ITALKSPORTS Ep. 36: UFC 316 Recap. NBA Finals, Young vs. Old Drama!
The main event of UFC 316 witnessed Merab decisively defeating Sean O'Malley via submission, a result that prompts a critical examination of O'Malley's apparent stagnation in skill development. While I commend Merab for his exceptional prowess and championship caliber, I express disappointment in O'Malley, who was heralded as the next significant star in the sport but has yet to demonstrate the necessary growth. The discussion extends to the women's division, where Juliana Pena lost her title to Kayla Harrison, followed by Amanda Nunes' unexpected return from retirement to face Harrison—a match I approach with a degree of skepticism. Transitioning to the NBA Finals, I reflect on the emerging dominance of younger stars, highlighting the pressing issue of aging veterans potentially ceding their roles to the new generation. This episode encapsulates a pivotal moment in both the UFC and NBA, emphasizing the evolving landscape of these competitive arenas.
Takeaways:
- In the main event of UFC 316, Merab Dwalishvili decisively defeated Sean O'Malley via submission, showcasing a stark contrast in their fighting capabilities.
- Despite the defeat, it is crucial to acknowledge Merab Dwalishvili's prowess as a champion while expressing disappointment in O'Malley's lack of tangible improvement.
- Juliana Pena's title loss to Kayla Harrison was a pivotal moment, followed by Amanda Nunes' unexpected return from retirement to face Harrison, which raises concerns about the match's excitement.
- The ongoing NBA Finals feature young teams, highlighting the potential shift in dominance as aging stars may need to make way for emerging talents.
- The current dynamic in the NBA illustrates a conflict between established veterans and rising stars, as the league grapples with the transition of power from one generation to the next.
- Tyrese Halliburton's remarkable performance in the playoffs further emphasizes the significance of young players in shaping the future of the league.
Transcript
When your 36 year old star goes down and the team can't move forward, you have a problem.
Speaker A:And Anthony Joshua.
Speaker B:Can we please be serious here?
Speaker B:Can we please be serious?
Speaker A:AJ is like dusted him.
Speaker A:Who's next?
Speaker A:He was laughing as he was trying to take him down.
Speaker A:Remember that?
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:One of the best finals ever played.
Speaker A:Shout out.
Speaker A:Carlos Alcaraz.
Speaker A:Yeah, I heard about you and I called you Alcatraz.
Speaker B:Yeah, just Alcatraz.
Speaker B:What a shout out.
Speaker A:I love Amanda Nunez and this, look, on paper this is the best fight in the entire women's division.
Speaker A:A lot riding on this okc.
Speaker A:Let's start there.
Speaker A:We got Shay Gildas Alexander, the newly crowned young MVP of the league, trying to solidify his place.
Speaker A:There will never be a day where Aaron Rodgers is a bad football player.
Speaker A:However, he is no longer an elite football player.
Speaker A:Tyrese Halliburton.
Speaker A:You've seen what he's been doing.
Speaker A:Game win after game, one after game, one after game winner.
Speaker A:What the helly?
Speaker A:Turned upside down because the Knicks make the conference final.
Speaker B:I'm telling you, if Chelsea went and won the Premier League.
Speaker A:You wouldn't hear.
Speaker B:The end of it.
Speaker B:But we got top four, we got won the conference league.
Speaker B:We're back in Champions league football.
Speaker B:It was amazing.
Speaker B:Carlos Alcarez.
Speaker B:Shout out.
Speaker B:You won the Roland Garros final.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:One of the best finals ever played.
Speaker A:Shout out.
Speaker A:Carlos Alcaraz.
Speaker A:Yeah, I heard about you and I called you Alcatraz.
Speaker B:Yeah, Alcatraz.
Speaker B:Well, Shout out.
Speaker B:Shout out.
Speaker B:You know that he won his fifth Grand Slam at 22 years old?
Speaker B:One month and three days.
Speaker B: e time that age Nadal won the: Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:Which was also one of the greatest.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's the greatest.
Speaker B:But four?
Speaker A:He's happy for top four.
Speaker A:But you know what?
Speaker A:I'm a Ravens fan, so you should do I do I really have a leg to stand on.
Speaker A:I really don't.
Speaker A:Anyway, my dog.
Speaker A:What is good with you?
Speaker A:All right, fine.
Speaker A:Yeah, you can just tell me down there.
Speaker A:Mukundi.
Speaker A:I'm fine.
Speaker A:Mukundi.
Speaker A:I'm cool.
Speaker A:Don't talk to me about Sean o' Malley ever again.
Speaker A:Not here, not on this podcast.
Speaker A:Sean o' Malley.
Speaker A:We're writing him off.
Speaker A:Sean.
Speaker A:Oh, manly.
Speaker A:There we go.
Speaker A:We're writing.
Speaker A:We've crossed him out.
