Welcome, ever one to WFHRs, playmakers for this February, wow, February, February, what
was that? April 8th, 2024, 304 of the clock. You got to host James here. I shouldn't
even admit it to me. I just go by a different age. Seth over here, my partner in sports,
sis pitch hitting today for Randy Paul. Thank you so much for being here for that.
Yeah, no problem.
We also want to send a shout out to our friends at Quality Plus Printing, getting your words
out. Big thank you to them for sponsoring the hour. Appreciate our friends over there.
Be sure to be listening this Wednesday to the morning show, buddy, 45-ish. We'll be joined
by Phil Hartley from Quality Plus Printing with our Wicked Awesome World of Wednesday.
Wicked, man, wicked.
We have got a jam-packed hour for you, everybody.
Oh, do we?
We are going to be joined in minutes, about 315 today. We are going to be joined by John Adyes.
He is with the broadcaster, Wisconsin Women's Basketball. John's been there since 2012.
We're going to talk to him a little bit. We're looking forward to that. At 330, we'll
have the fourth period joining us. We'll be head coach, GM, if you're Wisconsin's
rabbit to River Kings. Coach Paul is going to be with us.
Yes, very nice.
Very nice.
Seth had a great topic we're going to get into today after the coach's interview probably
about these, in this rash of injuries to pitchers. I want to touch on that. I want to
get into the bill that was just passed last week about these prop bets and kids. Some
of that. We got a lot to talk about here. But first, you guys come first. Let's talk to
you. Good afternoon. What's on your mind?
James, it's good to see you made out of darkness. It's everywhere.
Yeah, that's how much February hit me is. I'm still not, I'm just not catching up.
Just now, yeah, when you said that, wow, I have to look at my watch.
Yeah, wait a minute, double checking. We're replaying a best of episode from PEP word.
Yes, that's it. How did you enjoy the championship game?
I didn't say I have to admit, I didn't get a chance to watch the women's championship
game at all.
I just said, I caught the end. I thought it was a glass of blue self-care, a line of coach
mentioning how Caitlin Clark is basically the gold of college basketball and how she has
brought the people to see watch women's basketball and how she's kind of made it that way.
I mean, I know it's just not her. I mean, you guys reached from the LSU.
Yeah, I keep it from self-care. I mean, they had a lot to do with two.
It was cool to see that from Don Staley, especially because there's some people that can make
an argument Don Staley is the gold of all time. What she did in her
playing career, let alone as a coach now and she's just getting started.
I thought that was the extra cool coming given from her and given some of the comments from
some other greats that you could make an argument are the goats in suburb or the
Racini, the other Yukon player. There were kind of, there was a lot being made of the comments
after the game by them. Yeah, right. Not just for Caitlin Clark, but about anybody,
like Caitlin Clark, coming out of college and going into the pros. I saw nothing but headlines
about this. I didn't get to hear it in real time. When I did listen to it, I like what?
What did they say? I heard a lot of people complaining about the timing of it and this and that
and everything. These are not only former athletes, they're fresh former athletes. It's still fresh
in their brains. I heard JJ Reddick talking the other day and you would think he was still
lacing them up. Give me 20 years and ask him that question and see how they respond.
And they didn't see anything wrong. You can point to a handful of athletes in history who
make a transition flawlessly to the pros. But if you ask every one of them, go ahead and ask
Lebron James what it was like being 18 playing with grown men. And yeah, he looked like he
looked like he belonged out there. How about mentally? Like it's good question. And for other
athletes, maybe the mental list is there, but their game is not there and they have to adjust.
Everybody has to adjust. That's why it's the pro game. Otherwise, the kids will be playing the
pros. Right. Like how could you, how can you argue about there being an adjustment? Of course,
there is. It's more than just moving to a new town, wearing a new jersey. I mean, it's getting
for most of these kids, even nowadays, it's the difference of I'm doing this because I'm in
college and I'm earning an education. And oh, this is my job now. Yeah. This is a difference.
That's a gigantic difference. Yes. Anybody who says otherwise, I don't feel like they understand
sports nowadays. Like 2024 going forward sports. Like that, you're lost. You're in the past.
Your comments are outdated. It's now and understanding that these guys, there's an adjustment.
What I mean, I think it's I think it has to do with the timing and how she said it. Yeah,
there's going to be adjustments. And there's Caitlin Carking with the WMEA and score 40 at night.
No, probably not. But you know, it just how she said it when she said it, I think is
where some of the angst is from. Yeah. This is what happens when you put a microphone.
It used to happen in boxing every other week where they would put the mic in front of the
winner's face. And he just got done with a title man. And of course, he's not talking like
Shakespeare. I don't think it's any different with athletes. Just getting done watching a game
that they wish they were out there playing because don't tell me every one of these
at former athletes watching these. I don't care how far removed they are from the game.
That part never changes. Anybody, I think that a lot of us can relate to that. I have a hard time
watching plays. I do not like admitting this, but I have a hard time watching live theater
because I want to be on that stage so badly that I'm worried. I'm going to actually make a
fool of myself and walk up on a stage. I wish I was kidding. I really do. I wish this was for
comedic purposes, but it's the truth. I don't think that's the same thing, but it is similar to it.
