Takes

Mystic Dan is a bet-against in the Preakness Stakes

I think he is a bet against. He got a perfect trip [in the Derby], which he's probably not gonna get Saturday. He's coming back in two weeks. For all those reasons, from a betting standpoint, I think he's a bet against.

Tuscan Gold is the best bet to win the Preakness Stakes

To me, the bet in the Preakness is a horse called Tuscan Gold, trained by Chad Brown. On numbers, he's just as good as Mystic Dan in my opinion... and he should be a higher price.

The Boston Celtics have the best team remaining in the NBA playoffs

I do think unbiasedly, [the Celtics] have the best team left. At least in the East. When you talk about the West, I think the Denver-Minnesota series has been incredible.

NBA players would win the World Cup for the US in four months if they switched to soccer

If the Bucks decided that they wanted to be the US men's national team in soccer, we'd win a World Cup. No problem. Pick any sport. They'd be our best soccer player without a doubt. Give them four months.

Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player in the world, and that's a fact

I am so happy that I'm alive, that I am blessed to be able to do a sports podcast while Nikola Jokic is playing basketball because holy shit, he is the best. ... remind everyone that yes, I am the best player in the world. And that's a fact.

It is better to guard Nikola Jokic with average defenders than one elite defender like Rudy Gobert

I think it's almost better to guard Jokic with like one and a half slash two average defenders than it is to guard him with one good defender [like Rudy Gobert].

The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially earned their big boy playoff stripes

The Thunder I want say have officially earned their big boy playoff stripes because what they did on Monday night when they could not shoot at all... That's a tough playoff win. ... the Thunder win. And I'm like, they got their big boy stripes.

Bronny James is in a terrible spot and I feel bad for him

My Hot Seat is Bronny James... I feel bad for him. Like I, I he's he's in a terrible spot. I agree. He's in a terrible spot. He is at the combine this week. People are debating whether he should even be at the combine.

Bronny James would not be drafted or at the combine if his name wasn't Bronny James

I do agree with you because it's just a simple question. Would Bronny James be at the combine and be drafted if his name wasn't Bronny James? The answer's no.

Jared Goff is no longer a bridge quarterback after proving everyone wrong with the Lions

When the trade happened, everybody was saying like, they're gonna use Jared Goff as a bridge quarterback. Now he's he's not a bridge. ... it felt like there was Yeah, when he got traded for the Rams, it's like, oh, his career's over and now he's he's proven everyone wrong.

I will strap a bomb to my chest if Aaron Rodgers has another season-ending injury in Week 1

If Aaron Rodgers gets another season ending injury [against the 49ers], I'm gonna strap a bomb to my chest and go to the NFL office and blow up.

The Lakers coaching job is a much better long-term opportunity than the Suns job

I think there's more of a runway with the Lakers. I think the Suns is like more of a, you know what happens in the NBA if you, if they have another season this year... you have this like very tiny window. ... The Lakers have, I think a longer runway. ... If you create a max salary spot with the Lakers, come on, you're getting somebody. Right. Guys are always [wanting to play there].

Victor Wembanyama is going to dominate the NBA in ways we have never seen on both ends of the floor

The Spurs are coming because of Victor [Wembanyama]. ... we better all get our winning out of the way fast. We better get our winning done fast. 'cause once that kid has anybody around him, he's gonna win everything all the time. ... He's going to dominate this league in ways like I think on both ends of the floor, unlike we've seen.

Valhalla is a golf course that heavily favors players who hit it far and high

I'm looking at players to pick or favorites to kind of focus on, I'm looking at guys that hit it far and hit it high. Guys like Rory McIlroy and Brooks [Koepka]... but you gotta beat it forever and you gotta hit it relatively straight because the rough is gnarly.

Max Homa is in my top three favorites and can absolutely win the PGA Championship

I think Max [Homa] can absolutely win here. I think it's a good golf course for him. And I feel like he's been playing better and better golf than we saw early in the season. So absolutely. I think, I think Max not only can win, but I think he's in probably my top three favorites right now.

Rory McIlroy will get a performance boost from his recent divorce filing

Rory McElroy divorce bump. ... Rory's just gonna go to Cleveland. He, he's either trying to go to Cleveland or it was smart. What? You said you might be trying to go to Boston. ... Girls are looking at him, I'm gonna be, I'm a champion baby.

The Nuggets are the scariest team left in the playoffs

The Nuggets are the scariest team in the West. You're right. Left in the playoffs period. Like the Nuggets just do not care. Like they're not worried about the pressure of game five or six or seven... thinking about the championship, if you were to do that, you'd rather play one of those younger, more inexperienced teams. But that's why I think the Nuggets, they were just gonna, they're gonna roll from here on out.

