeks you guys have uh you guys have making some pretty pretty big waves on the YouTube world. So congratulations on that. Matt, uh, don't get tread too big cuz once I tell him what his SEO

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was, uh, way past that. Yeah. Anyway, no. So, uh, again, you don't need me talking. There's a lot that that's been going on between the, uh, Stanley Cup finals. Stanley Cup's over, uh, and everything, but Trey, my prediction was wrong. I think the Oilers in seven and the Panthers won and so that is what it is. I mean, we don't really have to rehash that. That was what it was. Their results are there. you know, you can't really Yeah. I'm curious to see what they say about uh Conor's legacy now. He's that's about it. Two years in a row

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down. They they brought in some new pieces from last year. And I mean, I still think he's the best in the world between him and Matthews, but I don't know, man. To lose to the same team two years in a row has got to be a tough pill to swallow, especially last year going down three zero and then forcing a game seven losing and this year losing even less games. Right. Also, I was going to tell you I did find something about the trade stuff. Yes. For NBA. So, I Yeah, I saw the what's his name? Bane.

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Yeah. Well, so that happened, but also so it says NBA teams can make trades in the current league year as soon as their season ends, provided they are legal and pending free agents aren't being traded. Some trades have to wait to go official into the new league year, but can agreed be but can be agreed to now. And the reason is why because the salaries change. So, as long as the salary that you're going to be signing them to or what like because say you have to trade a guy that's signs an extension that's

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going to be different than what his previous salary was obviously. Yeah. It won't go into effect until the new league year. So, it's the same thing as hockey. You can make the trades anytime. Yeah. A lot of people will just wait because you got so many other moving parts after that. And they got a And their contracts are way crazy, too. I mean, what they gave up for him, he got what, three first round picks? Yeah. three first rounders, KCP and and Cole Anthony. I mean, it was it was a hall, but at the same time, I actually know it

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was four because you have I remember cuz the back two are 2028 and 2030, in which case one of those is a kid going into his freshman year. So, but the first round pick thing for me, it kind of just depends cuz it like and Danny Ames did this. He fucked this up for everybody whenever he did the the the Gornett and them straight to the Nets because you you think when you hoard all these picks it's supposed it's supposed to work out for you but there's no guarantee because you don't you don't know where these

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it's not but it's also like teams that need ass like the Suns like the Suns would jump all over that just to get their picks back cuz they gave up so much so many and then Orlando had a a surplus to give out and for me personally I'm one of those guys that's just like if you have all these picks and you're just letting sit there collecting dust, waiting on these teams that you think are going to be bad in five years, just go get unless unless it's protected. Unless it's like your it's a protected top 10. Like even this

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year, I mean, obviously Flag's coming up and I like that uh what's his name? Ace Bailey. Yeah, I think he's going to be solid. Yeah, he's declining workouts though because he's probably got a third pick probably. I mean, he I don't think he'll go any higher than four. I don't think so either. He's solid. Um I Yeah, I Yeah, and I think Magic are going to be sneaky good. I mean, I think Paulo is a bro. I think Paulo Bencher is a stud, man. He's just player in the league. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. He was a beast on the

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Olympic team. Not the last one. Yeah. He's he's all those guys. Even Coach K was like, dude, he's a dog. Like, he's still That's what I'm saying. He's like, he's even, you know, went further than what I thought. Yeah. And he's getting Well, I mean, I think he's what he'll be coming into his fourth year, fifth year. I think he was 2020 first round pick. Uh cuz he was number one overall, wasn't he? Yeah, he was. It was 2022. Okay. Remember they lost to Carolina that lost to Kansas. Right. Right. Right. Remember that was Coach K.