Speaker A:He's a fraud.
Speaker A:He's a fraud.
Speaker A:That's two fights now you've lost against Merab Dualishvili.
Speaker A:Remember last year I came here and they Were at the sphere in UFC Noche and was a not even a great fight.
Speaker A:O' Malley got his ass kicked and were like, you gotta go back.
Speaker A:You gotta go work.
Speaker A:You gotta go do what you gotta do.
Speaker A:And he went back and he worked and he did what he had to do.
Speaker A:The second fight came around just this past Saturday, and how is it that you did absolutely worse than you did in the first round?
Speaker A:You at least managed to finish the first fight.
Speaker A:They finished you this time.
Speaker A:Like, did you not get better?
Speaker A:Did you not say, yeah, I'm locked in, bro.
Speaker A:I ain't dyeing my hair no more, I ain't smoking weed.
Speaker A:Light a joint five and do the right thing?
Speaker A:Like, clearly something you did, you did something that actually made you a lot worse.
Speaker A:And yes, yes, yes.
Speaker A:Could it be because Merab is just that much better?
Speaker A:He is, and I'll get to that.
Speaker A:But Sean o' Malley, I am absolutely disappointed.
Speaker A:I am.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:No, I am.
Speaker A:I am disappointed in Sean o' Malley because he was billed as the next superstar, the next best thing to Conor McGregor you'll ever see.
Speaker A:His own theme song says that when he walks out every time.
Speaker A:If you are what you say you are, a superstar, because that's what he was supposed to be.
Speaker A:He is a superstar.
Speaker A:He's got the personality, right?
Speaker A:He's got the flair, he's got the look.
Speaker A:What he doesn't have is the skill set.
Speaker A:And unfortunately, the UFC is one of those sports where.
Speaker A:Well, MMA in general is one of those sports where your personality can only get you so far.
Speaker A:Are you winning fights in this business to win fights?
Speaker A:And Sean o' Malley is a good, great.
Speaker A:I used to say he's a great fighter.
Speaker A:He's a good fighter.
Speaker A:He really is.
Speaker A:But that's it.
Speaker A:What else can you do?
Speaker A:He's a striker and he's a sniper when he strikes.
Speaker A:He's dangerous, deadly.
Speaker A:But what else can he do?
Speaker A:Mm.
Speaker A:But don't take it from me.
Speaker A:Don't take it from me.
Speaker A:Take it from this.
Speaker A:These are the stats, by the way.
Speaker A:Merab Dwalishvili defeats Sean O' Malley in the main event of UFC 316 via third round submission.
Speaker A:Felt you needed to know that.
Speaker A:Now.
Speaker A:Total strikes.
Speaker A:It's bad, dog.
Speaker A:It's bad.
Speaker A:Like 65 for Sean O' Malley.
Speaker A:He threw 65 total strikes in three rounds.
Speaker A:Oh, he landed 38 of them.
Speaker A:What did Merab do?
Speaker A:Nothing.
Speaker A:He just threw 215, landed about 141 of them.
Speaker A:But we do have to consider that some of These strikes are ground and pound strikes.
Speaker A:So even if it's just a little punch, but does it really matter?
Speaker A:The discrepancy is telling.
Speaker A:The discrepancy is telling.
Speaker A:Significant strikes.
Speaker A:Merab landed 52, O' Malley, 31.
Speaker A:Now you're asking yourself, how many did they Throw?
Speaker A:Merab threw 115, O' Malley 57.
Speaker A:What else is there to say about Sean O' Malley?
Speaker A:This was his third loss in the UFC, his first back to back of his career against Merab Dwarashvili.
Speaker A:I want to talk about him.
Speaker A:I wanna.
Speaker A:It is with a heavy heart that I have to say Merab Dwalishvili might just be the greatest bantamweight of all time.
Speaker A:Oh, my God.
Speaker B:It's okay.
Speaker A:Okay, but he might be.
Speaker A:Look at his resume.
Speaker A:Look at the dominance he's.
Speaker A:He's portrayed while defending the title.
Speaker A:He's defended it twice since.
Speaker A:Since beating.
Speaker A:Since beating Sean for it.
Speaker A:Last year.
Speaker A:He fought Uman Omagumedov, someone who we all built as the favorite in that fight simply because of his last name alone.
Speaker A:He didn't even look at his resume.
Speaker A:We just saw that he's a nomagoumirov, and we're like, yeah, no, it's chai.
Speaker A:And then he does.
Speaker A:He did have an impressive resume.
Speaker A:He was undefeated until then.
Speaker A:Merab made light work of him.
Speaker A:At no point in that fight did we ever think Merab was in trouble.
Speaker A:Merab made light work of him, dusted him.
Speaker A:Who's next?
Speaker A:He was laughing as he was trying to take him down.
Speaker A:Remember that?