The Celtics will reach the NBA Finals without playing a single memorable game

Will they [the Celtics] be the first team to ever get to the finals without playing a single memorable playoff game? It's crazy. Every game is either they kick the shit out of the opponent and their two losses are they got the shit kicked outta them. They haven't played in one like big fourth quarter moment yet.

The Celtics will smoke whoever wins the Knicks-Pacers series

And they'll smoke whoever wins the Knicks-Pacers [series]. I just love beating New York little brother.

Tom Thibodeau did not cause the Knicks' current injury crisis

I don't think that he [Thibodeau] specifically has caused this situation that the Knicks are in... Julius Randall hurt his shoulder on a play... OG's always hurt and he was traded halfway through the season... Brunson was like 14th in minutes... I think this one situation, like it's kind of just fluke injuries and I don't know if you can blame him a hundred percent for this one.

The NHL is rigging the playoffs for a Panthers-Rangers Eastern Conference Final

I something's fishy with the NHL and and this Panthers team... They didn't suspend [Bennett], which is crazy... I don't understand why... The NHL is trying to rig a Panthers, Rangers Eastern Conference Finals. They much rather have that than Bruins-Rangers.

Rory McIlroy only wins the tournament immediately preceding a Major

Rory, I feel like he's the king of winning the championship right before Major. Then everyone talks about him. It's a major week. Rory's back. He's gonna win a major and then he like misses the cut. Rory fooling us about him being back.

Secretariat's records are fraudulent and he likely used steroids

Secretariat had 663 children... Guess how many of his kids won a Triple Crown race? The answer is zero... every mile time has gradually gotten better over the years except horse racing... He also lost a bunch of races... they had an excuse ready after every single loss... he had horse herpes and they blamed his loss on that... The more you look into Secretariat, the more it stinks to high heaven.

Flightline is the GOAT horse over Secretariat

I think we should as a podcast, we should say Flightline is our goat. Flightline was a horse that won the Breeders Cup two years ago... He raced six times and he just killed everyone... Casual fans will say Secretariat... Flightline, he was an incredible horse.

Brian Hoyer throws the most catchable ball of any quarterback I played with

You know who actually threw a real catchable ball? Brian Hoyer did... He had this little pat thing. He threw a real catchable ball. Mallet used to throw a real heavy, heavy like hard ball... but yeah, Hoyer threw a real catchable ball.

Gronk is actually a savant with numbers

I'm telling you right now. Gronk knows numbers, bro... whenever we used to talk contracts... I would always bust his balls like, yo, what's square root of this, Gronk? 144. He'd be like 12, dude! Like, he really knows numbers pretty well, dude. Not joking.

Shaving your head and growing a beard is the only move for balding men

Shave it and grow a beard... my thing was, which I held onto it for a while... and I finally got... I found this barber... He goes 'Dude you need to just shave your fucking head.' That's, yeah, I think you're right dude. It's tough. I shave it. It was just, you know, bullied me into shaving my head.

Every hobby a man has is designed primarily to attract women

It's from Ed Latimore, former professional boxer... All of your hobbies and ambitions are to attract women. Nature doesn't care how much personal fulfillment you get from them. Those things are cool, but they're coincidental positive externality to the Prime objective to keep the species going. Every hobby that you have is designed to attract women.

Gambling is the least attractive hobby a man can have

I mean, my only hobby is gambling... I think gambling has to be the least attractive thing to a woman if you're good at it. Not if you're good... gambling, golfing, flight simulators, helicopter parenting turtles, combos, Call of Duty, going for walks. Max clogging toilets.

Jayson Tatum has had nothing but success in his NBA career despite lack of a ring

I think [the critics] are wrong. I think Jayson Tatum just gets picked on. He's had nothing but success in his NBA career. He hasn't won a championship, but he's had an extremely successful career and people just try and shoot him down.

The Celtics will 'kill' the Cavaliers in Game 3

You guys are gonna fucking kill the Cavs in Game 3.

The Celtics will win Game 3 by exactly 33 points

Prediction for Saturday night: Win by 33. I guess a little, you know, you got an extra one. 101 [total series point differential].

The Celtics will sweep the rest of the playoffs through the Eastern Conference Finals

We're the Boston Celtics. We're gonna beat the fuck out of 'em the next game. Beat the fuck out of 'em again. Beat the fuck out of 'em again. And then the Pacers and Knicks are both gonna be dead by the time they come to us. That's a clean sweep, clean sweep.

Rick Carlisle is being a 'gigantic baby' for his officiating complaints

The Pacers have had a bad whistle and they got, they got screwed up. I mean, game one that we, we talked about on Wednesday, that game one kickball call sucked. They've gotten a bad whistle. Rick Carlisle's being a gigantic baby.

