Takes

People who get offended by bat flips in baseball are silly

People getting offended by bat flips are so silly. I fucking love this. I think this might be a straw man now. I think we've gotten to the point where... now I think we might just be arguing against no one.

France will win the 2018 World Cup Final

I'm going to go with France as well. Mbappé is 19.

Cops is a top-tier reality show because of its unique hook and short format

My first one is going to be Cops. Cops is a classic. I also like the format of it. It's short, and it hooks you in. One thing they do when they play a marathon of Cops, right when the end credit of Bad Boys by Inner Circle is done, the start of Bad Boys by Inner Circle just hits immediately.

Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus is a good fit because Serie A is all about defense

I think it's a good fit. You don't score goals in Serie A... In Italy, it's just all about defense. So if he gets his one free kick a game, then his team's probably going pretty good.

Russell Wilson is currently 'killing the sexy dance game'

Russell Wilson is absolutely killing the sexy dance game and dancing with Ciara... So he did a video with Ciara doing this little weird dance and he stole the show. So you would think, oh, Ciara, she's a professional performer. She's got moves. False. Russell Wilson was in the background killing it.

Riptide Rush is the only good Gatorade flavor

I'll go Mint Chocolate Chip and Riptide Rush... [Riptide Rush is] the only good one. No, it's the white one.

We called LeBron James signing with the Lakers before it happened

LeBron James has signed. We called that, by the way. We were way out ahead of that one, so please credit us.

There is a 0% chance I will ever return to the NFL

I'd say if it was from zero to 100, 100 being yes, I thought about it, zero being I didn't think about it, I'd say anywhere into the negative 100,000.

The drop I had in the Super Bowl haunts me more than the catch that everyone talks about

I don't think about that catch when I think about [Super Bowl 51]. I think about right after halftime... I drop that ball and I was the guy over here, you know the rah-rah guy... I think about that third down how much harder it made it for us to go because we had a little momentum there. So, like, that's what I think about, bro. I don't even think about that catch. I think about that drop.

Uruguay and Argentina will advance in the World Cup

I'm going to go Uruguay and Argentina [to win their knockout games].

Goodfellas and The Godfather are essentially based on real events

When you go to see some of the quote unquote fictional movies, The Godfather or the other one, which I love, Goodfellas, so many of the stories that are in there are based on things that really happen.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a fantastic movie

The new one [Jurassic World] is fucking great... It's fantastic. I'm not in it... I'm hoping that they put me in the third one.

NFL players miss out on all the fun parts of the fall because of the schedule

All the cool shit happens on a fall Saturday night. All my buddies hit me up and I get the worst FOMO sitting in the hotel... I could have been having a drink with Kenny Powers [Danny McBride] and I'm in a hotel [in Buffalo].

Digital menus where you touch items to see pictures are the future of dining

Here's what's going to happen with digital menus... We're going to look at a menu. We're going to see stuff listed... When I touch the item, I'll see the picture... and then it'll disappear... so I can see it when I want to.

Stephen A. Smith's receding hairline makes him a better journalist

Stephen A., his hair has been receding into that cul-de-sac that he has for the last five years. It becomes like a satellite dish of hair. So he's able to hear these whispers at a pace that you or I can't, that mere mortals can't.

Sitting on a winning bet ticket is one of the best feelings in the world

My number four will be when you're sitting on a winning bet ticket. So like when you bet the Capitals and win the Stanley Cup and you know that it's our year and you're just like, I have $1,500 free money.

Rookies should invest all their money into their bodies and skills rather than the market

My advice to them would be invest as much money into yourself, your body, your food. Focus on becoming a better player because there's nothing in the world that's going to be a better return on your investment than making yourself a better player. That second contract... you're worth $100 million.

I will never race Darren Rovell in a marathon

Darren Rovell has challenged me to a marathon. It is the dumbest challenge ever... You could triple dog, quadruple dog, infinity dog dare me to run a marathon, and I'll just sit there and be like, no, because it looks awful.

The PGA Tour is ridiculous for investigating Bryson DeChambeau for using a compass

[Speaker 1] (16:38-16:41) My hot seat is Bryson DeChambeau. [Speaker 1] (16:41-16:47) The PGA Tour is investigating him and trying to figure out whether it was legal of him to use a compass or not. [Speaker 1] (16:48-16:49) What century are we in? [Speaker 3] (17:16-17:21) I love this that it's a compass is now an illegal tool in golf.

Auburn has one of the best night game atmospheres in the SEC

[Speaker 2] (35:01-35:07) But I'll tell you, Auburn has something about it that was just always a fun atmosphere, a great atmosphere. [Speaker 2] (35:07-35:12) The fans are eye-level with you, and that can be an incredible game at night as well.

Julian Edelman is innocent until proven guilty regarding his PED suspension

[Speaker 0] (11:15-1:16:00) Now, with that said, we are still standing by the fact that Julian Edelman is innocent. [Speaker 0] (1:16:00-1:16:02) Last I checked in this country, you're innocent until proven guilty.

Super teams threaten to water down the NBA

The only thing I just hope that doesn't happen is the league becomes watered down because so many teams are trying to create a super team to where you have 10 teams of the 30 having all the best players. And then what does that do with the rest of the league? Everyone else is tanking. That just hurts the NBA at the end of the day.

Baggy clothes will eventually come back into fashion

Everything is going to come full circle. The baggy clothes... I still have my Coogee sweaters. And they're starting to slowly come back. It's going to all come back, bro.

