Inside The Lockers

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it's almost game time and you're going inside the lockers with JC

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and D-Hawk on 91.5 KUNV broadcasted live from the campus of UNLV

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and good morning Vegas good morning USA wherever you happen to be listening to us right now we are inside the lockers and we come at you live every Sunday 7 to 8 a.m. right here on public radio KUNV. That's 91.5 on the dial. And if you are outside of the Vegas area, hopefully you've downloaded the KUNV app and you're checking into us. If you want to call, whether you're local or out of town, we'd love to hear from you about topics we're talking about. Or even if you have your own topic you want to discuss, the number where we can be reached this morning is 702-895-5868. And we're here live on the campus of the beautiful UNLV in Las Vegas. And I'm JC. Dee Hawk, you out there on the East Coast holding it down? How you doing?

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Good morning JC. Good morning everybody. Out here holding it down.

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And you know, a lot to get to today, but I think we'll start off with the World Series matchup is all set up. Once again, the Houston Astros are returning three times in five years now. But surprisingly, world champions from last year and a lot of favorite to go back this year, although they did not even win their division, but they did get past Frisco. But the Dodgers, I think, past frisco but dodgers i think a little bit of surprise that they won't be getting there in the braves uh... coming out of the and at least two you know we're kinda uneven for a good part of the year before figuring it out late that's what it takes in sports talk i think you know uh... uncle mo you know what you don't go more on your side more momentum moment and you write that you just get hot at the right time in the world beat isn't you know the braves were a little banged up obviously no Kershaw, but at the end of the day You know look look very strong against Frisco. They looked well For the most part throughout the season that lineup starting to come around even the games they won against the Braves putting up seven eight nine runs But you know Walker Bueller the the the young phenom couple other guys that I think they expected Bigger outings from did not deliver and to the Braves credit they got it. So Braves Astros any thoughts on who you like in Take to take the crown. I think that

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The Astros are probably the favorite to win but I think I'm gonna go with the Braves to to keep riding Uncle Mo and Thinking a big good story that first time. Getting there since what 1999? Yeah, it's been a minute that's for sure. And they definitely beat a good team in the Dodgers. That might have gave them the right confidence at the right time because like you said it's all about the time and it's not you can start out in the beginning undefeated 30 or no

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40 or no but it's all about how you finish. And I want to give a shout out to someone who's just been a baseball lifer, and whether as a player or as a manager, has just done incredible things. That's the manager of the Astros, Dusty Baker. In his 70s, crushing it, looks young, spry, and pushing all the right buttons. I've got to say, in baseball, a manager has value. I think in some sports, it's getting to the point where it's the talent. You just run the talent out there and hopefully you don't mess it up, but it's all going to take care of themselves. Even the Lakers, I don't know who's getting on Frank Vogel, they're all full of players to figure it out. But in baseball, when there's a man on second, less than two out, are you bunting the guy over? Who do you bring in the reliever? Do you let your starter go too long? There are multiple decisions throughout a season and certainly throughout a playoff series that is right square on the manager's shoulders and and When a person like Dusty Baker continues to just show up wherever he shows up the team wins He's got to start giving that man some love See this man is You know knows what he's doing and then earning his salary and I just want to acknowledge it because no one talks enough about the great job that he's done for his career. This isn't just new, but certainly doing it now. I think I'm with you. There's something about the Braves, the way they're constructed. The pitching is good, the bullpen is sound. It's one of those teams where I don't think anybody just jumps out at you like the Patriots of old, but it seems like there's enough good batters coming up regularly throughout the innings that they'll scratch out a run. The thing about the Astros you've got to stay away from is the beginning. That's the Astros. Yeah, they can hop out on you. You think you're good. What was it? A few days ago, where they scored nine runs in a night? Wait a second, it was 2-2 in the eighth. What was the final? 11-2? What happened?

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You hit a wrecking scratch.

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What happened? But that's the Astros. The Astros can do that to you. So that's the thing you're always cognizant of when you're playing that team. Or certainly as a gambler when you're down 4-1 you might feel like you still got a shot at it. But the Braves just scratch, scratch, scratch. They get the big outs and they get the two out hits. At the end of the day, that's what baseball is about. Can you get the third out and can you get the two out hit. If you can do those two things, you're probably going to be alright. I think that's what they've done this year. Certainly it's what they've done lately. I'm with you. I think it carries them through. It should be a fun one. Anyway, we haven't really spoken about baseball that much on this show. That's another thing too about baseball this year. There's been a lot of different, you know, Hawks like this where there was no hitters, but you know, it just seemed like, I don't know, it just seemed like there was other noise and other sports that seemed to just drown out baseball this year. Am I crazy saying that?