JJ Redick will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers

JJ Redick's gonna be the next coach of the Lakers. Right. Feels like LeBron is really defending him... this is based off no information but I'm more basing off just seeing LeBron defending.

Coaching an NBA 'super team' is currently the worst job in sports

That's gotta be the worst job in sports as a head coach right now is signing up to coach a super team because no matter what happens, it's never the player's fault. It's always the coach's fault. If you flame out in the playoffs with one of these teams with a big three or a super team, you are the fall guy every single time.

Secretariat's body should be exhumed and drug tested to protect the integrity of sports records

I'm going to go one further than Jason Kelce. I will say they should dig up Secretariat's body and test them. Drug test them. It's the only record in sports that has never been broken in terms of like speed or power for all these years. Every other sport has gotten better since the 1970s and we're saying horse racing is the one that hasn't? Dig that horse up.

Anthony Edwards is the best young leader in the NBA

When it comes to the young up and coming superstars, I've never seen a leader like [Anthony Edwards]. And he's the best young leader in the game of basketball.

The Timberwolves have the Denver Nuggets 'crying like babies'

I said the T-Wolves got them crying like babies. The Denver Nuggets are doing all that damn crying. What the babies gonna do if you gonna do all that damn crying? They had Michael Malone whining to the referees. They had Jamal Murray crying to the referees. They had them uncomfortable.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have won the 2023-24 NBA MVP over Nikola Jokic

I voted for SGA. I voted for Shai because Shai last year Oklahoma didn't even make the playoffs. This year they're the number one seed in the Western conference. He's first in the league in steals, shooting 54% from the field as a shooting guard... He has the best record in the tough Western Conference.

LeBron James should retire immediately to protect his 'GOAT' legacy

I wish [LeBron James] would retire because at this point I'm looking at it, what else is it for LeBron to accomplish? He have nothing else to accomplish... every single season that you don't win, then you give more animosity or more arguments to come at you about the GOAT debate... his legacy now is measured on the GOAT conversation and the firing of Darvin Ham does not look good on him.

The Timberwolves will win the NBA championship and Anthony Edwards will be Finals MVP

I got the Celtics coming out of the East. I got the Minnesota Timberwolves coming out of the West and I got Anthony Edwards Finals MVP, Minnesota taking it all.

Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart are the top three 'dogs' in the NBA

Number one is gonna be Anthony Edwards. Rotweiler. Now it's a certain type of dog. No teacup oodles. I'm gonna go Anthony Edwards, I'm gonna go Jalen Brunson... and number three, I gotta go with Josh Hart. He's the best rebounding guard in the playoffs... snatching them in traffic.

The Denver Nuggets are in deep trouble against the Minnesota Timberwolves

The Denver Nuggets are in some deep, deep shit. I'm not ready to bury [Jokic] right now, but the Wolves feel like they have the Nuggets' number and it's intensity, defensive intensity. It feels like the Wolves are created to beat the Nuggets and that's what they're doing.

The Celtics will beat the Cavaliers by a cumulative triple-digit point differential in the series

[Hank] is on pace for his triple digits prediction bloodbath for point differential in this series. The Celtics won by 25... we're on pace. This should be a four-one if not 4-0.

Zero NFL players could make an NBA roster tomorrow, while one or two NBA players could make the NFL

There's no way 30 guys from the NBA could make a roster in the NFL tomorrow. I think maybe one or two could make a roster... but there's zero guys on NFL roster right now who could play on an NBA roster. The height, the skill level with dribbling and shooting is on a completely different level.

Miami Heat culture is in absolute shambles

Heat culture absolute shambles. Pat Riley did a press conference... asked about Jimmy Butler trolling when he wasn't playing and he said, if you're not on the court playing, you should keep your mouth shut.

A wrist injury has turned Josh Hart into a lethal three-point shooter

Josh Hart said when he took a half court heave to end the second quarter... he felt his wrist click and it almost clicked back into place. Said he went to Brunson at the half and told him 'I can shoot threes now.' It is basically the plot from Rookie of the Year... Josh Hart is now just a lethal three-point shooter because his wrist clicked.

The current Minnesota Timberwolves are the NBA version of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens

This is the 2000 Ravens through these first six [games]... they're maniacal. They're grinning ear to ear as they're playing defense. Minnesota is emerging as the favorite to win this tournament by being the best defense we've seen in years.

Anthony Edwards is the hero that American basketball needs

He's the hero that American basketball needs. I was saying that you can really chart out with Jokic, Doncic, SGA, Giannis... a path to 2030 where we go a full decade without an [American] MVP. Anthony Edwards these last two weeks has had something to say to that.