Speaker A:Say what you got for me?
Speaker A:Nothing.
Speaker A:Who y' all got?
Speaker A:Nobody.
Speaker A:And that's exactly what happened.
Speaker A:And then Sean said, no, I want my title back.
Speaker A:And Merab said, cool, come get your title back.
Speaker A:And what did he do?
Speaker A:Nothing.
Speaker A:He just beating him in even, even more convincing fashion than he did the last time.
Speaker A:At least the last fight had the decency to go five rounds.
Speaker A:He submitted him in three, finished him, left no debate who the better fighter is.
Speaker A:And when we look at Merab's record, bro, look at this dude.
Speaker A:He's on a 13 fight win streak.
Speaker A:Let me see, let me see.
Speaker A:When was Marab's last loss?
Speaker A: Marab's last loss came in: Speaker A:And by the way.
Speaker A:Oh, no, I'm lying.
Speaker A:2018, by the way.
Speaker A:Since then, who has he beaten?
Speaker A:Oh, nobody, just Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, Peter Yan, Henry Cejudo, and Sean o' Malley twice.
Speaker A:Who is Henry Cejudo?
Speaker A:Oh, nobody.
Speaker A:Just one of the greatest to ever do it.
Speaker A:Peter Yan I don't know.
Speaker A:Just somebody who was one of the best in the world in his division for.
Speaker A:For a while.
Speaker A:Jose Aldo, some say he's the Goat.
Speaker A:Not bantamweight, but still he's a flyweight.
Speaker A:Goat, right?
Speaker A:Or is it featherweight?
Speaker A:But that's Jose Aldo.
Speaker A:He's not a scrub.
Speaker A:Marlon Moraes is not a scrub.
Speaker A:Sure, he didn't beat any of these guys as champion, but he beat them on his way to being the champion.
Speaker A:Does it matter?
Speaker A:As long as he beat them, right?
Speaker A:And as a champion, that's once again his second defense now.
Speaker A:And in both defenses, he was dominant.
Speaker A:Dominant against Sean o' Malley last year, he was dominant against Henry Cejudo.
Speaker A:He was toying with him.
Speaker A:Peter Yan, he gave him the fight of his life.
Speaker A:What I will say my biggest beef with Merab Dwalishvili is that he needs to finish his fights.
Speaker A:That's too many decisions.
Speaker A:Sean.
Speaker A:Sean Omalley's fight was his first decision since.
Speaker A: Was his first finish since: Speaker A:That's decision, decision, decision.
Speaker A:Decision.
Speaker A:Decision.
Speaker A:Your last five victories have been by decision.
Speaker A:Now, if you remember, I was talking about that just the other day, just from Luke Thomas, that fighters aren't winning to.
Speaker A:Aren't fighting to beat their opponents anymore.
Speaker A:They're just fighting to win the fight.
Speaker A:And there's a big difference.
Speaker A:As Apollo Creed said, I won, but I ain't beat him.
Speaker A:The judges say you did.
Speaker A:That's because you put up more points.
Speaker A:That means.
Speaker A:That's just because that means you are technically.
Speaker A:Technically the better fighter, right?
Speaker A:That means we then looked at your execution, your skill, your defense, all that.
Speaker A:Once again, technically, you're the better fighter.
Speaker A:But we all know that the best fighters are the ones that leave no question who the better fighter was, right?
Speaker A:The goats.
Speaker A:They all fought to finish, even the current best fighters in the world.
Speaker A:Now, we love them because they fight to finish.
Speaker A:Pereira, he fights to finish.
Speaker A:Idya Tupuria, Max Holloway, Islam Makhachev.
Speaker A:Hell, even Jon Jones, he hasn't.
Speaker A:He's only fought twice over the past three years, but both fights were finishes.
Speaker A:Charles Oliveira.
Speaker A:You get what I'm saying?
Speaker A:So, yeah, that's gonna be interesting.
Speaker A:And, yeah, I know Marab might be the Goat.
Speaker A:I'm sorry.
Speaker A:I know I have to write his name somewhere now.
Speaker A:Ah, anyway, moving on to an ass whooping of astronomical proportions.
Speaker A:I love watching Juliana Pena get her ass whooped because I just.
Speaker A:I don't like her.
Speaker A:I don't like her personality.
Speaker A:She's probably a great being.
Speaker A:She's a Great mother, great, great fighter, great former champion, great two time former champion.
Speaker A:But besides that, I don't like her.
Speaker A:I don't like her.
Speaker A:I never liked her.
Speaker A:Maybe it's because she beat Amanda Nunes, but I've never liked her.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:So when she, when it was announced that she's gonna fight Kayla Harrison, we're all like, oh, Kayla Harrison.
Speaker A:And Kayla Harrison is the legit.
Speaker A:She's a legit badass.
Speaker A:She's hurt.