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It's been louder around the world of sports, period. And we also had the Olympics this year. It's been a lot.

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It's not like I haven't been following the baseball. Usually, here's my baseball season for those of you at home. I watch it religiously for about 70 games, write a game 72, the Mets take their nose dive and as soon as they go 6, 7, 8 games out, I turn off the dial. That is the majority of my baseball watching career. This year was no different. They were in first place at the All-Star break. They certainly fired their manager and who knows what that will do. Speaking about getting fired, we never really addressed it last week. John Gruden was fired and untenable to keep his position after all that stuff came out. Now he's saying the truth will come out I don't know what that means. I mean the emails of emails you wrote him But I was very impressed. Here's what I want to talk about. I was very impressed that the Raiders went on the road and won and when you're you know, I've never really had the level of Dominance as a player in college, but I was a part of that kind of a locker room. When I was at Hofstra, a guy who was destined to be in the Hall of Fame, and eventually he got into the West Florida Hall of Fame, but he had one of the top winning percentages in college basketball, Richard Berg. What happened was, all of a sudden, you expected to win in New York, we weren't winning, and you could just feel the pressure. Like he was getting fired, and everybody knew it. You know what I mean? And again, different than this Gruden situation, but the point I'm making is when it really is turmoil in the locker room. And you played for John Chaney, who was probably as steady a ship as it goes, didn't have to worry about that kind of stuff, but you played on a lot of different teams. Hawk, what is it like when the outside noise on the organization is a negative and you can just feel it's fractured and it's only the men in the locker room or the women that have to come together to go play under those circumstances and then to go win like the Raiders did.

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What do you think about that and what are your experiences in the past? I haven't been in that situation other than being overseas and it is a little different there because not only can the coach or somebody get fired, the player can get sent home fast. I've been in those situations though because we only play once a week and two games maybe three games lost in three weeks or that's three games out of a month the fans, the city that you represent is that the newspaper, you know They let you know and they let you know in the paper This might be so-and-so's last game. He has to do it. So we try to come together and just it's nothing that we can control other than going out and trying to win but it is a little tough and you do have to come together as a team and like you block out that outside noise and try to let each other know that we're all we have because when the going gets tough we see how it gets on the outside. So like as you said I was impressed with that Raiders win.

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Yeah and isn't it funny like at the end of the day no matter what sport you're in when there's more than one person involved with like tennis or boxing, teams win games. And whatever binds you, right? Sometimes even something negative or even, God forbid, something tragic can bind a team in a way that the coach couldn't. Is that crazy, right? That the coach couldn't. It's true. And even the players themselves couldn't on their own and then all of a sudden it's like that us against them mentality and before you know it, all the things that were hurting you, everyone's just looking out for each other. Everyone's just playing better. The product is better. But it was a good win for them, obviously. I do want to say one thing. I have to say it. I'm sorry. So I just want to say, when that was going on, a player who barely played walked into Richard Berg's office and said, listen, I hear what's going on. I think it's terrible guys aren't playing hard I Don't play that much, but if you start me tonight, I guarantee you'll have a victory and the guy and the guy goes you realize we're playing Delaware like the number one team in the conference like I Said I don't care who will play if we play well we'll win this talent on this team. And he's like, well, I appreciate your sentiments, but we're good. And that player left, and then that player showed up to the game, and his name was on the chalkboard. And they went out and played, and they did win. They won in overtime. They beat Delaware.

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Congrats, JC. And that's who it was.

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It was me.

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Sounds like you.

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You all the way.

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I walked into the coach's office with the New York media, you know, wanting blood from this guy. I said, listen, man, if you start me tonight, I guarantee we'll win. That is a true story, by the way. I almost feel like calling Richard Berger in his house in Florida right now to validate it. But anyway, that's the point. The point is that when you have something that combines you together, there is no stopping a team that's committed. The reason why I bring that up, Hawk, is because... and this is something I think people are overplaying and I'm sure you've had this too. Let's jump right to the Lakers. So the Lakers are not playing well. It's only two games in and what everybody wants to make a big deal out of, which you know and I think I can speak, again, I've never played at your level, but I certainly have had it happen, two guys jawing at each other, whether it's in the dugout in baseball or on the court, that is nothing. And the media and the fans want to make it like it's something. Do you make anything out of the AD Dwight Howard thing? Or is that just basketball? You're getting blown out. You're down by 30 at home. Talk to me on this because I don't know what the hell people are freaking out about. It's an 82-game season. The Lakers are 0-2 and everyone's looking to push the panic button. Yeah, well, you know the Lakers first of all LeBron is one of the most nice players ever to play the game humans not even fire anything either humans. Yeah, so There's nothing He can't make anybody happy. So the fact that they're on to I'm not worried about that. I just I know that they have to have some changes as far as like the approach to the game and the X's and O's of the game because There's a lot of talent there. They are a little older. I don't think that really matters because that means they have an experience

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But not yet. I agree. Yeah, the age if the age is gonna be a problem It's gonna be a problem with game 60 hitting the wall. Like in the wall, right, right, right, but um, I Mean Vogel has to get them get that right rotation and get the right players on the court at the same time. I'm not panicking over that. But as far as the AD and the White Howard blow up, that happens. But I believe it became physical, like when they start to shoving and grabbing each other right in front of the…

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In front of everybody.