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He was Coach K's last on that team. So he'll be coming into his fourth year, I believe. But yeah, I think and they got I forgot that white guy they have over there that's solid, too. I mean, Orlando is going to be Oh, Fran Wagner. Yeah. Yeah, he's nice. I mean, brother Mo. His brother's good, too. Michigan. Yeah. They got Jaylen Suggs. I think I think they're going to be good. I mean, Cole Anthony didn't really I think like a college player, but I think he moves the A lot of people don't. I think Desmond

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Bane moves that. I'm not a big Bane fan. I will I don't personally I No, it's not that I don't think he's good. It's another one of those I just don't like him. Like if he like I would I just don't like you. I think you're a good player. I just think you're corny, you know? I would I would I would just I just I just don't fuck with you. But I think you're a good basketball player. I definitely think you moved the needle for the matter what they I think it's a good move for them. I still think they're

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I mean they're young. I mean that I mean because he's not an old guy either. Yeah. No, so they'll they'll keep building around it and stuff, but yeah, I mean they're definitely going to be interesting to see. And yeah, the East is definitely wide wide open next year, especially with JT Hurt the Pat were the ones that made the finals. Don't know. I mean, the Knicks obviously are running back, but they having to coach. So, you got the Cavs who were unhealthy and then you never know. You can't From what I've

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been reading, just cuz all I do is basically read about the Knicks and stuff. They're trying to pair uh what's his name? Jared Jackson Jr. They want to move him and get and pair him with Cat, which would be a nice duo if they decide to stick with Cat and don't do it. I think they should. I just think I give it one more year like run it back, keep the I think I think the only thing that they might move if they have to is I think they might move on from Muel Bridges to get some more picks back and

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get a cuz he can score, but he's not gave up. And that's not his fault, but I mean his productivity wasn't worth that all that stuff. And I like him. I thought he was good in Phoenix. I mean, he can I fuck with my guy. And then whenever he showed that he can he can be a plus score. He doesn't need to be the go-to guy by any means, but he can be a guy that can give you I think he averaged like 22 that year or something like that. Like he can play when he's the number one option. I mean, you just got

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the ultimate green light. Mhm. But it's going to be interesting to see what they do. Um cuz apparently like in the whole Kevin Durant thing too, teams are Phoenix is asking back for a hall and they're like, "Dude, he's get $60 million. He's going to be 37." You've already said that he can't be here next year. like you you were the ones you don't have any leverage here. Yeah. They already shut themselves in and that's why everybody was like Bane went for this so Luca like all these packages that people try to and I'm like you got

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to understand like every team situation is a little bit different right simply because certain teams and certain players have more leverage than others as well as the fact that certain teams see a guy and they're like I will give up this for this you know for him and this other team might not do that or they might give up more. You you never know. And he's injuryprone before all this. I mean, obviously in Achilles, that's just like a fluke thing that happens. But before that, he was always missing like 15 games and now

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he's 37. He had the lower leg stuff and all that sort of stuff. Now he's 37. So, how can you really be asking? I mean, I get they want picks and stuff, but I think you can't get a hold. Yeah. I think all the GMs and owners are on the phone with each other like, "Yo, let's all just sit here and and and blow the bank trying to get him whenever he we whenever we know that they cannot have him back in that locker room next And same could be said for Bradley Bill potentially even though he has a no trade clock. I don't know how he got I

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mean he was top 10 scorer in the league for years but I mean 30 in Washington. Yeah. But in which case he should have just stayed. I know they weren't winning but it and given given where you are now and what people expected of you being paired with Deon Booker and Kevin Kevin Durant. Bro, you you should have just stayed because you knew you weren't going to be that same type of player that they needed. And you he didn't I personally I don't think he needed to be that he didn't need to he he's not type

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player to play a Chris Boss role or Kevin Love, you know what I mean? Like typically a big man is a lot easier to do that because you can affect the game in so many other ways. Bradley Bill wasn't always a great he was a good defender but he was never like an all world all NBA. No, he wasn't like shutting down your perimeter. That's what I'm saying. It's just like he's not the type of play. His game doesn't translate to taking that third role in my eyes. It doesn't. But at this point in his career, cuz again, I don't think

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he's that old of a dude. I think he's like 32, 33. Like he can still play and he had injuries last year in the last two years. But I mean, if I'm him, I and I get it. There's like ego that goes into it too for being the number one option. But you know, Deon Booker's the star of the team. Kevin Durant again, you just insert him and he'll get you 25. And if I'm him, I'm like, dude, this is perfect. I can just kind of get the scraps and still put up 2022. It's not like his money's not guaranteed. Well,