Speaker A:She's her.
Speaker A:She's.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like, yeah.
Speaker A:No, if we're talking women that can fight, I'm not even just talking mma.
Speaker A:Women that can fight.
Speaker A:She's done it all.
Speaker A:Judo, mma, all that.
Speaker A:Kayla Harrison can fight.
Speaker A:And she beat him.
Speaker A:She beat Juliana Pena via second round submission.
Speaker A:Something I rather relished.
Speaker A:I did what bored me after that was watching the Goat into the Octagon.
Speaker A:Amanda Nunez enter the Octagon.
Speaker A:And she announced that she is coming out of retirement just because she has to fight Kayla Harrison.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Please, no.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:I don't want to see it.
Speaker A:We don't want to see it.
Speaker A:I love Amanda Nunez.
Speaker A:And this looks, on paper, this is the best fight in the entire women's division, right?
Speaker A:I'm talking women's bantamweight, women's straw weight, whatever.
Speaker A:You can take all the women in the ufc.
Speaker A:This is the best fight on paper, which is very concerning considering the fact that we are asking someone to come out of retirement.
Speaker A:But there were other great, other great fighters in the ufc.
Speaker A:Unfortunately, weight classes matter, but in this division, unfortunately, Amanda Nunez has to come out of retirement to come set things right, which I'm scared.
Speaker A:She's been out of the game.
Speaker A:She hasn't been training like a fighter.
Speaker A:She's probably been.
Speaker A:She's probably in shape, but not, you know, when, when you stop doing something as a job.
Speaker A:Hey, the Goat, she's risking a lot.
Speaker A:Hey, she's risking.
Speaker A:She's risking a lot.
Speaker A:She has a lot more to lose in this fight.
Speaker A:Kayla has everything to gain if she fights.
Speaker A:And she does a great job against Amanda Nunes.
Speaker A:She'll always be the woman who took us out of our misery and beat Juliana Pena.
Speaker A:And she held.
Speaker A:She held her own against Amanda Nunez, who is considered by many, myself included, to be the Goat.
Speaker A:Now, if she wins, she just beat Amanda Nunez.
Speaker A:Case closed.
Speaker A:Damn.
Speaker A:But anyway, that's it.
Speaker A:Well, as far as UFC is concerned, that's very.
Speaker A:It's very telling.
Speaker A:Oh, and Kevin Holland.
Speaker A:And Kevin Holland is gonna fight, or he fought.
Speaker A:And let me see.
Speaker A:Because yes.
Speaker A:Kevin Holland finally won again.
Speaker A:I'm so proud of him.
Speaker A:I think that's the second win back to back.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:He's on a two fight win streak.
Speaker A:Go Kevin.
Speaker A:He lost 13 fights, but go Kevin.
Speaker A:You're doing it.
Speaker A:Oh, man.
Speaker A:Kevin Holland.
Speaker A:Okay, so, Pacers, okc.
Speaker A:I need coffee for this.
Speaker A:So let's talk basketball, starting with OKC and the Indiana Pacers.
Speaker A:We have a series on our hand, tied one one.
Speaker A:Now this, if you're wondering, is one hell of a series.
Speaker A:There's a lot riding on this okc.
Speaker A:Let's start there.
Speaker A:We got Shay Gildas Alexander, the newly crowned young MVP of the league, to solidify his place as Mr.
Speaker A:OKC.
Speaker A:Because if he does that, he will be Mr.
Speaker A:OKC.
Speaker A:There's no debate.
Speaker A:Russ, KD, sit down.
Speaker A:Y' all brought MVPs, but y' all ain't bring no rings.
Speaker A:I'm sorry, but it's the truth.
Speaker A:So if Shay does, this is Mr.
Speaker A:Okc.
Speaker A:Let's go on to Indiana.
Speaker A:We got Tyrese Halliburton.
Speaker A:Now, this is a young star who has been doing the most this post this postseason.
Speaker A:He's been getting bucket after buck bucket, and not just crazy buckets, but meaningful buckets.
Speaker A:The most clutch player in this series by far, and probably the most clutch playoff performer I've seen thus far.
Speaker A:Now, it's just for.
Speaker A:It's just been for this one player front, but he's had a game winner in each series.
Speaker A:A game winner in each series, dog.
Speaker A:Do you know how insane that is?
Speaker A:In every series that he's won?
Speaker A:He was not supposed to win.
Speaker A:They were the underdogs and everything.
Speaker A:They beat Cleveland.
Speaker A:The one team.
Speaker A:We came on here saying, yeah, Cleveland is the best team in the league.
Speaker A:No one is beating Cleveland.
Speaker A:No one is beating Boston.
Speaker A:What happened?
Speaker A:Oh, they beat Cleveland.
Speaker B:Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
Speaker A:No one is beating Cleveland.
Speaker A:Hey, hey, hey.