What was on your mind today? Well, I mean, actually, I mean, I kind of want to chime in
to what Seth was going to bring up. And all you got, you got some, you got to come on on here,
but about the injuries. And I know we've talked about this. I mean, you know, for the past
a couple of years with the playmakers and stuff. And it just comes down to a quick teaching
these kids, how to throw a curveball at the age of 10. At the age of 11, let these kids arms
progress and let them grow, let them get better. And quit putting them out there, quit playing
baseball, you're around, just like playing hockey and soccer, quit playing these sports, you're
around it. And having these coaches say, well, if you don't show up for this game, you're not
going to play anymore. It's real for this practice. You're not going to get to play in time
this week. It's to the point where it's wake up and see what's going on and what's happening
to these young. I mean, then really, if you think back, then Nolan Ryan, that some of those
older pictures have the arm issues like these kids are having nowadays. And like I said,
it, you watch the Lilly League World Series. These kids are throwing curveballs at the age of 12.
There should be no reason for that. I've ever had a little league coach when I played.
He was, I see you throw a curveball. You're not going to pitch ever again. You know, you're
just going to play the field. I'm not going to put up with it. You think you guys aren't ready
to throw curveballs and all that stuff. And he taught us how to pitch, you know, throw fastballs
or, you know, and work the edges, change your speed. We're kind of control first. How about that?
You know, not trying to throw like 80 miles an hour when you're 11 years old. Or like you said,
throw curveball. Yeah. Why don't you work on just the fundamentals? How do you, you know,
make the ball go where you want it to go, right? Right. You have all the science on football and
concussions and all this stuff. Why don't you start looking at the science on throwing motions?
Yeah. I think that's going to start coming out real soon. I think because of the rash that we've
seen of such high profile pictures right now, I think that's probably going to do it. And
and the absolutely ass and I statement by the players association about it. I couldn't believe
that. I just totally blew my mind. Yeah. That they said it's because of the pitch clock.
Like what? Excuse me? Oh, there. You know, I'm I'm like James. I'm usually on the side of the
players. And I still am on the side of the players because I don't want to get hurt. But when
the players association says just ridiculous things like this, come on. They're only hurting themselves
in the end. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't see where the pitch clock has anything to do with
was there arm? It's just it's just the fact is that it starts at the age of at the age of starting
to throw a baseball. If you don't learn how to throw the ball properly, it's just going to hurt
you in the end. And I just I don't I don't get where the players association came up with that
that like you said, I don't know either. It just we're we're just oh go ahead. Go ahead.
Oh, it's just it's just everybody's just trying to posture. It's all it is. They're trying to,
you know, yeah, it is. It is. And it's just terrible hell to do it on. I look forward to getting
into this more in a little bit because I do want to I do want to come back to this one. So
we're going to we're going to mark our page. We're going to bend it. We're going to bend it.
We're going to hear a little on the pager. And we'll come back to it. We are you welcome to call
back brother. Welcome to call back. And thank you always for the call. We appreciate you.
Keep the calls coming everybody. But not right now. We're waiting on a call. We're waiting on a
call. I don't believe that we have like call waiting. We don't really know. So we kind of have to
keep the lights open a little bit for John to be able to call us call in to us. Right. Right.
Right. We are looking forward to talking with John Adyes. He is with the Wisconsin Badgers. He's
the answer with them and looking forward to that. I wanted to get into what you guys were talking
about there, but I don't want to get going. Yeah. I know she's saying it too far into that.
Everything. It does seem like though that they are it's a big problem. So they're trying to
I would never ever under any circumstances try to defend Rob Mammford.
Almost any I would think 100% or or or or a lot of people in these situations to be honest. But
I could see how it's such a big problem. They're focusing on what you can do and you could do
things in MLB. You can't do anything on a high school level. You can't do anything on a college
level. Bringing it up that in but like I'm saying this is if you were like in a room just you
in your your colleagues talking about it not coming out with a statement about it to the masses.
Like that's completely different. Right. That you know it's one thing talking and spitballing
with each other like hey do you think it might be this. I have no problem with that. But like to
actually you know what we don't really have any evidence on this. We've got like a year's worth
of data. But we're okay. We're just going to go ahead and say this. And the way they opened it
was we just stick with the player side for right now. The way they opened the statement the
universally what was it about about the pitch clock. They said it was universally panned by the
what. Yeah. Yeah. The players association could have could have gone out there last year and
said no we're not playing. We're going to do whatever you know we do not agree to these rules
and but they did otherwise they wouldn't have been able to go because it was a it was a a change
to the collective bargaining agreement and every time you do that the players have to sign off
on it. Yeah. And they did. I mean yeah some players grumbled about it at the beginning of the
year and then what happened. No one said anything. Yeah. After that no one said a word about it.
