Takes

LeBron James isn't that special because he merely lived up to the expectations we set

LeBron's actually not that special because we kind of called it... he just kind of lived up to his expectations. He was the chosen one. He didn't do anything that we didn't predict. We were right, man.

Mike Tyson is the main attraction in the fight against Jake Paul, which is rare for a Jake Paul fight

It's the rare fight where I think most times when Jake Paul fights somebody, people buy the fight because it's Jake Paul... He's the main attraction. In this one, I think Mike Tyson might be the main attraction.

I respect Chris Sims' quarterback rankings because he's actually been more right than wrong when evaluating talent

For everything Chris Sims is wrong about with Tua-non, he actually has been pretty good with his tiers when it comes to the quarterback stuff... He's been more right than wrong. That kind of scares me.

I'd rather be picking third than second in the NFL Draft so that the decision is made for us

I've never been more sure of the fact that whichever quarterback that we don't take is gonna be really good. And then Hank [Pats] gets the one that we [Commanders] don't take. I would rather be picking third. Our decision was made for us.

Caleb Williams is the correct pick at number one for any NFL team

Caleb Williams is the right pick to make at number one right now. Right? If the chiefs had had number two in that 2017 draft, they would've probably taken Patrick Mahomes. I don't know if there's another team that if they had number one would taken anyone but Caleb Williams.

Boobs are officially back in pop culture

I told you Sydney Sweeney has done it. I think boobs are back guys. Yeah. That, that picture all time... Sydney Sweeney has done it.

The Celtics losing to the Cavs after blowing a big fourth-quarter lead is the definition of a 'start of the championship DVD' loss

That was the definition of a start of the championship DVD loss against the Cavs late in the season. They got complacent. They blew a huge fourth quarter lead... That was a good wake up call game.

Mike Vrabel is the #9 Patriot of all time

My player... is Mike Vrabel. Great linebacker for a long time. Great pass catcher, legendary touchdowns. Great dude. He is number nine. Top 10 of all time.

Daryl Morey trading me for a second-round pick and Cam Payne was a hell of a business move

You get a 35-year-old, you pay him the minimum. You get Pat Bev for the minimum, literally steal... Then you trade him, you get a younger Cam Payne and you get a second round pick. You gotta think that's a hell of a business move. I understand how it is.

I guarantee the Bucks have a chance to compete for a championship this year

I guarantee a chance to compete for a championship [with the Bucks]. Yes. It's the only answer.

70% of big men in the NBA do not actually love basketball

50% of the NBA are guys that don't love basketball... Let's raise that number to 70 then for the big guys. 70% of the big guys... it's forced upon you because you're seven feet. Something wrong happened in your life [if you didn't play basketball at that height].

The key to a long NBA career is playing elite defense for the first six years to establish yourself, which buys you another decade to show your offense

In order for me to sustain a career in the NBA, the key or the code to the bank or to the key to get in the door was defense. Now, once I set the stone in six years, I should be cool if I ride that wave, I should be good for like another eight or nine years. During that eight or nine years I can show offense.

Draymond Green gets the JJ Watt treatment on defense where they let him freelance and do whatever he wants

They give [Draymond Green] the JJ Watt treatment. They let him do whatever the fuck he wants... They let him roam. Freelance.

The Bears are back now that they've extended Jaylon Johnson

Jaylon Johnson extended... Four-year deal. He was franchise tagged and they were saying they were gonna keep working on it. Fucking love it. It's a good move. Oh, bears are back.

The Russell Wilson trade is one of the worst in sports history

Russell Wilson's trade, when looking back on it, the Broncos gave up two first round picks... two second round picks a fifth round pick Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant. And they got back Russell Wilson in a fourth round pick. And then they signed Russell Wilson to a $242 million contract. And he played for the Broncos for two terrible years. And yeah, I think it might be one of the worst trades in sports history.

Russell Wilson will start at least 18 more games in the NFL

I think you asked me at the end of the season, like over under Russ Wilson starts 16 or 17 and a half more games. Yeah. I still take the over on it. I think that there's gonna be a team out there that's gonna sign him to be a starting quarterback next season.

Russell Wilson isn't a good quarterback anymore

I still would probably want Kirk Cousins [over Russell Wilson]. I don't think Russell Wilson's good anymore.

The Giants should have franchise tagged Daniel Jones instead of signing him to a big contract

When Daniel Jones signed with the Giants, I think all of our reaction was the same. Which is like, you should actually, this is a case where you should pay your running back [Saquon Barkley] and you should franchise tag your quarterback.