Speaker A:No one is beating Boston.
Speaker A:Where are they now?
Speaker A:What they now?
Speaker A:They didn't even sniff the conference finals.
Speaker A:Both of them, second round, go home.
Speaker A:Where are they now?
Speaker A:And it's all thanks to one Tyrese Halliburton, who has a lot riding on his shoulders because he was voted the most overrated player.
Speaker A:What makes it so interesting is that the votes came from his peers.
Speaker A:This was an in league vote.
Speaker A:This was an in league poll.
Speaker A:And other NBA players all said, well, like 64% or something.
Speaker A:They said, Tyrese Halliburton is overrated.
Speaker A:I wonder how many of those are at home now while he's in the NBA Finals.
Speaker A:But I don't know how to feel about these Finals.
Speaker A:A lot of people, A lot of casuals are saying, there goes basketball.
Speaker A:A lot of casuals are saying, this is not good for basketball.
Speaker A:A lot of casuals are saying, this finals is the most useless finals ever because there's no star power.
Speaker A:A lot of casuals are saying, this is such a boring series.
Speaker A:This is gonna be such a boring series.
Speaker A:This is bad for the NBA.
Speaker A:And to all of you who say that, I say, grow up.
Speaker A:This is good basketball that we're getting from two young teams.
Speaker A:The problem is.
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:It's very telling, and it's a conversation I was having with my friend just the other day that we say we want star power.
Speaker A:And who do we mean by star power?
Speaker A:LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard.
Speaker A:What's the thing those guys all have in common?
Speaker A:They are old.
Speaker A:The league is moving.
Speaker A:Time is moving.
Speaker A:It's very sad, but time is moving.
Speaker A:We have young stars.
Speaker A:SGA is a young star.
Speaker A:He's literally the MVP.
Speaker A:What more do you want?
Speaker A:The MVP's in the finals.
Speaker A:Tyrese Halliburton, you've seen what he's been doing.
Speaker A:Game winner after game winner after game winner after game winner.
Speaker A:What the hell?
Speaker B:He.
Speaker A:Pacers are a good young team.
Speaker A:The Pacers are a good young team.
Speaker A:This team was in the conference finals last year.
Speaker A:I don't know why it's so surprising that they finally made it to the finals this year.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Look at the teams that made it to the conference finals.
Speaker A:In the east, we had the Pacers and the Knicks, two young teams.
Speaker A:In the west, we had OKC and Minnesota, two young teams.
Speaker A:Unfortunately, our stars are getting old and they're in the big markets, as you'd say.
Speaker A:Your.
Speaker A:Your Golden State, you know, your.
Speaker A:Your la, your New York.
Speaker A:Shout out to the Knicks.
Speaker A:But these big market teams, right, all the stars are either hurt or old, and you can't do that.
Speaker A:That's not a recipe to win.
Speaker A:You have a star on your team, but he's aging, and he can't do what he used to do at 28.
Speaker A:He's 35.
Speaker A:He'll still give you a great game, but he needs more help.
Speaker A:Now LeBron is 40, and he's still dropping 40, which he shouldn't be doing, but he needs help.
Speaker A:He got Luka, but Luka was hurt.
Speaker A:We all know that.
Speaker A:Steph.
Speaker A:Steph got hurt, and the team literally became irrelevant, which is very telling when a 35, 37 year old player.
Speaker A:When your 36 year old star goes down and the team can't move forward, you have a problem.
Speaker A:You have a problem.
Speaker A:Not hard.
Speaker A:When your 36 year old superstar goes down and the team can't move forward, you have a problem.
Speaker A:You have a problem.
Speaker A:Starting with the front office, all the way down to the bench.
Speaker A:Look at all the young.
Speaker A:Look at all the teams, the best teams in the league.
Speaker A:I'm being serious.
Speaker A:They're all young and they're all well coached.
Speaker A:We'll talk about coaching another day because that's an entirely different conversation.
Speaker A:But look at them, they're all young.
Speaker A:Let's look at the top teams in the league.
Speaker A:Boston.
Speaker A:What do they have?
Speaker A:Oh, a 27 year old and a 26 year old who both have 300 million dollar contracts.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:What does OKC have?
Speaker A:A 26 year old MVP.
Speaker A:What does Indiana have?
Speaker A:Oh, a young Tyrese Halliburton.
Speaker A:And who else?
Speaker A:Miles Tiller.
Speaker A:Miles Turner.
Speaker A:Sorry, Miles Turner.
Speaker A:Young players.
Speaker A:Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jared Allen.
Speaker A:Those are the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Speaker A:The New York Knicks is just the power of positivity.
Speaker A:Like the power friendship.
Speaker A:Because they just took Jalen Brunson and then they gave all his friends from college and then they just still hooping.
Speaker A:But Jalen Bronson.