So that's part of the problem with the statement saying that all of a sudden the pitch clock is the
reason for no no because there's a wealth of information that we have. There's been people who have
been looking into this for a while now because they're they want to know and we can get into that
later but it's it's really sad it's really sad to see that on a on a large scale level and I
understand that's my approach to this but I think part of the problem is the presentation of sports
on on a professional level I'm talking about not any other level but on a professional level
because we're taught in grade school in high school junior high high school all this play for
the love of the game play for the love of the game play for the love of the game college gets
a little bit different. You want to win championships. You want to win trophies. You want to win
these things and say you don't say you don't say you don't in high school but this becomes a
little bit more of the detail and everything then you get to the pros and oh business business business
business business loyalty only matters when your contracts up and we need you to play for cheaper
that's it that's the only time anytime anybody brings up loyalty to everything if a player gets
caught or traded or whatever it nobody ever says the franchise every once in a while maybe
you hear a franchise should have been loyal to a player but that dies pretty quick. So our
approach to sports is is confusing for I would think anybody walking into it like everything
building up to it we're the whole entire idea of sports is you're gonna get good at this level
so you can move on to the next right good at this level the move on to the next we're doing that
with everything the mental part of the game and the actual physical part of the game and then we
get into the aspect of oh yeah by the way it's a business this is your job now forget about
love of the game I don't care if you love the game ask how many owners care if their players
love the game or they're paying them to love the game they're paying them to get out there and play
and perform perform not not look at the word we even use for it perform like an entertainer like an
actor like something like like a musician so people will come and watch them and pay for the
privilege to do it so that's why they're doing it so whether it's football telling me in one
side that they care about player safety and on the other adding a extra week or it's the players
association in baseball saying it's a pitch clock issue and not actually what you and our
baller were talking Kevin were talking about there this speaks to the art of the business it
keeps the wheels moving yeah if we say it's a bigger problem on the football issue well we've
got a lot of work to do on this we don't know how to fix pit football you know what we're gonna
have to take a break no football for a while until we fix this yeah right yes I just even
even possibly the most ridiculous statement you've ever had right there you know it's no different
with baseball that's true you know what we don't understand what happening to these arms this
is an epidemic we got to shut this down imagine imagine if they don't care about that stuff they
care about the business yeah and so that approach we approach it as fans because we love the game
they are they're not playing the same game we are imagine if you go to the owners broadband for
it say hey Rob you know we've added all these extra playoff levels to baseball you know maybe we
should we should shorten the season yeah 254 games like it used to be way back in the day from 162
to 150 for how about that maybe with that work yeah right yeah are you kidding me those extra days
of revenue for the owners forget it you forget it you would be fired you would be maybe even
tarred feather yeah maybe even that yeah no problem adding more but yeah when you think about
that what that does to the players bodies it's like oh my gosh then I could be one of the reasons
there aren't guys who pitch 280 anymore you know it's it's interesting you and Kevin we're talking
you know it was reminded of a couple of really good interviews and I'm going to reference PTI
again when they owe me money they really do I mentioned it too much but cornheiser and will
bond are not only really good at what they do the great interviewers and their great teammates as
interviewers and they had on a couple of times but I'm just thinking of the latest interviews they
had with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer and them talking about this and both those guys are
adamant about playing multiple sports don't just focus on one sport you want your kids to keep busy
want your kids to keep active all that but you don't want them to play the same sport over and over
so yeah you know they like baseball pick up a soccer ball use your legs and that's what really
worked for them I feel like right now these are bad examples as they are both out of the DL
but they're also both you know up their age and everything right right they they've had even
even a guy like you can make an argument even though if you want to throw back at me Justin
Verlanders had Tommy John I will throw at you the Saiyungs in the world series that he has won since
then you know it's yeah so I think that there is a lot to be said for that part of it too there's
no way though whatever the solution is that it's one thing that oh if we do this everything will be
better right like there's no way that it's no no and and one of the troubling things that I read
about this whole kerfuffle about with injuries and everything and then what the what major league
baseball responded of course to what the players released and they said well look at all this data
which is correct again I hate to side with them but they're right on this and and they I've
sought quote from Dr. James Andrews Dr. James Andrews is the man who pioneered Tommy John
surgery the ligament replacement in their arm the you well you see L okay and he said the number
he said when they first started this in the 80s and stuff like that they would get a handful you
know you know teenagers that would do it that did something to him you think there's a lot of
Tommy John surgery's going on in the majors right now high schoolers make up the majority yeah high