Saquon Barkley would be a great fit for the Dallas Cowboys

Saquon deserves a big contract... I think Jerry Jones would probably want Saquon Barkley in Dallas. I think that'd probably be a pretty good fit.

Kirk Cousins is the first major domino of the NFL quarterback carousel

If we're doing dominoes, if we're talking about quarterback dominoes? Yeah. Because there's like three big domino pieces. What is the first domino? Kirk Cousins, who reportedly is thinking about moving to Atlanta.

If the Falcons sign Kirk Cousins, they will win the NFC South

If they [the Falcons] signed Kirk Cousins, I would definitely pick them to win the NFC South.

Jason Kelce's retirement is a major problem for the Eagles' locker room

He was Philadelphia. Like he is the most Philadelphia athlete I think that there's ever been... And I think that like him being gone is a real problem for the locker room. Like he was the leader for so long.

Randy Moss is the 10th best Patriot of all time

Number 10? Randy Moss. Yeah. Only, only player on this list to not win a Super Bowl. But he was, he was that good, that exciting record breaker... When he came to the Patriots, they got him for nothing.

Charlotte the stingray is not actually pregnant; the aquarium is lying

Charlotte the Stingray still hasn't given birth. It's fucked up. I don't think that she's actually pregnant. I still think it was a lie. I've been on stingray watch for the last three weeks; that bitch ain't pregnant.

Anthony Edwards missing the tip-off is a sign the Timberwolves aren't ready to win a title

Anthony Edwards lost track of time and he missed the tipoff of the Timberwolves game... This is the kind of thing that you point to when it's like, yeah, the Timberwolves are good, but your star player lost track of time.

If Mike Evans plays 3 to 5 more years, he will be on the Mount Rushmore of wide receivers

If he plays another 3, 4, 5 years, he will be in the conversation for Mount Rushmore of wide receivers in terms of like his total numbers and the dominance he's had every single season.

I verified over 30 sources for my report on the Jets' organizational dysfunction

At the Athletic, because the standards are outrageously high, we're owned by the New York Times, you have to supply the editors with your list of the people that you're speaking to. And we had a list together after putting together the piece... it was actually 30 plus.

The Bears will move on Justin Fields very soon

I think Chicago's gonna get moving on this for sure with Fields. Yeah. I've been stalking their people all week... I'm expecting definitely some action there.

Kirk Cousins to Washington would be a good move for both sides

Kirk Cousins is really the story of all of this right now... Kirk going back to Washington. I mean, that would be, I actually think that would be a really good move. Just based on talking to them this week... You bring in a guy who A, knows the city, but B, understands a winning culture.

The 'Patriot Way' was actually just having Tom Brady

I think they finally realized that the Patriot way is just having Tom Brady on your team... my counterpoint to that would be if the Patriots decided to answer all the questions and be like gregarious with the media, it wouldn't matter. 'Cause they still have Tom Brady.

Bill Belichick deserves just as much credit for the Patriots' dynasty as Tom Brady

I don't necessarily agree with [the idea that it was just Brady]. I think Bill Belichick had a gigantic part in all of this... New England's so interesting now because it seems that they are really pumping up this new way... but I think when people say Patriot way... there is a language they speak... I really like the New England way.

The Patriots are targeting a quarterback and a top-tier receiver in the draft or free agency

I think the Patriots are obviously exploring the quarterback market, both free agents and draft... they're also in for a stud receiver, I can tell you that. So that could mean through the draft and bring on a veteran.

NFL teams will invest much more in backup quarterbacks this season

I think if there's a, any position that we'll probably see better business would be backup quarterbacks. Especially after last year, we saw so many teams struggle by not investing in it. That was the story of the year. Right? Invest in a backup quarterback.

Winning a Super Bowl with a 'cursed' franchise earns a coach much more longevity than winning with a blue blood

It's also a great lesson that if you can win a Super Bowl with a franchise that everyone assumed was never gonna win a Super Bowl, you do get way more grace than if you win a Super Bowl with, you know, the Cowboys or the Steelers or the Packers.

The Big 10 Women's Basketball tournament will be better than the Men's tournament

The Big 10 tournament for the women's college basketball is gonna be better than the Big 10 men's tournament. I'll just say that right now.

No one will ever hit 40,000 career points in the NBA again

The craziest thing about Lebron 40,000 points is I don't, I don't think anyone's gonna hit it. Like I don't, even though the scoring is crazy in the NBA right now, I was looking at it and Luca has 10,000 points in six years, but to say Luca can play to be 40 years old with his body, no offense to his body would be a jump.