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It was a national hell-wise game. And not to mention they're both seven foot tall. So it's like, who's these giants about to go at it? Are we in the Roman Coliseum right now?

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Instead of Malice at the Palace, it's Static at the Staples.

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Static at the Staples. And on top of it, me and the Lakers, that's why it's been blowing up. 0-2, oh it's so bad that they're about to knock each other's heads off.

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And I think you make a very valid point, and I expect nothing less from someone who's played the game as long as you have such a high level. At the end of the day, every team's makeup is different. These guys have not been together. You need a minute. Russell Westbrook is an anomaly. He's just not like a Chris Paul coming up, running it. This guy is go, go, go, go, go. That's his game. That's why you get him. There's nothing wrong with that, but you have to adjust to that style because LeBron is not go-go-go LeBron is kind of like you know he's point forward so you know all of this Talent just has to find a way to mesh of course mellows got to come off the bench Then that looks like they want him to finish so he's coming off the bench But then it looks like he's one of the top five you know when I coming down a stretch I think the good thing about LeBron is he's so His depth of knowledge. He's not just a talent his his cerebral game is as solid as his physical game He can adjust now, unfortunately, you know, he's closer to 39 than 29 So, you know, maybe you know turning on the turbo jets and saying hey if I could just match You know up and down with Westbrook and we get a D doing his thing will be unstoppable I don't know that he's got that much gas in the tank. I think he's got plenty left Don't get me wrong, but you know what I'm saying. So once they find that rhythm, if I can use that word, I think once they find that rhythm of how they're going to play, and even rotationally, right? If you remember back in the day, Pitino, he would have his starting five, then he'd bring out those five crazies that would just run all over the place, when the Knicks were kind of good. No one expected much out of him They won like 45 games that year and they were like, oh this cause thing can't hold up and they're right It couldn't but for the talent that they had that's the way he had a coach him So you can have to you in my opinion Hawk you on one team You could have two units doing two different things Yeah, you can hit right you could have a team that comes in plots and you know LeBron spaces a little bit you get a Dean a low block and or whatever and you'd kill it that way and then you when you put in the next five You know they just step on the gas pedal and run you down, so I mean they'll figure it out. I'm with you

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Thing is gonna start with the defense though. They have to find a defense identity Because right now you got these younger kids that they just running them out off up and down the court Yeah, you have to be able to punish them On the offense, but it's gonna start with your defense, slow them down, disrupt their playbook or their system. They got to take more pride in that if they want to have a chance to live up to their

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hype. I agree with you there. The Defensemen's Championships, I did happen to see the game against Phoenix and it just looked like a lot of open space. When you have that much length on the court, that's your point. There's no effort, there's no pride, there's no commitment because when you're that athletic and that length on the court and there's so much open space you're just not moving. I mean you got to move your feet. I mean and that's a commitment. You got to buy in. So I'm with you there. I think they're going to be okay. We're coming up a quarter in. Let's do our little identification here. You're listening to Inside the Lockers. JC and D. Hawk speaking to you live on a Sunday morning 7 to 8 a.m. here on the Pacific Coast 10 to 11 on the East Coast where Hawk is holding it down KUNV 91.5 on the dial hopefully you've downloaded the app if you're out of town you're listening to us But we really would like to hear from you. We're talking about a lot of great topics and if again It's over something on your mind 702 eight nine five five eight six eight don't be afraid to dial as much as we chat it up We'd love to hear from you. Just keeping in basketball for one second, of course the Knicks 2-0. Happy to see that. But what about Chicago, a team that did not make the playoffs last year, made a lot of moves in the offseason. Zach Levine stayed, a couple of key pieces stayed. Mark Innan no longer there. Billy Donovan, I think, is a basketball man. I know Coach Donovan. You know, again, back from the East Coast days in New York Three, you know nice again, you know three no does not make a playoff team, but off to a nice start

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Have you seen any of their games? I haven't seen any of their games. I'm in for I caught a few Few moments of it and I like to pick up what they did. I like the offseason moves I Like the Rose it. I think they're one two three You know you have ball Levine and the Rosa They're take a matchup with you know any top three Perimeters out there, and I think they're all hungry, too And how about and how about Lonzo ball talk about a guy shutting out the noise?