schoolers a majority that is insane he said they should not be throwing 80 you know when the
UCL matures in the human body at the age of 26 whoa whoa that really 26 huh I never heard that
before they're doing this stuff to it when they're no wonder no wonder it's this is I mean it's
been building and building and building and building because they keep wanting to throw wow in
order to make it in baseball today you got to throw 95 and up yeah yeah and that's putting a
strain on your arm you're doing it you're round yeah that's gonna stay with pictures now are going
to specialty schools in the offseason drive line is the probably the most famous okay these are
owned and operated by former players yeah yeah okay they add a couple of miles per hour to their
fastball but what is it doing to their arm and that's you know already an unnatural motion they
would also aggravates me of both all this Seth is we already had the perfect tool for kids to learn
baseball it was Fred McGriff it was it was the crime do you remember that commercial
and you too you too can play baseball you're the worst actor ever I love Fred McGriff man he was terrible
yeah I'm Fred McGriff very happy he's in the Hall of Fame me too but yeah that was there was a
we here's the thing too and this is nothing against our good a great caller Kevin you
one of my favorite minds there is that I've met honestly I say that it isn't as if we just thought
of stuff out of the blue you know and like we're the first ones that they know this stuff they do
they have to be hearing some of this stuff and the fact that they're kind of dragging their feet
on it I don't know what that tells you but it tells you a lot you just got to read between the lines
on it I I like to see some change I'd like to see some some better comments on it okay say you're
not going to make a change right now or do something about this right now because this isn't something
the other part that we're not talking about with this too is it is a little bit of telling parents
what to do with their kids and nobody nobody is ever one any PR around doing that right so I don't
think and I know that none of us are trying to do that no but I do think that there's an
underlying of that of why isn't this being talked about more why isn't more being done right Rob
Manfred's probably even as unpopular as he is and he has the work he has got to have one of the
worst publicists of all time or one of the most hardworking ones at least I don't know but as bad
as that is even he's not going to come out and say hey parents stop doing this yeah I would like
to see parents do that just as a society you know I was thinking about this on the way in here
and they're talking about Caitlin Clark is she the goat and the big argument if she is not the
goat is she hasn't won a championship and thinking about how where when when in society we got to
a point of the only way you could be considered great great true great is it by winning and I was
thinking of how growing up there was a lot of people making fun of the generation getting everybody
gets a trophy generation and I'm thinking about that generation now and all they care about is winning
all they care about is championships so for one that didn't work and two like what where because
it was around before that and it's even around now and in that generation has taken it to a
whole other level of now you could be Caitlin Clark you could be like have records and all of us have
seen your greatness and still yeah but did she win but but but she won a big 10 championship but
she won that no no no did she win that's what it always comes back to so I that's that's an
interesting part of this too when you think about I'm with you kids in sports and in this drive
to throw 95 at 13 and all these things yeah all of this plays into it I think and it comes back
to hey parents how are you going to parent your kids right are you parenting them because you're
living vicariously through them because you didn't get the chance to play in the big leagues or
something or are you hey Johnny I know you love baseball but please pick up a soccer ball if you
really love that sport right like this is the way to stay around that sport and and we these are
conversations we know the families are having especially when it comes to football and and the
concussion risk people are saying you know they're sitting down and saying okay this is what it is
okay I know you want to play but these are the risks these are what's going to happen kind of thing
we are concerned your parents are concerned about what's going to happen to you if you decide to
keep playing this game and the those are a hard those are hard conversations but they're important
ones and I think that's kind of where we're headed with a lot of this stuff now to be fair
concussions are a lot worse than you know attending in your arm okay let's let's be put this
in perspective but at the same time it's still you know yeah it's it's just part and parcel to the
whole the whole package that we got here um a career can end from a concussion as much as
at any UCL or something absolutely I think they are kind of you know fair to put in the same
category and to some degree with the context right and you know all of this two being said
it come coming back to the business part of this sure the machine is just going to keep running
oh absolutely moving um and it's just gonna it's with the oil of the blood of the workers
oh sorry right nicely done nicely done uh it is also going to be uh it's a sports fan since nothing
is going to be changing in the next seat this season here I think it's going to be quite a wild year
if you're just if you're pulling all of these other things away and you're just as a sports fan
watching baseball we have no idea who is a good pitcher we know I don't know who like all the good
ones are out right now not all the good ones but you know what I mean a lot of the really top
pitchers are out right now because of the same problem I think you're going to see uh some wild
like this isn't a statement this is not a take this is a fact even without this you would have it
but I do think you're going to be seeing even wilder no hitters this year than usual um it could
be you you know guy who has never played in the mid pitched in the majors throwing hitter no