Speaker A:Call Anthony Towns.
Speaker A:Well, Cat is like almost 30 now, but still that's the point, right?
Speaker A:You need your 30 year old and your 20 year old.
Speaker A:Because once again, if your 36 year old superstar goes down and the team can't move forward, there's a problem.
Speaker A:And that's the, that's the story of these NBA Finals.
Speaker A:That a lot of casuals are hating on these finals just because there are no established stars.
Speaker A:But if we don't give these kids a chance to play in the finals and establish themselves, then when will we have other established stars?
Speaker A:There's got to be a passing of the torch someday.
Speaker A:And as much as we hate it, it looks like that is happening quicker than we expected.
Speaker A:We haven't seen LeBron in the finals in four years.
Speaker A:Five years.
Speaker A:Steph hasn't been in the finals in three years.
Speaker A:Don't get me started with KD.
Speaker A:Chris Paul.
Speaker A:Don't get me started.
Speaker A:Joel Embiid.
Speaker A:Don't get me started.
Speaker A:So you see, right now we have a problem.
Speaker A:We have stars that people don't want because they haven't done anything.
Speaker A:And yet people are not giving them the chance to do something.
Speaker A:I for one love this series.
Speaker A:I think it's a great matchup on one side you have the Indiana Pacers, who are a very offensively talented team, best offense in the league.
Speaker A:And then you have India, you have okc, who will strangle and smother you with their defense.
Speaker A:They're one of the best, if not the best of defensive team in the league, which once again, defense wins championships.
Speaker A:But like, this is a great style, right?
Speaker A:In the ufc they say styles make fights.
Speaker A:This is a great style.
Speaker A:And that's it.
Speaker A:In terms of basketball, I have one minute to say this and then I am done.
Speaker A: It is: Speaker A: ron Rodgers still relevant in: Speaker A:We see what's happening.
Speaker A:Don't get me wrong, and I've said this before, and I'll say it again, Aaron Rodgers is not a bad player.
Speaker A:Aaron Rodgers will.
Speaker A:There will never be a day where Aaron Rodgers is a bad football player.
Speaker A:However, he is no longer an elite football player.
Speaker A:He will now manage the game for you, but you must never expect him to go out and win you games.
Speaker A:He was tied with Josh Allen, who was the MVP for for touchdowns last season.
Speaker A:So that should be telling.
Speaker A:Josh Allen was sitting down in the fourth quarter last year because they were blowing teams out of the building.
Speaker A:Aaron Rodgers in the fourth quarter still had to play because he was the only saving grace's team had, which they still lost by the way.
Speaker A:So those touchdowns are trying to save the game.
Speaker A:Those touchdowns are just, oh damn, we got this many.
Speaker A:Maybe we should chill.
Speaker A:You get what I'm trying to say?
Speaker A:Not all great players are made equal, not all great seasons are made equal and not all similar stats are made equal.
Speaker A:That's why I always say If Luka drops 30, it's just another day at the office.
Speaker A:Javale McGee does it.
Speaker A:Nigga, that's a career game.
Speaker A:Same thing.
Speaker A:So Aaron Rodgers is going to the Steelers.
Speaker A:Mike Tomlin, my prayers are with you.
Speaker A:Good luck with that.
Speaker A:Aaron Rodgers going to the Steelers, which will be his third team in four years, which I never thought I'd say.
Speaker A:I thought he would retire in Green Bay.
Speaker A: 's where we find ourselves in: Speaker A:Having to talk about Aaron Rodgers signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker A:What's he gonna do?
Speaker A:I'm just asking, what's he gonna do?
Speaker A:Do you know who's Dog, Dog, Dog, Dog.
Speaker A:The pits.
Speaker A:That's the AFC north in it.
Speaker A:AFC north, huh?
Speaker A:Huh?
Speaker A:40 year old Aaron Rodgers is going to be in the AFC north with Lamar Jackson.
Speaker A:With Lamar Jackson and the newly drafted Shadir Sanders.
Speaker A:You re.
Speaker A:You really think, you really think that's gonna happen?
Speaker A:You really think the Pittsburgh Steelers are gonna beat those teams and those quarterbacks?
Speaker A:You think this 40 year old quarterback is gonna match up with those quarterbacks?
Speaker A:Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore.
Speaker A:So Pittsburgh Steelers is Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker A:Baltimore Ravens is Lamar Jackson.
Speaker A:Cleveland Browns.
Speaker A:Newly drafted Shadir Sanders was projected to be a top pick, but because politics got in the way.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Oh, and there's another team.
Speaker A:Who are they?
Speaker A:Just the Cincinnati Bengals with Joe.
Speaker A:With Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase, the two deadliest players, you know, the deadliest duo in the league.
Speaker A:So, yeah, 40 year old Aaron Rodgers will thrive in that division where he has to play each of those teams twice a year.