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I mean you know he had all the hype coming in people felt He was gonna be a bust after they saw year one kind of got his legs under him with the Pelicans. I gotta say, he is unorthodox, but he is definitely a talent. He knows the game, he sees the court well, it looks like he plays hard. I think he's going to be a solid pro.

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What do you think?

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Yeah, I definitely think Lonzo Ball will be a maybe close to 20 year player just because because he is smart he has some height and uh... playing that point guard position he runs the team and he does he doesn't get the credit for being a type defender that he is he presses the ball and he makes it hard on the other team and he's a winner he wants to win and he wants to play for his team and that's like you would think that it would be more often that that happens, but it doesn't. To have a player like that who has bought into the team and not his own hype, because he could have easily bought into his own hype with how it was with his father and everybody when he first got drafted. But I think Lonzo is getting that start, that new home in Chicago, and I think he... They make some noise there.

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It's a great point, because first of all, this kid will get you six rebounds a game. You can't underestimate you know to get five to seven rebounds a night from your guards you know and the thing is to your point uh... he didn't buy into the hype and be like you know get off my jock whatever it is he just stayed humble stayed hungry and I like his game to your point he moves the ball he's uh... you know his shot is probably never going to be great only because that form is... but again, Jamal Wilkson have the most traditional shot, but he certainly has a lot more confidence in it and he knows that he can make it and also he's not jacking up 30 shots a game so why does this shot have to be all that? He's just right, he's got to be able to score in transition and when the ball comes to him and he has his feet set and is open, be able to knock it down and he's been able to do that more commonly than early in his career when there was all that hype that he was going to come out and score 45 points and have a triple-double every night. So I really, really like it, what I'm seeing out of there. The hockey season, of course, has begun. Here in Vegas, there's going to be expectations even though there's no more Marc Andre Fleury. The Vegas Knights have been a team that has been flirting with being a perennial cup power. One of the things I thought was really cool was the Seattle Kraken. This new expansion team in the NHL has begun and it looks like they have an enthusiastic fan base. I heard tickets for their home opener last night was $615 average price just to go for a ticket.

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So how much is that again?

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$615. So a lot of people were, I guess, viewing it as a collector's item. I don't know.

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I went to the first ever game.

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I noticed people still have their Secretariat ticket, haven't cast it, you know, paid $210. But my Rangers are looking good. You have to get off on a bad start. They're playing well. Of course, Tampa Bay is probably still the team to beat. Let me ask you this, Hawk, because I'm not trying to be funny, but there has been a greater culture regarding a more inclusive NHL. How's that for politically correct? Boy, am I good? I'm good. I'm dancing. Thank God we're on the air, because if we weren't on the air, I'd be talking to you. You and I would just chop it up, like all that other stuff goes out the window but we are on the air and people are listening. But here's the point I want to make. I had written a script and I think you know about this, right? I wrote a script about three black youths who are skate guards and aspire to play hockey and they encounter hurdles and racism but their love and commitment of the sport. I love a little bit of a Hollywood ending, they play well, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, it was announced last week, just last week, did you see this? That LeBron James is producing a documentary called Black Ice. about the comeuppance in the recent NHL as well as all the things that were encountered in the past NHL of the black hockey player. And for those of you who are not paying attention, last year they were ranking, as they do in every sport, the top 15 players or whatever it may be. I think 8 out of the 15 top players were black or brown. The reason why I say black or brown is because, I don't even know if that's the right language. Am I saying this right? For all I know I'm going to be like 10 people in front of the camera. I don't know what to say. Sometimes I go off the air and you're like, you know, JC, kids. We're living that right now. You can't really say anything but your name without getting in trouble.

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We're good, right? We're good. Finish, finish. Yeah, all I want to say is Tavares the Spanish kid who was with the islanders now is a great player

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So let's let's just say this the non-traditional White guy, you know what? I mean, you know Which again that's how hockey was always perceived It was always perceived as basically because even in comedy right in the script that I wrote even in comedy like Cedric the Entertainer during his that I wrote, even in comedy like Cedric the Entertainer, during one of the great specials of all time, The Kings of Comedy, he's saying, I don't know about hockey, when he's talking about all the... Maybe not hockey. Maybe not hockey, right? And then of course, Stephen A. Smith had gone on record. And it's really cool because one of the great advocates of hockey, who's been going on almost a decade now, and who's always out there, he's at the games, he's talking with Charles Barkley. Charles Barkley is like, listen, if you're not watching hockey, you're sleeping on hockey. Hockey is a great sport. I've played it. I played it in college. I played it one year before the basketball coach said, get rid of these skates or you can get rid of us taking care of your school here. Obviously, because of an injury, it would hurt my basketball situation. My point is that, number one, do you follow hockey? Have you been following in your own kind of, with your friends and with your life as you're going, are you noticing more chatter about the inclusion and the expansion of inclusion – again, hopefully I'm saying that correctly – of people in the sport of hockey, both as fans as well as the men who are on the ice and looking more like a melting pot rather than just 20 white dudes skating out of a locker room.