position player coming out right yeah uh and and I I would like I think it might be interesting to
see towards the end of the season or even to heck the all-star break bring this question back
come the all-star break are the the batting stats through the roof um uh because we're not
seeing any of the pitcher no we haven't seen that yet we're seeing plenty of conversation about
the pitching and the pitching not being that on all these other things or are the pitchers that we
know uh to be good not even playing if they can uh but so far haven't necessarily been seen the
ball leaving the yard that crazy it is it is basically still winner for these guys um it is
I know I know technically to spring before baseball baseball it's a little on the chilly side you're
playing on 50-40 degree weather you might as well not used to that right yeah so all the boys
of summer for a reason yeah we'll see where that goes uh I'm curious where I know where we're going
to a break all right uh we will be back with more fun uh on the morning I knew I was gonna do
I knew I was gonna do it's not my fault my guest didn't show up so I just I that's I'm gonna
no actually you know I'm not blaming the guests the eclipse oh there you go yeah perfect I blame
the eclipse too we have a built-in excuse all of us today all day long anything goes wrong today
you could just blame the eclipse I really you forgot to take the garbage out eclipse
we'll be back with more playmakers brought to you by quality plus pretty getting your words
out here Wisconsin Rapids WF HR locally grown radio welcome back to playmakers here at WF HR locally
grown radio got Seth and James by the mics thanks for joining us everybody phone lines are wide
open seven one five four two four twenty six hundred feel free to call up and join the conversation
we will take the uh to a show every any direction you want to go yeah you want to talk lacrosse we
will talk lacrosse you want to talk curling sure I actually thought about that this weekend for
the first time really I was thinking about curling I was thinking about it just don't want to
bring up the white socks is the only thing you want anything to avoid having to talk about the white
socks for me would be a good idea uh let's go ahead and get to the phone lines good afternoon you're
on the show well sorry happy groundhog stay James hey yes yes thank you thank you we know
something was happening today right god I love our listeners I love you guys but uh you guys
are gonna be talking pictures and it got me thinking why don't they teach kids how to throw the
old fashioned knuckleball oh you know what that is something near and dear to my heart I love the
knuckleball there needs to be more knuckleball pictures yeah yeah yeah great references um both
knee grows through knuckleball actually Joe and Phil did I I love the idea of um like that that
replacing the fastball like like a baseball goes that direction you know you have too picking
you've got a fastball in a knuckleball that's all you need that's it that's it oh you need
oh bad catchers would hate it yeah catchers would wait that actually that actually leads into my
next comment uh this time a year always reminds me of Bob Euker yeah yeah and uh Bob Euker had 14
home runs in his career huh that's pretty good not bad you get you hit uh three home runs off of
one of them was Gaylord Perry and Sandy co-facts and Fergie Jenkins oh my
whoa wow boy that's a triumph for it to take out and nice so darn cool I'm really impressed by
the co-facts one yeah yeah and uh I think he had something against some guy named race
Sadecki because he hit two of them off it yeah yeah what he played for the giant no no
Euker he didn't after that no he's probably happy about it and I'm about to that probably
really a big fan of about the words um but uh another thing I'd like to implore you about uh you
mentioned Dr. James Andrews mm-hmm and that got me thinking and they got me thinking about Bo Jackson
mm-hmm and I thought of all Bo Jackson and I thought James is a big fan of Bo Jackson mm-hmm
and uh a good thing to uh actually read is a book called Bono's Bo by uh I think it was
Jer Dick Shap and Bo Jack yep great Dick Shap yeah yeah it's a really good book really good book
it's one of the best sports books I'll you'll ever read yep that's my that's my recommendations for
the day guys very cool appreciate it yeah you want to hear a quick stat of the show
stat of the show yeah don't want us to get trouble we need to I don't want to get in trouble with
the departure show though no no no the other thousand radio shows that do a stat of the day I think
that's the show thing but I thought this was an interesting one uh LeBron James in his first season
his first time playing against the Knicks and the starting lineup for the Knicks Charlie Ward
and DeCambi Matumbo oh my gosh that's how long the Bronx would play and like Charlie Ward
that's Florida State yeah yeah I heard that I thought that was a big fan of Charlie Ward
me too me too I thought it was a shame that like Charlie Ward has the career he has uh nowadays
he's a first-round pick in the NFL not like in the NFL yeah the fact that he didn't get a chance
was always weird to me but you know that's that was the game back then one one extra
stuff Chris Winky Chris Winky happened geez yeah Chris Winky Chris Winky was 27 doing that I believe 26
or 27 doing that at FSU that was interesting then now it is that's not going to be a big deal
anymore seeing a guy like 25 26 now in the cheese uh we're going to be seeing a lot more van
wilders we're going to be solving a lot more uh those guys what was the what was the white
whiteer guy yeah it's yes grab his boys another go oh LeDeckey who's that his name yes
Johnny LeDeckey was in was it whitewater or one of the Wisconsin schools there for like
20 some years yeah thanks for the call man yeah appreciate you keep those calls coming everybody
seven one five four two four twenty six hundred four two four twenty six hundred listening
on the civic media app you're just a touch or two away and thank you for downloading the app
uh one more extra fact for you Bob Euker hosted SNL hosted SNL back in 1984 yeah that's awesome
uh I think that's just a fun fact that was the that was right was that right around bit Mr.