Speaker A:God be with them all.
Speaker A:What you got for me, dog?
Speaker B:Right, I've got a few things over there.
Speaker B:Okay, first of all, you didn't mention.
Speaker B:Why are you doing that?
Speaker A:I think I see.
Speaker A:I think I know what this is here.
Speaker A:Let's go.
Speaker B:You didn't mention that both our predictions for the NBA Finals were wrong.
Speaker B:Horribly wrong.
Speaker B:We got it.
Speaker B:We got it all wrong.
Speaker B:All wrong.
Speaker B:But I was like, hey, hey, Celtics.
Speaker B:Hey, hey, Cleveland.
Speaker B:Hey, hey, Jokic, LeBron.
Speaker A:And I really said.
Speaker A:And I really said, Cleveland.
Speaker B:Where are they now?
Speaker A:In Cancun.
Speaker A:They're all in Cancun.
Speaker B:Is that a thing that NBA players do?
Speaker B:Like you go to Cancun or is it just.
Speaker A:It's just a running gag?
Speaker B:Oh, it's a running gag.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like at the end of the season they send you to.
Speaker B:Okay, I'm here to disagree with you, my dear friend.
Speaker B:On the first point of the Fighting Floyd, Mayweather is arguably one of the greatest box of all time, if not the greatest boxer of all time, after Shirley Robertson and Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes and you know what I'm saying?
Speaker B:But.
Speaker A:And Anthony Joshua.
Speaker B:Can we please be serious here?
Speaker B:Can we please be serious?
Speaker B:AJ is not even the top 100 of all time.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:So the point of a combat sport is to hit and not get hit.
Speaker B:Yes, that's it.
Speaker B:So if I do that, why are you hating on me?
Speaker B:If it means I got the points?
Speaker A:We've had this, I won.
Speaker A:We've had this chat.
Speaker B:We're having this chat again.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:And with that, I will say this.
Speaker A:Remember when we're talking about the greatest athletes.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:And we were saying you got to pass the eye test and we have to look at you and say, that guy is it.
Speaker A:And you have to do something that we look at and say, no one can do what you do, which fair.
Speaker A:No one could hit and not get hit as much as Floyd.
Speaker B:Better than Floyd.
Speaker A:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker A:Better.
Speaker A:Better than Floyd.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:However, the eye test does.
Speaker A:Does watching.
Speaker A:When you watch Floyd, I sleep.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:He failed the eye test, and it's one of the criteria.
Speaker B:But I'm looking.
Speaker A:He doesn't fit the criteria for me.
Speaker B:I'm looking at as from a fighter's perspective.
Speaker B:Why should I care if you think a boxer for Sonia dare not win and become the goat on points?
Speaker A:So you did.
Speaker B:So what?
Speaker A:So what's.
Speaker B:What's your cry?
Speaker A:That is exactly why nobody.
Speaker A:Nobody wants Merab Dwellishfili.
Speaker A:And, oh, Bilal is no longer champion.
Speaker A:Thank God for that.
Speaker A:But that is why nobody wants Merab.
Speaker A:Because statistically and technically, then, yes, you are the best fighter.
Speaker A:You are the champion.
Speaker A:But if you are boring the people who are watching the fight, which, once again, sports is also there to entertain.
Speaker A:If you don't entertain me with what you are doing as an athlete, whose job is to also entertain me by your.
Speaker A:By your feats of athleticism, then, no, you are not the greatest.
Speaker A:All you're doing is hacking the system and making it work for you, which, fair enough.
Speaker A:If that's.
Speaker A:That's how you get forward in life.
Speaker A:You hack the system.
Speaker B:Am I not the goat by hacking the system?
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:Once again, we.
Speaker A:When we talk about clean resumes and undefeated and great champions, your name will come up.
Speaker A:But there's a reason we say Mike Tyson are not Floyd.
Speaker A:Because we saw Mike.
Speaker A:Like, no one could do what Mike did.
Speaker A:People walked.
Speaker A:Mike walked in with the intentions to kill people.
Speaker A:And I'm not saying, like, fight.
Speaker A:Other fighters should do the same.
Speaker A:But what I'm saying is Floyd still left doubts with who the better fighter was.
Speaker A:It just so happened that you managed to defend yourself well for those 12 rounds or whatever.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:But are you undoubtedly, without a question, the better fighter?
Speaker A:Because the thing about scoreboards as well, judges have feelings.
Speaker A:Judges are human.
Speaker A:You can't.
Speaker A:You can't just say this judge.
Speaker A:They're not machines, right?
Speaker A:So they're humans.
Speaker A:That means their feelings will definitely come into play.
Speaker A:That's why the ufc, there's every card, there's gonna be a decision that people look at, and they're like, guys.
Speaker A:So that's because it leaves room for questions.