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I haven't been a big fan of hockey, I can't lie about that, but I'm a fan of sports. I have paid attention and some credit to you like I do about your script and offsides. We'll see that in the future. I hope so. But that was a great story and I've seen the inclusion as you said, this sport for the people of color, but I saw a headline because it's Drake and LeBron producing this documentary. So I've been following and seeing that and I think I've also seen Ovi being over here in D.C. Ovi is opening up a facility back where it used to only be a basketball court and a football field. He put an ice rink there for hockey players and I know they start signing people up and I know it's not really a lot of white kids around this area so it's only been the people of color going over there and learning. I think it's more so about first of all being comfortable with it and being introduced to it and when you're a kid it doesn't even matter you know I'm saying it's like you don't know what you like to play oh I like to skate Oh hockey that sometimes that's all it takes to get to get to start changing it you know I'm saying I'm happy for that

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yeah me too I mean listen at the end of the day I think hockey and tennis and Golf I think the criticism if there was a legitimate one. I don't know anything's ever legitimate when it comes to racism I just think it's wrong period at all levels, but I think there could be an argument made that those sports had a lesser degree of push because Economically, people were saying that those are expensive sports to play. It's not to say that a person of color didn't have money. What was happening back then is people did not get opportunities and jobs. A lot of times, the positions of wealth were, I hate to say it, but they were stereotypically athletes and entertainers because that's just a God-given talent that broke through the barriers. And then other individuals who, you know, two people walking for a job and there's an accountant, you know, who graduated from, you know, HBCU with all the credentials in the world and it went to the white dude or white gal for that reason and no other reason, you know what I mean? And I think as there's been more inclusion, more acceptance, more spread, and of course you have those athletes that broke down the barriers. I mean, of course, Calvin Peet. People don't remember him.

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I remember him.

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I was a great fan of Calvin Peet, but of course, the players from everybody knows, Tiger Woods, of course, the Williams sisters, of course, we know Arthur Ashe. So as you see those warriors break down and then people who are 7, 8, 9 years old can look at a TV screen and say, I see myself in them, there's the expansion. Coming up on our half hour break off with a uh... take this break inside the lockers chasing the hawk seven eight a m ninety one point five on the other side stay tuned you got to

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small

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and we're back k u n v ninety one point five and at this time we're always uh... excited to hear the thoughts of a man d hawk use in the hawkness park we got first weekend

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uh...

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more than a gentleman Good morning ladies and gentlemen, to all our listeners out there, thanks for tuning in to another episode installment of Views from the Hawks Nest. I want to take you into the world of sports gambling, but not to the side from the fans or the people looking there. called Bad Sports and they featured a scandal back in 93. I think the team was I forget the team, but the main the protagonist was Stephen Headache Smith and the story goes he you know was down on his luck he was actually an NBA prospect. College player needed some money and somebody approached him about betting on his team. In that situation he had to manipulate the game to certain scores and you know how it is the money line, the spreads and everything blah blah blah. We know that that's not right. It affects the integrity of the game and in no way shape or form or fashion should a player ever bet against themselves or for their team to not be successful. But for instance how a boxer other than the Olympics I believe and we all know this is not a team sport it's you know mano-a-mano can bet on himself to win, can bet on himself to knock his opponent out, can bet on himself to be the victor does that make me approach every game and competition you should be going to win that's we play for that's what we should focus uh... efforts on will follow me here i don't want to note i've never this is just a thought try to bear with me. Why? I'm wondering why, as a team sport or being a player in the NBA, not being able to bet or make a wager that your team will just win. We're talking about money line, straight out. We're playing the Lakers. We're playing the Cavs. I want to win. I'm going into the game to try to win anyway. It won't affect anything that I do because I want to, you know, the goal is to win. I'm not worried about the score, the spread, anything. Or I'm a fan of the game. I've watched this game growing up all my life. It's an off night for me. Who are the Knicks? The Knicks-Celtics? Oh, that's a rivalry. I'd like the Dixon win, but being, as per rule, being in the NBA, you can't make a wager on a team or another team in your league. And I just was wondering what, because to be honest, what stops them from doing it anyway? What stops you from calling your brother, hey, here man, take this $2,000, go put it on the, put it on the net to beat the Bucks tonight. But I was just wondering, and I'm sure that there's an answer for this, but I just really had a thought because personally, I don't see it being wrong to be able to bet on your team or yourself to win. Now, we're not talking about like yeah spread or over under my team against your team I like my team we're gonna win why can't I make some money off of it what's your thoughts JC?