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and again, yeah, with the no trade clause, too. So, he's Yeah, I mean, that's true. I just It's just hard for me to watch him cuz I was a fan of his when he was in high school. So, I just always, you know, seeing where he went to when he was at Florida and then coming into the league and like going to a team with John Wall. When John Wall was the number one guy, building himself, you know what I mean? I live and so building himself into what he became. It just was so hard to see him take that back seat in Phoenix and

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coming out doing the douge and everything. His first game, man, that shit was lit, bro. John Wall was going to cry. John Wall was hilarious. Yeah, John Wall was going crazy. I like that video of You're saying he he was like like teach me how to douge. Yeah, he's I think it was his first game ever for his entrance. If you could YouTube it and look it up and he literally I'm about to he was he known for doing it at Kentucky and he came out and did the Douggee and it was the funniest thing ever. Busted

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out his cat daddy. It would have been a lot of games, right? Uh you know, we got Oklahoma City trying to close it out in Indiana tonight. uh should tip off here in the next couple minutes or so. Uh I mean I said Oklahoma City and seven seems like they're probably just going to end it tonight, but I wouldn't be mad at the game seven and there a lot of pressure that goes into that one. I would think you know Tyrese is playing tonight even though with the calf strain. So I think they got to win tonight. I think the last thing they

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want is all that pressure on them. Yeah. I mean, and you never know what can happen in a game seven cuz that like I don't want to say Indiana's playing with house of money, but at the same time like they weren't expected to get this far. I mean, obviously team that number one in the league. Yeah. I mean, obviously think for themselves like we belong here and all that, but like everyone's going to be like, "Dude, like you've exceeded all expectations this year, you know, like if you can It'd be so weird if they won two. That might be

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the strangest team to ever win a world championship." Who the Pacers? Yeah. Yeah. Just Well, I mean, isn't that weird because I mean, they've been around for so long. They haven't won yet. I just think they're like, "Dude, is it just Yeah. But what I'm saying is like compared to the competition this year and how deep the West was and everything. And even compared to because they had some great teams in the 90s and then that early 2000s team that had the Mal and the Palace, like all those teams were like Reggie's teams were good.

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Reggie could have got one or two if Jordan didn't exist. He still says to this day he thinks that that year the Malice of the Palace was their best chance of actually winning. Yeah. Because obviously you ran into the Shack and Kobe at any point during Yeah. And then he ran to Jordan in the next in the '90s and stuff. Yeah, early 90. I mean, he just had a tough road. Yeah, but once you got to that point, that was a real cuz man, Ron Art, Stephen Jackson, Tmaine, they had a squad, Jamal T, like looking back at it, bro, they had a

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fucking squad. They had a squad. They were they were stacked. They had a squad. So, yeah, man. We'll uh we'll be tuning in tonight for that. Um, I do want to shout out Jackson on that team, too. Or no, that was later on. Yeah. Or that was earlier before that. I do want to shout out the Yanks, though, for snapping their losing streak. Yeah, that was nice against the Angels. Obviously not the Rockets. How many games? We had lost five in a row. Three of them to the Socks, I believe. Yeah, we got swept by the Socks

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and then not good. Uh lost the first two to the Angels. So it just We had lost five in a row and then we also hadn't scored a run in like 30 innings. Yeah. Oh, that's a kick in the dick. But I like that we have Chaz back now or Jazz. I like that. Damn, I should have worn my jersey. I forgot to wear I got the World Series. I like that we got Stanton back finally. It's getting kind of old him always missing the beginning of the season and shit, but I mean he'll still bring he would have won the World Series

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MVP last year. I will always welcome John Carlo back. You can never say he didn't show up in big moments. He was I think he had four home runs in the World Series something like that. Like and even in the uh ALCS Yeah, he was hitting he he earned his keep for He was almost like I dare you to throw me the ball like just throw it literally, bro. So I'm uh I'm hyped about that. We obviously got Allstar game next month and stuff here in the next. I was I forget who I forget what podcast I was watching. It