LeBron James is the second-best basketball player of all time

I also feel like we've done at least an okay job respecting the fact that he is an insane, insane basketball talent who is, you know, people will say he is the best of all time. I have him too. Which is, and I think the gap between two and three is huge.

The 2023-2024 Boston Celtics are in a 'Championship or Bust' year

The Celtics have been, they've been to a final, they've been to some conference finals. You have to win it all this year. Yeah. If you don't, it's a failure.

The Denver Nuggets will win the NBA Championship back-to-back

I don't think I can make a future bet on this because the price isn't great, but I just think the nugs are gonna win again. I think it's back to back. Nugs.

The 'American MVP' is dead in the NBA

We have an MVP problem with Americans. We don't win MVPs anymore. We have not won an MVP this decade since [2018]. We haven't won an MVP and I don't know where our next MVP's coming from.

Villanova is a great bet at 150-1 to win the NCAA Tournament

I bet on Villanova 150 to one. I looked at the prices, I was like, what's a, what's a way I could win half a million dollars. Oh, Villanova.

An NFL GM should draft Joe Milton #1 overall just for his arm strength

Joe Milton's a franchise quarterback. Yeah. Is that fucking throw is so awesome. I said if I'm a gm I'm drafting this guy One one overall. And that's the thing with Joe Milton is like, you will fall. All you need to know about Joe Milton and the most impressive tape out there besides this one pass that he had today, which was like 75 yards, half a step into it. ... This man can throw fruit farther than anybody else that's ever lived. Give me that guy.

Tyler Owens is pretending to not believe in space to get a free rocket ride from NASA

I actually think it, it's not a bad thing to say that you don't believe in space. You don't believe in, in the round earth theory, if you want to get a free ride on a Rocket ship, because there's always one guy where NASA's like, yeah, fuck you. We'll show you. Yeah. We'll take you up to space and you can get a look at it. Like, yeah, you know what, I, I also believe that space is fake. NASA prove help, help me prove myself wrong.

The Patriots documentary 'The Dynasty' is a hit piece on Bill Belichick designed to help Robert Kraft

This documentary, I think it's having the reverse effect that Robert Kraft thought it was gonna have. ... It's so clearly slanted towards Robert Kraft, but it's so, so slanted towards Robert Kraft that it's completely making me hate Robert Kraft and unnecessarily like they're going over the top to Slan it. They blamed Aaron Hernandez on Bill Belichick. Yeah. And basically made it like Robert Kraft was trying to save him.

Engagement parties for men are 'a joke' and 'bullshit'

Engagement Party's a joke guy for guys. For guys. Yeah. Yeah. That's a fucking joke. Engagement party is the most optional thing in the world. Engagement party is a fucking bullshit thing that no one should even have or be invited to.

AI and Hawkeye technology for NFL first downs will make the sport less fun

I don't like it at all. ... People are always like, oh, we're we're measuring like this billion dollar industry with a chain and sticks held by old retired guys on the sideline. Yeah. That's part of why it rocks. ... If you put AI into sports and you make robot umps and robot referees, you are depriving men of somewhere between 50 and 75% of the conversations they have with each other. ... What the fuck are we gonna talk about?

Robot officials and AI will ruin sports by removing 75% of male conversation

If you put AI into sports and you make robot umps and robot referees, you are depriving men of somewhere between 50 and 75% of the conversations they have with each other. You can't do that. The world will crumble if we can't complain about the refs. What the fuck are we gonna talk about? Nothing.

The NFL should never remove the 'sneak attack' onside kick

I don't like the onside kick thing where you can only do it when you're down and you have to declare that you're doing it. ... The sneak attack, onside kick is awesome. We shouldn't take that away.

Sydney Sweeney is bringing back the era of 'tits' over 'asses'

My who's back of the week is Sydney Sweeney. She was on SNL. ... People are saying, is Sidney Sweeney bringing back tits? Well, there's been don don't know. What would you say? A decade run where asses have been number one. ... We might look back in history and be like, when did Tits come back? Sidney Sweeney.

I prefer Drake Maye's 'toughness' and 'swag' over Caleb Williams

[Between Drake Maye and Caleb Williams] I would say Drake. He just had a little more swag, looked a little tougher. And so like, I've kind of been drawn to more toughness. ... Maybe you guys like khakis, I don't know, that's not my thing.