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I gotta say this is this is a hornet's nest right here bro this is this is a great topic this is a great topic I'm gonna give you a phrase which basically covers all of it but it's got so many layers. Let me just start off with this. The phrase is, perception is reality. That is the biggest problem. But I'll tell you what, to your point, when two teams are matched up, don't the mayors of each city bet against each other? The owners sometimes have a gentleman bet. Everybody but the players. So it seems unfair. I want to say something because we do live in Las Vegas. We're talking about known public gambling. I'm telling you right now, what you just said, take this $2,000, that's going on. I'm not pointing fingers at who it's going on with and who I may know have done that and people I may know who are on the other side of that phone taking that call. That's a conversation for another day, or maybe that's a conversation we're never going to have. The point is that when you're a player of note, and even though, to your point, you're betting on yourself, the perception in the public is, what does he know? Or if you're on an off day and you bet, like in other words, is he really betting because he likes the Lakers or does his friend play for the Celtics and he knows he's nursing a knee injury and he's not going to 100%? There's all those kinds of factors. The other thing also is even though a person is playing to win, if you're a LeBron James and forget about the spread, you're just betting to win, could you possibly in the public's eyes and remember some our perception where the last three possessions are like I'm not passing this ball I got you know $100,000 on this game. I'm I'm driving down the lane and I'm who's gonna stop me But meanwhile what you've really done is you've changed how the game may have played but again That's perception because maybe LeBron James because he wants to win so bad would be taking it down What did we do right? We'll be doing it anyway. But when the public knows you've got $100,000 on the game, if you're the commissioner of that league, it's like, hey, do you think LeBron James would have taken the last, do you think Stephen Curry would have taken the last seven shots if we didn't know we had $100,000? Because again, all of it comes out, right? The whole thing that we're talking about here is that you can publicly do it as opposed to, because one of the more famous athlete gamblers in our society who wins big bets and and You know boasts about it puts it out there on front street is right here in town Floyd Mayweather Yeah, I mean Floyd Mayweather. I mean this guy's betting seven figures. This isn't like ten thousand or two thousand down the street He's like here take this suitcase down the road and you know That's it and see what you can do and then he puts and then he publishes the ticket Of course we had the Phil Mickelson scandal that had occurred where he was betting large amounts of money on sports betting and got caught up because he was putting it into some guys in Detroit, which was public only a few months back. At the end of the day, I think that's the biggest problem. It's not that a person can or can't do it and internally their integrity is affected because I think they want to play to win. Like when Pete Rose was betting on games and admittedly so. I still think he's been in the Hall of Fame by the way for those of you who keep the score at home. But he admitted doing it. But he was betting on the teams to win, right? People are saying, okay, he is betting on a guy to win. Here's a guy who just pitched yesterday. He really should get a day's rest today. It's 5-4, there's two men on, and now he's going to bring this closer out because he's got $20,000 on the game, and this guy's arm could go because he really should need the day off today, but he's going to run him into the ground to get this win because he's got money on the game, but at what expense to the players' health? In other words, there are so many different questions that come into play because people judge that your decisions are now being judged by the fact that you have money on the game. All I can say is this, there's some truth to that and I'm going to tell you why. As a person who has gambled on games, I wouldn't consider myself quote-unquote a gambler. I'm not at the racetrack. I am not betting on everything that moves. But is there a few bucks on a football game? Is there a few bucks on a baseball game? Absolutely. But as a sports nut, I will tell you that I've watched way more games without money on them than with money on them. So here's what I want to say. I'm watching the Michigan game. Who did they play The Michigan Northwestern team is blowing them out. I could care less other than I'm rooting for Harbaugh. I'm a Michigan guy, so there's a level of interest. I'm watching the Miami North Carolina State game. Two teams I could care less about. I'm throwing rocks at the TV screen when they call the touchdown back. My point is, even as a fan, just having a lousy $25-50 on the game, and just for you playing at home, it was not more than that. I'm telling you, it was just nothing that's earth-shattering that was going to change my life. It's late at night. I wasn't going out. I literally could care less about the game. It was on TV. Let me make it more interesting, that whole phrase, right? Right. And again, I'm doing it in Vegas, folks. I'm doing it legally, so please keep your letters to yourself. This is all legal gambling. But the point of all of it is that my entire energy, my narrative, my mindset, my approach, everything changed for a lousy few dollars. And what do they say about a golfer? How come a golfer can make a 10-foot putt a thousand times in a row at his home course and then when he's got a putt for the U.S. Open Championship, he misses by three? That's Greg Norman. That's the pressure. That's what it is. That's what it does. People to this day routinely say that