Luka Doncic dominated the second best league in the world and will be very good

Luka Doncic, I think, will be very good. He dominated the Spanish League. That's the second best league in the world. He's 18 years old. He won the MVP of the Spanish League in his 18. That's pretty fucking good.

Russia is a wagon in the 2018 World Cup

Russia is a wagon. Russia is really, really good when they're playing against the world's 70th ranked teams. They don't play down to their opponents.

Colangelo's burner accounts are the weirdest NBA storyline of the season

I still got to go with a general manager in the NBA getting fired for someone in his family, possibly him, burner tweeting his own players. Collar gate.

Kyrie Irving is waiting until 2019 to sign an extension to get $80 million extra

When [Kyrie Irving] said that he wasn't going to stay in a contract extension this summer with Boston, that is because if he waits until next year, he can get $80 million extra from Boston.

The World Cup ball skips too much this year

When you see that ball take its first bounce on a long pass, it skips. So in every World Cup, at the very start of it, people always freak out about something weird with the ball... This one, the ball skips. So I'm getting out ahead of that one. It skips a little bit too far, and you see a lot of whiffs on half volleys.

The Herschel Walker trade is the worst in NFL history

I'll go with the worst trade in NFL history, Herschel Walker to the Vikings that basically started the entire dynasty for the Cowboys in the 90s... and then the Cowboys won three Super Bowls.

The Todd Haley and Ben Roethlisberger relationship will not work out in Cleveland

I don't think the Todd Haley, Ben Roethlisberger situation is going to work out... Todd Haley is so detestable he makes Ben Roethlisberger a sympathetic figure. That's incredible.

The course at Shinnecock Hills is a 'wagon' because it's dominating every golfer in the field

I'm telling you what, this course is a wagon. Every single golfer got shit pumped today except for, what, Dustin Johnson? ... The course is awesome. The fescue is kicking people's ass.

Spain will win the 2018 World Cup

America will love the circus. So who's going to win? Spain will win. Spain's going to win.

Jimbo Fisher is a massive upgrade for Texas A&M

[Jimbo Fisher] is a big deal for us. It had been in the works for what seemed like a year and a half... I think we were ready for a little bit of a change and a guy who doesn't happen a lot where you get a coach that leaves from a national championship contending team and goes to a team that wants that.

Clayton Kershaw is not finished as an elite pitcher

Neither [done or finished]. Come on. I'm a Kershaw fan, even though I work for the D-backs... I never count that guy out. He works too hard.

A cup becomes a bowl once it is wider than it is long

I think it's when it's wider than it is long. When it becomes a chode. When it's a chode, it's a bowl.

The Cavaliers will win Game 3 of the NBA Finals

The NBA Finals are off. I don't know when they're coming back, but who even — I mean, the Cavs are going to win game three. I'm going to say it right now.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are dead

Today is Monday, June 4th and the Cleveland Cavaliers are dead. So, so dead.

I think the Cavaliers will win one game at home

I do think the Cavs will win a game at home. But that was like... When David West is hitting threes, when JaVale McGee and Sean Livingston go 11 for 11 from the field... It's not even fair.

Draymond Green should get credit for the dress shorts look, not LeBron

Shorts are definitely back. But [LeBron] got co-opted by Draymond Green. Green showed up in some dress shorts, too. I think that's the new look. It's like ACDC chic. Draymond said that he should be getting credit for shorts, not LeBron.

Nothing short of injuries to Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant will allow the Cavs to win the series

When I say they're dead, I mean they could win a game, maybe even two games, but there's nothing short of like Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant both getting injured that would make the Cavs win this series.

Jon Taffer is a curse on everyone

Well, there's definitely a Taffer curse. Yeah, Taffer's definitely a curse. It's a curse on everyone.

Mike Trout is the best player in the game

Oh, Trout. Trout's the best player in the game. He's ungodly.

LeBron James is breaking his social media blackout by using his wife's Instagram

LeBron James, who said he's not going on social media one time the entire playoffs... decided that after the Eastern Conference Finals that he was going to do an Instagram takeover on his wife's Instagram account, which to me seems like he was on social media and not focusing on the biggest series of his life.

The Golden State Warriors will win the NBA Finals in six games

I'll say Warriors in six. Yeah, I'll say, like, something, you know, a couple of a game there. The Warriors are an incredibly, like, arrogant team, for good reason, but... They will screw around. They will screw around in a game and lose it.

Baker Mayfield already 'Gets It' because he won't draw a stripe on his helmet

Baker draws the Browns helmet... why don't you have the stripe on there? And he goes, well, it's because I haven't earned my stripe yet. Because that's what the browns are doing with their helmets this year... Baker gets it. Baker gets it.

The Celtics will win their series in six or seven games

I think they're going to win six. And I think if they don't, they'll still win game seven.

Grit is defined by being relentless and having maniacal work habits

For me it's it's very simple and we talk to our players about all time it's about being relentless. We talk about intensity. We talk about maniacal work habits and going about it, determination, teamwork, all those things, toughness, hardness about ourselves. Those are the things that we describe grit to.

Ron Rivera and Mike Vrabel are the toughest coaches in the NFL

Mike Vrabel is probably the toughest. Ron Rivera is a tough son. Ron Rivera is a good one. To be a coach in this profession, you have to have a toughness about you in some way or another.

The Warriors will still win the series against the Rockets

I still think the Warriors are going to win the series, but it's not because of a lack of analytics.

You should never hand someone your phone to show them a picture

You have to be an absolute psycho to hand someone else your phone. You've got to do the holding your phone and scrolling for them. You never give anyone anyone your phone.