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was some comedian and he was talking I think it was Trevor Lawrence of like not Trevor Lawrence. Trevor Oh, uh Trevor Wallace. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Skinny kid. I think it was him, but I could be wrong. But one of these comedians podcasters was talking about how they went to high school with John Carlo Stanton and they were like, "Dude, he could have gone pro in uh football and basketball." cuz he's 67. Like he's a big guy. He's right there with Judge. Yeah, Judge is 69. I think he's or 68. He's a big guy, too.

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67. Yeah. But and he was a good basketball. I was going to say he was all state basketball. But they were like he could pump the ball 70 yards. They were like he was dunking almost from the free throw line. And then cuz he they were like he was that big in high school. And they said cuz you know you hit with aluminum bats. They're like dude he was hitting people's fucking windshields like from like he was crushing the ball like it was like I can only imagine playing short or third. He hits it. He's no bow. Screamer, dude. I

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would be like one of the kids in benchwarmers and just like turning around. You just I mean, you just got to cover up at that. I'd be dressed like a catcher and short stop. Honestly, I would have two cups in maybe three. It's like we playing like a man, my ankle hurts today. I'm just going to have to sit this one out, guys. Literally, you see him on the on next week schedule, you're just like, do we really have to go do that? You even see him against like how big he is compared to the guys at the majors and they're just like I

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mean you look at him next to Vulpi. Look at him next to Vi fucking they were talking even about possibly moving him for some stuff but I'm like Vuly I don't think they should I think continue he's young. This is what his second year I mean he's a short stop. I mean it's it's so hard to be the next I mean not that he's the last short stop since Jeter but like to try to fill those shoes and stuff being from New York like it's a lot to live up to but it's like trying to be the new Batman. Like how do you

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follow up? Yeah. You just have to be your own Batman. Yeah. You don't need to be like anyone else. You just need to be your own type of person. Do your own thing. Like did you like Jared Leto trying to follow up Heath Ledger? Fuck you. Like would you really want to be that guy? I'm just trying to say like trying to follow up Jeter on the Yankees to be that's pretty Kaylin the board trying to follow Nick Sabin. You know what I mean? Like I mean I'm a Kaylin board. I'm just saying like it's just one of those things like what comes with

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that filling those shoes. Yeah. Is tough. It's just always gonna be hard. Yeah. I mean, like I said, granted, it was shit, it was almost 10 year jeters. Last year was 2015, I think. So, I mean, they've had they've gone through some guys. They had I don't know. It's got to be interesting to see what they do. I We've had They've got to make some moves, though. I mean, they're talking about putting moving bringing uh or bring dropping DJ down. Yeah. Um Yeah, they just got I don't know. They got a lot to figure out, but they're still

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again, we're still first a so I can't you can't really be too upset at what's going on. Obviously, you hit a little there's always now only up two games on the Rays and three on the on the Jays, but you still can't like you know, come summertime and it's going to be a little bit of a low. Yeah. Just cuz it's I mean it's it's it's so it's just I mean the season is so long that it's really really hard to continue to stay I guess locked in in a way. Obviously, you're a pro, so you should. Yeah. Also, I do

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want to say this because the same thing happened last year. Looking at the standings now, and we are currently tied with the Houston Astros and those that is a team that it doesn't matter who the manager is, doesn't matter who their star is. I mean, as long as they keep as long as they had kept one of Alubbe, Bregman or even Kareah to a certain extent. Now, you obviously got Alvarez, but they are just always seem to be I don't know what they're doing over there. They always seem to be it's just some devil magic. I

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don't know what it is, but they always just seem to fucking be there. Like when you look at those teams from when they first started winning because like when they first started winning it's kind of like oh compared to like the Pacers now you're like all right like these guys are good but like you don't know but then like down the line Yeah. they go and run two three more off you're like oh damn that team is stacked. Yeah. You're like what in the heck is going on. So no I just wanted to look at that