if you would watch Shaquille O'Neal shoot free throws in practice, you'd never believe that this guy had a free throw problem. I'm going to repeat what people have said. They've watched Shaquille O'Neal knock down 30, 40, and these are true stories, free throws in a row. All of a sudden you get him in a game where mentally it's whatever it is. I know he always said, I didn't always make them, but I made them when I had to. That's a lie. You did not always make them when you had to. There have been plenty of times when you were clanking them and it hurt. It hurt but my point is that it does change everything Hawk When it becomes public because it's such a slippery slope of who do you know? What do you know? Why are you doing this? Why are you doing that? The scrutiny would literally sink the game not to mention the integrity of the line, right? If two teams are playing team a verse team B Well again, Nixon Nixon the Lakers the plane and the Lakers would be a seven-point favorite, and you find out that LeBron James has a million dollars on the money line for the Lakers to win. Even though it's a money line bet, to your point, not a point spread bet, that line is going to go to 11 in a blink. It's just going straight up, and that may not be the true line. Now all of a sudden, the bookmakers, the legitimate casinos that handle wagering, you have a line that's at a whack and now you're grabbing the other side of a game that shouldn't be by seven. It shouldn't be by eleven. The right spread is seven, but because it publicly came out who's on the game. Again, the reason why I say something like that is when there are quote-unquote sharp bettors and people know there are sharp bettors and a sharp bettor, not a sports icon, just a sharp wager is on a side, the line moves. It was even in the movie Casino, again, they would wait to see who the sharp guys who won every week would bet and the bookmakers would move the line just because that guy was on that side, even though that wasn't the right mathematical point spread, just because somebody of note was on a side, it moves the line. So imagine now that somebody of note was an actual player participating in the game. So those are the things, but it's a great point that you make that some people can and some people can't. In sports, some people can and some people can't. And in team sports, mayors can and coaches have a gentleman's bet or owners have a gentleman's bet, but the players can't. So is there hypocrisy possibly in that context? But I think all things considered, it has to be that way. Kept quiet. The only reason I say kept quiet rather than say can't bet it is because unless you're really living under a rock, you've got to understand there's plenty of guys that are out there on that court with action. With action. It's all I can tell you. When everybody looks up at the scoreboard, then I'm always looking up to see what the score of the game is. Checking to see if that Paulie is coming in or not. Making that free throw. You stand on the line in Atlanta and you're checking the Sacramento-Memphis game. Like wait a second, what's going on? So come on, Ja. Come on, Ja. Hit that free throw, Ja. But another great topic, Hawk. Another great topic. So the topics that we've covered, whether it's this show or the other shows, have just been amazing. I just want to throw it out to you fans. We're several minutes away before doing our pick segment. The number to the show is 702-895-5868. Again, if there's anything sports related or even sports slash socially related that you want to chop it up about, we'd love to hear from you. We know you're out there listening, but it's always exciting when we have callers call in. So 702-895-5868. If you have something you want to address. Moving into the NFL this week, Hawk, I think one of the things that's really unfortunate is the NFL is starting to just... the injury bug. You know, a lot of key players are out. Of course, Christian McCaffrey, you know, he's out. We know uh... we uh... we know that uh... uh... the uh... to happen out for the dolphins think the dolphins all the sudden to find themselves really on the wrong side of the season and that's the worst part about it when you come into a season expectations a playoff team and you want to take like you know i didn't close and that's the thing about football being only sixteen games seventeen games now When you are five or six games under and you still have two-thirds of the season left, man, that's got to suck because that is such a physical, brutal sport. Even though you're playing to win, to feel like there's no hope, no where to go, even if you can scratch out a win. I know they're all professionals, that's an ouch. I want to bring up one topic with you. Watson. I'm not asking you to comment on that. Only asking you to comment that they've been trying to trade him. There's talk now about moving him to Miami because Miami is starting to believe that Tua is not the answer there, although some people feel he's still an NFL caliber quarterback. Obviously, it gets rid of the headache for Miami. Of course, we know what the headache is for Deshaun Watson. Would you make that trade or would you, with the talent that Deshaun Watson has, would you hold on to him until the dust settles? Because let's face it, there's been a lot of dudes who've done a lot of crazy stuff and it's a forgiving public. I know that in this particular movement, the things that he did is a very hot topic right now but at the end of the day, if even a few of these women get proven to have complained where there was no justifiable complaint. I'm not saying that's the case. I'm just saying it seemed like everyone came out of the woodwork and said, hey, I gave him a massage and he was inappropriate. Maybe some people jumped on the bad wagon. I'm sure many of them did not. Maybe they all did. I don't know. But would you make the trade and get rid of the headache that is DeSean Watson or is he too much of a talent? You're right out the storm.