Belbert Belbert time when he was doing the show so um yeah good actor Bob Euker good actor he uh
also he hosted around a time when they had one of their more legendary casts you know
my mark short and a bunch of other greats on there yeah uh speaking out the brewers they are
throwing Aaron Ashby up there at the on the mound for the first time this season against the
Cincinnati Reds Graham Ashcroft going in with an oh one three ERA oh one record three ERA um
should be a good one tonight I was uh I was I mean speaking up to the point of Juneus now he's
yeah yeah another guy got down I mean come on I um I I wouldn't I I would not buy stock of
pitchers not right now it's it's kind of hard to do kind of hard to do uh and it's kind of hard
to get this far into a sports show it have not talked about uh the men's national championship
game tonight wait what's that tonight or what John Calipari just did because what John Calipari
just did is a game changer not so much for oh it means that in the in the SEC and it means the
power shift of Kentucky and Arkansas or something like that or uh you know what even even in the
standings in the next couple of seasons or recruiting I'm not talking about any of that uh I'm
talking about the the behind the quiet part being set out loud um that part uh the the idea of
leaving a blue blood uh franchise I'm just I'm gonna start calling him it won't you might as well
dude I don't know why we're bothering with the terminology anymore no let's stop it stop it
uh it's just it's a franchise so free agency there's a signing phone I mean it's it's basically
the same thing why do we give a different name I don't know I'm not worried about it no we need
this I'm just I'm just gonna go ahead and throw it out there from now on but uh you leave a
Kentucky for Arkansas like that is unheard of so you start looking between in a reading between
the lines and everything and if this happens 20 years ago maybe some good sports writers find
some things out and connect some dots but nowadays within minutes you know that John Calipari is
great friends with a billionaire who happens to have Arkansas ties and all the sudden things
start clicking a little bit more and and then you know we've heard rumblings for the last couple
of seasons the Kentucky fan base isn't happy with him and then oh the all powerful boosters yeah
yeah and these things and and there's there's such a we saw this in football already with Nebraska
you know Nebraska football I heck even right now you go to a diehard Nebraska football fan and they
won't with a straight face tell you that they are college royalty that they belong in the national
championship game every year you ask a Notre Dame fan that same thing same response now I think
the majority of us as college fans understand that's that is long gone that's that's in the past
that is a Harvard winning championships gone like that's 19 to 11 that is Austin Celtics winning like
20 championships before you and I were ever born and in our lifetimes we've seen them win one
you know this is a difference of this happening a country all in the NHL yes yes a great example
but in college sports it's so different because of the personal loyalties and everything and the
way we've treat these teams I'd like they're a part of us and everything and what we're seeing is
something that I don't think a lot of us have experienced in our lifetimes a changing of the
guard of what is a blue blood and if it matters I don't think that that's the game changer to me
the idea of even even though he's a billionaire my friend over there in Arkansas all this stuff it
might be tempting yeah and in the Kentucky fanbase doesn't appreciate me and all this stuff and
everything yeah it's tempting but it's Kentucky I'm not leaving I'm not leaving you don't go down
as a coach you go up if I'm leaving Kentucky I'm leaving for the Celtics I'm leaving for the
Atlanta Hawks I'm leaving for an MLB job even UCLA speaking of teams that weren't what they're
they were you know that those things that doesn't happen so why does it happen we hear those three
reasons we see that and that it doesn't matter it doesn't matter if you're a blue blood anymore
no your history means nothing it mean now to you as a fan sure I'm not taking I'm making
light of that that that certainly does but I mean to the kid from out of state the kid that
you're trying to recruit the kid that you're trying to pull in don't bother showing them the
championships that look that's what you used to do yeah it's a look at yeah exactly it's a great
story of how Pat Riley finalized the deal with LeBron and Wade and Bosch that he came into the
meeting with his championship rings put him on a table that's all he did that's it that's and
and minutes later they were signing the contract like like that used to mean something you used to
be able to do that now you do that to a young athlete and like nice rings yeah those are pretty
what can you offer me hey what does your jersey look like hey what is this how what is that
the et cetera what is the NIL reference blue blue blood means nothing now yeah it means nothing
anymore and I just find that interesting I just it's college sports is almost built on that right
oh you're never going to go to this franchise over this franchise because well my god it's it's
Alabama football right it's you know you know I would you why would you not play for Alabama
on all this right well now why would I I don't have to go to the like there's nothing to Tuscaloosa
for me yeah there's nothing there for me yeah NFL prospect this NFL prospect that I just saw a
guy go for you know I even even back in when we were kids Brandy Moss out of Marshall like when's
you know how many they chat penny didn't there's been a cut by her left which is a handful of guys
couple of guys came out of Marshall right didn't hurt Randy Moss you know he he still had a great
career you know don't don't bother with me telling me where he went in the draft and all that he got
drafted he that's what matters he's he got in the league he got to prove himself in the league yeah
well and and it's uh I think it may be and this just occurred to me and maybe you've already
thought about this but is this why we're moving towards the women sports in college
is this why there's suddenly this interest in them it's been building yes it has been building
but is it because it's the more traditional college type game look at basketball look at I mean
that's a so many people have commented on it's like it's more you know fundamental it's more
blah blah blah blah blah but is it but there I mean now but are we promote is it are these stars
happening organically or do we just promoting them now is that I mean are we doing giving Caitlin
Clark all this in you know all this spotlight because yeah well she's great of course she is
there's been other great players before and they have not gotten nearly the spotlight that she has