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uh and make that note because again obviously we have a lot of Well kind of like same thing I was just uh reading about the Thunder. They were like if they win cuz what' you say they were 68 win team. Yeah. all-star or I'm sorry MVP, but they were like, "Is this team going to be considered an all-time great team?" And they were like, "You can't really say it now because he's really the only stud on it, but they go and run off and win three in the next like six years and you'd be like, oh man, they

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had Chad, they had Jaylen Williams, they had so it's just I guess you got to give it more time, but definitely I expect them to win a close game. I think they'll win by nine 10 right now. They just scored already. So yeah, I mean it should be an interesting game. Yeah. No, for sure. I mean I like I said I'm I don't really mind the the Thunder. I mean I really don't wouldn't care who won obviously like I said get. But I just want Sam Prey to get it. Yeah. He def he deserves he's put together hell of a team, you know, hell of a

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team. And even the coaches he's brought in there. He had Billy Donovan for a minute. Like he's literally don't ever It's like it's just like you got to play like you got to perform like build the roster for you, but you gota Even the teams that like after KD left and it was Westbrook, he still put like nice speed on Westbrook to like Steven Adams which he used to have there. Paul George. Yeah. And older Carmelo, but Carmelo still played pretty well. I mean, yeah, he's he knows what he's doing and just acrewing all those picks

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like you said. It's just it really paid off. Yeah. You just got to be able to save it for, you know, that right piece that you need. So, no, definitely. I hope they get it done just so we can stop talking about the narrative that he hasn't won one in Thunder all this and blah blah blah. But I really really would not just because being a Knicks fan forever, I just really don't want to see the Pacers win. Uh not to going back to baseball, you see Joe Tori just to serve in a special role on Aaron Boon's

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uh Yeah, he's coaching the AL in the All-Star game. Yeah, there's some uh pulling up some information. I think he mentioned it and uh let's see. First all-star ballots update judge. Uh yeah, he's not he's going to win MVP again if he keeps dominating NL. Uh is he like 26 already? 27. Like so he's on pace to over 50 again. He's the he's the second youngest. So right now it looks like the American League first base. You got uh Gold Schmidt has got the most votes right now. Then you got Guerrero Jr. uh Ronda

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then and Walker. Or those are all the for the ballots being counted for that's far allar. What's judge at? Uh so right now American League that's just for first base. Oh, I was about to say if it's position by position that makes sense. Second base uh judge about say Aaron Judge should be the leader of everything. Yeah, right. I mean come on. What are we talking? All right. So like so so for first base for the Yankees, second base, uh Torres. Uh Tigers. Wait, Glabber. Fuck yeah. You got Glabber.

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Let's go, man. He's at 535,000. Yeah. Shout out to the guy right behind him is Jackson Holiday at 449,000. So, shout out to Glaver, man. Yeah. And then shortstop, you got Jacob Wilson at the lead with the from the Athletics and Bobby Wit is right behind him. Uh let's see who else we got. Third base, we got Ramirez, the Guardians, then uh bring him from the Red Sox. No Yankees on there. Judge outfield 1.5 million votes. Yeah, it is fucking the guy right below him is Riley Green from the Tigers with

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at 675,000. Bellinger Tigers are bombing close. Yeah, Cody Bellinger is at uh number six at 416,000. Good for him. Yeah, and then you got Austin Wells as catcher number. Let's go, baby. Yeah, he's Yeah. So, uh Cal Riley from the He's got 1 million. Number five is Austin Wells at 19. Well, that's because Cal's got 27 homers. leading the league home and as a catcher. That's fucking insane. Then Rice is second in the uh in the lead for Bulls, man. Godamn. What? You have uh Ryan O'Harn from the Orioles. He's

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number one for designated hitter, but Ben Rice is second right behind him. Shout out to the Young Bulls. What's that young kid's name in the Orioles? That's supposed to be like the next Mickey Man. That's him. Yeah. Matt Holidays. His other son that's uh going into his senior year is supposed to be Damn. Oh. He's got one. I think he got one more. Some good genetics. Yeah, man. So, look, it was that was that was, you know, it was it was a good series. Obviously, not winning it, but getting off the schneide and and showing