Speaker A:When you finish your opponent, you don't do that.
Speaker B:Ah, I see.
Speaker A:You defeated him, but you.
Speaker A:You also beat him.
Speaker B:I see, I see, I see.
Speaker B:Very good point.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:I want to hit it not get.
Speaker A:Hit and you'll make money doing it.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:Is that not what we want?
Speaker B:Is that what we're here for?
Speaker A:Goat shit?
Speaker B:Then I want very quickly with okc.
Speaker B:UFC Shay in five.
Speaker B:Oh, funny thing, funny thing.
Speaker A:I'm drinking coffee and this equipment is expensive.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:We haven't seen LeBron in the finals in five.
Speaker B:Okay, so OKC paces.
Speaker B:Regardless of who wins, one of them will have a first time champion.
Speaker B:Will be a first time champion.
Speaker B:Halliburton V wins.
Speaker B:Has to be finals of AP the way things are going.
Speaker A:Not necessarily.
Speaker A:He's been playing bad the past two games.
Speaker A:I think Pascal Siakam has a better chance.
Speaker B:Okay, Pascal Halliburton, what are the two?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And then Shea standard four of them win.
Speaker B:Does that make them the greatest player for that franchise?
Speaker B:Because they brought that chip?
Speaker B:I know we've had this chip before, but I don't want to see share.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Haley, he might still have to pay his dues.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:Same guy.
Speaker B:We took out a top set five.
Speaker B:Come on.
Speaker A:Here's my chat.
Speaker A:Here's my chat.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:We can say without a doubt, Shea has Contributed equally to OKC MVPs, championships.
Speaker B:Conference, MV finals, AOB.
Speaker A:Yeah, sure.
Speaker A:And it's.
Speaker A:It's a bit.
Speaker A:It's a bit hypocritical, but time spent.
Speaker A:He's been in OKC for the past five, six years.
Speaker A:You know, he's paid his dues.
Speaker A:He's.
Speaker A:He got to OKC when he was a kid and he was like 20, 20, 21, 22 somewhere there.
Speaker A:Now he's 26.
Speaker A:He's a man.
Speaker A:He's built.
Speaker A:He's.
Speaker A:He grew up in okc.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:For lack of a better term.
Speaker A:Even though his career started in LA with the Clippers, he grew up in OKC and he's Mr.
Speaker A:OKC because the fans got to see him blossom.
Speaker A:From this kid we traded for, Paul George to this kid who got to play with Chris Paul to the superstar that he is now.
Speaker A:And we also.
Speaker A:He also brought us mvp, kept us relevant for long.
Speaker A:OKC has been relevant for at least three, four years now.
Speaker A:The Pacers just now.
Speaker A:And he brought us a championship.
Speaker A:Halliburton, all he's done is made us relevant now and brought us a championship.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Which is greater than anything Reggie will ever do.
Speaker A:Simply because he brought us that.
Speaker A:He brought them a championship.
Speaker A:But when we talk about the greatest with a franchise, we also have to look at your relationship with them.
Speaker A:That's why I say Kawhi is not the Greatest Raptor.
Speaker A:That's Vince Carter.
Speaker A:I'll even say Kyle Lowry, because now Reggie did so much for that team of India, for that team in that city from like, trying to like, dog.
Speaker A:They took the Bulls seven.
Speaker A:Only team to take the Bulls seven in the 90s.
Speaker A:Reggie.
Speaker A:And Reggie and the Pacers did that.
Speaker A:And then, sure, they went to the finals with Kobe as well.
Speaker A:And that's the thing.
Speaker A:It's not like Reggie didn't go to the finals.
Speaker A:He went to the finals and he ran into Kobe.
Speaker A:Like, what do you want me to do?
Speaker A:Checking Kobe.
Speaker A:So no Halliburton, if he stays in Indiana his whole career or even maybe another five years, then yeah.
Speaker A:But no, if Halliburton brings a championship to Indiana.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Simply because he hasn't spent enough time there.
Speaker A:Shay.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:He's Mr.
Speaker A:Okc.
Speaker A:Okay, good.
Speaker B:Halliburton goes back to back, I think close.
Speaker B:All right, I got.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:Like, like, I'm.
Speaker A:I'm sorry, but like, no, no, like, if.
Speaker A:If Hellburn goes back to back, God forbid.
Speaker A:But like, yeah, sure.
Speaker A:That was a long time.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:We haven't done this in a while, so we do get to catch up every once in a while and just get to talk.
Speaker A:Otherwise, I don't know.
Speaker A:I'll see you.
Speaker A:But it'll definitely be for episode 37.
Speaker A:Until then, watch that, because these are all just some thoughts of a guy saying, sitting on his chair in Joburg.
Speaker A:Till then, go out there, watch more sports, be nice to your mother, and as always, enjoy the violence.
Speaker A:Wow.