yeah I mean that's a question I I don't know I don't know the answer great points but it's like wow
is that what's going on I also would like to apologize to you in the audience because we do share
brain so uh real quick everybody the way that I had the show built in my head today the outline
we're gonna start with the calipari stuff yeah right and I was gonna lean into what you were
just saying they're into college women's college sports and the rise of that and then have on
the Wisconsin women's badgers and now it's sir uh it was gonna be great it was gonna be such a great
opening it was gonna take us to three thirty then we're gonna have coach yeah it's all in my head
it's the clips uh I think it's all the clips it's all the clips um I I think that there is something
there what you're saying I think that um and it speaks to something else we've talked about too
the difference of seeing a kid who I'm just learning his name and oh I remember her from two years
ago or I remember that um that's another big thing that we like to call sports sports is unless
you are playing it or you involved it and on the business level sports is a hobby it's a hobby
in our heads it's a it's a it's a fun thing it's something that we care about on the side we got a
job to do we got kids to raise we got this we got that we got other things in our lives going on
sports is that break sports is that thing for many of us for many I'm not saying everybody for
many yeah um with with that you you only have so much bandwidth so you gotta have a quick it's
gotta be quick and it's gotta be good information it's gotta be right away and we can and in our
heads I'm not talking about what information we're taking in but in our heads when we're thinking
about these things when we're balancing the time we're gonna spend on them or anything like that
so I think that that plays into it too I think there's a part of it with that yeah they're all
going for that same piece of the pie and there's only so many people there's only so much time yeah
and then that's that's the value here is how much time is getting on the air how much time is
getting you know talking about it on sports shows like this or whatever you know that's that's
the main value here is the time I um I don't want to have to learn new names give me the
Caitlin Clarks give me the the names I'm already familiar with give me the teams I'm already
familiar with all right let's go yeah you know men's game is turn it used to be the opposite
where you there was every women's athletics has been on a slow build for decades yes if you've
been paying attention for decades the W the NBA sure has they put all their they lose money
every day on the W NBA they don't care well I'm sure they care but they're gonna keep doing it
because they're not gonna stop in other words yeah look at what it's done look at what it's helping
and you know it's amazing it's incredible one of the best investments in sports history is what
the NBA has done there and nobody talks about it right but it is a very cool thing to see um
with with now it's shifting as we all see in our real time here and everything and I think a big
part of it is that it is it's it's bandwidth we only have so much thought yeah so you're asking me
who what team I'm gonna root for next year the one I know yeah no that makes sense right yeah it's
where it usually goes yeah good afternoon you're on the air hey did you uh have a catch the
eclipse oh no no it was all covered up here yeah we're we covered up and working that's really
too bad because it's a first good shot at the movies since 2004 when the Vikings played the
packers at Lambo Field oh that was it that was it uh great that was a great shot they had on that
game yes that was that was I'll never forget that I don't remember anything else about the game
who cares about the game but great shot of the moon that's a great shot of the moon that's a great
reference about great reference appreciate you appreciate best listeners oh man I wanted to
get to this stat when we were talking pictures um average game time increased 14 minutes from late
1990s to 2021 in 2022 while pitcher injury skyrocket from a combined 11,668 IL days in 95 and
299 to 31,000 days in 2023 yeah I saw that stat and that was I'd be very telling very telling
that uh that yeah it gets back to a lot of what we were saying before and I I thought that would
kind of um put a bow not bow on it we're never gonna stop talking about that at least until it
gets fixed but uh for this hour for this conversation for this conversation uh I meant to get
that in the earlier we're gonna get to uh one more break we've got to do here okay and we will do
that we'll come back take care of our partners and have some fun with that and when we come back
we're gonna wrap up the show and get some more conversation I want to talk about those prop
bets a little bit with uh oh yes the laws going on with that and some more on playmakers here at WFHR
welcome back to playmakers here at WFHR locally your own radio big thank you to our friends
over quality plus printing sponsoring the hour thank you so much to fill in the gang over there
looking forward to talking with you Wednesday Phil yeah uh we are looking forward to talk with you
to the top of the hour we'll have the show go ahead and bring us up 424 2600 call up and join
the conversation looking forward to it uh I want to talk a little bit about um free agency
but not free agency okay not free agency like we know it as far as with players what if teams
could be free agents oh boy the uh Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs are in an
interesting situation right now where the most recent vote went in and there that city is not
paying for a new franchise our new stadium they're not paying for it uh we've had a similar thing
here in Milwaukee with the brewers um we see what's going on with the Oakland A's right I'm sorry
the Sacramento A's no wait no the the uh uh uh uh the Las Vegas is I don't know what's to do
it's update where's open the athletics yeah we see with the athletics um so this is an
interesting thing as well in sports going on right now well again going back to the business
end of sports and and you know hey we care about you we love your fan base you're the best fan
base in sports um they're offering us what over there yeah see ya see ya um you know uh
did art model do it right by at least doing it where it was a dead of night and like we've always
given a art model a hard time for that right right one of the great villains of sports right
right right that although to be fair he's he moved into Baltimore from Cleveland it was uh what's
his face Urs uh the oh the earth you're right it was our day to move from Baltimore he's the one
that did it in the middle of it is greatly to the that go and apologize our model still a jerk
uh yes absolutely still a jerk but I'm apologizing about that part of his job yeah yeah yeah um
not jerky for other reasons yeah yeah you've got Oakland that's going to be playing in front of