0:46:47
What do you think there if you're the GM, I don't feel like I have to, in both cases, I think Deshaun Watson has to go because if I'm a player and from my thoughts on what I've gathered from this whole thing, I wouldn't want to play there anymore. As a GM, I wouldn't want a player to be here that doesn't want to play for me anymore. For example, what's all going on is Philadelphia with Ben Simmons. I feel like the best thing for him is to go at this point. The damage I think is irreversible at this point. For both sides to be able to move on and start their own thing. I have this gloom and I think it's time to part ways. I feel like with Deshaun Watson that's the best thing as well.

0:47:39
So in both cases, it's actually a very valid point that you make, but believe it or not, even though the cases are vastly different as to why they want to leave, the issue why they're not leaving is exactly the same. Both of them are extreme talents, not kind of talented, they're extreme talents, and because the public knows that they got to go, everyone's low balling them. Like nobody wants to give the equal value for Deshaun Watson and nobody wants to give anything for Ben Simmons. Meanwhile, the GMs are saying, �Hey, listen. This guy is a stud. He�ll be a difference maker. His problem isn�t his town. His problem is his off-the-court stuff with the fan base or the off-the-field stuff with the fan base. That�s why he�s got to go.� The problem is that everybody knows that. They�re like, �Right, you�ve got to move him, so why am I gonna give you I mean they're trying to give like a fifth round draft pick or fourth Yeah, nothing and is to uh, you know now to again to was a guy who's highly touted coming out So you can't say that two is a nothing Another thing too is he's a young quarterback I mean, geez take a look at some of the records of Peyton Manning and Troy Aikman And some of these other guys after ten games my god. I mean, you know, it's like If and to has had injured receivers. It's not like he's had, I mean he does have some weapons this year, but he himself has been hurt. So it's a very, very weird perception out there when a guy is talented. They don't even let a guy get comfortable in his own skin. Unless he's a phenom right away, he's a flop. He's a bust.

0:49:10
That's not fair at all.

0:49:12
And it isn't fair. Again, that's one of the things that I think we both admire about Lonzo Ball. From all that noise and all that pressure, everybody tried to squash this kid's career. He just has kept quiet and played hard and gotten better and played his game. Now again, I know the Bulls are 3-0. I'm not saying that's going to be 82-0, but he's looked good. He's improved every year. That's what happens when you give someone a little bit of time. The other thing too about Ben Simmons is, okay, maybe he's not going to be the greatest jump shooter in the world, but if you're telling me that you can't win with a 6'10 kid that rebounds, facilitates the ball, plays defense, maybe the problem isn't him. How about putting guys around him? Because there's only one ball anyway, right? Only one guy can shoot the ball. When Stephen Curry shoots the ball, four other guys are not shooting it. But someone had to give him the ball, right? So why don't you go get that equivalent? Well, look, you're not going to get a Stephen Curry equivalent. What I'm saying is go get a shooter. That's what Tobias Harris was supposed to be. Go get guys so that Ben Simmons doesn't have to be the guy knocking the ball down. The Celtics won a title with Ray John Rondo. This is no great shooter. You know, there's a lot of clanking going on to this day, by the way. And people forget, one of the knocks on one of the better three-point shooters in the game for a long time, Jason Kidd couldn't hit the side of a barn. He was a terrible shooter. But he could pass and he could run the floor and he could play defense and he was a great shooter, but he found his various places on the court where he probably took 8,000 jump shots a day to his credit. In the latter years of his career, he could knock down shots, but he wasn't a shooter. He was just good enough that if you left him open... And by the way, isn't there a guy who just won the title who people say his Achilles heel is his outside shot? And that's the honest tempo. Of course, he's getting better. But I know and Ben Simmons. My goodness was he 23? Man, I gotta tell you it's a weird public out there with sports Just give the kid a break But but scenery wise because he said he wanted to leave and because of the turmoil I'm with you Maybe time for him to wake up in a new city, but if you're the GM, it's hard to let him go for nothing because he is a... He's a talent. He's a serious talent. One thing is, what's trades? What do we do trades all the time? In the stock market, he's a commodity.

0:51:48
You don't want to give up, you know what

0:52:04
the cadillac is uh... too expensive to keep or too much gas miles whatever it is it's almost as okay i give you a sack of potatoes instead of twenty thousand dollars as well as as some ketchup you get a package that you have you got to take the second potatoes now you're gonna say was now hold on to the house is taken in the garage and pull out we need to listen it's been another installment inside the lockers inside the lockers the hawk gc