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some fight and not just laying down and letting the Angels be good to see. Um, ultimately though, bro, it's still we got a lot of baseball left, so I'm not really worried. Angels can't catch a break, man. Mike Trout came back. Yeah, but again, I feel bad for Mike Trout. I talked about Oh, I don't want to say a waste. He reminds me like Matt kind of. Yeah. Like they were talking like the Yankees were talking about bringing him in last summer just for like a DH or something like that, but he his salary

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is just Oh, it didn't. It's nuts. Yeah. But like he's another I mean baseball's I think the one sport. Well, I mean like Barry Balance for example you consider is the greatest. It's never because baseball's a numbers game. It's not really a rings game and you're not playing you can't control that like it's not it's not basketball. It's not hockey where you're playing both sides cuz honestly with Jeter I was like to your point a lot of arguments with Jeter like rings are one of the last things that people will bring up in

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terms just because with baseball that's so different because it's everything stats. It's all baseball is stats where again even football too you're not going to knock Randy Moss for not winning a Super Bowl. Like it's he can only do it's always comes down to the quarterback. Like that's the whole reason I mean it goes without saying but that's the whole reason why like they consider Brady the goat is because he's got seven. He's not. Aaron Rogers is more talented. Patrick Jones probably more talented. You're not going to say

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he's not cuz he is more. They are definitely more talented when it comes to just going out there and throwing more mobile. Brady just was smarter and dedicated and but as far as like actually like physical talent like you can name Marino was probably like literally no you can name a lot of other quarterbacks. John Elway was a hell of an athlete before he got older. Like he used to be able to run. Yeah. That's not even a debate. You can name so many more quarterbacks that are just more physically gifted. Yeah, but again, he

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even he went out and said it on Fox the week of Super Bowl. He's like, literally, if I did, if I didn't, if I came out and I looked at the lineman of the defense and I didn't like what we were in, I didn't like, you know, he said all this sort of stuff that like made me as great as I was was literally the preparation and then going into it knowing what the fuck was going on. He's like, I knew your defense better than you did cuz I had to, right? You know what I mean? Like he said he I had to. I

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had no choice. Yeah. He talked about the one against the Chiefs. He was like cuz him when him and Ter Matthew got into it and he was like he's knew what the fuck you're doing like you don't have you're not surprised I made that was the one they talking about he's like I had I didn't have a choice. Yeah was going that would have been probably an all-time great team if they would have won that too. That team was scary cuz they were going for back to back that year. I think that was that was or was

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it would have been two out of three cuz they No, it would have been back to back remember cuz they lost Mahomes first year as a starter. The Patriots won but then the next year they came back and Yeah. Then the next year the Chiefs came back and won it and then that very next year they would have they would have went back to back because remember the next year was the Bengals beating beating the Chiefs and that was why. Yeah, that was why which again it's so crazy. Have they all been at home? I'm pretty

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sure they've all went through that's nuts. No, no, no. They went they had to go to Baltimore that one year. Yeah. Okay. That was the first one that didn't they had to go to that was the first that was the first one that that's when Justin Tucker was trying to set up his tea and Travis Kelce was like throwing it away and stuff. Yeah. So that was the first one that didn't go through arrowhead. Yeah. But yeah, man. Shit. That was that was crazy. That was nuts. I'm just excited for this NBA offseason because apparently there's a

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lot of trades about to get crazy. Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun. A lot of movement, a lot of moving parts. But with that said, man, look, we we got to get out of here and we got to go watch the game, man. Shit. I got to where was take a piss? I don't know. Oh, okay. Yeah, I don't know how to turn this thing off. I don't need We'll just clap. Good stuff. Hell yeah. Yeah, I know. My homie, we're done. Yeah. Watch the game. Yeah, we had no clue how to do that. So, I was like I was just like, shit, I'll

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just clap and hope. Yeah. No, I guess