20 people now they're already playing in front of 20 people you say the players though like
the Oakland facility and what we ask of athletes this again like the business of the sport while
telling you while telling you to love the game not just the players but us as fans love the game
forget about the prices yes the prices are going up but don't you love the game oh yeah this is
this is crazy this is insane but love the game controversy uh uh uh referee and umpire doesn't
do a right call but love the game and and now it's down to jerseys it's even that where they're
even like trying to lie they're lying to us about that now their performance where we've got to test
it out and god worst like it looks if if you're if you're if you're child went out there in a high
school uniform like that you'd be ashamed let alone that's going on I'm going to make a bold
prediction the river king's uniform so look a heck of a lot better than the major league uniforms
this year oh yeah unless they buy them from the same place which I hope to god they don't uh you
mean rafters I mean rafters sorry yeah I mean the rafters river kings and rafters jerseys look a lot
that I got one of them in front of me right now it looks a lot better conditioned than what they're
playing in um that's and that is it it's embarrassing it's embarrassing and it's such a smack in
the face uh because again all the information's out there nowadays we know what it would cost
to sell these uh to put them to bring in new ones and everything and Nike Nike who prints money
is telling you no no no no these these are work fanatics fanatics it is not that far from Nike as far
as making money um no no we don't care we know it'd be more money we know we know we know we know
by the way you know the fanatics owns top space ball that's weird it's weird that that that that
just it makes me just uh anyway sorry I know it's a side track thing but I hear you I think actually
I would put more of the blame on Nike and this one just fanatics has been doing it for a few years
and they've been doing all right whatever what whatever happened this year was just it's a
colossal failure and it's a mess and and I mean it's distracting you you look at the players and
they've got they're covered in sweat it's like oh I don't want to see that it's nasty it's nasty man
I want to see my own sweat I don't want to see theirs and it keep in mind we've got like nothing but
5k like definition nowadays we can see every little damn spot on the
I don't love baseball that much I don't need to see that I'll listen to it on the radio yeah that's right here
um one of the things that I I also find interesting about that part with the jerseys in and with
Oakland's playing in Sacramento for those that don't know Oakland announced recently they're
going to be playing in Sacramento for the 23 years for three possibly four just just to move a
team to it I mean it's it's such a business and I I'm an adult I get that I understand but it's
the constant reminder of it while lying to you from the other side of their mouth to love the
game yeah how about you love the game yeah I was you love the reason you're making my love your
players I mean yeah you you pay them a lot but still I mean you could treat them like humans man
I'm I'm wondering if there's ever going to be any pushback of that too with the jersey thing
I'm curious I hope sorry or even a location thing okay like even that and the player so I give the
players credit on this one they were right hmm they were right about the uniforms they said
that'd be right these are horrible except for the ones that were sponsored by Nike at the
island areas but but they were right and then we see it's like oh and but they have no choice man
they just got they got to play with what they got that's what they they're given I I wonder
with the rise of employees getting more and more power in the workforce I wonder if we'll see
any of that in sports ever I don't I don't think we will no I want I'm curious and with that I
I've kind of heard a lot of rumblings over the last couple of years about draft in the NFL
and really in sports in general and the idea that in everything in board and especially in this
country you go to school and if you're an attorney and and you you basically before you're
even out of school the top schools and the top firms in the country are coming after you
yes right they're recruiting you in sports you get grabbed you're going to you're going to play
in Arkansas that's just where you're playing now and everything the idea pushing back on that
I'm curious because as somebody who loves drafts and and all of that I I know that I um
I have a bias towards it and I I'm curious to see what changes with that going forward
as long as it doesn't happen this year when my team has the first pick um because that's
what it comes down to doesn't it comes down to your money that you do exactly oh my
it does I wonder how I feel if that wasn't the case do you know why the drafts were instituted
do you have do do people understand why they were instituted it was because it was to keep the
owners from spending too much money on players they would use they were used to call bonus babies
so you'd have a really good player come out of college you pay them a big bonus you know and
they'd be bidding wars on these guys and the owners because they can't help themselves
they have to they literally have to find ways to keep them from spending money which is hilarious
considering the way they they you know scrimp on the other things yeah but anyway so they did that
so it's like oh we got to protect ourselves from spending too much money let's do a draft instead
only in only with human beings would you have like laws to keep us from doing things like
do yeah exactly that's that's quite interesting anyway anyway really interesting show I got to
thank you Seth we had to improv a lot today I appreciate that you guys out there helping keep
in the show moving yeah thank you to the best listeners and radio appreciate all of you
of course a gigantic thank you to quality plus printing sponsor in the hour big thank you to them
we got more sports coming up everybody a little bit later actually like in 20 minutes in 20 minutes
we've got to on wi arrive you sure to join us on over over on 105 pitsville at nicoosa baseball my
concept is going to be running that one yeah tomorrow yeah tomorrow on wfh r at six o'clock our tip
off will be for bucks hosting Boston god that's a big game that's a big game on Wednesday more
bucks basketball as they host Orlando and more throughout the week it's going to be a lot of fun
looking forward to it looking forward to taking some of your phone calls next week with more playmakers
be sure to meet us back here and spread the word about the show yeah we want to get this show
bigger and bigger we can do that with all of your help thank you very much have yourself a great day
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